It is all subjective. The key to watching a reviewer is to understand the variables, such as: what gear are they running, do they have a sound signature preference, what headphones do they use as a reference (i.e. DMS uses HD650), do they have any additional devices in their source chain instead of the basic Source > DAC > AMP (such as a USB to SPDIF converter, Equalizer, etc.)?
Understanding what that reviewers personal and technical baseline and frame of reference is, is the key to interpreting their review properly.
Can confirm the Clears on a âmismatchedâ amp. I have the Emotiva BassX and without the jumpers installed, it has an output impedance of 210 (Or something along those lines)⌠Running the Clears off that amp makes them super bass heavy. Running on a properly matched amp with low output impedance they sound very neutral.
You can see from the above image, the Clears have a huge impedance spike in the bass region. For this reason, running them on an amp with high output impedance alter the sound in that region.
I like zeos plenty, especially from an entertainment stand-point. I donât agree with him on a lot of things though. And he cranks out reviews like nobody else⌠that is bound to come at the cost of some consistency and reliability. Always entertaining, though.
Practically the one thing no reviewer can tell you is if YOU will like something. All these reviewers are really doing is exposing you to options and giving an opinion.
I would say so. But the gear they use isnât everything.
Metal571 doesnât necessarily use âhigh endâ gear for his reviews, but he has a good technical understanding and knowledge base.
Resolve has the same level of understanding, imo. And having access to high end gear is a plus in that he has a better reference point (similar to @M0N).
Itâs not whether the gear is high end or not, it really boils down to just knowing the basics of the gear and possible synergy. Just a quick example ofâŚMost would agree that the Liquid Spark Amp is warm compared to something like the THX 789âŚso knowing what amp they used when reviewing a headphone can be helpful in that regard.
The example given above by @giova05 exemplifies this as that amp completely changed how the Focal Clears actually sound in a normal use case scenario involving proper amplification.
I think it depends on how long of an amount of time you spent listening to that headphone. But I agree with you in that nobody can remember EXACTLY how something sounds, but you remember the things that stand out like soundstage, imaging, comfort, areas where there may be a peak/sensitivity, etc. Those are less subjective than something like frequency response.
