Comments on Profile Post by E_Schaaf

When turning up, JAR600 hurts in the lower treble, 580 in the upper mids, Australis in the middle mids, Borealis in the mid treble, TH900 can crank it no prob. JAR best microdynamics, TH900 best macrodynamics. Kinda wanna f**k with all of em...

>"Kinda wanna f**k with all of em"
Your poly is showing :P

Kidding aside, how far behind the JAR are the Fostexes in microdynamics? Just based on stuff I've tried it does seem that biodynas aren't the most subtle hands.

Bass tho.

Question is...is Borealis as good as they say it is? I'm trying to wrap my head around if the sound is worth it over the very basic construction/aesthetics to justify the price. Do you have any notes against how it fares against a Focal Clear?

@Lyander the Fostex has better follow-through on sustains, the sound feels heavier in general and more tactile in terms of transient decay. There's more 'grip' with the Fostex, but the initial attack is a bit less sharp (not to say it's soft or rounded at all, just a different ADSR profile).

It might honestly be an FR thing - the JAR just has a bit sharper initial transient, but doesn't sustain as well, making it sound a bit 'clicky' in comparsion, though things like rims and snares have a bit more pop and wince factor. Again, could just be because the JAR is brighter.

Thanks! And yeah, hah, I honestly don't bother trying to listen past frequency response since it takes a more skilled listener than I to do so, but your impressions are still hella helpful. I'm operating based on getting to listen to stock TH900 and your mod changelog, sounds like I'm probably still mostly happy with what I've got.

Plus I should ignore neighbours and just get speakers :P

The thing people often neglect to mention in their reviews is how they do the level matching. If I match levels at 100hz, the Fostex will sound SUPER dark and muffled compared to the JAR given the downslope of the signature. But if I match at 1k, the Fostex will sound MUCH fuller and punchier.

The trick is that I can turn up the Fostex much more using the latter method than I can turn up the JAR before my ears start to bleed, and they're easier to drive in general. Louder is better in terms of dynamics in my book, as long as there are no huge suckouts or peaks or fatigue. Makes up for the lack of tactility headphones have in the first place.

I think level-matching gear, while useful for comparisons, isn't necessarily indicative of how people'll use it. For example I find myself wanting to turn the HE4XXs up despite the annoying treble but find that I can stand the HP-3s (similar treble relative to mids) at moderate volumes. Can't go LOUD with HD600 cuz upper mids.

Def agree that louder = more engaging, dynamic etc, but also depending on how something's voiced (+ a person's HRTF and hearing damage) people may not necessarily be able to do so.

I think reviews should definitely have a disclaimer about that sorta thing, haha.

True story - when I went to @brencho 's place with the TH900s a couple months back he was ABSOLUTELY CRANKING it - like I could clearly follow the lyrics of what he was listening to from across the room despite them being closed back. No fatigue, just an incredibly unique feeling of being slapped around by sound without any 'ouch'. Just like my JBLs. Do that with a HD600 and your ears are ringing in 2 seconds.

I mean, dude, it's a Fostex biodyna— semi-closed at best :P

Been there though, first time trying Elears was a guy lending me his brand new pair as he was buying in-store, friggin CRANKED TO 12 with this track https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ay3EwNGM5yw. Maybe it's the upper-mid hole that had him do it but the middle-mids killed my ears for a bit, I nearly dropped em yanking off haha (1/2)

@E_Schaaf would love to see you do a full on comparison between JAR, Borealis, and your modded Fostex! I also have a feeling you might like the JAR650 version a little more. I was gonna lend mine to @brencho sometime eventually and you're more than happy to borrow it as well

The good thing about a sloping response without any huge suckouts or peaks is that HRTF variation is generally smaller than most FR variations - so some may hear it slightly more forward, but it still won't be bright. You're playing in the range of slightly south of neutral to neutral instead of neutral to bright. I'd take the former for all-purpose use. That's pretty much the ZMF tuning approach too.

Forgot to finish my thought:
I think the only reason I'm looking at other headphones (the Klipsch is *really* close to spot-on as a flavour can!) is that I can't crank em up much past my usual listening levels cuz of the treble, but when I tamp down the treble via damping or EQ it just kills the coherence.

All this tells me is @musiqlovr and team nailed them and I'm just gonna listen stock with toobz, haha. (2/2)

Dammit, now I'm remembering how much I wanna demo ZMF stuff! Measurements by La Cenric of HP-3 v Aeolus stock here (https://imgur.com/0uoGqs8),I generally like the whole profile except that 6kHz blip.The CA Cascades had something similar and that one grated on my ears a tad. Rest of profile looks absolutely ace though, I agree it's best to err on the side of less harsh, haha.

it would be wise to remember that people's personal preferences and sensitivities play a huge role here. Evan wants things to sound way way way bassier than i would. the modded th900 i was able to crank to high heaven, and the bass literally shook my bones...

...but that's not how i listen to music most of the time, even if its fun in the short term, and my preference is different (even though i have an appreciation for things that stray from my immediate preference). if i have to crank something to enjoy it, or to make it not dark or have good dynamics, then i start worrying about my hearing over time.

@Cellist88 i'll post my experience with the borealis on that thread sometime, but right now, my thinking is they have potential... ignoring the build, the sound is punchy and lively, but the treble to me is harsh and uneven with a bothersome peak somewhere. the fact that they're forward and close to the ears may highlight it more. build i feel like needs work for longevity.

@brencho then you have guys like me who are confused about their immediate preference. My Utopia sounds way different than my Auteur, which sounds different than my Verite, yet I like them all and they all get roughly the same amount of listening time.

For me, "cranked" is like 80 dB peaks. I know, I'm a pansy.

Variety is the spice of life man!

@E_Schaaf Could you grab measurements of the JAR600 sometime for more data points on it? It's a curiously polarizing headphone.

@brencho Do you have a wide/large head? I found the Aurorus headphones didn't sound at their best because my fat head pushed the drivers too close to my ears. Sounded better with light clamp and/or more breathable pads.

My measurement rig is at Upscale so it may be inaccessible for a bit. Assuming Brencho keeps em I can measure when quarantine's lifted or if I find my binaural mic. I like them more than stock HD600/650/580, but haven't heard JAR650. I actually thought the drivers on the Borealis felt too distant - like I was getting a lot of reflected sound in the treble. I'd rather have a shallower basket w/ thicker pads.

@Hands i have a average to large head and the loaner pair were actually a bit loose on me maybe from wear and tear. I’m not super treble sensitive but still found it somewhat harsh and uneven

That said want to highlight that it shows promise too and has positive attributes (punch/attack etc)