I just did back to back listening between the Tea, Sundara, and TYGR300R.
Sundara definitely outclasses the other two in just about everything, listening to the drum solo is incredible on them. While the Sundara doesnāt have a huge soundstage, itās wide enough to really visualize it and the imaging is great.
Teas and TYGR were about on par with each other for imaging with the Tea being the most closed in feeling.
Not that this helps much as you donāt have any of these and I donāt have any of the headphones you referenced on hand, but Iām guessing the 5xx is closer to the Sundara.
I simplified the comments a little, but more people use EQ or bassboost for the lows, and tips for ātame the highsā. whatever.
Keep the Mele and sell the Timeless
Youāre saying that about the hd600?..intimate soundstage yes but one of the best HPās of all time?..it really depends on what youāre looking forā¦ horses for courses same with sets Iām afraid
I agree, but I also think it comes down to the music you listen to. I donāt think the 6xx is great for EDM, Metal, most hip hop/rap, etc. Itās excellent for vocal focused music though.
Thatās something I would have to leave to someone else, as I havenāt heard them before.
DMS did compare them to the Sundara in his review, though he didnāt seem to touch on imaging comparison
Zeos did compare to the Sundaraā¦ And while I usually agree with him, I donāt totally agree with him on how the 5XX sounds
Thereās always going to be sets that outclass others at everything. This is exactly why I personally feel there is no one perfect set earphones/headphones.
Couldnāt agree more about the 6XX being one of the very best headphones for vocals, especially on tubes. I prefer it for vocals even vs my VOCAL Clear MG which is known to be great for vocals as well.
In addition, I donāt really like this comparing headphones to IEMs thing weāre starting. I probably started it attempting to explaining the Timelessā stage. My bad.
True, Headphones vs. IEMās was something I was very interested in when I first got into the hobby.
Thereās quite a few differences that are not comparable between the two, namely use case (One being limited to home use for the most part, the other much more versatile).
In terms of sound qualities, I think you can def compare the two though. For me personally, it goes Open back > IEM > Closed back. Thereās certain things each does better at and each individual headphone/IEM makes all the difference of course, but thatās my general preference.
Some wine sellers, in France, organize some wine degustation sessions. You pay, letās say, 80ā¬ for a session ,and you get to taste different wines, differents flavors and all, and youāre guided by a professional seller to help you recognize it.
These sellers make this service available because many people feel they lack the experience/knowledge to judge au good/bad wine.
I wish the same thing come to mind for a sound seller: you come in his store with some friedns and/or aother audiophiles, and the sellers makes you test/taste different flavors of sound. That would just be so great to educate people about sound, and would be a good way to advertise for the seller. I donāt know why it has never been done (to my knowledge at least).
Just so you know about stage and imaging. I think Iām part of the tribe that were very surprised by your feedback about these two.
As a planar headphone owner, I fell in love with its technicalities. I had really high hopes about the timeless, that it could be as good as my he400i on details, separation, stage and imaging. As I understand it, itās something that is shared by almost all planar headphones.
When you said imaging was on hd600 level, I must admit my initial interior reaction was kind of āno way, that canāt beā. And I think many reactions here are because of the hours and the surprise.
That being said, as Iām a civilised person, I refrained my feelings and tried to understand/listen more carefully. I must say I havenāt 5% of the experience you have. So whoās right? You or my feelings? You have to be right. I trust you, your experience, the time you spent on listening these iem and the effort you put in comparing it to other stuff.
So in an attempt to chill a little, I just wanted to say thank you for your detailed feedback. I really appreciate it. It makes me hesitate about getting the timeless because I value imaging. So my wallet thanks you even more!
Iām probably a slam bitch.