[Aar0n]

I've got these hooked up to my Chaintech AV-710 and I'm currently rocking out to some Blind Guardian and grinning ear to ear. Time for some initial impressions.

1. Bass is great. Plenty of it, but it's very well-behaved and musical.
2. Middle end is very clear. Fits in perfectly with the rest of the sound.
3. High end is very smooth and clear.
4. Sound staging is good. I'll test these with gaming a little later.
5. Overall clarity is the excellent. One of my favorite songs for testing new audio devices, The Soulforged by Blind Guardian, has a lot of bass, and 9/10 headphones will cause some distortion in it. Absolutely none from these. Once again, there is a complete absence of distortion. The Glass Prison by Dream Theater has a part in its intro that distorts pretty much every headphone and speaker I can think of. Not the case with these.
6. Good comfort. Pictures made them look small, but they fit around my ears with plenty of room to spare. My ears stick out to the point where they just start to touch the inner padding. Clamping force is just right, and the pads feel very good on my head.
7. Isolation is very good. They completely cut out my computer's fans, and deaden pretty much all environmental noise.

Pictures and more coming some time tomorrow.

 

[makasin]

What kind of headphones have you had in the past?
Do you have anything to compare it to?
Sounds good though.

 

[Aar0n]

My only "real" headphones are my V-Moda Vibes, which are quite different from these. These definitely have more bass, a much less colored sound, and greater detail.

 

[KT88]

Hey,

first of all, congratulations on your new purchase.

Is there any chance you can take it to a friend and compare to other known set of headphones with some nice amp? These are interesting headphones, but it will be much more interesting if you can compare it to something we know

 

[swt61]

warrior05 is borrowing my pair and he has compared them to his DT990. He says the 990 best them a bit up top, but he's very impressed with them especially considering the price. I have some balanced DT990 600 ohms coming, and when they arrive and the RP-21's are back home I can compare them myself. That won't be too soon though, as I wanted him to have an extended time period with them to decide what he thinks.
I would compare them to much higher priced headphones. They have a lot of detail and amazing control. The bass is deep, but tight and well tamed. The soundstage is not that large, and they do exhibit some of that closed in feeling that many closed headphones have, but all in all they're an absolute steal if you get them for >$100.00. They're a steal at $150.00 actually, but they can be had for much less.
They have a fun yet fairly nuetral sound if that's possible. They are a studio phone, but they're more enguaging than any other studio phone I've heard. While they're a bit large for portable that won't stop me (I'm old enough to not care about looking a little foolish). The cord is a bit long, but warrior is shortening mine for me.

 

[Aar0n]

The only real valid comparison I can make is to my friend's Bose TriPorts, but neither of us has an amp, so it's not really much of a comparison in that regard. Sorry for the lack of real comparisons in this thread, I'm just getting started as an audiophile.

 

[KT88]

what is the best price you can get them for new?

I am looking for a nice pair of closed cans for the near future as I'll be going to the university and want something closed and not to expensive (the K1000's will stay at home). I was thinking about the A500 more than all since I loved the A900's and the 500's should be similar and dont cost much.

will these handle the bass as good as the AT?

 

[Aar0n]

I got them from Professional Audio Solutions. They were $99.00, but shipping was about ten bucks. It took a while for them to actually ship, but I suspect that was due to the Memorial Day weekend. They arrived quite quickly. I believe there was another site that also sold them for $99, but with free shipping. However, they would have taken 2-3 weeks to ship from there. I'm too impatient for that.

The bass is pretty refined, not violently punchy, but responsive and well-behaved. Very clear. They won't let you down as closed cans. Their clamping force is adequate, and they isolate very well. I just mowed the lawn wearing these and was amazed at how well they shut out the noise.

 

[ericj]

Quote:

Originally Posted by KT88 /img/forum/go_quote.gif what is the best price you can get them for new?

Minimum Advertised Price for the RP-21 is $99. You may see retail stickers on them as high as $150 and you may be able to buy them for less than $99, but it's impolite to blab about it if you do, since Equation sells almost exclusively through independent music shops, and a lot of those guys struggle to stay profitable.

There are a few places that sell for $99 shipped. If you can find a local dealer, they might cut you a competitive deal.

 

[KT88]

I dont think I'll find anything local in Israel

RIght now its between these and the A500's. Really hard to decide. I'll wait for some more reviews.

 

[dandi]

yes congratulations! look forward to your further impressions

 

[warrior05]

As swt61 mentioned earlier (I have his RP-21s on loan), open them up, give them a bit more high-end and a skootch more detail and you've got the DT990s. I am stunned that these are $100 cans.

In the other Equation thread going on I mentioned how I tried a set of Beyer's silver velour pad on the RP-21s. Did not do well at all except for raising the comfort factor. But perhaps their leather or pleather pads would work. Anyone here got a set to try?

 

[adanac061]

Starting to smell a big FOTM with these cans. They keep popping up in many threads.

 

[ericj]

They're not better than (most) cans twice their price, but they're better than pretty much everything in their price range.

 

[Skylab]

Quote:

Originally Posted by warrior05 /img/forum/go_quote.gif But perhaps their leather or pleather pads would work. Anyone here got a set to try?

This weekend I will try the pair I am getting with some leather Beyer pads.