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Back before the Sennheiser HD 800 broke the $1000 high-end headphone barrier and started a flurry of ground-breaking new reference cans, there were three staples for enthusiast searching for great sound: the Sennheiser HD 650 ($649.95 MSRP); the AKG K701 (now reincarnated as the Quincy Jones Q701; $399 MSRP); and the Beyerdynamic DT 880 ($313.95 MSRP). All three, in my mind, remain good value when properly chosen for your listening tastes. (HD 650 – warm and smooth, though somewhat lacking in detail; AKG K701 – articulate, but slightly…

It is the ratio of the output impedance of the amp to the load impedance of the headphones that results in the “damping factor” of the system. Damping factor is the load impedance divided by the source impedance. As a rule of thumb, a damping factor of 10 or more is desirable for the source to be able to drive the load with authority. For example, if the amp has an output impedance of 10 ohms, you want the headphones to be at least 100 ohms or more in order for…

Great guitar amplifiers are great because they produce a lot of distortion. I wonder what a great guitar amp maker thinks a headphone should sound like?

Well, here’s our chance … I guess. The Marshall Major ($99) is a mid-size, earpad, sealed headphone, but is actually made by Zound Industries of Sweden. Yes, this is another lifestyle headphone from the makers of Urbanears. I have no idea how much input Marshall had in the design and approval, but let’s give the Major a chance. Throw the drum-kit in the back of the Econoline and…

Whenever I can, I spend time on the back of this beast: a 2005 Yamaha FJR 1300 super sport touring bike. This baby eats continents. I once left Bozeman, Montana in the morning and slept in a cornfield in Iowa that night. I really dig long-distance travel --- the gradual and ever-changing scenery, weather, and geology punctuated with little towns and churches is mesmerizing. Nonetheless, I need my tunes to complete the experience, and it took me a good long while to find just the right headphones to accompany me on my journeys.

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Yes, historic. The Beyerdynamic DT 48 model has been in continuous production in a variety of forms since 1937. That's pretty historic ... I can't even remotely think of another headphone like that.

Let's take a look ...

Intended Application
The Beyerdynamic DT 48 E ($529 MSRP) is a full-size, sealed headphone intended for use as a monitor headphone in pro-audio studio and location applications. These cans are designed to take the rigors of the road, and they certainly will. There are two impedance variants of this…

Sound Quality
Ahhh ... I'm afraid this is where the DT 48 E stumbles a good bit. I hear a significant lack of weight in the bass; and some missing information up top. The low frequency sibilance seemed recessed, and higher frequency components of those sounds were accentuated yealding a more piercing chirp than would be natural. These are clearly a mid-range heavy headphone, but I feel like the sound of the cans is solid and predictable. They do strike me as a headphone one could get used to even though they are colored. Many pro recordings done in the field are for speech purposes…

Evolution is not like a car wash; it's not some process with a beginning, a middle, and an end. It's messy; it makes mistakes; sometimes it moves in a particular direction; sometimes it just goes in circles refining things. Evolution doesn't really know where it's going until it gets there.

Since 1997 Shure has been evolving its line of in-ear headphones. It seems to me they've both run in circles on the ergonomics, and made a bee-line for good sound. Let me explain.

The Battle Ground
The struggle to make a great in-…

Shure SE Series Ergonomics
The latest Shure SE535, SE425, SE315, and SE215 earphones are the best universal-fit earphone I’ve experienced regarding the ergonomics of insertion into your ear. The body of the headphones is small, and easily fits within the concha of the ear. An ample array of tips are included --- I personally like the “olive” tips, which are the black, rounded foam tips --- and once you’ve found one that fits, the nozzle is very nicely designed in angle and length to fit perfectly in the ear. The new rotating connector ends, and the angle at which the wire leaves the…

Not long ago I lamented not having heard the Beats Pro. Brian at Headphones.com took note and sent me pair, noting that he thought they sounded okay, but were hard to wear for long periods of time. Damn, that means I’m going to have to have long listening sessions with them.

Monster Beats by Dr. Dre Pro ($449.95)
$449.95!!! Holy F#@&!!! That’s a lot of dough. You can buy two pretty good headphones for that price; or one really good one. I really had my doubts at the beginning of this review --- actually I was warming up…

Just a year and a half ago I walked into the CanJam area of RMAF, and right smack-dab in the middle was Fang Bian, head of Head Direct and the HiFiMAN brand of headphone gadgetry. Fang always has something new going on; I wondered what it would be this time. He smiled, stood, and cheerfully greeted me, then pointed towards center-stage on one of his tables.

"Would you like to hear my new planar magnetic headphones?"

You’ve got to be kidding me, I thought.

The New Cans Appear
I had seen the threads on Head-Fi…