JSTN

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Sat, 04 Feb 2012 21:04:00 -0500

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Sat, 04 Feb 2012 12:50:00 -0500

Headphone update: I’m fully committed to those Denons, I...

Fri, 03 Feb 2012 20:01:00 -0500

Headphone update:

I’m fully committed to those Denons, I love them and I’m more convinced than ever they’re the best sealed headphones under $500 (to my ears, at least). I even made the relationship official by throwing the box away.

However, after reading all your “favorite headphone” answers I noticed a couple names kept coming up and I couldn’t resist trying just two more pairs.

Beats Pro by Dr. Dre
These have gotten incredibly popular over the last couple years. I’ve always written them off because it seemed like a marketing gimmick (which it is—a brilliant one) but I wanted to be absolutely sure they weren’t secretly amazing.

By the way, all you kids telling me I should try them, do you realize how old you’ve made me feel? I’m surprised you even know who Dr. Dre is; judging by your profiles none of you were even alive when The Chronic came out.

Anyway, the “Pro” model actually wasn’t bad. As you’d expect, they’re heavily tilted towards the low end and sound best for beat-heavy music. For quieter stuff and almost anything not-electronic they’re just okay, if there’s any definition in the mids or highs it’s being drowned in bass. Of the ones I tried a couple days ago they were closest in experience to the Sony MDR-Z1000, but without the crystal detail. If you only listen to hip hop you’ll probably love them. Lots of punch. Ridiculously good build quality.

Sennheiser HD 650
Oh my god. These are the best headphones I’ve ever heard. I don’t know how else to say it. Everything sounds amazing. Essentially perfect. The only problem is that they’re open-backed, so they’re basically speakers strapped to your head and everyone around you will hate you. Zero sealing. When I fired them up here in the office earlier I got icy glares from all the way across the room.

I never listen to headphones at home so if I can’t use them at work I can’t use them all, which is a goddamned tragedy. I can’t imagine headphones sounding much better. If you’re in the market and you’ll be using them somewhere where you won’t bother anyone (or just don’t care) these are definitely the ones to get. The build quality wasn’t quite as amazing as the Beats, but it couldn’t be a more different set of headphones.

Even my beloved Denons, which sound downright airy compared to other sealed-backs, seemed like slogging through mud after trying the Sennheisers for a while.

Conclusions
Headphones are extremely subjective, if you’re spending more than $100 I highly recommend trying several pairs before you decide on one (by the way, if you’re in New York, J&R has an excellent selection and unusually lenient return policy.) Also, just because one brand has an amazing model doesn’t mean their other models are necessarily any good. I’ve yawned at other Sennheisers in the past, but the 650 is out of this world.

If you’re spending less than $100: Sony MDR-V6, hands down. They sound three times as expensive and the design has gone unchanged for almost 30 years. Classic, excellent headphones.

Closed back: Denon AH-D2000 or B&W P5, depending on your preference. The Denons sound more like standing in a room with great speakers, the B&Ws sound a lot “closer” with a slightly flatter response. Both excellent.

Open back: Sennheiser HD 650. They’ll change your perception of what’s possible with headphones (and sound reproduction in general). I still have yet to hear the high end Grados, but it’s hard to imagine they’d be much better than this. From here on up it’s diminishing returns.

Thomas Bangalter - Club Soda

Fri, 03 Feb 2012 12:33:00 -0500

Thomas Bangalter - Club Soda

noahkalina: Olga Bell - Buddy Holly (Weezer Cover)Sound/Video...

Thu, 02 Feb 2012 14:01:59 -0500

noahkalina:

Olga Bell - Buddy Holly (Weezer Cover)
Sound/Video recorded live in my studio.
20120106.

This weirded me out at first but now I love it.

lammer: Longform for the iPad is now available. Recommended....

Thu, 02 Feb 2012 12:18:27 -0500

lammer:

Longform for the iPad is now available.

Recommended. Great creation, simple design, winning combo.

Photo

Thu, 02 Feb 2012 11:30:20 -0500

Overall winner: Denon AH-D2000 They’re all really...

Thu, 02 Feb 2012 01:17:00 -0500

Overall winner: Denon AH-D2000

They’re all really interesting headphones in their own way, but for my money these are the ones to get if you like to go swimming in your music. The B&W P5 was a close second, and I bet if you don’t like one you’ll like the other.

I limited my contenders to closed-back designs because I work in a relatively quiet office, but some day I’d love to try the open-back Grados and Sennheisers of legend.

Here are some quick notes, I listened to a variety of songs of the type I sometimes post here and knocked them out one by one:

1) DENON AH-D2000
• the ones i’m listening to right now
• smoothest, creamiest, airiest of the five
• mellow but still very clear with tight bass
• expansive and atmospheric sound
• only wish the fit was a little more snug
• awesome rope cable

2) BOWER & WILKINS P5
• very intimate as opposed to expansive, much different vs denon
• punchier sound, not quite as mellow, slightly more exciting
• excellent low end, although maybe a little muddy
• the most comfortable of all, nice snug fit

3) SONY MDR-V6
• my previous favorite, and still the best in its price range
• extreeeeeeeeeeeeemely mellow
• warm dreamy sound, but at the expense of detail/accuracy
• everyone should own a pair once in their life

4) SONY MDR-Z1000
• the most detailed of the five
• very punchy sound and thick bass, almost aggressive
• too cold for my taste, wore my ears down the fastest
• pinched my glasses in a weird way

5) BOSE QUIET COMFORT 2
• very flat, actually too flat for me
• slightly warm sound if anything
• reasonably detailed
• noise canceling works as advertised

Photo

Wed, 01 Feb 2012 23:28:48 -0500

Your favorite headphones?

Wed, 01 Feb 2012 21:49:55 -0500

Five go in, four go back to the store tomorrow. Reigning...

Wed, 01 Feb 2012 20:42:08 -0500

Five go in, four go back to the store tomorrow.

Reigning champion: Sony MDR-V6.

Contenders: Denon AH-D2000, Bose QC 2, B&W P5, Sony MDR-Z1000.

There can be only one.

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Tue, 31 Jan 2012 21:33:37 -0500

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Tue, 31 Jan 2012 15:44:07 -0500

The Euro Crisis (With Subtitles Added) Despite intense media...

Mon, 30 Jan 2012 13:22:38 -0500

The Euro Crisis (With Subtitles Added)

Despite intense media coverage, the current financial crisis in Europe remains at least somewhat inscrutable to most of us. And with good reason. It resides in a bewildering fog of obscure finance, hazy economics and fuzzy politics.

What follows is an attempt to clear some of the mist and answer the core question posed by the crisis: Can the EU survive intact and prosper under its present structure?

The symptoms of the crisis are fairly obvious and present themselves almost daily. Shaky banks in Spain or Italy. Riots in Greece. Nervous huddles of big-time politicians. Tremors in financial markets around the world. But the underlying disease is much more ethereal and abstract.

Wherein my dad explains the euro crisis.

brianjacobs: Brand new Chrome Canyon EP “BODY MUSIC” out today....

Mon, 30 Jan 2012 10:59:53 -0500

brianjacobs:

Brand new Chrome Canyon EP “BODY MUSIC” out today. :) :) :) :) :)

Real Steel: cool user interfaces, cool robots, terrible movie,...

Sun, 29 Jan 2012 21:48:28 -0500

Real Steel: cool user interfaces, cool robots, terrible movie, Dr. Pepper.

The blog of Donald Pettit, currently aboard the ISS: You notice...

Sat, 28 Jan 2012 17:22:00 -0500

The blog of Donald Pettit, currently aboard the ISS:

You notice patterns: clouds over cold oceans look different than clouds over warm oceans. Sometimes the continents are all cloud-covered, so you have no recognizable landmass to help you gauge where you are. If you see a crisscross of jet contrails glistening in the sun above the clouds, you know you are over the United States.
Lightning storms flash like gigantic fireflies looking for mates half a continent away. You see patterns on the ocean surface, swirls and vortices on large scales, wave diffraction patterns around capes, solitary waves forming long lines out in the middle of nowhere, and rivers that look like they are spilling milk chocolate into turquoise oceans.

The radar in Upton has been acting up lately.

Fri, 27 Jan 2012 10:47:05 -0500

The radar in Upton has been acting up lately.

I prefer Artist - Title

Thu, 26 Jan 2012 15:40:52 -0500

• less specific - more specific
• alphabetical sort naturally groups by artist
• songs sometimes don’t have titles but always have artists

Artist - Title or Title - Artist ?

Thu, 26 Jan 2012 13:14:33 -0500

Artist - Title

Title - Artist