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Showing 1 of 47 reviews about:
Pakalini
26
Dec 14, 2019
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Jackula2 weeks already at $500 before your review.
Idk how could it be this hard to drive... Plain stupidity.
So you wouldn't recommend them using via quad dac LG v30/v40/v50 that has highest power output of all smartphones?
From your all other reviews I see you are the AMP guy, Oluv told us TOTL and his iphone should sound the same and proved that with wav samples on his channel several times.
(Edited)
Pakalini
26
Dec 14, 2019
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JackulaYour review is full of bullshit. Firstly no one can handle to listen 115db level. Secondly your ears are 20 years deaf. Thirdly you are the amp guy.
I'm 29 years old, can't listen to over 75db more than 3mins before physical pain. I have measured my highest avg that I listen music to it's ONLY 65db, for longer sessions 50db is fine. NOW DO THE MATH. So for you all guys that aren't deaf and still can hear bats flying around ignore Jackula review.
I realized that amp guys are all deaf😂😂😂
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Jackula
1743
Dec 14, 2019
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PakaliniI'm sorry you can't tolerate 75dB, sounds like you need to see an audiologist, that is not normal. But seriously why are you here? Seems like you're just a tool who wants to shit on anyone who has anything good to say about these pair of headphones, just look at all your posts in the past few weeks people will know what a tool you are.
115dB isn't the listening volume, it's a popular level of indication for headroom. I said at the very start of the review that is was done at my preferred volume, between 80dB and 85dB, learn to read.
Best of luck with life, you'll need it if you can't even tolerate 65dB for long periods, that's the average SPL of an air conditioner.
(Edited)
Jemma
22
Dec 14, 2019
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PakaliniNobody listens to music at 115dB true, but what Jackla is referring to is headroom from this article: http://nwavguy.blogspot.com/2011/09/more-power.html
Most headroom calculators uses 115dB or 120dB as reference volume.
All Hifiman headphones definitely need a lot of power to sound their best, the review makes sense since distortion always start from the base.
Pakalini
26
Dec 14, 2019
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JackulaLearn to read 65db avg is my comfort zone that I can listen long.
I just dont buy your "You need amp to drive this", looks like amp salesman.
I consider buying these since I love the design, but waiting for proper reviews, none yet, so maybe Oluv or DMS get it right, metal571 didn't re-review it yet either as he had only 0000 sample version reviewed.
(Edited)
Motorrad
2898
Dec 26, 2019
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PakaliniYou don't need a powerful amp to drive it, but it responds amazingly well like the he4xx and...well, most planar magnetic headphones. You sound frustrated by your own ignorance; this was a pretty fair and accurate review. If you really want to get your money's worth out of these headphones, get a good amp.
Also, Oluv is a fucking idiot.
(Edited)
ElectronicVices
2937
Dec 26, 2019
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PakaliniAs a V20 owner almost since release I can attest that it sucks with planar headphones. Very few planars trigger HO mode so you don't get two volts. 93db/1 volt is nowhere near the the same thing as 93db per milliwatt. The Arya is in a similar range and I have to max the volume on my V20 with highly dynamic material (14-17db dynamic range). An often overlooked aspect is current limitations and planars love their current. I have 6 pairs of planar headphones and they all are difficult loads for my V20. Those that apply serious EQ to their headphones will struggle even more due to the negative pre-amp gain they have to apply to avoid clipping out the gate. @Jackula and I don't always agree but he makes good points that you've completely discounted.
Pakalini
26
Dec 26, 2019
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ElectronicVicesBro if you can't even read headfi forums how to trigger HIGH GAIN MODE then I feel sorry for you. Your v20 is useless if not used in high gain for planars.
Buy 3.5mm 10cm cable, buy 75ohm adapter then plug cable, then plug adapter then unplug adapter, and only now as a last step plug in headphones into extension cable, gg, enjoy planars on your v20, v30, v40, v50 in high gain mode.
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ElectronicVices
2937
Dec 26, 2019
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PakaliniIt's apparent we're done here, I'm trying to open your mind as it's clear you could learn a thing or two. Tricking high gain via adapters or removing one side of the headphone cable is not something I need to do, nor should I have to do it. It's basically a friggin gain switch that should be toggled by UI in my opinion (I'm not going to load a custom OS so don't bother). I use a KANN Cube for travel/transportable use, the V20 is mostly with IEM's these days. Have fun making innacurate assumptions and reveling in your ignorance. I'm out...
(Edited)
Pakalini
26
Dec 26, 2019
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ElectronicVicesHahaha another miserable "audiophile", read v30 headfi forums to understand how it works, removing just headphone cable not going to work because headphones itself less than 50ohm for some planars, so you gotta use impedance adapter + extension cable.
(Edited)
ElectronicVices
2937
Dec 26, 2019
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PakaliniDamnit your ignorant behind pulled me back in. In the case of the Sine it works as it sits on the border of the trigger, I was doing this before the V30 came out. Impedance adapters also affect either the end wattage gain or output impedance neither being desirable for demanding low impedance, low-sensitivity loads.
If understanding the demands various headphone loads place on the source and buying something that can power all 30+ of my pairs (accumulated over 15 years in this hobb) makes me an audiophile then so be it... rather that than an idiot.
Pakalini
26
Dec 26, 2019
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ElectronicVicesSo you brought back your experience on the table, so common these days, too bad that bad experience doesn't count.
Oluv drive all shit via his iphone and notice <1% difference if at all compared to expensive amp/dac combos.
(Edited)
ElectronicVices
2937
Dec 26, 2019
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PakaliniOluv should try driving my HE6se on their iPhone and see how far it gets them. Going back to enjoying my music... hope you choose to read more on this subject or you will eventually make some really bad purchases.
Pakalini
26
Dec 27, 2019
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ElectronicVicesThere only few headphones like he6se😂😂😂
- Impedance 50 Ohms
- Sensitivity 83.5 dB SPL / 1 mW
(Edited)
Motorrad
2898
Dec 27, 2019
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PakaliniHey Loser, we all know how to put our V20's in high-gain mode, that doesn't mean it's going to make these cans sound a whole lot better. If you want to get the most out of these headphones, get a real amp, you idiot troll.
(Edited)
Motorrad
2898
Dec 27, 2019
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PakaliniI'm guessing you're not involved in higher education, correct?
Oluv is in the top five YouTube idiot reviewers of audio gear. I'm not surprised that you gravitate towards his 'expertise'.
(Edited)
ElectronicVices
2937
Jan 3, 2020
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Tom1972Have to step up to the HE6se or above before Hifiman includes a balanced cable. Even the Arya at $1600 only includes SE. They use 3.5mm connections at the cups now so very easy to source a replacement XLR. Venus Audio and Periapt make quality low cost cables if you are in the States.
Jackula
1743
Jan 23, 2020
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pslayer1It's a Sony Nex 5n, a mix of macro lens and Sigma 30mm/2.8.
Jakob
378
Mar 11, 2020
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JackulaI'm no audiophile expert but agree these need a dedicated amp.
I have the LGV30 and no way will it approach powering these enough to sound good.
These headphones need a good amount of power.
I listen to them on the middle gain setting at 2 o'clock on my Thx789 from Pc to Topping Dx7s.
I laughed when they made any portable claims, it's silly. They look freaky and are open on top of needing power.
Motorrad
2898
Mar 11, 2020
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Jakobexpect Pukalini to show up at any moment and tell you that you're dumb because you haven't put it in high power mode etc etc... it helps, but these definitely need a dedicated amp.
ElectronicVices
2937
Mar 11, 2020
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MotorradThe sweet irony of tricking that device is it could very well reduce the lifespan of the device. LG has released the V10,20,30,35,40,50 (may have been a + in there somewhere) and still hasn't made the output mode a user controlled option. This could indicate they are avoiding current draw in excess of what the amplification stage can handle. Speculation on my point but I can't come up with an alternative reasoning as to why it's not a user option like most gain switches.
Motorrad
2898
Mar 12, 2020
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ElectronicVicesI have wondered the same thing regarding the lack of a user controlled feature. I haven't broken the v20 yet. it's due for an upgrade anyway.
(Edited)
ElectronicVices
2937
Mar 12, 2020
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MotorradThe most concerning to me would be doing it via a software solution on a rooted phone. Any of the physical "tricks" tend to present a higher impedance than the HP alone so shouldn't overdraw the device. I've really only ever found planar headphones to be an issue on the V series (20 and now 50). There is the small possibility that LG, like many individuals, don't get that impedance alone is almost meaningless to volume level if sensitivity is not also taken into account. I would hope they were smarter than that but you never know.
Motorrad
2898
Mar 12, 2020
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ElectronicVicesI completely intend to root this v20 once I upgrade.
ElectronicVices
2937
Mar 12, 2020
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MotorradIf you aren't rocking planars at Max volume you will still probably be safe. I use a Cube if I need to power hard to drive cans in a portable situation.
Boss302
77
Mar 12, 2020
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JackulaI took your advice today as I was not as impressed with these off my thx 888, gustard h10 and driven from the amp in my AK Kann dap. they seemed to lack details of the sundara and the he4xx especially in the bass and high end. BUT I remembered reading your review. After I hooked them up to my bas-x a100 which outputs 25 watts per channel into 16 ohms (I'd guess at least 20 wpc into 20 ohms), these really opened up and the clarity and bass and everything seemed much better. So I'd agree with you they like power, If fed a proper amount they become an entirely different headphone. Overall now I am very pleased with these. Thanks for taking the time to do this review, it really helped me to enjoy these a lot more!
(Edited)
Cavva
19
Jun 3, 2020
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JackulaHi, I found the review extremely helpful, but I'm wondering if you'd be kind enough to help me a little further. I'm a total newbie who's been using a pair of Hifiman 4XX for years with just a FiioE10k DAC. However, while I loved the pair, it never seemed to flash out the vocals enough for my liking. This is when I came by a pair of old Hifiman EditionXX from a friend.
I thought this would be an amazing upgrade, but I ended up not enjoying its sound all that much, and my problem is uncannily exactly as you described…
The "figure 8" soundstage combined with heavy bass and suffocated midrange meant that the vocals felt very unnatural and faint, drowning in the instrumentals.
Cheesy as it sounds, my ideal headphone experience (which 4XX is very close to providing me so far) is this sense of being transported into the world of the studio and seeing/hearing the musician sitting right in front, singing to me-- and this fancy was completely lost when I used the EditionXX.
When I found your review I was excited to hear that most of these issues would be much improved if the headphones are properly powered, and that (getting rid of) my little E10k is the key to utilising these big-boi headphones.
All that is really just to ask: would you be able to recommend some (budget!!) Amp/DAC combo or stack options that would specifically be able to drive the Edition XX well? (I really need to emphasise the budget part because being an Australian means that, esp with the current exchange rates, even the most "value" audio gear for US still ends up going up a whole notch price-wise when purchased down under…)
Would really appreciate the help!
(Edited)
ElectronicVices
2937
Jun 3, 2020
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CavvaBurson is an Aussie brand that makes good gear, take a look at their offerings.
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Beware, this review is long as I try to cover everything. My search for the perfect reference has come to an end and the Edition XX isn't it, I have concluded that nothing will match my flagship reference loudspeakers. Instead, my attention is now turned to finding a bit of variety and color, which is why I purchased the Edition XX, as by some accounts it is warmer than neutral and will satisfy my Hifiman cravings before I start my search for the perfect colored headphone. About Me These days I rarely look at sub-$1000 anything, I don’t go out of my way to audition headphones that aren’t a flagship, or sub-flagship. I have listened to a lot of headphones over the years and the only type of sound I gravitate towards is the Hifiman house sound, as they go really well with the genres of music I listen to, which is a bit of everything, but mainly in the order of:
- Jazz
- Rock
- Folk
- Classical
- Electronic
- Alternative
I have a large head like Tom Welling but without the chiselled jawline. And my preferred listening volume ranges between 80dB and 85dB. Product Overview First of all, these headphones are only marketed as “easy-to-drive” so they can sell more units. The Edition XX have a low impedance of 20 ohms which makes them seem easy to drive, but impedance is only half the story. Their sensitivity is 93dB on the voltage scale (as opposed to efficiency), which is how Hifiman rates all their headphones. Doing the math, you would end up with approx. 8W required to drive these headphones to 115dB peak, as opposed to say the Hifiman Edition X V2 which only needs 634mW to reach the same volume at 1khz. Sure, you can get away with powering these out of your mobile due to their low impedance and get good levels of volume, but you won’t be able to drive them with good control.For this review, I will focus on SE 3.5W output since it’s likely more realistic to the target Massdrop audience, however, I will summarize differences at full power 15W balanced. (Technically it’s 4.5W in class A + 10.5W in class AB, the AB uses a diamond cross output design that removes distortion to sound like class A, I haven’t been able to tell the difference in listening tests). A lot of people have reported this headphone as warm and grainy, I can confirm this however it is not overly done and still much more neutral than the Audeze LCD-2C. The midrange sounds natural with a heavy bass that bleeds into the midrange making it sound warmer than it is. This is quite obvious on the track "You and Your Friend" - Dire Straits where the bass is a jumbled mess.
Treble Treble is light and expressive, with plenty of air. No complaints here, it's a fine presentation. Doesn’t seem to change much between 3.5W and 15W. Midrange The midrange of this headphone sounds slightly suffocating, it’s the reason why I absolutely hate the Hifiman He400i, although it’s certainly not as bad. This type of midrange suffocation does not exist on the Edition X, He1000 V2 nor my trusty HD6XX. With proper amplification, the suffocation is lifted completely and I’m able to thoroughly enjoy the midrange presentation. I can’t call the midrange completely accurate, on track "The Raven" - Rebecca Pidgeon, Pidgeon’s voice comes through quite clearly with all the necessary nuances however the headphone’s ability accentuate low-level noise makes the grains in her voice uneven and huskier than it should sound. With instrumentals, it is an absolute joy, such as in "Sokkaki" - Stavros Lantsias the piano grain is accurate with flawless decay of each instrument in the piece. Bass This headphone is bass-heavy, no question about it, even after an initial burn-in period the bass eased off only so slightly. While brilliantly extended, with a great slam for a headphone, the bass is hard and lingers around for longer than it should. On the track "Pacific Rim" - Ramin Djawadi, all the excitement is lost starting around 45s due to the slow and gooey bass. With 15W of power, sudden complete control is gained on the bass lines, with a brilliant portrayal of deep drum and bass guitar textures. It is fast and articulate; the excitement is back with Pacific Rim! Although some impact is lost, it is now tonally accurate across the frequency spectrum. Dynamics Macrodynamics is there but lacks control in the bass (see the Bass section for further details on this). Microdynamics isn’t up to scratch compared to dynamic headphones like the Sennheiser HD6XX, as it lacks the speed and sharpness on the leading edge of acoustic guitars. Listening to the album "Gravity" - Jesse Cook, there is a certain flare missing and makes me wanting more. However, some people may prefer this, as it makes the headphone sound more laidback. Soundstage and Imaging If I could describe the Sennheiser HD6XX like a globe inside your head, the soundstage on the Edition XX is like a figure 8 outside your head. The soundstage is expansive to the left and right side of your head, however as the sound moves towards the centre, the soundstage flattens. On the track "Show Biz Kids" - Rickie Lee Jones, it was difficult to separate the male and female voices during passages when they were stacked on top of each other in the centre image. In addition, akin to my past experiences with planars in general, headphones or speakers, the centre voice is never as pinpoint as dynamic headphones. It’s a wishy-washy centerstage overall. With 15W of power, the depth of the centre image is much improved, and with it the ability to hear the different depth of instruments and voices in the centerstage. Voices are still blurry which is not a fault of the headphone, just the inherent weakness of traditional planar diaphragms. Conclusion Initially, I thought this headphone was difficult to recommend at the $600 price point, as there are quite a few headphones I would consider better more coherent sounding at lower price points, such as the Sennheiser HD6XX, Beyerdynamic DT1770 (perhaps the rebranded DT177x), and the Focal Elex isn’t so far away. However powering these on 15W changed my opinion of them completely, they are categorically better with more power and well worth the $600 asking price. I would place them just shy of the HEX V2 $1,299 MSRP, the reason being the HEX V2 is much easier to drive and is just a tad more open.