Lots of chatter abut the Oppo ear-pads on Head-Fi.org. I figured I better do some measurements to get another view.
Did some listening too, and found a favorite pad.
The answer came in the form of what appeared to be a very healthy attendance for Day 1 of the show, and some of the finest sound I've ever heard at an audio show. (The California Audio Show runs through Sunday August 17.)
Yes, I've been very vocal about my disappointment with Beats product, especially the original Solo.
Well, it's time to change my tune, and I'll be vocal about that too.
A visiting manufacturer recently told us here at Stereophile of an ongoing informal "survey" he was conducting. He would ask strangers to name three brands of loudspeakers. Their responses were not what I would have expected. They almost invariably named Japanese companiestwo of the most commonly mentioned were Hitachi and Panasonic. Other than my spell-checker insisting that I change "Hitachi" to "hibachi," I have nothing in particular against these two manufacturers; they are well-recognized in many product categories. But loudspeakers? I can only guess that the respondents were dredging up the only consumer electronics companies that came readily to mind.
My list for most recognized loudspeaker brands would most certainly have included JBL. How could it not? They have been involved in home high-fidelity since 1954. And for years before that in professional audioprimarily motion picture theater sound, a field in which they are still active. In short, they were around before there was such a thing as "hi-fi."