Comments on Profile Post by E_Schaaf

I prefer closed over open. I prefer the smallest possible earpads (so long as comfort is good). I prefer uber efficient designs - they can make headamps feel redundant. I think desktop DACs for interfacing with a computer are bullshit - laptop or phone jack direct analog out is better than my main rig.

I think less loss when scaling down is more important than 'more better' when scaling up. I shun the idea of high-impedance headphone supremacy. I hate the sound of transformers. I value a short signal path. I dislike high gain components.

A better headphone is usually better on a 'worse' front end than a worse headphone on a 'better' front-end. It is possible to have one headphone that can do a wide variety of genres well. 'Unforgiving of bad mastering' is a bullshit excuse people use to defend their gear. The gear should not be a cop about what types of music you are allowed to enjoy.

I think the use of 'exotic' materials in an enclosure is just for fetish gear porn and doesn't improve the sound in any way. If anything, those features are a liability for damage and expensive repairs, and can actually increase the fragility of the product. Having to 'baby' a product is a nuisance.

And finally, possibly my spiciest take - the reason HD5##/6## series 'scale' as much as they do is not because they are highly resolving, but rather highly overdamped.

Here's my question. I understand the logic behind highly efficient headphones and a short signal path sounding better. What I don't get is that part of the value of a standalone DAC is that it's doing a better conversion than the built in chip in your device that's designed to be all purpose and isn't usually TOTL. Don't you feel like the DAC chip becomes the limiting factor at that point?

I secretly agree with a fair number of points you made. And come to similar conclusions for some of controversial points. But found myself weirdly opposite to the first reply (which I think the most preferential among those posts) haha..

@Merrick Yes... and I'm quite frustrated by that. I enjoy taking the amp/output stage somewhat out of the equation, but then the bottleneck becomes the DAC chip (not even really the output stage, because there's so little involved). Hence, I find myself looking at more DAPs or even LDAC bluetooth headamps. I don't trust wired digital connections from a computer for shit.

@Vtory for me, liking closed over open only really 'clicked' in one case, but in that case, I show a strong preference. Most closed hps suck. But I think the potential for 'air pressure damping' on a closed headphone is immense in terms of tailoring the behavior of the driver. I have an open and closed model with the same driver and similar design, and the closed has less ringing, less distortion, and is more linear.

@E_Schaaf Quality portable sources are probably the best solution to this, you're right, because then you get the additional benefit of dedicated battery power so you're not even running off any mains.

I'd pare down to just efficient headphones/IEMs and a good DAP but I'd still need sources for my speakers and a headphone amp for my turntable. Le sigh.

the reason you don't see me purging all my gear is because w/ analog sources, I *do* actually buy more into having quality purpose-built electronics. I like my laptop jack out more than my R2R DAC into any amp, but I like vinyl or tape deck into headamp FAR more than laptop jack. With uber efficient transducers, source becomes king...

I guess the role of a headamp is what's changed the most in my head. I used to think of a headamp as a way to adjust a headphone's behavior and tone to taste. Now that I can do that via physical manipulation, and don't need the power, I just want an amp with little to no gain and few components to not f**k up what's coming out of the source.

I just hate when “better” gear makes music worse. That isn’t what I paid for lol!

Perhaps the most surprising change of perspective for me lately has been that I actually think headphone cables can be a worthwhile consideration... not that more expensive is better though. I just recognize the difference between any two cables is far more dramatic subjectively than I would once admit or believe.

Re:thinnest pads possible. Maybe that's why I enjoy the Porta Pros and KSC75 so much. Having the driver that close realy just puts you right into the music.

Closed designs are efficient and yes make amps less important. Exotic materials are for looks/aesthetics, which people do buy with their eyes. 600/650 are damped, but I would not say over-damped. This is why you need a good amp to get through the damped haze. And lastly, more revealing signal chain will reveal how bad recordings are. Lower top end makes things sound more "pleasant" - Harman already figured this out.

Good that you have worked out your personal preferences. Keep perspective that these may not necessarily represent universal Trvths. However sharing provides yet another important data point for all.