Ahh... yet another comparison for you to read to see if you agree or disagree. But first some disclaimers: I only had a 3 hour plane flight with the three and my source was an iPhone with 256 bit AAC. And another disclaimer: my Ety's are probably due for a new wax filter. And another: i'm borrowing the Bose from my dad, so who knows what they've been through (i had to ziptie one side that was broken).
I just got my ESW9's (after lots of research on this site and PMs from helpful people here). When i first put them on, i wasn't blown away because of the sibilance. But i figured it would burn off, so i left them cookin' for 50 hours, and then went to the airport (BTW, the wait from AC seemed to last forever!)
At the gate, I listed to Pink Martini on the 3 different headphones. The sibilance was gone from the ESW9's, and I was blown away by them! All the stuff you've read (here at least) is true: nice tight bass, a little warm but well balanced mids, precise highs.
But that kind of 'analysis' doesn't describe how immersive these little cans are! On U Plavu Zoru, you really get a sense of nearing climax in the the song when the upright bass player starts playing (aka, eargasm?). It's not just 'accurate and tight'... he's right there playing with all the other musicians. As compared to the Ety's, when the bass starts playing, it's just another sound in my head (although a very accurate sound). And with the Bose, the upright bass seemed to overpower those cans.
I was surprised that they were more enjoyable than my Ety's. When I put in my Ety's after the ESW9, I was ready to think "now THIS is good sound". But instead i thought, "this is good sound, but it's nowhere near as immersive".
Maybe I'm reacting to my first set of cans that have a sense of sound stage. But I'm pretty surprised with how good these cans sound (or maybe I'm just trying to justify how much i spent and how long i waited for them)
They're not perfect: Not quite circum, not quite supraaural, but not uncomfortable. Just not 'plush and comfy' like you can fall asleep in them. Also, they have the least sound isolation of any closed headphone i've ever tried, so not the best airplane for office can.
My iPhone powered them well. On my Ety's, I like about 70% volume, and with the ESW9's, I'm about 90% if I want to jam. But casual listening is about 70% (and this is on a plane, but i was near the front)
Then i listened to Ministry, Depeche Mode, and Nancy Griffith. Albeit, I'm not a bass-head, but I think the ESW9's can handle it all. Maybe not at extreme volumes, but at loudish volumes it's a great can. I didn't compare the other headphones anymore, I just sat back and listened. I think I'm getting sucked into this expensive hobby. What's next? HD25-1? HFI-780? D2000?
I just got my ESW9's (after lots of research on this site and PMs from helpful people here). When i first put them on, i wasn't blown away because of the sibilance. But i figured it would burn off, so i left them cookin' for 50 hours, and then went to the airport (BTW, the wait from AC seemed to last forever!)
At the gate, I listed to Pink Martini on the 3 different headphones. The sibilance was gone from the ESW9's, and I was blown away by them! All the stuff you've read (here at least) is true: nice tight bass, a little warm but well balanced mids, precise highs.
But that kind of 'analysis' doesn't describe how immersive these little cans are! On U Plavu Zoru, you really get a sense of nearing climax in the the song when the upright bass player starts playing (aka, eargasm?). It's not just 'accurate and tight'... he's right there playing with all the other musicians. As compared to the Ety's, when the bass starts playing, it's just another sound in my head (although a very accurate sound). And with the Bose, the upright bass seemed to overpower those cans.
I was surprised that they were more enjoyable than my Ety's. When I put in my Ety's after the ESW9, I was ready to think "now THIS is good sound". But instead i thought, "this is good sound, but it's nowhere near as immersive".
Maybe I'm reacting to my first set of cans that have a sense of sound stage. But I'm pretty surprised with how good these cans sound (or maybe I'm just trying to justify how much i spent and how long i waited for them)
They're not perfect: Not quite circum, not quite supraaural, but not uncomfortable. Just not 'plush and comfy' like you can fall asleep in them. Also, they have the least sound isolation of any closed headphone i've ever tried, so not the best airplane for office can.
My iPhone powered them well. On my Ety's, I like about 70% volume, and with the ESW9's, I'm about 90% if I want to jam. But casual listening is about 70% (and this is on a plane, but i was near the front)
Then i listened to Ministry, Depeche Mode, and Nancy Griffith. Albeit, I'm not a bass-head, but I think the ESW9's can handle it all. Maybe not at extreme volumes, but at loudish volumes it's a great can. I didn't compare the other headphones anymore, I just sat back and listened. I think I'm getting sucked into this expensive hobby. What's next? HD25-1? HFI-780? D2000?
