fanda
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Post by fanda on Sept 26, 2017 20:00:57 GMT
Btw, aren't Superlux headphones available at that sub-$50 price point? They are excellent value in my experience. Sure they would lose against more refined (but much more expensive) headphones but a great starting point nonetheless. The Koss headphones are also good value. Good gift candidates in my opinion.
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Rabbit
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Post by Rabbit on Sept 26, 2017 21:20:13 GMT
Yes, I have both here. Superlux just needs a little tweaking to bring down the top end. It can be very sharp in the treble.
The Koss is the other way around. A little boomy and curtailed up top but pleasant sounding.
The AT MSR7 is a cleaner listen than both and suits orchestral well. I compared it to the Momentum on ears/ over ears and a Vmoda M100. Both the VModa and Momentums are comratively coloured by comparison.
The AT is way more refined than both the Superlux and the Koss but unfortunately, in a way higher price range.
Another (open) headphone that I like is the Sennheiser hd 558. Not a top notch build but I do like it's sound a lot. Slightly less edgy than the hd598 which I also have and as a result, seems slightly more rounded. That retails around £100 I think. Nice tonality for orchestral though. (And speech)
There don't seem to be that many closed headphones that aren't affected by the fact that the drivers are closed in tbh. The MSR7 is one of the most open sounding closed headphones that I've heard and I keep returning to it after wandering off to something else for a break!!
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fanda
contributing
Posts: 61
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Post by fanda on Sept 27, 2017 12:26:13 GMT
Ah, yes. The HD 555 introduced me to the possibility of hi fi delivered through headphones. The current production version is HD 559 (appears to be the same as 558 with a detachable cable). You are right - this headphone has several qualities that make it an ideal starting point for newcomers (well balanced and forgiving sound, no amp required, full size, lightweight, comfortable, suitable for all genres). The $90+ price point (higher for 559) is the only issue, as it is difficult to convince someone new to spend that much. It will work very well as a gift though if budget allows.
Looking at AT MSR7 - do you have the dimensions of the ear cups and pads? They seem a bit small to be circumaural. I see a fake MSR7 review on this site. Innerfidelity seems to like it, and Rtings has reviewed and measured the MSR7NC (don't know if it is the same MSR7 with an added NC feature).
And which Superlux are you talking about? The one I have checked is 681 EVO (I think). At this price point, I mainly look for reasonable extension (without any huge annoyances) - I accept they wont be close to neutral.
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Rabbit
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Post by Rabbit on Sept 27, 2017 13:34:59 GMT
I was the person with the fake. Now have a real one. The cup dimensions are 2 1/4 inches top to bottom and 1 1/2 across on the inside of the pads. Tight for some but a good quality portable headphone. I have had all kinds of reincarnations of the Superlux. 681, 662, 688 and others. Their 'house' sound seems to include a very elevated top end in them all. Solderdude designed a rather nice inline filter for the 681 which helped to tame the treble. The 681 is a good headphone but the treble will probably need taming for you as well. They are a little unrefined in the treble and can be fatiguing. Funny thing that another problem I have had is with the pads being just about big enough but still feeling cramped. They look big, but they are round rather than oval shaped and I found them ok for shorter periods rather than long term listening. They also sell with pleather pads which aren't too nice feeling, so I changed mine for velour which is more comfortable but still a bit cramped. The ones I used were Shure pads. Solderdude has written about them in the headphone section. diyaudioheaven.wordpress.com/headphones/measurements/brand-superlux/
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fanda
contributing
Posts: 61
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Post by fanda on Sept 27, 2017 17:44:07 GMT
Okay. The pads may be small for me, but I will try the MSR7 when I get a chance. I went through the Superlux articles (need to read through all other articles on the site, but there is only so much time) - yes, the modding possibilities make them even more compelling.
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