Stax SR-Omega headphones
Ah, yes, headphones again. The market for superhigh-end headphones must be small, but manufacturers nevertheless keep introducing new designs. At least two manufacturersStax and Sennheiserseem to have carved out a big chunk of this market for themselves, and are currently slugging it out with their respective takes on the best that electrostatic headphones have to offer.
Superlux HD 668B and HD 681 Headphones
This story originally appeared at InnerFidelity.com
A goodly amount of forum chatter has been focussed on these two very inexpensive Superlux headphones. (Superlux is a Taiwanese maker of professional audio gear, and is distributed in the U.S. by Avlex.) I thought it would be fun to have a listen and see if the headphone enthusiast community has stumble upon some giant killers.
(C'mon, how much can $30 really get you?)
T+A Solitaire T Bluetooth/Wired Headphones
About a dozen years ago, I found myself sitting across from a disheveled gentleman in a near-empty lounge at LAX Airport as we both waited for a delayed flight. A well-loved leather suitcase stood at his feet. To my amazement, he wore a pair of Stax SR-L700sfull-on electrostatics he powered with an unwieldy amplifier he held on his lap, a power cord snaking to the outlet near his seat. It was absurd. And magnificent. He caught me smiling, smirked, lifted one earcup, and said, "If I'm going to spend another three hours in this godforsaken place, I might as well do it with Coltrane in my skull."
There, in his defiance of convenience, was a truth: Sound matters, enough to haul an electrostatic rig through Terminal 3, to trade portability for transcendence.
The Accidentally Extraordinary 51st Studio Sealed Headphone
This story originally appeared at InnerFidelity.com
Accidentally Extraordinary, huh? That's a pretty tricky business plan. Not quite sure how you pull that off. I reckon "jumping into a new market, giving it all you've got, and doing a pretty good job of making a good looking and good sounding headphone" a more achievable goal.
Be hard to fit that on your business card, though.
The AKG K267 Tiesto Headphone with Bass Adjustment Control
This story originally appeared at InnerFidelity.com
Q: Who the heck is Tiesto, and why does he want an adjustable bass control?
A: Some sort of popular European DJ, and because, by golly, the damn thing works!
The AKG K812 Professional Reference Headphone
This story originally appeared at InnerFidelity.com
I like the K701 and variants; I like the K267 Tiesto; I like the K550 too; but no, I don't like the K812.
Woulda kept my mouth shut, but way too many people have asked me to chime in on these new headphones.
The Audeze LCD-X, Fazor, and a Fresh Listen to the Current LCD-2 and LCD-3
This story originally appeared at InnerFidelity.com
It's no secret I really like the Audeze LCD-3 and LCD-2. When they slotted the LCD-X between the two, I simply had to have a listen to these cans in context with the rest of the line. So I spent some time with the latest Audeze headphones...
...Yeah, rough job, someone's got to do it. :)
The Audeze LCDi4: Start to Finish
In June, I visited headphone manufacturer Audeze's factory in Southern California (they've since moved) and capture an abridged version of the making of a pair of Audeze LCDi4 in-ear planar magnetic headphones ($2495). In the first part of this video, which is narrated by first Sankar Thiagasamudram, Audeze's founder and CEO, we begin with the making of the LCDi4, followed by the testing, burn-in, and packaging. This is followed by the unboxing and very first listening session, with John Atkinson, Stereophile's editor in chief.
The Audio Technica ATH-M50
This story originally appeared at InnerFidelity.com
Ask any headphone geek that's been around for a while for a recommendation between $100 and $200, and there's a very good chance the Audio Technica ATH-M50 will be the first thing out of their mouth.
With good reason, if you ask me, let's check them out.
The Awesome Beyerdynamic DT 1350
This story originally appeared at InnerFidelity.com
Simply put, I'm stunned.
It's hard to make a good sounding sealed headphone, and much more so a small, supra-aural (on-ear) type. They all seem to falter sonically somewhere. In-ear headphones were the only way to get really good portable sound ...
... until now.