[dan.gheorghe]

Previous:

 

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

From Hobby to Obssesion and back to Hobby
 
 

The ambush of the combos: AudioQuest Dragonfly vs FIIO E17 & Dragonfly with Burson Soloist, Dragonfly vs Conductors' DAC

 
 
Hello guys,
 
 
I had some luck this week and my good friend , Traian, lend me his Audioquest Dragonfly and his Sennheiser Momentum. I was talking with him this week and from nowhere he says that his new Sennheiser Momentum arrived.
I was like..."Headphones...new headphones you say???"

 
 
Then he said: "You can have to for the w/e if you want"
"Really??":
 

 
 
The good part is that he also gave me the AudioQuest Dragonfly in the Sennheiser Momentum package .Well I have a lot of toys this w/e.
 
I will start with the Fiio E17, Dragonfly and Burson Conductor, and in the next post I will talk about Sennheiser Momentum compared to AKG k550.
 
In the title I mentioned Burson Soloist. I am using the Conductor but this time only its' amplifier section which basically is the Soloist, so I will be referring to it as Soloist in this post from now on.
 
I was looking at Dragonfly and event though I liked the build quality & design I cannot say I was impressed.... It was so small... how good could it be??
When I started listening to it for the first time, my jaw dropped.
 
 

 
 
 
It really has a nice wow factor as the details really pop out.
 
I started comparing it with my Fiio E17  with both AKG K550 and Sennheiser Momentum .
I listened to a couple of songs back and forth. Here are my impressions on each song:
 
 
The Hobbit: An unexpected party.
With Dragonfly I can hear all the extension of the instruments, I almost can feel them near me. The subtle drum in the back is much easier to hear, the separation of instruments is much better on AudioQuest .
Dragonfly wins on the details hands down. It really made me feel the orchestra much better than the e17.
On fiio e17 the sound is blurry compared to Dragonfly. All instruments blend in and you loose them in the crowd.
 
 
Infected Mushroom: "Project 100", "Noon"
With k550 (32 ohm)
The bass has more impact on the Fiio E17. It is deeper, more extended and punchier. Again, the details part was easily won by DF. It is like taking a thin veil off your head. However the bass made me like this song better with the e17, as I found it to be more controlled (I think the amplification on e17 had the last word here).
I also tested Dragonfly as Dac input for e17 (on aux). The bass and control improved as I expected , confirming my thoughts on the amplification.
With momentum
The differences in the bass were still present but  they were not that big this time. However the bass was still tighter, more extended and punchier than with dragonfly, sometimes too much in my opinion. I like the dragonfly more with momentum as it tames its bass a little and pushes more details into it as Momentum is not as detailed as k550.
All the next tests were done with K550.
 
 
Leonard Cohen "Here it is" , "Love Itself "
On Dragonfly, Leonards's Cohen voice was more detailed , presenting his uniquely low hoarse voice in a very nice but slight thinner way than Fiio.
E17 kept strong in this fight. It presented his voice with a stronger presence and more natural, as I have been to one of his concerts and it was closer to what I have heard there.
Even if it was a close fight I liked the more natural and heavier presentation FIIO brought to the "fight" . The fight was very close and I am sure there would be many liking the sound presented from Dragonfly.
 
 
Gorillaz "Double Bass" - In my opinion Fiio E17 wins here with ease. The bass is more extended, punchier, fuller. The control is better on E17 and it was easy to hear.
 
 
ACDC - "Beating Around the Bush" - The advantage e17 presented in the lower frequency and the more relaxed sound (due to less details) made me favor it against the Dragonfly. I think I like e17 with rock better.
 
 
Vivaldi - Flute Concerto in D-21 - The Conneticut Early Music Festival Ensemble
The Dragonfly won easily . The sound was more opened, the separation of instruments again much better, the details were very good. I could hear all the extensions of all instruments.
 
 
I found Dragonfly to be a very good combination with Sennheiser Mommentum, as Momentum is a bassy headphone and not as detailed as K550. So Dragonfly brings more details to it and does not kill you with the too heavier bass.
 
I also found Fiio E17 to be a little more natural sounding than Dragonfly, especially with vocals. Also the amplification part from E17 is stronger than in Dragonfly. This may be one of the reasons why I liked the K550 a little more on the lower frequency spectrum, and the differences were not so big with Momentum (K550-32 ohms, Momentum -18 Ohms)
 
DAC wise, I think there is no question that Dragonfly is technically better than E17. It brings more details, better instrument separation, better 3d positioning.
Fiio E17 comes with a more relaxed sound, and it seemed to me a little more natural and warm. You can listen more to it without getting tired. It is a good combination with brighter headphones like K550.
 
I think both E17 & Dragonfly are very nice, and Dragonfly really amazed me with what it can do at that size. If I would have Sennheiser Momentum I think I would go with Dragonfly, but with K550 with E17.
 
 
I have done one other interesting test with my Burson Soloist (amp section from my Conductor) and Dragonfly and  used the Dragonfly as Dac with Burson Soloist and Audeze LCD2.
I can say I was amazed of the results :
 
 

 
 
 
The combo is pretty damn nice.
 
It has a very nice prat, nice punchy bass, really nice mids and smooth highs. The details are also nice.
 
I mean I tried all the songs from above and more and it really got me tapping and enjoying the music. So... for anybody who wanted to buy a Burson Soloist and pair it with AudioQuest Dragonfly until he gets something better, but did not know if it is a good combination or even a possible one, GO FOR IT!  
 
I think it would amaze you what this little guy and this combo can do.
 
Now to compare it to the DAC section from Burson Conductor.
 
It is clear from the start they belong to a different class, and there is no question about it or even space to debate on it.
Conductor has far more details and is amazing at that, the bass is more extended, deeper, the soundstage is bigger, the sound is 3d , multi-layered, the separation of instruments is much better and you can easily concentrate on each instrument in an orchestra for example.
However you can easily enjoy your music very well with AudioQuest Dragonfly and Burson Soloist as well, and in this case the Dragonfly is better for longer listening sessions as it has less details and is less fatiguing.
 
To use it with Soloist you have to set the volume to maximum from windows and use the Bursons' volume knob, or you will get degraded sound.
 
I also observed some static noise when I set the volume knob to the max from Burson, but I used a normal old cable of mine between Dragonfly and Conductor, and I think that is the reason. (So with a good cable I think you will get even better results than I did).
 
Hope this helped and stay tuned for my impressions on Sennheiser Momentum compared to Akg K550 ...
 
 
[size=small]Next:[/size]
 
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

 

[olor1n]

Amusing thread. Why is it in Summit-Fi?

 

[DarKu]

Quote:

Amusing thread. Why is it in Summit-Fi?

Because he uses a high-end DAC/Amp and headphones maybe?

 

[dan.gheorghe]

Quote:

Amusing thread. Why is it in Summit-Fi?

 
Thanks. Read the first sentence from my first post:
 
 

I'm going to write here my little story about how I got  into this hobby and High-end. Every post will contain one or more stories that lead me to this point in time.

 
 
I don't have a problem with it being moved if it doesn't fit here, as I have seen many opinions on "What is High-End".

 

[mwilson]

Dan,
 
Your unbridled enthusiasm was refreshing to witness; thanks for taking the time writing your travelog and please keep it going. It's always interesting to read about what makes others tick, how they're progressing (or, according to some opposing and more fiscally conservative views, sinking) in the hobby.
 
You might find it funny to know that one of my more recent listening sessions was in Arad, Romania, a couple of weeks ago, on a Bose QC15, which I had taken along for the plane ride. Before it I had gone several months without seriously listening to music.

 

[jeffreyfranz]

Though I have already complimented the author of this series, I really must heap more praise. On balance, this may well be the most enjoyable, accessible and just plain "human" writing I have yet enjoyed on Head-Fi. I even found myself daydreaming about visiting Romania. Now that's a first! Thank you, Dan. Keep it coming.  

 

[Neo Zuko]

Interesting, I was just asking recently if the Dragonfly or iPhone could power the LCD 2 / LCD 3 directly, not as a final system, but as something to get by on until one could afford a Burson purchase.

 

[citraian]

Quote:

Interesting, I was just asking recently if the Dragonfly or iPhone could power the LCD 2 / LCD 3 directly, not as a final system, but as something to get by on until one could afford a Burson purchase.

Hmm, that should be an interesting test. Dan, you still have my Dragonfly. Could you please test this? I'm curious about your impressions too
PS: I know that I also have the LCD-2's and that I could test it myself but that's not the point here )

 

[dan.gheorghe]

Thank you for your kind words guys. It really brightens my day when I read comments like that.
 
 
For Jeffrey : 
 
"273 reasons to come to Romania " If you ever come to Bucharest you have a free beer from me
 
 
 

Quote:

Interesting, I was just asking recently if the Dragonfly or iPhone could power the LCD 2 / LCD 3 directly, not as a final system, but as something to get by on until one could afford a Burson purchase.

 

 

Hmm, that should be an interesting test. Dan, you still have my Dragonfly. Could you please test this? I'm curious about your impressions too
PS: I know that I also have the LCD-2's and that I could test it myself but that's not the point here )

 
Unfortunately I don't have any 6.3 to 3.5 jacks. However I am quite positive LCD2 would be to much for Dragonfly and even for E17. I think a Fiio E09k or E12 would be better for LCD2 .

 

[dan.gheorghe]

Previous:

 

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

From Hobby to Obssesion and back to Hobby
The ambush of the combos: AudioQuest Dragonfly vs FIIO E17 & Dragonfly with Burson Soloist, Dragonfly vs Conductors’ DAC
 
 

The Ambush Continues: AKG K550 vs Sennheiser Momentum

 

Hello guys,

I promised my thoughts on this subject so here I am.

I was waiting to hear the Momentum for a while now. Tyll really made me curios about this pair of headphones as I really value his opinions in this domain.  I have been waiting for the first opportunity to hear one of these babies for some time now:



So was my friend Traian. He couldn't wait for Avstore to bring them to the showroom and he pulled the trigger and he was very happy with them, and had the kindness to lend them to me this weekend along with the AudioQuest Dragonfly.

At last...I could hear the Momentum...:



I have tested the Sennheiser Momentum against the AKG K550  and I have used Burson Conductor, Fiio E17 and AudioQuest Dragonfly with them.

I have been impressed the moment I have seen and heard the Sens for the first time. The build quality is very nice and they also look quite good. One thing I love about them is the fact that they are small, easy to carry and fit very well on my head, not like K550 where I have to literally tie them with an elastic on my head to get the perfect seal.

You can also listen to music with your head on a pillow with Momentum, and you can't do this with the K550.

The first impressions on Momentum were quite nice. I found it to have a warm sound with a lot of bass and smooth lush midrange and treble. I felt it was like a Creative Aurvana Live on steroids.

Sometimes I felt the sound to be a little congested, but i was expecting that, as it has a smaller driver than the K550. 

I started the tests between the 2 headphones and got some interesting findings.

Tommy Smith - "In a sentimental Mood" & Johny Come Lately

Sennheiser Momentum

The bass on momentum was a little too much for this song. The sound seemed a little congested and the piano in the back was more subtle than it was intended. I could not hear the full extension of the trumpet.

Akg K550

In this category and songs K550 was the clear winner. The fast paced sound, the tighter bass,the bigger soundstage & the details K550 has gave it a real advantage over Momentum.

 


Vivaldi (The Conneticut Eary Music Festival Ensemble) - "Flute Concerto in D-21"
Akg K550

I really enjoyed this song on K550. The flutes, violins and cellos sounded wonderful. All spectrum was very good. The low frequencies from the cellos were very well reproduced and I almost felt them through my body, the mid-range from violins and treble from the flutes were also a delight.
Sennheiser Momentum

After I heard the song on K550 I was sure Momentum cannot beat it. And I was partly right. K550 wins on this one too. However I was able to enjoy the song very well on the Momentum. The warm presentation, the mellower treble gave a enjoyable experience of the song but now as good as K550 gives with classical music though.
The accent Momentum puts on lower frequencies made me enjoy the cellos.


Infected Mushroom - IM The Supervisor "Noon"

Sennheiser Momentum

Knowing the bass on momentum I thought this song will be a hit with it. However, the bass was too slow and too much, invading too much of the rest of the spectrum taking the details away. Maybe a bass head will love this, but for me was to much.

Akg K550

The bass of K550 was perfect for this song, fast, well extended, punchy. The details really pop out over Momentum on this one too. However the treble was too much on K550 and the song became a little tiring. A combination of Momentum and K550 would have been nice on this song. However I still preferred K550 slightly over Momentum on this one too and I did not see this coming.

 


Gorillaz - "Double Bass"
Akg K550

Though it starter a little shy on the bass I ended enjoying this one with the K. However I felt that it was a tad too bright for this kind of song, and the bass not so well extended.

Sennheiser Momentum

Well this one was not at all as shy with the bass as the AKG. It started in force. The bass has a lot of slam and punch but it is not well extended either, and k550 still had a more detailed bass on this one too. Ok...I am getting the feeling Momentum is for bass heads as I felt the bass was too much on this song too, and my ears demanded stopping the song before it ended as I could not take it anymore. Well...what can I say, I still preferred K550 with this too.

 

Michael Jackson- "Beat it"
Sennheiser Momentum

After I took a moment to relax my ears after Momentum slammed them with the double bass from Gorillaz, I pushed the play button and I was impressed on this song. Really impressed. The punch of Momentum on this song really brought life to it. The warmness and lush midrange made Michaels voice and the instruments sound really enjoyable. I started tapping on this one.

Akg K550

Though the bass was nice, and the midrange also impressive, I found the song to be too bright on K550 and I preferred the Momentum as it was more euphonic .

 


Coldplay- "High Speed" & "Don't Panic"
Akg K550

The midrange and details is amazing here. The I really feel the guitars in me ear. I was a little annoyed by the treble though which scratched my ears.

Sennheiser Momentum

The smooth midrange was and the warmness won me over with this song. No sight of brightness and the voice was more natural. The songs just poured on momentum. Momentum won here with its smooth euphonic sound.
I must say that I really enjoyed these pieces with the Senns!

 


Dream Theater - The Glass Prison

Sennheiser Momentum

I loved this song on Momentum as I felt no sibilance or brightness and it was really easy to enjoy. The bass had a lot of slam and it was nice even though it would have been nice if it was a little faster and tighter.
Two words: toe tapping.


Akg K550

Not as enjoyable as the Momentum with this song. The bass was faster but lacked a little slam. One word : " Screeeeech" (from bright treble and sibilance)

I also listened to some other rock songs from ACDC, Metallica and others and my impressions were very much similar to what I have experienced with Dream Theater.

In conclusion I felt that Sennheiser Momentum had too much bass for my tastes, and its bass is kind of loose, but has a nice slam, but it sometimes floods the other frequencies. The midrange is smooth and warm as is the treble. It has details but not as much as K550.Sometimes it sounds a little congested.  It sounds very nice with rock, pop and some house. I also liked the fact that it has a warm sound and no sign of sibilance or brightness. The male and female voices are presented very nice and natural .

I preferred the K550 overall because it has a larger soundstage and airiness, the bass is tighter and faster and also has a nice fast punch. It is in another class over Momentum when it comes to presenting details. The separation of instruments is quite better than Momentums' where sometimes the sounds blend in all together.

For mobility Momentum clearly is a winner, as it has a sturdy build and is small and easy to carry.

As I said I tested them on AudioQuest Dragonfly and Fiio E17.

I find the E17 to be a better match for Akg K550 and the Dragonfly to be better with Sennheiser Momentum.

E17 brings a little warmness, slam and naturalness to K550 taming the bright treble .

The AudioQuest Dragonfly is brighter and more detailed and opens the sound of momentum a little, brings more details to it and doesn't push too much bass as the fiio does.

I am quite curious about the Sennheiser Amperior right now and how they perform against the Momentum.

Maybe in one of my future posts ....

Meanwhile:



 

Next:
 

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

 

[dan.gheorghe]

Previous:

 

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

From Hobby to Obssesion and back to Hobby
The ambush of the combos: AudioQuest Dragonfly vs FIIO E17 & Dragonfly with Burson Soloist, Dragonfly vs Conductors’ DAC
The Ambush Continues: AKG K550 vs Sennheiser Momentum
 

The Audiophile USB Cable Surprise: Wireworld Starlight Red vs Chord USB Silver Plus

Hello guys,

This post is about USB cables and the surprise they gave me in the last few days.

Remember when I told you I had the Wireworld Starlight Red and it didn' t seem to make that much of a difference? Well...I must come back to what I have said and contradict myself, as I really found some interesting stuff last week.

Before getting to my findings, I must say that this hobby really got me some good friends throughout the time. 2 of them I met on headfi ("Romanian you say? Me too! ... " and this is how it started) and another one through a friend who said to me when I wanted to sell somethin "Hey I know another crazy audiophile guy at work, maybe you should talk to him! Here is his id...", and we actually became good friends.

I really think this is a nice hobby and you can find really interesting and cool people with it.

One of the 2 from headfi I "met" recently. His name is Razvan, he is also a Romanian and after reading my thread and my blog he gave me a private message and we started talking. I was like, hey dude we should have a beerfi / beerauphile  meeting.  He responded  "Ah, I forgot to mention, I live in London." so I had to schedule a beerauphile session with some other friends as I already started thinking of beer and could not stop the inevitable :

However we started talking a lot about audio stuff.

In the few weeks I had a lot of work on my hands and really had  my hands full. I observed that I listened to music seldom than before. I started thinking something is wrong, as this happened to me when I had the HD650 with Asus Essence ST + Meier Corda Cantate 2 and it was far to bright for my ears. I then realized that the sound was tiring me very fast. Ok, something was wrong...but what? Started thinking it was the conductor. After a while it struck me to test the stock usb cable. I was surprised to find the sound a lot more mellow and warm, much more enjoyable than with my WireWorld Starlight Red. Ok... this was really weird, as I really thought the USB cable did not make a big difference. Maybe I haven't tested it enough in the first place.

Started talking with my new friend from London, Razvan and told him this story. He recently bought a Audeze LCD2 +  Violectric V200. When I told him this he said ... "Hmm... I should test my new USB cable too along the stock one as I do not like bright sound.". After a while he comes back and says that it did not make the sound more bright or annoying in any way, and actually it improved the bass, dynamics and details.

Hmmmm.... What cable did he have? I then heard for the first time in my life of the Chord USB Silver Plus cable.
I plugged my Wireworld back into the system. I have then realized what noticeable improvement this cable really brings. The stock cable was flat compared to it. The stock cable had more slam to the bass but in an incomplete way, it lacked details and it was lifeless. On the Wireworld the bass was much tighter, the treble seemed to be more detailed, the soundstage wider, but overall the sound was brighter and not of my taste.

So...I started thinking of the Chord USB Silver Plus . Ok but he bought it from the U.K. Will i find it in Romania? And after a few google searches I found it on a website from an audio store I have never heard of before : jack-fi . It was friday, and I thought I won't get the change to get it in the w/e because few stores are opened on Saturday. Well I was happy when I say they have program till 4 pm .

I talked with Razvan more and he convinced me to buy this new cable.

The next day I called jack-fi and they had it on stock.  :



Well... I went to the store and this is where It got really interesting as I have never had a similar experience in any store ever in my life. I think this is the most client oriented store I have ever seen.

When I enter the store, I tell the seller I am there for the cable. We start talking about audio stuff and found out that we both are very passionate about this. After a few moments   2 other guys from the staff appear and we all started talking. They were more into speaker systems not into headphones.

I said that in general i prefer headphones and even if I didn't I wouldn't have where to listen to them as you cannot go loud in an apartment.

When they saw I wasn't convinced by speakers they invited me to the audition room and presented me a nice pair of entry level Focal Chorus 716V speakers with a wonderful all in one unit , Naime UnitiQute. I was really impressed, as the sound was very natural, spacious, quite detailed and well textured. I think they may have infected me with another branch of this hobby :-s . Afterwards I listened the HD700 and the Focal Spirit One from the Naime UnitiQute.  I didn't have the time to get a grip on the sound of each one but for the moment and on that music I liked them both.
I was really impressed by the UnitiQute as it has very nice looks and build quality and the sound was impressive.

In the meantime the head of pr and, I think the owner came in and we all started talking about headphones, amplifiers, dacs, speakers and I must say everyone from there was really passionate about what they were doing and knew their stuff really well.

When I wanted to leave, they insisted to show me the other rooms for audition. I was surprised to see they had a total of 4 rooms for that:

1. the entry level room that I just auditioned
2. the midfi room
3. the high end room (really nice looking setup there)
4. and a room mimicking a normal flat room to help you get an idea on how your system would sound at home

They also had wood on the walls for sound dispersion, to get a similar sound with a room that contains furniture. Their level of organisation was extraordinary.

In the midfi room I have listened to a  nice pair of Focal  Electra 1008 BE pair of speakers from a  Jadis Orchestra and I was really stunned as the sound was much better then the entry level speakers I heard in the first room (the bass was tighter and more detailed, the overall sound was more detailed, the sound more natural and well textured, etc).

Needless to say that I spent over 2 hours there, and the time really flew. It was a pleasure meeting their staff and talking with them. I  must congratulate them about their level of professionalism and for their passion for audio. I was starting to feel guilty that I was just buying a usb cable.

Well, that really brighten up my day . I left the store with a smile on my face and I think I also made some friends there.

After this I got the cable and went home eager to test it with my setup. 

I first compared it with the stock cable and I the difference was felt immediately. It was clearly better. I realized that both cable are better than the stock cable and got it out of the equation.

I let it burn a for a day or two and started the comparison between the Chord USB Silver Plus and the Wireworld Starlight Red.

Here are some comparisons on a few songs:

We Belong - Atb

WireWorld Starlight Red

Very detailed, controlled bass, well defined treble, too much treble, you do not see it at first, as you tend to be astonished by
the level of details, but they get quite tiring after a few minutes.

Chord

The first thing that struck me was the bass, as it had more slam. The voice was very natural and the overall sound smoother.

Tommy Smith - Johny Come Late

Wireworld

The bass substantially less than with Chord. The highs were more detailed, but it kind of took away the pace of the song without the bass impact

Chord

The bass really steered up the song and the tonality made me like the song more. The highs were not as detailed but it was enough and not in your face.

Infected Mushrooms - Never Ever Land

Wireworld

The bass was well defined and hit fast. The level of details is impressive but the treble was again too in front. It gives a weird feeling as it seem to bring some details and some treble forward in an unnatural sounding way. I was happy when the song ended.

Chord

This cable is interesting as it seems to give the treble some sparkle and detail but not in a annoying way. The bass slam was harder on chord. Even though the bass was not as well defined as on the wireworld the impact was better with the chord and made this song more enjoyable. Let me rephrase as "more enjoyable" is not enough. I loved the song with the chord, the slam was amazing, the Audeze slam is back! Actually i feel the Wireworld Red + Conductor makes LCD2 loose the famous bass impact, but with chord well...the slam is back babe!

Howard Shore Twilight and Shadow (Return of the King)

Wireworld

The treble again was better defined but in your face with all the details. Even though I liked the voice sometimes better with this cable the peaks were too much for me.

Chord

With Chord the song sounded relaxed and as it should in my opinion, even though the treble was not as detailed.
AC/DC - Gone Shooting

Wireworld

The bass was not very impact-full lacking the slam. The treble was very fatiguing again. Damn it another 2 minutes of the song....no...no...let it end....my ears..my precious ears!

Chord

Ok, the slam is back and really changed the prat of the song. Hell yeah! It is rock damn it...it should have good prat. The treble was still a little screechy but in acceptable levels and I could listen the song till the end and really enjoyed it.

I also loved the classical music with Chord. Even though the sound was not as detailed as wireworld  ( don't get me wrong, as  the difference was not big ), the bass really improved the cellos presence and feel, and the sound seemed more natural.

After a few days I think the sound improved again. The sound was more smooth, the bass had even more impact. I then realized I began to listen at a smaller volume. Then it struck me: I love the LCD2's bass and the wireworld took some of it away. To bring the impact back I started listening at higher volumes and got tired very fast as the wireworld has a bright treble on it. Now I could feel the wonderful bass with its' full extension on lower volumes, and this really improved my listening experience.

The conclusion is that both cables are an improvement over the stock usb cable and the differences were quite noticeable on both. I for one don't like the stock cable any longer.

However the Wireworld Starlight Red seems to bring the details and the treble in front in an unatural way. Also it takes away from the bass, even if it makes it tighter.

Overall it makes the sound to tiring and not fit for longer listening periods. With Conductor I think it was not a good fit. Maybe it would be a good fit with a warm source like Asus Essence One.

The Chord USB Silver Plus  brought a substantial improvement to my listening experience. The bass is awesome with this cable, it also brings more details than the stock cable. It manages to get more defined treble and adds a little spark to it without damaging the wonderful lush sound from Audeze LCD2. The sound and voices are very natural, the prat is awesome.

What can I say, Razvan was right, and I thank him for his wonderful suggestion of this cable, as it is because of him I found the Chord USB Silver Plus and the wonderful store I bought it from.

From now on, I do not care if anybody tells me that cables don't make any difference or shows me a graph stating that, because even an USB cable improved  my system, and there is no question about it.

Don't get me wrong, as I think there is a limit to the improvements a cable can bring, and it should be the last thing you buy after you get your audio system right, but the right cable can really improve your system.

 

Next:

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

 

 

[dan.gheorghe]

Guys,with the courtesy of DarKu, the battle of the Titans will continue in my next post, again HD800 vs LCD2, only this time on Conductor with the Chord USB Silver Plus. I am listening to it right now and I must say I am very very impressed. I really love the bass of HD800 with chord and Conductor, it is amazing. It is like HD800 is another headphone than with Ha-160ds.
 
Stay tuned for my next post

 

[RustA]

Quote:

Guys,with the courtesy of DarKu, the battle of the Titans will continue in my next post, again HD800 vs LCD2, only this time on Conductor with the Chord USB Silver Plus. I am listening to it right now and I must say I am very very impressed. I really love the bass of HD800 with chord and Conductor, it is amazing. It is like HD800 is another headphone than with Ha-160ds.
 
Stay tuned for my next post

 
Have both headphones finally so really interested in your opinion on them... My opinion in short - after getting HD800 a week ago, I realised that these headphones were exactly what I was searching for. Thus LCD-2 have to go... And my dreams about LCD-3 came to a quick end. Luckily because their price in Europe is CRAZY!

 

[longbowbbs]

Dan, Congrats on a terrific thread! It is a great read and I can certainly relate to a lot of your story. Keep it coming and I will keep posting Toxic Cables reviews for you...

 

[TheGhostWhoWalks]

Quote:

Originally Posted by dan.gheorghe /img/forum/go_quote.gif
 
The Return of The King
 

I've enjoyed this entire series of posts, dan, but this part was one of the best things I've read on the internet in a while. So sweet, and the look of your wife getting caught singing along was priceless! I had a similar experience introducing my friends and family to my system. It's so wonderful to watch people you love enjoying music on such a higher level than they ever have. Thanks for sharing these posts.