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The Soundstage Head Club

post #1 of 154
Thread Starter 

The Soundstage Head Club 

 

 

This thread is for all the soundstage whores like myself wink_face.gif

 

If you are always searching for the best soundstage this is for you.

 

I thought we could list the best gear with the best soundstage performance, whether it be headphones (closed or open), IEMS, amps, DACs, etc.  Doesn't have to be flagship stuff.  You can list things that have a good soundstage for their price bracket. 

 

This is a placeholder post/work in progress.  If you want me to add/remove anything let me know  :)  I will update it as it goes.

 

 

 

Headphones (Click to show)

*Top performers

 

Open:

 

Audio Technica:    AD700, AD700x  |  AD900, AD900x
AKG:                   K501    |  K601  | K701, K702, Q701, K702 65th Aniv.  |  K1000
Sennheiser:          HD558, HD598  |  HD600   |  HD700  |  *HD800

Beyerdynamic:      DTX 910 | DT880 | DT990  |  T90 | *T1

Fischer Audio:       FA-011

Philips                  Fidelio X1

Sony:                  MDR F1 |  MA900 | PFR-V1  |  MDR-SA5000

Ultrasone:            HFI-2400 |  PRO 2900


Closed:

 

AKG:                   K550

Audio Technica:    A900x  |  ATH-W1000X

Denon:                D2000, D5000, D7000

Beyerdynamic:      Cusom One Pro |  DT770 | T5P |  T70

JVC:                    DX 1000

Kenwood:             KH-K1000

Sony:                  CD 3000

Ultrasone:            Pro 900 | HFI-450

 

 

Electrostats:

 

Sennheiser:         HE60, HE90

Stax:                  Lambda Series | SR-009 | Sigma Series

Koss:                  ESP/950, ESP/10

hd800_t1_def2.jpg

IEMs (Click to show)


 

AKG:                     K3003

Aurisonics:             ASG-1 | AS-1, AS-2

Denon:                  C710, C751

Earsonics:              SM3
Final Audio:            FI-BA-SS

HifiMAN:                RE-262 | RE-400

JVC:                     FX700  |  FXC-51  |  FXT90

MEElectronics:        M9

Sennheiser:           IE7, IE8, IE80

Sony:                   EX510, EX600, EX1000

TFTA:                  1XB, 1V

Phonak Audeo:       PFE 112  |   PFE232

Ultimate Ears:        Reference Monitors

Unique Melody:      Merlin

Westone:              Westone 2

Xeport:                 5010-8

Yamaha:               EPH-100 

Amps (Click to show)

Hmmm... not sure - let me know

Burson HA 160?

 

AMB:                    Beta22

Cavalli Audio:         Bijou

Eddie Currenet:      Zana Deux

DACs (Click to show)

HRT:                       Music Streamer II  |  Music Streamer II+

Twisted Pear Audio:  Buffalo 24

Audio Gd Ref. 7.1

DAP (Click to show)

Rocoo p

 

 

Links to other sound threads:

The Basshead Club

The Treblehead Club

The Midrangehead Club

The Fun V Shaped Club

The Neutral/Balanced Club


Edited by chicolom - 4/8/13 at 1:32pm
post #2 of 154
Thread Starter 

Reserved, just in case.... smile_phones.gif

post #3 of 154

I love closed headphones with large soundstages.  I nominate the Denons (D2000, D5000, D7000), Ultrasone Pro 900 (there might be some others worthy in the Pro line), and Beyerdynamic DT-770.

post #4 of 154

Now this is a club that I know I feel right at home in, for once. I just love a good atmospheric presentation.

 

The headphones list needs more Stax, though. Soundstage is a very strong suit of the Lambda series, and if you prefer it more in front like the K1000, there's the Sigma series. (All of them are open, of course; in fact, I can't think of a single closed model aside from the Stax 4070.)

post #5 of 154

AT-W1000X for closed large soundstage.

post #6 of 154
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by NamelessPFG View Post

Now this is a club that I know I feel right at home in, for once. I just love a good atmospheric presentation.

 

The headphones list needs more Stax, though. Soundstage is a very strong suit of the Lambda series, and if you prefer it more in front like the K1000, there's the Sigma series. (All of them are open, of course; in fact, I can't think of a single closed model aside from the Stax 4070.)



Nice, any specific models? I don't know my Stax... =\

post #7 of 154

JVC DX 1000 for best reverb enhanced closed Headphones. Would of course love to try out the R10. those jumbo earcups and teletubby wooden cups really mean sound is outside my head.

Pro 900 for most believable 3D soundstage for closed headphones.

 

honourable mentiones Audio Technica W1000X and Sony CD 3000.

 

Sennheiser HD 800 for open followed by T1.

post #8 of 154

You already have my knee-jerk reaction responses up there.

 

Open:

 

Ultrasone HFI-2400 

Koss ESP/10 

Koss ESP/950 (this and the one above are both stats)

 

Closed:

 

Kenwood KH-K1000 (puts lots of other closed headphones to shame while providing decent-ish isolation)

perhaps Bose AE/AE2 as well (honestly they aren't half bad in this regard; remember they're $150 headphones though)

 

 

Some guesses based on stuff I haven't heard:

 

AT AD1000/2000 and AT W5000

AKG K601 (you have everything else from the series k701smile.gif)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


Edited by obobskivich - 1/30/12 at 9:01pm
post #9 of 154

Fischer Audio FA-011! THE best and widest soundstage under $200 that I've heard, and I couldnt really even imagine a headphone creating a larger headspace (since it seems to transcend past the 180 play field and almost surround the head with sexy noises xD

 

Whats even more amazing, is that is has a fantastic bass response for an open phone, tight and punchy, but also wielding plenty of sub-bass to cure any bass cravings. The highs are airy and beautiful as well :D

 

If they had a shop around here, I'd purchase their whole line. 


Edited by Vonx - 1/30/12 at 11:25pm
post #10 of 154
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by Vonx View Post

Fischer Audio FA-011! THE best and widest soundstage under $200 that I've heard, and I couldnt really even imagine a headphone creating a larger headspace (since it seems to transcend past the 180 play field and almost surround the head with sexy noises xD

 

Whats even more amazing, is that is has a fantastic bass response for an open phone, tight and punchy, but also wielding plenty of sub-bass to cure any bass cravings. The highs are airy and beautiful as well :D

 

If they had a shop around here, I'd purchase their whole line. 



I saw your posts on those, you make me want to buy some :)  I put them on the list.

 

Do you still stand by what you said in this post about using them with dolby headphone? 

post #11 of 154


 

Quote:
Originally Posted by chicolom View Post



I saw your posts on those, you make me want to buy some :)  I put them on the list.

 

Do you still stand by what you said in this post about using them with dolby headphone? 



yes, or atleast for the ax720 dolby headphone decoder box. 

 

I don't know why, but it just doesn't sound right for some reason.

 

They sound really good right out of a PC jack for PC games tho, just not for xbox 360 (not sure why)

 

I still use the AX720's for xbox gaming and those do everything perfectly for my needs, but the FA-011 does everything else perfectly, and sounds FAR better for music, which is primarily what I use them for 

 

I think its because of the decoder box that hinders the performance of them, not the headphone :D


Edited by Vonx - 1/31/12 at 12:45am
post #12 of 154

 

Quote:
Originally Posted by chicolom View Post

Nice, any specific models? I don't know my Stax... =\


The only ones I've tried directly are the original Normal bias SR-Lambda (albeit modified) and the SR-202, but all Lambda-series models likely provide an equally large soundstage, possibly even larger than the AD700 (going by experience with both), with the main differences being in sound signature.

 

More experienced listeners here say the soundstage isn't HD800 large, but certainly not small by headphone standards, either. Others say that the SR-007 is a tad smaller than a typical Lambda, and the SR-009 is a tad larger; don't know about the SR-Omega or other models like SR-X/Mk3, SR-5, or SR-3.

 

Even before the SR-Lambda, there was the SR-Sigma, which instead had the drivers mounted perpendicular to the listener's ears, sort of like the AKG K1000. It looks rather ridiculous with the listener's head being flanked by big boxes like that, but the sound must be truly amazing for it to have the reputation it does.

post #13 of 154

For iem's i vote yamaha eph-100, they beat even my pro 900's for soundstage.

 

For amps i vote my p4 warbler, superb little amp.

post #14 of 154

No love for the Koss ESP? triportsad.gif

post #15 of 154
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by obobskivich View Post

No love for the Koss ESP? triportsad.gif



I added them :)

 

 

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