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Introductions anyone?

amirm

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I recently started listening to headphones again and came across some great articles from Bob Katz on EQ'ing them to target curves.
Thanks for the intro and again, welcome to the forum. I had not heard about the topic you mention above. Love to see a new thread on that and links to it. My Stax headphones are sitting idle :).
 

Thomas savage

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Hi, thought I would introduce myself to the forum. I recently started listening to headphones again and came across some great articles from Bob Katz on EQ'ing them to target curves. I was mostly listening to vinyl, but after switching to an all electrostat speaker and headphone system the deficiencies in the noise floor, detail and IM distortion become hugely obvious which led me back to digital and fortunately I never sold off my several thousand discs which I've been slowly ripping. Having a science background by nature (physician) the how and why we hear what we do has always interested me and I plan to take my playback system more toward digital/DSP based for the speaker and headphone portion. Current areas of interest are room acoustics, we're planning to have a custom built room in our next house, once we figure out where to settle :)
Welcome to ' the forum of the damned' :) And thank you for taking the time to introduce your self.

Look forward to your posts..
 

hvbias

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Thanks for the welcomes.

Thanks for the intro and again, welcome to the forum. I had not heard about the topic you mention above. Love to see a new thread on that and links to it. My Stax headphones are sitting idle :).

Here is one link where he talks about EQ'ing his headphones and the video here also mentions it a bit (along with some blind testing and other pieces). I've found all the articles he has written there to be great. I'm using the same headphones he is, Stax 007 MK2 with the reversible mod he mentions. I'll start a thread on it after I have a better grasp on it all. Maybe someone could send an invite to Bob Katz to participate here? I have only seen him post on the Yahoo Acourate group.

I am tremendously pleased with EQ so far. The measurements for the headphones Bob and I are using can be seen here, they are a bit on the "dark" side in the upper midrange. I've had a variant of the SR-007 for nearly 10 years and from what I have gathered to compensate for their response most people listen to them a bit louder than normal. With EQ they sound very good at nearly any volume level and don't have the associated nasties like treble spikes of some high end headphones to provide fake detail.
 
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Cosmik

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I know better than to make it a living.

I'd have thought that if anyone should be able to make a living at speaker design, it would be you - you must know far more about it than many professionals.

Looking at your web site it strikes me that your speakers are bargains at the price. (I haven't heard them, but judging by what you know, I think they're going to sound great).
 
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PaulyT

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Hi folks. New member here, my name is Paul and I've been lurking a bit lately, figured it's time to sign up and introduce myself a bit.

I'm not in any way an audio/engineering professional. o_O I'm a chemist by training, now more of a computer programmer working in scientific information systems - databases of chemicals and their biological activities. I live in Baltimore and work for a US govt agency (National Institutes of Health).

So, my interest in audio... Long story, I'll try to condense but I do tend to run on (and on and on) sometimes, so bear with me. I grew up on classical music; I play classical piano, and while I've never done it professionally (unless you count playing for a wedding or two in my hometown when I was in high school), I've had probably ~30 years' worth of piano lessons, still taking now actually. Anyway, this is how my musical ear developed.

Maybe ~10 years or so ago, I got involved with another audio/visual forum group (that I'm still part of, but not gonna mention details here because I don't want you to think I'm just trolling for new members :rolleyes: ) when I wanted to upgrade my audio system with my first multi-channel a/v setup. I'm still more interested in music than video, but I do like surround sound when it's done well, and I watch the occasional movie. Anyway, I got something of an education on speakers, acoustics, current audio tech, etc. I went through a variety of speakers; nothing expensive as I'm not wealthy by any means. But what I am running now is an active crossover system with speakers designed and built by one member of the previously mentioned forum, and a crossover I assembled myself from a raw circuit board designed by another member. (I'm not an electrical engineer but I can solder a bit. :p ) I have some basic acoustic treatments in my room - primary reflection point absorbers. But my room is not well designed for audio, being a converted den in a small house, with even-multiple dimensions exactly wrong for acoustics. It's still pretty good though, IMHO, and I get a lot of enjoyment out of it, which is the important part.

I also dabble in headphones, currently using Beyer T1 with a Woo WA6 tube amp (I love tubes with headphones) for most listening, often while I'm working, as I work mostly from home.

But perhaps more importantly, my involvement in this other group expanded my musical horizons, as most of them weren't into classical. I started delving into jazz and blues especially, and also classic/prog rock, bluegrass... basically looking for "interesting" music where it's more about the composition and performance, than about fandom (e.g. I hate almost everything about modern pop :D ). The interesting thing is, though, this broad and careful listening to many other styles of music has really deepened my experience of my own classical playing. I think a lot of it has to do with developing a skill for listening - hearing individual musical lines and instruments in a jazz performance, that sort of thing. I'm a very detail-oriented person in general, and this fits right in.

Music is my main creative outlet in an otherwise very technical, scientific daily life. Audio tech, for me, serves that goal, rather than being an end in itself.

Oh, and I'm also an amateur photographer as well.

Anyway, this seems like an interesting group of folks, and I like the fact that it's a smaller crowd, not a huge zoo like AVSforum or something.

Be seein' y'all around...
 
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amirm

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PaulyT

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Nice! Yeah those are cool. Here's mine:

DSCF4451-XL.jpg
 

TBone

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Hi folks.

the following caught my attention ...

But perhaps more importantly, my involvement in this other group expanded my musical horizons, as most of them weren't into classical. I started delving into jazz and blues especially, and also classic/prog rock, bluegrass... basically looking for "interesting" music where it's more about the composition and performance, than about fandom (e.g. I hate almost everything about modern pop :D ). The interesting thing is, though, this broad and careful listening to many other styles of music has really deepened my experience of my own classical playing. I think a lot of it has to do with developing a skill for listening - hearing individual musical lines and instruments in a jazz performance, that sort of thing. I'm a very detail-oriented person in general, and this fits right in.

We arrive at this hobby from very different histories/perspectives ... yet we share these in common.

Paul, welcome ... have you heard this (Al Di Meola/John Mclaughlin/Paco Delucia)...
R-5862108-1404769704-5552.jpeg.jpg


The better pressings own killer-sonics; superbly mastered w/tons of dynamic expression, rec. live, acoustic fusion & jazz with a rock twist. My cup of awesome tea.

Difficult test for any system.
 

PaulyT

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Thanks for the recommendation, I'll go grab that one, always looking for great recordings (technically and musically). No I don't have it, though I'm familiar with DiMeola from Return to Forever, their 2008 Live from Montreux video being one of the better concert vids I've got.
 

TitaniumTroy

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Hey Paul, I didn't know you had signed up here. Cool beans, I love the guys at the other forum but, discussion about audio related subjects is kind of low on the totem pole. As most guys have their systems and are happy with them. Paul and I have actually met twice at forum GTG's, he's a pretty laid back and mellow guy. I wonder how you found this place, ?;)

You think SoundHound/Altec or whatever he calls himself these days would be interested? He could have some fiery debates with Amir and AJ:rolleyes:
 

PaulyT

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Hey Troy! Yeah the actual detailed technical discussions are definitely a big part of what appeals to me here, hopefully I know enough to at least follow along. ;)
 

ali

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I know some of you. Maybe most, with a few posting here under different handles. So maybe it's time, in the immortal words of David Crosby, to "tell 'em who we are, man."

I'm Tim Farney, Phelonious Ponk, and I'm not here because I'm an engineer, but because you guys always had the most interesting posts on WBF. Why am I an "objectivist?" Two reasons -- 1) I've been a musician since I was a kid. I've lived up to my ears in sound -- home audio, headphone systems, studio audio, live audio -- and I've always preferred accurate over euphonic. That started when I traded my Altec Lansing Valencias and Kenwood integrated amp for a pair of large Advents and a Harmon Kardon and continues to me recent choice of small, powerful active PA speakers from QSC over bigger and more impressive-looking at nearly half the price. Better measurements and better sound just always seemed to go together in my ears. 2) If y'all talk real slow, I read everything twice then follow up with research, I might actually learn something. :)

Tim

I am Ali nice to see you
 

Purité Audio

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Hi Ali, I hope. you thoroughly enjoy the forum, I am,
Keith.
 

FrantzM

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Hi

I don't mind introducing myself although most here know me from WBF...

I have been an audiophile for a long time .. First came the love of Music and then came a fascination with its reproduction and this became a hobby and sometimes an obsession, well .. too often an obsession. I have spent serious amount of time and money (same thing) on the passion of music and its faithful reproduction. I have been first a normal audiophile (whatever that means :D) then a High End Audio audiophile (there is such a thing IMO) lately a music lover with an audiophile bent I am there now. I love music but find what is involved in its faithful or rather correct repdocution is fascinating and fun stuff.
I am by training an Engineer and I work in IT but that never stopped me from believing without proof in such things as cables, outlets and the entire spectrum of audiophile things.. At least I didn't fall for things like m'pingo blocks and Harmonix Kombats dots but I had one of those things in wood you put between dipole speakers to strengthen focus of the soundstage (Halio something ???) . I did believe in the superiority of tubes and vinyl. Took me a while to get debunked and this happened with a great amount of resistance but it eventually came and it was at once humbling and liberating.

I like music at realistic level. That means an SPL that fools me often that I am listening to something that could be real. I believe in the notion of instant SPL that is what the peak is in term of SPL, it is often much higher than what an SPL meter with C-averaging or other would show. Tom Danley of Danley Labs postulated that instantaneous SPL in a key gingle could be as high as 120 dB at one meter.. Of course such SPL is very short in duration msec or even less he postulated that one needs power and a lot of it to reproduce those even with a sensitive speaker. I am of this opinion and I like powerful amplifiers. Minimum 300 wpc I am slo of the opinion that correct reproduction doesn't have to cost the proverbial arm and leg. It however requires a disciplined and methodical approach, yet it remains expensive . a great audio system doesn't have to cost the brutal expenses that populate audiophile boards and shows... where $100K is a low-medium priced system. My current dream is to get where I want to be at less than $50K (The lower , the better) for a 2-CH system whose number would be:
Ability to play up to 110 + dB at listening position
plus or minus 5 dB bandwidth of 10 to 25,000 Hz at all SPL
Distortion to be kept lower than 1% THD at any listening level and frequency band

In term of subjective quality:
Good imaging ( an artificial but pleasurable construct for me)
Spaciousness
Linearity
Simplicity of operation
Total doesn't include what I already have that is a good Vinyl rig, Tape (Technics RS1500), Headphones. A pricey total but one I find reasonable at this point in my life.

As I have mentioned earlier I am an audiophile and I retain many audiophile prejudices and I believe we come to call these preferences. An example is the Beolab 5 a speaker that I find very good sounding but a JBL 4367 plus my choice of audiophile-approved amps would push all my audiophile buttons .. I want to listen to the M2 and see if I can live with Crown as amplifiers. You would tell me ML + Revel and I would be fine but Crown???? Oh yes! I am painfully aware of my biases .. Since it is a hobby and one I enjoy I have to say It is not yet a priority to remove all the remnants of my former High End Audiophile tendencies entirely
 

RayDunzl

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I believe in the notion of instant SPL that is what the peak is in term of SPL, it is often much higher than what an SPL meter with C-averaging or other would show.

REW would seem to have that capability in its SPL meter.

Reading from a single handclap at a meter or so... Unweighted peak 120.2dB

2016-03-24_1839.png
 

fas42

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As I have mentioned earlier I am an audiophile and I retain many audiophile prejudices and I believe we come to call these preferences. An example is the Beolab 5 a speaker that I find very good sounding but a JBL 4367 plus my choice of audiophile-approved amps would push all my audiophile buttons .. I want to listen to the M2 and see if I can live with Crown as amplifiers. You would tell me ML + Revel and I would be fine but Crown???? Oh yes! I am painfully aware of my biases .. Since it is a hobby and one I enjoy I have to say It is not yet a priority to remove all the remnants of my former High End Audiophile tendencies entirely
It seems hard to make people aware that the M2 comes in a Residential package, which uses Mark Levinson amplifiers ...
 

Thomas savage

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Hi

I don't mind introducing myself although most here know me from WBF...

I have been an audiophile for a long time .. First came the love of Music and then came a fascination with its reproduction and this became a hobby and sometimes an obsession, well .. too often an obsession. I have spent serious amount of time and money (same thing) on the passion of music and its faithful reproduction. I have been first a normal audiophile (whatever that means :D) then a High End Audio audiophile (there is such a thing IMO) lately a music lover with an audiophile bent I am there now. I love music but find what is involved in its faithful or rather correct repdocution is fascinating and fun stuff.
I am by training an Engineer and I work in IT but that never stopped me from believing without proof in such things as cables, outlets and the entire spectrum of audiophile things.. At least I didn't fall for things like m'pingo blocks and Harmonix Kombats dots but I had one of those things in wood you put between dipole speakers to strengthen focus of the soundstage (Halio something ???) . I did believe in the superiority of tubes and vinyl. Took me a while to get debunked and this happened with a great amount of resistance but it eventually came and it was at once humbling and liberating.

I like music at realistic level. That means an SPL that fools me often that I am listening to something that could be real. I believe in the notion of instant SPL that is what the peak is in term of SPL, it is often much higher than what an SPL meter with C-averaging or other would show. Tom Danley of Danley Labs postulated that instantaneous SPL in a key gingle could be as high as 120 dB at one meter.. Of course such SPL is very short in duration msec or even less he postulated that one needs power and a lot of it to reproduce those even with a sensitive speaker. I am of this opinion and I like powerful amplifiers. Minimum 300 wpc I am slo of the opinion that correct reproduction doesn't have to cost the proverbial arm and leg. It however requires a disciplined and methodical approach, yet it remains expensive . a great audio system doesn't have to cost the brutal expenses that populate audiophile boards and shows... where $100K is a low-medium priced system. My current dream is to get where I want to be at less than $50K (The lower , the better) for a 2-CH system whose number would be:
Ability to play up to 110 + dB at listening position
plus or minus 5 dB bandwidth of 10 to 25,000 Hz at all SPL
Distortion to be kept lower than 1% THD at any listening level and frequency band

In term of subjective quality:
Good imaging ( an artificial but pleasurable construct for me)
Spaciousness
Linearity
Simplicity of operation
Total doesn't include what I already have that is a good Vinyl rig, Tape (Technics RS1500), Headphones. A pricey total but one I find reasonable at this point in my life.

As I have mentioned earlier I am an audiophile and I retain many audiophile prejudices and I believe we come to call these preferences. An example is the Beolab 5 a speaker that I find very good sounding but a JBL 4367 plus my choice of audiophile-approved amps would push all my audiophile buttons .. I want to listen to the M2 and see if I can live with Crown as amplifiers. You would tell me ML + Revel and I would be fine but Crown???? Oh yes! I am painfully aware of my biases .. Since it is a hobby and one I enjoy I have to say It is not yet a priority to remove all the remnants of my former High End Audiophile tendencies entirely

ah, a ' sane' audiophile :) I wish we had 1000 guys like you frantz.

A warm welcome :) thanks for taking the time to introduce yourself.
 

FrantzM

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It seems hard to make people aware that the M2 comes in a Residential package, which uses Mark Levinson amplifiers ...
With likely the appropriate and customary audiophile priced ML amplifiers. I would like to compare their performances in my home both suitably EQ, DSP'd and multi-subs'ed.
 

Chuck Gerlach

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My name is Chuck Gerlach ------- aka audioguy on many forums. The photo in the avatar is me prior to plastic surgery.

I am, for the most part, an objectivist, though I do not believe we yet have determined how to identify all of the measurements that identify what we hear. Hopefully no one on this forum will start a thread on how massaging the footers under one of their components improves the sound (as did a frequent poster on WBF) -- and no measurements to back their position.

I started down the audio path in college (60’s). I hate to think about what I have spent, in the last almost 50 years, chasing “The Absolute Sound” and audio perfection. “The Absolute Sound” is not obtainable and perfection keeps moving. But I finally figured out that there is not an audio system capable of recreating a live event in any room - at any price. Multi-channel enhancement of 2 channel music, to my ears, is a huge improvement over 2 channel (but still not marginally close to a live event). I used to believe that a great home audio system could at least reproduce a 3 piece jazz combo. But then my wonderful bride surprised me for a birthday and hired a 3 piece jazz combo to play in our home. If live music is 100, then the very, very best audio system is a 10 - maybe!!! It is, to my ears, that far apart. So I quit the chase toward perfection (and the attendant expense) and decided to focus on “fun". While someone can tell you (or me) that our audio system is not a replica of a live event, only I get to decide if what I am listening to is fun. (Still ain't cheap - and it is still an addiction/interesting hobby!!!). There are few pieces of music that don't sound more "fun" to my ears when expanded to multi-channel. Given my age and how long I listened to JUST 2 channels, the transition took a while, but now there is no going back. My room is for both music and movies.

I am also a huge believer in digital room correction, even with some of it’s short comings.

EDIT: I sang in a 200 person choir (with orchestra) for about 25 years and had season tickets to the Atlanta Symphony for the same period. Couple those reference points with the live jazz band in my home, and I have a reasonably good feel what live music sounds like - and audio systems don't come close.
 
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