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Seriously considering getting the LA7000's...

post #1 of 50
4/23/10 at 6:31pm
Thread Starter 
Hey, all! Yeah I'm new here, and I love high quality sound. "Sound" like I'm in the right place?

My pride and joy set up right now is my Denon AHD1001 headphones used with my Bang & Olufsen BeoSound 6 MP3 player. However, as I'm sure many of you feel, this set up is inadequate for a "true" audiophile. Therefore, I am seriously considering getting the Lawton Audio LA7000's, aKa heavily modified Denon AH-D7000's.

Can anyone who owns or has had the LA7000's speak of their experience with their phones? Are they really worth it? They sound much better than AH-D7000's? Does Lawton Audio really tailor the the wooden "cups" to fit your music preference and that makes a big difference?

Also, what headphone amp do you use with your LA7000's?
I was debating of either going for the Grace Design m902 Reference Headphone Amplifier or the HeadAmp GS-1 HEADPHONE AMP/PRE-AMP. Is the difference between these two huge, or could I save $600 by going with the GS-1 amp and still comparable sound?
Or Maybe you have another suggestion for an amp that really makes the LA7000's sing?

One last thing I would like to ask. Does anybody know how the LA7000's compare to the LA2000's? Is the difference different enough to warrant the extra $$$ ?

Thanks in advance!
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Gear mentioned in this thread:

Denon AHD2000 High Performance Over-Ear Headphones
Powered by NexTag
Denon AHD1001K On-Ear Headphones (Black)
Denon AHD1001S On-Ear Headphones (Silver)
post #2 of 50
4/23/10 at 8:03pm
ARE YOU NUTS!

Oh sorry no overreacting.

If you are looking for bang for the buck avoid the statement headphones all together no matter what brand. Law of diminishing returns kicks off already from your D1000.
Start with the D2000 get to know that. Then you can read how the sound signature is supposed to change with the LA2000 and such and perhaps go for it then. Or the LA 7000 of course. A bit brave to invest so much on your first "hi fi headphone" if you don´t have a chance to audition it. Then you at least have some reference and you have other head fiers here that went the same path.
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post #3 of 50
4/23/10 at 8:04pm
I love my LA7000’s!
Buy them and don’t look back!!!

Amps used.
•) Woo Audio WA6 SE
•) Kenwood KA-907 Integrated Pre Amp
•) Pioneer SA-8100 integrated amplifier

Here are a couple of links to get you started.

http://www.head-fi.org/forums/f4/rev...la7000-435763/

http://www.head-fi.org/forums/f4/rev...-d7000-438255/







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post #4 of 50
4/23/10 at 8:43pm
Thread Starter 
To Oqvist:
Lol, yeah I suppose it is a bit overkill to make such a huge jump in quality, but, thats me

To Crazy Ray:
Nice pictures! That WooAudio amp looks enticing. So that would be a tube amp? I read a little on the internet and some people say that "solid slate" (or something like that) is better suited for the LA7000's. Maybe it just depends on the listening experience people prefer?
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post #5 of 50
4/23/10 at 8:47pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by CrazyRay View Post
Also, I would like to know where you got that sexy headphone stand!
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post #6 of 50
4/23/10 at 10:07pm
There are different types of tube amps, so the solid state vs. tube amp discussion is a bit over-generalised. Denons tend to be the kind of cans that sound good out of anything (assuming you like their sound signature), from an iPod to a thousand-dollar amp. I'd decide on your overall budget, as you can easily go well into the thousands if you are considering a serious source (DAC, CD player, vinyl or whatever) as well.
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post #7 of 50
4/23/10 at 11:07pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by dontOVERREACT View Post
Hey, all! Yeah I'm new here, and I love high quality sound. "Sound" like I'm in the right place?

My pride and joy set up right now is my Denon AHD1001 headphones used with my Bang & Olufsen BeoSound 6 MP3 player. However, as I'm sure many of you feel, this set up is inadequate for a "true" audiophile. Therefore, I am seriously considering getting the Lawton Audio LA7000's, aKa heavily modified Denon AH-D7000's.

Can anyone who owns or has had the LA7000's speak of their experience with their phones? Are they really worth it? They sound much better than AH-D7000's? Does Lawton Audio really tailor the the wooden "cups" to fit your music preference and that makes a big difference?

Also, what headphone amp do you use with your LA7000's?
I was debating of either going for the Grace Design m902 Reference Headphone Amplifier or the HeadAmp GS-1 HEADPHONE AMP/PRE-AMP. Is the difference between these two huge, or could I save $600 by going with the GS-1 amp and still comparable sound?
Or Maybe you have another suggestion for an amp that really makes the LA7000's sing?

One last thing I would like to ask. Does anybody know how the LA7000's compare to the LA2000's? Is the difference different enough to warrant the extra $$$ ?

Thanks in advance!
I can vouch for the GS1 amp.. It truly is remarkable for under a 1,000, especially with the stepped att. Very neutral & transparent sounding... Lots of drive.. Then spend the other 600 on a quality source.. The Buffalo32 DAC is very popular in the DIY community..
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post #8 of 50
4/23/10 at 11:36pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by kool bubba ice View Post
I can vouch for the GS1 amp.. It truly is remarkable for under a 1,000, especially with the stepped att. Very neutral & transparent sounding... Lots of drive.. Then spend the other 600 on a quality source.. The Buffalo32 DAC is very popular in the DIY community..
Cool, good to know that the GS1 is quality stuff on a budget. Thanks

You and another are mentioning getting a quality source. You see, my idea was to hook up my Bang & Olufsen BeoSound 6 MP3 player to the headphone amp with this Cardas Mini to RCA cable: Cardas iLink Mini to RCA 1 Meter | HeadRoom Audio
Then of course have the LA7000's plugged into the Headphone amp, receiving the amplified signal from my MP3 player.

I don't know if any of you are familiar with the BeoSound 6, but its probably one of the best MP3 players on the planet, sound quality wise at least. I also have my BeoSound 6 loaded up with all OGG Vorbis quality 10 sound files that I ripped from my CD's so... It's a pretty good source that i'd say is very hard to tell apart from CD quality, for sure there is better, but I'd say it's more than livable as a source, at least initially. I could be wrong, please correct me if I am, I'm relatively new to this audiophile stuff.


If you wanna see details on the MP3 player I plan to use as the source, go to these addresses:
BeoSound 6 - Bang & Olufsen
Specifications - Bang & Olufsen

Let me know what you guys think.
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post #9 of 50
4/23/10 at 11:53pm
Quote:
Can anyone who owns or has had the LA7000's speak of their experience with their phones? Are they really worth it? They sound much better than AH-D7000's? Does Lawton Audio really tailor the the wooden "cups" to fit your music preference and that makes a big difference?
I have the la7000 and love them. They make for a nicely balanced can for all types of music. I would suggest since it is your first jump to high end cans to buy the d7000 first. Burn them in and see if you enjoy there sound signature. If you dont like the sound signature stock, you probably wont like the modded version either. The mod does balance them more, but the general denon sound is still there. You can sell the d7000 and get most of your money back if you dont like them, but if you get the la7000 and dont like them, you will lose quite a bit when you go to resale them if you dont like them. It is very easy to send yuor d7000 in and have them modded if and when you decide to step up to the la7000.
Quote:
One last thing I would like to ask. Does anybody know how the LA7000's compare to the LA2000's? Is the difference different enough to warrant the extra $$$ ?
The d7000 especially if you just purchase the j$ pads are a step up from the d2000. The d2000 have a more bloated bass and the mids are sucked out more than the d7000. I feel that the extra money for the d7000 is worth it over the d2000/d5000. I have the opportunity at meets to compare them.
Quote:
Also, what headphone amp do you use with your LA7000's?
I have found generally that the solid state amps seem to power the d7000 a lot better than the tube amps. if you are going nidfi with your amp then I would go with a solid state amp. The midfi tube amps have left me underwhelmed. They seem not to have the umph to really get the most out of them. The upper end tube dacs usually can push more currant so they can do really good driving the denons. I cant comment on the above amps because i havent heard them.
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post #10 of 50
4/23/10 at 11:55pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by dontOVERREACT View Post
Cool, good to know that the GS1 is quality stuff on a budget. Thanks

You and another are mentioning getting a quality source. You see, my idea was to hook up my Bang & Olufsen BeoSound 6 MP3 player to the headphone amp with this Cardas Mini to RCA cable: Cardas iLink Mini to RCA 1 Meter | HeadRoom Audio
Then of course have the LA7000's plugged into the Headphone amp, receiving the amplified signal from my MP3 player.

I don't know if any of you are familiar with the BeoSound 6, but its probably one of the best MP3 players on the planet, sound quality wise at least. I also have my BeoSound 6 loaded up with all OGG Vorbis quality 10 sound files that I ripped from my CD's so... It's a pretty good source that i'd say is very hard to tell apart from CD quality, for sure there is better, but I'd say it's more than livable as a source, at least initially. I could be wrong, please correct me if I am, I'm relatively new to this audiophile stuff.


If you wanna see details on the MP3 player I plan to use as the source, go to these addresses:
BeoSound 6 - Bang & Olufsen
Specifications - Bang & Olufsen

Let me know what you guys think.
If it's that good, just save the extra 600 and get the GS1.. Thats what I would do.
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post #11 of 50
4/23/10 at 11:59pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by KingStyles View Post
I have the la7000 and love them. They make for a nicely balanced can for all types of music. I would suggest since it is your first jump to high end cans to buy the d7000 first. Burn them in and see if you enjoy there sound signature. If you dont like the sound signature stock, you probably wont like the modded version either. The mod does balance them more, but the general denon sound is still there. You can sell the d7000 and get most of your money back if you dont like them, but if you get the la7000 and dont like them, you will lose quite a bit when you go to resale them if you dont like them. It is very easy to send yuor d7000 in and have them modded if and when you decide to step up to the la7000.

The d7000 especially if you just purchase the j$ pads are a step up from the d2000. The d2000 have a more bloated bass and the mids are sucked out more than the d7000. I feel that the extra money for the d7000 is worth it over the d2000/d5000. I have the opportunity at meets to compare them.

I have found generally that the solid state amps seem to power the d7000 a lot better than the tube amps. if you are going nidfi with your amp then I would go with a solid state amp. The midfi tube amps have left me underwhelmed. They seem not to have the umph to really get the most out of them. The upper end tube dacs usually can push more currant so they can do really good driving the denons. I cant comment on the above amps because i havent heard them.
Thank you for the advice, i shall take it into consideration
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post #12 of 50
4/24/10 at 12:02am
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by kool bubba ice View Post
If it's that good, just save the extra 600 and get the GS1.. Thats what I would do.
Yeah I think I may just do that. Sounds like a plan
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post #13 of 50
4/24/10 at 12:02am
It's not the quality of the files, it's the capabilities of the digital to analogue converter and whether the mp3 player has a line-out (which it probably doesn't - without a line-out, the signal goes through the player's internal headphone amp, which adds a bit of distortion).
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post #14 of 50
4/24/10 at 12:08am
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by Ypoknons View Post
It's not the quality of the files, it's the capabilities of the digital to analogue converter and whether the mp3 player has a line-out (which it probably doesn't - without a line-out, the signal goes through the player's internal headphone amp, which adds a bit of distortion).
hmm... I don't know. Guess i'll have to wait and see how it works out, I can always get a better source later if need be.
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post #15 of 50
4/24/10 at 1:19am
Quote:
Originally Posted by dontOVERREACT View Post
To Oqvist:
Lol, yeah I suppose it is a bit overkill to make such a huge jump in quality, but, thats me
It's just not right to do thing that way. A top of the line headphone is not necessary to be the best and no one can tell you "You can't go wrong with X" (X is whatever headphone. R10, O2, L3000, you name it). You will want to make sure you like the sound signature first then go from there: more detail, less bass, more fun factor etc...

And for me the journey is much more fun than the destination

So don't overreact, dontOVERREACT
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Gear mentioned in this thread:

Denon AHD2000 High Performance Over-Ear Headphones
Powered by NexTag
Denon AHD1001K On-Ear Headphones (Black)
Denon AHD1001S On-Ear Headphones (Silver)
Head-Fi.org › Forums › Equipment Forums › Headphones (full-size) › Seriously considering getting the LA7000's...