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Thread: Headphone survey

  1. #61
    Join Date: Jan 2008

    Location: Wrexham, North Wales, UK

    Posts: 110,012
    I'm AudioAl'sArbiterForPISHANTO.

    Default

    Ah that makes sense now, ta! It was the "slope" thing that was throwing me most... Sorry, can't help with your query, as I have no great experience with the headphones in question.

    In general, I've always preferred the sound of Beyer Dynamic to Sennheiser, but Japanese or American heaphones (such as AT/Sony or Grado/Koss) are ultimately more to my taste, compared with their German counterparts.

    Marco.
    Main System

    Turntable: Heavily-modified Technics SL-1210MK5G [Mike New bearing/ETP platter/Paul Hynes SR7 PSU & reg mods]. Funk Firm APM Achromat/Nagaoka GL-601 Crystal Record Weight/Isonoe feet & boots/Ortofon RS-212D/Denon DL-103GL in Denon PCL-300 headshell with Funk Firm Houdini/Kondo SL-115 pure-silver cartridge leads.

    Paul Hynes MC head amp/SR5 PSU. Also modded Lentek head amp/Denon AU-310 SUT.

    Other Cartridges: Nippon Columbia (NOS 1987) Denon DL-103. USA-made Shure SC35C with NOS stylus. Goldring G820 with NOS stylus. Shure M55E with NOS stylus.

    CD Player: Audiocom-modified Sony X-777ES/DAS-R1 DAC.

    Tape Deck: Tandberg TCD 310, fully restored and recalibrated as new, by RDE, plus upgraded with heads from the TCD-420a. Also with matching TM4 Norway microphones.

    Preamps: Heavily-modified Croft Charisma-X. LDR Stereo Coffee. Power Amps: Tube Distinctions Copper Amp fitted with Tungsol KT-150s. Quad 306.

    Cables & Sundries: Mark Grant HDX1 interconnects and digital coaxial cable, plus Mark Grant 6mm UP-LCOFC Van Damme speaker cable. MCRU 'Ultimate' mains leads. Lehmann clone headphone amp with vintage Koss PRO-4AAA headphones.

    Tube Distinctions digital noise filter. VPI HW16.5 record cleaning machine.

    Speakers: Tannoy 15MGs in Lockwood cabinets with modified crossovers. 1967 Celestion Ditton 15.


    Protect your HUMAN RIGHTS and REFUSE ANY *MANDATORY* VACCINE FOR COVID-19!

    Also **SAY NO** to unjust 'vaccine passports' or certificates, which are totally incompatible with a FREE society!!!


  2. #62
    Join Date: Jan 2009

    Location: Essex

    Posts: 31,847
    I'm openingabottleofwine.

    Default

    I find it a strange idea of using headphones to assess the quality of speakers. The listening experience offered by each is entirely different.
    Barry

  3. #63
    Join Date: Nov 2011

    Location: Seaton, Devon, UK

    Posts: 13,240
    I'm Adrian.

    Default

    I have two pairs of headphones:-

    Trio KH-32



    These Trio's date from the late 70's and were originally purchased by my friend Dave, I recall him listening to many different headphones in his price range at the time until he found these, which he considered natural sounding across the frequencies, and with good bass reproduction, I think they were about £45 at the time. They were not that cheap really, in todays money that would be just over £200. I brought them from him about 10 years later when he upgraded, and use them on and off over the past 30 years. They are very good with lots of detail and a good sound stage.

    I have replaced the circular foam behind each speaker cover which your ears rest on as this had broken down over the years, apart from that they are original and in surprisingly good condition.

    Transducers: Dynamic employing 25 micron mylar film elements
    Sensitivity 106dB for 1mW input
    Frequency 20-20Khz
    Impedance 4-16ohm
    Weight 290gm

    There is a pair on ebay at the moment for about £35, so if you want a good sounding headphones on a budget they might be worth a punt.


    KLH Ultima One's

    Sensitivity (SPL at 1kHz for 1Vrms input) 109.4dB
    Impedance modulus min/max (20Hz-20kHz) 33.8ohm @ 1.0kHz, 38.7ohm @ 39Hz
    Capsule matching (40Hz-10kHz) ±12.6dB
    LF extension (–6dB ref. 200Hz) <20Hz
    Distortion 100Hz/1kHz (for 90dB SPL) 0.4% / <0.1%
    Weight (headset only) 349g
    Price £299



    I purchased these last year as I wanted to improve my headphone listening experience without shelling out a fortune. The KLH's have had a number of reviews in the press and are generally favourable. The bass is prominent, but it doesn’t get as boomy as some headphones can. From the mids through the lower treble, the response sounds fairly flat, and there seems to be a little extra emphasis in the mid-treble, which makes instruments such as cymbals zing a little more. Probably a good thing for me as my top end hearing has dropped off a little with age, which is par for the course as one gets older. Overall I find they give a excellent listening experience and are VGFM in my opinion.

    I have done some back to back listening with both pairs and did so again this morning listening to Joe Jackson - Night and Day, a classic album with huge dynamics and lovely range of instruments and extremely well recorded. The KLH it has to be said are the better headphones not by miles but they have better detail and colour the presentation less, having said that the Trio's for a 40 year old pair of headphones are very good.
    Listening is the act of aural discrimination and dissemination of sound, and accepting you get it wrong sometimes.

    Analog Inputs: Pro-Ject Signature 10 TT & arm, Benz Micro LP-S, Michel Cusis MC, Goldring 2500 and Ortofon Rondo Blue cartridges, Hitachi FT5500 mk2 Tuner

    Digital:- Marantz SA-KI Pearl CD player, RaspberryPi/HifiBerry Digi+ Pro, Buffalo NAS Drive

    Amplification:- AudioValve Sunilda phono stage, Krell KSP-7B pre-amp, Krell KSA-80 power amp

    Output: Wilson Benesch Vector speakers, KLH Ultimate One Headphones

    Cables: Tellurium Q Ultra Black II RCA & Chord Epic 2 RCA, various speaker leads, & links


    I think I am nearing audio nirvana, but don’t tell anyone.

  4. #64
    Join Date: Jan 2008

    Location: Wrexham, North Wales, UK

    Posts: 110,012
    I'm AudioAl'sArbiterForPISHANTO.

    Default

    Love the look of the Trios (retro classy and understated) - right up my street!

    Don't know anything about the KLH, but like how you describe their sound... One thing I simply CANNOT go, and detest with headphones, is boomy bass!!

    It's got to be FULL, as in have proper weight and texture, but also be tight, punchy and tuneful, which is exactly what I get with the Koss - even the inferior modern replicas I'm currently using.

    If I hear boomy bass with headphones, they go straight in the bin!

    Marco.
    Main System

    Turntable: Heavily-modified Technics SL-1210MK5G [Mike New bearing/ETP platter/Paul Hynes SR7 PSU & reg mods]. Funk Firm APM Achromat/Nagaoka GL-601 Crystal Record Weight/Isonoe feet & boots/Ortofon RS-212D/Denon DL-103GL in Denon PCL-300 headshell with Funk Firm Houdini/Kondo SL-115 pure-silver cartridge leads.

    Paul Hynes MC head amp/SR5 PSU. Also modded Lentek head amp/Denon AU-310 SUT.

    Other Cartridges: Nippon Columbia (NOS 1987) Denon DL-103. USA-made Shure SC35C with NOS stylus. Goldring G820 with NOS stylus. Shure M55E with NOS stylus.

    CD Player: Audiocom-modified Sony X-777ES/DAS-R1 DAC.

    Tape Deck: Tandberg TCD 310, fully restored and recalibrated as new, by RDE, plus upgraded with heads from the TCD-420a. Also with matching TM4 Norway microphones.

    Preamps: Heavily-modified Croft Charisma-X. LDR Stereo Coffee. Power Amps: Tube Distinctions Copper Amp fitted with Tungsol KT-150s. Quad 306.

    Cables & Sundries: Mark Grant HDX1 interconnects and digital coaxial cable, plus Mark Grant 6mm UP-LCOFC Van Damme speaker cable. MCRU 'Ultimate' mains leads. Lehmann clone headphone amp with vintage Koss PRO-4AAA headphones.

    Tube Distinctions digital noise filter. VPI HW16.5 record cleaning machine.

    Speakers: Tannoy 15MGs in Lockwood cabinets with modified crossovers. 1967 Celestion Ditton 15.


    Protect your HUMAN RIGHTS and REFUSE ANY *MANDATORY* VACCINE FOR COVID-19!

    Also **SAY NO** to unjust 'vaccine passports' or certificates, which are totally incompatible with a FREE society!!!


  5. #65
    Join Date: May 2016

    Location: Navan

    Posts: 378
    I'm Jo.

    Default

    + 1 on the look of the Trios. Most beguiling!

  6. #66
    Join Date: Jan 2008

    Location: Norwich

    Posts: 1,064
    I'm Mike.

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by Barry View Post
    Some of the nicest headphones I have used were the Sennheiser HD450:

    .

    I say "nicest" as they were comfortable with a more than adequate sound quality (and let's face it, using headphones is a very artificial way to listen to anything, so IMO there is no point in eulogising about any of them) and for a reasonable price (about £60 in 1998).

    Only dispensed with them around 2003, as the foam ear pads started to perish.
    Currently using these on my computer; pads perished long ago, which is why my lady wiffie pinched my new but cheap Grado 60. They were taken into custody from the college audio stores I managed when it closed down about 35 years ago or more ago. Still work well, but would be even better with pads, assuming they can be had.

    No mention of Focals on this thread; am a bit surprised. I've had HD650s for a decade or more but wanted to upgrade without a culture shock (the 800 series are different beasts). The Elears do just that; more transparency, better frequency extremes and prob. more comfy, albeit heavier than the Senn's.

    There's still something really comforting and immersive about the 650s, though, and I still use them. I'm not the only one to 'upgrade' from these but deliberately fail to move on their 650s !

    I really wonder what the Utopias (at around £3K) bring to the party, but it's a pity that I'll probably never know (at my age). I listen to TV a lot on cans and have music (CD and vinyl) sessions on them as a change from my big ESLs. Coil cans and ESL speakers; nice presentational juxtaposition.

  7. #67
    Join Date: Nov 2011

    Location: Seaton, Devon, UK

    Posts: 13,240
    I'm Adrian.

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by Marco View Post
    Love the look of the Trios (retro classy and understated) - right up my street!


    Marco.
    Well from what I have found out they are rather rare, especially in great condition. So if you are interested in them you are welcome to make a bid.
    Listening is the act of aural discrimination and dissemination of sound, and accepting you get it wrong sometimes.

    Analog Inputs: Pro-Ject Signature 10 TT & arm, Benz Micro LP-S, Michel Cusis MC, Goldring 2500 and Ortofon Rondo Blue cartridges, Hitachi FT5500 mk2 Tuner

    Digital:- Marantz SA-KI Pearl CD player, RaspberryPi/HifiBerry Digi+ Pro, Buffalo NAS Drive

    Amplification:- AudioValve Sunilda phono stage, Krell KSP-7B pre-amp, Krell KSA-80 power amp

    Output: Wilson Benesch Vector speakers, KLH Ultimate One Headphones

    Cables: Tellurium Q Ultra Black II RCA & Chord Epic 2 RCA, various speaker leads, & links


    I think I am nearing audio nirvana, but don’t tell anyone.

  8. #68
    Join Date: Jan 2009

    Location: Essex

    Posts: 31,847
    I'm openingabottleofwine.

    Default

    I use these cheap Sony headphones with my computer



    They were originally £30, but can now be had for about £12!

    My partner uses a pair of these Sony headphones:



    They cost about £30, but the headband is so thin and plasticky that they 'creak' annoyingly with the slightest movement of your head.
    Barry

  9. #69
    Join Date: Jan 2009

    Location: Essex

    Posts: 31,847
    I'm openingabottleofwine.

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by AJSki2fly View Post
    I have two pairs of headphones:-

    Trio KH-32



    These Trio's date from the late 70's and were originally purchased by my friend Dave, I recall him listening to many different headphones in his price range at the time until he found these, which he considered natural sounding across the frequencies, and with good bass reproduction, I think they were about £45 at the time. They were not that cheap really, in todays money that would be just over £200. I brought them from him about 10 years later when he upgraded, and use them on and off over the past 30 years. They are very good with lots of detail and a good sound stage.

    I have replaced the circular foam behind each speaker cover which your ears rest on as this had broken down over the years, apart from that they are original and in surprisingly good condition.

    Transducers: Dynamic employing 25 micron mylar film elements
    Sensitivity 106dB for 1mW input
    Frequency 20-20Khz
    Impedance 4-16ohm
    Weight 290gm

    There is a pair on ebay at the moment for about £35, so if you want a good sounding headphones on a budget they might be worth a punt.


    KLH Ultima One's

    Sensitivity (SPL at 1kHz for 1Vrms input) 109.4dB
    Impedance modulus min/max (20Hz-20kHz) 33.8ohm @ 1.0kHz, 38.7ohm @ 39Hz
    Capsule matching (40Hz-10kHz) ±12.6dB
    LF extension (–6dB ref. 200Hz) <20Hz
    Distortion 100Hz/1kHz (for 90dB SPL) 0.4% / <0.1%
    Weight (headset only) 349g
    Price £299



    I purchased these last year as I wanted to improve my headphone listening experience without shelling out a fortune. The KLH's have had a number of reviews in the press and are generally favourable. The bass is prominent, but it doesn’t get as boomy as some headphones can. From the mids through the lower treble, the response sounds fairly flat, and there seems to be a little extra emphasis in the mid-treble, which makes instruments such as cymbals zing a little more. Probably a good thing for me as my top end hearing has dropped off a little with age, which is par for the course as one gets older. Overall I find they give a excellent listening experience and are VGFM in my opinion.

    I have done some back to back listening with both pairs and did so again this morning listening to Joe Jackson - Night and Day, a classic album with huge dynamics and lovely range of instruments and extremely well recorded. The KLH it has to be said are the better headphones not by miles but they have better detail and colour the presentation less, having said that the Trio's for a 40 year old pair of headphones are very good.
    300 - 350 grams! Lightweight - my Koss ESP-6s are a couple of pounds in weight, and can only be tolerated for about half an hour.

    Barry

  10. #70
    Join Date: Nov 2011

    Location: Seaton, Devon, UK

    Posts: 13,240
    I'm Adrian.

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by Barry View Post
    300 - 350 grams! Lightweight - my Koss ESP-6s are a couple of pounds in weight, and can only be tolerated for about half an hour.

    Yes the KLH weigh in at 0.7lbs, an I find I can happily wear them for several hours, although I usually know of to sleep before then.
    Listening is the act of aural discrimination and dissemination of sound, and accepting you get it wrong sometimes.

    Analog Inputs: Pro-Ject Signature 10 TT & arm, Benz Micro LP-S, Michel Cusis MC, Goldring 2500 and Ortofon Rondo Blue cartridges, Hitachi FT5500 mk2 Tuner

    Digital:- Marantz SA-KI Pearl CD player, RaspberryPi/HifiBerry Digi+ Pro, Buffalo NAS Drive

    Amplification:- AudioValve Sunilda phono stage, Krell KSP-7B pre-amp, Krell KSA-80 power amp

    Output: Wilson Benesch Vector speakers, KLH Ultimate One Headphones

    Cables: Tellurium Q Ultra Black II RCA & Chord Epic 2 RCA, various speaker leads, & links


    I think I am nearing audio nirvana, but don’t tell anyone.

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