I was going to do the same cd/vinyl comparison just to hear the difference. Now I know what to listen for.

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Over the years, the MP3 has more than degraded the accepted sound quality of music, but also cheapened the perceived value of music. I thought I hadn't let that happen to me, but apparently I did; not completely, but more than I realized.

By the time you hold an album in your hands, it has been touched with the efforts of the writers, musicians, engineers, producers, mixers, masterers, etc. There's a shitload of effort and passion involved, even for the aforementioned "lo-fi black metal album". Leaving their efforts to the 128 kbps MP3 and shitty speakers/headphones seems an insult to their efforts, a waste of your money, and a denial of pleasure.

I need to invest in some nice cans. I've spent a good portion of my teen/adult life using headphones because of the music I listen to and living with parents/others that need their peace and quiet, I never really let loose and jammed shit on a stereo till I got my own place. But now that I do have solace to freely jam, I like the headphone experience, and drowning out everything else around me...immersion if you will.

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If you're going to invest in something for your music collection great cans are the way to go. Definitely a wiser choice than buying stereo speakers (unless you're going for a 5.1 or 7.1 system)

I would have NEVER considered buying something like this if it wasn't for this topic, so a huge THANK YOU to Nothingface for starting this.

I never imagined after so many years of listening to music that I would get this excited again about how I heard it. This definitely ranks up there with the first time I listened to something recorded in 5.1...maybe more exciting, because of the thousands of cds, and hundreds of vinyl I have that will sound so much better now.

WOW!!!!!

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quote:

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Originally posted by schroeder:
OH MY FUCKING GOD!!!!
I got the HD598 cans in the mail taday - super fast shipping!!!!
Dinner's getting cold, but I don't care. I took them out of the box and plugged them in and grabbed my favorite Genesis remastered cd, DUKE. I knew it would have plenty of great elements to give a good test to the cans, and these things are FUCKING INCREDIBLE!!! They are "open" like the Grado cans but what sold me on these was the longer cord, they came with the mini adapter (even though I probably will never use these with my iPod), and the bass response was suppose to be better than the Grado set. After slightly tweeking the bass and treble knobs on my stereo, my ears are in heaven. These fit completely over my ears and the cushion surround my ears instead of sitting on top of them. They are very comfortable. The quiet parts in the music are dead silent, and the range is phenomenal. It's so fuckin clear. Like Nothingface mentioned previously, there's so much in the music that I probably would have never really heard before and the nuances between the instruments is brilliant and stunning. Obviously great production helps, but WOW!!!!

If you're going to invest in something for your music collection great cans are the way to go. Definitely a wiser choice than buying stereo speakers (unless you're going for a 5.1 or 7.1 system)

I would have NEVER considered buying something like this if it wasn't for this topic, so a huge THANK YOU to Nothingface for starting this.

I never imagined after so many years of listening to music that I would get this excited again about how I heard it. This definitely ranks up there with the first time I listened to something recorded in 5.1...maybe more exciting, because of the thousands of cds, and hundreds of vinyl I have that will sound so much better now.

WOW!!!!!

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You're welcome, Schroeder! I'm happy to know I'm not the only one who gets totally geeked over something like this. I'd love to hear them in comparison with the SR225i. They've made listening to music what I remember when I was young; really stopping your life for a little while and getting inside an album.

As a musician in the studio, I've always felt like every little thing you do, from a strumming variation to a picking accent, etc will be noticed by someone who's really into the song. So much nuance gets lost though with cheap playback. I often think, "I wonder if anyone is gonna pick up on this little thing I did here or there". I hope they do, because I put it there subtly and intentionally.

With the release of Target Earth, I knew it was time to make the investment. While the production style isn't the same as something like Pink Floyd or even Porcupine Tree, you can still hear each instrument distinctly, and perceive each performance the way they want you to hear it.

I have mainly listened to Target Earth with a fairly good pair of earbuds, partly cos I don't have a decent stereo right now, but also partly cos I just love the intimacy of sound you get through listening on headphones/earphones. It's such a different experience. And I absolutely agree that you pick up on subtle things you would never hear through a normal atereo - unless you had your ears right up to both speakers!

Damn you guys for making me have a lust for cans!

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Earbuds are only giving maybe 60% of what's there. I know what you mean about spending the money. It's a chunk of money for something that isn't a dire necessity.

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