MD: Revue: etymotics with portable level, etc.
Just got my Etymotics. (4S) I am listening through them to a CD play on my computer as i write this. The isolation from outside noise is amazing. The computer internal CD player headphone output will drive them louder than i can stand to listen. (solo Alto recorder CD) The other strange sensation is harder to describe: There is none of the usual feeling of air hitting your eardrums, nor the usual Brownian motion sound of air on your eardrums. This made me think at first that the highs were down, but i compared them to my Stax electrostatics (which i still like better, so far) and the highs were very close. I wasn't listening to mouse squeaks, cymbals with brushes, rosin on a violin bow, or anything else extremely high. Solo Recorder, bluegrass, voice, Vivaldi concerto with recorder and strings. You can hear the air on the edge of the attack on the recorder, and the attack sound on plucked acoustic bass strings, so i think the highs are there. The sensation is one of the sound truly coming from inside your own body...the head, of course. The bass is pretty surprising too. If you tense your jaw muscles it interferes with the sound, as does physical contact with the signal cables. So far: I like the bass better than the Sennheiser 580 (tighter, and perhaps lower), and the highs almost as much as the Stax (less smooth). The physical feeling of using them will take some getting used to. I have very narrow ear canals, and YMMV. The Etys sound very sensitive to microphone sibilants and other sharp edgy transients, and since they don't ring much on the spec charts, i suppose this is just their own form of accuracy. But it is their most noticeable characteristic to me. Otherwise, smooth, clear, natural, very well isolated. I hope not too fragile. time will tell. In playing a Bartok Concerto for Orchestra on a Sharp MD702 directly from the headphone output, the crescendos were loud enough to be uncomfortable. The absence of air sensation, caused by the earpieces occluding my ear canals makes them seem a little softer than other phones at least initially. But when you feel your eardrums clamp, you know you are over 90 dB, and getting into tinnitis territory. boy are they convenient. Mine arrived with one defective filter, which made the sound fail on one side almost instantly. I was pretty pissed off (had to go pick them up at the FEDEX office after work), but after trying every headphone outlet in my system, and several different pieces of equipment, i tried changing the filter, and the sound returned. I will see what HeadRoom wants to do about this. Filters are $15. Has anyone else had this problem? I suppose now i have to consider an AirHead headphone amp, but *not* because there is too little volume on my Sharp. Ted Gosfield -- --- mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] - To stop getting this list send a message containing just the word "unsubscribe" to [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Re: MD: Applications of MD Data2
Dirty Dingus Magee wrote: > I know MD Data technology is incompatible with audio MD units but > I believe that if Sony wants to, they could develop a professional type > unit that could compete with existing but antiquated technology thereby > placing themselves in a favorable market position and benefiting consumers. It's my impression that ATRAC as used in MD is a lossy compression system. I doubt many pros would want to start out with a lossy system. They might not mind publishing in such a format, but they would like to retain as much info as possible until committed to final form. ted --- mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] - To stop getting this list send a message containing just the word "unsubscribe" to [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Re: MD: best/favorite headphones
Dan Frakes wrote: > I read an interview with him once.[...] Since then, they have made sure that any > changes/improvements didn't take away from the SR-60s ability to be used > with any portable. So you may be right -- I don't know if J.G. was > consciously thinking only about portables. But they are developed partly > for them now well, he is an extremely clever marketer. When i knew him, we had a couple of big arguments about the "proper" price for his extremely cost-effective phono cartridges. He liked to give them a high list price, a big markup, and encourage their deep discounting in 'package' deals. I started out saying that the list price was phony, since no one sold them for that. I said they were clearly best buys at the price for which they actually sold. He said, "if i can make a cartridge as good as a $100 Shure, and make it cheaper, and sell it cheaper, and my dealers are smart enough to pick up on this, why shouldn't they take advantage of the extra profit as a reward for my and their cleverness". It gave me to think. Made me a bit more accepting of capitalism. I did get out of sales though, eventually ;-). I assume he has similar feelings about his somewhat bare bones-ish headphones, devoid as they are of comfort and glamor features, but high on audio quality, and easily the equal of more expensive fancier looking phones. > >But for casual use, which is what i use the MD for, i > >would feel encumbered by a headphone amp. Unless it were the size of a > >cassette box. > > The AirHead runs on two AA batteries and is about the size of a cassette > box uh ohi better check it out. does this mean i have to start saving up for an outboard mike preamp too. > > The nice thing about an MD, Airhead, and Etys is that you have amazing > sound quality with virtually no external noise. exactly what i am after, especially for monitoring while recording. I did a few broadcast remotes back in the day, and it was very annoying to be sitting there with headphones on in the room with the music, trying to figure out what was going on the air, and what was going on in the room. the above sounds like an ideal solution, with back up recording onto MD, instead of nasty glitch prone fragile and self destructive cassettes. (ah...the fanaticism of the convert). ted --- mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] - To stop getting this list send a message containing just the word "unsubscribe" to [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Re: MD: best/favorite headphones
Dan Frakes wrote: > > Edward Gosfield III <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > >I have a pair of Sennheiser 580s which play quite loudly on the 702, and > Ironically, your Sennheisers can sound much better :-) [...] I've listened to a set >of 580s on a 702, and > then on a 702 with a dedicated headphone amp, and the latter delivered > much better sound. i agree. mine sound much better when i listen through the headphone amp of my hi-fi than when i listen through the 702 headphone amp. It's a similar case for the mike preamp. If you use a $1200 Grace preamp for your mikes, and then patch that into the 702 (i don't) then you can make some extremely nice recordings on your MD. Which has been done by a number of pros as backup or alternate when using portable pro DATs for location recording. > > Personally, I think the 580s are one of the greatest headphones ever > made, but I wouldn't recommend them to someone with a portable. They sound better on my 702s than anything else i have tried. > I think > that the Grado SR-60s will sound better to most people (though they're > less comfortable) simply because they were designed to be driven by > portables. I can't say. i listened to the Grados on regular domestic stereo gear. But i think the 580s would still be smoother. Somehow I don't think the Grados were designed specifically for portables. Having met Joe Grado a number of times during my days in the hi-fi biz, i think he is interested in making efficient machines. If he found out they were great on portables, of course, far be it from him to ignore a marketing coup. He owns, for instance, the patent on moving coil cartridges. Expired by now, i suppose. He knows how to make excellent magnetic transducers cheap, at either end of the reproduction chain. > >My standard of comparison for phones is a pair of STAX SRX-III > >electrostatics. > > You're spoiled ;-) well, i use Quad Electrostatics for speakers. Had them since 1975, see no reason to switch. If i were a rich man (fiddle fiddle) i would buy an updated pair of STAX, but the ones i have are 'good enough'. > >Anyone using Etymotics on 702 or equivalent? > > Yes, I do. Like the Sennheisers, the Etys require a decent headphone amp. >[...]You could also use a HeadRoom Airhead amp which > runs on two AAs and provides a huge improvement. If i were at home, i would use the MD with the Stax through the hifi. If i were in the field doing serious recording, i might agree with a headphone amp, along with an outboard preamp. And i agree that the HeadRoom stuff is excellent (i haven't used it but a good friend in the biz has/does). But for casual use, which is what i use the MD for, i would feel encumbered by a headphone amp. Unless it were the size of a cassette box. I find that i get used to the 580s soon enough once i plug em in. perhaps i would get used to the Etys as well ;-) Nowadays i find i spend more time listening to the music, and less time listening to the sound. (this from a guy who bought an outboard Dolby unit to use on a reel-to-reel back in the day). " When i hear the work 'audiophile' i reach for my revolver"..My major pleasure from MD use is portability, ease of editing, non contact playback system with "no" software degradation, good frequency response, and silent background. And optical/digital transcription from CD. I can live with less than ideal phones as long as they don't annoy me, which the Sharps, and all walkman style phones I tried have done so far. >On the other hand, the > new Etys that came out last month are supposedly much more efficient -- > they realized a lot of people were using them with portables, so the > redesigned them to require less power to sound good. sounds great. have to see how soon they show up on the Headroom webpage. thanks for your post ted > - > To stop getting this list send a message containing just the word > "unsubscribe" to [EMAIL PROTECTED] -- --- mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] - To stop getting this list send a message containing just the word "unsubscribe" to [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Re: MD: best/favorite headphones
>does anyone have any comments on how > a > >stock Sharp headphone (came with my MT821) stacks up? I haven't had any > >opportunity to compare. I have a pair of the Sharp phones that came with my 702. I dunno if they are the same ones -- they are the walkman type with ear pads and plastic suspension. I think they are pretty poor by any decent standard. If you are going to bother with the supposedly superior sound of MD over cassette, you might as well use decent phones. I have a pair of Sennheiser 580s which play quite loudly on the 702, and have very good sound quality. They have a bit more bass than i prefer, but it is pretty reasonable on MD. They have a very clean and clear midrange and high end. Quite smooth, and no listener fatigue. Semi open design with nice velvet ear piece covers. Major disadvantage is tendency of signal cord terminations to become intermittent from mechanical strain. I had the same problem with my first Sennheiser HD 414s in 1970. They haven't changed the design. I velcro'd the signal cables to the headpiece/suspension and the problem is solved on mine. They are currently available for around $199, and will be better than most moderately priced speakers, and most moderately priced headphones. I have also used a pair of AKG K240 phones on the 702, which play considerably softer, but loud enough for jazz, classical, bluegrass and other accoustic music short of full orchestral volume. maybe not the thing for rock volume wise. On the other hand, if you do live recording and want a pair of reference phones, they have become a standard of the industry in studios. probably because so many AKG mikes are around, but also because they are flat, smooth, crisp, have tight bass, and are comfortable to wear for long periods although you may sweat a bit under the ear seal. often on sale for 80-100. My standard of comparison for phones is a pair of STAX SRX-III electrostatics. The cheapest high quality phones i am aware of that can be driven loudly by walkman/MD are the Grado phones. I find them uncomfortable to wear, due to cheap (1930s communication equipment style) headpiece/suspension and cheap/sleazy earpieces, but the sound quality is quite good, especially for the money, and they are small and pretty light weight, although not in the walkman weight class. available at Circuit City, some mail order, internet, etc. around $60 and up. Anyone using Etymotics on 702 or equivalent? ted I hope the above isn't too far out of your price range. - To stop getting this list send a message containing just the word "unsubscribe" to [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Re: MD: balanced lo-Z mono to mini-stereo problems
"J. Coon" wrote: > > Edward Gosfield III wrote: >>[[...]i am recording acoustic music in a quiet room, not > > rock concerts through a PA. ;-) > >I use it for recording acoustic music[...] >I have several more expensive mikes [...]including a Sony MS is that the ECM 999, and if so can you comment on its general qualities, and how it works out in use with MD units. >[...]I designed it to be handy to use and give good results. well, okay, you were right about minidisc, so i'll try the mikes. I think i can cobble them together myself. thanks again, ted --- mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] - To stop getting this list send a message containing just the word "unsubscribe" to [EMAIL PROTECTED]
MD: balanced lo-Z mono to mini-stereo problems
Hi I am trying to use my AKG C451 with my Sharp 702. The 702 has a stereo mike input via mini-plug. The AKG cord is currently terminated as a balanced stereo phono plug, pin-1 to tip, pin-2 to ring, ground shield to sleeve. This worked fine on my Tandberg R-R which has balanced mike inputs. (I also tried it pin-2 to tip, pin-1 to ring, ground to sleeve) i plug the AKG's stereo phono plug into a converter plug :stereo phono to stereo mini. I then plug the mini into the mike input. I can record, but the results are out of phase stereo. (presumably because the two sides of the balanced mike are by definition out of phase). When i combine the channels with the mono switch on my hifi amp, there is almost no level, presumably due to phase cancellation. When i try to record using the 'mono' setting on the Sharp, there is almost no sound, again presumably because of almost complete phase cancellation. I tried detaching one of the signal lead of the mike at the phono plug, to make an 'unbalanced' mike, and got no level. I tried using a stereo(balanced) to mono converter plug, with mono mini-plug into the Sharp, and got almost no level on the recording. any suggestions? thanks ted gosfield - To stop getting this list send a message containing just the word "unsubscribe" to [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Re: MD: balanced lo-Z mono to mini-stereo problems
Thanks for the advice. I'll try connecting one side of the mike to the shield. That was the next thing on my list to try. I will make one of your mikes eventually. But gimme a break -- i don't expect the Panasonic minis to compare to a 451, no matter what a great value they are, and i am recording acoustic music in a quiet room, not rock concerts through a PA. ;-) BTW -- is there a source for the AudioTechnica capsules instead of the Panasonic? I don't see them at Digi-Key. later ted "J. Coon" wrote: > > If the AKG mike is connected as a balanced output, it will not work as > on the stereo unbalanced input of a MInidisc recorder. When you > lifted one side, it didn't make it an unbalanced connection, it just > made it an open connection. Take the wire you lifted and connect it to > the shield conductor of the plug and it should work. How well is > another story. > > Better yet make the one I designed and it will be smaller and also be > stereo. http://www.tir.com/~liteways/Mandolin.html#Microphone it only > costs about $10 > - To stop getting this list send a message containing just the word "unsubscribe" to [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Re: MD: sharp 702/722 headphone/optical/line output
As someone kindly pointed out, i was 'confused'...i.e. plain ol' wrong. My headphone out jack is also the remote cord access jack, but not an optical out. The line in to the 702 IS also the optical input for direct digital recording. The 702 instructions do specify that there are two types of digital terminations available, AD-M1DC, and AD-M2DC, the first from square digital (optical) out to round optical input (to 702), and the second with round optical to round optical, to go from optical in on the Sharp, to "the optical output jack (round shaped jack) on an MD player etc." I somehow turned this around and thought there was an additional optical output on the Sharp. The instructions also recommend that the Sharp be set at max output level when used as a program source through line (headphone) out. That is a reasonable action with any variable output level source if you want to achieve maximum SN ratio at the output side (as long as you don't overdrive the next input stage). ted gosfield Mark Derricutt wrote: > > On Sun, 1 Aug 1999, Edward Gosfield III wrote: > > > the 702 has 'just' a headphone out too. Mine works just fine as a line > > out, and can also provide digital optical output (per instruction manual > > -- optional optical output cable available, comes with input cable). > > It does digital out? wow i wonder if the 722 does that for manual> > > - > To stop getting this list send a message containing just the word > "unsubscribe" to [EMAIL PROTECTED] -- --- mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] - To stop getting this list send a message containing just the word "unsubscribe" to [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Re: MD: sharp 702/722 headphone/optical/line output
Mark Derricutt wrote: > One thing that intrigued me on my Sharp 722, was that theres no lineout, > just the headphone out. the 702 has 'just' a headphone out too. Mine works just fine as a line out, and can also provide digital optical output (per instruction manual -- optional optical output cable available, comes with input cable). ted gosfield --- mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] - To stop getting this list send a message containing just the word "unsubscribe" to [EMAIL PROTECTED]
MD: ? Non 'Direct Power' Microphones for Sharp 702
Hi I'm new to the list, have cruised the archives, FAQ, links, etc. and have a question about the Sharp 702 i am waiting for. The instruction manual (on line) specifies that microphones used with this machine should be direct power types. I have some standard mikes (AKG D200, C451, Sennheiser MD211) that i'd like to use with the unit, at least to start out. Obviously i have to rig up an adapter from balanced XLRs to combined L-R stereo mini. But is it electronically safe and practical to use such mikes on the Sharp? How about one of the Audio Technica or other self powered electret single point mikes which come with stereo mini terminations? thanks ted gosfield - To stop getting this list send a message containing just the word "unsubscribe" to [EMAIL PROTECTED]
