oldson
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Post by oldson on Jan 30, 2016 21:13:49 GMT
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Rabbit
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Post by Rabbit on Jan 31, 2016 9:23:05 GMT
I think John Lewis in Bluewater had the first model on display before Christmas. I didn't try them, but they looked smart. Because it was John Lewis, I didn't think that they'd be up to much since they were alongside Bose and Beats and were quite expensive.
Good little headphone section up there in the top floor.
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Post by Deleted on Jan 31, 2016 9:58:06 GMT
I have a pair. These are the Pandora Hope VI you may have seen me mention? Final rebranded them last year for legal reasons primarily I think but name aside they're the same. Excellent headphones (best sounding closed back I've owned when used with the right pads) but they do come with some caveats. I've taken the kids to my mum's for the weekend so limited to my phone just now and typing is s-l-o-w but will post up some thoughts when I get home if you like. Let me know if there's anything in particular you'd like to know more about and I'll try to cover that too
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Rabbit
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Post by Rabbit on Jan 31, 2016 11:31:33 GMT
The Pandora Hope is well regarded and yet the Sonorous seems to have been sidestepped.
I remember seeing a 'Dale Boy' review some time back on the Pandora and he really liked them. (I can't help thinking of Del Boy with Dale;) ) In fact, I think he might have kept them. I'm now wondering whether I saw the Pandora, the Sonorous or even the same thing done up as a 'John Lewis' headphone!!!
I recognised it from Dale's review, but it wasn't a Pandora. I tried it for a minute or so in the shop and found the bass to be excellent and it was actually quite nice. What put me off was the price and the fact that it was 'unknown' as far as I was concerned and what you hear short term in a shop isn't always what you get when you stick it on home gear.......
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oldson
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Post by oldson on Jan 31, 2016 17:10:47 GMT
Looking at the photo`s they certainly look a quality machined well engineered HP. Will make some enquiries with regard to obtaining a pr for a listen. Mick. it would be good to read your opinions, Mick.
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oldson
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Post by oldson on Jan 31, 2016 17:12:37 GMT
I think John Lewis in Bluewater had the first model on display before Christmas. I didn't try them, but they looked smart. Because it was John Lewis, I didn't think that they'd be up to much since they were alongside Bose and Beats and were quite expensive. Good little headphone section up there in the top floor. will check in their Reading store this week. thanks for the heads up, Ian. dont see them on their website , though.
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oldson
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Post by oldson on Jan 31, 2016 17:15:12 GMT
I have a pair. These are the Pandora Hope VI you may have seen me mention? Final rebranded them last year for legal reasons primarily I think but name aside they're the same. Excellent headphones (best sounding closed back I've owned when used with the right pads) but they do come with some caveats. I've taken the kids to my mum's for the weekend so limited to my phone just now and typing is s-l-o-w but will post up some thoughts when I get home if you like. Let me know if there's anything in particular you'd like to know more about and I'll try to cover that too would be good to read your thoughts on these. thanks for explaining the name change, i had not heard that before.
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Post by Deleted on Jan 31, 2016 17:22:49 GMT
Yes, Dale is / was very fond of the Pandora. I believe he bought his pair and they get mentioned quite a lot in his other reviews.
The Pandora has been under a couple of guises now Ian so I'm not sure what you would have seen them as in John Lewis. In addition to the Pandora and Sonorous monikers Final released an A&K (Astell & Kern) branded version. Unlike A&K's collaboration with Beyerdynamic on the T5P though I don't think the tuning was in any way changed to better match A&K's players. The biggest change Final have made to tuning has been the pads after 12-18 months into production. At which point they swapped the original 'low repulsion' pads (shallow and quite uncomfortable) to the same pads used on the cheaper Pandora / Sonorous IV. Ostensibly to improve comfort but the downside in my opinion is that the new pads also ruin much of what made the VI so special (and why reviews are so favourable) - what was a wonderful sounding headphone becomes a rough, edgy and rather hot sounding headphone with wonky / hollow sounding mids. Not sure if Final have changed pads again as I know they introduced a Type C pad for some of the new high end models but if not I'd say pad swapping was essential rather than desirable. Pretty much every review was written when the original pads where standard.
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Rabbit
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Post by Rabbit on Jan 31, 2016 17:32:53 GMT
I think John Lewis in Bluewater had the first model on display before Christmas. I didn't try them, but they looked smart. Because it was John Lewis, I didn't think that they'd be up to much since they were alongside Bose and Beats and were quite expensive. Good little headphone section up there in the top floor. will check in their Reading store this week. thanks for the heads up, Ian. dont see them on their website , though. They weren't called Pandoras. I just recognised the body and I remember that they were selling at quite a price. If I had known that they might have been some form of Pandora, I'd have taken them a bit more seriously. They were quite bassy I remember. They had a strange name as well .... The name of an individual rather than a company. Like a 'John Goodman' headphone...... I just took a look and the one I tried isn't on their website. It was out on display for people to try. Here's a posh Sonorous X at £3,500. Better hurry, only one left .... www.hifiheadphones.co.uk/final-sonorous-x-closed-back-headphones-with-replaceable-cable.html?gclid=COW1zLTM1MoCFYMSwwodWqANMgOf course, we could slum it with the Sonorous VI at just £550. www.hifiheadphones.co.uk/final-sonorous-vi-closed-back-headphones-with-replaceable-cable.htmlThe world of headphones is going nuts!!!
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oldson
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Post by oldson on Jan 31, 2016 17:48:47 GMT
have seen the VI at £479.
there is a ex-demo on ebay at £429, but not enough discount for me.
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oldson
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Post by oldson on Jan 31, 2016 17:50:28 GMT
if i bought the sonorous X , i would have to listen in front of a mirror so i could see them too!!!
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Rabbit
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Post by Rabbit on Jan 31, 2016 17:59:03 GMT
Brush your teeth using them as a mirror.
Premium headphones are become a bit frightening in price!!!!
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oldson
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Post by oldson on Jan 31, 2016 18:01:08 GMT
Brush your teeth using them as a mirror. Premium headphones are become a bit frightening in price!!!! i will wait and pick up a used set! i reckon 10 years should do it!!
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Post by Deleted on Jan 31, 2016 21:03:49 GMT
would be good to read your thoughts on these. thanks for explaining the name change, i had not heard that before.[/quote] Okay will do! have seen the VI at £479. there is a ex-demo on ebay at £429, but not enough discount for me. Think I'd rather buy new too without a healthier discount. They seem to have stayed around the £550 mark for a while and were actually £699 until they reduced the UK rrp so £479 isn't bad at all. Another place you might get to demo is Richer Sounds as they have a try before you buy option on some of their higher end 'phones. Not sure if it's limited to certain stores or if they can order a pair into your local store for a demo but might be worth a look: www.richersounds.com/product/headphones/final-audio-design/pandora-hope-vi/fina-pandora-v1They weren't called Pandoras. I just recognised the body and I remember that they were selling at quite a price. If I had known that they might have been some form of Pandora, I'd have taken them a bit more seriously. They were quite bassy I remember. They had a strange name as well .... The name of an individual rather than a company. Like a 'John Goodman' headphone...... John Goodman. Now there's a guy I'd like to have put his name to some headphones....add in a couple of those beer holders and a straw coming out for supping and that'd pretty much be my perfect home entertainment system If the ones you tried sounded quite bassy I suspect they had the newer pads as I found the bass was a bit more full on with them. With the original pads they sound reasonably balanced top to toe with quite a 'tasteful', but not overcooked, elevation in the bass region. Nothing like as bass heavy as the D2K, Nighthawk, TH-X00 for instance..
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Rabbit
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Post by Rabbit on Feb 16, 2016 12:05:31 GMT
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