INTRO

I have been enjoyably appreciating the Sennheiser MOMENTUM since just before Christmas 2012 and continue to do so now as I type this. 
 
The MOMENTUM is part of Sennheiser's Club Orpheus* flagship range of products - which also presently includes the HD 700, HD 800, RS 220, and IE 800 headphones as well as Sennheiser's newly released headphone amp the HDVD 800 / HDVD 600 - and is a beautifully-construced headphone with a high-quality sound that works well in a variety of listening settings.
 
DESIGN
 
Packaging


 
The MOMENTUM's packaging is similar to that of the Amperior (another recent and well-made addition to Sennheiser's product line) and by brief comparison is a definite improvement. Whilst the cardboard documentation holder that came with the Amperior has a tendency to fall out each time I open the box, the documentation holder of the MOMENTUM is securely epoxied in place and stays put when I open the box. It's a subtle improvement and one that shows me how Sennheiser are committed to improving their product line in every way, right down to the smallest detail.
 
After writing the previous paragraph I read the Amperior documentation where it reflected my statement and spoke of Sennheiser's dedication to "perfection down to the smallest detail." Need I say more.
 
The MOMENTUM's packaging has a blue band at the bottom that is similar to the packaging design of Blu Ray discs, which to me are often desired over DVDs. In that respect MOMENTUM is aptly packaged, as for me it is a more desirable headphone that many of the other similarly priced headphones currently available.
 
Carrying Case


 
The carry case for the brown/metallic MOMENTUM is a brown colour and is sturdily-constructed. It's wonderful to have a solid-yet-stylish case to match the modern-retro design of the MOMENTUM which contributes to my reassurance of the headphone staying in fine condition and my vision of an enjoyable duration of my experience with it.
 
Remote Control


 
The MOMENTUM's remote control cable is a thing of beauty. It is gorgeously-constructed and bends to terminate in either a straight or L-shaped jack plug. The buttons of the stylish and robust silver-coloured remote panel operate my iDevices with a satisfyingly subtle click. 
 
I find that the spacing of the buttons allows for accurate functioning of the remote control. With other iDevice remotes I have found their buttons to be too closely spaced together and arranged in a way that sometimes my intention to adjust the volume would pause, fast-forward or rewind a track I'm listening to or even end a phone call, but every time I use the MOMENTUM's remote control, my intention for adjustment is met. The remote control is a joy to operate. It's a small detail and one that adds to the satisfaction of my listening experience.
 
Fit and Fashionable


 
The MOMENTUM fits snugly over my ears and feels great to wear. However since receiving it and listening with it in bed, sometimes to meditation audio programs, I have fallen asleep with it on a few times and afterwards noticed that my ears and scalp had a slightly dull ache from the clamping pressure. People using the MOMENTUM for shorter periods of time will most probably be happy with it, as I am, and for those using the MOMENTUM for many hours at a time they will most probably notice a subtle outward stretch of the MOMENTUM's headband to sufficiently to reduce the clamping pressure to a lesser level.
 
The MOMENTUM is available in two colour-schemes, brown/metallic and black/red, the latter being a similar colour scheme to the immensely popular black/red coloured Beats headphones. I have the brown/metallic colour and love that it complements the colour of my red hair and the clothes that I wear, so much so that I've already (and gladly) worn the MOMENTUM as a fashion accessory/ear warmer when not listening to audio with it.
 
SOUND
 

 
Enough foreplay. Let's talk about the MOMENTUM's sound. The MOMENTUM has the highest quality sound I have yet heard from a portable headphone and all things considered, I find it to be very enjoyable.
 
"This is awesome" were the first words that came to mind about the sound when I listened with the MOMENTUM to a track from Donald Fagen's album Sunken Condos. Everything sounded well balanced and quite neutral, though compared to my HD800 there was a noticeable lack in treble extension. The sound of the MOMENTUM is slightly on the warm side of neutral and due to its closed-back design provides a great deal of bass resonance, ideal for people using it when outdoors or in a noisy environment.
 
With the Jimi Hendrix/Band of Gypsys track "Power to Love", the MOMENTUM works a treat. Jimi's guitar sounds warm and refreshingly analog, Buddy Miles' drums sound dry and punchy, and Billy Cox's bass sounds full and slightly boomy as it vibrates in the MOMENTUM's earcups. At times, and being used to the HD 800, I wished the sound of the MOMENTUM was slightly less resonant, but when I started to listen to the details of the bass part on this recording, I could hear all the detail I wanted to hear, so thumbs up there. When the band kick in at around 0:19, the sound from the MOMENTUM rocks whilst retaining great attention to detail. Brilliant!
 
I enjoy listening to ambient music and sometimes guided meditation CDs. For me the smoothness of the MOMENTUM's sound works very well for those purposes facilitating a subtly detailed sound that is pleasurable to listen with.
 
Comparison with other Sennheiser headphones


 
I'm writing this part of this review following a festive holiday in Germany where I also had the Sennheiser HD 800 and was editing some video footage of one of my recent musical performances** that I filmed with my portable digital video camcorder, which was positioned close to the drum kit I used in the video. The sound recording was quite clear overall but the sound of the hi-hats and cymbals was quite hot and slightly distorted. As I edited the footage I switched between the Amperior, the HD 800, and the MOMENTUM, and for the vast majority of my editing time preferred using the MOMENTUM due to how it softened the treble frequencies in a way that I found non-fatiguing and more palatable and enjoyable than with the Amperior or HD 800. The MOMENTUM's lesser ability to reveal as much micro detail as the other headphones was always more than enough and enjoyable. If there's one common factor true about my experience with the MOMENTUM so far, it's that I always find it very enjoyable.
 
The MOMENTUM and the HD 600, HD 650, and HD 800

When listening to some Jimi Hendrix Experience recordings I was curious to hear how the MOMENTUM compared with the Sennheiser HD series headphones. First I switched to the HD 600 and the sound felt a bit cold and flat by comparison though more neutral and revealing of instrumental textures and overall sonic detail. The HD 800, a much more revealing headphone that the HD 600, sounded fuller than the MOMENTUM and provided a much crisper and detailed sound, baring every nuance on the recording, especially in combination with the Lavry DA10 DAC/Amp. Considering the price of the MOMENTUM I found it held up very well with the HD 800, and whilst there's obviously no comparison between the technical capabilities of the MOMENTUM and the HD 800, I find the MOMENTUM every bit as enjoyable as the HD 800. I can imagine that there are many who may prefer the sound of the MOMENTUM over the HD 800, since the HD 800's ultra-revealing sound may not be to everyone's liking. 
 

 
In terms of my listening preferences - and this may be because my default go-to headphone is the Sennheiser HD 800 - when I have used the MOMENTUM for practical and analytical close-listening purposes including when learning song arrangements and drum parts for a gig, I have found the sound of the MOMENTUM to be slightly lacking in treble emphasis in relation to what my ears would perceive as 'natural' e.g. if I am at a concert and listening to a musician play live. This can of course be corrected by applying EQ via an iDevice's treble boost setting or using a portable amp, but all things considered I would prefer it if the MOMENTUM's sound had slightly more treble emphasis than it does. However the MOMENTUM'S stock sound remains excellent and I've enjoyed it every time I've listened with it.
 
Having tried some of the finest flagship headphones currently on the planet and listened to them critically, I have enjoyed them and also discovered many faults and discrepencies in their sonic characteristics, usually to the point of hearing the headphones and not enjoying the music that much. Since receiving the MOMENTUM and mainly listening to audiobooks and a miscellaneous selection of music in many styles. I've mainly just been enjoying the listening experience with the MOMENTUM, happily able to hear all the details in the recording that I want to.
 
Overall, surprised at how well the MOMENTUM performed with the HD 800, I find that the MOMENTUM has a high performance/price ratio and fares as a high-quality headphone that, unlike the HD 800, excellently lends itself to portable use.
 
The MOMENTUM and the Amperior


 
Compared to the Amperior, a similarly-priced headphone by Sennheiser also well-suited to portable use with iDevices, the MOMENTUM has less sub bass resonance and emphasis and less treble prominence. That reminds me of how the HD 650 compares to the HD 600 in those areas. The MOMENTUM is no slouch in the bass department though and can ably deliver a viscerally-impactful sound, which in combination with it's closed design are qualities I find work very well for a portable headphone. I find, though by a small margin, that the MOMENTUM isn't as effective in providing as much clarity as the Amperior in noisy environments. For example, when in Germany editing the video footage I previously spoke of, there was some Christmas music playing in the background. With the Amperior I heard all the details I needed to hear when editing over and above the music playing in the same room and without turning my headphones up to a painfully loud volume, but the bass wasn't as clear and impactful when I used the MOMENTUM, which is something that people who normally use their headphones in noisy environments may wish to consider if they are choosing between the Amperior and the MOMENTUM and looking for the option that provides the most sound isolation.
 
The sound of the MOMENTUM is less upfront and more laid back than the Amperior, which is very adept at revealing musical details as is the MOMENTUM, though the latter seems geared less towards analysis of mirco-detail and more towards enjoyably listening to music, and according to my ears, it very much succeeds in that. Another significant sound difference is that the MOMENTUM offers a more spacious and open window to peer into recordings than the Amperior which portrays recordings with a more compressed, upfront, and intense sound.
 
OUTRO / SUMMARY

The MOMENTUM has proven a very neutral-sounding headphone which I have found enjoyable with all audio I have fed it. I have only had a desire not to use it for listening when wanting to compare it to another headphone or when watching movies or gaming, for which I prefer a brighter-sounding headphone that enhances the crisp visual detail on screen, but that's just my preference. The MOMENTUM can of course be enjoyably-used for all listening purposes, though some users such as audio professionals may want a more soncially-revealing headphone.
 
I think that for most music lovers who listen to music using an iDevice and/or a laptop or desktop computer and want a veratile headphone suitable for both purposes, purchasing the MOMENTUM - and a great value USB DAC/Amp such as the FiiO E17, which I also highly recommend - could very well be the best of both worlds.
 
The Sennheiser MOMENTUM is a fabulous choice for anyone wanting a stylish looking headphone that also sounds great overall. It works great with pretty much every audio I feed it, and with Sennheiser's readily available spare parts, could be a headphone than can be cherished for life. I highly recommend the Sennheiser MOMENTUM.
 

 
*More info on Sennheiser's Club Orpheus range of products can be found here: http://www.sennheiser.co.uk/uk/home_en.nsf/root/club_orpheus_club_orpheus_about
 
** Here is the video footage I edited with the MOMENTUM: Windsor with the Revelators - 2012 - part 1 - YouTube
 
P.S. here's my video review of the MOMENTUM
 

 
I picked up a FiiO E17 when en route Germany to stay there for the 2012 Christmas period and the early days of 2013. I wanted to do some video editing work and listen to music when over there but didn't want to be without the stalwart reference quality Lavry DA10 which I didn't want to travel with on that occassion, so I decided to give the E17 a try.
 
Prior to owning the E17 I owned the FiiO E7, which was my first DAC and one I enjoyed very much, though wanting a more neutral sound than the E7 provided I upgraded from it. Since buying the E17 a few years after owning the E7, I was initially very impressed with the relatively more neutral-sounding E17, an all-in-one DAC/Amp with a clear overall sound and inbuilt EQ functions that I have enjoyed using, particularly when wanting more bass when listening with the HD 800
.
When I compared the E17 and my DA10 - a DAC/Amp costing many times the price of the E17 - the difference wasn't as night and day as I imagined it might be. The DA10 has much more high-end treble detail, which by comparison sounded a bit fuzzy on the overall less clear sounding E17 (I write this from memory as at time of writing I'm unable to use the DA10 with my laptop - more on that later in this review), but overall and considering the price of the E17, it does a great job of creating a cleaner-sounding listening experience than plugging directly into the headphone output of my laptop. The E17 also serves as a nice enhancement to my iPhone when I use the E17 as a headphone amplifier, but to be honest, when I'm out and about and listening to music I tend not to analyse the sonics of what I'm hearing and more often enjoy the music without feeling the need for a headphone amplifier as I'm happy with the level of amplification my iPhone already provides.
 
For Xmas 2012 I received the gift of a Sony PS3 and since returning to my place in the UK, the E17 has lived for many hours as part of my PS3/TV setup, which is currently also my main home cinema rig. Like how the E17 provides a clearer sound in relation to plugging into the headphone socket of my laptop, the E17 removes virtually all of the distortion I experienced when connecting my hi-fi amp directly to my TV, without a DAC in the audio chain. Adding the E17 to that setup has turned out to be a great value and cost-effective component contributing to a much more transparent listening experience than what I experienced when using my bookshelf hi-fi speakers and headphones without a DAC. For me, the E17 would be worth the money I paid for it if I just used it as part of my PS3 rig, but it does oh so much more.
 
To expand on what I wrote above, I have been unable to use my Lavry DA10 with my laptop due to snapping a headphone plug off in my laptop's headphone socket, and have been resorting to the USB-connected E17 when listening to music, editing video content, and other audio-listening-related purposes, and to be honest, since using the E17 I haven't missed my DA10 that much, though I would prefer to use the DA10 due to the enhancements in listening quality it provides. But really, considering the performance/price ratio of the E17 and what a versatile multifunctional device it is - and one with a large number of audio input options - I consider the E17 to be the best value head-fi component I have yet purchased and give it my highest recommendation to anyone (particularly those new to the 'head-fi hobby') willing to spend ~$150/£100 to investigate the benefits a great value DAC/Amp can provide.

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Intro
 
I recently received a loaner Audez’e LCD-3 headphone, which is most probably the best-sounding headphone I’ve ever heard (you can see how it fared in a recent comparison I did here). However, with the stock cable elements of recordings sounded a bit unclear to me at times e.g. listening to a jazz recording which included the drummer playing brush patterns on the snare drum, the sound I was hearing was lacking treble detail and pointiness and instead sounded a bit muffled to me, which I thought was unacceptable coming from a headphone costing £1600.
 
Hearing more potential for the LCD-3 I wanted to try it with an aftermarket cable, as, in my experience, using an aftermarket headphone cable can make a clear difference (often subtle) to the sound of a headphone. It then occurred to me to post a request for a loaner cable in head-fi’s Audez’e LCD-3 thread so I did, and I was soon contacted by a man named Frank, the owner of the UK-based cable company Toxic Cables. When I emailed Frank asking about his cables, he offered to send me one for evaluation, which I thought was very kind of him. The Pure Silver OCC cable I received from Frank is making a wonderful contribution to what I’m hearing from the LCD-3 in such a way that I wouldn’t go back to the stock cable.
 
The equipment for this review is as follows: 320 kbps MP3s / Apple Lossless Audio Files -> iTunes / Amarra Hifi -> JPS Labs Ultraconductor Optical Digital Cable -> Lavry DA10 DAC/Amp -> Audez'e LCD-3
 
I know that the wire-with-gain-esque amp of the Lavry DA10 isn’t considered optimal for driving orthodynamic headphones such as the LCD-3 which can benefit from more amping power, but I currently don’t have a more powerful amp. However, I really enjoy the Lavry DA10 and think it certainly creates a clear enough sound (one of the clearest and most neutral sound signatures I’ve ever heard from a DAC/Amp) for me to discern what’s happening on a recording or with other components in the signal chain.
 
Design
 

 
Frank’s Pure Silver OCC cable is made of hand braided nylon-coated silver/gold wire and the overall design is simple and refined. A brief read of the Toxic Cables website reveals just how much care and attention to detail has gone into the construction of this cable. Frank offers customizable options to his customers such as – in addition to different termination options i.e. single-ended or balanced connections – having a cable Cardas-soldered rather than the cable’s standard Mundorf soldering; he clearly aims to please his customers.
 
The Pure Silver cable is very fine and very light, noticeably more so than the LCD-3 stock cable, but despite the lightness of the cable it feels reassuringly robust. The cable gets out of the way when I am using it, except for the occasions where it rubs against the zip of my jumper and creates an audible vibration, but that happens with other cables too and when I don’t wear a jumper with a zip on it, it’s just me and the music.
 
Performance
 
As I said previously, my main concern with the stock-cabled LCD-3 on my rig was that the pointedness of what would be natural-sounding treble i.e. what my ears would hear if I was present listening to a live performance, was rounded off. Whilst this created a sound that was warm and never fatiguing, having been used to listening with the Sennheiser HD 800 for a few months, there were just so many treble details that, relatively, I wasn't hearing with the LCD-3. Franks’s cable resolved that right away, noticeably increasing the overall definition, and whilst with the LCD-3 I still wasn’t hearing the same amount of treble detail on recordings as I heard with the HD 800 (by a long way), the air and pointedness that sounded missing to me before had returned and to me my experience with the LCD-3 was much more enjoyable.
 
Here are some of the differences I heard between the stock LCD-3 cable and Franks Pure Silver cable when listening to some albums I enjoy:
 

 
With the Pure Silver cable, the tuned percussion on Steve Reich’s 1987 album Drumming with was revealed with more audible subtleties and delicacy. It was as it the percussionists had changed to a harder mallets, and that seemed to draw me in to the music more than with the stock cable.
 

 
On the track Wooly Mammoth from L.A. guitarist Michael Landau’s recent release Organic Instrumentals, the recording heard via the stock cable sounded great and presented the music with a slightly warm sound overall. With the Pure Silver cable, the warmth was reduced and the sound was less boomy with more definition. It was like a veil had been lifted and that the stock copper cable had created the effect of covering a speaker with a thin piece of silk fabric.
 

 
With the opening track from Meshell Ndegeocello’s Comfort Woman album, the stock cable’s warmth was a very welcome compliment to the warmth of the bassline and Meshell’s lushly smooth vocal track. Switching to the silver cable, the reggae guitar on the left channel immediately stood out more making that element of the groove sound more engaging. The subtle nuances of Meshell’s vocal were more defined and I could hear more airiness in her vocal tonality; her ‘sss’ syllables had much more sparkle. Master drummer Chris Dave’s already high-pitched snare drum had more of a crackle and also stood out more than before.
 
Value
 
The Pure Silver OCC cable costs £160 for the 8ft length Frank sent me, which (not considering shipping) is over £60 cheaper than the cost of the Moon Audio Black Dragon cable I have for the Sennheiser HD 800. Since both of those cables created a similar level of ‘improvement’ with the respective headphones I tried them with, I’d say that the Pure Silver OCC cable is excellent value for money. Also, if you don't need a cable to be as long as 8ft, you can save some money as Frank also sells a 6ft version of the Pure Silver OCC starting from £142.
 
Overall
 
In general, with the LCD-3 I found that the Pure Silver OCC cable made the music come alive more than with the LCD-3's stock cable. Though some LCD-3 owners may be happy with the sound they’re hearing with the stock cable, I found myself wanting for more sparkle due to the treble clarity I was used to with the HD 800, so the ‘improvements’ I’ve pointed to are subjective and just my opinion, and though I’ve done my best to describe what I heard in honest, neutral language, there's no substitute for you hearing audio equipment - such as cables - with your own ears and knowing what sounds preferable to you.
 
If you’re looking for a clearer, more well-defined sound from your LCD-2 or 3 and want to try a silver cable then I highly recommend trying Toxic Cables' Pure Silver OCC cable. It really helped transform my experience with the LCD-3 in a very enjoyable way.
 

Intro
 
Long before I heard of Head-fi.org, one of the first headphones I ever bought was the Sennheiser HD 25-1. In 2004 I was on tour as the drummer for the internationally renowned singer Fish (ex-Marillion) and wanted an excellent headphone to enhance my music-listening experience both on and off the stage. When browsing in a European department store, I found and bought a discounted HD 25-1 for around £150 and used it for the rest of my touring time with Fish, much preferring its sound instead of the budget in-ear monitors I was issued at the start of the tour. After the tour I stored the HD 25 in one of my boxes where it lay dormant for a few years.
 
Fast forward to around 2010 and it was a time that I wasn't listening to much music nor was I interested in headphones. I then began to feel inspired to find a great headphone to enjoy music with, and that search led me to head-fi.org, other headphone sites, and many beautiful human beings. Along the way I resurrected my HD 25 and began to appreciate just how great a headphone it still is in my humble (and obviously subjective) opinion.
 
For those of you reading this who don’t know about the Sennheiser HD 25, for many years it has been an industry standard headphone for professional audio applications and is still frequently used by cameramen, DJs, and other music professionals. In addition to its prowess in those areas, the HD 25 is a popular choice of headphone for many non-professional music-lovers and headphone enthusiasts (it's currently #5 of all headphones on head-fi's official headphone ranking page) and has recently gained popularity and press with the release of an Adidas themed version that only differs cosmetically from the HD 25-II. 
 
I think the HD 25 is an excellent headphone for personal use that is particularly suited to music such as pop/rock music and other musical styles where rhythm is important such as some electronic music, reggae, and R&B. And in my quest for a headphone that revealed music as I would hear a live performance if I were present in person at the performance and hearing it with my own ears, or listening to high-quality studio monitor playback in a high-end studio, the HD 25, with its prominently bassy-yet-neutral sound and clear transients wasn’t perfect, but I thought it was very impressive and enjoyable.
 
Introducing the Amperior
 

 
At the start of this year, I saw this video of the Amperior posted on head-fi, followed by glowing reviews by Tyll Hertsens of Innerfidelity. I also began to get very excited about the Amperior and bought one from a local Apple store as soon as I knew it was available. When I got it back home and tried it (yes I waited I liked what I heard. A lot.
 
Design
 
As will most probably be obvious to you now if you watched the above video, the Amperior is basically the same design as the HD 25 but with a few changes:
 

1. The swivel caps and plastic earcups of the HD 25 have been replaced with anodized aluminium in a choice of either blue or silver.
2. The headband padding and earpads have been replaced with a more luxurious material similar to that used with Sennheiser’s current flagship headphone, the HD 800, and also the HD 700.
3. Instead of the HD 25’s one cable, the Amperior comes fitted with a short cable, extending 0.3 metres from the right ear cup, and also included in the package are two extension cables, a standard 0.85 metre cable and a 0.96 metre cable with a remote control and integrated microphone, specifically designed for use with iDevices.
4. The iDevices the Amperior was designed for have a lower output level in comparison with the higher output level of standalone amplifiers, and to enable the Amperior to be driven sufficiently it has been given an impedence of 18 ohms, compared with the 70 ohm impedence of the HD 25; basically, at the same volume setting on an iDevice, the Amperior will sound significantly louder than the HD 25.

 
The Amperior's stylish box that is a very functional way to store the headphone and its cables when not in use. The box is hinged and closes securely due to the tension between the boxes’ outer and inner lip.
 

 
The incredibly robust headband of the HD 25 seems mostly unchanged with the Amperior. Before selling my HD 25, I had used it extensively and casually stored it in my bags and cases when on the move, and after 10 years of wear-and-tear – not always in the most delicate way – the HD 25’s headband remained unscarred and in remarkably fresh-looking condition. The only criticism I have with the Amperior’s headband is that the headphone cable sometimes comes loose from the groove in the headband it runs through. This is a minor issue but one I would prefer not to deal with.
 
One feature about the Amperior and Sennheiser headphones in general for which I am incredibly grateful is that parts for all Sennheiser headphones are available for purchase. To me this is very reassuring as it pretty much guarantees a lifetime of use for any Sennheiser headphone as long as they continue to manufacture and supply spare parts.
 
Comfort
 
Though essentially the same design as the HD 25, I find the Amperior to be much more comfortable due to the upgraded pads. It feels very pleasurable to put the Amperior on and take it off and it also feels more expensive than the HD 25, which to me feels less luxurious and more of a standard item.
 
The Amperior is a supra-aural (on-ear) headphone and clamps firmly on my head, providing effective isolation from outside noise. Like with the HD 25, I find the Amperior's clamping pressure gets uncomfortable after wearing it for an hour or two, but if I take it off and give my ears a rest for a few minutes, they feel fine again when I put the Amperior back on.
 

 
Audio Quality
 
The sound of the Amperior is very similar to the HD 25-1 I had, but I find the sound quality of the Amperior to be a definite step-up and more cohesive sounding overall. Some say that the HD 25-II is a sonic improvement over the HD 25-1, but I can’t yet comment on that from actual listening experience. Since I sold my HD 25 soon after buying an Amperior, I won’t be A/B’ing the Amperior and HD 25, but some of my comparisons between them can be found in this thread.
 
Again like the HD 25, the Amperior is an excellent detail retrieval tool that will no doubt assist many listeners in hearing details they never knew existed in their favourite recordings. The Amperior is still nowhere near as revealing of musical details as current flagship headphones such as the Sennheiser HD 800 and the Audez’e LCD-3, but for a supra-aural headphone that costs a fraction of their price and is designed for portable use, the Amperior is truly excellent in this regard.
 
When listening to recordings with the Amperior, the instrumental tones are slightly thinner than natural i.e. what I would hear if I was present listening to a live concert performance at the venue, and in terms of overall sound balance the Amperior is very neutral with a slight emphasis on the bass region.
 
One of the Amperior’s most prominent features is its ability to deliver impactful bass that facilitates a fun toe-tapping factor (known as PRaT in the world of headphones). Listening to the drum and bass track Seven Samurai by Photek, the sub bass extends low to such an extent that I can feel it vibrating in my chest. With some tracks the Amperior’s bass at times sounds a bit boomy but when I listen more closely, even on tracks such as All My Life by the Foo Fighters where there’s a lot of activity in the bass region, I can still hear details such as the pointed attack of the bass drum beater above the bass guitar.
 
The Amperior reveals what’s on recordings with clarity that is there in spades but due to its closed-in sound, which could be described as intense, the listener may have to concentrate more to hear specific instrumental details than they would with a more open-sounding headphone. I’m not at all saying this is a ‘bad’ thing about the Amperior, but merely that the Amperior has a specific-sounding presentation that is different than some other types of headphones. I can see that many people who listen to music with a strong rhythmic emphasis could easily prefer the Amperior over less forward-sounding high-end headphones. I personally recommend giving the Amperior a listen if you get the opportunity.
 

 
I find that there is a slight sibilance in the Amperior's treble region which is evident when listening to cymbals, such as on the song White Limo and Dear Rosemary from the Foo Fighters Album Wasting Light, but for me such sibilance in no way affects my enjoyment of the music. Everything sounds clear and impactful.
 
The Amperior’s soundstage may be considered its weakest area as it isn’t as wide and expansive as other headphones and can relatively sound a little bit congested, but I still find its soundstage more than enjoyable for most recordings.
 
When it comes to instrumental definition, or separation as it's often referred to, the Amperior smoothly delineates each instrument on recordings in a way that cohesively, and with an intense intimacy, presents the whole musical picture. If you are looking for a spacious-sounding headphone that portrays instrumental details and texture with both the utmost definition and separation (useful qualities when listening to recordings featuring many instruments and subtly detailed orchestration e.g. classical music), the Amperior may not be the headphone for you, but it has clearly presented every instrument on most of the wide range of recordings I have so far fed it. (Since getting the Amperior, I’ve listened to many recordings with it; my current total listening time with the Amperior is about a few hundred hours.)
 
Value for Money
 
At the time of writing this, the Amperior is available from Apple stores for just under £260, which is around £100 more than the HD 25-II or HD 25 Adidas Originals versions. I think that £100 is a lot to pay for a headphone that is designed to sound the same as its predecessors, but I do much prefer the sound of the Amperior to other portable headphones that cost more than it.
 
When I recently compared the Amperior to the Bose Quiet Comfort 3 portable headphone (RRP approx. £300), I clearly preferred the Amperior and thought it sounded more natural and full-sounding, making the Bose sound thin and tinny by comparison, and a few years ago, I A/B’d my HD 25-1 with the B&W P5 (RRP approx. £240) and much preferred the clarity of the HD 25, so it makes sense that I’d also prefer the Amperior over the P5. 
 

 
The Amperior’s earcups are made from machined aluminium, which most probably adds to the cost of construction materials and the manufacturing process over-and-above what it costs to manufacture the HD 25, and they also add sparkle to the HD 25's aesthetic, so considering the Amperior’s excellent sound quality and fashionable, modern looks, I think the Amperior is great value for money relative to other headphones on the market. But again that is obviously subjective i.e. my opinion.
 
Outro / In Summary
 
The Amperior is a stylish-looking, lively-sounding, and robustly-constructed headphone that presents music to the listener with an abundance of sonic impact. It sounds good with all styles/genres of music (it particularly shines with pop/rock and other music that thrives on visceral impact such as some electronic styles, reggae, and R&B) and it is excellent for both personal and professional audio applications. The Amperior is also an ideal choice for people who frequently travel or find themselves on-the-go and want an audiophile quality headphone to take with them.
 
The Amperior is another world-class product from Sennheiser and the finest supra-aural portable headphone I've yet heard.

Intro: my first encounter with the HD 800
 

 
A few months after discovering the world of high-end headphones I auditioned two of Sennheiser’s HD series, the HD 600 and the HD 800, side-by-side in a local hi-fi store. From the first moment I listened with the HD 800, I was amazed at how deeply I was able to peer into my favorite recordings and hear new details like never before. Though the HD 800 initially sounded a little bit bright to me in relation to what I would describe as ‘natural,’ I found its pristine sound reproduction to be a revelation, and for about an hour I listened in awe with the two HD series headphones.
 
Following that initial listening session, I wasn’t completely sold on the HD 800. Yes, it sounded like a fantastic musical microscope, but I thought it seemed expensive and a bit too thin sounding and treble-centric for my preference of totally natural sounding instrumental timbres and decided to leave the HD 800 alone for a while…
 
Reacquaintance with the HD 800
 
Eighteen months after my first encounter with the HD 800 and with more listening experience - including time with some of the world’s finest headphones - I found myself having the Audez’e LCD-2 as my main headphone, meticulously EQ’d by me to a more neutral response that revealed more of the upper level details that the LCD-2 seemed to lack in stock format.
 
As I continued to browse in the head-fi and related community, I discovered an article by Tyll Hertsens in which he rated the HD 800 as one the best headphones on the planet, and that the implementation of a simple mod alleviates the treble issues that many people experience with the HD 800 (more on that later). That was all I needed to see - my curiosity for the HD 800 was reactivated in that moment, and within a few days I had visited a hi-fi store in Germany (where I was on vacation at the time with family and friends) and given the HD 800 over an hour’s listening time. I really liked what I heard this time.
 
When I got back from Germany, I A/B’d my custom EQ’d LCD-2 with an HD 800 and was so suitably impressed that I decided to buy a used, next-to-new condition HD 800, and I’m very glad I did.
 

 
Equipment used during this review
 
All listening tests referred to in this review were done using the HD 800 and – unless otherwise indicated – either 320 kbps MP3s, lossless audio files, or CDs, fed via a JPS Labs Optical Cable to the Lavry DA10 DAC/Amp. At various times I had a number of other headphones on hand for relative comparisons inc. the Audez’e LCD-2, the Sennheiser HD 600 and HD 25, another HD 800, and the Grado PS1000. I often switched between them but there were other times when I just listened with HD 800 for extended periods.
 
Packaging and comfort
 
The HD 800 comes stored inside a black cardboard storage box similar to those of Sennheiser’s HD 6x0 headphones, but the HD 800’s box is lined with black satin and feels much more luxurious. Reading the HD 800 manual gave me a much greater appreciation for the craftsmanship of the HD 800 and Sennheiser’s meticulous creation standards. Though I was impressed by what I read and felt reassured that the HD 800 is an exquisitely constructed product, it seemed obvious that the proof of the pudding would be in the listening with the HD 800.
 
In terms of comfort, the HD 800 is probably the most comfortable headphone I have ever worn. It is light to wear and disappears from my awareness after a few minutes, revealing just the music/recording.
 

 
HD 800 listening experiments
 
Here are some of my findings about how listening with the HD 800 sounds to me:
 
Being used to the Audez’e LCD-2, which is a slightly dark-sounding headphone with emphasized bass presentation by default, I found listening with the HD 800 being like lifting a veil from what I was used to hearing with the LCD-2. When it comes to detail retrieval, the HD 800 is simply unmatched by any other flagship headphone I’ve yet heard.
 
On another note, when listening with the HD 800 since receiving it, I’ve often found myself audibly exclaiming the word ‘amazing’ quite a lot. It’s a welcome bonus and a ‘wow factor’ that I seem to experience relative to the clarity and precision of the HD 800, which to me is not the cold, soulless listen that many make it out to be. In my experience, when our thinking clears and we just listen, what we listen to always clearly speaks to us.
 

 
Soundstage and instrumental definition
 
No other headphone that I’ve heard has a soundstage as expansive as the HD 800’s - it’s wide, very deep (from back to front as well as from top to bottom), and very immersive for the listener. Every instrument on any recording I’ve played with the HD 800 sounds clearly positioned in the mix.
 
Hearing so much sonic detail presented at once can be a lot of information to take in may be quite fatiguing for casual music listeners used to a less revealing headphone-based listening experience. But the extensive detail revealed by the HD 800 is very impressive.
 
it’s clear to me why the HD 800 is considered a top choice for many audio professionals who work with open headphones: if it’s on the recording, the HD 800 will reveal it.
 
When listening to a recording of a live session I participated in a few days ago, I initially reached for my stalwart LCD-2. Then, when some instrumental details on the recording seemed to elude me, I switched to the HD 800 and almost immediately, what was muddy and unclear on the recording with the LCD-2 became clear with the HD 800. There was no harsh brightness and no colourations, just what’s on the recording. It was a very welcome surprise.
 
That realization confirmed for me that any excessively undesirable colourations that I’ve heard with the HD 800, such as overly bright and grating treble, must have been to an extent due to the recordings played. And it seems obvious that for an optimal listening experience with the HD 800, high quality recordings are a must.
 
That said, I do not find the HD 800 to be colourless, it clearly sounds like is has a slightly brighter, treble-happy sound than what sounds ‘natural’ to me i.e. the sound I heard when a musician performs in front of me.
 

 
Bass
 
In terms of bass presentation, I initially thought the HD 800 sounded very anemic, but after some more listening it was clear that bass with the HD 800 is fully represented, ultra clear sounding, and extensive, and, due to the HD 800’s design, delivered in a less intense way than the LCD-2, which seemed to thrust the sound upon this listener’s ears with weightier sonic heft than the HD 800, which has a more delicate and articulate way of delivering sound.
 
When A/Bing the HD 800 and LCD-2 it was clear to me that whilst the HD 800 is a less weighty-feeling/sounding listen than the LCD-2. The bass of the HD 800 is clearer than that of the LCD-2 in a very similar way to how the HD 600 has a clearer, more well-defined and less bloated bass presentation than the HD 650; the bass presentation sounded leaner with the HD 800 yet still very full.
 
Another factor contributing to both the bass quality and quantity of the HD 800 is most definitely the recording fed to it, which is something I’ve already touched on briefly. When listening to the HD 800 in Germany and exploring a pile of CDs in the shop there, I noticed that the audio quality I was hearing changed greatly from disc to disc. At another time, when listening to the Steely Dan back catalogue, I noticed there was a huge difference between the sonic quality of Can’t Buy A Thrill (1973) and Two Against Nature (2000), with the latter sounding much larger, weightier, and clearer.
 
Lastly, for those in doubt of the HD 800’s ability to deliver much bass, I recommend listening to a recording with plentiful bass in the recording, such as the track One More Time by Daft Punk. That’s all the proof I need to know that the HD 800 is capable of delivering very deep and satisfyingly full-sounding bass.
 
Mids
 
The midrange of the HD 800 is very clear and sounds more ‘etched’ than the LCD-2, which has a smoother and more liquid midrange presentation that’s also more intimate than the HD 800. When listening to Dave Grohl’s vocals on the Foo Fighters’ Wasting Light album, his voice sounded smooth and rounded with the LCD-2, but more jagged, cold, and acerbic at times with the HD 800. To my ears the HD 800 don’t reproduce instrument sounds with as natural-sounding a tone as the LCD-2 do, but the HD 800 reveals many more of the sonic nuances of Dave’s vocals on the same track due to the HD 800’s ultra detailed, and prominent treble presentation.
 

 
Treble
 
I find this can be the strongest/weakest point of the HD 800 depending on how it is perceived. First, the HD 800’s treble is very fast and clear. To me it often seems as though it can extend upwards indefinitely, which to me seems partly due to the HD 800’s vast soundstage. On Donald Fagen’s Morph The Cat album, the air/ambience around drummer Keith Carlock’s hi-hat playing on the opening track was clearly revealed by the HD 800; in fact, every articulation on every recording I listened to with the HD 800 is as clear as a blue sky on a cloudless sunny day. That’s quite an achievement from Sennheiser!
 
However, such extreme clarity can have its drawbacks. First, since the HD 800 reveals everything on a recording, if there are flaws present in a recording you are listening to, the HD 800 will lay them bare. This could detract from listening enjoyment for some listeners, in which case a headphone more forgiving of low-quality recordings, such as the HD 600, HD 650 or the Audez’e LCD-2, may be a better option. But that said I have yet found that the HD 800 has prompted me towards appreciating quality recordings more, in harmony with the musical message being expressed.
 
If recordings fed to the HD 800 are bright and edgy, bordering on harsh for artistic effect, such as on the Foo Fighter’s Wasting Light album, or, to a greater extent, Tool’s Lateralus album, listening with the HD 800 can be quite hard on your hearing. If you listen to a lot of recordings of the aforementioned nature or similar, the HD 800 may not be the right headphone for you, but that said, there are workarounds for the HD 800’s prominent treble, a few of which I’ll now discuss.
 
Taming the HD 800's treble
 
The HD 800’s treble has been the most frequently occurring issue that I have seen people express about the HD 800. So far I have found a few ways around it:
 
Damping
 
As soon as I read about the Anaxilus mod (nicely collated here) I wanted to try it, so I did. After applying it, I thought that the mod tamed the HD 800’s treble to the point where it is still very clear but not to the point of sounding as harsh as it did when the HD 800 was unmodded. I also saw that to be true when I A/B’d my modded HD 800 with an unmodded demo HD 800 - to me, the anaxilus mod has the effect of adding slight veil to the HD 800’s treble, resulting in less air round instruments in the upper treble region and a slightly thicker sounding bass presence.
 

 
EQ
 
Using a parametric EQ applied to my Mac’s system audio, I EQ’d the HD 800 to a more neutral response, in accordance with the headphone.com website’s suggestion of the ideal frequency response for headphones being a flat line descending from 1 kHz down 10 dB to 20 kHz. The result of such EQ with the HD 800 was like adding a veil to the sound of the standard HD 800. The overly bright treble was gone – and in synchrony with that the clearly etched definition of instruments was reduced – and listening to recordings with the EQ felt like a more casual and perhaps carefree experience, a bit like I recall listening to music with the HD 600.
 
Cable
 
I’ve heard from other head-fi members that using an aftermarket cable can tame the HD 800’s treble, and based on my own previous experiments with cables, I’m sure a cable could definitely soften the overall sound of the HD 800. I’ve not experienced that first hand, but I am due a loaner cable that is currently in the post to me from another head-fi member (thanks).
 
Amp
 
Using an amp that softens the sound of the HD 800, such as a tube amp, is the most commonly suggested solution I’ve seen to that, but I’ve mainly being using the Lavry DA10 which is a wire-with-gain type amp that is quite colourless and precise sounding. It doesn’t tame the HD 800 treble though.
 
Cross-genre suitability of the HD 800
 

 
I know that many people want the ultimate headphone, the ‘one set of cans to rule them all’ and have just one headphone. Depending on your preference the HD 800 may or may not fulfill that purpose.
 
The HD 800 excels at accurately presenting the overall relative tonal balance of the recordings it is fed and in that case will work well with any recording on a technical level, provided the source doesn’t get in the way.
Treble-lovers will be in heaven with the HD 800, and music such as classical, jazz, and acoustic-based forms will sound crystal clear, as clear as the recordings. Bassheads may be better offlooking elsewhere, unless their ideal definition of bass is clean, clear, deep, and articulate sounding, in which case the HD-800 could be a really interesting and welcome point of interest.
 
Listeners of electronic music may simply want a headphone that has more bass weight for such styles of music, and I’m grateful that I still have the LCD-2, however I didn’t find the HD 800 to be lacking in bass as what’s on recordings is accurately represented, but given the choice I most probably prefer the HD 800 more if it presented bass frequencies with extra weight.
 
With most pop/rock/metal music I fed it, the HD 800 sounded very clear but lacking in weight and true to life timbre whilst being slightly brighter than ‘natural.’ A more weighty-sounding headphone such as the LCD-2/3 or the Grado PS1000 may be a better choice for pop/rock/metal listeners.
 
Summary
 
The HD 800 is a landmark in headphone craftsmanship that, from the completely new design of the driver housing to the ring radiator drivers to the cable connectors, is a musical microscope that often reveals recordings with the utmost precision in a way that sounds slightly brighter than natural to me. (If timbre is your highest value in headphone election then you may be satisfied with the HD 800, but you may prefer something slightly darker sounding, relatively, like the LCD-2/3.)
 
Due to the HD 800’s ability to retrieve the smallest details on a recording, its sound signature can be quite demanding for the listener and most probably won’t be to every listener’s preference as some listeners just want a headphone that is ‘fun’ and not overly analytical. But to those who enjoy the HD 800’s sonic footprint, it may be the only headphone you ever need.
 
Those who appreciate the HD 800 in some ways and not others could sell it or keep it and supplement it with a different, perhaps warmer sounding headphone that’s still of decent quality such as the Stax 007, Audez’e LCD-2 or, Sennheiser HD 650.
 
Overall, I truly recommend the HD 800 as a world-class headphone suitable for the most discerning of ears, and for those who want to go deeper into exploring the recordings they know thought they knew, and love.
 
 

 

[size=13pt]Introduction[/size]

 

[size=13pt]I first encountered the Burson HA-160D about six months ago when browsing Mike Ting’s website,Headfonia. Around that time, one of my goals was to get some new headphones to enhance my enjoyment of listening to music. Though I owned, and still do, the Sennheiser HD 25-1, I wanted to upgrade, and I asked Mike for some headphone system recommendations based on my music-listening preferences. For a DAC/Amp, he recommended something like the Burson HA-160D or the Lavry DA11.[/size]

 

[size=13pt]My current main headphone-listening setup now comprises of the Lavry DA10 and Audez’e LCD-2 rev2. That combo has come closest what I was looking for in a headphone system, which is one that would reproduce what sounds natural to me. By natural, I mean the sound of what I hear when I’m at a live concert performance or listening to high-end studio monitor playback. The DA10/LCD-2 combo doesn’t sound exactly the same as natural – it’s a headphone system after all – but it comes rather close. The DA10 is [/size]the most transparent-sounding DAC/Amp I’ve yet heard, and the DA10/LCD-2 combo presents recordings with much clarity and sonic impact and a tonal colour that I hear as ever so slightly brighter than natural.

 

[size=13pt]When I read Mike Ting’s recent post about Burson issuing a HA-160D loaner unit to selected individuals, I immediately emailed him to register my interest. I was still very interested in hearing the HA-160D, especially in comparison with Lavry DA10, and more so with the LCD-2, which I have read has great synergy with the HA-160D. A few weeks later Mike informed me that I’d been selected for the loaner program. Yippee![/size]

 

[size=13pt]I have now had the loaner HA160D for almost a week, and have been enjoyably listening to music with/and it for many hours. Here are my impressions of the HA-160D.[/size]

 

[size=13pt]Packaging, build quality, and setup[/size]

 

[size=13pt]The loaner Burson HA-160D was securely packaged inside two cardboard boxes with everything separated mostly by packing foam. As soon as I unpacked the HA-160D, it was apparent that it was and is the most solid and well-constructed piece of hi-fi gear I've yet handled. The HA-160D is enjoyable to operate and feels built to last, probably for a lifetime. Weighing in at around 7kg, the HA-160D isn’t the most portable DAC/Amp on the market, so if you want a DAC/Amp you can travel with, it’s probably best to look elsewhere.[/size]

 

[size=13pt]The aluminium-cased HA-160D has a boutique aesthetic that looks solid, focused, and sharp, with a smooth overall finish, which is also how the HA-160D sounds to me; but more on its sonic performance later. [/size]

 



 

[size=13pt]On the front panel of this unit, the input selector switch on the right feels a little wobbly to the touch and delicate to operate, but also feels robust. It feels satisfying to plug my headphones into either of the two headphone input jacks – the left one gives more level for high impedance headphones; the right one give less level for low impedance headphones – and when doing so the Burson stays put on my desk. The volume control of the HA-160D is the centerpiece of the front plate and turns in increments with a solid click, each turn increasing the volume of the LCD-2 rev2 by what sounds to me like 2 dB.[/size]

 

[size=13pt]On the rear of the unit there are a variety of inputs and outputs: 1x USB and 1x coaxial input to the DAC, 3x L/R RCA inputs, and 1x L/R preamp output. There is also a power switch with which to turn the unit on and off. FYI: the loaner unit has a clear top that reveals the inner circuitry of the HA-160D, and the retail model has a metal top matching the rest of the casing.[/size]

 



 

[size=13pt]The manual, a basic guide to setting up the HA-160D, is printed on thick paper that feels solid to handle, just like the HA-160D does. The manual states that Burson are a dedicated team who aim to create audiophile products that facilitate maximal musical enjoyment and satisfaction for the listener. I particularly enjoyed that part. I did notice one typo in the text, but overall the manual does its job nicely. More detailed info about the HA-160D and its components such as their opamps and the volume control can be found on the HA-160D page of Burson’s website.[/size]

 

[size=13pt]The loaner unit wasn’t supplied with a power cord, probably due to the different countries the loaner unit would circulate though, but according to the manual, a power cord is usually supplied with the HA-160D. Each of the included ‘JSJ’ cables – 1x USB, 1x dual RCA, and 1x coaxial – are cast in a blue plastic covering and feel pleasantly pliable. Their smell reminds me of getting a new plastic toy as a child.[/size]

 

[size=13pt]I found the HA-160D very simple to set up. Plugging it in and switching it on, connecting it to my laptop via the supplied USB cable, selecting the Burson USB DAC in my system’s audio preferences panel, plugging in headphones, and pressing play in iTunes was all it took me to start hearing music with the HA-160D.[/size]

 



 

[size=13pt]Musical performance[/size]

 

[size=13pt]My descriptions of the sound of music with/and the HA-160D will be in relation to what sounds ‘natural’ to me, based on around 15 years experience as a performing and recording musician – more info here – and with the Lavry DA10 DAC/Amp, which I've mainly used with the Audez’e LCD-2 rev2 headphone. FYI: here’s what I thought of the LCD-2 rev1, which I enjoy less than the rev2.[/size]

 

[size=13pt]For the following impressions, unless stated otherwise, all music played was in Apple Lossless file format played in iTunes and a MacBook Pro. The Burson HA-160D was connected the Mac by thestock USB cable; the Lavry DA10 was connected to the Mac via a [/size][size=13pt]JPS Ultra Conductor Toslink Optical Digital cable. The main headphone in use was the Audez’e LCD-2 fitted with its stock cable.[/size]

 

[size=13pt]General impressions on the tone of the HA-160D[/size]

 

[size=13pt]When I began listening to music with the HA-160D, I noticed that recordings generally sounded warm, lushly and euphonically so, and instruments had a more natural tone than with the DA10; after many hours listening with the HA-160D I still find that to be true.[/size]

 

[size=13pt]The HA-160D is revealing of what’s on recordings and presents sonic information in a very palpable way, which frequently makes me move to the music, but I find the warm tonal character of the HA-160D, particularly in the treble region, to mystify some of the musical details on recordings, making the HA-160D seem geared less towards purely analytical listening and more towards musical enjoyment.[/size]

 

[size=13pt]Sonic specifics of the HA-160D: PRaT, Soundstage, Bass, Mids, and Treble[/size]

 

[size=13pt]Since I have limited time with the HA-160D, I’m mainly going to listen to my favourite music. I often listen to a wide range of musical genres/styles and I definitely appreciate well-recorded music, so this review will reflect that. I’ll include some tracks from a playlist I created for headphone testing a few months and also some music that is quite new to me. Let’s begin.[/size]

 

1. [size=13pt]R&B – Funk/New Orleans R&B - The Meters – Rejuvenation[/size]

 



 

[size=13pt]The Meters are one of my all-time favourite bands and I often really enjoy hearing them, largely due to the grooves of their drummer Zigaboo Modeliste who is, in my opinion, one of the funkiest drummers of all time. The first thing I noticed when listening to this album through the LCD-2/HA-160D combo was the great visceral impact the music was presented with, even though this recording sounds leaner than many contemporary R&B recordings I’ve heard. As I type this listening to Jungle Man, I realize that I’ve been rocking my head and upper body back and forth as well as moving my feet to Ziggy’s beats for most of the album – Toetaptastic![/size]

 

[size=13pt]Hearing Ziggy go for it on tracks such as It Ain’t No Use is really enjoyable. During his floor tom playing at 10:40 on that song, the drum sound is full and weighty with the HA-160D and slightly less so with the Lavry DA10, which emphasizes the upper frequencies more. [/size]At the end of the same floor tom phrase the recording clips; it’s more noticeable when listening with the Lavry than the Burson, which recreates that detail more smoothly, making it sound less rough.

 

[size=13pt]Listening to Rejuvenation it occurs to me that although the Lavry and Burson are similarly performing products in a similar price range, the Burson seem geared more towards listening to music casually, rather than listening from a more critical perspective, such as that of a mix-engineer, where being able to hear the smallest sonic details of a recording is very important. But it is certainly possible to peer into the minute details of recordings when listening with the Burson HA-160D.[/size]

 

1. [size=13pt]Pop/Rock – Soft-Rock/Jazz-Rock – Steely Dan - Aja[/size]

 



 

[size=13pt]Here’s a classic album featuring immaculate performances and production throughout. I have heard this album on various systems and it has always sounded quite lean overall, sonically, with a much more analogue presentation than the Dan’s noughties studio recordings, Two Against Nature andEverything Must Go.[/size]

 

[size=13pt]Through the Burson, the album still sounds very analogue and it is presented with great PRaT. In this album’s title track, drummer Steve Gadd’s kit around 4:35 and 6:35 sounds warm and every note is clearly distinguishable with palpable impact. The Lavry also exhibits great PRaT in these sections, but it sounds less weighty and slightly leaner than the Burson. The Lavry makes the recording sound brighter overall and there is clearly more treble presence, which makes Gadd’s drums sound slightly colder with the resonance of the top/batter head more apparent.[/size]

 

[size=13pt]Peg[/size][size=13pt], the second track from this album, is a great showcase for the warmth of the HA-160D/LCD-2 combo. Chuck Rainey’s bass-playing sounds quite liquid and the lushly creamy sound of the guitar solo at 1:45 definitely deserves a listen.[/size]

 

1. [size=13pt]Pop/Rock – Experimental – Captain Beefheart – Shiny Beast (Bat Chain Puller)[/size]

 



 

[size=13pt]I pulled out this CD from the depths of my collection a few nights ago. Listening to this album is enhanced by the synergy[/size] of the HA-160D/LCD-2 combo, which gives a full, deep, warm and smooth presentation that is a treat to hear, especially on songs such as Tropical Hotdog Night and You Know You’re a Man. I definitely rocked more to this album with the HA-160D than with the DA10; the lushly euphonic bass presentation of the HA-160D had me smiling and made me want to turn up the volume.

 

1. [size=13pt]Pop/Rock – Contemporary Rock/Soft Rock/Jazz-Rock – Donald Fagen – Morph The Cat[/size]

 



 

[size=13pt]The overall tonal presentation this album is very smooth and slick. Hearing the song H-Gang, the warmth of the HA-160D is clear, and many of the nuances of Donald Fagen’s vocal track can clearly be heard. [/size]

 

[size=13pt]In this album many songs feature layered vocal harmonies, during which the different vocals blend together, closely creating a cozy backdrop for the lead vocal to resonate with. At such times, I couldn’t seem to hear the details of the lead vocal with the Burson and found myself plugging the LCD-2 into the Lavry to get a closer look at the image, and though I was then able to see deeper into the mix with the Lavry, the overall tone was slightly rougher than with the Burson. It seems to me that the smooth vocal blend of this album was a mixing choice and not just the result of the tone of the HA-160D/LCD-2 combo, which also has that effect on recordings.  [/size]

 

1. [size=13pt]Pop/Rock – New Orleans R&B/Contemporary Blues – Dr. John – Tribal[/size]

 



 

[size=13pt]On the opening track, Feel Good Music, panned to the left side of the soundstage is the hi-hat, which seems to be played with a stick on the bell of the top cymbal. This creates a higher-frequency sound than when hi-hats are played in the middle or nearer the edge of the top cymbal. There is also a bell sharing the same frequency range on the left side of the soundstage, so there’s a quite lot of treble information occupying that part of the recording.[/size]

 

[size=13pt]With the HA-160D, I could clearly distinguish between the hi-hat and the bell, as I could with the DA10, which definitely provided slightly more treble energy than the HA-160D. But I found that the timbres of the bells presented by the Burson were easier to differentiate between at that time than with the Lavry, mainly due to the warm impact the Burson presents sonic information with, which gave the bells relatively more weight and body in that instance.[/size]

 

1. [size=13pt]Jazz – Jazz-Funk/Soul-Jazz – Freddie Hubbard – Red Clay (live)[/size]

 



 

[size=13pt]I recently acquired this track, recorded live in 1971. It’s a bonus track from the CD version of Freddie Hubbard’s album Red Clay, and I’m going to use it as a reference point to talk a bit about soundstage.[/size]

 

[size=13pt]The soundstage of the HA-160D is slightly wider than that of the DA10. Johnny “Hammond” Smith’s organ playing seems positioned further to the left of the image I’m hearing with the Burson; similarly, Stanley Turrentine’s tenor sax seems positioned further to the right with the Burson. The soundstage of the Lavry is slightly narrower, but I want to make it clear that the difference between the soundstage width of the two all-in-one DAC/Amps is very slight.[/size]

 

[size=13pt]With the Burson, Ron Carter’s bass playing has slightly more forward sonic impact and body than with the Lavry. At times I noticed myself wanting for the extra treble extension that the Lavry gives, and when I switched to the Lavry, it provided just that, though at the expense of the slightly more natural tone of the Burson.[/size]

 

[size=13pt]I’m finding the Lavry combo to be like a glossy computer screen whose reflection can be a distraction from what’s on display, whereas the Burson combo is like the anti-glare film that adds a warmer tone to the images on display and is more relaxing for casual browsing. But if you want to see the minutest details clearly, you have to adjust your vision to see them; they’re still there, just not with as much crystalline clarity as with the glossy screen-like Lavry gives.[/size]

 

1. [size=13pt]Jazz – Post-Bop/Avant-Garde Jazz/Free-Jazz – John Coltrane – A Love Supreme[/size]

 



 

[size=13pt]This album is one of my all-time favourites and it’s often cited as one of the best jazz albums ever. The music on this recording is timely and timeless, but I don’t think that it’s optimally suited to the HA-160D/LCD-2 combo, great as it is. With the HA-160D/LCD-2, the instruments sounded boomier than natural in the bass region, to the point that it slightly obscured what they were playing, such as bassist Jimmy Garrison’s passing notes during the intro to A Love Supreme Pt. 2: Resolution. I preferred the DA10/LCD-2 combo for this recording; it more clearly revealed the musical conversation occurring.[/size]

 

[size=13pt]At this point, just out of curiosity, I decided to plug my HiFiMAN RE-ZERO IEMs, a balanced universal-fit IEM with prominent treble extension, into the Burson. The treble was definitely more extended than with the LCD-2 and much of the LCD-2’s bass weight was missing. I found the sonic balance to be less neutral than with the LCD-2, so I switched back to it, and then to the DA10.[/size]

 

[size=13pt]HA-160D users who listen to many acoustic jazz recordings, such as this one, and use the LCD-2 as their primary headphone, may benefit from buying an aftermarket cable for the LCD-2 to tune the sound to their liking, perhaps to create a leaner and more precise sound, especially in the bass region; they may even prefer a different headphone for music of that type. [/size]

 

1. [size=13pt]Electronic – Jungle/Drum and Bass – SquarePusher – Hard Normal Daddy[/size]

 



 

[size=13pt]I thought this album would be a great challenge for the Burson’s ability to clearly and impactfully present intricately detailed musical passages spanning a wide frequency range.[/size]

 

[size=13pt]The sub-bass impact on Fat Controller was delicious and extended very low and I welcomed it muchly. The DA10 still presented plenty of sub bass but slightly less than the HA-160D did. However, as great as the Burson’s bass impact and clear delineation of musical lines was with this album, I found treble detail slightly lacking at times, especially when ultra-detailed musical events occurred. At such times I was drawn to the Lavry for the intricacies it revealed in the recording. If you often listen to music that is ultra-detailed, the HA-160D may not be the best choice of DAC/Amp; a more analytical DAC/Amp may be required.[/size]

 

1. [size=13pt]Rap – Kanye West – Late Registration[/size]

 



 

[size=13pt]This recording is a great showcase for the prominent sub-bass of the HA-160D with which the beats of this album were very full sounding and the vocals sounded smooth; with the DA10 the beats were thinner sounding and there was more midrange and treble presence on the vocals, even a touch of grain at times.[/size]

 

[size=13pt]If you enjoy listening to Rap and like your beats big and vocals smooth, then the HA-160D/LCD-2 may be just the combo for you.  [/size]

 

1. [size=13pt]Classical – Orpheus Chamber Orchestra – Vivaldi: The Four Seasons (Soloist: Sarah Chang)[/size]

 



 

[size=13pt]FYI: I downloaded this recording from iTunes and the tracks are each encoded at 320 kbps.[/size]

 

[size=13pt]With the HA-160D/LCD-2 combo, instruments on this recording had a full-bodied warm tone. Sarah Chang’s violin sounded very smooth throughout.[/size]

 

[size=13pt]I seemed to listen to the orchestra as a whole more when using the HA-160D and found the slightly brighter and more detailed presentation of the DA10 better suited to picking out the minutest of details, such as more of the squeaking of Sarah Chang’s bow against the strings of her violin. For some reason the imagery with the DA10 appeared to me more vivid, perhaps due to the additional treble information.[/size]

 

[size=13pt]With the LCD-2 and this recording, the HA-160D presented instruments such as the harpsichord with a full and warm sound in both the bass and midrange frequencies. The DA10’s presentation of the same instrument had more treble energy and was slightly thinner-sounding in the bass and mids.[/size]

 

[size=13pt]Summary[/size]

 

[size=13pt]The Burson HA-160D is a really well made DAC/Amp combo that makes recordings sound full and impactful, and adds a touch of lush, euphonic warmth to them. [/size][size=13pt]It is a great product for music-listeners who want a quality all-in-one boutique DAC/amp, and who listen to recordings casually and/or more closely. The HA-160D may not be for you if your listening habits are of a very analytical nature geared towards hearing every detail on a recording e.g. if you are an audio engineer. That said, the HA-160D is no slouch for details and can still induce a very clear picture of the information on a recording, just with less precision than a more revealing DAC/Amp can.[/size]

 

[size=13pt]Again, it’s a bit like having a glossy computer screen and finding that although the images are very detailed, the glare can be draining and a little annoying at times, so you buy some anti-glare film. With the film applied to the glossy screen, viewing the screen is less fatiguing, but some of the onscreen images are a bit blurry and appear less clearly than they did before. At times you may want to remove the screen film to experience the increased clarity of the images of glossy screen, so perhaps you remove the film and turn the brightness down, or just leave the film on and readjust your vision or turn up the brightness. It’s a matter of personal preference.[/size]

 

[size=13pt]Thank you Burson, and Headfonia, for the opportunity to experience such a wonderful product (can I keep it?). Well done![/size]

 

Intro
 
It’s been an eventful week for me in which I’ve received three pairs of headphones in four days: a new Audio Technica ATH-M50s, a loaner Audez’e LCD-2, and a loaner HiFiMAN HE-500. I got quite intimate with music via the LCD-2 and was rather wowed by it (see here for more on that). I’ve also been sitting with the HE-500, and my first impressions are that it’s another great headphone that shines in many ways.
 
The following impressions are based on listening to music via 320 kbps and Apple Lossless audio format files played via iTunes and fed via an optical cable to a Lavry DA 10 DAC/Amp.
 
Overall, the HiFiMAN HE-500 is a neutral-sounding headphone that presents a high level of detail with a well-balanced sound.
 
Packaging, Looks, and Physical Feel
 

 
After removing the packaging of this loaner HE-500, the black leather-covered HiFiMAN box was revealed to me. It feels solid, robust, and refined, though not as opulent as the case which came with the LCD-2. A few weeks ago, I had some concerns that the HE-500 box may not be ideal for travelling with the HE-500, which some HE-500 owners may like to do, as it may get scuffed and detract from its attractiveness. Though the same could be said of a hardcase, I thought that a more travel-friendly option could be worthwhile, so I suggested that to Fang of HiFiMAN, and he informed me that a travel case for the HE-500 would be available in the near future. That is a great example of HiFiMAN’s continued willingness to improve and update their product line and their openness to customer feedback and suggestions. Well done.
 

 

The supplied Canare cable was fitted with at ¼” Neutrik connector, was more flexible than the stock LCD-2 cable, and less flexible than the stock Sennheiser HD 6x0 series cables. Connecting the Canare cable to the HE-500 requires screwing some small nuts at the end of the cable into the ear cups. Once the cable is connected it stays firmly in place, but I find connecting it to be a bit fiddly and take a little longer than installing a cable with mini-XLR connectors. It has occurred to me a few times that a tool to assist the cable screw-in process could be a worthy inclusion with the HE-500.
 
The HE-500 design reminds me slightly of the Stax SR-40, and the gunmetal grey colour of the HE-500 is attractive to me. I find the HE-500 comfortable to wear, but slightly less so than the lighter Sennheiser HD 6x0 series, which I am used to and often forget I’m wearing. Due to the clamping force of the HE-500 pads, I can be aware that I’m wearing it, but not always (I’m wearing it now and didn’t notice it was on my head until I wrote the last sentence). But overall, to me the HE-500 is a well-made headphone that feels nice to wear and handle.
 
Clarity, Timbre, and Sound Signature
 
The HE-500 clearly reveals all of the details of the recordings I feed it. Mids and treble are presented very well and there’s great qualitative bass extension, but more on that later.
 
There is great PRaT with the HE-500, and though I find that it seems to present the sound of recording upon me with slightly less force and immediacy than the darker-sounding LCD-2 does, I can easily get inside the music with the HE-500, and with it I seem to be in the position of detached observer mode by default, just like I am with the HD 600, to a lesser extent. But the sonic quality is much, much higher with the HE-500. 
 
I really enjoy the soundstage of he HE-500. It is wider than the soundstage of the LCD-2 and HD 600 and narrower than that of the HD 650. I find the HD 650 soundstage very immersive and wide, sometimes too much so for my preference, and for that reason I often prefer the narrower soundstage of the HD 600, which I find places me as if I am sitting further back in the audience or further away from the monitor speakers, situating me at what can sometimes be a more comfortable distance from the music. The openness of HE-500 soundstage is somewhere in between the two Sennheiser models I listed and is really enjoyable to me. I find that I am at enough of a distance from the music and able to immerse myself in it with ease. Though I compared the HE-500 soundstage to that of the HD 600, I just want to clarify that to me the HE-500 soundstage is far more detailed and of a much higher quality. Well done, Fang!
 
Perhaps one of the few caveats of the HE-500 to me is that it sounds a little bit thin or light at times in relation to what I would call natural i.e. what I would hear when observing a live performance, and that thinness is sometimes just enough so to remind me that I’m wearing headphones. But they are headphones, which is after all a different experience from going to a gig of listening to studio monitor playback. However, the HE-500 has a really excellent frequency balance that reveals all the details of the recording being played, and I often find myself enjoyably immersed in the music I'm listening to with HE-500.
 

 
Bass, Mids, and Treble
 
Since recently spending a few solid hours with the LCD-2, I am still in admiration of its bass reproduction, and the HE-500 also reproduces bass very well. With the HE-500, I find sudden bass punctuations e.g. when a drummer hits a floor tom, more noticeable to me than against the blacker background of a darker headphone such as the LCD-2, which is a definite plus for the HE-500. I find the bass impact of the LCD-2 more realistic for certain instruments e.g. drums, as it seems to produce a more pointed and weighty bass impact, possibly due to its darker sound, than that of the HE-500, which I find to have a softer than natural impact. But the bass reproduction of the HE-500 is very detailed, extends low, and I find it enjoyable.
 
The mids and treble performance of the HE-500 is excellent and perhaps its best sonic feature. Mids and treble are very clear and vocals are well-represented. A few hours ago, I discovered many new nuances in Frank Sinatra’s ‘Songs For Swingin’ Lovers!,’ and am currently enjoying Michael Jackson ‘rockin’ the night away,’ in ‘Rock With You.’ Though, to my ears, the HE-500 treble has much extension to the point of sounding slightly more forward (or brighter, depending on how you describe it) than natural, I’ve never found it to make recordings harsh or fatiguing, just detailed and revealing in a very musical way.
 
With the Lavry DA 10, I find the HE-500 to audibly shine when listening to much of the music I feed it, and have noticed it to be particularly well-suited to acoustic-based jazz and vocal playback. Whilst some may prefer a bassier headphone with more sonic slam for genres/styles such as Rock and Electronic, the HE-500 will accurately represent what’s on the recordings you play through it in a way that’s true to its nature.  
 
In Closing
 
I find the HiFiMAN HE-500 to be an excellent quality headphone, slightly reminiscent of the Sennheiser HD 600; its neutral and slightly warm yet forward sound make recordings come alive in a revealing way that is very enjoyable. Well done, Fang, and all else at HiFiMAN. 
 

Intro
 
I recently received a brand new loaner pair of the Audez'e LCD-2, the version with the 'new' pads but not the updated drivers). Straight out of the box, music sounded great with the LCD-2, and out of curiosity I compared them with the Sennheiser HD 650. Whilst the LCD-2 seemed technically superior, my gut feeling was that they weren’t worth the $950 more to upgrade from the HD 650...
 

But fast forward a few hours to nearer the end of my day, and I’m listening to music files (320 kbps and Apple Lossless audio files) sent to the LCD-2 via iTunes to the Lavry DA 10 DAC/Amp and having a wonderful time. 

 

Overall, to me the LCD-2 are absolutely fantastic headphones, the most technically adept I've yet heard. Here are some specifics about them, the way I see it. 

 

Packaging, looks, and physical feel of the LCD-2

 

The packaging for the LCD-2 is very impressive. The wooden box is beautifully shiny and smells very new and quite expensive, though I felt the box smell could be less pungent. But I guess that way the smell will last for a long time. From memory it doesn’t seem to be as refined as the Sony R10 packaging, but the LCD-2 packing is still very elegant. It was fun to unravel the cling-film that covered the pads of the brand new headphone; doing so also gave me a sense of the custom-manufactured nature and care put into creating the LCD-2.

 


 



 

The LCD-2 are amongst the heaviest headphones I’ve worn and I’m definitely aware that they’re on my head. But I find that attribute of them to be grounding, as I enjoy being present in this moment, here and now in my body. At this time of writing I’ve had the LCD-2 on for over 2 hours, and though I’m aware of them on my head - probably because I’m thinking about them - wearing them is quite a pleasant sensation.

 

The stock LCD-2 cable is stiffer than the stock Sennheiser HD 6x0 series cables, and I sometimes feel the stiffness of the LCD-2 cable if I move, but that adds to the LCD-2 gearing me towards physical grounding, which is probably important to those who want to ably stay in the present moment. That said, it's easy to become immersed in music with the LCD-2. The weight of the LCD-2 is probably enough grounding for me when listening though, so I’d probably prefer another more flexible cable, but the stock cable is most satisfactory.

 

Aesthetically, the LCD-2 are larger headphones than I thought they might have been from when I looked at pictures of them online. On me they seem to look like they mean business, and other than I just did a few seconds ago, I probably won’t look in the mirror again to check how they look on me (well maybe I will , but the important thing to me is that I'm sitting here now wearing the LCD-2 and my cheeks are gently tingling from the smiling and joy I’m experiencing. 

 

Clarity, timbre, and sound signature

 

The LCD-2 excellently delineate musical lines. Their rhythmic articulation and impact is the best I’ve heard from any headphone so far – great PRaT, as we say – which has led to me hearing many details with them that I’ve never heard before in recordings I’ve listened to for years. The LCD-2 have also revealed distortion on recordings more clearly than I’ve yet heard, but not unpleasantly so, just in a way that often makes me think, ‘oh, interesting – so that’s how that recording actually sounds…’ 

 

The timbre they reveal sounds and feels very natural to me. When I'm listening to a live performance recording with the LCD-2 and aware that I’m hearing music with headphones, the sound of the instruments is still very realistic, like a smaller version of my favourite musicians playing inside my head. 

 



 

On a related side-note, I have played the drum set for many years and enjoy hearing a well-tuned and played drum set acoustically. When listening to recordings of drums on headphones, I’ve always been disappointed by the sound and feel of drums, but the LCD-2 has really changed that for me. Right now as I write this, I am experiencing the most realistic experience I've yet had of hearing live drums via headphones, and for that I am very grateful. Thank you Audez’e; truly well done!

 

Listening to some acoustic jazz, such as ‘So What’ from Miles Davis’ Kind of Blue album, the LCD-2 come across as ever-so-slightly bassier than natural, so a more neutral/bass-light headphone could be preferable for listening to acoustic music. Whilst I have enjoyed the neutral frequency balance of the Sennheiser HD 600 when listening to acoustic/jazz recordings, I’ve never experienced recordings of those styles as viscerally as I have with the LCD-2, and to do so in a way that every note is clearly defined, even on a musically dense recording e.g. one of Miles Davis’ really large ensembles, is an astonishing experience for me.

 
The soundstage of the LCD-2 is definitely narrower than the HD 650, which has a very wide soundstage. But the LCD-2 soundstage is very enjoyable to me.

 

Bass, mids, and treble

 

The bass reproduction of the LCD-2 is of great quality. Everything happening in the bass region is very clear, and it’s very visceral. As I said, I have found  the LCD-2 ever-so-slightly bassier than natural, but for Electronic music, such as Squarepusher’s ‘Do You Know Squarepusher,’ the sound is superlative and the lower end of the sonic spectrum sounds very satisfying. The same seems to be true for rock recordings, too. It feels real. Wow!

 

The mids are very clear and sound quite natural to me, my 'natural' being based on my experience of hearing live music and my experience as a performing musician (hundreds of gigs performed). In response to a post I read on these forums, I tried boosting the LCD-2 mids at around 3 + 4 K by almost 3 dB, and definitely find that makes them more forward and engaging sounding. 'Un-boosted,' I can see why they can be described as lacking in ‘bite,’ but I wouldn’t call the LCD-2 hollow-sounding. I'm finding it very enjoyably un-fatiguing, and that for me is a real plus point.

 

I’ve read about the LCD-2 being described having a dark sound signature, which I would agree with, and though they are far from (from memory) the treble extension and airiness of both the Sennheiser HD800 and Beyerdynamic T1, both of which I found very fatiguing after a short while of listening, the LCD-2 extend nicely and sufficiently in the treble for me. Though I could want them to extend further, I can clearly hear quite ample treble detail in a way that is non-fatiguing as they are. I like that muchly, as I want my hearing to remain healthy.

 

In closing

 

Regardless any of the technicalites and subtleties I’ve described, I’ve been listening to music with the LCD-2 constantly whilst typing these notes, which I guess have morphed into a review, and frequently laughing with enjoyment at the wonderful musical experience I’ve been having and still am.

 

The LCD-2 are a lot of fun, and I definitely recommend them to anyone who wants to further their capacity to experience the joy that can be found when listening to music.