the Interceptor's general AUDIO thread

Thanks! :)

No, that's not me, but I know quite a lot of such people. Interestingly, it is mainly that lot which you'll never actually meet. They shoot a lot and at anyone, but they never leave their cover never to be shot at, which makes their life quite easy. The guys you actually meet mainly are moderate, and that's what I am too. I learned that there is no actual truth and no "right" and "wrong" in hifi. For every device and every sound, there is somebody who loves it.
 
Well, the guy I'm referring to, is no mystery. His identity was revealed way before he went to "audio". That's how I (and many others) came to know about his new career. You should never publish stuff like photographs under your own name on the internet, if you are planning to become a forum troll ;) He's still an "audio" editor and a.f.a.i.k., he is only active now in the magazine's own discussion forum.

I actually met him once, on the "High End 2002", I think, and he made a very geeky impression on me at the time, not ready or willing to discuss verbally, what he discussed on the forums before. Which was sad, because I was with a friend, who has been constructing and developing loudspeakers for more than 20 years at the time and was quite eager to nail him on some of the stuff he wrote in his forum posts.
 
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Does anyone have some good tips for taking care of vacuum tubes?
 
Ok, so I've been looking around a bit and with my birthday just 2 weeks away I figure now's a good a time as any to upgrade my setup.

Anyone got an opinion on these Wharfedale XARUS 4000's? And a cheapish (sub $300AUD) amp to drive them?
P.S. I'm aware the website looks dodgy, they're completely legit though

Reviews I've seen of the Xarus 4000's say they're mainly aimed at bassy dance music and stuff and TBH that's mainly what I listen to.
Do you gurus have any gems around that price mark that I'm unaware of?
 
camsinny said:
Ok, so I've been looking around a bit and with my birthday just 2 weeks away I figure now's a good a time as any to upgrade my setup.

Anyone got an opinion on these Wharfedale XARUS 4000's? And a cheapish (sub $300AUD) amp to drive them?
P.S. I'm aware the website looks dodgy, they're completely legit though

Reviews I've seen of the Xarus 4000's say they're mainly aimed at bassy dance music and stuff and TBH that's mainly what I listen to.
Do you gurus have any gems around that price mark that I'm unaware of?
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From what I was able to gather, these speakers are pretty good for what you're aiming at. For that money anyway, you could only buy used or build one yourself to beat it, since none of the bigger manufacturers is able to offer anything worthwile in that price range.

About the amp I'm not so sure, the price range is pretty tight - a tough call, even used.
 
They seem pretty cheap, hell they're cheaper than the 1000's!

Having a quick look on the JB site, only the Sherwood amps are sub $300.

Unrelated; MacGuffin, that was weird...

I asked, because I know of someone who always used to complain about the hifi magazines, how wrong they were and how incapable, how they were influenced by the hifi makers and how poor their reviews were, how much they fucked about with the readers, etc.

He made a lot of enemies in hifi forums on the internet because of his bad attitude and his habit of never ever admitting a mistake or conceding when he was wrong, putting down everyone else instead.

He never accepted others' opinions or experiences, always ranting about things. He knew a lot about the theory of loudspeakers but lacked experience. He was a manic advocate of small, active studio monitors (Mackies, I believe) and completely gainsaid the use of big loudspeakers or more expensive amplifiers. To him there were no sound differences in electronics at all. I know of at least one hifi forum, where he was banned because he started to insult one member's mother (or was it his wife? Not sure anymore) in a heated discussion

Then, some time in 2004 or 2005, he disappeared completely from all discussion forums and everyone was relieved that he was gone -- until they discovered that he became a new writer for "audio" magazine (the one he condemned the most before!) and now writes reviews about loudspeakers -- in completely the same way, as the other hifi reviewers he had always criticized and mocked about before

I really hope that wasn't you
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You basically asked if he was a much hated, internet trolling, whinging, incompetent loser. lol.
 
hansvonaxion said:
They seem pretty cheap, hell they're cheaper than the 1000's!

Having a quick look on the JB site, only the Sherwood amps are sub $300.
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Hence why I'm interested in them, not sure what the usual price is.
On the topic of Sherwood amps, I've heard mixed reviews, some say utter shit that'll conk out after 6 months, others say it's great BFYB. Ideas?
Specifically this 5.1 or this 2ch. Plus, black looks a lot sexier and would suit my room...
hansvonaxion said:
Unrelated; MacGuffin, that was weird...

You basically asked if he was a much hated, internet trolling, whinging, incompetent loser. lol.
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Hahaha, imagine if he'd have said yes.
 
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camsinny said:
Hence why I'm interested in them, not sure what the usual price is.

On the topic of Sherwood amps, I've heard mixed reviews, some say utter shit that'll conk out after 6 months, others say it's great BFYB. Ideas?
Click to expand...

I remember a few years ago now I was in the market for some speakers and couldn't find much under $300 - even Tandy/Dick Smith brand were about that. JB isn't the best place to try to compare speakers, but maybe if you go right when they open/close and ask the guy to give you a listen before/after they turn the other crap on/off.

Can't help you with the amp, sorry. I know nothing.
 
camsinny said:
Hence why I'm interested in them, not sure what the usual price is.
On the topic of Sherwood amps, I've heard mixed reviews, some say utter shit that'll conk out after 6 months, others say it's great BFYB. Ideas?
Specifically this 5.1 or this 2ch. Plus, black looks a lot sexier and would suit my room...
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Sherwood is okay-ish. Certainly one of the cheaper brands, but should be fine nonetheless. And you should definitely aim for a 2-channel-amp unless you plan to go multichannel later on.
 
hansvonaxion said:
Unrelated; MacGuffin, that was weird...



You basically asked if he was a much hated, internet trolling, whinging, incompetent loser. lol.
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Well, it wasn't meant serious, just ironical ;) And I believe that Interceptor took it that way :D
 
I don't have firsthand experience wih this particular AKG but what always spoiled them for me, was the pressure on my head and ears: All AKG headphones I ever tried, were head clamps -- at least for my senses. Couldn't wear them longer than half an hour or so.
 
So I've heard. Some people have the same feeling on them, others don't. I suppose it's a head size thing. Any suggestions on similar performers in the same price range?
 
Nabster said:
So I've heard. Some people have the same feeling on them, others don't. I suppose it's a head size thing. Any suggestions on similar performers in the same price range?
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Yes.

lg_dt990pro.jpg


Probably the most comfortable headphone on the market. And one of the best sounding, too. Has been at the top for more than 20 years. Countless wins in reviews, several "headphone of the year" awards. A milestone with an almost legendary reputation.

It has a warmer, more pleasant but also less analytic sound than the AKG. The "Pro" version is considered the best of the series. I had two of them over the years, so I can fully recommend them.

Currently I have the regular model, which has a more powerful bass but also is a bit sharp in the high tones. It's also a bit heavier than the "pro". I had it individualized with the online configurator, though, which isn't possible with the "pro" model:
4417839831_a84ab53fc3_o.jpg
 
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Those are high impedance aren't they? What a shame I'd be forced to finally buy a headphone amp :lol:
 
Well, if you use the online configurator with the standard version, you can choose he impedance.

4419444782_4fc931496e_o.jpg
 
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I knew MacGuffin would come up with a Beyerdynamic. :mrgreen:

Here's my take on things: it depends on what you want. The AKG 701 is pretty light and probably a tad tighter than a Beyer, but not in a way to not consider it. Both are very well built. The soft, large and broad pads of the 701 make wearing it very comfortable. There's not a big difference in comfort actually, other than the higher weight of a comparable Beyer.

The big difference however is tonality. The Beyers sound very spectacular, putting emphasis on a very impressive and crystal clear sound. In direct comparison, the 701 will sound thin and muffled. I personally do not like the Beyers very much for that very reason, cause while I find them impressive for a while, they get on my nerves over time. If spectacular is what you're looking for however, you're well off with a large Beyer.

The 701 pretty much is the opposite, it's a voice machine. Tonally it's linear at best, with a tad of emphasized voices. That makes it sound pretty unspectacular, but when you're into vocal music, you'll just dream away with this one. It's not soft on the details though, it's no slowpoke. It is fast and responsive, it just doesn't put so much emphasis on the kaboom ends of the sound spectrum.
 
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I think you're referring to the standard version of the DT-990, when you say it has its emphasis on "kaboom" :D And I would agree with you to a certain point.

But the "Pro" version is a completely different matter. In my opinion it combines the best of both worlds, being neutral and fun at the same time. That's the secret of its success.

Tonality and neutrality matter, when you're monitoring a studio recording. That's why AKG's are mostly used in recording studios. But when it comes to the pure fun of listening and enjoying music, no matter if you're sitting, dancing or lying on your sofa, I didn't find a better solution than the DT-990 Pro yet.

I'm honestly thinking of getting one again in addition to my standard version.
 
Yes, I'm talking about the "normal" DT990. I confess I have never listened to the Pro version, but I found all Beyerdynamics I came across so far to be on the spectacular side.
 
Before this gets too hooked up on details, let me remind all readers, that we're talking about state-of-the-art headphones here, no matter which one you choose. There is no lack in quality but just differences in philosophy and taste. Those differences are on a very high level of sound quality, a level that about 99 % of all other headphones on the market will never reach.
 
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