Show us your headphones

[BruceW]

All is well with the world…I have some Grados again!

There is something about them. The ‘Grado sound’ which is somehow imperfect but always enjoyable. The style, the heritage. The stubborn bloody-mindedness of the design and packaging. I have owned a number over 20 years, from the entry SR series up to GS and PS but somehow those high end models have never been as convincing as the mid level (RS1) but I saw the new Signature models and was tempted. There’s the metal bodied HP 100 SE and the wooden cup S950 using the same (new) driver. My ZMFs are wood and quite warm/smooth so I went for the former to provide a different experience.

First the non-Grado bits, They are really comfortable. Really! Large soft enclosing ear pads sit around not on top of the ears. The old pads were a barrier to lots of people, I don’t think these will be. Second, they have detachable (mini XLR) cables and the new cable is softer and more pliable than that horrible old style one.

The Grado bits. They are detailed, fast, incredibly clean sounding and full of life. Bass is not huge but nuanced and full of detail. Mids/uppers just sing; this is an unashamedly bright leaning headphone. Imaging is excellent, without being almost too wide and a bit artificial, as I think Sennheiser can be. All that detail is also really well integrated; unlike the Focal Stelia I tried that just got ‘too much’ at times. They sound really good at low volumes too; definitely more so than either of my ZMF at these levels.

Downsides? Some will want a warmer balance-try the S950 maybe. The treble might be a bit too much on specific tracks, it is getting better over time so don’t audition a brand new pair if you can avoid it. They show up bad recordings. Noisy thrashy indie is probably not their forte. They leak sound a lot, some Grado things don’t change! They aren’t cheap, but plenty of other brands have models are around the same £2.5-£3k level too so not crazy.

So I love them, a true modern Grado and a great companion to my very different ZMF duo (Verite closed/Auteur Classic).

[Nigel1957]

Heddphone 2GT

I was fascinated about the different approach that these cans use, and stated to sniff around for a Heddphone 1 on Hifishark, to try out, hoping they might be cheap like my Beyer T1 ver2. They seem to have held their price.

But I found a Bstock GT2 for not much more than Ebay listings on a big German retail site, and I saved €400 over list price. So I bit the bullet and ordered them. I figured that I could always sell them if I did not like them, without taking a big hit. (I had no chance here to try them out).

So, they arrived yesterday, and I had a workout with them, flipping through lots of music this evening. Here are a few first impressions.

They are very detailed, I noticed things on favourite tracks that had passed me by with my other headphones. But they also point out less than good recordings, without mercy.

Bass which was a bit lacking with my HD800S cans, is much more present with these, even a bit too much at times. Treble is is less pronounced compared to the HD800S. But seems a bit more accurate. The ultra wide soundstage of the HD800S is missing though.

They are very comfortable, with the unusual headband- I did a two hour session without problems. Sealing from exterior sound is far better than my HD800S headphones. The music is not fatiguing.

I need to get used to the tuning, as always, but first impressions are very positive.

I do most of my listening on headphones as the rest of the house do not appreciate the outer reaches of contemporary Jazz.

Update to above.

I adjusted the straps to tighten the cups against my ears, a bit more. The the treble improved immensely. These cans are sounding really super now.

Getting the complicated head straps into the optimum positon, seems pretty important with these headphones.

[DiggyGun]

Sorry, but Stax make expensive headphones / ear speakers, which look nice.

Then make a cover for them that looks like throwaway sandwich bag.

I just don’t get it.

DG…

[crispyduck]

Sorry if this is a tedious question but my Focal Clear MG’s come with a ridiculously short 1.5m cable. Where can I buy a good but not stupid money longer cable in the UK? Cheers

[Nigel1957]

I do not know about the UK, but I have had cables made up by this company ( Google audioteka.it in Ravenna, Italy ( they ship to the UK) and Your browser can translate. . They are reasonable

I have seen cable connector combinations using the same components in online stores for several times the price I paid.

I am sure you can find a similar professional audio supplier in the UK. The trick is to find a vendor who works with recording studios.

Cables seem to be a sector where it is easy to get ripped off for goods with dubious esoteric claims.

[Nigel1957]

Sorry, but Stax make expensive headphones / ear speakers, which look nice.

Then make a cover for them that looks like throwaway sandwich bag.

I just don’t get it.

I quite like the idea that it keeps the dust off those cans. Seems pretty sensible, if not too aesthetically pleasing.

[BruceW]

Try cxnnected in the uk. That is not a typo!

Sensible quality/price cables, made to order.

Bruce

[DiggyGun]

The idea is good, but not delivered that well.

DG…

[Osiris]

Anyone tried Sennheiser IE 900 IEM’s?

ATB, J

[WolF]

Shibui 渋い

[DiggyGun]

Sorry, ???

DG…

[WolF]

• Shibui objects appear to be simple overall, but they include subtle details, such as textures, that balance simplicity with complexity.

[DiggyGun]

That may be the definition of word. However, it’s does not accurately describe that bag.

DG…

[Thegreatroberto]

Custom cables. I have a 4m set of leads for my clears. The 1.5m cable i thought was intended for ipods and the like rather than proper listening. My clear pros came 1970s style curly 5m ( when stretched) set if leads, but are stupidly heavy. And the 1.5m leads too.

[WolF]

It keeps the dust out and it was cheap.

[DiggyGun]

That sounds better.

Did you not consider getting a made to measure Acrylic display case for it. This would look a lot nicer within the context of the value of the ear speakers/ headphones?

DG…

[WolF]

I quite like the plastic cover as it’s very easy to slip on and off with one hand. Bear in mind these are the entry level Stax Earspeakers that are about half the price of the next set up on the Stax ladder. I’m still running them in, but I must say they are very musical straight out of the box. I can see why some people only use Stax Earspeakers in their system without having traditional speakers.

The complete set up including a custom made 4 pin din for my av/out on my Supernait 3

[DiggyGun]

Glad that you’re enjoying the Stax. I looked at some when getting my headphones, but ended getting the Focal Elear.

DG…

[Farthings-cat]

Stax are an iconic brand - enjoy.

I did have a little play in the headphone market and settled for hi fi man Arya organic - I tried all the usual suspects including stax but I found the hifiman offering to be the best balance of sound and comfort for me.

Hifiman was not where I expected to land as the Stax (iconic) and focal (very classy looking) were my starting point but didn’t get on with either of them…..

Different head shapes and sound preferences means there isn’t a universal best so it’s great we have so many choices.

Gary

[GIAN62XX]

i like stax sound.
this “cheap” model is interesting.
about the dimensions, the pad surround the ear ?