Headphones for Running

Saw this nice summary of the Top 5 headphones for running and the 3 criteria making up a good running headphone.

Check out the link over here
Earphone for Running

Headphones for Running

Philips Fidelio X1

I'm so excited! I just got the X1 in Singapore for sgd$329.

But the strange thing is ... M1 and L1 are priced at sgd$430-490...

GO FIGURE!!! ..LOL... CATCH Of the Year for me!

Philips Fidelio X1

Build quality : EXCELLENT. Comparable to HE-400.

Sound Quality : Very heavy Bass... More than HE-400.  If I had to choose.. HE-400 is the BEST! This X1 I think it's more for bass heads.. it's really flabby bass instead of the tight controlled bass I hear from HE-400. The clarity loses definitely to HE-400, AKG Q701, Fostex, Creative Aurvana.

My current headphones in order of preference :_

1) HE-400

2) AKG Q701

3) Fostex T50RP

4) Creative Aurvana Live!

5) Fidelio X1 (VERY GOOD FOR MOVIES! If you listen carefully, the bass actually makes you feel like you are sitting in teh middle and listening to a real hi-fi system)

6) Sennheiser hd518 

Come to think of it, Fidelio X1 is like a little less veiled version of Sennheiser HD518 with more flappy bass. It also does not sound open and airy. I reckon it is semi-opened at best which explains why it has more bass than a typical open-backed design. How I judge? Well, my AKG and HE-400, I can hear clearly ambient noise, but the X1 is less clear as it seems enclosed..

P/S : Using an Audinst HD-Mini DAC to a Bravo Audio V2 Tube amp.

Updated 12/10/2012 :- I've finally understood this is a separate category from the rest of the headphones. X1 is indeed very very accurate in representing what you hear in a hi-fi system or cinema. The bass i hear when watching movie is actually very deep and SUB-WOOFER like sound you get from the cinema. The depth and layering of details added to the immersive soundscape.  So if buyng for music, this might not be it. But for Watching Movies.. Oh boy! This is a MUST HAVE!

However, you need to consider this if you are interested in re-creating the ambience sound of a home theater system or that of a cinema. Mainly the deep flabby bass that subwoofer pumps out in volume. The noise from the environment that seeps in partially like in a cinema. You are in the center of the cinema and noise is not totally isolated, it blends in with the cinema soundtrack. Yesterday night I watch Prometheus and my god.. It sounds like I was sitting right in the middle of a cinema. No dolby headphone technology needded but I think it would be even more impressive if that was turned on.  Today, I asked my wife to try it and she had similar remarks. 

But I have to agree if you are listening to music, you will find HE-400 to be heavenly ! Details and seperation are there and still musical but not to the extent of the AKG Q701 which dissects everything.  The Fidelio X1 overpowering bass makes it hard to hear the level of details and seperation like the rest. Someone mentioned turning down the bass will make this $300 phone becomes a worthy $600ish phones. I haven't tried that 'coz I liked it RAW.. I don't add +/- treble/bass eq to my phones. hehe

P/S : After trying out so many phones, I have developed a definite preference for OPEN-Backed airy phones. I am not a basshead though, I find AKG Q701 bass good enough for me when people were complaining of its lack of bass. 

How to Listen to Music Critically!

This is a good blog on how to listen to music critically using your headphones and amps and dacs.

With all the reviews by headphones and IEM gurus about what they spot in the sound signature and details of the music thru' their headgears and accessories, wouldn't you want to be able to identity what the gurus picked up. This is important training for your ears as it helps to open them up to a whole new dimensions and make your EXPENSIVE headphones worth its price.

For untrained ears, we actually do not need anything above $200 because we will not notice a big difference between a $100 and >$200 headphones nowadays. It is simply because we do not know what to details to catch or spot.

So, just try this simple app and then try your sub$100 headphone and <$200 headphone and be marvelled at your EARS kung-fu!

How to Listen is a desktop software application developed by the Harman International R&D group for the purpose of training and selecting listeners used in audio product research, development, and testing. The software consists of a number of training exercises where different kinds of timbral, spatial and dynamic distortions commonly found within the recording and audio chains are simulated and added to music.

The listener’s task is to identify, classify or rate these distortions according to a number of well-defined perceptual attributes and scales. The software automatically adjusts the difficulty of each training task based on the listener’s performance. 

We are happy to offer a free beta version of this software to audio enthusiasts in the hope that they will use it to improve their critical listening skills and appreciation for high quality sound reproduction. Enjoy!

http://harmanhowtolisten.blogspot.sg/

Philips Citiscape Uptown Headphone

Philips introduced a few series of headphones targeted at different segment of the market and i got myself the Philips Citiscape Uptown headphone. The segment of market as defined by Philips

The Philips CitiScape Uptown over-ear headset combines premium sound quality and street-savvy style with a comfortable, durable design to deliver a truly immersive sound experience. Inspired by vintage motorcycle gear, these stylish headphones feature noise-isolating memory foam ear cushions and MusicSeal technology to provide complete musical privacy. A quilted leather headband adds to your comfort.

Glossary

Warm:                  

Concerning the tonal balance, lowend, midrange emphasis and neutral to dark sounding highs which leads to a more thick/fullier/meaty or "fun" sound. 

Cold:                   

Concerning the tonal balance, highs emphasis and neutral to dark / recessed lowend (doesn't necessarily have to be) and midrange, especially recession in the upper-bass to lower-midrange. Thin/edgy/sharp analytical sound.

Forward:              

Up-front/in-your-face/powerful/engaging sound. Often results in smaller soundstage and more smeared instrument separation (instruments flows into each other creating a more united sound).

Laid-back:            

Relaxed/distant sound. Often results in bigger soundstage and clearer instrument separation.

(Tonal) balance:  

The relevance/emphasis of the different frequencies compared to each other across the whole sonic spectrum. Results in various amount of clarity or detail and brightness or darkness in the sound etc.

To give a gauge of what I have been listening, my current collection of headphones are :-
1) Ultrasone HFI-780 (closed-backed) - Forward and Cold
2) Sennheiser HD518 (open-backed) - Laid back and Warm
3) Superlux 668B (open-backed) - Forward and Cold
4) Creative Aurvana Live! (closed-backed) - Laid back and Warm
5) AKG Q701 (open-backed)  - Forward and Cold


 
Below comparison will be with respect to all my 5 headphones.

Design
i) Sound Isolation :- 9/10
Ambient noise is not as audible as compared to the closed-backed headphones I have, let alone the open-backed ones.

ii) Build quality :- 10/10
I would say at the given price point, it has excellent build quality with a very psuedo-luxurious look and feel to it. All my other headphones look cheap in comparison to this one. The headband is supposedly air-filled. I would forsee in the near feature a problem with these as air might leak out. In any case, we can always buy a Downtown headband wrapper for our Uptown. The feel I get is akin to getting an iPad instead of an Android Tablet.

iii) Comfort :- 9/10
Comparable to the Creative Aurvana Live! in comfort as it has very soft and plush pleather pads(looks like pleather similar to those on the Creative). The pads cover your ear without problem unlike the HFI-780 and Creative, which has some parts of the pads touching the tip of my ears. Clamping force is a little bit more than the Creative, but not as excessive as any of the other phones.


Sound Signature
i) Soundstage :- 6/10
Very similar in width to the other closed-backed phones. Definitely the open-backed ones has more width to it. Depth-wise, the Citiscape Uptown actually is not very good. I cannot hear the layering of instruments, it is very congested on a straight line. The Creatives has a better depth and width than Citiscape Uptown.

ii) Tonal Balance :- 9/10
I must say everything just blends in together nicely. The tonal balance is so soothing and laidback with enough bass, forward mids and rolled-off trebles. Everything just gels and you are listening to music, not analyzing it. So, like the niche market targeted by philips for the uptown, this is more for casual listener who want to upgrade to mid-fi (I would say very entry-level mid-fi quality). For critical listener, the Philips Uptown just does not cut it. The clarity and details are actually not as good as any of the headphones I owned. If you think Sennheiser's are like listening to music from behind a veil, this one sounds like you are listening to it from behind a curtain. lol. BUT, I still loved it. It's just so soothing and less fatiguing.


Conclusion
I have bought the Citiscape Uptown and I think I will hold on to this headphones. A value-for-money purchase based on the overall package. I got it for usd$120, but that's the max I would pay as the sound feels like a $90 phones but luxurious feel of it is like a $400-500 phones. This would be a SELLOUT if it was priced below usd$90. They are very comfortable and it sound just right for those lazy days and casual listening. No ear fatigue for this one when compared to my Forward and Cold sets of headphones. I guess I like warm and laid-back most days and only the forward and cold when i'm in the mood for some critical listening.

You can get more reviews from Amazon.

Bugbears that might deter you from buying :-
1) Headphone cable that looks filmsy and cannot be unplugged.
2) Ear pads that are GLUED to the headset itself. No option to change again.
3) The air-quilted headband. If air leaks out, how do you change the headband.
4) No 1/4 inch jack.
It seems either Philips are very confident of their quality or they intend to get you to change headphones frequently. In which case, why would I buy a Philips again if i know it will get damaged and I have no option to swop the minor accessories on it.

Fake AKG Q701 Quincy Jones Signature Reference-Class Premium Headphones

FAKE AKG Q701
Beware of fake AKG Q701. There is no serial number on the headphone nor the box. Or there is a "Serial number" text on the box but it's empty underneath the headphone. Or there is a mismatch in serial number. 


My AKG Q701 have a serial number on the headphone, inside the headband on the left side and it matches the serial number on the box. I bought the product on Amazon. Again, not all products are created equal. It is best to buy products with the label "Sold and fulfilled by Amazon". I have heard of fake products sold by some retailers who shipped thru' Amazon.


With that out of the way, let me introduce you to the AUTHENTIC AKG Q701.


The AKG Q701 Quincy Jones Premium Class Reference Headphones music has never sounded better, or closer. Sparkling harmonics, incredibly low distortion and unequalled realism in the lower frequencies - it's the huge, airy, three-dimensional sound that been available only in the finest high-end speaker systems and microphones. 

AKG Q701 Quincy Jones Features
- Revolutionary flat-wire voice coil 
- Patented Varimotion two-layer diaphragm 
- High-performance neodymium magnets 
- Totally open-back design 
- High-performance, 99.99% oxygen-free cable 
- Professional 6.3mm stereo plug 
- Unique "3D-Form" ear pads for perfect fit 
- Cushioned, genuine-leather headband 
- Individually tested and serialized
- MADE IN AUSTRIA





The Frequency Response Graph as shown.


For more reviews by PEOPLE who actually BOUGHT and OWNED a AKG Q701, please visit Amazon below. You will see honest reviews by people , not promoters of the product. Of course,
there is an AMAZING DISCOUNT of 50% off the retail price right now on Amazon.
AKG Q 701 Quincy Jones Signature Reference-Class Premium Headphones, Black