nnotis

Cyanogen based ROMs really are the way to go unless you have an S3, in which case only Touchwiz based ROMs will have USB audio support built in. Being able to use USB DACs with my phone is worth putting up with almost any bad Android skin. For non S3 owners, or those who don't use their S3 with USB DACs, I recommend checking out Paranoid. From an interface perspective, it can't be beat. Once you experience tablet Gmail, it's hard to go back. You can also merge the Notification bar with the software buttons of the Navigation bar. It's brilliant.

Tyll, your write up on square wave interpretation is all levels of awesome. I found it extremely informative.

I'm using it as a DAC & amp. It would be easy to use only the amp. That’s what I did for years with a modded iPod. There would be no point in doing that with an S3 though, as the Pico DAC is superior.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B005FUNYSA/ref=oh_details_o00_s00_i00 This is the Micro USB to USB adapter I'm using. Hopefully Google will see fit to implement the appropriate USB audio drivers in the next version of Android. Then all devices will support this functionality. Until then, huge props to Samsung for leading the way on something important to a very small number of people. Maybe one of their developers is an audiophile.

Correction! I just tried the Pico with the S3 again. Low and behold, it works.

For anyone interested, the D12 USB DAC works when connected to a Galaxy S3. It sounds the same to me as it does when connected to a computer. Sadly, I can't get this connection to work with my Pico DAC/amp.

Despite what sounds like a very quick attack, I'm starting to agree that there's something about LCD-2s that just isn't as accurate as the JH13s. I recall Headphone Addict writing about custom Westone IEMs that used some kind of memory material that made them more comfortable. Have you investigated the different materials customs can be shelled with?

Spritzer, I'm still a little baffled by your desire for less transparency out of the 09s. Based on the bulk of your posts I've read, you seem to have a strong preference for accuracy and neutrality. Are the 09s just too accurate to enjoy? It's hard for me to imagine such a thing.

I'm really curious to read more about what attributes you guys think the ideal amp for the 09s should have. Spritzer, do you really think overall transparency should be restrained, or would a slightly darker than neutral signature (but otherwise transparent) fit the bill? From what I've read thus far, the 09s have been said to be as close to perfect as headphones in 2012 get, but too bright for many. If this is so, wouldn't a BHSE with a darker signature be the perfect fit? Or do the 09s suffer from additional faults?

This was a great read Tyll. I had no idea there were so many new celebrity headphones. I'd love to see a giant Tyll perceived value list. Every time you review new cans, you could list the price you think it performs at vs the price it sells for. I'm guessing you'd rate the Beats Solo at about a dollar, as it does some things worse than ibuds. That would put it in competition with the Edition 10s as one of the worst values.

That's an excellent point Grahame. Limitations in the recording process are seldom considered in audiophile discussions. My thoughts about sample rates are this: When possible, I like to record at 88.2 to push unwanted conversion artifacts out of the audible range. Mastering to 44.1 simply involves dropping every other sample (bit depth reduction still needs a proper dither.) For playback I upsample back to 88.2, once again, to push conversion artifacts out of the audible range. I do hear a slight improvement vs. 44.1 playback out of my Lavry Black. I've never been ambitious enough to set up a blind test though. Justin has obviously made upsampling work well with the Pico. I would expect interpolating files from 44.1 to 96 would slightly degrade the signal. Maybe it does, but I can't hear it. That little thing still sounds awesome to my ears. Eventually, I want to set up matching files of the same recording to see if my approach yields any subjective difference compared to a pure 88.2 file. Of course, if it doesn't, one could argue it's because my mics and A to D are no good.

For me, the enticing thing about the Note is that amazing screen it has. It's got the same resolution as Samsung's new 7 inch tablet. If I were a 7 foot tall dude with huge hands, I'd get one for sure.

Well, Ice Cream Sandwich and the Galaxy Nexus have been launched. For me they're game changers. See this page from Engadget: http://www.engadget.com/2011/10/20/behind-the-glass-a-detailed-tour-inside-the-samsung-galaxy-nexu/ Let me also paste in the appropriate section relative to audio: Main input/output type supported: Headphone, Speaker, Microphone, Bluetooth, Voice, FM, S/PDIF over HDMI; USB Audio DAC (digital-to-audio converter with USB input and stereo outputs) should also be supported

Wouldn't one expect the bass of the LCD-2s, Dalis, and Focals to all sound more similar to each other than any of them would to bass from an electrostatic driver? It seems like maybe the SR-009s aren't for you. Sell them and have plenty of cash for the LCD-3s and whatever Audeze follows them up with.

Do you think it's conceivable that Siri will eventually activate Skynet?

I presume that Apple's "iPad Camera Connection Kit" still won't work on the iPhone 4S. They'd have a lot of audiophiles getting iPhones if they'd allow that adapter to work, since it also serves to output digital audio into a USB DAC.

Thanks for the comparisons guys. Do you think it's possible that the SR-009s sound more detailed than the 4070s simply due to being a touch brighter? Or are the 09s really opening up previously obscured information?

mikeymad, would you be willing to post some comments about how the SR-009 and 4070 compare sonically? I understand the 4070 is extremely neutral. Do you find the SR-009 to be even more so? Do you consider the SR-009 to be more detailed?

Yes, I saw those when he posted them. But I wonder how consistent the old measurements are with the new ones Tyll just did?

Wow, this is absolutely the best headphone thread I've ever seen. You guys are the shit. Arnaud, your left/right averaged graphs are hugely helpful for looking at this data. I'd love to see four of them all using the same scale (to make comparisons visually intuitive.) You just did the SR-009 & SR-007. Can you post one with Tyll's new HD-800 data too? I don't recall if you ever made one for the LCD-2s either. Lastly, did anyone send Tyll 4070s? I'd be really curious to see how those enclosures effect the measurements.

I find reducing bands rather than boosting them leads to a better outcome. Not a fan of the SF-1?

I haven’t yet spent effort trying to EQ my headphones. But my experience EQing mic signals might be relevant. As a rule of thumb, I try not to boost any part of the spectrum more than 3 db. When I do, it’s never for very long, as the heavily boosted region always sounds a bit distorted. That said, some mics, like my Royer SF1 pair, seem to offer more leeway in this regard. And some EQ plug ins seem better suited to boosting than others. The bottom line is that there are a fair number of variables. Distortion from both the mic and the EQ plug are probably at play. I’d expect a similar relationship to exist for headphone playback.

Just to confuse things more for the OP, here's my assessment in terms of resolution: I found the HD800s to be equal to the K1000s, unless you consider sub bass. Since the K1000s don't have any, the HD800s win. I found the JH13s to exceed the K1000s across the spectrum. And I find the LDC-2s are noticeably better than the JH13s. When I talk about detail, I'm referring to both the depiction of textural clarity and the ability to parse out single sounds in complex passages. I don't know why my impressions of the LCD-2s differ so much from those of others on this site. They smear uber dens mixes less than anything else I've heard. After reading this thread, I'd love to have another go with the HD800s though. Maybe I just didn't hear them right before.

I’m sorry the LCD2s have been ruined for you Blessingx. You’ve still got the JH-13s though. Even without considering this reflection problem, they’re essentially as good. I wonder if the driver speed of the LCD-2s makes this more of a problem than it would be on a dynamic coil set? Even the HD-800s depict a much rounder looking square wave. Would a similar reflection be as clearly defined, and audible? Have you tried taking off the grills? Edit - Just to be clear, I can't hear the effect myself.

But wait, isn't that supposed to be an angel?