Article: Part 1: Headphone Impressions from A recent “Audiophile Trip” to India

[Sajid Amit]

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[The Computer Audiophile]

Welcome to AS @Sajid Amit! I love these types of articles. If you would've included a little tea tasting, it would've made my day. I'm a tea snob :~)

 

Anyway, nice to read about the Sennheiser IE900. I'm thinking about getting a pair to replace some custom IEMs. 

[davide256]

Nice to read your review, very helpful. It does seem to be real, that everyone's hearing is different whether natively or due to "ear training"

over time. I found this podcast informative, actual documentation that everyone's brain processes sound differently.

 

From silence to cacophony, here's how your brain makes sense of the world

 

Have always enjoyed the Audeze sound because the instruments sound more harmonically correct (to me).

But the sheer weight of their better headphones  is reason to pause and consider purchasing their IEM's instead

 

[Sajid Amit]

20 hours ago, The Computer Audiophile said:

Welcome to AS @Sajid Amit! I love these types of articles. If you would've included a little tea tasting, it would've made my day. I'm a tea snob :~)

 

Anyway, nice to read about the Sennheiser IE900. I'm thinking about getting a pair to replace some custom IEMs. 

Thank you, Sir. Yes, the IE900 was quite enjoyable. It reminded me how I am a closet Sennheiser fan-boy, lol. The bass was rather memorable. 

[Sajid Amit]

19 hours ago, davide256 said:

Nice to read your review, very helpful. It does seem to be real, that everyone's hearing is different whether natively or due to "ear training"

over time. I found this podcast informative, actual documentation that everyone's brain processes sound differently.

 

From silence to cacophony, here's how your brain makes sense of the world

 

Have always enjoyed the Audeze sound because the instruments sound more harmonically correct (to me).

But the sheer weight of their better headphones  is reason to pause and consider purchasing their IEM's instead

 

True. We do hear so differently. Countless studies on this. I have lots of friends who love the Audeze sound. I am waiting on my LCD5. Hope to drop a review of that as well. 

[feelingears]

Thank you, Sajid, for the international perspective! Out of curiosity, do you have any well recorded and well performed Indian artists you'd recommend? I'm curious about anything from complex classical music to modern mash-ups or modern "alternative" (for the Indian audience). I suppose I get some of this from British artists but I just thought I'd ask because perhaps you have particular tracks or artists or performances you like for evaluating cans/speakers?

[The Computer Audiophile]

9 minutes ago, feelingears said:

Thank you, Sajid, for the international perspective! Out of curiosity, do you have any well recorded and well performed Indian artists you'd recommend? I'm curious about anything from complex classical music to modern mash-ups or modern "alternative" (for the Indian audience). I suppose I get some of this from British artists but I just thought I'd ask because perhaps you have particular tracks or artists or performances you like for evaluating cans/speakers?

I bet @Nikhil has some recommendations. 

[austinpop]

Great review, @Sajid Amit. Welcome to Audiophile Style, and hope to see more!

[davide256]

On 11/5/2021 at 6:24 AM, Sajid Amit said:

True. We do hear so differently. Countless studies on this. I have lots of friends who love the Audeze sound. I am waiting on my LCD5. Hope to drop a review of that as well. 

Tried them at CAF, quite a bit lighter ~400 gms. Source was just an IPad so couldn’t really assess if they were worth the cost

[Nikhil]

2 hours ago, The Computer Audiophile said:

I bet @Nikhil has some recommendations. 

 

It's late here but here are some ...

 

Pentagram

Blackstratblues

Soulmate

Parikrama

 

Will add more as they come to mind. 

[Rae]

I've been enjoying my IE 900 since June, and it's been like mind blowing experience. Coming from full size HD 800, HD 820, and IEMs like IE 800 and IE 800 S, and now IE 900. IE 900 are undoubtedly the best IEM I have ever owned. I am using them with HDV 820 with balanced 4.4mm. So pure and natural sound. But Sennheiser really need to learn how to make a good case for IEMs like 800 or 900. Their cases on all premium IEMs are horrible. Case for IE 800/800S not that bad, but IE900 looks so cheap and worst. Best IEM in the world came with the worst case, imo.  Anyways, I just lay them on my desk straight without bending cables at all as I use them everyday. 

[Sajid Amit]

10 hours ago, feelingears said:

Thank you, Sajid, for the international perspective! Out of curiosity, do you have any well recorded and well performed Indian artists you'd recommend? I'm curious about anything from complex classical music to modern mash-ups or modern "alternative" (for the Indian audience). I suppose I get some of this from British artists but I just thought I'd ask because perhaps you have particular tracks or artists or performances you like for evaluating cans/speakers?

Hey man, afraid don't listen to too many Indian artists. I ought to. 

 

When I was in graduate school at Columbia, I went to a concert of this Indian band called Indian Ocean. Not sure if they still exist. 

 

My wife likes Indian music more than I, lol.

 

I grew up mostly in the US, so my test tracks are pretty standard, from rock and pop to indie, jazz, metal, etc. I was a metal head growing up but now listen to everything really, given how different headphones play well with different genres. 

[Sajid Amit]

5 hours ago, Rae said:

I've been enjoying my IE 900 since June, and it's been like mind blowing experience. Coming from full size HD 800, HD 820, and IEMs like IE 800 and IE 800 S, and now IE 900. IE 900 are undoubtedly the best IEM I have ever owned. I am using them with HDV 820 with balanced 4.4mm. So pure and natural sound. But Sennheiser really need to learn how to make a good case for IEMs like 800 or 900. Their cases on all premium IEMs are horrible. Case for IE 800/800S not that bad, but IE900 looks so cheap and worst. Best IEM in the world came with the worst case, imo.  Anyways, I just lay them on my desk straight without bending cables at all as I use them everyday. 

Indeed. And I am not the biggest fan of their cable. But yeah, the IE900 is a wonderful performer. In general, I notice that my favorite headphones and earphones don't necessarily adhere to the Harman tuning, which is not a fault of the tuning, but technical performance becomes so important for long-term enjoyment. The IE900 punches above its weight class when it comes to technical performance, and punches rather hard. I also like it's V-shaped tuning a lot. A very well-executed V, if you ask me. 

[Sajid Amit]

8 hours ago, Nikhil said:

 

It's late here but here are some ...

 

Pentagram

Blackstratblues

Soulmate

Parikrama

 

Will add more as they come to mind. 

Checking them out!

[Sajid Amit]

9 hours ago, austinpop said:

Great review, @Sajid Amit. Welcome to Audiophile Style, and hope to see more!

Thank you. :)

[jcbenten]

16 hours ago, Nikhil said:

 

It's late here but here are some ...

 

Pentagram

Blackstratblues

Soulmate

Parikrama

 

Will add more as they come to mind. 

 

Elephant Stone

[honeymustardsteve]

that looks like a kpmg profile photo :)

[feelingears]

On 11/6/2021 at 9:24 PM, Sajid Amit said:

My wife likes Indian music more than I, lol.

 

I grew up mostly in the US, so my test tracks are pretty standard, from rock and pop to indie, jazz, metal, etc. I was a metal head growing up but now listen to everything really, given how different headphones play well with different genres. 

 

I hope it wasn't too presumptuous to think that if you'd travel to India and do a headphone meet up, that you might have some favorites from that "world" to share!

 

As for metal, well, let's not scare everyone here! lol

Odd thing is that well-recorded or produced metal is, like all other genres, just that much better on a good system (or at least a tuned system). Bass lines, kick drums, the whole works...

[Sajid Amit]

10 hours ago, honeymustardsteve said:

that looks like a kpmg profile photo :)

True! Lol. 

[Sajid Amit]

9 hours ago, feelingears said:

 

I hope it wasn't too presumptuous to think that if you'd travel to India and do a headphone meet up, that you might have some favorites from that "world" to share!

 

As for metal, well, let's not scare everyone here! lol

Odd thing is that well-recorded or produced metal is, like all other genres, just that much better on a good system (or at least a tuned system). Bass lines, kick drums, the whole works...

Nope, not presumptuous at all. I should know more about music in India. I am a big fan of Indian food and a bit of an Indian history enthusiast as well. 

 

Yes, I agree about well-recorded metal. I have a TC and I really enjoy metal off it. In fact, I hope to do a review of the TC vs the Susvara soon for AS. 

[The Computer Audiophile]

Part 2 is up!

 

 

[Peter Hyatt]

On 11/5/2021 at 6:23 AM, Sajid Amit said:

Thank you, Sir. Yes, the IE900 was quite enjoyable. It reminded me how I am a closet Sennheiser fan-boy, lol. The bass was rather memorable. 

 

thoughts on the IE900 for classical music?

[Sajid Amit]

15 hours ago, Peter Hyatt said:

 

thoughts on the IE900 for classical music?

Fantastic. The airy treble is a wonderful thing to have, for classical music, not to mention, good speed, soundstage, and a natural midrange, that the IE900 has.