If we’re talking about correctly implemented DACs and well-designed, low output impedance solid state amplifiers with enough power to reach the required loudness while preserving dynamic range, then no.
Of course, there are other products like tube amps that may produce a different sound signature that may be pleasant to the listener. If you’re interested in that sort of thing, you could give it a try!
I can’t tell the difference anyways.
I own a bunch of vintage headphones (though none of the legendary ones). Most of them fall into the category of “fun, but objectively bad”, especially the dynamic ones.
My Sennheiser HD 540 (from the 90s) sound pretty good in my opinion (better than the modern 560s), but they are still far from competing with most high-end headphones.
However, I also own a Stax Lambda Nova Classic (also made in the 90s), and that one is excellent. Performs similarly well to modern-day lambdas, but the tonality is more pleasant to me. I’d expect similar things to be true for the electrostatic headphones you mentioned.
“Flagship” headphone is not a guarantee to get something good sounding, even nowadays, so I can imagine some of the older ones to compete quite well. However, out of those you’ve mentioned, all but the K1000 are rare and very expensive, so not really good value-for-money.
Pretty awful, no matter the price. Extremely uneven treble, uneven midrange, the bass is ok. They sound completely off.
And yes, I’ve actually listened to them.
That makes a bit more sense, after looking at it for a second time. The slogan is just placed as if it was to market the Mirai, instead of making a general statement and offering the Mirai as a slight counterpoint.
Headphones.com markets them with the slogan:
Balanced tuning is no longer the luxury it used to be
Bold claim for a product costing 1k bucks lol
I really wonder why they don’t do it. Even the official seller for Audeze at High-End just puts all the headphones there without any possibility of EQ (admittedly, it’d be cumbersome due to how highly frequented that event is). With a few exceptions (CRBN, MM500, MM100) all of their headphones sounded underwhelming to me, and looking at the FR, it’s no surprise. I easily believe those would fare a lot better with some proper EQ.
Those are lovely. Just so much bass… but pretty good bass, extends really well. The rest of the frequency response is pretty bad, but nobody would buy them for that anyways. Definitely make me smile every time I use them.