I've been spoiled...

[Nanoha]

I listened to a PS-1 today.

Oh my goodness.... Damn........

[Nanoha]

Singlepower PPX3 Slam 6SN7 and Moon Audio Luna out of a modded Denon player.

The PRaT! THe PRaT! The PS-1 is in a totally different league from headphones I've heard in the past.

So some things I learned today:

- Balanced HD650 with Silver Dragon is great.

- Non-balanced HD650 with Silver Dragon is quite decent.

- My K701 is okay.

- Moon Audio Luna is a good amplifier. Wonderful control. I didn't spend any time comparing it to other amps however.

- AD2000 out of my PPX3 Slam 6SN7 sounds somewhat dark and uninvolving

- UE9 sounds strange; I wished I had listened to it for more than 15 seconds though. Har har har.

- 4040 system wasn't especially spectacular in my opinion

- Omega II is a wonderfully sounding headphone. Just as I remembered. Of course, unfortunately it's not a headphone that makes you go "Whoa!"

[deepak]

It has a lot of bass

Not too much to my liking

edit: the O2 is well balanced, nice stat. And oh god is it comfy.

[Nanoha]

Does the HPs sound anything like the PS-1 just without the bass? Gah, I want one now. This is horrible.

[deepak]

Does the HPs sound anything like the PS-1 just without the bass? Gah, I want one now. This is horrible.

In my opinion yes. The PS-1 have really spectacular mids and highs.

I guess the PS can be more forgiving with poorer recordings. With the HP on recordings that are recorded with the treble cranked and the bass low (Metallica's - ...And Justice For All USA release) it really sounds like ouch. But on good recordings the HP has tons of bass and impact. Sometimes too much air pressure from the bass that I lower the volume, usually only after I've been listening to music for hours on end.

[Nanoha]

So the HP-2 is brighter than the PS-1? Ouch, that might be a problem. (I think the PS-1 has the threshold brightness for me; it's extremely bright yet so smooth; any brighter and my ears would die haha). I was thinking of maybe acquiring a HP-2. Hmmm...

[Nanoha]

Whenever I hear people talk about the HP-2, I hear the word neutral. Haha, so as people have said, I'm guessing it's just like pure music flowing into your brain. Nice. Too bad I loved that bass and treble (ahh, the treble is so sweet sounding) of the PS-1 and my source isn't very good at all.

PS-1's go for how much? 1.8 to 2k? Or is the range a little bit bigger?

[postjack]

Whenever I hear people talk about the HP-2, I hear the word neutral. Haha, so as people have said, I'm guessing it's just like pure music flowing into your brain. Nice. Too bad I loved that bass and treble (ahh, the treble is so sweet sounding) of the PS-1 and my source isn't very good at all.

PS-1's go for how much? 1.8 to 2k? Or is the range a little bit bigger?

The last excellent condition PS-1 I saw on HF went for $1800.

[deepak]

So the HP-2 is brighter than the PS-1? Ouch, that might be a problem. (I think the PS-1 has the threshold brightness for me; it's extremely bright yet so smooth; any brighter and my ears would die haha). I was thinking of maybe acquiring a HP-2. Hmmm...

Nope I think you misunderstood what I meant. I meant poor recordings will sound "hot" with the HP-2 because the bass isn't overblown out of proportion (thus you're hearing exactly what the deaf recording engineer couldn't hear)

[postjack]

Nope I think you misunderstood what I meant. I meant poor recordings will sound "hot" with the HP-2 because the bass isn't overblown out of proportion (thus you're hearing exactly what the deaf recording engineer couldn't hear)

but they gots 2 be mixin taht shit HOT jpak... its hotter n hell up in teh recird biznes, u don't understand man. NEED THAT SHIT LOUDR B~~~~

FUKN DANCE TRAX YAL

[Nanoha]

I'm still a little bit confused. Perhaps I need it broken down as:

- How is the sound of the bad recordings you are referring to? (no bass, huge treble?)

- What does "hot" mean?

Sorry about my n00bness.

[deepak]

I'm still a little bit confused. Perhaps I need it broken down as:

- How is the sound of the bad recordings you are referring to? (no bass, huge treble?)

- What does "hot" mean?

Sorry about my n00bness.

Here's a video that explains CD compression very well:

Some bad recordings either boost the treble too high, or boost the bass and treble too high. If you have equipment that faithfully reproduces this stuff, these recordings aren't going to sound great.

"hot" - when music is compressed so badly most dynamic range is lost. It sounds "louder" and more in your face, but with reduced dynamics. The youtube video explains it really well

[postjack]

I'm still a little bit confused. Perhaps I need it broken down as:

- How is the sound of the bad recordings you are referring to? (no bass, huge treble?)

- What does "hot" mean?

Sorry about my n00bness.

This is a great interview with Steve Hoffman about the mastering process:

http://www.metrotimes.com/editorial/story.asp?id=10364

But to put it simply, when someone calls a recording "hot" or "loud", it means the recording was mastered with the volume maximized. This is how the majority of modern rock albums are mastered, and more unfortunately the way most remasters are mastered, because today's recording engineers have wool for ears and record companies know the kids want their music loud. Unfortunately, when music is maximized over the entire audible spectrum, dynamics are completely destroyed, the music has no room to "breathe".

If an album's quietest parts are as loud as its loudest parts, then it is a hot recording.

I think I summed that up OK.

[aerius]

To me the HP-2 and PS-1 are very different, other than being metal, hideously expensive, made by Grado, and having a similar soundstage and high level of detail & resolution, there's not too much in common.

I think the best way is to use an analogy. The HP-2 is a sexy hot chick, but she's a perfectionist temperamental bitch and if you accidentally do one tiny thing wrong she flips out, calls you stupid, gives you the cold shoulder and refuses to sleep with you. The PS-1 is a sexy cute chick, you can goof with her and make fart jokes and she'll laugh with you and give you a great time in bed.

[Nanoha]

Ah, yes yes. I read a number of articles regarding that; I had forgotten the term for it. *slaps self* Thanks so much for the help.

Ahhh, so many headphones I want to buy... I should perhaps sell everything and hunt down a PS-1. Oh shit... probably not a good idea.

[postjack]

Hey HP-2 owners/fans, can the HP-2 do classical?

[deepak]

Hey HP-2 owners/fans, can the HP-2 do classical?

I don't really think so.

To me the HP-2 and PS-1 are very different, other than being metal, hideously expensive, made by Grado, and having a similar soundstage and high level of detail & resolution, there's not too much in common.

I think the best way is to use an analogy. The HP-2 is a sexy hot chick, but she's a perfectionist temperamental bitch and if you accidentally do one tiny thing wrong she flips out, calls you stupid, gives you the cold shoulder and refuses to sleep with you. The PS-1 is a sexy cute chick, you can goof with her and make fart jokes and she'll laugh with you and give you a great time in bed.

I think the midrange and highs are more similar than different between the HP and PS.

HP3000; now that's an entirely different beast.

[NotoriousBIG_PJ]

I don't really think so.

I think the midrange and highs are more similar than different between the HP and PS.

I disagree. The hp-2 mids and highs are extremely dry/dull. PS-1 gives the music a lot more life, even if it isn't as neutral.

Biggie.

[Nanoha]

Yeah, I've got to say that I almost had a heart attack listening to female vocals (pop, rock, jazz, whatever). Sooo smooth and engaging up top with so much PRaT in the bass. So beautiful. I love it.

[deepak]

I disagree. The hp-2 mids and highs are extremely dry/dull. PS-1 gives the music a lot more life, even if it isn't as neutral.

Biggie.

I disagree that the HP-2 mids are dry, if they were they would have been sold long ago (I completely agree that out of the solid state amps I tried them with I wouldn't rate them as anything special, but I have my Melos tube rolled to my YAMI tastes)

And the highs are pretty sweet, without getting sibilant.

[Nanoha]

I just realized I currently have not one can whatsoever that is not in boxed up! Not even cheap earbuds or crappy headphones. Wow, am I good. No source either. No DAC, DAP, nor disc player.

After everything that is currently in boxes sells and ships out, it's time to redo everything. Oh boy, this is going to be rough....

[humanflyz]

I just realized I currently have not one can whatsoever that is not in boxed up! Not even cheap earbuds or crappy headphones. Wow, am I good. No source either. No DAC, DAP, nor disc player.

After everything that is currently in boxes sells and ships out, it's time to redo everything. Oh boy, this is going to be rough....

But at least you've found a headphone to build around, and that's probably the most important step anyways. Everything else just sort of falls into line after that.

[HiWire]

I mostly listen to classical or jazz on the HP-2's. Pop music and rock sound good on them, but deficiencies in their recording are often revealed, or they don't sound significantly better than on my Alessandro MS-1's. I prefer to listen to stuff with actual dynamics and nuance when I'm strengthening my neck muscles

[philodox]

The HP1000 mafia is strong here, man. I'm not going to give any opinions, since I haven't spent enough time with either, but I will say that I enjoy both headphones.

Nice analogy Eaphan... I'd like to see you do more headphones as women. What would the K340 be?

[aerius]

I'd like to see you do more headphones as women. What would the K340 be?

In your case the K340 is the woman you married.