What Headphones Do You Own Ready to Send to Amir for Testing at His Request

[Jimbob54]

OK, Here's a thread where you can post any headphones you own that you are willing to send to Amir if he wants to test them sometime. Posting them here doesn't necessarily mean you are recommending them for testing, just that you are making them available and are willing to ship them. I'll start:

Focal Clear
Koss PortaPro
Sennheiser HD6XX
Tin T3
Behringer HPS3000
Sennheiser GSP500
Audio Technica ATH-M50x

I suspect shipping sub $200 cans from the UK isn't cost effective but if it was, my 4xx could go on a trip. Maybe the Beyer T1. 2, but they would get mauled (EDIT- mauled in the review sense)

 

[pozz]

Oldy but goody: Sony MDR-G61

I don't currently have these, but I used to use them a lot. I would really appreciate seeing this "recent vintage" model measured.

 

[TheTalbotHound]

Hifiman Ananda.

Possibly Oppo PM3s but there's a huge caveat, the old pads are completely worn out and since Oppo digital went out of business i can't get any new stock pads.

 

[Helicopter]

Hifiman Ananda.

Possibly Oppo PM3s but there's a huge caveat, the old pads are completely worn out and since Oppo digital went out of business i can't get any new stock pads.

Thanks! I would love to see Ananda.

 

[TheTalbotHound]

Thanks! I would love to see Ananda.

Yes, I am likewise very interested to see how higher end planars (than the he400i at least) fare against the HD800 , maybe Audeze LCD-2/3/4 (with the caveat of EQ) or Hifiman HE-1000/Susvara/Arya

 

[xykreinov]

Status Audio CB-1 with rather worn pads from abuse over travel, Beyerdynamic DT770 600ohm with aftermarket pleather pads -alongside the stock velour pads I'd drop ship to Amir-, and a Sony MDR-V600 with marginally worn, decades old pads.
I also may send my old House of Marley Positive Vibration for funsies.

 

[stevenswall]

JH Audio Lola

 

[phoenixsong]

Eh, I dunno about that part. Most reviews that I've watched/read about the X3 were quite critical of them/disappointed in them. I was of course interested in them, being an X2 owner, and hoped that the next version would be superior. Glad I researched a lot instead of buying them blindly.

It is nuts to me how quickly the X2/X2HR have dropped in price. The X2s were $300 when I bought them a few years ago!

Indeed- I was just looking through measurements and reviews trying to find headphones that match the Harman curve closely. Seems like the Fidelio X3 has premature bass roll off issues (closely matching measurements across at least 2 sites)

 

[phoenixsong]

Currently studying overseas, so don't have much at hand (also because I gave/sold away much). Before I go back I'm willing to donate a Thinksound On2 and Presonus HD9, and maybe some iems. Will consider loaning some other headphones and iems too if the postage isn't too much (in Australia atm so my hopes aren't up )

 

[m8o]

Indeed- I was just looking through measurements and reviews trying to find headphones that match the Harman curve closely. Seems like the Fidelio X3 has premature bass roll off issues (closely matching measurements across at least 2 sites)

The early release version of the curve was flatter (totally flat?) in the bass. It seemed at the time the likes of the reviewer Tyll and others w/a bully pulpit having preference for enhanced bass who altered the target to have their own with a boost in the bass factored into the target curve being altered to 'desire' more bass. A 'flatter' and even rolled off bass can be perfectly acceptable and preferential to many. (Not me; but I have come to know many who do)

 

[xykreinov]

Indeed- I was just looking through measurements and reviews trying to find headphones that match the Harman curve closely. Seems like the Fidelio X3 has premature bass roll off issues (closely matching measurements across at least 2 sites)

@jaakkopasanen's ranking may save you some time: https://github.com/jaakkopasanen/AutoEq/blob/master/results/RANKING.md
It's just a list of oraotry1990's headphone measurements in order of how closely they match the Harman 2018 Over-Ear Target.

The early release version of the curve was flatter (totally flat?) in the bass. It seemed at the time the likes of the reviewer Tyll and others w/a bully pulpit having preference for enhanced bass who altered the target to have their own with a boost in the bass factored into the target curve being altered to 'desire' more bass. A 'flatter' and even rolled off bass can be perfectly acceptable and preferential to many. (Not me; but I have come to know many who do)

The bass boost is still based on general listener preference. But, the designers of the target explicitly point out how that region had much more variance than others.

 

[m8o]

The bass boost is still based on general listener preference. But, the designers of the target explicitly point out how that region had much more variance than others.

Somebody should tell the people applying a rating / ranking to 'phones with the lack of following the bass heavy boost in the curve being a major factor in their subjective score. ; lol. (I kid. My biggest problem is poor subjective rating from lack of bass boost, whereas headphone with bass boost far too often extends into the higher bass too, making for a far too thick, veiled/ masked, overbearing presentation. I'd rather have a flatter FR that takes EQ well and add that electronically.)

 

[xykreinov]

Somebody should tell the people applying a rating / ranking to 'phones with the lack of following the bass heavy boost in the curve being a major factor in their subjective score.

It is not that major. I might be a mistaken, but, I'm fairly sure the algorithm of the preference score factors the issue of bass being less relevant in a bit. You'll notice many open-back cans, a design which is inherently bass deficient, let alone boosted, higher up in the rankings. Conversely, you won't notice many headphones with far-off bass, yet conforming tonality elsewhere, lower in the rankings.
Still, yeah, it would be nice if someone could make a score that factors out frequencies around <100Hz, and then work with @jaakkopasanen to have a ranking sheet for it. It would be like the "Preference Rating w/ sub" section of @MZKM's speaker charts.

 

[MZKM]

It is not that major. I might be a mistaken, but, I'm fairly sure the algorithm of the preference score factors the issue of bass being less relevant in a bit. You'll notice many open-back cans, a design which is inherently bass deficient, let alone boosted, higher up in the rankings. Conversely, you won't notice many headphones with far-off bass, yet conforming tonality elsewhere, lower in the rankings.
Still, yeah, it would be nice if someone could make a score that factors out frequencies around <100Hz, and then work with @jaakkopasanen to have a ranking sheet for it. It would be like the "Preference Rating w/ sub" section of @MZKM's speaker charts.

For headphones, it only looks at 50Hz-10kHz. For IEMs it goes down to 20Hz.

 

[xykreinov]

For headphones, it only looks at 50Hz-10kHz. For IEMs it goes down to 20Hz.

Aaahh, okay. That clears things up. My idea can be safely trashed, then.

 

[phoenixsong]

The early release version of the curve was flatter (totally flat?) in the bass. It seemed at the time the likes of the reviewer Tyll and others w/a bully pulpit having preference for enhanced bass who altered the target to have their own with a boost in the bass factored into the target curve being altered to 'desire' more bass. A 'flatter' and even rolled off bass can be perfectly acceptable and preferential to many. (Not me; but I have come to know many who do)

Flat is alright; the X3 looks like it starts to roll off between 60-100Hz
(Added: SoundStageNetwork.com | SoundStage.com - Philips Fidelio X3 Headphones
Philips Fidelio X3 Review - RTINGS.com )

 

[phoenixsong]

@jaakkopasanen's ranking may save you some time: https://github.com/jaakkopasanen/AutoEq/blob/master/results/RANKING.md
It's just a list of oraotry1990's headphone measurements in order of how closely they match the Harman 2018 Over-Ear Target.

The bass boost is still based on general listener preference. But, the designers of the target explicitly point out how that region had much more variance than others.

Interesting, I see some headphones which I dislike for their brightness high up in the list (Sundara, Sine etc.)

 

[xykreinov]

Interesting, I see some headphones which I dislike for their brightness high up in the list (Sundara, Sine etc.)

Well, both the Sundara and the Sine, at their peaks, are quite a bit brighter than the Harman target:

The Sundara seems to get most of its good score from the mids, and the Sine from mids and lower treble (the Sine is still closer than the Sundara with the mids, though).
The new 2020 revised Sundara, however, is much more tamed, and scores a good deal better overall than the old Sundara:

 

[m8o]

For headphones, it only looks at 50Hz-10kHz. For IEMs it goes down to 20Hz.

I see that now. Sennheiser HD 560S is a good example.

 

[Certainkindoffool]

I plan on selling the following headphones, but wouldn't mind sending them in for measurements as I'm in no rush.

Oppo PM-1(w/ the 3 available pad styles)
Hifiman Edition X V2
AKG Q701
Audioquest Nighthawk

I do live in Canada though, not sure if there will be any hassle sending these over the border in this context.