Take your audio to the next level
For Technolust, we tend to feature gear that's slightly out of reach. Even our reach. Hardware that we've come into contact with only briefly or maybe an item we've tracked since it was little more than rumor. The important thing is that we're smitten.
My first entry into this Technolust is slightly different in that I've actually used it. In fact I've had it on my desk for a while, but I still want one to call my own. The other two items I'm lusting after have also been in the office, but have since been whisked back to their point of origin, leaving a surprising hole in my audio life.
Luckily, 'tis the season for presents, so there's a chance some overly generous family member will see this as my festive wish-list. You never know….
Razer Seiren Pro
We've looked at the Razer Seiren Pro ($250) in a recent issue of Maximum PC (January 2016, Vol 21, No. 1), so I won't go over the same ground covered by that review. What I will say that I fell in love with it the moment I slid its impressively solid form out of the box. As with plenty of other hardware that we've featured in Technolust, the Seiren Pro gets the end user experience spot on, right from the start. It's reassuringly weighty and solidly built—pretty much an essential attribute for any large peripheral that's going to sit in a prominent place on your desk and handle the knocks and bangs of daily use, as well as online streaming misuse.
As far as quality of recording goes—which, let's face it, is pretty important in a microphone—I don't think I've ever seen anything approaching it at anything like consumer pricing. The different recording patterns help block out unwanted background noise, while the high-pass filter produces a natural, rounded sound bereft of background hum that is so easy to spot on oh-so-many streams.
We managed to grab the Shock Mount and the Pop Filter when we looked at this premium microphone, and it really is the little things that make all the difference here—lifting an already excellent piece of hardware to legendary status. The difference the Pop Filter makes is particularly impressive—cutting out a lot of the background hiss that is present in a busy working office. What I didn't realize though, is how much background noise there is near my home PC. I wasn't aware I was plagued with the hum of fans until I recorded with it present. Once you've recorded with a Pop Filter in place, with the high-pass filter on, it really is hard to go back to a bare microphone.
What does the Seiren Pro do that a normal microphone doesn't?
It's all about quality. I've watched enough Twitch and YouTube streamers to know which ones care about audio and which treat it as an afterthought. The end results always speak for themselves. Good quality audio just grabs you so much more, and when you're trying to keep people watching your stream, it's best not to give them reasons to leave. The fact that the Seiren Pro cuts out a lot of the background hums and annoying noises makes it the choice of pros here.
Pioneer XDP-100R
Of all the subjects that get people animated, audio tends to be a biggie. While many of us make do with whatever audio we can throw at our earholes, there are enough audiophiles out there to keep our sonic appreciation honest. I wouldn't normally count myself in the audiophile segment, but having recently listened to familiar songs in high-resolution audio (HRA) on the Pioneer XDP-100R ($699), I'm beginning to see what all the fuss is about.
If you haven't listen to any HRA yet, then I urge you to do so. It's a similar improvement over standard audio as the CD was to cassette tapes. I still remember the hyperbole at the time—"hear music the way it was supposed to be heard" they said, "every subtle nuance bringing new life to songs you know and love." And for a while the general populace was amazed. Music sounded great, and large sums of money was handed over to get strangely flaky gear that took up a startling amount of space and electricity.
And then everything got cheap and small and MP3s took over. Sure, they didn't sound as good, suffered from over-compression and generally did little for the source it was taken from. But MP3s won out, because they were convenient. You didn't have to anchor yourself to a large pile of gear to get a decent stereo hit, you could throw it on small players, or even your cell and enjoy audio on the go (back to the Sony Walkmans of my youth).
The reason I mention all of this is because my brief tryst with Pioneer's XDP-100R brought that transition rushing back. Going from run-of-the-mill ubiquitous audio to enjoying HRA was a revelation. The clarity is amazing. Songs I've listened to for years feel fresh and intricate. Of course, it helped that I was focusing purely on the music again, but having tried out the XDP-100R for a little while, it does bring refreshing clarity even when commuting or going for a head-clearing stroll.
The slightly austere aluminum body feels solid in your hand and packs all the features we'd want from such a player. It features a 1280x720 screen and runs Android 5.1.1. This last point means it supports the likes of Tidal, Deezer, Spotify and Apple Music, among others. Format support is impressive, covering lowly MP3s all the way up to DSD and 24-bit/192KHz FLAC/WAV playback.
You get 32GB of internal storage as standard, but it also boasts a pair of Micro SDXC slots, each one capable of supporting 128GB cards (or even SanDIsk's 200GB little wonders), to give you a maximum capacity of 288GB (or 432GB). Importantly, the XDP-100R will support Meridian's MQA playback after a firmware update in 2016, which means that when the new standard sees widespread adoption, this becomes a great way of listening to all of your music.
What does the Pioneer XDP-100R do that's so special?
High Resolution Audio is going to be big, and the thing that will make it big is Meridian's MQA, and currently this is one of the few devices that has promised support. There are plenty of other players out there, but this is one of the few I've tried. You will need a decent set of headphones to get the most from it as well though, which brings us nicely on to the next item in my Technolust….
Bower & Wilkins P5 Series 2
There are plenty of reasons to splash out a decent set of headphones, but getting ready for the high-resolution audio revolution seems as good as any other. We've always tended to favor a proper set of cans over a more gaming-oriented headset here on Maximum PC, simply because the quality tends to be so much better, and all without the heavy accent on bass that seems to ruin so many otherwise reasonable options.
There are a few things that headphones have to get right for me to consider them to be honest—I've tried plenty in my time, and it constantly amazes me how many fall at the first hurdle. In the office I had an aging set of bargain Sennheisers that lasted far longer than they should have, simply because the balance between comfort and sound was really hard to beat. Even in much, much more expensive offerings. I finally had to replace them with a Steelseries headset simply because the Sennheisers finally succumbed to years of abuse.
The Bowers & Wilkins P5 Series 2 are light and surprisingly comfortable—a not-inconsiderable point, because not only do I suffer from having a slightly larger than normal head (lots of headphones simply don't fit), but these are "on ear" headphones, which means that they don't cup your whole ear like some headphones do, but instead press against them. The fact that I found them comfortable is amazing, because I also have large ears and wear glasses, but didn't feel like they were trying to force the arms of my glasses into my head. They're light, too.
While they may tick my comfort box nicely enough, it's the quality of the audio that really has me returning to my current headset with a sulky disposition. The bass reproduction on the P5 Series 2s is particularly wonderful, boasting plenty of power but with a natural clarity and tightness—something that is highlighted even further when listening to a high-resolution source. In fact, I'd go as far to say that the bass reproduction is reason enough to splurge on what is admittedly an expensive set of headphones.
Obviously, the bass is just part of the sound and the overall sound reproduction is really what's important, and here I simply loved what these headphones did for my music. And while $299 isn't exactly cheap, this is honestly not a lot to ask for what is an incredible headset. One recommendation would be to stick with this "wired" set as opposed to the wireless variety, but that's just down to my experience of having audio cut out for the simplest of reasons.
What does the Bowers & Wilkins P5 Series 2 do that's so special?
You've undoubtedly got at least one set of headphones already. I'm sure they do a reasonable job when it comes to listening to YouTube videos and possibly playing games, but do yourself a favor and grab a proper set of headphones to see what all the fuss is about. While audiophiles have long talked about the difference good-quality equipment can make, when it comes to headphones, they're spot on the money. These aren't even really that expensive, especially when it comes to giving your music a new lease of life. Go on, 'tis the season to be jolly and all that.
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