The audiophile thread | Page 5 | GTAMotorcycle.com

The audiophile thread

jc100 said:
Except the new bluetooth standards actually use less power than before. I have a galaxy S8 and the new headphones, like the plantronics, mesh really well. The new codecs really make a huge difference. I have a pretty expensive (at the time) pair of PSB wired audiophile headphones that I hardly ever use these days and will be selling soon because the advantage they have isn't that big any more.
Click to expand...
Holy repetition coming. Except as I said, your headphones aren't BT 5.0 so they can't use that standard or any of the energy savings. The newer codecs are used by your phone and headphones which is a big step up; nice. But they still compress the audio signal. And the newest and currently best BT audio codecs are not in your headphones or the S8 either. It's a mess out there still with wireless BT. Also, one doesn't knows if there will be any energy savings with BT 5.0 when used with the newer BT audio codecs; as I mentioned earlier the latest BT audio codecs use more power. Even those who report on these things say it "could" improve battery life for speakers and headphones; they have to be released and tested.

Be careful with recommendations because wireless BT audio implementation is a mess; other people may not have the hardware that uses the newer BT codecs, let alone the newest BT codecs. And as mentioned before, it's required on both ends to be able to use it. In that case, it only looks good on paper.

BT 5.0 was designed for the IOT and not audio. It doesn't improve sound quality itself.


Frankly these newest standards are only available in a few products at this time. It will take a year or two of new product releases (and not the same product still being offered either) to get these new standard put into products. And then the implementation is still a big problem with lots of shortcomings. All the issues and concerns I've mentioned before still apply (BT 5.0, compression, compatibility, implementation, DACs, interference, etc.)

The bleeding edge is a painful place.
https://www.androidauthority.com/bluetooth-5-samsung-galaxy-s8-774560/
https://smartphones.gadgethacks.com...nt-make-your-headphones-sound-better-0175490/

Frankly at this time wifi audio and Apple Airplay are still superior to all BT standards.

And in the next few years more new standards will be released that will be better for audio, current products will not be upgradeable and the whole process will start over.

Again, wireless audio has been slowly improving over the years and it will get better, but it is still far far from the finish line. By all means go to the enthusiast audio forums and see for yourself how little wireless BT talk there is.

Wired headphones are simply the best product for audio quality at this time. Plus it's cheap and compatible with everything with an audio jack.
 
Last edited:
Not to flog a dead horse but Bluetooth 4 is what I'm talking about, there are power savings with Bluetooth 4, I have both wired audiophile headphones and very good wireless headphones and have actually listened to both. Enjoy what you enjoy but any hit in audio quality between the two is going to be minimal especially on a plane and the advantages of the current gen of wireless, from personal experience of the two, far outway that hit. Again...all from personal experience over multiple, multi-hour flights with both types of headphones.
 
jc100 said:
Not to flog a dead horse but Bluetooth 4 is what I'm talking about, there are power savings with Bluetooth 4, I have both wired audiophile headphones and very good wireless headphones and have actually listened to both. Enjoy what you enjoy but any hit in audio quality between the two is going to be minimal especially on a plane and the advantages of the current gen of wireless, from personal experience of the two, far outway that hit. Again...all from personal experience over multiple, multi-hour flights with both types of headphones.
Click to expand...
BT 4 is a definite step up from earlier standards but there is still a ways to go. BT 5 is better, and still not there yet either. You keep using anecdotal experience and values to make big statements and judgments; anecdotal information isn't very helpful (logical fallacy) as it often does not hold true for others. It's great you enjoy the headphones; it's pretty obvious. Nice. I've tried the recent offerings but it's not worth it yet to me. You may think it's minimal difference, others don't. Rather than saying one style is the way to go, I have been posting info for interested parties to read and decide for themselves. Most people don't buy headphones for just using on a plane. There are no premium audiophile BT headphones out yet for the reasons discussed. There is no best solution for everyone.




And to circle back, when it comes to a focus primarily on sound quality (and just not these airplane use discussions), most people find open back headphones a notable step up compared to closed back options. People enjoy sound cancelling closed back headphones, but they aren't a "minimal" difference in sound quality. And pretty much all open back headphones are wired as well.

Most audiophiles will agree that open back headphones are the ones with superior sound quality among all types of cans. This type is arguably the best ones when it comes to audio quality as its open design allows “breathing” which will allow a more natural and detailed production of sound. Less pressure on the ears can also be offered by this type of cans which contributes greatly to fatigue-free listening for hours on end. Open back headphones are usually the cans of choice for audio engineers and music producers for mixing and mastering while closed back headphones are preferred for recording.
Click to expand...

Most people’s first experience with headphones is with closed-back models. Those are certainly the most popular, and every pair of Beats headphones to date falls in that category. Open-backs exist, and retain an enduring popularity, because they produce the best possible sound quality. An open-back headphone designer doesn’t need to worry about dealing with sound reverberations bouncing around inside a closed ear cup.
Click to expand...

There are two main kinds of over-the-ear headphones: open-back headphones and closed-back headphones. Most headphones are closed-back, meaning that the outer part of the headphone cups have a hard enclosure that fits snugly around the entire ear. Open-back headphones do not separate your ears from the outside world. Designed so sound is able to resonate from the rear of the speaker diaphragm, the unique design of open-back headphones reduces distortion and sound coloration that is often associated with closed-back headphone sets. Open-back headphones are able to not only produce a wider soundstage, they also deliver a more transparent sound.

Why Open Back Headphones are the Best Choice


Closed-back headphones make music sound like it is coming from inside your head. Open-back headphones allow sound to pass through the back of the ear piece, creating an open, accurate and natural sound. This soundstage seems wider and has more presence. That extra air flow is able reduce the effect of sound "bouncing around" inside closed back headphones - creating a more natural and realistic listening experience, while also increasing the accuracy of the audio.


Not only does the added airflow increase the sound quality produced by open back headphones, the design also provides more comfort for the listener than the box-like experience of closed back headphones, which can get hot and even sweaty.


Due to the accuracy of the sound created and the experience provided to listeners, open-back headphones are the first choice amongst musicians, professional audio engineers, as well as avid video game players. The accurate, real-life sound created by open back headphones allow gamers to better judge the position of an off-screen sound source. They allow sound engineers to accurately mix and master music and they provide musicians with a wider sound stage and a more transparent sound.


Record with closed back cans, mix with open back


If recording a vocal for your band you'll need to use closed back headphones to avoid sound leakage back into the microphone. But when it comes to mixing tracks use a good set of monitors, or some high quality open-back headphones. This is because the isolation of closed-back works against you during mixing and mastering, camouflaging frequency clashes and tuning problems. You'll be in for a rude surprise once you play that song on your car audio system.


Many audio engineers advise against using headphones at all when mixing, but these days the audience is often wearing headphones so you need to cover your bases. The true sound of open-back headphones is the best choice if you are working in a small studio or even a hotel room with a laptop.
Click to expand...


Cheers
 
Last edited:
Personal experience, not anecdotal evidence. Which wireless headphones have you used? You should really give them a go. You might be surprised.
 
Last edited:
jc100 said:
Personal experience, not anecdotal evidence. Which wireless headphones have you used? You should really give them a go. You might be surprised.
Click to expand...
I've listened to a few Bose and the PXC 550. And um, that's how anecdotal evidence is literally defined.

Definition of anecdotal evidence: evidence in the form of stories that people tell about what has happened to them. His conclusions are not supported by data; they are based only on anecdotal evidence.

Anecdotal evidence is evidence from anecdotes, i.e., evidence collected in a casual or informal manner and relying heavily or entirely on personal testimony. When compared to other types of evidence, anecdotal evidence is generally regarded as limited in value due to a number of potential weaknesses
 
Last edited:
Excellent. Try the newer ones instead of the those. You may surprise yourself in terms of what the mythical golden ears of audiophile threads tell you on third party websites vs what you actually experience.
 
???? I've tried some nice new ones. PXC 550 > Backbeats Pro 2. With better sound quality. It's not old, using BT 4.2 and the same sound codecs at your headphones. Cost more too though.

You should try some more wired headphones as PSB isn't exactly a company with much history in headphones or known for headphones either. You are missing out on a lot, including the entire open back experience. Then other things like Grado headphones, Hifiman or other planar options, Shure, Beyerdynamic, etc. (and Sennheiser as I often mention)

Best High-Fidelity Headphones of 2017
https://www.cnet.com/topics/headphones/best-headphones/high-end/
Not a bluetooth model in sight there.
 
Last edited:
kwtoxman said:
???? I've tried it. PXC 550 > Backbeats Pro 2. With better sound quality. It's not old, using BT 4.2 and the same sound codecs at your headphones. Cost more too though.

You should try some more wired headphones from PSB. You are missing out on a lot, including the entire open back experience.
Click to expand...

Not really...I mainly wear headphones for travel, I have paradigm speakers or audioengine powered speakers at home for listening to music. Open backed headphones just irritate people around you and moving around a cramped cockpit without having to worry about wires is extremely liberating. Especially since BT4 gives you a 100ft range with near CD quality which means you can leave your music source at your seat if you really like and since I seem not to have unicorn ears that can discriminate between real world minute sound signature differences while large turbofan engines drone outside I'm perfectly happy, so are quite a few others apparently but those might just be anecdotal. Cheers.
 
jc100 said:
Not really...I mainly wear headphones for travel, I have paradigm speakers or audioengine powered speakers at home for listening to music. Open backed headphones just irritate people around you and moving around a cramped cockpit without having to worry about wires is extremely liberating. Especially since BT4 gives you a 100ft range with near CD quality which means you can leave your music source at your seat if you really like and since I seem not to have unicorn ears that can discriminate between real world minute sound signature differences while large turbofan engines drone outside I'm perfectly happy, so are quite a few others apparently but those might just be anecdotal. Cheers.
Click to expand...
As mentioned before, BT doesn't give near CD quality; that depends on the codecs employed by the source and the receiver. And you can listen to the same CD with 10 different headphones and they will all sound different; that's a big reason why there are probably >1000 different headphones for sale from different manufacturers

Ok, so your advice to try new/different things applies to everyone but yourself. Too bad. Maybe if you tried some nicer headphones you would like and use them outside of an airplane, but you will never know with that attitude. It seems ad hominem attacks and sweeping generalizations are preferred. Because it has to be unicorn ears and people can't have a different experience or opinion; all the other people have it wrong. Got it. :thumbup:
 
Last edited:
alright. we get it guys.

BT isnt as good on paper as CD quality than can be found in wired headphones.

But for some people it doesnt matter.

I think that sums up all those posts and we can move on.
 
LePhillou said:
alright. we get it guys.

BT isnt as good on paper as CD quality than can be found in wired headphones.

But for some people it doesnt matter.

I think that sums up all those posts and we can move on.
Click to expand...
Yes, I have been redundantly pointing out the obvious, that there is no obvious "best" hardware for everyone. To suggest such is bizarre.... because there are always compromises and different people have different values/priorities.
 
kwtoxman said:
So, is anyone here still going out to see live shows? Wow, have I seen some great live shows lately. Really really enjoyable times.
Click to expand...

yes, but prefer to capture them with my 18 MP main shooter
and watch on the 4K AMOLED screen held above my head

lol...cheers bro...would love to have caught Neil playing in Omemee last night
 
Only one live show in the last few months. It ebbs and flows. May go to one tomorrow night. Hope people are getting out to see some great live music.

I recently mentioned on the song thread that I spent around 36 hours fixing and generating ID3 tags for 2400 songs before my Jan Caribbean vacation for my cell phone, including the time taken to add the last 400 songs by date acquired. This made my song collection work flawlessly on my phone, sorted by date added which is my most favorite mix (and relatively random). Perfectly catalogued, searchable, and with album art. Made for a great vacation.

I also ended up using earplugs as well. Some of the best of the <$50 crowd variety. The bass was very impressive but the soundstage suffered and there was no sparkle in the highs like the Sennheiser HD 598 headphones. Huuuuuuuge soundstage difference. The earphone's closed design sounds like the music is coming from inside your head, the open design 598s sound like you are in a small room with the band. It was really cool to see the difference and enjoy getting back to the HD 598s.

On top of that I took the wrong earphones and ended up with ones with only one button. I have a few pairs of three button earphones that are awesome and I know work well (on my phone). I really missed that extra functionality. I had to dig into my pocket to change the volume, advance songs, etc. Three button functionality rocks and makes a huge difference.

I listened to hours and hours of my music on my vacation. It really made for a great environment and time. All the effort was worth it. A definite music lover here. Went through 500 recent songs on my song list far before the end of the trip. It was almost a religious experience to lay on a Caribbean ocean beach for hours in 30 degree sunny weather with your top 2400 songs playing.

Cheers!
 
Last edited:
Any vinyl enthusiasts here? Where are you buying? So far my only 2 main sources are amazon.ca and Sonic Boom on Spadina. Anywhere else either in the city or online I should consider?
 
Chaos said:
Any vinyl enthusiasts here? Where are you buying? So far my only 2 main sources are amazon.ca and Sonic Boom on Spadina. Anywhere else either in the city or online I should consider?
Click to expand...

Discogs marketplace. I get quite a few things from Germany with low cost shipping. Mostly used but in great condition plus they are usually harder to get items.
 
Finally got my home theatre set up in my new home. First time I've had no carpets in my place in 20yrs and absolutely loving the acoustics. Next week I'll have time to tune better and check for any phase issues.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Back
Top Bottom