Is there any particular benefit to having more cores in a headphone wire? For instance, 8 core vs 16 core.
I might change what I get amp wise while waiting to be refunded. I am torn between either the Loxjie P20, Liquid Spark, or Jds Labs Atom. If I were to get the Loxjie P20, I would get a balanced cable to use with it. Keep in mind, I will be getting the topping d10 as my dac, so my setup will not be fully balanced with the Loxjie P20. Iāve heard that planars generally donāt take well to tube amps. Would this be a problem for the Blon B20 with the Loxjie P20 as a hybrid? Also, if a headphone doesnāt take well to tubes, and you take another headphone with the same driver, will it always have the same problem? Is it a driver specific problem, or is there more to it? I would also like to know what the distinctive sound differences between the 3 are, if you are able to give that input.
So personally I think the atom would be my choice for the amp, as I think it would yield the most impressive sound. The topping d10 is pretty great so no problems there. I think going balanced at this price range isnāt a good idea for cost per dollar range. The p20 is a hybrid so there isnāt an issue with tubes (as it uses tubes on an input stage and solid state on the output so it can drive planars). So for the comparisons between the amps, the liquid spark is a warmer, tad wider and smoothed out sound thatās pretty enjoyable. The atom is the most resolving and transparent in this list imo. The p20 is going to also be warmer but slightly different in a bit slower sounding (but I wouldnāt recommend it if you arenāt running it balanced)
Are there any particular advantages and disadvantages to having a wire for each yoke vs only one yoke on a pair of headphones?
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It depends on the headphones but typically no at least regarding sound. It does make the headphones more durable imo as there is not a small relatively unreplaceable wire running through the headband, so it can be replaced easier if one side dies
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One obvious one I can think of (depending on impedence and sensetiviity) is that having a wire on one can lead to pretty cool wireless headphones with a small cable and Bluetooth receiver
Longest post I have ever read all the way through.
Very well written and reasonable questions. Your post and Monās response is just about sticky worthy.
It will be interesting to watch your progress. I will jump in if I have anything to offer.
It is a fun, if expensive, journey to find out what you like.
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I just got them in my hands today. At first, the mail key was lost because of my mom, but I happened to find it and be able to actually open the mail box to receive them. I inspected them and there is one very little tear/scratch on the outside of one of the pads, but Iām not too concerned with it. I havenāt actually listened to anything with them yet, and I am still waiting to be refunded from ebay so I can get an amp, and I wonāt get my dac until around the end of the month. These definitely donāt block any outside noise. As for the fit, the clamp force doesnāt feel quite strong enough for me, and I do feel the weight a little bit after just putting it on. I donāt know how my head shape would compare to others, but Iām guessing I have a bit of a smaller head. I hope that if the weight bothers me, I can grow use to it over time. Iāll report back in with more later.
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What do you think of the sound so far?
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Still havenāt quite gotten there yet. If I stand up and look down at the ground, the headhones will being to slide off my head. I think they fit ok when Iām walking around.
I would like to know what the different lengths of wires you can get are meant for, use wise.
Also, they did happen to come packaged in a case, so thatās nice to have.
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So like a 10 foot cable is good if you have to be further away from your dac/amp setup, common for studio headphones (coiled cables are popular here too), a 8-6 foot cable is good for a desk setup, and around 6-5 foot or less are good for portable if thatās what you are asking about
Thanks, that does answer my question.
I find it funny how my neighbor is having a party right now with some loud music projecting out of speakers Iām guessing.
Also for connector types, 1/4 inch unbalanced and 4 pin xlr balanced (along with less common types) are more common for home or stationary use, where stuff like 3.5mm unbalanced, 2.5mm balanced are more for portable usage. 4.4mm balanced is also becoming popular in both home and portable uses
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I would like to point out that my brother has an Audio Technica ATH-M50X, AKG K7XX, and a Sennheiser RS 185 RF, which I may use to try and compare sound between them, as to give a better idea of the sound. Are there any out of those 3 that you think would be the best for comparing?
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Hmmm. I think the 7xx is the best headphone there (although I am not fond of it), and itās open so it would be something good to compare
Not going to talk about sound yet, but as far as my laptop goes, I would say it doesnāt quite get them loud enough while my Iphone 6s gets it loud enough around 90% volume. One part that is bothering me is the connectors. It doesnāt seem like it takes much force to disconnect them from the headphones cutting out the sound. Wish they would have a stronger fit to the yokes.
I did put quite a bit of force into plugging them in, so I imagine there in all the way.