animalwithin
Member
- Joined
- Jan 13, 2022
- Messages
- 29
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- 12
Hi everyone, new guy here and fairly new to high-end audio.
Having an extensive audio library and coming from exclusively Apple products, I decided to do a bit of upgrading and get myself a nice set of over-ear headphones and a nice DAP. I started out in search for a pair of nice closed-back headphones and after much research, I ended up with a pair of Kennerton Gjallarhorn's which, per the many reviews and forums out there, are purportedly top-of-the-line.
In short, I didn't like them. Aside from some physical issues I had with them, they simply did not sound good to my ears. After 100 hours of burn-in, I was still getting a distant, almost muffled sound with them. To be fair, I had these going through an iPod touch as well as my desktop so nothing with good power but the consensus is that they're fairly easy to drive. I ended up returning them.
My search continued and I picked up a used-but-mint-condition Sony NW-WM1A which I love (although I think not many on here care for the Sony). I proceeded to comb the internet for a solid pair of high-end headphones and came upon the Denon AH-D9200. Aside from a few individuals claiming that they're overpriced, from what I found most everywhere, these are highly lauded headphones, very easy to drive, and well worth the price. I got excited when I found a discounted, open-box pair (basically unused) from a retailer and pounced upon them.
Physically I love them but unfortunately, upon plugging them in, I'm met with the same audio issues I experienced with the Kennerton's. The best way I can describe it is that there is a band playing music in a room but I'm outside the room and the door is closed. As such, I'm hearing distant, muffled, foggy, music which isn't exactly clear and turning up the volume doesn't add much in terms of clarity.
My only reference is a pair of basic Apple ear pods which are fairly one-dimensional but they're completely clear to my ears when plugged into the Sony. I tried the Denon's with my desktop as well as my iPod touch and while they sound different than they do on the Sony, they're still muffled/distant/foggy.
I'm being told that the Sony doesn't have enough power to drive these which doesn't make sense as there are people praising these using phones, iPads, etc. I'm also being told the I need to get a pair of 4.4mm balanced cables to use with the Sony and that will make things much better but I'm leery of spending more money.
In short, I'm frustrated. I can't return the Denon's as they're open-box. At these price points, I was expecting shimmering clarity and sound quality and I'm getting better listening out of a $20 pair of ear pods. I tweaked around with the Sony's equalizer and tone control as well as using the "high gain" setting and all this helped, but I still find the Denon's to be distant/muffled/foggy, etc.
Sorry for the rant but I felt this might be a better place to seek advice than from the other "hi-fi" audiophile sites. For what it's worth, I have very sensitive ears and listen to everything on fairly low volume.
Having an extensive audio library and coming from exclusively Apple products, I decided to do a bit of upgrading and get myself a nice set of over-ear headphones and a nice DAP. I started out in search for a pair of nice closed-back headphones and after much research, I ended up with a pair of Kennerton Gjallarhorn's which, per the many reviews and forums out there, are purportedly top-of-the-line.
In short, I didn't like them. Aside from some physical issues I had with them, they simply did not sound good to my ears. After 100 hours of burn-in, I was still getting a distant, almost muffled sound with them. To be fair, I had these going through an iPod touch as well as my desktop so nothing with good power but the consensus is that they're fairly easy to drive. I ended up returning them.
My search continued and I picked up a used-but-mint-condition Sony NW-WM1A which I love (although I think not many on here care for the Sony). I proceeded to comb the internet for a solid pair of high-end headphones and came upon the Denon AH-D9200. Aside from a few individuals claiming that they're overpriced, from what I found most everywhere, these are highly lauded headphones, very easy to drive, and well worth the price. I got excited when I found a discounted, open-box pair (basically unused) from a retailer and pounced upon them.
Physically I love them but unfortunately, upon plugging them in, I'm met with the same audio issues I experienced with the Kennerton's. The best way I can describe it is that there is a band playing music in a room but I'm outside the room and the door is closed. As such, I'm hearing distant, muffled, foggy, music which isn't exactly clear and turning up the volume doesn't add much in terms of clarity.
My only reference is a pair of basic Apple ear pods which are fairly one-dimensional but they're completely clear to my ears when plugged into the Sony. I tried the Denon's with my desktop as well as my iPod touch and while they sound different than they do on the Sony, they're still muffled/distant/foggy.
I'm being told that the Sony doesn't have enough power to drive these which doesn't make sense as there are people praising these using phones, iPads, etc. I'm also being told the I need to get a pair of 4.4mm balanced cables to use with the Sony and that will make things much better but I'm leery of spending more money.
In short, I'm frustrated. I can't return the Denon's as they're open-box. At these price points, I was expecting shimmering clarity and sound quality and I'm getting better listening out of a $20 pair of ear pods. I tweaked around with the Sony's equalizer and tone control as well as using the "high gain" setting and all this helped, but I still find the Denon's to be distant/muffled/foggy, etc.
Sorry for the rant but I felt this might be a better place to seek advice than from the other "hi-fi" audiophile sites. For what it's worth, I have very sensitive ears and listen to everything on fairly low volume.