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NAD Viso HP50 Review (headphone)

marv

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Cool, well it's good that it's an improvement for you in the bass.....I was gonna suggest combining my filters for the bass with Amir's treble filters, but he's chosen to align the target curve in a different place on the measurement, therefore it's not that simple (it wouldn't be valid just stitching the two filter sets together). I do have an idea of what you could with my EQ to tailor it to your liking though. Add a High Shelf Filter at 1khz with a Q of 0.707.......then play with positive or negative Gain Values a dB at a time, or maybe half a dB at a time. From your description I wasn't sure if you want more treble or less treble, but by adding this High Shelf Filter you can tailor the general treble level to your taste whilst retaining the clear bass of my EQ.
Thank you for the suggestion
 

Robbo99999

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Thank you for the suggestion
My last thought on it is that you could also combine my previous suggestion with another High Shelf Filter at 9kHz (Q0.707)....you'd use that to maybe reduce some or all of the increase from the earlier High Shelf Filter at 1kHz....that way you can get a bit more fine tuning on it if the upper highs become too sharp whilst you're previously improving the mids and lower treble with the 1kHz High Shelf Filter.
 

npol

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I have a pair of these and I wanted to see how a more aggressive set of EQ filters that push the FR closer to the target curve would affect the sound.
Screen Shot 2021-02-03 at 10.45.17 PM.jpg

Screen Shot 2021-02-03 at 10.45.29 PM.jpg


The filters I used:

%1
f_c = 80; GdB=5; Q=1.0;
HLres = loshelf(fL,HLres,f_c,GdB,Q);

%2
f_c = 35; GdB=5; Q=1.0;
HLres = loshelf(fL,HLres,f_c,GdB,Q);

%3
f_c = 3500; GdB=9.4; Q=1.1;
HLres = peak(fL,HLres,f_c,GdB,Q);

%4
f_c = 2000; GdB=3; Q=2;
HLres = peak(fL,HLres,f_c,GdB,Q);

%5
f_c = 400; GdB=1.5; Q=3;
HLres = peak(fL,HLres,f_c,GdB,Q);

%6
f_c = 220; GdB=-2; Q=2.5;
HLres = peak(fL,HLres,f_c,GdB,Q);

%7
f_c = 610; GdB=-2.4; Q=2.5;
HLres = peak(fL,HLres,f_c,GdB,Q);

%8
f_c = 5400; GdB=-6; Q=3;
HLres = peak(fL,HLres,f_c,GdB,Q);

%9
f_c = 12100; GdB=-5; Q=4;
HLres = peak(fL,HLres,f_c,GdB,Q);

FR compensated plots:
Screen Shot 2021-02-03 at 10.40.13 PM.jpg

Screen Shot 2021-02-03 at 10.40.27 PM.jpg


Sometimes these experiments end horribly, but no! These filters (at least to me) greatly improved the soundstage, the mids, the highs, everything. I would highly recommend for owners who are willing to give heavy EQ at least a shot. Lots of filters like this will affect the phase but I think our brains (or at least my brain) is quite insensitive to this. It just sounds better. Anyway, just wanted to put this out there.

note: target curve above has been adjusted for my preferences (less bass)
 
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thewas

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Do your L/R sides have really such a high deviation between them? If yes, they should be unlistenable without individual EQ and would be a sign of really poor manufacturing or driver tolerances.
 

npol

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Do your L/R sides have really such a high deviation between them? If yes, they should be unlistenable without individual EQ and would be a sign of really poor manufacturing or driver tolerances.
I think it has to do more with the fit on the test rig
 

Lbstyling

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Can anyone link to where these are for sale? I cannot find them anywhere!
 

Robbo99999

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Can anyone link to where these are for sale? I cannot find them anywhere!
HP50 has been discontinued unfortunately. You'll either have to buy existing new stock that some retailers may have (doubt it), or buy used.
 

Astrozombie

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I remember hearing the Sony MDR7506 pads fit on these, but I had already replaced mine with some cheapos from ebay. And foorrgeeettabboouttiiittt with those fancy Alpha pads or whatever that are ~$100
 

Robbo99999

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Looks like there is a 30 and a 70 now.
I knew about the 70, but not the 30. I'm pretty sure Oratory has measured the HP70, don't know if he's measured the HP30....I base my headphone purchases on Oratory's measured frequency responses and linking that with other evidence/reviews.
 

Acerun

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I knew about the 70, but not the 30. I'm pretty sure Oratory has measured the HP70, don't know if he's measured the HP30....I base my headphone purchases on Oratory's measured frequency responses and linking that with other evidence/reviews.
Who is Oratory?
 

Robbo99999

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Who is Oratory?
Ah, right, if you've not EQ'd your headphones before, I highly recommend checking out Oratory's reddit site where he uses a "Harman Approved" rig to measure and EQ headphones. He EQ's headphones to the Harman Curve, most people like the Harman Curve, but some don't. Here's the link to all his headphones he's measured & EQ'd - I highly recommend trying out his EQ's if you own one of the headphones on his list:
https://www.reddit.com/r/oratory1990/wiki/index/list_of_presets
He's an "audio professional" as his day job, so measuring & EQ'ing headphones is a natural extension to this. I've found I really like the Harman Curve for headphones, so I only ever buy headphones that have been measured by Oratory, because now I can't imagine listening to headphones that have not been EQ'd, as for me it makes such a massive difference.
 

kami

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Hi @Robbo99999

Initial impressions:

Tonality:
- Bass is there, although not as ear pounding as the Sennheiser HD-25, but honestly I think I got spoiled by using that as my entry level headphone.
- I can hear hi-hats better defined. I would like to point out a track section as example: "The Cinematic Orchestra - A Promise" around minute 8

Soundstage:
- I can hear instruments spatially separated instead of "in front of my face" like with the HD-25.
- Sometimes there might be angles clearly defined as above left or bottom right, this is new for me, and this is what I was looking for
- These "Space perception" quality seems to heavily depend on content, so I am slowly going through the songs posted in this thread

Comfort:
- The seal on this is perfect for my ear size, they fit completely inside the headphone pads, my ears don't touch the inner fabric in front of the drivers, nor the pads. It's amazing that I got a match for my ears without previous audition in a store.
- Clamp force is not excessive, seal might be slightly compromised because of my prescription glasses, but bass doesn't seem to decrease enough to be a long term problem

Construction:
- They are a lot more solid and well constructed than they appear to be in the pictures I had seen online.

EQ:
I've used Amir's EQ settings and they seem to be closer to my taste than Oratory's settings. (Peace APO)

So far I've tried them with tracks I already know, so I can't call this an extensive subjective testing, but good enough to know these are meant to stay with me.

I am very satisfied in general, considering that I was able to offer and counteroffer the ebay seller down to US$110 this is a significant upgrade in imaging and soundstage.

I've been reading the thread about Dan Clark's AEON Closed RT and they look tempting, but I'm gonna have to cut on some expenses before I can justify US$400 for headphones (used + shipping + taxes)

Also I am not sure if the upgrade is so compelling to justify the expense.

It might be interesting to know if there's any NAD Viso HP50 owners who also have (at least) used the Dan Clark's AEON Closed RT to provide an opinion on the differences between them. So far, my experience with closed back leads me to think that I prefer closed headphones, rather than open or semi-open.

I still have not tested semi-open headphones, but I will have a chance to do so after Amir measures a pair of BeyerDynamic DT880 that I bought and drop shipped to him.

KM
 

Robbo99999

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Hi @Robbo99999

Initial impressions:

Tonality:
- Bass is there, although not as ear pounding as the Sennheiser HD-25, but honestly I think I got spoiled by using that as my entry level headphone.
- I can hear hi-hats better defined. I would like to point out a track section as example: "The Cinematic Orchestra - A Promise" around minute 8

Soundstage:
- I can hear instruments spatially separated instead of "in front of my face" like with the HD-25.
- Sometimes there might be angles clearly defined as above left or bottom right, this is new for me, and this is what I was looking for
- These "Space perception" quality seems to heavily depend on content, so I am slowly going through the songs posted in this thread

Comfort:
- The seal on this is perfect for my ear size, they fit completely inside the headphone pads, my ears don't touch the inner fabric in front of the drivers, nor the pads. It's amazing that I got a match for my ears without previous audition in a store.
- Clamp force is not excessive, seal might be slightly compromised because of my prescription glasses, but bass doesn't seem to decrease enough to be a long term problem

Construction:
- They are a lot more solid and well constructed than they appear to be in the pictures I had seen online.

EQ:
I've used Amir's EQ settings and they seem to be closer to my taste than Oratory's settings. (Peace APO)

So far I've tried them with tracks I already know, so I can't call this an extensive subjective testing, but good enough to know these are meant to stay with me.

I am very satisfied in general, considering that I was able to offer and counteroffer the ebay seller down to US$110 this is a significant upgrade in imaging and soundstage.

I've been reading the thread about Dan Clark's AEON Closed RT and they look tempting, but I'm gonna have to cut on some expenses before I can justify US$400 for headphones (used + shipping + taxes)

Also I am not sure if the upgrade is so compelling to justify the expense.

It might be interesting to know if there's any NAD Viso HP50 owners who also have (at least) used the Dan Clark's AEON Closed RT to provide an opinion on the differences between them. So far, my experience with closed back leads me to think that I prefer closed headphones, rather than open or semi-open.

I still have not tested semi-open headphones, but I will have a chance to do so after Amir measures a pair of BeyerDynamic DT880 that I bought and drop shipped to him.

KM
Hey, well that's great that you're enjoying them based on my recommendation in the headphone recommendation thread. I know you bought them used, are they in good condition, the pads & everything? You're using Amir's EQ, I gotta say when I tried Amir's EQ I thought it was well off, not good, way bloated in the bass and just plain strange......although you do say you wear glasses, so it's possible you don't get a perfect seal which means that you'd probably appreciate the greater bass boost that Amir's EQ provides.....I also have a feeling that Amir didn't have a good seal on his head with this headphone too, partially based on his measurements that also show it wasn't sealed properly, if you look at his headphone pics of the NAD HP50 I think he tested a duff pair, as it's not totally symmetrical in his pics (both in the measurements & the physical pics of the headphone)....however your pair is probably fine, just the glasses may be affecting a bit hence you like the Amir EQ. To be honest I don't really like Oratory's EQ for the NAD HP50 (even though I do generally like his EQ's - I use his on my K702, HE4XX & HD600 for instance), I did an EQ of my own which I based on his measurement, and it's still done to the Harman Curve, I think I posted it to you in the headphone recommendation thread, have you tried mine yet? Here's mine and find EqualiserAPO file attached at end of post:
NAD HP50 Oratory my own EQ.jpg
You could also try some listening without wearing your glasses, just for experimentation purposes to work out if you're getting seal variability.

I'm pleased you're enjoying your headphone! :)
 

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DarrylG

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Can anyone link to where these are for sale? I cannot find them anywhere!
The Ebay seller theaudiofactoryusa has sold refurbished units off and on for as low as $89, if I remember correctly.
 

Anmol

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What I read was more about the components than the response.
designer of nad headphones pretty much saying same thing- same design.
btw I have NAD HP70 - i bought it for audiophile grade sound and Bluetooth/wireless - noise cancellation is poor on this headphone. once oratory's eq is applied correctly - these are superb headphones almost old denon like sound. -:). US$150 on Drop - steal for this price.
 

ishmeister

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With the EQ profile shared by @Maiky76 and some minor tweaks, this headphone sounds really really good. Comfort is horrible though (I have the same headband version as the one reviewed). One way to get around that is to wear the headphone backwards and then reverse the channels (e.g. in Peace GUI). They don't clamp on the cheekbones so hard this way. And it's great that Peace GUI saves the reverse to the EQ profile so it switches back to normal when I change headphones.

Another dissappointment is the pads quality - the pads looked great when i bought the headphone (used) but have cracked and started flaking in just a few days of use. I tried Brainwavz lambskin pads but they sound absolutely terrible.
 

SpaceMonkey

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With the EQ profile shared by @Maiky76 and some minor tweaks, this headphone sounds really really good. Comfort is horrible though (I have the same headband version as the one reviewed). One way to get around that is to wear the headphone backwards and then reverse the channels (e.g. in Peace GUI). They don't clamp on the cheekbones so hard this way. And it's great that Peace GUI saves the reverse to the EQ profile so it switches back to normal when I change headphones.

Another dissappointment is the pads quality - the pads looked great when i bought the headphone (used) but have cracked and started flaking in just a few days of use. I tried Brainwavz lambskin pads but they sound absolutely terrible.
On old pads you can just rub off "pleather" gunk and wash it off under running water and some fairy. Just keep the inner pleather layer in place to keep bass from leaking. I did this on my pair, pads are only softer
 
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