OMG - Sonus faber makes headphones !

amirm

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Pretty unusual design. I think in this day and age, every audio company is going after their peace of the headphone business.
 

dalethorn

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There have been some bad headphones released by otherwise highly respected audio companies on their first try. Martin Logan comes to mind, and a few others.
 

dalethorn

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Did they mean to use a belt for the headband. Cheers Orb

Some of them look like belts, but the special edition without the belt look will probably cost $1000 USD or more than that in Europe when the ruling Germans exact their pound of flesh.
 

Phelonious Ponk

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What Amir said. Audiophile, or the bigger ones that can afford to get into it, are jumping on the headphone wagon hard and heavy. They'd be foolish to ignore such a big market. For anything above a few hundred dollars, though, I think I'd stick with the more experienced headphone manufacturers. I've head a few of the new high-end phones, but nothing yet that matches Sennheisser's, AKG's or Beyer's less expensive products. Of course with their phones in the mid-$100s, you don't get the leather and the look. But the sound is all there.

Tim
 

dalethorn

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.... in the mid-$100s, you don't get the leather and the look. But the sound is all there.
Tim

Not necessarily. When a manufacturer (ex: Audioquest) invests in researching the various sources of distortions that really occur in reproducing sound through headphones, they may make a breakthrough that can be appreciated on a fine hi-fi system. It doesn't always happen that way, but sometimes it does, and it's a great wakeup call for those other stodgy mfrs. you mentioned.
 

Elberoth

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Phelonious Ponk

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Not necessarily. When a manufacturer (ex: Audioquest) invests in researching the various sources of distortions that really occur in reproducing sound through headphones, they may make a breakthrough that can be appreciated on a fine hi-fi system. It doesn't always happen that way, but sometimes it does, and it's a great wakeup call for those other stodgy mfrs. you mentioned.

It could happen, but I'll have to hear it first. Headphones are an odd challenge IMO; if they're dead accurate, they don't sound right because they have none of the room gain we are so accustomed to. Getting the phones technically right just doesn't finish the job; not for me, anyway. I've had dead-flat IEMs and didn't like them. So how the cans are colored is critical. And in that arena, I'll start with the stogy old manufacturers that have been manufacturing the industry benchmarks for decades. That doesn't mean I'm not listening, it just mean I haven't heard anything yet that tempts me to go astray. :)

Tim
 

dalethorn

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It could happen, but I'll have to hear it first. Headphones are an odd challenge IMO; if they're dead accurate, they don't sound right because they have none of the room gain we are so accustomed to. Getting the phones technically right just doesn't finish the job; not for me, anyway. I've had dead-flat IEMs and didn't like them. So how the cans are colored is critical. And in that arena, I'll start with the stogy old manufacturers that have been manufacturing the industry benchmarks for decades. That doesn't mean I'm not listening, it just mean I haven't heard anything yet that tempts me to go astray. Tim

The secret is in here, where they talk about that "dead flat" sensation as though something is missing. This is deep stuff, so be forewarned: http://www.stereophile.com/content/audience-clairaudient-22-loudspeaker
 

Phelonious Ponk

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Got it, thanks. But I'm confused. They're not talking about dead flat, they're talking about the elimination of crossover distortion and driver incoherency. They're still playing the speakers into a room. How do you see this related to headphones?

Tim
 

dalethorn

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Dec 9, 2012
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Got it, thanks. But I'm confused. They're not talking about dead flat, they're talking about the elimination of crossover distortion and driver incoherency. They're still playing the speakers into a room. How do you see this related to headphones? Tim

I guess I could have linked to AQ's promo material where they describe all of their advanced techniques and materials that they use to reduce or eliminate the many distortions that they do have. The point is that those distortions (if you accept the principle) are so ubiquitous in headphones that people are used to them, and if they're truly removed, the headphone may sound strange, as though something is missing. Several top headphone sites describe 'graininess', 'ringing', 'breakup', and numerous other properties of headphone response, so that users can get an idea of what those sound like. I can't say a lot about that, except that I've heard some of that in a few headphones. But I'm pretty sure if some manufacturer really is able to remove most of that, the headphone should sound different from the average, even the average flagship headphone. We're not real close on the AQ Nighthawk for example, because the top headphone sites aren't addressing those specific issues much, since they generally don't like the sound right out of the box.
 

dalethorn

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Dec 9, 2012
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I ordered the 'Carbon Marsala' edition with the carbon fiber earcups. Should be here by 2nd week of October.
 

dalethorn

Headphone user
Dec 9, 2012
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Neat. Do you hold on to these or do you sell them after review?

I'm hoping they're good enough to keep. If not they'll be offered as "like new" for about 2/3 of what I paid for them.
 

Lenas

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Oct 20, 2015
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I have them too, "Carbon Marsala" finsish. This is not just a fashion headphone, it is an awesome sounding one. To me even a little better than the Master & Dynamic MH40, wich I love too. But the Pryma sounds great with classical music as well, and this is something quite strange for a portable can...
 

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