Steven Slate VSX Headphone

[elxsound]

Just got my replacement headphones today.

They came new.


Here's a side-by-side. The metal band is greatly appreciated.

[blafarm]

Can't seem to find much regarding isolation from ambient room noise.

Since it was clearly not the design objective, is it correct to assume that the isolation is minimal?

[elxsound]

Can't seem to find much regarding isolation from ambient room noise.

Since it was clearly not the design objective, is it correct to assume that the isolation is minimal?

It’s minimal by way of them being closed backs. I wouldn’t even try to quantify it.

[blafarm]

Can't seem to find much regarding isolation from ambient room noise.

Since it was clearly not the design objective, is it correct to assume that the isolation is minimal?

It’s minimal by way of them being closed backs. I wouldn’t even try to quantify it.

Thank you.

[andymcbain]

Can't seem to find much regarding isolation from ambient room noise.

Since it was clearly not the design objective, is it correct to assume that the isolation is minimal?

I would say they isolate pretty well - more so than my other two sets of closed back cans - M50x and HD25s.

[blafarm]

Can't seem to find much regarding isolation from ambient room noise.

Since it was clearly not the design objective, is it correct to assume that the isolation is minimal?

I would say they isolate pretty well - more so than my other two sets of closed back cans - M50x and HD25s.

Thanks for that detail. I've been trying to understand if the isolation is sufficient to reduce or eliminate eDrum pad impact noise -- even though I know that IEMs designed for that purpose are much more effective for that use case.

[skarvika]

How much difference would you say it makes to use VSX with the Slate headphones vs DT 880s (or any other halfway decent headphones) + Sonarworks Reference? Wouldn't want to buy VSX and have it be rendered useless while waiting for replacement cans if they break.

[legendCNCD]

VSX has the best bass reproduction I've ever heard in any headphones, lets start with that alone putting it heads and shoulders ahead of the rest. Last time I tested sonarworks it was way too phasey to use it, for me.

[skarvika]

VSX has the best bass reproduction I've ever heard in any headphones, lets start with that alone putting it heads and shoulders ahead of the rest. Last time I tested sonarworks it was way too phasey to use it, for me.

I was able to find just the software for dirt cheap so I thought to give it a go. So far, I think it's pretty good, but I guess I should give a disclaimer that I don't have a frame of reference to compare with the actual VSX headphones. My Beyerdynamic DT 880s going through Reference provide an incredibly flat response going into the VSX software, and the HD-LINEAR room was identical both active and bypassed. So I trust the headphones don't make too much of a difference in the end as long as you've got a flat EQ curve going in. I found the 24(etc) series model setting to be the best with my particular setup, this is where having the Slate headphones probably makes more difference.
Using 90s trance songs for my references, I find Zuma's far-field mode to lend itself nicely to the genre. Sonoma's mid-field seems very transparent and pleasant. Archon's mid was also nice with some more emphasis on the low end. I'll probably use a combination of those going forward. I didn't find the NRG room to be particularly flattering for any song on any mode for trance, but rock worked a bit better. Steven's and Howie's rooms are probably the best for providing a sense of space. There does seem to be some mid-harshness in the studio rooms though (VSX does not like supersaws). I was able to attenuate this somewhat with the onboard EQ.
The SUV room is phenomenal; it's got excessively boomy bass and even that particular 'grainy' quality found in modern car systems. The club room has a nice ambience, but nearly everything I ran through the bass mode sounded like a big mess. I used Audio Technica M50x's for a few years, the M50 room sounds more or less how I remember them.
I can't speak on the Mike Dean stuff as the license I've got was for the Founder's Edition. How are you liking them compared to the other rooms?

[andymcbain]

I can't speak on the Mike Dean stuff as the license I've got was for the Founder's Edition. How are you liking them compared to the other rooms?

Mike Dean's NS10s, mains and car get the most use from me here. I'd say they're definitely worth having

[bmanic]

Huge version 4.0 update now available apparently. Haven't had a chance to test the latest version yet but I did have some time before holidays to test the early betas and they were already promising so I highly recommend checking out this update. Word on the street is that it's super good. Also, it has all the previous version (3.0) rooms included so it's a 100% no-risk update.

[andymcbain]

Huge version 4.0 update now available apparently. Haven't had a chance to test the latest version yet but I did have some time before holidays to test the early betas and they were already promising so I highly recommend checking out this update. Word on the street is that it's super good. Also, it has all the previous version (3.0) rooms included so it's a 100% no-risk update.

It's an absolute night and day difference for me... like a new plugin even. Certainly more immersive, much sharper transients. Early impressions when tweaking a mix are good - though I'm glad the V3 speakers are still there on a per room basis, just in case

[legendCNCD]

V3 was totally usable, so I'm here cursing I haven't got time to test it either (midsummer eve, cottage etc.)

[legendCNCD]

Alright. V4 is awesome. Friend bought VSX too

[bmanic]

Yeah it's indeed better than ever before. This has been one of the best audio equipment purchases ever. I've even invested in a 2nd pair just to have one available for backup. That's how dependent I'm on these headphones and the whole system.