K3cT

Since the varying impressions here intrigued me greatly, I decided to take a listen again over the weekend at my friend's place. This time round, I tried the HE-5 out of a SPL Phonitor and Grace M902 just to get a different perspective from the ϐ22. My initial report in regards of the treble glare still remains unfortunately no matter what amp I used but it seemed to sound a tad smoother using the Phonitor. Other than that, I discovered that the HD800 is more revealing than the HE-5 as a badly recorded album (The Best of U2 - 2002) sounded unbearable using the former but actually decent using the latter. In regards to the soundstage, it's a little bit difficult to describe but if the HD800 presents sounds within a field of 180 degree arc surrounding the listener in the center, the HE5 is noticeably more constricted at 90 degree. There's also a slight lack of depth at the soundstage. Nevertheless, I felt that the HE-5 is a very musical can with its Ortho-y PRaT and I seriously feel that genres that require agility such as metal or rock will sound amazing with this can. It's a pity that I didn't get the opportunity to try the HE-5 out of a tube amp just to see what it will bring to the table.

I've been exchanging PMs with Rhydon about using HF2 for the Magnum process. Initially I thought the Magnum'd drivers will be different for each model but it turns out that I'm wrong. Nothing is finalized yet at the moment...

Isn't she a beaut?

I think AT has a very unique midrange though it seems to be a hit-or-miss. I started this hobby with AD700 based on HF's recommendations but hated it so it's no longer with me now. The ESW9 is very, very good and I like it better than its older 3x more expensive brother. I tried the W5k briefly in a store in Singapore but I don't have a lasting impression, it sounded kinda bright but has a good soundstage for a closed can if I remember right. My friend has a W1000X and he wouldn't shut up about it so I'll probably pay him a visit in the near future. Based on his stories, it seems to sound like a super-refined ESW9 so it could be excellent.

Call me crazy but I'm more intrigued with that contraption made from bricks in the foreground.

Apparently, the new W1000X is a pretty kick-ass sounding headphone and the price doesn't break your bank account too. A friend has it in his house and he compares it favorably with the HD800.

I say resolving minute details is not the strong forte of HF2 but somehow, it sounds just... right, I dunno. It's one of the few cans that are able to make you forget about technicalities and instead, you just sit back and enjoy the music.

Heh, unfortunately my budget ran out when I ordered the PCBs and stuff last month so I'm now stuck with the enclosure but no panels.

Ah, that's too bad. I would be interested if the I/O specification is similar to what Ti offers in his site.

It was definitely more forward sounding than the HD800 I heard with. Vocals were upfront, a bit Grado-ish you might say in this area. The variance between unit to unit is intriguing though and perhaps could be very much true considering for example, some people hear peakiness in the HE-5 and some do not. There is another pair that someone in the local circle owns so perhaps I could garner a listen to it and see if there's any difference or not.

Unless my memory deceives me, there is a couple of Omegas for sale or auction in grawk's Forsale Elsewhere thread which could be useful for you. Bud, one of these days I gotta drop by and take a listen to that KGSS.

I took a listen to the HE-5 out of a balanced ϐ22 and was pretty impressed despite the obvious (and annoying) peak at the upper-midrange region. The HE-5 is forward, lively with tons of clarity and resolution. Unfortunately, that peakiness gets tiring after prolonged listening so it could be a deal-breaker for me. However, the HD800 that I auditioned with side-by-side pretty much destroyed it so I'm honestly not sure what the folks at HF who claimed that the HE-5 > HD800 were thinking.

I sort of miss the old homepage payout.

I hope you're not thinking what I am thinking.

Why all the Australians I had met seem to have that kind of hairdo, feckn_eejit? EDIT: Apparently I confused Canada and Australia in my delirium. My bad!

No wonder everything looks so funky today.

I still have mine and don't plan to sell it. It's an extremely able rocking can and now I just need a more "intellectual" one to complement the HF2.

Not to mention the fun factor. I have utter confidence in the y2 though. Anyway, in an effort to spark more discussions the new nuForce uDAC apparently has an ESS Sabre chip inside for a mere $99. Any brave souls here want to try that?

I'm not sure how I dislike the K701. There is something weird about its midrange that I cannot put in words which is actually not too different with the "honky" midrange that some ATH cans exhibit.

Maybe if I beg hard enough, my parents would help to partially fund this thing for my Christmas present. The timing couldn't be right enough, just right after I blew my bank account for Gamma2, Sigma25 and Sigma11 parts.

The price is a lot more reasonable than a certain brand of cable which I tried and found really overpriced. I don't find the SCSCag for JH13 listed in Whiplash's site though.

Comparing the Gamma1 and Pico, it is immediately apparent that the Pico has better low-frequency resolution and a smoother treble. Considering one is sub-$100 and the other is close to $500, I'm not really surprised though. Time to convert this into a Gamma2 once I'm done with my Sigma22.

I actually agree. They need to come up with something less gimmick-y with the same SQ at a cheaper price.

If midrange and warmth are your top priority then this player is the one to get. I still prefer Sony's X series for a more balanced sound. The mentioned AMP3 is also really good but has a horrible UI and form factor so it's a no-no for me.

I finally had a chance to listen to a universal demo version today and it's really good. I think it's the only IEM or headphone that ever gives me the feeling that I'm actually listening to a LIVING sound. The R10 that I also tried happened to be quite a bit better (that thing has the best soundstage and midrange that I've ever heard in headphones) but considering that it's extinct... The only shortcoming that the JH13 has is the lack of cushion-y feel that full-sized headphones give me. The exact same reason why I prefer reading books in printed format I suppose.