Ti_Leo

https://www.superbestaudiofriends.org/index.php?threads/schiit-mjolnir-1.11291/

Found this thread from a while ago, but basically yeah it's preferences. I like a few things out of a dongle more than I do out of some desktop gear, definitely. EDIT: oh you already posted in it, facepalm missed that.

I really like MJ1, for dynamic headphones, but it just doesn't work with planar ones... Audeze sucks on MJ1... Hifiman seems to be OK-ish, but not Edition XS. I tend to believe it's Edition XS's fault as MJ1 usually drives planar headphones thin and condense, while Edition XS was just a bassy blurry blob when everything starts to make sound

Not nearly the same level of gear but I get what you mean. Planars and dynamics are just very different beasts, the YH-100 sounds more focused our of the Piety compared to the Lyr IME, the upper treble seems attenuated with the Lyr; this is completely backwards with the Senn HD600 and HD660S2.

And it seems that they use Velcro on R10, genius

* I don't know how to measure the EARS thing and this bloody headphone is hard to measure as its position really changes the sound...

** Modius E -(BAL)-> Jot R --> GL1200. I didn't use the converter box as it really sucked.

If you need any more info, please let me know.

To me, fun tuning can be some good sub-bass with slight upper-bass (?) boost to color the ambient warm-ish with hard hitting bass. And I don't think the "straight line" bass on most planar headphones is fun, but it's like this is the trend. Sigh.

True, the short term for my last comment is "spoiled". Do I like be spoiled? Yes, please!

Mid-fi purgatory seems fun when you first start because everything sounds a bit different and you learn what you value in sound. Then you hit a point where you go up to hifi and realize why mid-fi is purgatory.

To me, it’s plankton combined with a FR that doesn’t emphasise any particular range. I think the point is that the relative volume of overtones to each other must be correct to make an instrument sound like it does in reality.

I don't fully understand it and I guess it's like "bass protection"? I don't think I've ever experienced it, as treble always got me first.

Come to think of it: extended listening, I noticed that after 1 hour, the traits of the headphones diminishes. And if I use a pair of headphones for some long time, say using A at work, then listening to B at home, B would sound more "counter-A" than usual. Brain compensation?

The brain takes consistency over accuracy. It normalizes to sensory constants and is jarred by outliers. Something I use to my own advantage with sensory stuff.

It's also what makes comparing headphones hard. Not just losing conscious 'audio memory' in seconds... but the fact that your hearing actually changed when you put on the first pair, both in your ear's impulses and your brain's readings.

IIRC the actual response curve of the cochlear nerve is altered by exposure time and levels. As you listen, your hearing changes and then stays that way for a while... and that's also physical, your brain has its own game it plays that keeps you from noticing that your hearing sensitivity is changing. Going for more volume only increases the natural compensation.

Because I have this cheap Chinese DIY ribbon headphone that makes this delicate yet bassy sound, I thought GL1200 could sound somehow different, but it's not.

I'd say GL1200 does a lot of things right, or even great, it sounds flat with some boast in mid-bass, with good details. And I don't think there's any obvious weakness that I can point out, apart from the headband, which gives me headache in 30 minutes.

* tested with Yggdrasil GS powered on for 4 hours only, Jot R open baffle switch off, and I'm using bassier gold ribbons and pleather ear pads on GL1200.

Maybe the Cardas cable has a bit more emotion and the "Black Dragon 3x" sounds a tad more grand and digital, but they are really close, sound-wise, but it's like the "Black Dragon 3x" is 4x the gauge? I don't know...

Anyway, I'm happy with both, since I got both for cheap, hehe. (But I know Cardas Clear Light cable is better)

I would agree with this. The catheter Hifiman Susvara cable only has 1 strand of copper and silver per channel and that sounded better than the very expensive thick multi-strand litz cables that I've tried

Wait, what? I thought headphones at that price can get more strands! Guess it's the same cable as the ones in HE6SE...

I found that older Ananda? had that 2 strands of silver + 1 strand of copper per channel catheter cable, which felt firmer, actually, quite OK in hand, definitely not as wimpy as the ones in HE6SE. And I like the sound of it even thought I didn't have much direct comparison (SE vs BAL...)

Those are adorable.

And to my surprise, the FR graph looks pretty good!!!

Crocs are popular with headphone neckbeards, so not surprised.

Pissvarna(noun) a new Hifiman product taking the piss again

My 2 * 2 cents:

Don't buy Hfiman stuff at its MSRP.

Closed back headphones from Hifiman suuuucks!! The best one I've tried should be the Drop R7DX model: generally OK, but why buying these? Then R9, with a weird midrange scoop, I didn't think it was fixable. And then, Audivana: it could be good on technical stuff but the FR was really messed up. Sundara-C was the worst, yuck!

It's genius. Because this is meant to prime us all up for paying twice the price for Isvarna "Unveiled".

And here's the crazy thing: my Vali 2+ + Rekkr are connected to a Modi+, then PC, I was just watching MVs on YouTube and got shocked.

My MJ1 is paired with a Modius E and a HifiBerry Digi+ (?), so theoretically, the MJ1 system should be much better. But no, the MJ1 sound just boring, it's like just a nice powerful facade of sound, but there's not much "behind the wall" to find more.

What about Vali 2+ + MJ1/Rag1?

Oh... I leave these 3 systems in 3 different places, but yes... I can take Vali 2+ to the bigger boys, let's see if I can remember this

The current (BT) version, or the classic? IDK the current version, but I found the classic to not isolate so well.

Why is there a BT version... Never mind, I have the classic version, maybe "HD250 Linear II". The OG ear pads and foam of my unit disintegrated, so I put some generic leather pads in them. I guess that changed the sound and isolation quite a bit.

And one thing I found is that my unit might not cut off the whole spectrum of the sound that well, but my HD250 really did well on blocking chatting, which is what I need

So generally, according to few reviews I found, XS > V2 ~> OG ~ HE1000, sounds great, right? Well, 2nd-handed HE1000 is about 5k - 8k CNY / $700 - $1100 (different versions) in China, and Edition XS is at about 1200 CNY ($170) here, and it's in the same range of Ananda Stealth.

I kinda get it, but still, come to think of it...

And that pretty much sums up why I would no longer buy HFMs

Yea... I'm still buying but I won't recommend people buying HFM headphones within 2 years of their release.

But what if, HFM did the same "upgrade", but keep the MSRP firm, would most of its users still consider their headphones are OK(-ish)?

Wasn't the EC Super7 also one to chase after? or maybe that was for the HD800.

It's a complicated story... Since I'm in China, (used) EC and DNA stuff is hard to acquire. And I bought this used MJ1 unit for < $150 here...

EC amp should be really good, or to me: holy, pairing with HD6*0 and HD800. I really want to compare this with my EC ZDSE, but that amp is broken, sigh.

Same reasons I still love Focal Clear with MJ1. It was always a niche amp, but with the right pairings it still holds its own against current components.

Haha I've heard lean voiced gear that had note richness and vise versa, also just because something has macrodynamics doesn't mean it doesn't do micro well. BA sound is very much a distinctive thing, I thought I'd hate it but I didn't, but dynamics are just nice especially when well-amped with a good DAC. Also, does it seem like BAs don't seem to scale as much with powerful amps?

Here's some very subjective thoughts from me:

1. I don't believe cheap DD IEM could win on micro stuff, but I just didn't want to dive deep using BA, it's like I needed to open myself up, but it somehow hurts. And I do envy BA enjoyers.

2. Now you mentioned it, that EPZ is a chameleon. It sounds thin on my phone, but it was thick on Schiit Hel 2e(?)! UE ones didn't change that much.

3. But since I'm new in IEM game, I found that a pair of these could sound so unique to my ears, for 10 seconds, then my brain EQ kicked in, and the sound got somehow corrected, so anything sounded OK-ish and similar after a short period of time... I just don't know how people compare IEMs, you can't just use the first 5-second impression, right?

Need to go back in time.. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7G2-FPlvY58

Thank you for this beautiful song!!

My triggering point was this: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-sogivGtsVM

I bought an amp that not only popped when I turned the volume knob but also generated electrical noise after that. I thought I fixed the problem by using WD-40 Contact Cleaner, and did some other things. Later I came back and the last chorus of this song was playing, it really served me well.

It is anecdotal what is considered acceptable in stereo systems these days.. GR-Research goes in-depth why this is and happens to be right. "Status quo" is dead for me. Sibilance was usually bad speaker components and tuning... + a crappy dac.

Somebody or something is watching you.

Nonononno... English is not my first language!!! Oh... it seems that I was correct... Phew

Yes! I googled. You are correct.

I wonder if its mate is called a barrel plug?

And... I googled it, it seems to be correct, at least google-able... Oh! It's called Coaxial power connector: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coaxial_power_connector Well that's much more professional...

But I bet it won't fall apart, like my stock Senn cable is doing!

Well, you need to put my clumsiness and laziness into the equation