Sennheiser HD 598 v/s RS 180 v/s RS 170 Mini Review

Sennheiser HD 598 v/s RS 180 v/s RS 170 Mini Review

I went to the Sennheiser office for demo of their headphones.

I preferred RS 180 in this lot because the sound quality was nearly as good as HD 598 but with more thumping bass and very little difference in clearness and clarity, while being wireless. HD 598 was a bit better but not by much.

RS 180 was significantly better than RS 170. RS 180 has more quality and quality of bass compared to RS 170 even with bass boost enabled. The clarity is better with RS 180. It was deeper and more authoritative and with a much deeper and wider soundstage. It wasn't anywhere close to as loud as RS 170 though. And RS 180 didn't leak much sound, not enough to be heard outside the room. HD 598 did leak much more sound though, still not enough to be heard outside a moderately soundproof room.

I proffered the sound signature of the RS 180 the best. The treble of the RS 170 was better than the RS 180 however the mids were best with HD 598, almost as forward and good with RS180 and slightly worse with RS 170.

All three had forward mids. I tried the RS 180 velour pads on RS 170 and the difference between the two was reduced by 30-40%, the RS170 improved a lot by doing just that. And it was also more comfortable.

In retrospect, I would prefer to buy RS 180 over RS 170. The price difference isn't as much as the difference in quality. The difference is not night and day, but certainly noticeable and very significant. Not worth upgrading at full price unless you can sell the previous can for at least 70-80% of the purchase price though.

I recommend the RS 180 over the RS 170 at current pricing. Surround option is decent but just Dolby Headphone isn't bad either. And RS 180 has better bass quantity and quality than RS 170 anyway, partly due to the velour ear pads though. The HD 598 is like marginally better than RS 180 except for thumping bass but then the bass with everything nearly as good makes the RS 180 a clear winner if you can afford it. Especially since it is wireless.

But all this was with the Lehmann amp which costs about 750 pounds. My Asus STX card doesn't power my RS 170 anywhere close. The difference from the Lehmann amp is nearly night and day with it being far livelier, open, with a bigger soundstage and brighter as well. With an STX card you don't get the same effect with a RS 170. It isn't even close.

Swan M50W 2.1 v/s Audioengine A5 2.0 Review

Swan M50W 2.1 v/s Audioengine A5 2.0 Review

Setup:

Asus STX sound card

Audioengine A5 2.0 Powered Bookshelves on AE DS2 desktop recliners

Swan M50W 2.1 multimedia speakers on Auralex mopads

The positioning etc wasn't the same because I couldn't manage that. Anyway,

I listened to one set at a time.

Music only

Sound Signature:

Audioengine: Natural, clear and neutral sound. Deeper and more powerful authority sound. Fun sound despite not being colored at all.

Swan: Warm mid forward sound which is noticeably colored to sound better to most consumers. I am not saying that is bad, but it is just the difference between neutral/pro vs hifi/regular speakers, assuming we aren't speaking of quality. However, the sound was relatively thin due to smaller drivers and also less fun sounding once you are used to natural and neutral music. For most newbies however swan might sound better.

Bass:

No competition. Swan has more quantity and more thump and lfe because of the subwoofer. Audioengine has less quality wise but slightly tighter but not as solid/punchy as Swan due to the sub woofer. The swan sub woofer is better than the polk psw110 I used to have and which costs almost as much as the swan speaker set. Infact I have bought swans primarily for the bass and also for rear surrounds of course. The bass of swan isn't comparable to that found in a disc, it is pretty boomy as well compared to high end subs. But definitely not logitech crap although it doesn't go as loud as them either. But it surely beats logitech and computer speaker subs I guess in quality and texture. It really isn't that thumping though, more like punchy. Some people may prefer Audioengine here though. So depends on choice. Because AE has less quality, but tighter yet lighter and without the lfe though. For movies and even bassy songs I like the swan sub. But then I listen to both sets together usually. So if I had to choose one, it could be difficult.

Treble:

Audioengine has more powerful deeper yet natural and clean treble. Swan has brighter yet thinner/lighter and crisper treble. Audioengine is way more natural though. I prefer audioengine here.

Mids:

AE is balanced and neutral. Swans are mid forward but only very slightly which I do like. Some stuff is cleaner/crisper on Swan than on AE which is like.    However AE has deeper and more powerful vocals which are more musical despite being I colored. Swan isn't natural/neutral but still musical, however not as much. I haven't tried movies on swan alone, but I guess if you put the sub on minimum and use the swan for movies, then the swan might be better for crisper and sharper vocals and mids because sometimes vocals sound too recessed on AE since they are natural and neutral. I might prefer swan there if I try it out. So again, both do well here. AE is more powerful and deeper vocals with Swan being better to decipher since they are slightly mid forward.

Clarity:

Swan is better here. The sounds are relatively sharper and cleaner and better to decipher. I don't like this point about AE but the difference isn't huge, it is there but not huge.

Clearness:

AE sounds clear. Swan seems to have some veil to it. AE sounds clear and natural while Swan doesn't sound as good here.

Sound stage and sweet spot:

Audioengine has a deeper soundstage but Swan has a wider soundstage with a much bigger sweet spot.

WoW/Fun:

IMO I find AE to have a wow factor which Swan and even Wharfedales lack. Perhaps their sound is a bit brighter yet warm and colored at the same time. Whereas the AE sounds powerful and natural. However the mids in both swan and wharfedale are sharper and cleaner, so they are a clear win there. But AR is more fun sounding for some reason. But, it is possible that due to the sub etc for movies/games swan might be better.

Also, the swan is not upgradable as it doesn't have an rca out whereas the AE have. Not too big a deal considering splitters are easily available,  but still worth considering.

Also, they don't even come in the same price league nor do they target the same market.

AE costs around Rs30000 whereas Swan is a 2.1 which costs about Rs21000 or so inc sub. I am sure that Swan bookshelves in a comparable range could perhaps easily outdo the AE overall. M50W only has satellites. Not bookshelves.

If you don't have much rear space on your table, at least around 8-12in then it is better to get Swan if you have space for the sub as they are front ported. However purely for music 2.0 bookshelves by AE will probably be better. However, some people may prefer Swan even for music or perhaps find them nearly as good considering they are cheaper and with a sub. For movies/games the swan might win because of the sub, not sure.

Also, Swan are loud. But only for a mid sized or med/large room. They are comfortable at 25-35%+ volume. AE are loud enough for a hall. I listen to them at 10-15% volume. They are much louder. But at loud volumes swan seem more comfortable while AE appears to be screaming because of the powerful and overwhelming sound.

I won't really say which is better as it depends on your needs and preferences. But I prefer audioengine however both are pretty good, especially at what they do.

Also, I have also listened to Swan M10 which just costs Rs8600 or so. It is nearly the same as the M50W in terms of sound except with less quantity of bass and not as powerful bass but bass which is tighter. And it doesn't play as loud but still loud enough for a small to small/med room. Honestly, if bass isn't a priority and nor is the volume, then I would take M10 over M50W any day as they are nearly equally good. Even M10 has more forward and audible mids compared to AE5. For the price I say they are better than AE2 I guess which cost nearly twice as much. I haven't heard AE2 though and I am sure they have their merits as well.

But honestly, nothing comes close to M10 in their price range, not Bose/JBL. And even otherwise, M50W do a nice job in their price range but nowhere close to the VFM of M10.

Sennheiser RS 170 Surround Sound Review (VS Dolby Headphone)

Hi guys

So I sat down and reviewed the Sennheiser RS 170 Surround Sound option along with Dolby Headphone of my Asus Essence STX sound card.

MOVIES

In order of decreasing/(better to worse) surround sound effect:

RS 170 Surround + Dolby Headphone (both enabled)
is much better than
Just Dolby Headphone
is much better than
Just Sennheiser RS 170 surround

All the above three are noticeable and distinct compared to regular stereo settings, at least at the right time. However, the Sennheiser RS 170 surround isn't always noticeable except in moments when it is really powerful (not too powerful either though). Also, even with Dolby headphone enabled, enabling Senn RS170 surround has a huge difference and is easily noticeable in most situations.

Needless to say, the sound quality is the cleanest and sharpest in stereo mode. However, I seldom watch my TV serials, movies or play games without having both enabled, when using my headphones. The difference is BIG.

Both play a nice role, neither is a perfect home theater. But when combined together, they easily come close to a entry level Sony or Philips home theater as an overall experience with much better sound, and badly positioned speakers give worse surround sound that these headphones when the right software/RS170 settings are used.

RATING
RS170 7
Dolby 8
Both together 10/10 assuming that as reference point. Of course in absolute terms it will be more like a 8 instead of 10.

MUSIC

In order of decreasing/(better to worse) surround sound effect:

RS 170 Surround + Dolby Headphone (both enabled)
is much better than
Just Dolby Headphone
is much better than
Just Sennheiser RS 170 surround

The most noticeable option is just enabling the latter, however, that isn't clear and too overwhelming without absolute clarity. However, just enabling Dolby Headphone along with it takes it to a whole new level which you would really miss if you only had Dolby Headphone without the Sennheiser surround option. Both together work like a tank, but if you have to choose only one alone then Dolby headphone is a better option. Though, I see no reason why you can't have both if you are going for surround headphones.

The Sennheiser surround is a bit more wholesome sound without having the impact and power or Dolby headphone. However, this definitely has its advantages. To those who have never tried Dolby headphone, Senn RS170 surround is a big deal. And to those who only listen to Dolby headphone, enabling Senn RS170 surround takes it to a whole new level. However, neither of the two alone is as good as when they work as a team.

Honestly, Dolby headphone is good, but Sennheiser RS170 is better in some ways while worse in several others, but both have their merits. Both are good for their purpose and when used together they are indeed awesome.

Bottomline:
Surround sound is not a marketing gimmick. No matter which of the two products we are talking about! It ain't perfect but far from a gimmick.

The truth about Sennheiser wireless headphones (Review of Sennheiser RS 170)

                                                                 Review of Sennheiser RS 170

                                                                Wireless Audio Tech Perfected!

Sennheiser RS 170 is a mid end wireless headphone set. It retails for Rs.16990 in India or $279 in USA. It comes with a transmitter Sennheiser TX 170 (the headphone is called Sennheiser HDR 170) which needs to be plugged in to play. It uses Kleer wireless transmission technology which indeed ensures that there is no hiss due to wireless. I can vouch for this.

I will cut the fluff right here. And move straight to the point. I will compare these to my Audioengine A5 powered bookshelves and Monster Turbine (base) earphones.

Setup:
Audioengine A5 with DS2 stands through Asus Xonar DX sound card
RS 170 through Asus Xonar DX sound card
Monster Turbine earphones through FiiO E11 amp and ipad 3
I know this isn't exactly Apples to Apples but this is how I regularly use them. So this is a more practical approach.
The speakers and earphones are a couple of years old. So properly burned in. The headphones are brand new.
Also, these are my first pair of headphones though I have owned several speakers and earphones in the past.

Mids/Vocals
RS 10
MT 9.5
AE 8.5
The mids are the strength of these wireless headphones by Sennheiser. The mid range is awesome compared to my Audioengine A5 speakers.  The vocals are crystal clear and ideal for low volume as well as high volume listening.

Highs
AE 10
MT 9
RS 8
The highs are there. But they don't have the same impact as my audioengine speakers. Some people may find this laid back flavor to be more appetizing to their taste, especially those who listen to a lot of highs, but I don't because my music has few highs and I want them really sharp and to stand out. Perhaps these are even more neutral than my bookshelves, but I can't exactly talk about it. But the highs are definitely there, clear and crisp but laid back to some extent. Good but not ideal for my tastes. But for music with a lot of highs this will mean fatigue less listening for hours!

Lows depth
AE 10
MT 9
RS 8
RS with bass boost 7
Being bookshelves Audioengines have deep bass unlike these headphones. RS 170 is definitely not heavy on bass, but the bass is definitely there. It shouldn't make that much difference because the other plus points cover it up. Also, it may be tough for headphones to compare with other audio solutions. The bass is there, but definitely not prominent unless you turn on bass boost when it doesn't become prominent but still isn't tight nor deep. Bass is a let down for a basshead but not a deal breaker unless you are a bass head.

Lows tightness
MT 10
AE 9.5
RS 8
RS with bass boost 7
The bass isn't tight nor punchy but it does compliment the music without overpowering it. So if you want mid range focused music which has everything else laid back and balanced, then these are ideal for you. But don't expect thumping bass.

Lows Quantity
RS with bass boost 10
AE 8.5
MT 7.5
RS 6
With bass boost turned on the bass is there. The mid range is still clear. But the emphasis is on bass and mid range equally. However it isn't tight or thumping bass. But compared to other wireless headphones in the market I doubt there is much to complain. Even compared to other wired headphones under $200 few others will probably satisfy everybody. And bass from most bassy headphones will probably be bad as well, so these are much better in that respect.

Clarity
MT 10
RS 9.5
AE 8.5
The clarity is very good. Something which sennheiser can boast of these being wireless. It is much better than my speakers in this regard.

Clearness
MT 10
AE 9 
RS 8
There is a certain clearness which the headphones just perform average at. Compared to my speakers and earphones the music just doesn't sound as clear but these are my first pair of headphones as I said earlier, and it terms of clarity they are awesome, especially for vocals and midrange.

WOW factor
AE 10
MT 8.5
RS 7.5
Now this is something which speakers naturally do better at. However, I have read online that the RS 180 has a certain wow to music which the RS 170 lacks. Although I haven't heard the 180 I guess I still agree. There is a certain wow factor which is missing, it does become better with a few hours burn in, so who knows. They do a good job for headphones but lack a certain X factor in their texture and music. Maybe burn in might help. But I am not sure. Nevertheless, these are great headphones and AE have a wow factor only with high volume listening which isn't allowed at home. For low volume listening these compete or even beat my AE which is what I do most of the time. This is subjective though based on preferences and reference points. Some people like flat or natural music or even studio monitors while others like Bose :)


RS170 ( HDR170 + TX170 )

Without amp directly from iPad
Pretty bad, don't like them one bit, but that was with zero burn in, now they might be a bit better.

With E11 amp from iPad
Pretty decent, worth it.

With my sound card
Great job, but not perfect due to above reasons, but definitely good.

Virtual Surround Sound Feature
There is an awesome surround sound feature which converts stereo to surround sound. I love it.

Movies 11/10
A perfect home theater experience IMO! Can't be better for the price I guess. Besides, this is virtual surround sound but certainly doesn't feel like it.

Music 8.5/10
Doesn't work that well with music but some songs do perform much better with it switched on. Certainly a nice addition to the package.

Bass Boost Feature
This is something I haven't experimented too much with but have been dissatisfied with whenever I tried. For one, the bass becomes overpowering which I don't like. Secondly, the bass is still not tight or thumping bass so that doesn't help in anyway. I usually keep this on. But reviews online rave about this feature and most bass heads are satisfied with it. Even the mid range stays clear though.

Surround Sound
I would like to emphasize that the surround sound literally feels like a home theater within your head. That is perhaps the best thing that has ever happened to headphones IMO!

Overall features 9.75
Overall performance 8.75
Overall 9 because volume controls are awful, in fact unusable.

Pros
Good sound quality
Comfortable
Light
Wireless
Better priced that competition
Has awesome surround sound
Has bass boost
Long battery life
Pretty looking
Upgradable with other Kleer headphones. The TX 170 transmitter can be used with other Sennheiser headphones which use Kleer wireless transmission which include HDR 160 and HDR 180. They still retain the Surround Sound and Bass Boost features, however the sound might be a bit different (slightly I guess) as compared to that with their native transmitters which are TX 160 and TX 180 respectively.
Similarly, the HDR 170 headphones can be used with Sennheiser wireless transmitters TX160 or TX180 as well, but then they don't retain their surround or bass features.

Cons
Transmitter is too light, thus need two hands to use
Both the transmitter and the headphones need to be switched on individually each time
Awful controls
Average bass and bass boost

Sheesha

Yeh duniya ek ruhani sheesha hai
Eshe tumhare hi khawabon aur khayalon ne seencha hai
Yeh Tumhare hi karmon ka nateeja hai
Janm na hua mahavatar aisa
Chuda sake ense jo tumhara peecha
Maafi milti nahin yahan pe
Zakham bharte nahin kisi ke
Marna chaho bhi agar
Maut bhi gale lagati nahin
Darr main jeete log yahan
Parivar hai jhute yahan
Chakravyu na ye khatam hoga
Es duniya ka dard
Kabhi na kam hoga...

Meditation to Manifest

Meditation to Manifest

People often talk about the Law of Attraction, the Laws of Wealth and Abundance etc. But rarely do people focus on what sometimes can help the most in life. Meditation is a highly overlooked tool which is often over rated but mostly under rated by most.

Meditation can help you manifest your wishes even without the wishes being thought in your conscious mind. I can vouch for this fact from my personal life. I won’t share the exact incidents, but I can definitely vouch that such an event isn’t impossible through meditation. I am not saying that meditation has always helped me, but there have been times when it has indeed.

Of course, it is imperative that meditation be done on a Gurumantra or Naam Jap based on the teachings of your Guru. For instance I took the Naam nearly a decade ago from Saint Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh Ji Insaan of the Dera Sacha Sauda at Sirsa in Haryana. I am not saying that you should go to him, feel free to try out anybody and everybody who you can before you decide to follow anybody 

But the point is that meditation is a secret way to manifest without even revealing your wishes to yourself. I am not saying that it happens all the time, but it does happen at times and I would definitely rate it above the Law of Attraction or other techniques. I am not saying that you shouldn’t follow the Law of Attraction, I am saying that you can consider meditation as an option as well if you want.

Take care!

Aakshey

This is why you shouldn’t lie: EVER!

It is said, that those who speak the truth, come what may, the truth starts speaking itself in them. Jesus said, if I am in your words and your words are in me, then they will come true.

Now, coming to the explanation. If you always speak the truth, and nothing but what the truth is as far as you are concerned, then a time will come when whatever you speak casts itself in the realm of reality and indeed becomes the truth. And no, this isn’t the only reason why you should only speak the truth.

The above mentioned explanation is the cause of the action, or a reaction as they say. The reason is simple, God wants you to speak it, and thus you must. And the reward of that obedience is a tongue of gold. Nope, it won’t happen overnight, and is unlikely to happen even over a lifetime. But as time passes and as events unfold, the sun will rise and your words will one day come true. But.

It may take several lifetimes to reach that stage. And by that time, chances are most such people would know what to speak and what not to. But all that you say will be answered then, whether sooner or later. And you would have moved a notch up in the realm of spirituality. And of course, you would have received blessings of people in the name of being honest, truthful and pure.

This is the kind of tapasya Lord Shiva did (not the same tapa though) for thousands of years before he finally ascended to Godhood. He was born a man like you and me, but he never died and death or life is forever redundant to him now.

There are probably numerous other cases in history and especially in mythology when practicing something diligently leads to being benefited with certain rewards. Although in the present age, these rewards might not appear at the surface as often, and often might be subtle to see, nevertheless, it is far easier to attain nirvana today as compared to what it used to be in the Golden ages. Trust me, this is what saints today yell. Earning spiritual points today is easier, despite the fact that most of the world is studded with Cyclops of the disguised Satan.

And truth is something which will get you honor and respect more often than not. And if it is done from the heart, then all else becomes secondary.