[NZtechfreak]

Great thread! Thanks a lot for taking so much time to give us such an entertaining read.
 
Interesting the Conductor made the HD800 sound good to you. I've got some on loan at the moment and if I'm honest was hoping not to like them, I was hoping they'd sound clinical, not musically engaging, lacking in bass, and too bright in the treble. Unfortunately out of my Audio-GD Reference 10 they didn't sound at all like any of those criticisms that are often levelled at them... Still, I don't think I can justify them to myself given the ridiculousness of my collection as it stands right now.
 
My story is rather shorter, probably on account of having a fairly generous income. I started beginning of last year by pre-ordering the HE-400. Naturally compared to anything else I'd heard the sound was magical. That was all it took. I was in. Unfortunately I had one of the ones with a faulty channel, so I returned them and started looking elsewhere. I decided I wasn't going to muck around spending a few K on lesser headphones before getting to the good stuff, but just leap right in. I got the LCD-2 right off the bat, and then the ASUS Xonar Essence one for my desktop. I was fairly happy with that, but not completely.
 
The LCD-2 sound just doesn't turn me on as much as it seems to do for everyone else, I adore it for vocal jazz, pop and electronic music, but I don't particularly enjoy it for rock or metal, which I spend the most time listening to (partly this is probably due to some high frequency hearing loss from playing guitar and attending gigs, I think the shelved treble doesn't play that well with my hearing). Anyways, I saw a cheap price on the GS1000i second hand and decided to go for it, having auditioned the 325i and RS2i and liking their sound (see how that hot treble doesn't bother me with my hearing?). I love them to bits, they get a lot more time than my LCD-2, mainly because I can listen to anything with them, since I'm often in the mood for genre skipping listening sessions.
 
Anyways, then I started looking to portable set ups, especially when I got the Galaxy S3 and was one of the first to confirm USB audio was working with it. Unfortunately the E17 I already had for my laptop was one of the few that didn't work with it, so I got the Pico HeadAmp. Then I started looking at closed cans, since I dislike IEMs. Got the T5p first and absolutely loved them. Decided to try some others though, getting the Ed8, Sig Pro, and W3000ANV too. In the end sold the Ultrasones, keeping the other two. Although I don't listen to them that much (read: don't listen to them enough), there is no way I could part with the uniquely coloured euphony of the W3000ANV having heard it once. While I loved the T5p I was really interested to get them with a removable cable for portable use, and started looking at the Jaben-modded ones, eventually picking up a pair of those too (so I can go fully balanced on my portable, when the mood/need takes me).
 
During this time I also got a Note 2, and unfortunately the Pico didn't work with that (Justin at HeadAmp has found a fix though, mine is on its way to him to get the compatibility fix). So I got in quick succession the Leckerton UHA-MKII, RSA Intruder, and just a week or so ago the Apex Glacier.
 
I'd also been trying on some other open headphones for size during this period, getting the RS1 and enjoying that, but finding it didn't match up to the GS1000i for my listening preferences, and selling it again fairly swiftly. Then I decided, woe is me, to get the HE-6. So, I got them, and promptly discovered the Xonar could not power them. AT ALL. On full volume it couldn't even raise them to a listenable volume, much less properly control them. So, the hunt for an amp upgrade came. I didn't want to go down the speaker amp track, despite how well suited for the HE-6 that appears to be. I wanted to sell my Xonar, and upgrade to an all-in-one solution. I ended up getting the aforementioned Audio-GD Reference 10, which is simply superb. Probably understating the case to say the HE-6 sound amazing from it; everything does.
 
Anyways, that's how I ended up with my collection in less than year. What a ride.
 
Gear:
HE-6
LCD-2.2
GS1000i
T5p
Jaben-modded T5p (still deciding whether this sounds better than the regular T5p for me, I suspect for most it would, but its not so clear cut for my listening preferences)
W3000ANV
Audio-GD Reference 10
HeadAmp Pico USB DAC/amp
Apex Glacier
RSA Intruder
Leckerton UHA-6S.MKII
 
Sold/returned/gifted gear:
Ed8
Sig Pro
RS1
HE-400
HD25-1 II
Q701
Xonar Essence One
E17
E7
HM-101
 
Where to from here? Not sure, but the SR009 and BHSE are calling to me...

 

[Happy Camper]

NK, when I read that you loved the 400s and started your journey that you'd taken the longer trail. The journey started well but you turned around too soon. If you went just a little further up the HiFiMan path, you'd have gotten there sooner. Although you have traveled a beautiful grande trail confirming your decision.

I think you are a typical neighbor and your income has given you the ability to take the journey with a magic carpet and not an elephant. It's all good.

Just re-read and your last comment rings a clarion tone.

 

[dan.gheorghe]

Thank you guys!
 
Nice story  and evolution there NZ. I enjoyed reading it. 
 
So, you liked T5P? Interesting. I heard that it is a weird headphone that one and it is not worth the money. How is it compared to the other headphones you have?
 
I am not decided for my next upgrade in headphones yet, if there will ever be one (I have the feeling it will

) . I was considering buying a Sennheiser Momentum or Amperior for work, but then I thought of an upgrade or complementary headphones to lcd2.
I heard the lcd3, it was very nice, but did not convince me to pay another 1k for the differences, as they were not that big. Its sound is more refined, it has a wider soundstage, more details and better defined treble, but also has a different presentation of sound from lcd2, which has a slightly more punchier bass, more prominent midrange and a more intimate sound, which I like.
 
HD800 is a beautiful headphone, but not exactly of my tastes. I think only on tubes it will be what I like, but never heard it on tubes, and I don't want to change all my sound system for them. 
 
I was considering he500 or he6, but I would really want to hear them before buying them. I am not sure conductor (soloist) can drive he6, eventhough many said it would (6moons, headphonia, etc). It might be possible as [size=small] ‘The first watt is the most important watt.' as [/size][size=small]Dick Olsher from firstwatt said.[/size]

 

[NZtechfreak]

Quote:

 
Nice story  and evolution there NZ. I enjoyed reading it. 
 
Thanks! Not a patch on your tale, but there it is.
 
So, you liked T5P? Interesting. I heard that it is a weird headphone that one and it is not worth the money. How is it compared to the other headphones you have?
 
Yes, I really like the T5p. I would go so far as to say it is indeed overpriced, but "not worth the money" is a personal value statement really. It isn't very well liked here, but a lot of the talk comes from 'common knowledge' - people who have never heard it, or heard it for a few moments or minutes only. It isn't a headphone that grabs many people from the get-go, being that it doesn't have one particularly stand-out quality that makes you go 'wow, that *whatever* is incredible'. It's bass quantity isn't to the liking of many, and that is probably the thing that most informs peoples 'rapid-listen' opinions. The bass quality however is lovely, so tight and well controlled. In terms of how it compares to the other high-end closed ones I can only say that none of the others came close for rock and metal for me, so it works for my preferences (I listen to lots of stuff at home, genres-wise, but on the go it's almost exclusively rock and metal). I suppose I'm fortunate to be able to keep a set of headphones that expensive for a fairly limited use-case scenario, if it had to be one closed set for everything I may have chosen differently. The Jaben-modded one has quite a different sound, particularly in the bass department, I suspect most listeners would love it compared to the usual sound (I'm still deciding if I do though!).
 
I was considering he500 or he6, but I would really want to hear them before buying them. I am not sure conductor (soloist) can drive he6, eventhough many said it would (6moons, headphonia, etc). It might be possible as [size=small] ‘The first watt is the most important watt.' as [/size][size=small]Dick Olsher from firstwatt said.[/size]
 
I think the Soloist puts out 4W into 16ohm? Doesn't sound sufficient, with HiFiMan suggesting 5W into 50ohm, and most here preferring their HE-6 with even more than that. Who knows though, you may be very satisfied with them driven from the Soloist. I expect the HE500 would probably sound wonderful from the Soloist.

 

[asdfghjkzxcvbnm]

Wow that was interesting.

 

[dan.gheorghe]

Previously:

The Hobby: An Unexpected Journey
The Hobby: The Desolation of my wallet
The Hobby: There And Back Again
The fellowship of the Broken Wallets
The fellowship of the Broken Wallets: Part 2
The Two Titans: HD800 & LCD2
The Return Of The King
Burson Conductor: Ambush of the Wallet
The End of The Wallet: AKG K550, Creative Aurvana Live & FIIO E17

 

InToxicated Mind

 
 
 
Hello guys,
 
 
I almost forgot about this, but right after Christmas I bought a new cable for LCD2. I forgot because I have to wait about to months to receive it .
When I remember, it makes me happy. A new toy is due to arrive . First, I must say that I am a believer. I do think cables make a difference.
 
However I believe that there is a limit where cables can make a difference and they should be the last thing you get in a sound system. I do not believe >1k cables deserve the money. 5k, 20k cables make me laugh ... sincerely ).. Or what do I know ...maybe when you have an over 150k sound system...
 
I had the zu mobius with HD650 and i really loved it. With it, I never thought of hd650 to be veiled, and the level of details was satisfying.
I have also tried some power cables : PS Audio Jewel & Wireworld Aurora. Both made a difference, a good one with Burson HA-160DS,  but with Burson Conductor only the PS Audio Jewel sounds better
The Wireworld Aurora & Conductor seem to be a bad combo to me. It restricts dynamics, the bass depth is smaller, it makes the treble brighter. I tested it a lot of times, as I really loved the Aurora with the ha-160ds, and it was clearly a "higher" end cable than the Ps Audio Jewel. With the DS was better than the jewel.
 
 
It was clearly, that I thought  the Aurora to be the better cable, so I insisted a lot with the tests. PsychoAcoustics in this case would have dictated me that the sound with the Aurora would be better, but every time I tested, even the stock cable sounded better.
As you may remember I also tested a lot with my PS Audio Duet Center power conditioner, as it made a very good difference with the DS, but with the Conductor only made things worst. I even tested it again yesterday as I am stubborn (the aurora and ps audio cost 460$ together and I am sad that it does not fit its purpose), and I found out that it really reduces details.
It was obvious in lots of songs, but for example the voice of Leonard Cohen was a good reference. He has a rugged voice. Imagine his voice as a graph with a lot of peaks. With the power conditioner I felt that the peaks were leaned out, like in video antializing, which takes out one of the things I love about Leonard Cohens' voice.
 
The PS Audio Jewel was better than the stock cable. The bass improved, it went deeper and tighter, and the background went darker.
I think the wireworld isn't good with conductor because it has some filtering inside:

 
 

"Wireworld power cords feature a unique geometric structure and composite insulation materials to maximize inductive and capacitive filtering, effectively absorbing power line noise and damping the electrical resonances that other cords and power conditioners cannot tame."

 

I asked Burson about the usage of a power filter or power conditioner and they responded with this:

 
 

Burson Audio

 Yes, the conductor features a 5 stage filtering power supply. Therefore, we don't recommend the use of external power conditioners. Thanks for your interest and your honest feedback

- Charlie

 

Ok but...but...460$..in vain??
 

 
Well....the aurora went on my tv and made a good difference (more vivid colors and clearer image), and the power conditioner is used with the tv and my computer.
 
I have a separate line just for Conductor (in the manual it is advised you plug it directly into the wall socket), so even if i use an extension chord, at least a wall socket is dedicated to it, and it slightly improved the sound. For protection, I use a Belkin Surge Protector. I also asked Burson about automatic voltage regulators and surge protectors, and they responded with :
 

Hi Dan,  
A surge protector can certainly be used to protect the Conductor from any power surge damage. As for Automatic Voltage Regulator you can try it and it will bring no harm to the Conductor I don't know what sonic effect it will have thought.
 
Warm regards
Dennis
 

 
I also bought a Wireworld Starlight usb cable which also made a good difference, but I don't think it deserves the money. I think that Wireworld Ultraviolet would have sufficed.
 
 
So, I do believe in cables, and in the fact that influences the sound.  They can improve your system or only make it worse.
 
 
Looking at my system, I thought my lcd2 stock cable to be the weakest link in my system, so I started searching for reviews and opinion.
I already had my eyes on toxic cables for over a year 

  thinking in perspective before getting the lcd2 . While searching, I have seen the reviews of Silver Poison and the appreciation thread. When I saw the number of pages on that thread I was amazed. I started to look for other cable companies appreciation threads.
Guess what...I barely found one but with very few pages.
So I started reading the posts....after a few hours I was at page 80 

 with my eyes red 

 .
So I have read over 100 pages on this appreciation thread. I was amazed...everybody cheerful...happy and every single one of the customers satisfied. For a cable thread this is pretty damn amazing. It was like a big happy community, one of the most positive ones seen on this entire forum. I haven't seen one unsatisfied customer...not one!
 This made me sure of my decision.
 I was still not sure if I wanted a silver or copper cable. I am very afraid of brightness even though I have the LCD2. My ears are very sensible to bright sound. I can hear my wifes' phone chargers from Nokia when plugged into the power sockets ( at first i thought it was in my head...a iiiiiiiiiiiiiii sound....it was getting me mad...when I started walking in the room and I observed the change in intensity...so i followed the intensity and found the damn charger.... 

 )
After more reviews and everybody stating the silver+gold were not bright and not loosing bass....I decided on Silver Poison. I just had to wait for my salary to kick in (the banks were closed for Christmas).
One night after I enter on headfi for 

. I stumbled upon this Silver Widow review...and at the end....

 
 

Quote:

I listed the prices at the beginning of the review. The Silver Poison cables have built a reputation as a terrific bargain for custom silver cables. That value still holds. The new Silver Widows are in my opinion worth twice the price. The added clarity, bass impact and space are the best I have heard. Frank has chosen to price them at 50% more than the Silver Poison's...A killer deal. Gorgeous looking, Gorgeous sounding, twice the performance of their amazing older siblings and only 50% more in their price.

 

 
Ok...started doing some calculations with my (angry on me 

 ) wallet....I did not expect to want to buy 300EUR cable, since I recently bought the lcd2+conductor...Well...after a day or so, the salary kicked in, and I contacted Frank to tell him about the order.
Frank did not respond ...I was panicking . The poor man works day an night for the cables from what i read ....but damn I wanted to make the order. After a few hours (yes..hours..I did not wait that long...but you know...time is relative when you want something.. ) ) he responded.
So I sent the order.
 
I was relieved...the search was over...and I felt goood

 
But then I realized... the wait...oh the wait...2 more months...
 
Well...the wait is not over yet. Stay tuned for the impressions on this cable. "Only" one month left...
 
P.S.
 
I found a new player, JPLAY,  which I use with foobar2000. I really think it makes a difference. It made a really nice and easy to hear improvement with HA-160ds and Conductor too. I also read that Jplay got a blue moon from 6 moons.
I started this thread here, as I am curios of what other people think , becase I am very curios if my mind is playing tricks on me or I am right.  They have a free trial version if you want to try it yourselves. 
 
 

Next:

 

Wrath of the Titans: Audeze LCD2 vs LCD3 & Burson Conductor vs M2Tech Vaughan

From Hobby to Obssesion and back to Hobby
The Ambush of the combos: AudioQuest Dragonfly vs FIIO E17 & Dragonfly with Burson Soloist; Dragonfly vs Conductor's DAC
The Ambush Continues: AKG K550 vs Sennheiser Momentum
The Audiophile USB Cable Surprise: Wireworld Starlight Red vs Chord USB Silver Plus
The Titans are Back: Sennheiser HD800 vs Audeze LCD2 & Burson Conductor
A nice surprise: Focal Spirit One
AudioPhile Power Cables Shootout
Focal Spirit One vs Sennheiser Amperior
 

 

[davidsh]

Just can't see the logic with cables O_o
Especially not an usb cable transfering digital signals.

 

[dan.gheorghe]

Quote:

Just can't see the logic with cables O_o
Especially not an usb cable transfering digital signals.

This is the best explanation i found for the usb cable.
 
 
 

T’S NOT JUST ONES AND ZEROS, IT’S THE TIMING! 

There is a fundamental difference between the transfer of computer data and digital audio signals. Computers are able to transfer digital data without loss, because the data moves in the robust form of blocks, which do not depend on specific timing between the sending and receiving devices. However, digital audio signals are continuous streams of data, which are quite fragile, since the digital processor must remain perfectly locked onto the timing of the signal to avoid data losses.

However, Conductor has a good USB receiver eliminating a lot of jitter. The improvement on Conductor were small(more details and a tighter bass.), and I did not try it on something else yet. 
The differences with the power cables and the headphones cables were more obvious to me.
 
I do not have an explanation on why those cable made a differences, as I am not an expert in the domain. It may very well be placebo (though I really don't think so) .
 
I don't want to get into a cable fight here, but those were my honest impressions) .
 
 
 

Wow that was interesting.
 

Thanks! Glad you liked it!

 

[dan.gheorghe]

Previously:

The Hobby: An Unexpected Journey
The Hobby: The Desolation of my wallet
The Hobby: There And Back Again
The fellowship of the Broken Wallets
The fellowship of the Broken Wallets: Part 2
The Two Titans: HD800 & LCD2
The Return Of The King
Burson Conductor: Ambush of the Wallet
The End of The Wallet: AKG K550, Creative Aurvana Live & FIIO E17
InToxicated Mind

 

Wrath of the Titans: Audeze LCD2 vs LCD3 & Burson Conductor vs M2Tech Vaughan

 
Hello again guys,
 
 
Sometimes I think I need to go to a upgradatis detox clinic.  I am very happy with what I have, but somehow I am curios to hear other headphones, to experience different sound presentation, to find better quality, etc.
 
I was already thinking of another headphone as a future goal. I took hifiman he6 off the list, as I don't want to get an amplifier just for them. Some say that Conductor or Soloist drive them well. I don't know how that is possible, but maybe as Nelson Pass said : " The first watt is the most important watt."  I heard that his 25W amplifiers beat 150W amplifiers, as power isn't the only important thing. Well maybe this is the case here, but there will always be the crowd saying that they can do  better, and I will surely end up spending more money for the amp ) . 
 
 
I already heard the HD800 and did not find it to suit my personal tastes.
As I love my LCD2,  naturaly LCD3 popped into my mind. But 2k$? Well I was very curios of the differences between the LCD2 & 3. 
Luckily, my friend Sandu, gave me the opportunity to listen to LCD3 .
 
The surprise was that he also had a M2Tech Vaughan  at his home for testing and reviewing.  
So he had a 10K $ sound system ... 

 
 
I always wanted to listen to a system like this, as I never had the chance.
 
 
 
 
It was more of curiosity. The only thing I was "scared" of liking so much as I would buy it, was the LCD3. Vaughan is too damn expensive, and I don't think I would ever spend that much on audio, unless I will become a millionaire 

:
 
 
 
 
Well ... I started to listen to both LCD2 and LCD3 on Conductor and Vaughan. 
I liked the LCD3. I think it is technically a better can than LCD2. It has clearly a wider soundstage. It also has more details,  better instrument separation and better defined treble. I found the LCD3 to be a little brighter than LCD2, maybe because of the more present treble. Don't get me wrong, I didn't find it to be bright at all. Its sound is more refined than LCD2s.

However, the differences were clear enough but not that big, and it didn't justify the 1k$ difference in my opinion. (In a few weeks the upgradatis symptoms kicked in again, and I listened to it again...and again I decided it is far to expensive for the differences. Ah,I forgot to say that  in Romania it costs 2530$ ).
 
I also observed that LCD2 has some strong points that I love . It has a more punchier bass (even it is not as extended as lcd3, but again the differences are small here too), a more present lower midrange and it has a more intimate sound which I prefer. I found lcd2s soundstage to be what I need as it seems to be more natural. I also find the LCD2 to be more dynamic & engaging 

.
 
 
 
Ok, now let's get down to Vaughan. When I first saw it, I was like ....

"Sandu...where is your table...?", as the Vaughan was as big as his coffee table ) . It was huuuge!
 
 
Aside from that it looked very nice. I think it is that big because it runs on battery, so you can get clean power.
I tested it just as a DAC with Conductor as amp and also  with his integrated amplifier.
Well, what can I say, it sounded very nice. The sound was very clean indeed. It was a little more detailed than the Conductor. I think it sounded a little more natural than Conductor, but sincerely I found the differences to be little. I even liked the lower end better on conductor (even when I tested the Vaughan with Conductor as amp).
 

Every upgrade I have done was made because it was much better than what I previous had.
LCd2 was much better than hd650, Burson ha-160ds much better than Meier Corda Cantate 2 (that was much better than Asus Xonar Essence ST), Burson Conductor much better than HA-160DS, etc.
 
 

I for one, wouldn't spend 8k on Vaughan as Conductor gets very close to it with a 4 times smaller price. 
 
Please do not crucify me for what I said here in this post, as these are my sincere impressions(reached in limited time),  nothing more.
 
One thing I like about Vaughan is that it runs on battery and you get rid of any worries about power cables, power conditioning, avrs, etc...but at what price?
 
So, I don't think I am willing to spend another 1k for lcd3 for now. I actually thought that a complementary closed headphone would be better.  I heard the Audio Tehnica W1000x and did not like it, also heard the W5000 but i don't think they are worth the price.  I wouldn't pay another 2k for it, so fostex th900 is out....

I am really starting to think about a Denon D7000, but who knows when my upgradatis kicks in and what I will buy next...
 
 

[size=x-small]Next:[/size]

From Hobby to Obssesion and back to Hobby
The Ambush of the combos: AudioQuest Dragonfly vs FIIO E17 & Dragonfly with Burson Soloist; Dragonfly vs Conductor's DAC
The Ambush Continues: AKG K550 vs Sennheiser Momentum
The Titans are Back: Sennheiser HD800 vs Audeze LCD2 & Burson Conductor
A nice surprise: Focal Spirit One
AudioPhile Power Cables Shootout
Focal Spirit One vs Sennheiser Amperior

 

[RustA]

Quote:

It has a more punchier bass (even it is not as extended as lcd3, but again the differences are small here too), a more present lower midrange and it has a more intimate sound which I prefer. I found lcd2s soundstage to be what I need as it seems to be more natural.

 
Thank you very much, I find it very useful... It seems that LCD-2 rev2 are what I need (I have them). I love their natural sound without anything being too much present... They sound very coherent, compact. I haven't heard LCD-3 yet unfortunately but I am worried whether their improved soundstage isn't destroying the compactness and fullbodied experience you get with LCD-2. That's what I like with LCD-2 - they are not too much airy and separate. I like the width of their soundstage as well... The depth could be better but that's the only thing I find not fully satisfying. The rest is exceptional.
 
IMHO, D7000 are significantly worse than LCD-2...

 

[dan.gheorghe]

Quote:

 
Thank you very much, I find it very useful... It seems that LCD-2 rev2 are what I need (I have them). I love their natural sound without anything being too much present... They sound very coherent, compact. I haven't heard LCD-3 yet unfortunately but I am worried whether their improved soundstage isn't destroying the compactness and fullbodied experience you get with LCD-2. That's what I like with LCD-2 - they are not too much airy and separate. I like the width of their soundstage as well... The depth could be better but that's the only thing I find not fully satisfying. The rest is exceptional.
 
IMHO, D7000 are significantly worse than LCD-2...

Glad I helped. If you have the chance to listen to LCD3, go for it, but it seems that you could be in the same category as I am. I think another headfier, Solude, got back from lcd3 to lcd2 because of similar reasons. It's all about your preferences. 

I am thinking that it wouldn't be bad to have a closed headphone to complement my lcd2, as there are situations when you  need them.
 
I haven't heard the D7000. Man....it's hard finding a good closed can... What were your impressions of D7000? I suspected it is not as good as LCD2, but maybe it is good enough for a closed headphone?

 

[RustA]

Quote:

...

I haven't heard the D7000. Man....it's hard finding a good closed can... What were your impressions of D7000? I suspected it is not as good as LCD2, but maybe it is good enough for a closed headphone?

 
Only if you tell me that LCD-3 offer SIGNIFICANTLY DEEPER soundstaging (better 3D picture), I would consider them... To be honest, I am perfectly happy with the FR graph LCD-2 offers, it's very natural and balanced. The soundstage is enough wide and I feel there is no significant lack of air with them... The detail they offer is enough for me as well. So what do you think?
 
As for D7000, it depends on what you are looking for... The bass on them is quite fun but it's unreal, significantly subwooferish (but not overemphasised, just unnatural). Mids are recessed and a bit unnatural... They gave me the same impression as their treble did - too thin, lacked realistic feeling. Treble was not consistent and to my ears quite fatiguying... Without crossfeed, I was not able to listen to them for a long time. So in general, bass was nice, mids average and treble insufficient. Soundstage was fine, completely.
 
From what I've got, it's a general consensus that D7000 are fun but not quite in the same league as LCD-2 rev2 and the rest... I wouldn't recommend them for rock, metal or acoustic music but for pop or electronic music, they are nice. In your place, I would never pay more than 500USD (or maybe 600USD) for them. It's not that they are twice worse than LCD-2 but if you already have as good and serious phones as LCD-2 are (in my view), you should maybe look elsewhere. Maybe T50RP paradox/mad dogs? Sennheiser Momentum?

 

[dan.gheorghe]

Quote:

 
Only if you tell me that LCD-3 offer SIGNIFICANTLY DEEPER soundstaging (better 3D picture), I would consider them... To be honest, I am perfectly happy with the FR graph LCD-2 offers, it's very natural and balanced. The soundstage is enough wide and I feel there is no significant lack of air with them... The detail they offer is enough for me as well. So what do you think?
 
As for D7000, it depends on what you are looking for... The bass on them is quite fun but it's unreal, significantly subwooferish (but not overemphasised, just unnatural). Mids are recessed and a bit unnatural... They gave me the same impression as their treble did - too thin, lacked realistic feeling. Treble was not consistent and to my ears quite fatiguying... Without crossfeed, I was not able to listen to them for a long time. So in general, bass was nice, mids average and treble insufficient. Soundstage was fine, completely.
 
From what I've got, it's a general consensus that D7000 are fun but not quite in the same league as LCD-2 rev2 and the rest... I wouldn't recommend them for rock, metal or acoustic music but for pop or electronic music, they are nice. In your place, I would never pay more than 500USD (or maybe 600USD) for them. It's not that they are twice worse than LCD-2 but if you already have as good and serious phones as LCD-2 are (in my view), you should maybe look elsewhere. Maybe T50RP paradox/mad dogs? Sennheiser Momentum?

Thanks for the details RustA. I actually was thinking of Momentum, but I  thought the D7000 would be better. I'll try to listen to both if I have the chance, before deciding.
The most prominent difference over LCD2 was the wider soundstage. It has a slightly better imaging I think, but not that big of a difference. There is some more space between instruments, but in my opinion I also find lcd2s soundstage to be enough, and as I said in my post, to be more natural. None of the differences justify the price difference for me. And their sound presentation, even if it keeps the audeze signature, differs in a way that  may lead to some people preferring the lcd2 over lcd3.

 

[RustA]

Quote:

Thanks for the details RustA. I actually was thinking of Momentum, but I  thought the D7000 would be better. I'll try to listen to both if I have the chance, before deciding.
The most prominent difference over LCD2 was the wider soundstage. It has a slightly better imaging I think, but not that big of a difference. There is some more space between instruments, but in my opinion I also find lcd2s soundstage to be enough, and as I said in my post, to be more natural.

 
If you like LCD-2 rev2 as much as like them, get Momentum instead of D7000 for sure... But if you want a different sound, D7000 could be better.
 
But my recommendation definitely goes to momentum... And they are on the wall of fame on innerfidelity as well.

 

[dan.gheorghe]

Quote:

 
If you like LCD-2 rev2 as much as like them, get Momentum instead of D7000 for sure... But if you want a different sound, D7000 could be better.
 
But my recommendation definitely goes to momentum... And they are on the wall of fame on innerfidelity as well.

 
My wallet started to like you, as it would be cheaper to get the momentum (which would make an excellent portable headphone as well). 
The wall also contains the D5000, which almost everybody agree that is weaker than d7000. He didn't put them on the wall because they were to expensive, and considered the d5000 to be a better value.
 
Tyll:
 
 

The sound is yummy and refined. At this price however, with close competition from the much less expensive D5000, and significantly better performance from open cans in the $1000 area (Sennheiser HD800 and Audeze LCD-2), I'm hesitant to put it on the Wall of Fame. I'm not hesitant to recommend them, though, these are very nice headphones indeed for those with the wherewithal to afford their luxuriant beauty. Definitely recommended for the well-to-do headphone enthusiast.