[geoff]

Just listened this evening to one of my favorite 'reference' tracks,
'You Win, You Lose' off Jay Messina's wonderfully-engineered 1998
Supertramp album (CD) Some Things Never Change.

Massive kick drum versus subtle and middling everything else. Listened
on my domestic hifi speakers (KEF R107). Truly trouser-flapping (in a
good way). Then on a small series of headphones, which was the actual
point.

ATH-M50 (didn't try the 'Xs' will do tomorrow) - pretty good but maybe a
little woolly in the bass, then my K812s. Heard the most amazing subtle
details so clearly, elements far more distinct than possible in a room
environment I think (yeah, it was headphones), but that was a good thing
in this instance. And more frequencies that I can hear in either
direction in a very linear fashion.

Then tried some 7506s. In comparison it sounded like listening through a
telephone line. Not the amazing deep resounding bass that I had
expected, and experienced on my speakers and both other headphones (less
peaky but deeper on the 812s though). Funny, as that was the impression
I had from somebody else's 7506s that I recently fixed and I thought
were rooted. I guess that's the the uber-midrange that makes them great
for picking out glitches when editing stuff and suits somebody's (who
will remain nameless) profound midrange hearing loss, and truly horrible
for casual listening.

An interesting little excercise. Do give that track (and album) a listen
if that's your sort of thing. Fantastically recorded and produced both
technically and musically.

Rambling, moi ? Yes, but in my defense it is after midnight on Friday
here (?!?) and I'm off to bed.

Night.

geoff

[JackA]

On Friday, October 14, 2016 at 7:21:50 AM UTC-4, geoff wrote:
Just listened this evening to one of my favorite 'reference' tracks,
'You Win, You Lose' off Jay Messina's wonderfully-engineered 1998
Supertramp album (CD) Some Things Never Change.

Massive kick drum versus subtle and middling everything else. Listened
on my domestic hifi speakers (KEF R107). Truly trouser-flapping (in a
good way). Then on a small series of headphones, which was the actual
point.

ATH-M50 (didn't try the 'Xs' will do tomorrow) - pretty good but maybe a
little woolly in the bass, then my K812s. Heard the most amazing subtle
details so clearly, elements far more distinct than possible in a room
environment I think (yeah, it was headphones), but that was a good thing
in this instance. And more frequencies that I can hear in either
direction in a very linear fashion.

Then tried some 7506s. In comparison it sounded like listening through a
telephone line. Not the amazing deep resounding bass that I had
expected, and experienced on my speakers and both other headphones (less
peaky but deeper on the 812s though). Funny, as that was the impression
I had from somebody else's 7506s that I recently fixed and I thought
were rooted. I guess that's the the uber-midrange that makes them great
for picking out glitches when editing stuff and suits somebody's (who
will remain nameless) profound midrange hearing loss, and truly horrible
for casual listening.

An interesting little excercise. Do give that track (and album) a listen
if that's your sort of thing. Fantastically recorded and produced both
technically and musically.

Rambling, moi ? Yes, but in my defense it is after midnight on Friday
here (?!?) and I'm off to bed.

Night.

geoff

I see, a lesson to be learned, with this fine Jay engineer, be sure you have multiple, different headphones to make his audio work sound impressive!

Jack

[JackA]

On Friday, October 14, 2016 at 2:23:12 PM UTC-4, JackA wrote:
On Friday, October 14, 2016 at 7:21:50 AM UTC-4, geoff wrote:
Just listened this evening to one of my favorite 'reference' tracks,
'You Win, You Lose' off Jay Messina's wonderfully-engineered 1998
Supertramp album (CD) Some Things Never Change.

Massive kick drum versus subtle and middling everything else. Listened
on my domestic hifi speakers (KEF R107). Truly trouser-flapping (in a
good way). Then on a small series of headphones, which was the actual
point.

ATH-M50 (didn't try the 'Xs' will do tomorrow) - pretty good but maybe a
little woolly in the bass, then my K812s. Heard the most amazing subtle
details so clearly, elements far more distinct than possible in a room
environment I think (yeah, it was headphones), but that was a good thing
in this instance. And more frequencies that I can hear in either
direction in a very linear fashion.

Then tried some 7506s. In comparison it sounded like listening through a
telephone line. Not the amazing deep resounding bass that I had
expected, and experienced on my speakers and both other headphones (less
peaky but deeper on the 812s though). Funny, as that was the impression
I had from somebody else's 7506s that I recently fixed and I thought
were rooted. I guess that's the the uber-midrange that makes them great
for picking out glitches when editing stuff and suits somebody's (who
will remain nameless) profound midrange hearing loss, and truly horrible
for casual listening.

An interesting little excercise. Do give that track (and album) a listen
if that's your sort of thing. Fantastically recorded and produced both
technically and musically.

Rambling, moi ? Yes, but in my defense it is after midnight on Friday
here (?!?) and I'm off to bed.

Night.

geoff

I see, a lesson to be learned, with this fine Jay engineer, be sure you have multiple, different headphones to make his audio work sound impressive!

Jack

Seems Jay Messina got his start at the Record Plant. Studios were popping up all over the place, not that they were any good, but they allow drug usage/deals on the premises, unlike the Big Boy record companies!!

You might be able to find Jay at Gearslutz, was there in 2012!

Jack