Home Theater/Personal audio thread...

[Clipdat]

Hey @Vracer111, I got to check out the DFR versus the DF1.0 earlier tonight and figured I'd share my thoughts and observations!

Definitely noticed a difference fairly quickly between the two, especially after testing a few drum n bass tracks back to back or A/B. I think the biggest difference is that the midrange and highs seem to be more in focus and highlighted. Definitely not exaggerated, just highlighted. In fact, that "shrillness" of some of the highs even seemed to be mellowed out on my Klipsch speakers, who's highs can easily get too harsh and fatiguing very quickly.

Also, this is the first time I've noticed this when testing different audio components, but the "pace" or "timing" of the high hats & symbols are improved over the DF1.0. These high sounds fit in and mesh more with the other elements of the music. With the DF1.0 the highs are present and accurate, but with the DFR, they feel more cohesive and more like they "belong". It's very difficult to describe.

Bass and low end seems about the same, maybe a little more tightness or extension, but hard to say.

I even let my wife try out a few different vocal tracks that she is familiar with and she had some of the same observations. Instruments and vocals feel more separated and brought to the front, and that overall the soundstage is more three dimensional. Interesting observations from a non-audiophile!

Overall a very interesting experience and comparison. While the differences weren't "OMG night and day", I definitely don't see any reason to go back to the DF1.0 after having heard the Red, that's for sure. Well worth the additional price in my opinion, and a very nice upgrade from the 1.0/1.2 DF.

In addition to the test tracks you gave me, here are a few where I definitely noticed the difference in the highs:

[ame="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HFgH2T0Gftg"]SND - Waterfalls (Nu Venture Records) - YouTube[/ame]

[ame="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qrJ6Wz_4XQA"]Foreign Concept & Klax - Ask Yourself - YouTube[/ame]

[Clipdat]

Hey @Vracer111, trying out some new headphones tonight that I bought on a whim: https://www.amazon.com/Koss-Pro4S-St...dp/B00MCVOT48/

Got them hooked up to my Asgard 2 which is being fed from my DFR and out of box they sounded pretty bad. Thin, hollow, no bass, muddy, etc.

After 30 mins they are starting to sound better. Soundstage opening up a little. Highs still don't sound great, but clarity of midrange is improving.

So either I'm getting used to them, they are starting to break in, or my Asgard 2 is getting up to operating temp.

Or a combination of all three?

[krayzie]

Originally Posted by Clipdat

they are starting to break in

When I bought my Sony ZX2 Walkman, the manual even states that I need to burn in the internals by running it for like at least 100 hours.

I always burn in my new headphones by just running it non-stop for days with stuff that I listen to.

[Clipdat]

Yeah, that is a good practice. But I just wanted instant gratification!

I'll set them up on another PC and just let them loop a playlist for a few days. At least I now have a baseline of how they sound out of box, which isn't particularly great, heh.

Originally Posted by krayzie

When I bought my Sony ZX2 Walkman, the manual even states that I need to burn in the internals by running it for like at least 100 hours.

I always burn in my new headphones by just running it non-stop for days with stuff that I listen to.

[krayzie]

Originally Posted by Clipdat

Yeah, that is a good practice. But I just wanted instant gratification!

Yea I just listen to them fresh out of the box first for a little bit, then check on them again every half day or so.

There were times when burn in didn't change much and I just ended up reselling and go try something else. I find that I don't always agree with what I read on the head-fi forum.

BTW back in the 80's and 90's I remember Sony earphones and headphones didn't even need burning in. They sounded the same from the first day to the day they die lol!

$80 bucks back then would have gotten you this. Most of us had these in elementary school and high school. Now they go for 4 digits on eBay ouch!

[Clipdat]

So far I am not in love with their "sound signature". I think they have been tuned to sound "good" at the expense of some accuracy.

I am used to my hyper critical, clinical, and revealing Sony MDR-V900HD. Power handling also seems a lot less than the Sonys....

Originally Posted by krayzie

Yea I just listen to them fresh out of the box first for a little bit, then check on them again every half day or so.

There were times when burn in didn't change much and I just ended up reselling and go try something else. I find that I don't always agree with what I read on the head-fi forum.

BTW back in the 80's and 90's I remember Sony earphones and headphones didn't even need burning in. They sounded the same from the first day to the day they die lol!

[Vracer111]

Headphone burn-in is a real thing to me as is how the DAC and amp needs to be on for a while for optimal sound. Can tell a difference from when equipment is first turned on from being off overnight to when it has been constantly powered for a full day - more full bodied and refined. All headphones I've had changed sound from initial right out of the box state to having several hundred hours run time, some more than others. Denon's/Fostex's really change throughout the initial burn-in for the first 100 or so hours, takes a while for the bass to come around and tighten up and the mids and highs to settle in. I know the AKG K7XX changed some, but really didn't like how they sound no matter how much run time they have - such a boring, bland, slightly veiled sound. Maybe my equipment didn't pair well with it, but whatever the case I didn't like their sound at all. The SHP9500 takes a while for the highs to smooth out and bass come out to full potential. The M1060's started coming around really nice after about 50 hours.

I just made a major purchase of a few things - have a pair of Gustard H10 high current amps (one for modding and the other to use as a standard to compare against at first - once mods figured out then replicate mods on the standard and integrated it into my HT system) and a Sennheiser HD 700 incoming.
Getting the Gustard H10's because wanted cost effective solid state amp with power that could roll Opamps with to tune sound for use with the M1060 and TH-X00 PH (which absolutely love high current amps). The HD 700 was out of the blue, wasn't looking for another headphone right now but in researching the Gustard H10 it seems like they pair very nicely together and was $399 on Massdrop. I've heard them before and they were good sounding and comfortable, so figured for less than the price of the TH-X00 PH's I would get them as my top end open dynamic driver phone.

I also picked up 2 Philips SHP9500S since Newegg had a good price on them (under $50): one is being modded into a gaming headset for a coworker and the other to use as a standard to compare against my modded SHP9500 and the modded SHP9500S for my coworker. I'll tell you one thing right off the bat, like how the SHP9500S fits better than the original SHP9500 - actually has a good enough clamping force compared to basically zero. Sound also seems slightly different from what I remember the stock SHP9500 sounding like... seems a little smoother with slightly warmer sound brand new.

[Clipdat]

I still want a pair of those Massdrop Fostex's, but can't stomach the price!

[krayzie]

Originally Posted by Clipdat

I still want a pair of those Massdrop Fostex's, but can't stomach the price!

I just wished they were Made in Japan.

[Vracer111]

Originally Posted by Clipdat

I still want a pair of those Massdrop Fostex's, but can't stomach the price!

https://www.head-fi.org/f/threads/fo...dition.854079/

https://www.head-fi.org/f/threads/fostex-th-x00.853930/

[Vracer111]

My Gustard H10's came in, really liking this amp! Pretty sure I'll be getting rid of my JAZZ-ff amp...which I hadn't really planned on doing at all. Will be modding the H10 for better cooling and component life, especially since I'd like to roll opamps with them.

[Gunman]

Be gentle, you guys seem like audiophiles, and the word "soundbar"...well, you know

Due to an "incident" at my apartment, I need to replace an original Energy Take 5 speaker system. I was thinking a passive soundbar, for simplicity, hooked up to my Onkyo TX-SR601 receiver.

Leaning towards the SSA-42
https://www.definitivetechnology.com.../mythos-ssa-42

Reviews on the SSA5 weren't as good as the SSA-50, but I can't see spending that much.
https://www.definitivetechnology.com...ythos-xtr-ssa5

I should be able to re-cabinet 3 of the Take 5's, once we get into a house, and the wood working tools have a home. Then the soundbar may stay, or get re-purposed. Note, I have an Energy 8" sub too.

Thoughts? other suggestions?
Klipsch G-42 only handles 50w rms, or I would consider it, plus it's only L/C/R. I know it's better to over power, than under power speakers, but... thoughts?

[cjd]

Originally Posted by Gunman

Be gentle, you guys seem like audiophiles, and the word "soundbar"...well, you know

Due to an "incident" at my apartment, I need to replace an original Energy Take 5 speaker system. I was thinking a passive soundbar, for simplicity, hooked up to my Onkyo TX-SR601 receiver.

Leaning towards the SSA-42
https://www.definitivetechnology.com.../mythos-ssa-42

Reviews on the SSA5 weren't as good as the SSA-50, but I can't see spending that much.
https://www.definitivetechnology.com...ythos-xtr-ssa5

I should be able to re-cabinet 3 of the Take 5's, once we get into a house, and the wood working tools have a home. Then the soundbar may stay, or get re-purposed. Note, I have an Energy 8" sub too.

Thoughts? other suggestions?
Klipsch G-42 only handles 50w rms, or I would consider it, plus it's only L/C/R. I know it's better to over power, than under power speakers, but... thoughts?

If you can build the boxes, consider diy. Many really good designs out there (its one of my other hobbies, so some of your design options are mine...)

Forget power, look at sensitivity. I usually watch movies at around 80dB, up to 90dB. That's not quite to 1W RMS in my setup. I start to hit heat induced distortion around 112dB... We'll ignore the fact that its way too loud.

The Klipsch are often higher sensitivity and get louder at 50w than other options at 100W.

C

[Gunman]

Yep, Klipsch is 92db @ 1m, the SSA-42 is 89db @ 1m.

Has anyone heard Definitive Technology's "Spatial Array"? ie the surround sound, without the surround speakers? I have my doubts, and reviews agree, but they also say it's better than just l/c/r. That is also pushing me away from the Klipsch in the apartment, and my wife hates having to run wires to the rear (now, and in future).