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Post by ForRealTho on Dec 28, 2023 9:13:55 GMT -5
Some young people with the right genes for excellent hearing could probably notice the difference. As we age, especially if we're exposed high decibels repeatedly over many years, our hearing sensitivity fades. I wonder if anybody does hearing tests for audiophiles to help them determine how much to spend on audio equipment. lol As you could imagine audio forums have talked about this to death, a couple weeks ago I was in a thread where they were discussing some gear from the early 1980s that people still use because its so simple there is very little that can break. It turns out it filters out anything 18,000 hz+, as you know human hearing is 20-20,000hz, as you age your ability to hear high frequency sounds greatly diminishes, so it begs the question if your system stopped reproducing sounds 18,000 hz+ would you notice? How much recorded music has relevant information in 18,000+ hz? |
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Post by Coolverine on Dec 28, 2023 9:20:22 GMT -5
Pretty sure I'm missing some hearing, sometimes there's a temporary hearing loss that happens for a few seconds (sometimes longer) and stuff sounds muffled. I think I have been exposed to loud sounds a lot, including gunshots without ear protection.
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Post by sj on Dec 28, 2023 10:21:56 GMT -5
Some young people with the right genes for excellent hearing could probably notice the difference. As we age, especially if we're exposed high decibels repeatedly over many years, our hearing sensitivity fades. I wonder if anybody does hearing tests for audiophiles to help them determine how much to spend on audio equipment. lol As you could imagine audio forums have talked about this to death, a couple weeks ago I was in a thread where they were discussing some gear from the early 1980s that people still use because its so simple there is very little that can break. It turns out it filters out anything 18,000 hz+, as you know human hearing is 20-20,000hz, as you age your ability to hear high frequency sounds greatly diminishes, so it begs the question if your system stopped reproducing sounds 18,000 hz+ would you notice? How much recorded music has relevant information in 18,000+ hz?I took a music reading course way back when at the community college. I think pretty much all music is composed in octaves orders of magnitude lower than 18,000 Hz. However, classical instruments aren't necessarily engineered to be strictly limited in frequency according to notes written by a composer. That is, I wouldn't say that there's an exact parity or science between musical composition and the sound that various instruments can put out. While the primary note being played on a given instrument might be according to the compostion, the instrument could simultaneously be producing resonating sound at different frequencies and/or different frequencies could be produced at the tail end of notes. Classical music composers probably gave this more thought than we could imagine, since their music includes more than just notes - crescendo, decrescendo, and just about every kind of nuance possible. |
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Post by sj on Dec 28, 2023 10:42:24 GMT -5
Pretty sure I'm missing some hearing, sometimes there's a temporary hearing loss that happens for a few seconds (sometimes longer) and stuff sounds muffled. I think I have been exposed to loud sounds a lot, including gunshots without ear protection. Same here with the occasional temporary hearing loss. Happens to just about anybody who's been exposed to high decibels too many times. In the future, they'll be able to cure hearing loss, vision loss, etc with computer tech. www.nature.com/articles/d41586-023-03975-7I read a similar article earlier in the week. Instead of getting a computer to recognize voices by interfacing it with neurons, another research team made one that can recognize human faces too. I figure the same sort of thing would work in reverse, rather than enhancing a computer, we could use computer-neuron interface to repair and enhance our human senses. i.e. create MetaHumans like in the Deus Ex game. |
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Post by ForRealTho on Dec 28, 2023 10:55:09 GMT -5
I took a music reading course way back when at the community college. I think pretty much all music is composed in octaves orders of magnitude lower than 18,000 Hz. However, classical instruments aren't necessarily engineered to be strictly limited in frequency according to notes written by a composer. That is, I wouldn't say that there's an exact parity or science between musical composition and the sound that various instruments can put out. While the primary note being played on a given instrument might be according to the compostion, the instrument could simultaneously be producing resonating sound at different frequencies and/or different frequencies could be produced at the tail end of notes. Classical music composers probably gave this more thought than we could imagine, since their music includes more than just notes - crescendo, decrescendo, and just about every kind of nuance possible. When they first were working on mp3 the first revisions didn't encode any information above 16,000hz, as you said encoded music is orders of magnitudes lower then 18,000hz. People threw a fit and said it would ruin any music that had information >16,000 hz especially old classical pieces. They revised it. |
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Post by sj on Dec 28, 2023 11:40:12 GMT -5
I took a music reading course way back when at the community college. I think pretty much all music is composed in octaves orders of magnitude lower than 18,000 Hz. However, classical instruments aren't necessarily engineered to be strictly limited in frequency according to notes written by a composer. That is, I wouldn't say that there's an exact parity or science between musical composition and the sound that various instruments can put out. While the primary note being played on a given instrument might be according to the compostion, the instrument could simultaneously be producing resonating sound at different frequencies and/or different frequencies could be produced at the tail end of notes. Classical music composers probably gave this more thought than we could imagine, since their music includes more than just notes - crescendo, decrescendo, and just about every kind of nuance possible. When they first were working on mp3 the first revisions didn't encode any information above 16,000hz, as you said encoded music is orders of magnitudes lower then 18,000hz. People threw a fit and said it would ruin any music that had information >16,000 hz especially old classical pieces. They revised it. I was referring to sheet music (how the classical composers recorded their music - which was the topic in the music reading course i took). I never studied digital audio/encoding. Either way, you get the point.  |
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Post by sj on Dec 31, 2023 15:24:31 GMT -5
If I were in your shoes, I'd just pass on most luxury items - at least, until you become a millionaire or reach the point that you could (without flinching) tell your employer to fuck off (if they do something to deserve it).
I talked about purchasing a Samsung tv last year, but I ended up just cancelling the order after thinking about how ridiculous it would be to drop $1000 -$2000 on an entertainment product when I'm such a long ways off from being able to retire. I absolutely loath being dependent on greedy corporate masters where most of the profit goes to ppl who do the least amount of work or their jobs are tantamount to paid vacations.
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Post by sj on Jan 4, 2024 12:14:04 GMT -5
If I were in your shoes, I'd just pass on most luxury items - at least, until you become a millionaire or reach the point that you could (without flinching) tell your employer to fuck off (if they do something to deserve it). I talked about purchasing a Samsung tv last year, but I ended up just cancelling the order after thinking about how ridiculous it would be to drop $1000 -$2000 on an entertainment product when I'm such a long ways off from being able to retire. I absolutely loath being dependent on greedy corporate masters where most of the profit goes to ppl who do the least amount of work or their jobs are tantamount to paid vacations. I did order a new (Sony) TV from Best Buy this holiday season though, only because my old 32" Samsung tv (probably 10 years old or more) developed a backlight flicker problem that's gradually getting worse, to the point of being headache inducing. Turning the backlight down to 1/3 of max helps, but then I'm dealing with a dim tv. Sony's are normally pricey, but Best Buy had a 43" Sony with 120Hz panel for $550 during the holidays. $550 would still be expensive for a 60Hz, but it's the least expensive 120Hz I could find in the smaller size (43"). I'm not crazy about jumbo sized tv's (50" and up) because I like my tv to sometimes double as a computer or gaming monitor. www.rtings.com/tv/reviews/sony/x85kI know the LG OLED 42" is superior, but it's also double the price. LG's probably worth it though if you don't care about the price difference. |
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Post by sj on Jan 4, 2024 12:21:21 GMT -5
I read a few reviews of the Sony x85k. One drawback, if using the TV as a computer monitor, you lose detail and text clarity when the TV is set to 120Hz (Sony doesn't have the 4:4:4 chroma feature on this model, at least not in 120Hz mode). However, the reviewer said 60Hz is great for PC monitor (reading text) usage and i'm fine with that. Sony advertises this model as being flicker-free and Rtings.com confirmed in their testing.
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Post by ForRealTho on Jan 5, 2024 0:07:43 GMT -5
So electrostatic headphones are considered the absolute peak. The $60,000 Sennheiser HE1 is considered the best headphone in the world, its electrostatic. The cheapest electrostatic someone could get was the Koss/Massdrop E95X for $500 koss.com/products/koss-esp-95x-electrostatic-headphone-systemI managed to snag a pair for $350. The issue is the amplifier that drives them isn't the best, with an adapter cable you could drive them a different amp I now have 3 different electrostatic energizers and the Stax electrostats that the community rates as the best. Holy crap the Koss sounds better out of a better amp. Not a subtle difference. The whole Stax/electrostat market runs on used gear. I took one day to debate buying a different pair and they were sold to someone else, doh. Everything I bought I could easily sell. Fun to finally splurge into the extreme high end world. |
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Post by sj on Jan 5, 2024 12:16:05 GMT -5
Interesting. Never heard of electrostatic headphones. Maybe it didn't exist back in the day (mid-90's) when I worked at Best Buy.
Best Buy gave great discounts to employees (cost + 5% if I recall). I think I bought a couple of A/V receivers, couple of TV's, speakers, game conoles, games, and accessories using the discount. Accessories you'd save 100's of % off the retail price because the markup was so ridicuously high. I helped a friend buy a nice set of speakers for cheap. The pay wasn't fantastic tho, so it's not like i could afford the high-end stuff even at a little over cost. It was good employer for college students though because they were flexible with schedule. Versus Walmart which had zero flexibility (you'd work their hours or they'd give a terrible performance review and replace you).
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Post by ForRealTho on Jan 5, 2024 14:11:56 GMT -5
Interesting. Never heard of electrostatic headphones. Maybe it didn't exist back in the day (mid-90's) when I worked at Best Buy. They have existed for 50+ years, just too niche and high end of a product to ever sell at Best Buy. People willing to spend $1,000+ on a headphone are rare. People willing to buy Japanese estats are even rarer. I got a pair of these used and modded so I didn't pay nearly as much as this: staxaudio.com/earspeaker/sr-007mk2Japanese aren't the only people who make them, I was chatting with a guy willing to sell me a pair of these for $2,000: |
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Post by sj on Jan 5, 2024 23:28:38 GMT -5
Interesting. Never heard of electrostatic headphones. Maybe it didn't exist back in the day (mid-90's) when I worked at Best Buy. People willing to spend $1,000+ on a headphone are rare. People willing to buy Japanese estats are even rarer. I got a pair of these used and modded so I didn't pay nearly as much as this: staxaudio.com/earspeaker/sr-007mk2Japanese aren't the only people who make them, I was chatting with a guy willing to sell me a pair of these for $2,000: Makes sense. Best Buy was different store back in the 90's though, wall to wall and almost stacked to the ceiling electronics and playing music loud all the time. The audio dept took up 1/3 of the store back then and much larger selection of audio. Lots of hot young chicks (17-18) working there too and showing interest. I was 21-22 at the time. One of my better jobs despite the lower pay. lol. Best Buy is looking sparse and boring these days. |
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Post by ForRealTho on Jan 11, 2024 10:17:42 GMT -5
I ordered some headphones from Japan.......they are in Taiwan....and I got a notice they are delayed........hopefully not because of an invasion.
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Post by sj on Jan 11, 2024 11:35:25 GMT -5
I ordered some headphones from Japan.......they are in Taiwan....and I got a notice they are delayed........hopefully not because of an invasion. How many months has CCP/China had their Navy and Airforce surrounding Taiwan? I recall it started immediately after Nancy Pelosi's visit to Taiwan (to discuss her investment portfolio with Taiwan business and political leaders). Even Biden and several other Dems told her don't do it (because China warned everybody what they'd do, before she made that flight), but she did it anyway. Was it worth it, just to learn more about the future of Nvidia and other chip companies? Couldn't have had the meetings through online Zoom calls or something? jeesh.. Everytime i read a bit of news about this, China only added more ships.. constant escalation and no de-escalation up to this point. |
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Post by sj on Jan 13, 2024 17:08:52 GMT -5
If I were in your shoes, I'd just pass on most luxury items - at least, until you become a millionaire or reach the point that you could (without flinching) tell your employer to fuck off (if they do something to deserve it). I talked about purchasing a Samsung tv last year, but I ended up just cancelling the order after thinking about how ridiculous it would be to drop $1000 -$2000 on an entertainment product when I'm such a long ways off from being able to retire. I absolutely loath being dependent on greedy corporate masters where most of the profit goes to ppl who do the least amount of work or their jobs are tantamount to paid vacations. I did order a new (Sony) TV from Best Buy this holiday season though, only because my old 32" Samsung tv (probably 10 years old or more) developed a backlight flicker problem that's gradually getting worse, to the point of being headache inducing. Turning the backlight down to 1/3 of max helps, but then I'm dealing with a dim tv. Sony's are normally pricey, but Best Buy had a 43" Sony with 120Hz panel for $550 during the holidays. $550 would still be expensive for a 60Hz, but it's the least expensive 120Hz I could find in the smaller size (43"). I'm not crazy about jumbo sized tv's (50" and up) because I like my tv to sometimes double as a computer or gaming monitor. www.rtings.com/tv/reviews/sony/x85kI know the LG OLED 42" is superior, but it's also double the price. LG's probably worth it though if you don't care about the price difference. imo, for the people wanting a jumbotron, you'd probably be better off with a projector since you can get a much larger picture for an affordable price. The fast lamp burnout/replacement is a thing of the past if you get a projector with LED bulb. www.benq.com/en-us/projector/gaming.html4K or 1080P mode, the actual projector output is 1080P (i.e. scaled to 4K, not true 4K). However, I'm in the same camp as Cop that 4K in tv's & projectors is marketing hype. If you're sitting 6ft (2m) or further from the screen, your eyes can't tell the difference between 4K and 1080P. Therefore, irl, the larger screen of a projector is going to yield a visually clearer picture than a smaller 4k TV. The biggest drawback with a projector is the room needs to be dark for good contrast. There are specialized screens that mitigate this issue and make projectors viable with daytime viewing, but probably expensive. |
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Post by sj on Jan 14, 2024 21:13:26 GMT -5
I went to Best Buy today - looked at Sony X85K and LG OLED C3 in person. There's no comparison. The OLED is far superior, so forget the X85K. Then I talked to a sales guy and he confirmed what I was thinking. They don't work on commission at Best Buy, so the sales ppl there have no reason to lie. He suggested in a couple months, the new 2024 models will start coming in and the current OLED models will probably be on sale.
The Samsung OLED's looked even brighter & better in my eyes than LG OLED models. But Samsung OLEDs are only available in 55"+ and cost more. It's not that the LG models are dim because they aren't. Samsungs are just really bright for an OLED and would be better for brighter rooms. Standard LED (or mini-LED) still rule in maximum brightness I think. I don't watch tv or play games in the daytime though, so I don't think peak brightness (standard LED) matters as much as infinite contrast (that OLED offers). I'm thinking I'll just wait until March and buy an LG OLED (on sale).
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Post by ForRealTho on Jan 15, 2024 19:01:26 GMT -5
It's funny you mentioned projectors and big TVs as I've been debating getting a projector for years. Apparently the "short throw" projectors are amazing but I looked up the good ones and they were $5,000-6,500 and I'm not ready to spend that kind of money.
I saw another highly rated one on Amazon used for $900, $2,000 new. Still debating if I want to take the plunge.
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Post by sj on Jan 16, 2024 18:29:39 GMT -5
It's funny you mentioned projectors and big TVs as I've been debating getting a projector for years. Apparently the "short throw" projectors are amazing but I looked up the good ones and they were $5,000-6,500 and I'm not ready to spend that kind of money. I saw another highly rated one on Amazon used for $900, $2,000 new. Still debating if I want to take the plunge. The top 10 list I looked at had some of those models, upwards of $6k. But the BenQ immersive gaming models seemed like the best for gamers due to low response rates (4ms - 16ms). Apparently, I was behind on the topic of projector tech. I looked at a different top 10 list and noticed that laser projecters are available. Owning a home theater setup powered by "fricken lasers" would be cool. lol I guess you're a pleb tho if you don't get the $14,000 JVC model.  www.amazon.com/dp/B09F1TB9L5?tag=hawk-future-20&linkCode=ogi&th=1&psc=1&ascsubtag=trd-us-1218008146109457000-20Having researched a bit about expensive binoculars and telescopes in the past, I'm 99% certain the reason it's so expensive is due to its glass. The premium glass lenses are manufactured w/ expensive processes in order to achieve tight tolerances which allow the most light through and special coatings on its surface to help w/ removing light refraction throughout the lense. |
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Post by Emig5m on Jan 20, 2024 23:58:06 GMT -5
The leather is really wearing off the ear pads of my Sony WH1000XM3's and I really like these headphones a lot so I ordered some new pads from Wicked Cushions as I don't plan on replacing the full headphones for a long time.
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Post by ForRealTho on Jan 21, 2024 0:42:21 GMT -5
Speaking of earpads, I love the sound of the Stax 007 Mk2s I picked up, however since they are used the ear pads are a bit beat up, also they are a bit thin and small for my taste. I'm spoiled from having so many amazing pairs of headphones that surround my ears with a lot of space for a good seal.
The Stax 007 has ear pads that will spin a full 360 degrees, very unique. In one of the weirdest design decisions I have seen there is a circular metal rod that goes in the earcup, it also has a little metal bar that stick right into the middle of the headphone right above the driver and fits into a tiny metal island. So when replacing the earpads if you miss you can stab a peice of metal into a $2,200 pair of headpones........Amazing.
I was afraid to take the old ear pads off honestly. I found a guide and pulled them off in one smooth motion so the metal bar had no chance.
The new ear pads are 105mm, the "official" ones are 100mm, and they are also a bit taller in the middle. They fit my head much better.
I didn't have the courage to put the metal bar back on, it isn't needed so I left it off. If I stabbed the driver I would never forgive myself.
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Post by Emig5m on Jan 21, 2024 23:15:33 GMT -5
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Post by ForRealTho on Jan 22, 2024 9:13:38 GMT -5
I bought a "high quality" bluetooth 5.2 adapter for my work from home laptop that only supports bluetooth 4.X. I use the Windows Phone link to make handsfree calls from my laptop and use my headphones. I have a 50/50 shot of people saying I sound perfect or "You sound like you are at the end of a tunnel". Its very annoying. |
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Post by ForRealTho on Jan 22, 2024 13:00:52 GMT -5
If you are going to spent $1,000+ on headphones it makes sense to find the perfect fitting earpads and not settle. Here is the first pair of aftermarket pads I tried on my Stax, new pad on the left, old pad on the right:  Since Amazon has great returns I am also ordering a few other pads to try. I am going to look like this in a couple of days: |
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Post by ForRealTho on Jan 22, 2024 15:35:58 GMT -5
So autoeq.app/ is a great resource to EQ headphones, I use it with EqualizerAPO. I've been using PowerAMP on Android since 2010/2011 when I got my first Android. Pro Tip: Read the changelog more on PowerAMP, PowerAMP now has full integration with AutoEQ. Opened up the equalizer on my phone and searched for Galaxy Buds Pro, which are still my daily driver. It has multiple profiles from multiple different measuring setups and people. Tons to play around with. |
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Post by ForRealTho on Mar 14, 2024 11:13:53 GMT -5
Got my year end bonus, was pretty substantial.
Thinking of getting something truly endgame. These days I have gone full estat. These two amps("Energizers" but same thing) are the two heavyweights. The BHSE and the Carbon CC
The BHSE is $7,500 an the Carbon CC is $6,900.
The Carbon CC seems to be the clear winner in terms of raw power and advanced design.
Off the shelf estat amps will deliver between 300-450 volts. There are transformer boxes that deliver 800 volts.............the Carbon CC delivers 2,000 volts lol
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Post by ForRealTho on Apr 15, 2024 8:49:51 GMT -5
I was thinking of buying an amp from a guy.......turns out he is in Ukraine. It has tubes, looks like the last time he shipped something to someone in the US it took a full two weeks to arrive.
Just wonder if tubes would survive the journey.
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Post by Coolverine on May 3, 2024 22:50:15 GMT -5
Anyone know of a place where I can get replacement ear pads for Sony MDR-V6's? I'd heard it was gonna happen one day and it did, they're falling apart like crazy now. Did find a few online but not sure if I trust them. One brand is "Wicked Cushions" and I think I've heard of them, so they might be good. There was another called Soulwit as well.
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Post by ForRealTho on May 4, 2024 17:32:20 GMT -5
Anyone know of a place where I can get replacement ear pads for Sony MDR-V6's? I'd heard it was gonna happen one day and it did, they're falling apart like crazy now. Did find a few online but not sure if I trust them. One brand is "Wicked Cushions" and I think I've heard of them, so they might be good. There was another called Soulwit as well. I'm currently using "Brainwavz" flat pads with cooling gel on my Stax 007mk2. I recommend checking Brainwavz store and looking through their pads seeing if there are some you want to try: www.amazon.com/s?k=brainwavz+earpads+mdr+v6&i=electronics&crid=3PQK11L5J8UK2&sprefix=brainwavz+earpads+mdr+v6%2Celectronics%2C78&ref=nb_sb_nossNow Dekoni is another big name in replacement pads for headphones but I've never had good luck with them. People swear by Dekoni but both times I ordered pads I didn't like them as much as stock and ended up returning them once but you might have better luck with Dekoni. |
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Post by Coolverine on May 5, 2024 1:56:47 GMT -5
Decided to order the Wicked cushions and also ordered a nice case to keep the headphones in, was only $15.  Can't wait, currently can't use my headphones because I end up with pieces of the faux leather all over around my ears which is no good. Guess I could just finish the job and remove the rest of it, but it's still a pain. |
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