Quote:
Would you say the difference between the two receivers is:
A) Night & day
B) Significant
C) Noticeable
D) Marginal
E) Splitting hairs
I'm wavering between saying noticeable and significant. I've actually found differences between my three amping choices, the HK 730, SX-650 and the internal amp of the M-DAC to be more noticeable than with other phones I've tried. Those other phones include the LCD-2's, HD650 and RS-1's.
The W3000's don't sound bad out of any of the choices, I didn't notice significant differences in detail retrieval, the biggest differences I noted were in character and balance.
I first started using the M-DAC's internal amp because it had done an admirable job with the LCD-2's so I expected similar results with the W3000's. The M-DAC leans to the side of being warm and spacious with a smooth treble that's just a bit on the blurry side so sibilance, while not overly hot or biting does become slightly accentuated. Where the M-DAC really seemed to lack for me was in bass weight. It feels like the bass is set back a bit.
The Harman Kardon 730 was in a different room so after a few day with the M-DAC's internal amp I switched to the Pioneer SX-650. This showed a different side to the W3000's. The SX-650 not only brought the bass out more but it became punchier. Overall, while a certain amount or warmth was retained, the overall sound became livelier, more dynamic with transients less glossed over giving a cleaner, more focused treble.
I was reasonably happy with the SX-650 until it started acting up a bit and curiosity got the better of me so I swapped the SX-650 for the HK 730. The 730 is closer in character to the M-DAC's internal amp than the SX-650 but it's fuller and more extended than the M-DAC. When switching from the SX-650 the first thing I noticed was it's smoother and warmer. The lower bass filled out with more weight but less punch in the mid bass. The lower mids are also more fleshed out giving the overall sound a bit more meat on it's bones so to speak. The stage is more spacious but instruments aren't quite as focused as the SX-650 and the treble is reduced a hair, smoother yet loses some of the definition and focus of the SX-650.
For my preference the Harman Kardon 730 is the best compromise. It has the best bass weight and extension while still retaining quite a good amount of punch. The mids are warm, smooth and liquid with the nicest texture and tone of the 3 choices. The SX-650 has a nicer, more defined treble but the 730 does a nice job in it's own right.
Hearing the change in the W3000 between these 3 amps has definitely got me curious to hear how they fare moving up the ladder to the higher end dedicated amps like the Zana Deux or the ECP.
