2. misc-audio
  3. 1131647556

This sucks

I just liquidated my old system [http://forum.audiogon.com/cgi-bin/fr.pl?vstrt&1125889203&view] and replaced it with the follwing: Marantz SA8260 (on Mapleshade Surefoot), to Purist Audio Maximus ICs, to Cary 300SEI (on Mapleshade Heavyfoot with PS Audio Lab I PC and Sophia 300b) to Blue Dragon headphone cable to Senn HD650. There is NO bottom end and the whole soundstage sounds smeared and just overall horrible. What the hell was I thinking?? Is there a link in my current chain that might be causing this?? Is this the best I can expect from my headphone system?
pawlowski6132
herman
2,215 posts
 
You are comparing apples with oranges. There is no soundstage with headphones, there is nothing in front of you, it is all between your ears. There is no real bass with headphones. Real bass is felt as well as heard, and you can't get the feeling part from phones.

They are what they are. They serve a purpose but they can't replace speakers.

Besides, I can't relax at home when I'm listeming to headphones as I always have this paranoid feeling that someone is sneaking up behind me and I can't hear them. I like them for air travel though.
onhwy61's avatar
onhwy61
5,141 posts
 
I agree with you, "What the hell were your thinking?" It's not surprising that you're not happy now since you were never able to clearly articulate why and for what purpose you wanted to change your system. Changing things just to change will get you nowhere faster than the rest of us.

Herman is partially right, headphones do not soundstage like speakers, but they can have deep bass. In fact, headphones are capable of far better bass reproduction than speakers because they are not effected by room modes.
jeffreyds
115 posts
 
What were you thinking, indeed.

Seriously, as the other posters have asked, what were/are you trying to accomplish with your new system? It seems a fairly radical departure from the system you had.

You might try KR 300BXLS tubes to replace the Sophia's. In my experience, the KR's have more weight and bass than the Sophias.

By the way, I'll bet the Cary SLM-100's made a great combo with the VR4jr's.
bgrazman
226 posts
 
Like phones? STAX STAX STAX
seasoned's avatar
seasoned
181 posts
 
Pawlowski6132: I hope you were not EXPECTING headphones to deliver good bass and soundstaging like a quality loudspeaker can...no? Headphones can be great, especially with things like detail. But, they can't move room air for good bass and don't project a soundstage like speakers. The presentation of the two transducers is completely different.
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