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Post by Deleted on Apr 23, 2011 9:42:44 GMT
I've been switching headhones a lot on the V8 and the K701 to me is still a 'problem' headphone. The weird thing is that does have a very deep bass but just not enough of it. You tend to turn up the volume to get more bass presence and then (for me) the treble turns edgy. It's as though these headones have an upward slope on their response and they can sound kind of nasal.
I just can't settle with them. They can sound absolutely stunning on some recordings and utter shite on others. Far more variable than any other headphone I've ever had.
For me, it's the top end. If that was brought down they would be spot on for me. They give a brilliant sense of space, there is deep (but quiet) bass, but the treble dominates everything.
An impedance adapter calms it down slightly but for my lugs, it's not quite right in the top end in particular. The Grado sr125i sounds comparitively mellow in comparison.
The thing is, the V8 is delivering a beautiful bass into many other headphones, but it seems to me that I can't find anything that will kick life into the K701. I've stuck with it and fought with it and maybe I've reached the end of the road with it. The best amp for me with it is the Panda.
The modded V8 is a really good amp. I had always been told that X-Cans worked better with higher impedance headphones, but I'm finding low impedance headphones are really taking off on it. The AT ad700 and a500 work really well. The a500 has a thunderous bass with it. The grados also sound good. The sr125i is surprising with good bass attack and slightly more extended than the sr80i. The Portapro even sounds amazing out of it!! (and Senn px series) The Senn hd25 is also good.
For some reason, the lower impedance headphones are extremely lively on the V8 and I wonder whether this version of the X-can is extremely well suited to low impedance headphones.
It delivers big sounds anyway, but I'm finding that lower impedance headphones are virtually hovering on my ears with power/current being delivered to them. The dynamics are superb.
Ian
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Post by Deleted on Apr 23, 2011 9:59:14 GMT
I've been thinking a lot about this headphone impedance thing.
I'm aware that low impedance require more current and more voltage for high but are there other factors where headphone impedance affect sound?
ie; are low impedance headphones likely to exhibit more bass overhang and so in order to get a clean bass, a powerful amp is needed in reality to get a good grip of the drivers and stop that happening? The bass on the v8 is extremely well behaved and even more so on low impedance phones. I guess I'm wondering whether higher impedance headphones naturally stop bass overhang simply by requiring more voltage to drive them.
The thing is, low impedance headphones are a bit easier to drive and make more sense for non hi-fi type people because they wouldn't want to buy an amp and bass overhang wouldn't worry them because it would be perceived as 'fat' bass but on an amp, these lower impedance headphones seem to tighten up.
It's the speed of the bass attack on the v8 that has kind of got me thinking about it really.
Christ ..... Is there an easy explanation or am I in cuckoo land? (pretty likely)
Ian
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Post by Deleted on Apr 23, 2011 10:29:10 GMT
Ian
If we were talking about loudspeakers that would apply.
In that case the very low impedance of the amplifier possesses what is referred to as the damping factor. It's a similar principle to what used to happen with moving coil meters, where they often used to connect a short circuit across the coil to prevent damage before use.
The short circuit prevented wild movement, and possible damage of the meter. Frans can explain this better than I can, but I believe that Frans doesn't think that headphones are susceptible to the dampening effect of the low amplifier output impedance due to their construction.Perhaps their size too ?
I have noticed in another forum that not everybody agrees with Frans on this subject of headphone dampening by the low impedance of an amplifier..
I will leave this one to Frans to elaborate on , or perhaps correct me
if I have misquoted him, or made some other error.
Alex
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Post by Deleted on Apr 23, 2011 13:36:44 GMT
Thanks Alex. It feels as though the v8 seems to have a real control of low impedance headphones. The bass in particular seems extremely tight and focussed.
Tbh, I'm really enjoying the AT headphones. The ad 700 is kind of opposite to the a500 but they both sound very focussed from the amp. I'm going to have to try the w1000x one day!!
It kind of makes you wonder why we have so wide a variation with regards to headphone impedance and also seems to be a common thing with many listeners.
This may also account for my 16ohm buds seeming so lively with controlled bass on an iPod. The IPod actually drives them adequately to produce a full sound.
Thing is, the more you listen and go into this aspect of headphone listening, it starts to become quite complex. Funnily enough, I find it quite interesting and the matching of output impedance to headphone and the actual impedance of the headphone itself are key factors in getting a balanced headphone sound (along with the fr of the drivers) but we seem to go by guesswork since manufacturers are not really forthcoming with recommendations for headphones' impedance and headphone manufacturers don't mention the recommended output impedance from amps.
It must be one of the keys to quality sound.
(or else I'm hearing the headphones' characteristics rather than the fact that the lower impedance ones seem more controlled)
Lots og guessing!!!
Ian
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Post by Deleted on Apr 23, 2011 22:53:02 GMT
Hi Ian
I couldn't agree more.I often wonder how many people who make pronouncements over which headphones are best sounding,
(magazine reviewers included) actually drive the others they have given the thumbs down to, as the manufacturers intended them to be driven.
There is far too much secrecy in this area for what appears to be purely commercial reasons.
Alex
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Post by Deleted on Apr 24, 2011 7:41:37 GMT
Absolutely Alex. I was scanning through another site yesterday and it looks as though impedance and matching are the areas where most people are confused and, as you say- the answer as to which headphone is best becomes such a hit and miss affair. I tend to try and pair headphone and amp up to a point but theory would dictate flat response from amp to flat response headphone equals perfection. Which just isn't the case. It's a good starting point I suppose. (plus variations that follow with ears and preference) it's quite a minefield actually. The matching thing has always been in my mind when listening to anything- even an IPod!! ie; what's the output impedance from an IPod and what are earbuds designed to work with? Even on a crappy setup like that, some better quality may be possible just by close matching but no- one I know of has ever alluded to it. Maybe it's a bit anal, but I know for a fact that guys at work take great care over it which accounts (to me) why the Beyer Dt 150 sounds so different at home in comparison. Also, the Dt 770, although BBC use a slightly different version I think. It's also useful to know what speakers/headphones a mix may have been monitored on. It's very complex and maybe I have too much time on my hands!!!  Ian |
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Post by PinkFloyd on Apr 24, 2011 22:54:57 GMT
You said it! Jesus man, it's lovely weather outside..... strip off and get some sun on your face....... Only sad bastards have to entertain themselves with "headphones" when the sun is shining..... go, strip off and dive into a poop..... that's "living" mate!  |
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Post by PinkFloyd on Apr 24, 2011 22:56:33 GMT
Whooops.... typo time..... where I said "poop" should have read "pool"..... Dive into a "pool"  |
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Post by clausdk on Apr 24, 2011 23:14:29 GMT
Whooops.... typo time..... where I said "poop" should have read "pool"..... Dive into a "pool" I thought that the poop thing was some strange scottish tradition.. |
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Post by PinkFloyd on Apr 24, 2011 23:24:51 GMT
Whooops.... typo time..... where I said "poop" should have read "pool"..... Dive into a "pool" I thought that the poop thing was some strange scottish tradition.. Dump a large one on a plank of wood... a nice steamer.....one, two three four...... prepare to splat into the the shit! A 25 metre run up, a triple jump with a face dive into a pile of steaming shite ........ Sports rock! |
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Post by clausdk on Apr 24, 2011 23:42:35 GMT
I thought that the poop thing was some strange scottish tradition.. Dump a large one on a plank of wood... a nice steamer.....one, two three four...... prepare to slpat the shit! A 25 metre run up, a triple jump with a face dive into a pile of steaming shite ........ Sports rock! The coolest sport ever is the one where they throw a big round cheese downhill and everybody chases it.. Or the one where some madmen rides a log downhill.. Or the Bullrun in Pamplona.. So poop diving is not so strange afterall |
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Post by Deleted on Apr 25, 2011 9:06:02 GMT
Poop diving is all to easy here. On November 5th, I'm planning bangers in cow pats.
25 and more degrees down here Mike. Really too hot. Did a barbie yesterday and it was cooked before I stuck it on!!
Mum's not in a good state so spent day with her. She can't hear any difference between a Grado or Senn 650. she thinks I'm mad. She was convinced that they're absolutely identical and here's me worrying about amp impedances and matching!!!
Ian
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mrarroyo
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Our man in Miami!
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Post by mrarroyo on Apr 25, 2011 12:38:24 GMT
The high is expected to reach 30 Celsius today! It is only April for ... sake!
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Post by Deleted on Apr 25, 2011 14:26:08 GMT
I was seriously barbecued in Florida. Couldn't move for two days following some snorkelling. It gets ridiculous there in the Summer. I don't know how you guys can work in that heat. I played for 30 minutes in an open bar in Key West and virtually collapsed in a sweaty pool of water.
Ian
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elysion
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contra torrentem
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Post by elysion on Apr 25, 2011 14:26:52 GMT
It's very comfortable where I'm at the moment. Not too warm and not too cold – just right. BTW: Headphones are very mobile. No problem to enjoy the beautiful weather outside while wearing headphones.  |
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Post by PinkFloyd on Apr 25, 2011 20:30:03 GMT
Sounds lovely Ian.... It was a beautiful sunny day up here today (15C) and quite warm out of the wind.... I use a part of the garden for "bonfire" duty so went and sparked up some logs.... Rob, the painter, sat there at dinner time and it was "chesnut roasting" hot sitting there! He was stripping paper so I just wheelbarrowed it over to the fire and kept it going.... threw in a few potatoes (in foil) and had a generally good day out there. Great having a bit of company round the place too... a day of uncensored "man talk" is just what the doctor ordered.... he seemed to spend most of the time talking about his "nuts" and what he would like to do to certain women with his manhood but, hey..... all good stuff I'll get another fire on the go in the morning... recently had two 150 footer pines decked (sitca) so PLENTY of wood out there to burn.... today's fire was just a "puppy" I may build up a 7 footer in the morning, I love fire and could sit there all day chucking logs onto the damned thing Embers.... (taken with phone)  |
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Post by PinkFloyd on Apr 25, 2011 20:34:31 GMT
I agree but only if you need to drown out noise.... I wouldn't dream of drowning out bleating sheep , singing birds, flocks of Geese flying over etc. etc. with music but may well want to drown out the noise of traffic and "people" |
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Post by vilu86 on May 2, 2011 19:12:35 GMT
Hi Mike
Check your PMs
Ville.
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Post by chrabban on Jan 23, 2021 6:13:38 GMT
hello, this is a realy old thread but i just happen to have a X-Can V8 and i am thinking that it might be fun to do a bit off an upgrade, i am building a new PSU for it for starters, i was thinking about buying the Little Pinkie but i am am trying to do more DIY things to learn more  PinkFloyd if you see this, do you still use it ? is there anything that you would do diffrently now that it has been a "few" years ? and if you only did a few upgrades to begin with, what whold that be ? |
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PinkFloyd if you see this, do you still use it ? is there anything that you would do diffrently now that it has been a "few" years ? and if you only did a few upgrades to begin with, what whold that be ?