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Headphones are go

Must say I’m really enjoying the Rega/AKG combo. I can chill in the back of the room and just listen. My wife also likes it, for different reasons.
 
I never got sucked into headphone use and that includes HD600 I tried recently. However, I got some planar magnetics and these have been a game-changer; particularly the quality of percussion. Now I use them 50/50 with speakers.
 
Have HD650s for occasional late nights, and Sony WF-1000XM3 wireless earbuds for exercise bike or treadmill.

Tempted by the Sony WH-1000XM4 wireless closed backs (now on sale for $250 vs. $350 list), but have decided to hold off. What I really want are headphones with a realistic sound stage. Want the music in front of me, not simply inside my head. Have not yet found this, and wonder if I ever will.

The only time I can trick my brain into thinking the headphone sound comes from the front is when watching video. Even then, it’s not completely convincing.
 
Have HD650s for occasional late nights, and Sony WF-1000XM3 wireless earbuds for exercise bike or treadmill.

Tempted by the Sony WH-1000XM4 wireless closed backs (now on sale for $250 vs. $350 list), but have decided to hold off. What I really want are headphones with a realistic sound stage. Want the music in front of me, not simply inside my head. Have not yet found this, and wonder if I ever will.

The only time I can trick my brain into thinking the headphone sound comes from the front is when watching video. Even then, it’s not completely convincing.
I’m using my xm3s at the moment. Really enjoying them. I compared my wife’s apple pro’s. No contest.
 
I’m using my xm3s at the moment. Really enjoying them. I compared my wife’s apple pro’s. No contest.

The reviews of the xm4s are all very positive too. Apparently they have improved on their already excellent noise cancellation.

Like the iPhone, I will skip at least one generation and see how the xm5's rate. Am also assuming that Bluetooth will improve for lossless and higher resolutions as time goes by.
 
The reviews of the xm4s are all very positive too. Apparently they have improved on their already excellent noise cancellation.

Like the iPhone, I will skip at least one generation and see how the xm5's rate. Am also assuming that Bluetooth will improve for lossless and higher resolutions as time goes by.
They were a gift from my wife and I was surprised how good they were. Very enjoyable listen. I was listening to the new James Blake album yesterday and it sounded very well. Important to choose the right size buds though. Makes a big difference.
 
They were a gift from my wife and I was surprised how good they were. Very enjoyable listen. I was listening to the new James Blake album yesterday and it sounded very well. Important to choose the right size buds though. Makes a big difference.

Agreed! Didn't like any of the ones packaged with the XM3s, but found some older, more squishy buds that seal my old lugs better. I am convinced this is the best tweak for getting decent sound from IEMs.
 
Want the music in front of me, not simply inside my head. Have not yet found this, and wonder if I ever will.

You should try a stereo crossbleed effect. I use a dsp plugin on my desktop, but I know RME ADI2 DACs have the same algorithm built in. There are also circuits that can do it. The key is that it's not just mixing a bit of one channel into the other, but also adding a small delay and filtering to model how the sound from one channel hits the opposite ear later and in interaction with the head.

I also have a Sonneteer Bard's Headspace which is supposed to do something to give a stereo speaker-like presentation but honestly I can't hear any effect.
 
You should try a stereo crossbleed effect. I use a dsp plugin on my desktop, but I know RME ADI2 DACs have the same algorithm built in. There are also circuits that can do it. The key is that it's not just mixing a bit of one channel into the other, but also adding a small delay and filtering to model how the sound from one channel hits the opposite ear later and in interaction with the head.

I also have a Sonneteer Bard's Headspace which is supposed to do something to give a stereo speaker-like presentation but honestly I can't hear any effect.

The only one I’ve tried is in Roon.

https://help.roonlabs.com/portal/en/kb/articles/dsp-engine-crossfeed

The thing I noticed most was a loss of detail and image separation. I could not detect it moving the soundstage forward much, if at all.
 
Have HD650s for occasional late nights, and Sony WF-1000XM3 wireless earbuds for exercise bike or treadmill.

Tempted by the Sony WH-1000XM4 wireless closed backs (now on sale for $250 vs. $350 list), but have decided to hold off. What I really want are headphones with a realistic sound stage. Want the music in front of me, not simply inside my head. Have not yet found this, and wonder if I ever will.

The only time I can trick my brain into thinking the headphone sound comes from the front is when watching video. Even then, it’s not completely convincing.

The only headphones I have come across ( and i have had many ) that give a front rather than in head and to the sides effect are the Raal SR1a and they are really a pair of small speakers strapped to the front of your head and way better than the Stax Sigmas i had which are of a similar design. Some effects added to music 16d 32d etc may give some interesting results too worth checking them out on you tube for a bit of fun
 
The only headphones I have come across ( and i have had many ) that give a front rather than in head and to the sides effect are the Raal SR1a and they are really a pair of small speakers strapped to the front of your head and way better than the Stax Sigmas i had which are of a similar design. Some effects added to music 16d 32d etc may give some interesting results too worth checking them out on you tube for a bit of fun

Am sure they sound good, but they look like a torture device! :D

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I’m a bit of an Apple fanboy I guess so I am liking my new Apple AirPods Max. I am more excited for some Grado SR225x that should be arriving tomorrow!
 


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