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not trying to confuse @Zoide further, but sometimes we hear and/or describe things differently so I'll add a slightly different perspective. When people say 'romantic', I interpret as warm. There may be a tinge of warmth (with an extremely slight low midrange boost). i am someone who would be bothered by that and i prefer neutral to bright over warm sound. i regard the sound as closer to neutral than warm. could the es-r10 use a slight bit more 'air' to my liking? maybe, but i think by no means does the es-r10 sound closed in or without space. it has a vibrant sound to me, but pretty natural and open. the es-r10 bass is present but not excessive and has the right amount of midbass thump to me. it also goes deeper than i would have imagined but probably not the deepest of bass. i play all kinds of music and never feel that is lacking. i think clarity of overall sound and of the bass is also excellent.

i have previously mentioned that i love my d8000 pro. i think it has extremely good technical ability and good / neutral sound and competes or beats any of the other commonly discussed flagships such as susvara and abyss. The es-r10 hangs with the d8000 pro in my opinion, though it may lose slightly on technical merits here and there, it is competitive enough that i may prefer the es-r10 on the basis of musicality. they actually sound very similar to me though.

i own stax too. i own the 009, 007, and the L700 mk1. i have not directly compared them to the es-r10. of all the stax i own, the l700 is my favorite. but i feel the sound is warmer and slightly more colored than the es-r10. and while i would not doubt what others hear regarding clarity in comparison, i feel that the clarity of the es-r10 is excellent. i am very discerning when it comes to clarity, and i am pleased with the clarity of the es-r10. i will acknowledge that on rare occasion, i feel that the es-r10 could do a little better in regards to clarity, but it may just be the music as i generally do not hear an issue. stax is not my best headphone for my taste, but i would rank the es-r10 with my very best.

updated to add one other thought - if you like a thinner more ethereal sound, the es-r10 may not be for you. i, myself, am somewhat interested in the omega replica and would like to know how others perceive it in comparison to the es-r10. i think i saw one or two comparisons, but i do not really have a good feel for its overall sound.

 

[Ciggavelli]

I listened to my ES-R10s today with Undeath, Radiohead, and Lana Del Rey. These really are great headphones. I wish there was more bass, but it was fine with those three artists. I really think the sound quality on the ES-R10s is at a TOTL level. There is no veil like you get with the Meze Elites or ZMF VCs. The soundstage is good for a closed back, and I like the comfort on the ES-R10s.

The more I listen to the ES-R10s and compare them to my other TOTL headphones, I have become more and more critical of the ES-R10s build quality. Parts squeek, the top headband is very flimsy and cheap, the headphones feel somewhat cheap. I've never heard the actual R10, so I don't know if the Sony is like that too. If it is, maybe that would explain the build quality on the ES-R10s. If the build quality on the ES-R10s was improved, I think he could charge $3-4K. But, at the current $1.7K it is acceptable. Despite the somewhat disappointing build quality, the sound quality is A+. They are a must buy in my book

 

[number1sixerfan]

I've been staying out of this thread on purpose lol. I contacted ES Labs to let them know I had a major work trip and decided it was best to delay shipping until after I get back. I won't be back home until close to end of the month unfortunately.

I've waited so long for the x9000 and SGL that I'm really not bothered at all, but if I'm sure if I frequent this thread that will change lol. Will report back when I have them!

 

[sennfan83261]

There isn't as much sub-bass, but the bass ~<500hz is at respectable levels, and in comparison with the rest of the spectrum, sounds really solid. I don't believe I said thumping bass, but that the bass is really plentiful and not anaemic by any means.

Been enjoying them so much I haven't even bothered coming into HeadFi or visit Classifieds any longer xD

I have to agree with you on the bass. I don't find it to be particularly bass shy as an AKG K501 for example. To my ears, there's enough bass for most genres except electronic and hip-hop. The bass level is fine for the genres that I listen to most of the time, which include soundtracks, indie rock, and classical.

If there is one thing that I would bitch at, it has to be the top part of the headband, which feels on the cheap side. Not long after taking it out of the box and setting it on my stand, I noticed a middle crease there (see recent post). I don't know if it came like that, but it was there when I first looked at that area not long after taking it out of the box and having a brief listening session (10-20mins). Also, this portion of the headband doesn't feel substantial enough, which makes me question its longevity. Other than that, I didn't find anything else troubling. Sure bits and pieces do reveal the DIY nature of the build (e.g., screws not being flush against the headband assembly and the comfort strap), but those are things I can live with provided that they last. Also, the wood cups do have a light finish to them, but one can see where the finish process ends at the recessed portions of the wood cups that are adjacent to the outer side of the earcup assembly.

As for the sound, it is my jam. Stringed instruments and piano sound otherworldly on these. I don't think I've heard a better piano reproduction from any other headphone so far. Some nitpicks though. Coming from an egg-shaped HE1000 v1 and LCD-3, I'm used to their presentation of a tall, vertical soundstage (especially the HEKv1). On some tracks, I hear the smaller verticality provided by the ES-R10, e.g., Kadjha Bonet's track Joy (see below). Also, in some other tracks (e.g., Guns N' Roses album Appetite for Destruction, cat#: 9 24148-2), snare hits just sound a little bit more muted and less defined on the ES-R10 with my setup than my HEKv1 and LCD-3 for example. However, the ES-R10 creams the HEKv1 and LCD-3 (and all of my other planars) when it comes to timbre.

Chain: FLAC > Musicbee (WASAPI) > Bifrost 2 > Liquid Gold X > some random balanced cable made for my HE-500 that's on par with the stock cable (or slightly more open sounding)

 

[voja]

This headphone gets more fascinating the more you learn about it. It's great to see more and more people owning it, hearing more and more opinions.

Even with all this recognition, I would still call is severely underrated. This is a gem.

 

[Zoide]

How does the bass of the ES-R10 compare to that of the old MDR-CD3000?

I had the CD3000 many years ago, when it was considered somewhat of a poor man's cousin to the MDR-R10.

I had really good soundstage for a closed-back and had sparking treble, but it was very thin and fatiguing overall, with weak bass (and midrange perhaps?).

 

[mulveling]

How does the bass of the ES-R10 compare to that of the old MDR-CD3000?

I had the CD3000 many years ago, when it was considered somewhat of a poor man's cousin to the MDR-R10.

I had really good soundstage for a closed-back and had sparking treble, but it was very thin and fatiguing overall, with weak bass (and midrange perhaps?).

Ask Purk - he still has a CD3000, though it's now modded, and he's said it sounded way worse (perhaps as you describe) before mods. I've heard it only briefly post mods, and it didn't sound like you describe. I can assure you the ES-R10 doesn't sound anything like: thin / fatiguing / weak bass!

 

[sennfan83261]

Ask Purk - he still has a CD3000, though it's now modded, and he's said it sounded way worse (perhaps as you describe) before mods. I've heard it only briefly post mods, and it didn't sound like you describe. I can assure you the ES-R10 doesn't sound anything like: thin / fatiguing / weak bass!

I agree. Thin and fatiguing aren't terms that I would use to describe ES-R10's sound.

 

[Audio Addict]

Anyone that order on or before 4/22 will have their's shipped this week I was just informed.

 

[Zoide]

Ask Purk - he still has a CD3000, though it's now modded, and he's said it sounded way worse (perhaps as you describe) before mods. I've heard it only briefly post mods, and it didn't sound like you describe. I can assure you the ES-R10 doesn't sound anything like: thin / fatiguing / weak bass!

Paging Dr. @purk ....

 

[rsbrsvp]

I listened to my ES-R10s today with Undeath, Radiohead, and Lana Del Rey. These really are great headphones. I wish there was more bass, but it was fine with those three artists. I really think the sound quality on the ES-R10s is at a TOTL level. There is no veil like you get with the Meze Elites or ZMF VCs. The soundstage is good for a closed back, and I like the comfort on the ES-R10s.

The more I listen to the ES-R10s and compare them to my other TOTL headphones, I have become more and more critical of the ES-R10s build quality. Parts squeek, the top headband is very flimsy and cheap, the headphones feel somewhat cheap. I've never heard the actual R10, so I don't know if the Sony is like that too. If it is, maybe that would explain the build quality on the ES-R10s. If the build quality on the ES-R10s was improved, I think he could charge $3-4K. But, at the current $1.7K it is acceptable. Despite the somewhat disappointing build quality, the sound quality is A+. They are a must buy in my book

I have been one of the biggest proponents of this headphone in terms of it's sonics, but I must agree that the build quality is somewhat cheap. It doesn't look like it will fall apart tomorrow; just looks cheap.

Sound= WORLD CLASS!!! I'll live with it...

 

[VandyMan]

I have been one of the biggest proponents of this headphone in terms of it's sonics, but I must agree that the build quality is somewhat cheap. It doesn't look like it will fall apart tomorrow; just looks cheap.

Sound= WORLD CLASS!!! I'll live with it...

The headband underside and the earpads look homemade when examined closely, but to me, it is not a cheap looking headphone at all. I guess metal would be nicer than the silver plastic parts, but I would not want it to weigh much more. I love the look of the wood cups. I'm not quite as big a fan of the sonics as you are, but they are my everyday work headphones now, so I'm obviously enjoying them a lot.

 

[Zoide]

The headband underside and the earpads look homemade when examined closely, but to me, it is not a cheap looking headphone at all. I guess metal would be nicer than the silver plastic parts, but I would not want it to weigh much more. I love the look of the wood cups. I'm not quite as big a fan of the sonics as you are, but they are my everyday work headphones now, so I'm obviously enjoying them a lot.

What don't you like about the sonics? I'm tempted to pull the trigger but it really is a big chunk of change...

 

[rsbrsvp]

The headband underside and the earpads look homemade when examined closely, but to me, it is not a cheap looking headphone at all. I guess metal would be nicer than the silver plastic parts, but I would not want it to weigh much more. I love the look of the wood cups. I'm not quite as big a fan of the sonics as you are, but they are my everyday work headphones now, so I'm obviously enjoying them a lot.

I agree with your physical description being better than mine. It doesn't look ultra cheap.... More homemade;- a bit cheap. Wood cups look excellent. Issue is mostly in the headband and a bit in the earpads.

 

[VandyMan]

I agree with your physical description being better than mine. It doesn't look ultra cheap.... More homemade;- a bit cheap. Wood cups look excellent. Issue is mostly in the headband and a bit in the earpads.

The differences between my two earpads and the fact that one is attached a cm or so off does bug me. I still may contact the maker to get that addressed even though there is no sonic difference from it.