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Time-End-5288 t1_isys63a wrote

Nice setup. I too, took the plunge from the speaker world recently, good thing I had a spare DAC or two with headphones amplifiers built in.

Still getting used to the differences between Speaker HiFi and Headphone HiFi, kind of shocked by how different some things are.

Which headphones did you take the plunge with?

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wiggan1989 OP t1_isysmzx wrote

Thanks.

It took me around a week to adapt to Headphone Hifi. I actually prefer it to my speakers. I just feel lost in the music.

I originally had the Sennheiser HD 560s, great headphones, but wanted something with a bit more soundstage so bought the Hifiman Sundaras.

How about yourself?

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Time-End-5288 t1_isytzqn wrote

I went with the monolith M570 open-back and Meze 99 Noir for closed-back. I think I'm good for a while.

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wiggan1989 OP t1_isz3jsg wrote

Nice combo. I had a pair of D770s but treble was too harsh and had to return them.

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spiraleyes78 t1_isz6qf1 wrote

I used my 770s for a decade and thought they were great. After using my Sundaras for a few weeks, the treble on the 770s makes my ears bleed 🤣

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Icy_Ad4813 t1_it22ac8 wrote

>monolith M570

The tuning seems nice on the M570, if not a little sibilant in the mid-treble. But for a silent listener they're fine.

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Time-End-5288 t1_it2dycg wrote

Interesting. I don’t find them sibilant at all.

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Icy_Ad4813 t1_it2p801 wrote

I only looked at the graph, good to know graphs aren't everything. Depends also on treble sensitivity/preference.

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Time-End-5288 t1_it2zibj wrote

I've found frequency response graphs to not be unreliable with headphones, just in my limited experience. I think they're much more reliable when it comes to Speakers and macro dynamics.

But everyone has different ear lobes (the shape of which affects sound waves), and different ears, and we all know how changing out the ear pads can make significant differences. So it is not only possible but likely that one pair of headphones would sound completely differently to two different people.

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wongswk t1_iszufr7 wrote

Hell yes! I love to escape from life and dive into the grooves. I switch back and forth between my headphones and speakers pending what else im doing at the moment. My setup is similar, where my TT is next to my computer. Often ill use headphones (open back) for my computer, and speakers for my TT. The only time im using my headphones/IEM's for my TT is when i dont want to be doing anything else besides enjoying the playback. What's your latest vinyl purchase?

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florinandrei t1_it0fgmz wrote

> I just feel lost in the music.

Good headphones tend to do that to you. :)

Enjoy your very nice listening corner!

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ledsled447 t1_iszu2j9 wrote

Could you describe what's different in both

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Time-End-5288 t1_iszymq2 wrote

Not exactly, but I think it's best described as Macro Dynamics (Speakers) vs. Micro Dynamics (headphones).

Imaging and soundstage with speakers are large and 3 dimensional (it can feel like the music is all around you), they're completely different with headphones like you are inside the music. Don't get me wrong, you get a sense of space and air, but it's different (not better or worse).

Not many people coming from a speaker system would consider headphones like the Meze 99 as particularly bassy, or warm (maybe warmish), and it would likely be described as a weighty mid-range. But those headphones are considered bass cannons by a lot of people here.

I hear less of a difference moving from headphone amp to headphone amp, but more of a difference when I use different DACs.

Some things scale up better, and some things scale down better. Margins and deltas are so much smaller with headphones.

I mean there's the same dogma, and fanboy-ism here as there is with speakers, and just as many people will tell you what they like or don't like about things they've never listed too... so all that's the same.

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