Headphones

17 readers

1 users here now

A community for discussion around all topics related to headphones and personal audio.

founded 1 year ago

MODERATORS

communick@hi-fi.community

Finally hearing QUALITY bass + amps make a difference (alien.top)

submitted 1 year ago by OkRazzmatazz7121@alien.top to c/headphones@hi-fi.community

15 comments fedilink hide all child comments

I've always liked bass-tilted headphones, the Denon AH-D5200 being my favourite pair.

But only in the last few days have I heard great QUALITY bass. I shifted from Spotify to Qobuz, and upgraded from the Topping DX3 Pro to the Topping A30 Pro.

The dynamic swings are so much more dramatic, and the bass is so much more textured. It's not just a wall of bass anymore, like it has a sense of space now.

While the change in streaming service has no doubt played a part in this, I am now firmly in the camp of "different amps/dacs make a difference". It must have something to do with voltage swings. And don't tell me the volume isn't matched, because it is, I measured it with a mic.

top 15 comments

sorted by: hot top controversial new old

[–] CranberrySchnapps@alien.top 1 points 1 year ago (1 children)

I’m curious of the difference between the dx3 pro and a30 pro… most of Topping’s lineup are so close in performance the listings show differences of something like 0.0001% vs 0.00008% THD. I mean, I love my dx5 in DAC mode, but it wasn’t a huge difference moving to that from the dx7 pro.

So, I’m inclined to think you’re hearing the difference between Spotify’s lossy 320kbps and Qobuz’s lossless up to 24/192 tracks. Might be interesting to do some testing while/if your Spotify account is still active.

Glad you’re enjoying the music! :)

[–] OkRazzmatazz7121@alien.top 1 points 1 year ago (3 children)

Need to try this a bit more before concluding, but yeah there's a tangible difference. But even when Qobuz is playing 44.1kHz it still sounds better on the same track than Spotify which is interesting

[–] Zapador@alien.top 1 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Have someone help you do a blind test. I'll almost guarantee you that you won't be able to tell any difference between Spotify and Qobuz. The placebo effect is very real.

Anything past 44.1 KHz is completely pointless, not a single person on the planet can tell the difference between 44.1 and 96 KHz.

Some can tell the difference between Spotify 320 Kbps Ogg Vorbis and lossless but that's very few people and only trained listeners. The differences are extremely subtle.

So yeah blind test before you make any conclusions here. I think you might be surprised.

[–] AdonaelWintersmith@alien.top 1 points 1 year ago (1 children)

You couldn't be more verifiably wrong. I can very easily tell the difference between 320 & lossless, I'd say it's more than subtle it's quite obvious, much more clarity and depth and fine detail. My entire collection was ripped to MP3, and replacing it with FLAC over time the difference is clear to hear in every single song back to back. I'm not a trained listener, I'm just an audiophile who likes sound quality and even back on my 598's I could tell the difference, it's just even more pronounced on higher end cans like my Sundaras now, and certainly anything above them like my coming upgrade.

[–] zetiano@alien.top 1 points 1 year ago

http://abx.digitalfeed.net/

If you really want to prove it, you can post your results for this ABX test

[–] EhOsGuri69@alien.top 1 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Sorry dude, but HiFi audio is a scam. I believe you can hear a difference, but that very difference is not there for the reason you think it is. Trust me. There are so many variables as to why you can hear a difference... Different masters on different platforms, volume normalization, etc. Unless you're a freaking dolphin, you won't hear anything beyond 16-bit 44.1kHz. That being said, doesn't matter of type of file it is, if it's not low quality, usually it's going to be played in 16-bit 44.1kHz. There's no difference between lossy and lossless and between Spotify and any high quality streaming services.

At the end of the day, you're comparing two different stimuli with countless variables. The only way to do this is: Rip a 320kbps and a lossless file using a good CODEC and isolate all variables, then, perform a blind ABX test (and ask for someone else too). I bet you my life that you won't be able to tell the difference between a 320kbps source and lossless. Hell, you even have DAC's that read DSD differently and turn it into PCM after making it DSD again, all of this can affect the perceived sound. All these differences that you claim are easily attributed to placebo and other variables, especially when it comes from a headphone that's so easy to drive. That DAC "upgrade" didn't change a thing.

[–] solid12345@alien.top 1 points 1 year ago

I went back to CDs for critical listening because Spotify and Qobuz is mostly using garbage loudness-war era masters. That makes more of a difference to me than codec compression.

[–] Oster-P@alien.top 1 points 1 year ago (1 children)

I was using Tidal for ages, then tried Qobuz, and even on the same tracks, Qobuz sounded so much clearer. I don't know why, but I couldn't go back after hearing it.

[–] OkRazzmatazz7121@alien.top 1 points 1 year ago (1 children)

There is no denying that different streaming services sound different too

[–] Oster-P@alien.top 1 points 1 year ago

I was kicking myself for paying nearly double for Tidal for so long. The only thing I miss is the Tidal Rising Artists playlist, found a lot of new music I liked through that.

[–] neliste@alien.top 1 points 1 year ago (2 children)

If your spotify have normalization on, that could be the main culprit since it greatly reduces dynamic range. Because of the way spotify implemented it.

[–] meato1@alien.top 1 points 1 year ago

It doesn't affect dynamic range on the normal and quiet normalization settings.

[–] Logan_Holmes@alien.top 1 points 1 year ago

Different masters on different platforms is likely the culprit. Listen to “Let’s Groove” by Earth Wind and Fire on YouTube Music/Spotify and then on Tidal. The Tidal master has more bass

[–] Antiwhippy@alien.top 1 points 1 year ago (1 children)

I always find it funny that it is well accepted in speakers and car audio that dynamic subs need proper power matching but it's always rejected as a concept in headphones lol

[–] eckru@alien.top 1 points 1 year ago

How exactly do you "power match" a headphone that takes literal miliwatts to reach 110dB SPL?