I take "punchy" to mean the actual slam, or physical pressure, the headphones exert. When you say they aren't punchy, does that mean they sound bassy, but don't actually kick as hard? If that's the case, I wonder how they'd do after a little EQ'ing.
Anyways, thanks for the mini-comparison. I'm glad to hear you describe them as "lush" and not "harsh". Definitely a little more excited for when my pair arrive now. And I second what Cecala said. Hook us up with a link to that review when you're done with it, if you don't mind.
You are correct, Punchy means the physical slam effect / physical pressure the headphones exert. On a flat EQ, they are just good with bass weight and the overall lows experience. With EQ, as the HP1000 responds well to bass increases. The experience turns into something very weighty. With that added weight, of course the slam effect will increase. It is unavoidable. However, that slam effect is just a bit less harsh than the LCD-2 on the same flat EQ and track. Due to the Audeze bass-type, which is more solid feeling than the JVC, you get a more harsh effect on the bass if you upgrade the bass experience with software or happen to have an amplifier with a bass switch. These headphones have two completely different bass experiences: The Audeze has a solid and dense effect, but very clear and accurate, drier to my ear as well. The JVC has a more broad and physically larger and expansive bass that is a bit warmer and certainly not as accurately responsive. However, the bass quality is still excellent. With a flat EQ setup, the JVC has the upper hand and is the bassier headphone. It does not require much at all to get an excellent, deep and weighty bass experience. The Audeze however needs a lot more voltage swing to achieve a similar level of deepness and rumble. The amplifier is very important in this physical slam effect area, for example the Hifiman EF-6 has a very powerful low end with good slam effect and more setup for the LCD/HE series Orthos, where as my Burson HA-160 has a bass experience more well tailored for the HP1000. The Burson has a noticeably more warm and yummy low end, its very deep and softer than the EF-6, which by comparison is more pure and clean, but less broad and weighty. On the EF-6, the LCD-2 sounds powerful, precise and has moderate slam effect ( also considered very nicely engaging ). On the Burson, the LCD-2 sounds softer and deeper with less likelihood of that SLAM effect on heavy bass tracks than it does on the EF-6. On the EF-6, the HP1000 sounds overly snappy and shaky, the bass sounds dry and boring. However, on the Burson it sounds sublime. Absolutely sublime, very soft and just right in warmth to me ( subjective ), very deep and less likely to be snappy or slamming on the same high bass tracks that sound too snappy on the LCD-2 on the EF-6.
Expect a gentle warmness to the bass on the HP1000, very relaxed mids that feel pushed back, slightly bright and sparkly highs, excellent soundstaging qualities with excellent airiness qualities in stereo image left and right. The LCD-2 has the better stage depth in a forward sense. Now, the HP1000 is not as clear as it should be for that price in the midrange and upper regions, however that bass quality is right on par with the Audeze LCD-2. Also expect really nice comfort, as its in my opinion one of the most comfy headphones out there. Those earpads are ridiculously plush and the headphone is easily the most deceptively light headphone for something that size.
I will of course provide a link to it here once it is finished, sometime in the next two weeks or so is what I am gunning for, but I think I just got more detailed than anything I planned to put into the LCD-3 review haha!
