Meta tags:
description=High-end audiophile headphone and stereo audio reviews, photography and more.;
keywords=audiophile, headphones, high-end audio, beyerdynamic, shure, audio reviews, audeze, noble audio, meze headphones, hi-fi, head-fi, grado, brainwavz, beginner audiophile, audio reviews, headphone reviews, earphones, iems, speakers, amplifiers, headphone amp, tube audio;
author=Derrick Lilly;
description=High-end audiophile headphone and stereo audio reviews, photography and more.;
keywords=audiophile, headphones, high-end audio, beyerdynamic, shure, audio reviews, audeze, noble audio, meze headphones, hi-fi, head-fi, grado, brainwavz, beginner audiophile, audio reviews, headphone reviews, audiophile reviews, earphones, iems, speakers, amplifiers, headphone amp, tube audio, DACs, zmf headphones, best headphones for audiophiles, sennheiser, audioquest, dh labs cables review;
Author=xxxxx;

Headings (most frequently used words):

audio, the, 99, pages, cheap, tweaks, rosson, design, rad, suspension, strap, mod, revisiting, meze, series, ear, pads, and, silver, headphone, cable, diy, sumiko, master, speaker, setup, guide, topics, brands, trending, learn, listen, site, supporters, most, read, onetag, facebook, contact,

Text of the page (most frequently used words):
the (283), and (105), you (49), #speaker (48), that (46), your (43), this (36), with (34), ear (31), for (30), sound (25), step (23), rad (23), headphone (22), audio (22), cable (22), from (22), speakers (20), room (20), meze (18), listening (18), have (17), like (17), will (17), but (17), some (16), out (16), pad (16), casey (16), right (15), more (15), make (14), strap (14), pads (13), are (13), get (13), can (13), other (12), one (11), not (11), anchor (11), when (11), his (11), bass (11), original (11), classics (11), all (10), setup (10), into (10), also (10), which (10), soundstage (10), level (10), what (10), while (10), has (10), was (10), placement (9), good (9), about (9), should (9), any (9), where (9), spot (9), suspension (9), sumiko (8), master (8), headphones (8), set (8), than (8), use (8), left (8), using (8), now (8), two (8), ears (8), had (8), experience (8), would (8), cheap (7), tweaks (7), silver (7), design (7), head (7), cables (7), both (7), they (7), only (7), second (7), hunter (7), spikes (7), front (7), between (7), says (7), too (7), slightly (7), over (7), difference (7), hot (7), series (6), guide (6), most (6), position (6), approach (6), could (6), least (6), try (6), quality (6), until (6), mark (6), may (6), new (6), because (6), time (6), back (5), first (5), massdrop (5), better (5), rosson (5), best (5), those (5), don (5), end (5), home (5), process (5), seat (5), wall (5), toe (5), angle (5), warnes (5), slide (5), find (5), points (5), these (5), very (5), hear (5), point (5), just (5), upgrade (5), comes (5), driver (5), long (5), during (5), headband (5), listen (4), diy (4), audeze (4), across (4), each (4), them (4), much (4), toward (4), positioning (4), mind (4), easier (4), prefer (4), easily (4), heavy (4), sliders (4), space (4), boundary (4), place (4), straight (4), become (4), bit (4), sounds (4), voice (4), then (4), touch (4), under (4), seems (4), know (4), many (4), its (4), three (4), their (4), model (4), subtle (4), been (4), wear (4), updated (4), less (4), foam (4), color (4), how (4), made (4), leather (4), premium (4), problem (4), email (3), contact (3), hifiman (3), revisiting (3), read (3), labs (3), accessories (3), comments (3), way (3), possible (3), protocol (3), several (3), positioned (3), within (3), results (3), proper (3), work (3), keep (3), forum (3), clarity (3), steps (3), another (3), directly (3), start (3), stand (3), stands (3), often (3), well (3), properly (3), inches (3), against (3), change (3), begin (3), playing (3), track (3), need (3), helper (3), tape (3), without (3), thin (3), she (3), centered (3), nicely (3), simply (3), above (3), match (3), take (3), cut (3), stage (3), really (3), enter (3), remember (3), little (3), spots (3), third (3), audiophile (3), maple (3), looks (3), ultimately (3), led (3), used (3), warm (3), comfort (3), discomfort (3), models (3), small (3), few (3), screen (3), black (3), feels (3), pain (3), before (3), found (3), sounding (3), something (3), doesn (3), plug (3), somewhere (3), people (3), given (3), stock (3), neo (3), noir (3), tell (3), retails (3), were (3), being (3), our (3), him (3), weight (3), straps (3), brackets (3), through (3), top (2), created (2), apprentice (2), message (2), review (2), diversitech (2), eva (2), anti (2), vibration (2), shure (2), mods (2), sennheiser (2), tunes (2), featured (2), digital (2), buying (2), tips (2), november (2), ever (2), come (2), talking (2), positions (2), based (2), perfectly (2), help (2), takes (2), hours (2), trial (2), error (2), however (2), lead (2), truly (2), music (2), becoming (2), true (2), requires (2), guides (2), hand (2), there (2), below (2), came (2), length (2), follow (2), remove (2), acoustic (2), treatments (2), fixed (2), furniture (2), sliding (2), own (2), establish (2), triangle (2), generally (2), adjust (2), likely (2), rear (2), final (2), song (2), ballad (2), disc (2), fine (2), makes (2), realistic (2), play (2), usually (2), sometimes (2), moving (2), becomes (2), away (2), natural (2), wide (2), narrow (2), reinsert (2), move (2), line (2), body (2), test (2), either (2), adjusting (2), rake (2), inch (2), once (2), measurements (2), locations (2), photos (2), removed (2), see (2), upon (2), mentioned (2), great (2), moves (2), off (2), done (2), delivered (2), feedburner (2), address (2), chesky (2), album (2), personal (2), choice (2), audiophiles (2), note (2), behind (2), distance (2), light (2), years (2), create (2), lightweight (2), today (2), office (2), offer (2), dynamic (2), signature (2), similar (2), overall (2), management (2), user (2), standard (2), larger (2), different (2), material (2), millimeters (2), literally (2), enough (2), far (2), breaks (2), suspect (2), welcomed (2), somewhat (2), matched (2), backing (2), adds (2), here (2), certainly (2), users (2), whether (2), decision (2), woven (2), jacket (2), even (2), includes (2), options (2), balanced (2), rhodium (2), gold (2), plugs (2), plated (2), quite (2), again (2), comfortable (2), noise (2), thing (2), response (2), price (2), 119 (2), owners (2), sale (2), affordable (2), thought (2), available (2), damn (2), give (2), sessions (2), housings (2), around (2), alex (2), pandemic (2), lot (2), started (2), getting (2), uncomfortable (2), wasn (2), intolerable (2), minutes (2), fact (2), looking (2), speak (2), size (2), screws (2), engineer (2), oem (2), simple (2), smart (2), solution (2), ended (2), delrin (2), lcd (2), template, rights, reserved, amazon, associate, themexpose, name, facebook, onetag, 35x, site, supporters, learn, srh840, trending, zmf, westone, synergistic, research, soundpeats, sony, rotel, noble, nad, jena, jds, ifi, grado, earphones, sources, burson, brainwavz, beyerdynamic, audioquest, news, ascend, acoustics, amplifiers, topics, brands, stories, older, 2019, channel, googled, chances, forums, procedure, basic, concept, independently, particular, rather, placing, generic, manufacturer, recommendations, symmetrical, configuration, theory, asymmetrical, complicated, rooms, performance, patience, allow, perfectionist, require, subjectively, speaking, might, according, important, component, theater, system, environment, putting, belong, fight, total, unison, reproduction, training, paid, consultation, online, instructions, write, ups, threads, rave, ers, supposedly, presented, john, owner, rel, edited, split, twist, suggests, toeing, believe, sacrifice, removable, anything, permanently, leave, completely, hard, floors, setting, soft, towel, assist, optimally, shape, permitting, recommended, apart, equilateral, arrangement, advised, accordingly, constraints, likewise, facing, inward, attempted, yet, sidewalls, limit, early, reflections, going, grooving, recommends, rob, wasserman, featuring, vocals, jennifer, called, runaway, horse, streaming, although, isn, regarded, tuning, effective, plucked, string, volume, timber, goal, coupled, drivers, volumes, detect, crank, fully, engage, solid, authoritative, painter, sidewall, further, couples, favorite, want, widest, ends, seeing, thirds, inside, cabinet, excessively, ruins, seem, coming, instead, slowly, equally, means, flat, tilted, closer, cohesive, standing, congeal, necessary, minor, adjustments, her, patient, rewarded, linear, meaning, forward, adjusts, centering, accomplished, coupling, boundaries, case, able, clearly, location, critical, adjustable, door, shims, raked, beam, tweeter, firing, seated, appear, height, immersed, eargasm, inducing, walls, map, eventually, shifted, somehow, repeat, except, reinstall, experiment, ones, improve, aren, fatigued, likes, confirmation, tests, previously, confirming, starts, feet, microphone, center, mid, full, repeats, staging, perfect, verifies, angles, lateral, tones, completing, hopefully, couple, primary, involved, check, let, tricks, plan, configurations, figure, calculators, fuller, live, musical, event, wedge, spacers, oriented, ahead, dozen, foot, zone, tedious, differentiate, lifeless, sure, affect, alongside, records, jazz, sampler, compact, vol, youtube, recording, duets, odd, shaped, starting, along, shortest, beneficial, methodology, nirvana, january, 2020, ago, opportunity, unique, maiden, release, romania, hit, among, listeners, collaboration, drop, addition, relegated, desk, duty, closed, backs, nice, isolation, keeps, engaged, throughout, day, served, purpose, extends, collection, sole, sore, originally, wrote, hardly, reviewer, complain, wisely, responded, feedback, released, revised, replacement, version, changes, things, deeper, opening, offers, initial, noticeably, roomier, airier, noticeable, gone, altogether, compresses, reemerge, common, tear, improvement, liner, cushion, assembly, inevitably, affects, removes, leaving, treble, emphasis, mixed, feelings, dark, shimmer, booms, bleeds, mids, deep, thump, looser, resonant, albeit, still, enjoyable, livelier, considering, swap, consider, said, changing, update, party, always, impact, brings, bliss, last, nitpick, tone, look, taste, respect, business, since, think, briefly, commuting, ideal, tangles, say, rolled, times, unfortunately, understatement, mic, remote, mean, wouldn, interested, alternate, comprised, eight, braided, coated, copper, wires, terminates, barrels, splitter, machined, feature, logos, lettering, pink, champagne, direct, steel, accents, won, notice, reasonable, nitpicking, solidly, short, term, overbuilt, aftermarket, practical, desktop, commuter, flexion, coils, uncoils, kinks, importantly, transfers, microphonics, synthetic, storage, bag, tie, complement, aesthetic, matters, marketing, minimalist, claiming, next, spaciousness, detailing, transparency, actually, agree, statement, contentious, world, respond, swaps, others, lift, veil, providing, seemingly, wider, revealing, range, mostly, person, equate, grilles, science, assumption, braiding, technique, coating, combine, resist, enhance, signal, delivery, hearing, succeeded, producing, provides, notable, benefits, offering, market, guess, tack, significantly, costly, same, worth, exactly, tough, detail, smoothness, quieter, endgame, delivers, 160, 199, 309, capable, purchased, shallow, breathe, seriously, though, issue, lobe, helix, especially, appreciate, sleek, styling, itself, slim, medium, density, compress, press, liners, covering, circumference, cramped, stuck, large, photograph, 2021, having, enjoyed, creations, eyed, latest, endeavor, prying, open, purse, strings, pick, pair, taken, protocols, restored, interest, stepping, coincidentally, heavily, working, finally, decided, myself, thinking, maybe, shares, experiences, differ, got, bad, saying, hour, shame, beautiful, planar, magnetic, transducers, modest, compressed, creates, terrible, pressure, smallish, who, suffered, matter, bound, immediately, deploy, consisted, hd600, hd650, held, wool, wrap, double, sided, bulbous, prevents, seamless, streamlined, went, else, previous, knew, adding, solve, added, usable, mount, began, experimenting, tells, tied, ugly, annoying, flop, stable, appearance, eliminating, permanent, modifications, 600, plus, genuine, allen, wrench, later, reversible, uses, slot, pass, secure, type, plastic, replace, metals, low, friction, resistance, machinability, properties, kinds, parts, machines, cnc, mill, explains, pattern, allows, uniform, repeatable, despite, strikingly, hold, typical, admittedly, stumbled, posts, mentioning, skeptical, result, reaching, skepticism, unwarranted, conversations, pleasant, purchasing, creation, nothing, positive, fits, comfortably, forgotten, free, session, prior, minute, tolerance, stretched, recent, beauty, conforms, creating, patch, distributes, thoroughly, eliminates, surprised, disappointed, didn, incorporate, refinements, implemented, grateful, crafty, enthusiasts, exist, wrongs, engineers, gloss, lovely, seductive, deserves, heard, felt, enjoy, form, slightest, amount, seeking, settling, kind, currently, making, batches, community, goes, known, costs, shipped, international, shipping, additional, charge, puck, rustyrat, audionirvana, tweak, modify, 500, dodge, mechanical, machinist, trade, put, traits, together, surprise, atop, heads, included, mod, lab, subscribe, contribute, gear, pages,

Text of the page (random words):
dband out of play it s simple it s reversible it s affordable it s a smart solution to a heavy problem casey ended up with a design that uses the slot in the rad 0 s sliders to pass his t brackets through that secure the suspension strap in place these brackets are made from delrin a type of plastic often used to replace metals because of its low friction resistance to wear and machinability delrin has good properties for these kinds of parts and machines nicely using a cnc mill he explains the leather straps are also cut from a pattern that casey made which allows him to keep them more uniform and repeatable despite being cut by hand in the end his suspension strap looks strikingly oem like and should hold up well under typical use admittedly when i stumbled across some forum posts mentioning casey s strap i was a bit skeptical of the quality and end result in reaching out to casey my skepticism was unwarranted our conversations have been pleasant and my experience with purchasing and using his original creation has been nothing but positive the few minutes of trial and error to get the strap positioned on my rad 0 s sliders where it fits comfortably were long forgotten by the time my first pain free listening session ended in fact my prior 30 minute tolerance for the rad 0 has stretched to more than three hours during some recent listening sessions the simple beauty of the leather suspension strap is that it conforms to your head creating a wide and long contact patch that distributes the rad 0 s weight and thoroughly eliminates hot spots while i m somewhat surprised and disappointed that alex rosson didn t incorporate into his rad 0 some of the headband refinements implemented in the lcd line during his time with audeze i m grateful that crafty head fi enthusiasts like casey exist to right the wrongs audio engineers sometimes gloss over the rad 0 is a lovely looking and seductive sounding headphone it s a headphone that deserves to be heard not felt if you re like me and can t enjoy the rad 0 in stock form for as long as you d like because of hot spots or even if you experience just the slightest amount of headband discomfort from it casey s suspension strap could be the difference between seeking a new headphone or settling in to experience audionirvana with your one of a kind rad 0 casey is currently making his rad 0 suspension strap in small batches if you d like to give one a try you can message him through the headphone community where he goes by rustyrat or through the head fi forum where he s known as puck his suspension strap costs 50 shipped in the in the us and international shipping is available for an additional charge november 14 2021 0 comments revisiting the 99 meze audio s 99 series ear pads and silver headphone cable cables about three years ago i had the opportunity to photograph and review the original maple meze audio 99 classics headphone at the time it was a unique headphone both in looks and sound the maiden release by romania s meze audio was a hit among listeners which ultimately led to a collaboration with massdrop now drop to create the massdrop x meze 99 noir the addition of a new lightweight model in the 99 neo and some subtle upgrade accessories some of those upgrade accessories are what i am talking about today all in the ear over the years the 99 classics has been a headphone i ultimately relegated to desk duty i ve used it at the office where the closed maple backs offer nice isolation and the warm dynamic sound signature keeps me engaged throughout the day at home it often served a similar purpose but as wear time extends i prefer the comfort of other headphones in my collection for me overall comfort and cable management have been the sole sore points in using the 99 classics i originally wrote if i could change one thing about the 99 it would be the ear pads they re simply too damn shallow give my ears some room to breathe meze seriously though i have an issue with ear pads that touch the lobe and helix of my ears especially during long listening sessions i appreciate the sleek styling of the headphone itself but the slim medium density foam ear pads compress to the point that my ears press against the liners covering the driver housings their circumference also feels a bit cramped as if they were stuck somewhere between being a large on ear and narrow around the ear design i was hardly the only user or reviewer to complain of discomfort from the original ear pads wisely meze audio responded to user feedback and released a revised ear pad which now comes standard on new models and can be purchased as replacement upgrade ear pads for any model in the 99 series a small version similar to the original pad is also available the updated ear pad design changes a few things first it is a slightly deeper ear pad with a slightly larger ear opening second the driver screen is of different material third it only comes in black when it comes to headphone comfort millimeters make a difference i find the updated ear pad which is literally only millimeters larger offers just enough room to make a difference for me on initial use the space for my ears feels noticeably roomier and airier and the pain points experience before are far less noticeable or gone altogether as the pad breaks in and the foam compresses over time i suspect some ear to driver ear to pad contact will reemerge but this is common wear and tear with any headphone so for now this is a welcomed improvement what is somewhat less welcomed is the change in the listening experience the original ear pad has a color matched liner driver screen that has a thin foam backing this adds cushion between your ear and the driver assembly and inevitably affects the sound signature of the headphone the updated ear pad removes the foam backing leaving only the screen material to my ears i hear more treble and bass emphasis the difference is not subtle i have mixed feelings here if you found the original 99 classics to be a bit too warm or dark sounding the updated ear pad certainly adds a little shimmer to the top end i don t mind this too much however it seems to me that the bass booms more and bleeds into the mids the warm deep thump of the original 99 classics feels slightly looser and more resonant than before albeit still enjoyable the sound is different and livelier this is something users considering an ear pad swap should consider that said changing out the original pads for any ear pad whether it is a meze update or a third party ear pad will always impact sound it s up to you to find the one that brings you bliss last and this is a personal nitpick meze s ear pads now only come in black if you have the original maple light model the two tone look may not be to taste i would prefer a color match but i respect meze audio s business decision since all their models now use black ear pads you can see how it looks in the photos what do you think capable cables i briefly mentioned cable management as another pain point with the original 99 classics my original model came with only a 3 m long cable with a color matched woven jacket this length is certainly fine for home use but commuting with it is less than ideal and even office use can lead to tangles to say i ve rolled over the cable a few times would unfortunately be an understatement today meze includes 1 2 m with mic and remote and 3 m cables with their 99 classics but that doesn t mean audiophiles wouldn t be interested in alternate options enter the 99 series silver plated upgrade cable this is a 1 2 m cable comprised of eight braided silver coated copper wires the cable terminates in one of three options balanced 2 5 mm rhodium plug standard 3 5 mm rhodium plug and balanced 4 4 mm gold plug the plugs at the headphone end are gold plated the barrels at the plugs and y splitter are nicely machined and feature subtle logos and lettering the color is somewhere between pink champagne and silver it s not quite a direct match to the steel accents on my 99 classics but the difference is subtle enough that most people won t notice from any reasonable distance nitpicking again overall the cable seems solidly made given my short term experience with it it is not overbuilt like many aftermarket audiophile cables which makes it practical and comfortable for desktop and commuter use it is lightweight and has good flexion coils and uncoils easily without kinks and most importantly transfers far less noise microphonics than the stock cable and its woven jacket the cable also includes a small synthetic leather storage bag and cable tie that complement the cable s premium aesthetic what matters most is how it sounds meze s own marketing is minimalist in claiming meze s premium cables will take your sound to a next level of spaciousness detailing and transparency the thing is i actually agree with this statement cables are contentious in the audio world in my experience i ve had some headphones respond well to cable swaps and others offer no response at all when it comes to my 99 classics meze s upgrade cable seems to lift a veil off of the sound stage providing better clarity and a seemingly wider and more revealing dynamic range if you re mostly a speaker person i d equate the difference to that of listening with the grilles removed i don t know the science behind the cable but my assumption is that the braiding technique and silver coating combine to help resist noise and enhance signal delivery at the very least what i do know is that i like what i m hearing while meze has succeeded at producing a premium cable that provides notable benefits over the stock offering it comes at a premium price 119 given the market for the 99 series i know many 99 owners will second guess buying this cable the 99 classics retails for 309 the 99 neo retails for 199 and the massdrop x meze noir retails for 160 when it s on sale tack on 119 to each of those price points and your affordable hi fi headphone becomes significantly more costly i can t tell you whether you ll have the same experience as me i can t tell you if the difference is worth it to your ears what i will tell you is that if you like your 99 classics neo noir exactly the way they are you have a tough choice to make but if you ve ever thought just a touch more detail a touch more smoothness and clarity and a much quieter cable would make the 99 your endgame headphone your decision is made this cable delivers enter your email address delivered by feedburner january 20 2020 1 comments the diy sumiko master speaker setup guide featured if you have a 2 channel speaker setup and you ve ever googled the best way to position your speakers chances are that you ve come across forums talking about the sumiko master set speaker placement procedure the basic concept of this approach is that it positions each speaker independently to sound best in your particular room rather than placing them based on generic manufacturer recommendations or a perfectly symmetrical configuration this in theory should help those with asymmetrical and complicated listening rooms like me get the best performance possible the protocol takes patience to get it right allow several hours if you are a perfectionist as both speakers will require much trial and error to get positioned perfectly subjectively speaking within the room the results however might lead you one more step toward audio nirvana according to sumiko audio the most important component in any audio or theater system is the proper placement and positioning of the speakers into the listening environment putting the speakers where they truly belong so they don t fight each other so they work in total unison not only with each other but also with the room is the end all be all for proper music reproduction in the home becoming a true master of this process requires training or paid consultation and setup so keep in mind that online guides are second hand instructions but there are several write ups and audio forum threads that rave about the results by diy ers like us below is the best step by step guide supposedly presented by john hunter the owner of sumiko audio and rel that i came across i edited it for length and clarity and split some of the steps to make the process easier to follow another twist on this approach is this light methodology which suggests toeing in the anchor speaker directly toward the listening position from the start i believe this approach could sacrifice good soundstage so i prefer the approach below sumiko master speaker setup protocol step 1 remove any easily removable acoustic treatments from the room anything that is permanently fixed and all your furniture is ok to leave step 2 remove the speaker stand spikes to make sliding the stands easier or at least level all the spikes so the speaker is completely level if you own heavy speakers use furniture sliders to make positioning easier if you have hard floors try setting the speakers on a soft towel to assist in sliding step 3 establish your listening seat optimally you will set the speakers and your listening seat in the shape of a triangle space permitting it is generally recommended to start with the speakers set at least 8 12 ft apart and the listening seat 12 15 ft back an equilateral triangle arrangement is often advised as well adjust accordingly to your room constraints when properly set the speakers will likely be out at least 18 inches from the front boundary wall your listening seat likewise should be at least 24 inches from a rear boundary step 4 place both left and right speakers directly against the front boundary wall facing straight out into the room no inward toe in angle should be attempted yet generally start with your speakers set 24 36 inches in from the sidewalls to limit early reflections final positioning will change the left speaker is going to become the anchor speaker for the set up note if you have an odd shaped room starting with the speaker that has the most wall to work along or shortest distance to a rear boundary may be beneficial step 5 get grooving proper speaker placement requires music hunter recommends using a rob wasserman song featuring vocals by jennifer warnes called ballad of the runaway horse from his duets album you could also try streaming it or using this youtube recording although the quality isn t as good another disc regarded for fine tuning speaker placement is chesky records jazz sampler audiophile test compact disc vol 1 now begin playing the ballad what makes this song so effective for this setup protocol is that the plucked string bass is at realistic volume at realistic timber so the first goal is to get the bass properly coupled to the room and the drivers play this track at volumes where you can easily detect bass quality which is usually between 80 95 db hunter says sometimes you will need to crank it up a bit to fully engage the room step 6 get a helper if possible it will make moving an...