My Journey in Audioland
Thinking about sound
Your Mileage May Vary (YMMV)
Serendipity
From memory, my endeavor into the audio world was sparked when I was lying on my bed at midnight in my secondary school days. It was way past my bedtime, and I was listening to the latest Jay Chou (a Chinese pop singer) CD on my now obsolete Sony Disc Walkman through a pair of Creative round-the-back on-ear headphones. I was switching between the Creative on-ears and the supplied Sony generic earbuds, because I wanted to lie down while listening to the music and not feel uncomfortable.
While switching and trying them I noted that the Creative on-ears were fuller in terms of bass and the midrange (of course I didn’t know what they were back then, I just felt like it sounded well, nicer). Before that, I assumed that all earphones or headphones sounded the same. What naivete! It was only then I knew that headphones could actually sound different from one another… Fast forward a few years, I got my hands wet with the legendary Sony MDR-E888LP earbuds. It was such a rich and warm earbud, and was leagues ahead of anything I have tried before. I was hooked, and soon after traded them in for a Crossroads MylarOne X3, and spent countless nights building a rickety CMoy amp. You could say that this was my first real foray into a proper audio setup, and the sound coming out of the MylarOne X3 was worlds different from the usual warm, upfront sound of generic earbuds. It sounded airy, spacious, detailed, and I could suddenly pick apart the whole musical experience into different instruments, the various nuances in vocals.
I was thrilled, impressed, and most unfortunately (for my wallet), hooked.
Reflection
Since then, after buying, selling, building, and testing various headphones, earphones, amplifiers and sources (thanks to Uncle Wilson from Jaben Network Singapore and Malaysia), I just wish to share some of my experiences and things-I-wish-I-knew-before-… for those who are looking to invest in their first pair of decent earphones or headphones.
I may not know much about the technicalities of headphones, amplifiers, and sources, but I do reflect and discuss a lot with friends who are both audiophiles and regular non-picky lovers of music. So let us all share our experiences in our own journeys.
Before we begin…
A few resources to note are listed as below. Take a brief glance through them, especially the ones on “The Best Headphone” and “Describing Sound”.
Please leave a comment to additional resources you think are a great help to budding audiophiles!
Experience
For my case, it started out with an almost fanatical approach to detail and neutrality. Remember that I was hooked onto the sound of the Crossroads MylarOne X3, which was generally reviewed and described as a pair of well balanced and detailed in-ear headphones. Naturally, I sought after other earphones and headphones of a similar nature. After some time, I found that the Beyerdynamic DT880 headphones were the “ideal” to me for the longest period of time. However, as much as I liked them, I did not have the financial budget to get them, and I really thought that they were overpriced — for roughly RM1,500 (about 400 USD) I could fund myself for half a year of daily expenses.
— My entry into airy and detailed headphones
Instead, I went on to budget or entry-level headphones. I have since owned the Soundmagic PL30, Meelectronics M9, VSonic GR02 Bass Ed, Sony MH1C, Audio Technica AD500, Superlux HD660, Philips SHP2000, and a few more I could not remember.I have tried and tested even more, but other than those I have owned/traded, the others did not stand out to me as headphones of great value, or they were far far beyond my reach. I have also built several CMoys and O2 amps.
Only recently did I have the chance to use the Hifiman HE-400 and RE-400, Soundmagic HP200, and Philips Fidelio X1. They are usually powered by a Fiio E17, and occasionally the O2 if I feel like its worth the hassle of just inserting and arranging a few plugs. I know, I’m lazy at times.
By far from those I have tested, those that stood out to me in terms of sound were the Hifiman HE-6, Beyerdynamic DT880, Audeze LCD2, Final Audio Design Heaven V, Sennheiser HD800. Different people who have tested various headphones would have different lists of their own naturally, based on their tastes and preference, and my experience is probably minuscule compared to those whose job is to review headphones.
Anyways here we go into what I would like to say in terms of those seeking audio salvation/nirvana/heaven/whatever rocks your socks.
Preferences and taste rule, and
price does not play as huge a part as most people would have you believe.
Most reviewers or headphone sites will have a hierarchy of headphones, from budget to entry level to mid-fidelity to high-fidelity. Seemingly, higher end headphones are “revered” to be the solution to whatever musical salvation you may be craving. However to be completely honest, having tested some of the high end headphones, I don’t think that is a fair statement. Certain high end headphones may sound really impressive when you are listening to them for the first few times. However, most of this impressiveness comes from
- Hearing the price tag
— Well explained in the article by NwAvGuy and also blind wine tasting - The feeling of novelty when hearing something different, not necessarily better, for the first time.
— I’ll get back to this over the next part of the story
The different kinds of sound signature, e.g. warm sounding, balanced sounding, analytical and detailed sounding, V-shaped or bass+treble emphasized sounding, are arguably more important than the price of the headphones. Then again, even though headphones could be categorized as such, each headphone can have their individual quirks and strengths that would be appealing or distasteful. What all this mumbo jumbo is pointing to is that headphones are a very personal thing. This goes beyond just the sound of the headphone, but the overall feel, portability, comfort, durability, isolation etc. if those matter to you.
A popular phrase that goes about the shop I visited often to test audio gears, is that “Your Mileage May Vary (YMMV)”.
For example, the Sennheiser HD800 which are commonly hailed in some forums and review sites as nearly the modern reference for audiophiles are a pair of great sounding headphones (generally speaking). On listening to them, the amount of detail you can hear and pick out from the headphones is astounding. On nearly every track you can pick out sounds you would never have dreamt of hearing. In orchestral pieces, you could hear people fidgeting, their breaths, certain wrong notes played by one or two players in the whole ensemble… you get my point. However, in my opinion the overall tonal signature is bright and not pleasing to listen to for long hours, although it might be one of the best sounding headphones made. It also lacks a certain sense of atmosphere, which makes everything feel distant and sometimes disengaging. Even if I did have the money for it, I would probably prefer a cheap Philips SHP2000 ($1500 vs $15) as I would really enjoy the music more.
— high fidelity at a affordable price
A popular phrase that goes about in the shop I used to visit often to test these audio gear is that “Your Mileage May Vary (YMMV)”. Although popular, I think people underestimate how much mileage can vary from person to person. Long term usage of a particular gear can be very different from the impressions you get while trying it out. Of course some people fall in love while trying a particular product and continue in adoration of the particular gear. But in the many many purchases one makes throughout time, its unlikely one would be so lucky every time.
As such, one thing I would tell myself now is whether I would enjoy using this product for the whole year, if I had nothing else.
In this paradigm, many other things other than the impression of the sound counts. For example, other questions that could be sticking points after you use the headphones for a long time would be:
- Are the headphones comfortable to wear for long periods of time?
- Are the headphones or the components of the headphone going to last me for a decent amount of time (especially if the headphones are expensive)?
- Would I mind listening to this kind of sound for the years to come, and enjoy it?
- Do I need any extra gear for the headphones to sound good (amplifiers, source, cables, pads, and whatever not)?
- What am I going to use these headphones for primarily (for desktop/home usage, for portable usage, for everything)?
Case Study: Soundmagic HP200
Short term impressions are very different from long term usage experiences, and what you want might not be what you really want after using things.
I initially purchased the Soundmagic HP200 online, without even trying it out, since it was not available locally. From many reviews, it seemed like what I really liked in the Beyerdynamic DT880 condensed into a small portable package. I also had good experiences previously with Soundmagic in-ear headphones, so I obviously assumed they would be at least decent.
On first arrival and testing, they indeed sounded and felt good. It was a well balanced and detailed headphone, and for such a small package it was very incredible. Sporadic listening sessions throughout the early burn-in stages continuously confirmed my impressions — they were great sounding in a portable package, and I shall bring them everywhere I go to listen to music. The build quality was good as well, and they could be folded up into a relatively small footprint about the size of a medium-sized purse.
However, as much as I dreamed of taking it around to listen, I just did not manage to use it as much. While working, I was more likely to listen to music sporadically and it was easier to use in-ear headphones to listen to them if I had to fully concentrate on work, or not at all if there was discussions or important information being passed around. On the road, there was no way I was going to wear them while driving or walking around without looking pretentious and ridiculous.
The only place I could truly enjoy the music was at home, where I already had my Hifiman HE-400 setup, which I far prefer compared to the Soundmagic HP200, both in terms of comfort and sound. The impressive sounding HP200 were too bright and detailed for long term use, such as presenting a lot of details but also any compression artifacts and sibilance (the hissing S’s in vocals and high pitched instruments) that came with the recordings. It just did not suit my overall listening goal which was to enjoy music or any form of audio from movies or games.
From personal experience, this phenomenon tends to manifest for many high-end or impressive sounding headphones, they tend to sound really great while you’re trying them out as they are typically detail and treble-oriented. Coming from the typical warm and typically not-really-revealing generic earbuds or speakers, this would be something really different. However, after buying and listening to them for a long while, you might have wished to have gotten something more enjoyable.
In the end, I sold the HP200 off at a 20% loss to someone else who might have enjoyed it better.
Comparing it to the Philips SHP2000
Buying the Philips SHP2000 was also a serendipitous event, as Philips was not really known for their expertise in high end audio gear. Since they were rarely mentioned in audio circles, it just did not occur to me to try them out (mind-share and availability heuristics bias I know…). However one day while looking around for a throw-around headphone to just bring to the office for casual listening, my sister, a regular music listener who isn’t picky about sound, told me that these sounded great, but she regretted not getting them as there were other headphones on sale back then. At RM45 (about US$15), it was an inexpensive… wait, CHEAP headphone, compared to what most audiophiles would consider entry-level.
So I said, “Well, no harm trying…”
Today it probably sits on my ears more than the relatively expensive Hifiman HE-400. The SHP2000 pumps out deep, solid, guttural bass, while still presenting vocals, instrumentals, synthetic sounds well. It all comes together naturally in a cohesive image. It even gives a fair impression of where different sounds come from, which cannot be said even for some costlier “entry-level” audiophile headphones. For me, this was the ultimate affordable headphone that I could use without having to worry to replace it after a few years. Of course, not everyone would prefer or enjoy such a sound. I certainly did not think I would be enjoying so tremendously such a different sound signature (bass-heavy) than those commonly advocated as high-end audio (bright and detailed).
That being said, it certainly cannot rival technically better headphones, such as the Hifiman HE-400 sitting next to it. The imaging, crispness, and tone of instruments and sounds are definitely better on the HE-400. Even then, the SHP2000 were often the first headphones I went for if I just wanted to enjoy any audio material. I was seriously baffled by my choices that were made by intuition rather than logic — I knew that the HE-400 was better technically, but somehow I just enjoyed the SHP2000 more. Perhaps it was the sound, perhaps it was the physical discomfort of wearing the heavy HE-400 for long hours, perhaps it was a combination of many things.
Even though the SHP2000 were “only” 15 dollars, it has totally changed the way I looked at sound. I was no longer trying to find the “best” sound according to so-called high end audiophiles. Instead I looked for a sound and headphone that I would enjoy and use. I still yearn for detail and a relatively balanced sound, but I now know I prefer something towards the warm end, with a nice bass kick.
Endgame: Philips Fidelio X1
Understanding that philosophy has made my search for my personal “ultimate” headphones very different. It made me more open to other choices, such as the Sennheiser HD5xx and HD6xx which were considered by many audiophiles as having a warm and relatively “slow” sound. After some time, I chanced upon a review of the Philips Fidelio X1 which were reviewed as a slightly livelier version of the HD650. As I read the reviews I was really enthralled — was this the headphone that I really sought? It ticked most of the right boxes in my mind. Detailed? Tick. Comfortable? Tick. Well-built? Tick. Balanced but still warm and rich? Tick.
The only issue being that I could not try these — as Philips did not sell these in the South East Asian region. However having had the opportunity to try many headphones at Jaben Malaysia, I had some sense of confidence that what they described would fit what I wanted.
When the Amazon box arrived, I opened and tried it on.
I felt lucky. Really lucky.
This was a headphone that I could live with. Perhaps all the endless cycles of upgrades and accessories can be ended. This is it.
tl;dr
- Try equipment for free at your local equipment store (if they allow it). Keep your mind open.
- If you’re trying audio gear for the first time, try a wide range of equipment, from low end to high end, from muddy to clear, from dark to bright, bass and non-bass heavy, detailed to veiled, laid back to aggressive etc.
- After trying a wide variety of gear, think about what you would enjoy listening, rather than someone else’s recommendations that which is objectively “better”. It can only be more suitable and subjectively “better” for the listener and not anyone else. Expensive or high-end does not mean it is better for you.
- Caveat to number 2. That doesn’t mean you don’t trust anyone else’s opinions or reviews; Just take them with a large pinch (fistful?) of salt.
- Take your time, and don’t be rushed into making a decision. The worst thing you can do, and I learnt by hard, is to buy something and regret it, and having to get rid of it at a loss.
- Above all, remember that YMMV — your mileage may vary. Maybe 3 different headphones suit your listening tastes better than just 1 do-it-all headphone?
Leave a note of what you think, or write about your own experiences in audioland as well!
