[net.audio] Sony D5

sch@dedalus.UUCP (Steve Holzworth) (04/25/85)

I recently purchased a Sony D5 (the CD Walkman) to use at work.  At present,
I listen to it with my Sony FM/AM Walkman headphones.  As expected, those
phones aren't quite up to the quality needed for CD use.  So... does
anyone have a recommendation for a set of headphones (with good bass response)
to use with my D5?

Just to throw my two cents in: my home system is composed of:

  Hafler DH110 preamp
  Hafler DH500 power amp (approx. 360 watts cont. per ch. into my 6 ohm load)
  Yamaha DX1 (?) CD
  Sherwood 7110B receiver (used as a tuner, from former system)
  Sony turntable (forgot what, direct drive)
  Sony cassette deck (also forgot what)
  Grace F9-E cartridge
  dbx 3Bx expansion unit (used for FM and poorly recorded albums)
  ESS AMT 1C speakers, driven through Powerline
  (nominal 6ohm load, rated at 400 watts cont. per)

Just to confuse the speaker debate:  ESS AMT speakers make use of Heil
air-motion transformers.  These are special drivers which work in principle
like a bellows, as opposed to a piston.  The theory (or hype) says that this
allows the AMT to accelerate the air more rapidly.  The analogy used is that
of squeezing (or squirting) a marble from between your fingers as opposed to
pushing the marble with said fingers.  Hype aside, I am rather fond of them.
In addition to the Heil (midrange to high 600-350000hz), the AMT's have a
(8 or 10 inch) active woofer in front, and a passive radiator in back.
Subjectively, the AMT's have good to execellent bass, excellent highs, but
could maybe use reinforcement in the midrange (is adequate).  A lot of 
people complained that Heil's are too hot, but I think you would find
that dealers usually have the brilliance control cranked wide open (shades
of Radio Shaft!).  Because the Heil drivers are pleated, they have
approximately a 20 sq cm effective surface area.  And yes, it's the same
Heil that gave us the FET (field-effect transistor).


					Steve Holzworth
					mcnc!ikonas!dedalus!sch

herbie@watdcsu.UUCP (Herb Chong [DCS]) (04/28/85)

In article <705@dedalus.UUCP> sch@dedalus.UUCP (Steve Holzworth) writes:
>
>I recently purchased a Sony D5 (the CD Walkman) to use at work.  At present,
>I listen to it with my Sony FM/AM Walkman headphones.  As expected, those
>phones aren't quite up to the quality needed for CD use.  So... does
>anyone have a recommendation for a set of headphones (with good bass response)
>to use with my D5?

in japan anyway, sony makes a special pair of headphones for the D5
that they recommend.  personally, something like the MDR-70II or the
MDR-80II by sony may be what you're looking for.  they are about the same
as the ones for the D5, according to my source in japan.  i have
MDR-50's (no longer made) that sound okay for that quality of source, but
i use my Audio Technica ATH7's for CD listening in my home system.  the
main difference is that the deepest bass is lost and the highs are harsher
in the MDR-50's.

Herb Chong...

I'm user-friendly -- I don't byte, I nybble....

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dca@edison.UUCP (David C. Albrecht) (04/29/85)

> 
> I recently purchased a Sony D5 (the CD Walkman) to use at work.  At present,
> I listen to it with my Sony FM/AM Walkman headphones.  As expected, those
> phones aren't quite up to the quality needed for CD use.  So... does
> anyone have a recommendation for a set of headphones (with good bass response)
> to use with my D5?
> 

IF the Sony puts out enough power I would recommend you investigate the
some home use phones (I really like my Seinhauser HD420's) these are
borderline for my Walkman PRO so I usually use my Seinhauser MR100s which
are only ok.  In the realm of efficient phones has anyone tried the
relatively new Koss portable phones (PRO?).

David Albrecht
General Electric

zrm@prism.UUCP (05/06/85)

At work I use the Sony MDR 70 II headphones and at home I use Stax
electrostatics. The Stax require a power amp which is no problem at home,
but the Sonys are the only headphones I have found that are efficient enough
to use with a D5 stand-alone.