The Hunt For Audio Perfection: The Sony MDR EX 500 SL Precision Studio Monitor

Tuesday, 26 April 2011

The Sony MDR EX 500 SL Precision Studio Monitor

HEADPHONE REVIEW

Sony MDR EX500SL

Precision Studio Monitor

Bought on 4Q of 2009 for S$159

Recommend Product: Not Really

Pros: Unique shape, Eye-catching housing, A step-up from standard earpieces.
Cons: Cost, Sound quality could be better, Insecure fit. Price tag could be better set.

Comfort
This here, is a vertical in ear earphone design , this design may not be stable for some , but it worked fine for me and its indeed rather secured .

Portability
Sony provides a leather travelling case along with it and it does help in storing them neatly. The cables are rather tangly .

Performance
Sound Quality- The first thing one will look in a good pair of headset will be the bass response, The bass response of these earpiece is just a slight upgrade from the standard earpiece which comes free upon buying an iPod, it can display low notes with not much bass distortion. Bass is realised . The midrange is well produced with the clarity , however not very realistic , sounded rather artificial . The trebles are focused in these earpieces, in fact, the trebles are over-focused, the extreme trebles produced are “piercing” and is somewhat hurtful to the ears for new listeners, too bright in that sense . They take quite a long time to burn-in. The Soundstage is about average. I personally doubt these “Studio Monitors” should be named that way as i don’t think they are up for the title to Monitor Studio Recording , it may be more practical to name them as just “Performance In Ear Headphones” As they are not Precise enough to be used as Studio Monitors. It is rather coherent , you can hear the different music instruments, but its very not distinct and real enough, some were very soft or even left-out , while some stands out but without much clarity. Lack of details.
Isolation- They have an average isolation system and this greatly reduces ambient noise when placed properly

Design
The housing is made of aluminium, which claims to help reduce vibration noise when playing music, it sure does cause people to take a glance at your earpiece when wearing them out. A vertical in-ear system. Other parts of the earpiece design are very typical to that of the standard earpiece. It also features an ultra thin cable, which turns out to be tangly .

Overall

These Studio Monitors are rather overpriced , considering that Sony gives a fixed 1 year warranty for a huge number of their portable audio accessories . Performance to Price tag ratio are all “just right”. However cheaper headphones may produce alot better sound quality than these SMs.

Included

- Small, Medium, Large Ear bud Sizes. – Leather Carrying Case

Here Are Some Photos on it ^^

1 comment:

Unknown26 March 2013 at 02:49
try used foobar2000 along with srs audio essential 1.2XX version.
While in foobar2000
Access to preferences > Playback > dsp manager > Add "Resampler (PPHS)- >configure selected>Set to 96kHz with ultra mode" & "Equalizer (find present on internet)" & Advanced Limiter"

To integrate parallel srs with foobar:
Foobar2000>preferences>output>device>speaker (srs audio)

Try refer from these webpage for further sound quality improvement:
http://www.audiokarma.org/forums/showthread.php?t=477184
http://www.audiocircle.com/index.php?topic=37387.0
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Short Audiophile Message

Once you own any headset or earpieces which have the capability to reproduce high resolution sound with superb clarity, coherency and impact , you are very unlikely to go back using the earpiece which came along with your phone or music player. Believe it or not, your music source has great potential in high fidelity quality audio playback, but your earpieces that comes along, limits it.

Hear, Listen, and Experience all the instrumentals and the emotions the artists are trying to bring out to you, the audience. Try a quality headset / earpiece , play your favourite music , close your eyes , calm your heart and experience what you have missed out in the music you have been listening to again and again for years ... ...

Audiophilic Terms

Analog
Generally, a mechanism that represents data using a continuously changing variable. In audio, usually a voltage that continuously tracks and represents sound pressure level.

Balanced Headphones
Balanced headphones are headphones that have been wired for balanced, or differential drive operation. Normally headphones have three connections: a left and right signal that is connected to the + side of the driver coil and then a common return for the - side of the driver coil. This common connection and its contact and other resistances to ground allow a small amount of cross-talk between channels to develop. Balanced headphones have four connections with a normal and inverted audio signal driving the = and - side of the driver coils for each channel. While this method requires special four-channel balanced headphone amplifiers, it completely removes the opportunity for cross-talk at the headphones and effectively doubles the slew rate of the amplifier/headphone system providing significantly cleaner sound.

Behind-the-neck
Behind-the-neck headphones have a headband the goes around behind the neck rather than over the head. These headphones are most commonly used as excersize headphones as thay are quite stable during activity and can be worn with a helmet, but they are also used when listeners don't want to muss up their hair, or when wearing a hat.

Bright
A term meaning generally that a sound has strong treble. Would be harsh or tizzy in the extreme.

Circumaural
Literally meaning "around the ear," circum aural headphones have ear pads that completely surround the ear, and ear cups that completely enclose the ear.

Closed
Closed headphones are also commonly called 'sealed' headphones, and are designed to block out environmental noise using a passive acoustic seal. Full size closed headphones provide about 10dB of isolation, mostly in the higher frequencies. Earpad closed headphones provide somewhat less isolation, strongly dependent on their design and the shape of your ear. In-ear headphones are a closed design in which the ear-pieces seal in the ear canal providing about 23dB of outside noise attenuation, and are the highest isolation of headphone type. Noise-cancelling headphones are typically closed designs that add electro-acoustic techniques to attenuate noise more than a passive seal would provide.

Coaxial
Many HeadRoom digital to analog converter (DAC) products have a "coaxial digital" input. This is a 75 Ohm S/PDIF digital audio input. The word "coaxial" specifically refers to 75 Ohm cables which typically use a coaxial construction, which refers to a center conductor and an outside conductor which completely surrounds the center conductor. Both conductors share the same center axis and are tharefor called "co-axial."

Coherent
Technically, when all spectral components of the audio are passing through the system at exactly the same time. When audio is coherent, imaging is precise and stable with instruments clearly defined and natural sounding. When incoherent, may become edgy and hard sounding, lacking image depth.

Crossfeed
An electronic circuit that serves to make the audio image on headphones more like that heard on speakers. It takes the signal from each channel, delays it for a few hundred microseconds, and crossfeeds it over to the opposite channel to mimic the acoustics of the left speaker sound reaching the right ear and vice versa. It both improves the audio image on headphones, and reduces listening fatigue.

DAC
A DAC is a Digital to Analog Converter. Music is stored as a series of numbers on CDs and in computer files. Each number represents a sample of the instantaneous voltage value of the audio signal at a point in time. Samples are taken many thousands of times per second (44,100/sec for cds), and have a resolution of 16 or 24 bits typically. A DAC takes this stream of digital numbers from a CD player or computer and converts it to an analog electrical signal that can be amplified and used to drive headphones or speakers.

Damping Factor
Typically the input impedance of a speaker/output impedance of the amplifier. An 8 Ohm speaker driven by a power amplifier with an output impedance of 0.8 Ohms would have a damping factor of 10. Typically, damping factors of 10 or more are considered good.

Digital
Generally a system using binary data (ones and zeros) to represent information. In audio, a digital signal is a series of binary numbers that represent the sound pressure level sampled in a series over time.

Digital Inputs
Any input to a digital to analog converter (DAC); for example USB, or S/PDIF Toslink optical or coax digital inputs.

Distortion
Any new feature in a signal due to some imperfection in the device through which it passes. For example, putting in a 1000 Hertz tone, and getting a small amount of 2000 Hertz tone out along with the original 1kHz tone.

Driver
The element inside the headphone that converts an elecrical signal into sound pressure that is heard. Most headphones use a dynamic driver which is a coil of wire suspended in a magnet and attached to a diaphragm. Much like a very small speaker cone.

Ear Canal Headphone
Ear canal headphones are called in-ear headphones by HeadRoom, but are commonly known by numerous terms including: in-ear monitor, IEM, ear canal headphones, earphones, and canalphones. In-ear headphones are inserted into and seal the ear canal, and provide the highest amount of isolation from outside noise of any headphone type including noise-canceling headphones. There are two types of in-ear headphones: deep sealing and shallow sealing. With deep seating in-ear headphones the tip of the earphone goes in about half the length of the ear canal and seats in the boney section of the ear canal; this type provides about 23dB of isolation. Shallow seating types seal near the entrance to the ear canal and provide about 15dB of isolation.

Earbud
Earbud headphones have small earpieces that are positioned in the small cupped area (concha) around the entrance to the ear canal in your outer ear (pinna). They most commonly simply rest in the concha, but some heave headbands and/or ear clip features to improve wearing stability. Earbuds are similar in size, but should not be mistaken for in-ear headphones, which seal in the ear canal and typically sound much better.

Earpad
Properly known as supra-aural headphones, earpad headphones have ear-pieces are sometimes literally flat pads against the ear, but can also be shallow bowl shaped, or deeper ear cups that are too small to fully surround the ear.

Earphones
Some manufacturers have begun to cal in-ear headphones 'earphones. HeadRoom calls this type of headphone 'in-ear headphones," but they are commonly known by numerous terms including: in-ear monitor, IEM, ear canal headphones, earphones, and canalphones. In-ear headphones are inserted into and seal the ear canal, and provide the highest amount of isolation from outside noise of any headphone type including noise-canceling headphones. There are two types of in-ear headphones: deep sealing and shallow sealing. With deep seating in-ear headphones the tip of the earphone goes in about half the length of the ear canal and seats in the boney section of the ear canal; this type provides about 23dB of isolation. Shallow seating types seal near the entrance to the ear canal and provide about 15dB of isolation.

Efficiency
Headphone efficiency is the measure of the relation ship between input signal level and how loud the headphones play. This can be a rather confusing measure and can be expressed in numerous ways: dB/Watt; dB/mW; dB/Volt. Some in-ear headphones have very high efficiencies (~120dB/mW); difficult to drive full size headphone may be in the 90dB/mW; headphones to be driven by portable players should have about 95dB/mW or better efficience, and a 100 Ohm or lower impedance.

Filter Switch
This switch engages a filter that makes the sound slightly brighter (more highs). It is there to compensate for the crossfeed which causes in increase in low frequencies. The amount of increase in low frequencies is dependent on how much information is common to the left and right channel; the more common information the more the bass will boost through the crossfeed. Over time, our electronics circuits have gotten faster, and we've found less bass emphasis occurs when the crossfeed is switched on, and we have found the need to use this switch is substantially less.

Frequency Response
A systems gain at various frequencies. "Flat" frequency response is when the gain is constant at all frequencies. For example, a gain of two at both 20 Hertz and 20kHz, and at all frequencies in between.

Full size
Also called "circumaural," full-size cans have earcups

Gain Switch
A coarse volume control for headphones of differing impedance. Roughly, set to low for 10 to 50 ohm; medium for 50 to 200 ohm, and high for 200 ohm and up. Headphones vary widely in their impedance and efficiency. In order to have the amplifier volume control operate somewhere between the 12 o'clock to 3 o'clock to achieve a normal listening level with the wide variety of headphones commonly encountered, a gain switch is used to adjust the gain range over which the amplifier operates.

Harmonic Distortion
Distortion artifacts that are exact integer distances higher in frequency than the originating tone, usually a result of non-linearities in the transfer function of an analog electronic device. For example: 1kHz might yeild a little distortion at 2kHz, 3kHz, 4kHz, 5kHz, etc. Typically, it is thought the even harmonics (2, 4, 6, 8) sound better than odd harmonics (3, 5, 7, 9). This is somewhat true, but a gross oversimplification of the subject.

Headphone Amplifier
A headphone amplifier is a miniature audio power amplifier specifically designed to drive the miniature audio drivers in headphones. Headphone amplifiers work essentially identical to power amplifiers used to drive speakers except they are much lower power and need to be capable of driving a wider range of impedance (~20-600 Ohms) than speaker amplifiers (4-8 Ohms). Headphone amplifiers typically range between 0.1 to 1 Watt, and about 0.2 to 2 Ohms output impedance.

Headphone Efficiency
A measure of how much energy it takes to drive headphones to a given listening level. Can be stated in numerous ways but generally in the form of: dB/volt or dB/Watt.

Headphone Sensitivity
see Headphone Efficiency

Image Depth
The ability of an audio system to portrey sounds in front of, and behind each other. Essentially, front to back imaging. Audio systems typically trade off a punchy sound for a deeply layered sound; a very few do both well.

Image Width
The left to right width of the audio image. Typically within the boundry of the left and right speaker in a two channel audio system, but may be all around in a multi-channel (surround-sound) system.

Imaging
see Soundstage

Impedance
The sum of both resistive and reactive impeding forces of a load. Headphone impedance commonly changes with frequency, and would become somewhat inductive or capacitive at different frequencies.

In Ear Monitor
Ear canal headphones are called in-ear headphones by HeadRoom, but are commonly known by numerous terms including: in-ear monitor, IEM, ear canal headphones, earphones, and canalphones. In-ear headphones are inserted into and seal the ear canal, and provide the highest amount of isolation from outside noise of any headphone type including noise-canceling headphones. There are two types of in-ear headphones: deep sealing and shallow sealing. With deep seating in-ear headphones the tip of the earphone goes in about half the length of the ear canal and seats in the boney section of the ear canal; this type provides about 23dB of isolation. Shallow seating types seal near the entrance to the ear canal and provide about 15dB of isolation.

Input Impedance
The effective resistance of the input to a device. Essentially, how hard a load it is to drive. Most good electronics have an input impedance in the many thousands of ohms, and are easy to drive.

Isolation
The ability of a pair of headphones to block outside sounds so that the listener can hear the music on the headphones more clearly. Can be measured as a broad band reduction in amplitude in a single number in dB; or shown as a graph indicating the amount of attenuation over the audio spectrum.

Laid Back
An audio presentation that has a sense of ease and distance; i.e. in the tenth row instead of the first row of an audience. Generally meaning that it lacks agressive high frequencies; slightly soft sounding.

Linear Amplifier
A broad category of electronic amplifiers with very linear gain curves. Usually solid state, class A/B push/pull amplifiers. Generally as opposed to single output device, class-A amplifiers that have more non-linear gain curves.

Liquid Sounding
A sense that the sound is a coherent and naturally integrated whole that effortlessly bounces along. Maybe somewhat colored and lush; is opposite to dry and lean sounding.

Listening Fatigue
The result of your brain having to struggle to properly place (localize) sounds in an artificial listening environment like speakers and headphones. Generally much worse on headphones, and can be minimized with the HeadRoom crossfeed circuit.

Lush
Usually attributed to vacuum tube audio gear which produces a relatively large amount of even-order harmonic distortion. This type of distortion is often plesant to the ear, and produces a rich, warm, ambiance to the sound.

Noise Cancelling
An electro-acoustic system which uses a microphone in the earpiece and an electronic circuit to produce a signal which is fed into the headphone which counter balances and cancels outside noise to provide acoustic isolation.

Output Impedance
The effective resistance seen by a load as it "looks back into" the output of an amplifier. The lower the output impedance of an amplifier, the more it shorts out (damps) the energetic reactions of the load. Good solid-state headphone amps have about one Ohm output impedance.

Power Amplifier
A power amplifier increases the amount of energy in an audio signal from a low level to a power level high enough to drive a pair of speakers. Power amplifiers typically have a fixed gain (amount of amplification) and volume is controlled by a pre-amp or headphone amp prior to being sent to the power amp. Power amplifiers are typically rated in Watts delivered into 4 or 8 ohms. Typical power ratings for desktop speaker amplification is about 25-100 Watts into 8 Ohms. 750 Watts is about 1 horse power.

Power Supply
In audio, the circuitry that converts the A.C. wall voltage into usable D.C. supply voltages inside the device. "Stiff" power supplies are desirable, and are those that change very little as the current demand from other circuits change.

Punch
An audio systems ability to deliver significant pressure changes while remaining coherent. An overly punchy system will often lack finesse to deliver depth of imaging.

Resonance
The characteristic of a physical systems ability to "ring." A bell is resonant. Electrical circuits can also "ring" as in an oscillator, but resonant circuits can also be used to create filters. Reducing unwanted resonance when driving headphones is generally accomplished though damping. Proper balance between the instability of resonance and reduced slew rate due to over damping is called "critically damped."

Sealed
Sealed headphones are somewhat more commonly called 'closed' headphones, and are designed to block out environmental noise using a passive acoustic seal. Full size closed headphones provide about 10dB of isolation, mostly in the higher frequencies. Earpad closed headphones provide somewhat less isolation, strongly dependent on their design and the shape of your ear. In-ear headphones are a closed design in which the ear-pieces seal in the ear canal providing about 23dB of outside noise attenuation, and are the highest isolation of headphone type. Noise-cancelling headphones are typically closed designs that add electro-acoustic techniques to attenuate noise more than a passive seal would provide.

Self-powered (speakers)
Usually computer speakers which contain their own power amplifier, take a line input, and have their own volume control. There are, however, very good self powered speakers of all sizes and quality used by professionals and audiophiles alike.

Solid State
A broad categorization of active electronic circuitry that use transistors of various types (NPN, PNP, FETs, J-FETs, and analog integrated circuits) to provide gain. Usually used to differentiate against vacuum tube based designs.

Soundstage
The ability of an audio system to reproduce the position and sense of space in which the instruments and sound sources are placed. Good imaging is when you can "see" with your ears the players standing there.

Square Wave Response
An audio test signal which alternates between two D.C. levels. Used to visualize the systems ability to pass a wide range of frequencies in proper time-alignment.

Supra-aural
Literally meaning "on the ear," supra-aural headphones rest against the outter ear and are generically termed earpad headphones. Ear-pieces are sometimes literally flat pads against the ear, but can also be shallow bowl shaped, or deeper ear cups that are too small to fully surround the ear.

Transient Response
The ability of a system to rapidly change voltage and/or acoustic pressure, and settle properly to target voltage/pressure. Also related to high slew rate, and the ability of the system to pass all frequencies at the same rate.

Transistor
A small electronic device which can provide electical signal gain in circuit construction. Manufactured using silicon or gallium arsinide semi-conductor materials in negatively and positively dopes crystal layers in a variety of structural configurations. Mainly segregated into bi-polar and field effect types.

Tube Amplifier
An audio amplifier using vacuum tubes in its gain stages.

USB
USB stands for Universal Serial Bus and is a standardized interfact designed primarily for personal computers as a peripheral control interface, but may be used in other devices like gaming consoles and hand held portable devices. The USB standard is controlled by the USB Implementers Forum, Inc which is a consortium of industry players including Apple, HP, NEC, Intel, and Microsoft.

Warmth
A term meaning generally that the sound of something has more bass and less treble. Would be muffled or murky in the extreme.

Wireless
Wireless headphones replace the wire with an alternative method for getting the audio signal to the headphones. Most commonly this is done with analog modulation of 900MHz radio frequency transmission, but digital modulation of 900MHz RF, Bluetooth, KLEER, and infra-red systems are also available.

- headphone.com