this post was submitted on 15 Jun 2023
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Headphones
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We talk about headphones. You know, those expensive things that go on your head so your music sounds more awesome.
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Rotating between the HD800S, LCD-X 2020's, and Aeon 2 Noire depending on if I am watching videos, gaming, or listening to music. The Noire's are the newest to me, and have been getting the most head time while I've been on a rock/metal and electronica bent lately. Source is Amazon Music into an SMSL SU-8 to Singxer SA-1. I finally hit my perfect trifecta.... until the bug gets me again.
I, too, have a pair of 800Ss. Even with EQ, have you ever gotten them to have any sort of slam? Or are they truly incapable of that?
There is a subjective component there, but I just don't think Senn's ring drivers are capable of really digging into a true slam. They are just too refined to do it I think. A bass shelf in EQ combined with a warmer signature and powerful amp helps, but they excel with jazz, classical, orchestral, and electro swing where slam doesn't matter as much. That was one of the driving forces that caused me to try the Aeon 2 Noire, as even the LCD-X was not quite there to me in the slam factor for some songs. That said, no regrets with either of the 3 as they each complement each other well.
For reference I also have a Focal Elear (using Elex pads) and a Focal Elegia with Dekoni's Stellia pads since Focal is known for dynamics and slam. Both are very enjoyable and still get some head time, but were not able to scratch that itch for me on slam. I still want to try the Clear OGs one of these days to find out if they are truly the holy grail that can slam as hard as rumor states.
Oh dang. My current daily setup is an Elear powered by a Valhalla2. I also mix audio with them sometimes, so I need them to be reference leveled so I'm not fighting my monitors, and so use that one software, SoundID Listen or whatever to get them "professionally" to flat, and then use EqualizerAPO for minor taste and hearing-loss tweaks (I got COVID in Jan 2020 and after recovering, my left ear, and kind of my right, have permanent 2-4db loss UNDER about 3khz. I had to go to an audiologist. I am very sad).
I've never switched out any parts at all, and have also always wondered how much better the successor Focal headphones in the Elear family are. I've heard the Utopia a few times, but it just sounded so damped in the highs.
I know the tech is constantly getting better, but, after Tyll retired (InnerFedelity), I feel like headphone culture kind of cooled off since there was no anchor point. He wasn't perfect, but he made those reference charts and measurements that were super helpful.
The Elear is great, but does benefit from using the Clear's pads which is all the Elex is. Some places are now selling OG Clear pads for half price now too with the Clear MG replacing the OGs. I doubt my Elear will ever leave my collection, but I might add the Clear some day. How do you like the Valhalla? Always had it on my list of potential next amps, but I've never had the opportunity to get hands on with any Schiit gear.
Sorry to hear about your hearing impact, I'm always concerned about that myself. Thankfully I just get winded super easy now, and who needs oxygen when you have Daft Punk anyway. I kind of get where your coming from, Tyll retiring was definitely an inflection point in the hobby. The new guard of YouTube reviewers (like DMS, Joshua Valor, etc), and with Amirm (audiosciencereview) still plugging along makes me think headphones are going to keep heating up again.
The Valhalla is kind of a pain in the ass. It's a class a amp that uses tubes, and has to warm up over quite a bit of time. It sounds fine, and works well with my Elear and hd800s. But, I did buy it used, and both the on/off switch and the high/low gain switch were broken off by the previous owner somehow. So, to turn it off, I have to unplug it, and to turn it on, I have to poke a small metal object into a hole and wiggle it around until something shorts and it holds and stays on. Soooo I just leave it on all the time. Not great for my electricity bill. But, it sounds great haha.
Maybe someday I'll get clear pads and see what the hype is all about. But, until then, I've kind of lost connection to any reviewers or whatnot, even basically stopped watching Zeos. I've never heard of any of those people you mentioned. Would you point to any one of them as a solid reference point with good taste and a lot of technical knowledge? Zeos was never that guy, as he's always been more of a hype-train. And while that's great and all... More than one industry/hobby have lost their leaders (thinking about total biscuit as an influencer and critic for gaming that always pushed for responsibility, much like Tyll).