Lawton Audio LA-D7000

Note 2:
 
This review was from July 2009, but I was asked to repost it to the the product area.  What follows is the original review as it first appeared on Head-Fi:

Note: 
 
This review is long overdue. markl was kind enough to lend me the LA7000 for an extended listen in exchange for writing up my thoughts. In short order I was able to put together some in depth impressions of the headphones, but I wanted to dig in deeper since these headphones really deserve a full fledged review. I only wish I had the talent, equipment and experience to do a better job.

I have some more photos I will add to the review later, but for now I just want to get this up so everyone can enjoy it.

Thanks Mark for lending me the headphones and sorry this review has been so long in coming

It all started when Lawton Audio sent me a pair of LA7000 for the NY spring meets, March 2009. Three and a half weeks later, I reluctantly had to say goodbye.

My experience with the LA7000 was like that time in college when you dated that really hot girl for about two weeks. There was an instant connection, first based on looks but grew into something so much more. Then just as quickly as it had begun the affair was over.

When LA7000s arrived I was immediately caught off guard by their good looks. On initial listening there was an organic enjoyment of the music, a sort of chemistry, if you will. By the end of a week I was totally into the sound, I mean I really fell for these headphones, and just when I started to show just the slightest sign of complacency, she, uh, I mean the headphones were gone forever. Honestly, the LA7000 is a hot headphone. Every detail has been addressed. From the cups to the cable, the entire package is beautiful.

What's an LA7000?



Just in case you don't know, the LA7000 is a commercially available modified version of Denon's top of the line headphone the AH-D7000. The modifications are done by Lawton Audio and include changing the headphone cable with Jena Labs Ultra Wire, retuning the chambers where the drivers sit, overstuffing the ear pads to angle the drivers and for added comfort. To quote the Lawton Audio site, "strategic placement of highly specialized damping materials, and careful addition of more stuffing to the ear pads." I'd say that's about it in a nutshell.



In addition the LA7000 gets replacement wooden earcups. Now, my first thought when I read about the custom wooden cups was that it was gilding the lily. After all, the Denon AH-7000, which lists for $1000, already comes with gorgeous mahogany wooden cups. Oh boy! Was I wrong. The headphones that I received were absolutely gorgeous with a beautiful grain to the wood.




Although Lawton Audio had nothing to do with the packaging, I think I should mention it because it is very classy. The headphones come in a heavy cardboard box, but the box is covered in what appears to be real leather. It's entirely possible the box is actually made out of wood, but it just seemed a tad thin to be wood. In any event, it is sturdy enough to keep your headphones safe for years to come, and the leather (is it pleather?) covering is really classy.

The Background

To put things in context, I primarily compared the LA7000 to the MD5000 DE, a modified version of the Denon AH-D5000, also by Lawton Audio. I first heard the MD5000 DE in the late fall of 2008 when markl, the creator of the Denon modified headphones - AKA markl mods - offered to send me a pair for a Head-Fi meet. I was a bit lukewarm to them at first, but after having an extended listen, I liked them so much I sold off half of my gear and bought the demo pair. Still, I thought the headphones were a touch bassy. When Mark told me the LA7000 corrected that flaw, I was more than eager to get a demo.

Listening

For 3 weeks, I auditioned the headphones using the LISA III amp with LLP and Little Dot MKIII, and at times I had the preamp out of the LD feeding the LISA III. Primarily though, I ran it out of the LISA III straight from my source, the Ack dAck 2.0 fed from a modded Sony SACD player with an upgraded power supply.

The thing I noticed immediately with the LA7000 is you didn't have to get used to them, there was no need to acclimate your ears to the sound of the headphones, it was just music. I enjoyed everything that I threw at it but a few things stuck out during my listening. I particularly liked vocal jazz.

One album that stood out was "American Song" by Andy Bey. The rich deep timbre of his baritone voice was beautifully presented. Using the Little Dot as a preamp gave the music a very lush, upfront sound. Percussion had great depth, conga drums, although lower in the mix, were very clear, with distinctive transients. I was also struck by how the piano decayed so beautifully. Cymbals were snappy with a fast attack, and excellent decay.

I found that the entire frequency response was very well represented, but it was the midrange that made me fall in love with this headphone. It really brings the midrange forward. I greatly enjoyed Mick Jagger's vocals on "Gunface" by the Rolling Stones. This has never been one of my favorite songs but I heard it in a whole new light and really grooved on the upfront vocal presentation.

The soundstage may be where this headphone excels the most and may be the best I've heard on a headphone ever. My listening sessions were filled with "over the shoulder moments" when you have to look around to make sure the sound you just heard was actually coming from the headphones. A particular example is the first track on Maria Rita'self titled debut album, "Festa". This is a fantastic Brazilian jazz album. The first track opens with sounds of a club. Listening with the LA7000s it was the first time the ambient sounds really came alive and I could sense the presence of the people around me. It was no longer two speakers resting on my ears but a really immersive kind of sound.

While I listened to a variety of music, from hard rock to symphony orchestras, I kept coming back to jazz vocals accompanied by a small combo. It was just so immersive. On the classic pairing of Ella Fitzgerald and Louis Armstrong on the album Ella and Louis Again, I could hear every nuance of their voices. I was particularly fascinated by Louis Armstrong's vocals. It's almost indescribable but I was mesmerized listening to the nuances of his vocal style. Sometimes smooth, sometimes guttural, but always entertaining and musical.

LA7000 vs. MD5000 DE
In almost every aspect the LA7000 bettered the MD5000 DE. I evaluated the headphones in terms of build, comfort and sound.

Build/Design

While the MD5000 DE is a very fine looking headphone, The LA7000 is a thing of beauty to behold. The custom wooden cups are extremely easy on the eye. The construction throughout is top notch. Every connection on the recable looks solid and professionally done. Even the ¼" plug is high end. Lawton utilizes the Furutech FP-704.







Comfort

This is the one area where the MD5000 DE beats the LA7000, hands down. While I didn't find the LA7000 uncomfortable, those wood cups seem to be quite a bit heavier than the stock D5000. After an hour or so, I noticed the weight difference. I didn't have to stop listening, but the lighter headphones were more comfortable for longer sessions.


Sound

The sound of the LA7000 is more balanced from high to low meaning each phase of the frequency sounds lifelike, accurate and musical. The overall sound signature is similar to the 5000, with a warm, musical presentation, but the LA7000 has a less exaggerated warmth. After spending a fair amount of time with both headphones my ears tell me the midrange on the MD5000 DE sounds a bit recessed giving the headphones an almost boxy sound at times. The LA7000 evens out the presentation while keeping the Denon (or Lawton?) house sound.

Taking a look at the headphone graphs of each, I think I can find some justification for my statements, markl mods not withstanding.



Both curves look very similar except that the D5000 boosts the frequency a bit and the bass rolls off sooner on the D7000, at about 50hz as opposed to 100hz for the D5000.

Of course, graphs don't tell you everything. After all we use headphones to listen to music. For example I really quite like the sound of the D5000, especially with classic rock. However, where the 7000 really excels is in soundstage. It gives the sense of being much wider and deeper with the LA7000. This area really has the most notable improvement over the MD5000 DE. I'm not sure how that would be represented in a graph.

I first took note of the ability of these headphones to project an image when I was listening to Maria Rita's debut self titled album. The first song "Festa" sounds like it is recorded in a small club (although I think it's actually sound effects in a studio). Previously, I could hear stereo separation but it sounded like a stereo recording of a club scene. When I listened to this song with the LA7000s, everything came to life and suddenly I was sitting in a small Ipanema jazz club waiting for Maria to start singing. The effect carried on into the music, and not just for "novelty" recordings. The music took on a lifelike, multi-dimensional quality. I found this added to the clarity and detail. The improved stereo imaging allowed me to pick out details better. Instruments have a more definite sense of placement.


Finale

In almost every regard the LA7000 is a better headphone than the MD5000 LE. The MD5000 is no slouch and it is worth every penny I paid for it. It is certainly my current favorite headphone, but if you are considering the Sennheiser HD800 or Grado PS1000 then you need to audition the LA7000. I think you will be in for an enjoyable experience.

I'm in a deep listening mood tonight and I always wanted to do a compare and contrast against these two very amazing headphones, so what better time than the present? While both of these headphones are very good in their own respect, each have their own unique pros and cons I will attempt to put into words. So without further ado, I will start with the one that people are most familiar with and work from there.

HIFIMAN HE-500
 
Oh yes, the HE-500! Not only is it largely considered by the Head-Fi community one of the best headphones on the market, but it also comes with a friendly price tag. I got mine about 8 months ago (just off the top of my head) from another generous Head-Fi member for about $600 with a complimentary home made stand for it. It ended up being one of the best bargains I ever made! 

Sound
 
The very first thing I noticed about the headphone on the first track listened to were those famous planar magnetic mids! The mids were way more forward than my beloved LA 7000's and it was a welcome change. I quickly noticed acoustic tracks were much more enjoyable to listen to on my HE-500's than on my LA 7000 Lite. Rock tracks in general with more focus on the guitars and mid range were just so darn impressive...it was truly addicting. While I did not appreciate the bass as much as I did the LA 7000's, I did acknowledge that it extends deep, maybe even deeper than the LA 7000's. It just did not have that power and muscle I was used to hearing, but I accepted it as a different sound signature, which is what I was looking for to begin with. I also immediately noticed how 'small' the music sounded. There was very little sense of space, but it seemed like the sound stage was more 'accurate'. The music from the LA-7000 sounds so open and cavernous....but it also has a very rugged sense of direction when trying to pin point where each sound is coming from. The HE-500 has no such issues. Despite the smaller sound, instruments separate noticeably better. 

Now that my ears have grown more accustomed to it's sound, I no longer consider some of the initial concerns valid. I have come to conclude the HE-500 is a VERY good all rounder, and performs well with a large variety of music. I also now appreciate the less boomy bass in it's own respect and I like how little it seeps into the mid range. Most of all I really like how polite of a headphone it is. There really is a reason it's so popular! It basically tries to please everyone, but actually succeeds. There's a small mid bass hump that sounds great with pop music and crystal clear treble that is slightly rolled off to avoid harshness. The HE-500 also has an amazingly natural tone to it. Instruments sound very 'true' to real live performances and it's probably my favorite part about this headphone. Combined with some of the best mids I have ever heard, there is hardly anything this headphone does wrong. The rolled off treble is most appreciated actually, since the treble from the LA 7000 can still sound a bit harsh, even after extensive mods. 

LA 7000 LITE

As I first entered the audiophile community, I heard many great things about last generation's Denons. Hell, I got into this hobby by putting $400 into the AH-D 5000's! The full, rich, all encompassing bass....the crystal sparkling treble...but above all, the most fun you would ever have listening to a headphone. Rockers and ravers alike praise the AH-DX000's for the exceptional dynamics that gave their music the rumble it needs to be fully 'felt'. For all the headbanging, some complained that the U shaped sound curve was too dramatic, and the sound felt too 'caged in'. But now with the famous MarkL mods you can have it all. So after upgrading from the D-5000's to the D-7000's, I decided to give them a shot...

Sound

Immediately, I recognize the bass to be much tighter, but still has that same tremendous impact the original AH-D X0000's are famous for. The impact is just much more localized now, and it doesnt rattle the entire headphone assembly like it used to. My specific pair (each LA 7000 can sound a bit different depending on how you customize it) still shakes a bit since I decided I wanted a bit less dampening, but not anywhere close to as much as the AH-D 5k and 7k's. Now I get to hear the mids that are so repressed in the original models. It is still concedes the stage to the treble and bass, but I can definitely hear them more now. Another big improvement from the stock Denon models is the Lawton angle pad. Backing the driver off the ear makes a huge difference, as it really opened up the sound, like the music had been let free. "Cavernous" is still a good word I like to describe just how open it truly sounds. That combined with the luscious, full bodied bass, some tracks can really just take your breath away. Backing the driver off the ear also helped alleviate some of the discomfort from the hot treble, which to my ears could be quite piercing on the stock Denons. 

All in all, I would describe the LA 7000 as dynamic, engaging, and punchy. As much as the mods do change the sound, it's still a very 'in your face' headphone. This headphone does not make music so you can sit down to consider and analyze it. This music is meant to be FELT! The LA 7000 does everything it can to try to 'wow' you. The treble shoots for the sky and the bass has a weighty liquid-like feel to it. Songs feel alive in ways I haven't experienced in any other headphone. The drums really pop and electric guitars scream with power! It's important to remember that the D7000 was actually a pretty detailed headphone and the LA 7000 Lite is even more so. Since adding dampening materials into the wood cups, the bass doesn't over power the details in other frequencies as much, letting you hear more than you ever could with the D7000. Electronic in particular sounds absolutely perfect, and I cannot imagine any other headphone performing better than the LA 7000 for this genre, it's just pure ecstasy. For rock it's sort of a mixed bag, anything with drums or heavy bass I like the LA 7000's but anything that is really vocal/guitar centered I like to use the HE 500's for.
 
If I have any sort of complaint about this headphone, it would definitely be the treble. Perhaps I am a bit sensitive to treble, but all the Denons have seemed too shrill in that area, and the LA 7000 Lite is no different. It's not a huge problem most of the time, since backing the driver away from the ear alleviates some of the discomfort, but on certain tracks it can be distracting. Also, compared to the HE-500, the LA 7000 Lite can't reproduce natural sounds as truthfully. Perhaps it's not very fair to compare a closed headphone to an open one in this regard, but I thought it would be worth mentioning. Generally speaking, an open headphone will almost always sound more natural than a closed one. 

Other Considerations
 
The HE-500 is super easy to mod. I myself have performed a grill mod on them that was so easy a caveman could do it, and it did open the sound stage marginally. The stock ear pads on the HE 500 could not get a good seal for me, and it seems to be a common complaint. Once again, mods can fix this problem if you are even experiencing it. I had Jergpads made for me and now I finally have a good seal. It really made a difference fleshing out the bass and the HE-500 sounds "fuller" now and more filled in. It even has detachable cables! Why every headphone doesn't have this....I have no idea. But not only is this super convenient for packing/traveling, but it also makes getting new cables a piece of cake. You can even own multiple cables for it if you so choose. Comfort can also be an issue for some people but it was never an issue for me. It clamps down more than the LA 7000 Lite, but I wouldn't say it's really tight or anything. I have a large head too.

The LA 7000 lite is the 2nd most comfortable headphone I have ever worn, number 1 being the HD 598 (tough to beat that one). Not only that, but they are absolutely gorgeous! Just take a look if you haven't seen them yet http://www.lawtonaudio.com/page66.html. The LA 7000 is also very easy to drive, even for a portable amp. Not saying I would ever use these while walking around, but I just mean it can be driven by literally anything. That being said, it is generally accepted by most that Denons sound the best when driven by solid state amps. The fact that this generation of headphone is no longer being supported by Denon (I will never understand why) is also something to consider. There is a screw that is known to break on the old Denons and it is very tough to replace, as it is a peculiar size. 

Edit: Both headphones were amped by a Burson HA-160D for this review.

Conclusion

Each of these headphones are tremendous efforts by both parties. The best way I can summarize the HE-500 is that it does a few things well, but also doesn't do anything wrong. By contrast, the best way I can summarize the LA 7000 Lite is that it has a couple of weaknesses, but it's soooo good in the other areas that it over compensates. If I could only keep one though, I would have to keep the LA 7000 Lite.  In the end, it just comes to down to what you enjoy as a music lover. I can personally over look some things as long as I'm having fun with my music, and the LA 7000 Lite has to be one of the most engaging headphones ever. My favorite genre is also electronic, and these headphones are just incredible for listening to it. They are also pretty good all rounders in their own right, just not quite so much as the HE-500's. Needless to say, I would still be sad to give up the HE-500's. The mids and naturalness are so addicting, and go great with other favorite genres of mine...jazz and blues. Well that about does it for me, as I think I have covered just about everything I can think of. I really hope this review helped some of you make a purchasing decision, as this review did take me a few days to type out (between work and social commitments). Hope you enjoyed and happy listening!