aephur
New Head-Fier
- Joined
- Jun 10, 2010
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Last week, I had the opportunity to visit Bay Bloor Radio in Toronto.
Bay Bloor Radio is a store focusing on Hi-Fi systems, and Home Theatre components.
They sell Speaker Systems, Home Theatre Systems, (3D)HDTVs, and other components.
The link to their site is here http://www.baybloorradio.com/
Bay Bloor Radio has a Headphone Demo Rack!
I had the opportunity to test out some of the headphones regularly touted here at Head-Fi!
I tested them with my girlfriend (i will refer to as GF), who may not have experience with headphones, has a good ear for quality from her dad's audiophile system when she was growing up. I will be commenting on each headphone based on my opinion from listening, as well as her impressions.
Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this review are based on my taste and GF's taste in musical reproduction alone. I am not looking for the most balanced headphones, or the most neutral. I look for headphones that suit my musical taste, while maintaining a high level of detail, and clarity.
These Headphones were connected to an NAD C565BEE CD Player and an NAD C375BEE Integrated Amp.
Music: Feist - The Reminder CD Album
Grado SR60i, Grado SR80i
- I finally got to listen to the Grado Sound after hearing so many things about it. I could tell right away that while the sound was detailed, the soundstage was up-front, and great for in-your-face music. Electric guitar had an extra edge in the reproduction. However, I couldn't get away from the recessed bass. It kept nagging at me. GF had the same expression. She said it sounds good, but it's just okay for her. The pads were very soft and comfortable.
Denon AH-D1001
- Seeing as I do have a pair of them, I was excited to see how they compare to other headphones on the rack. They have a good amount of bass, with great impact, and sparkly highs. GF likes them more than the Grados, and it had something to do with more bass content. She took a listen, and started nodding her head to the beat. I also like the reproduction of detail a bit more than the Grados, although the Grados were sharper in production. But, I think that was also the down-side of the Grados, as the sharper sound them it appear too harsh. The pads are the most comfortable I've ever tried.
Denon AH-D2000
- For whatever reason, these sounded alot worse than the AH-D1001. They were completely off-sounding, and the bass was lacking. Really? That is weird. I suspect some kind of connection disruption or something. Whatever sound was there was detailed and soundstage was good. But, the sound in general was appalling. I apologize to fans of the D2000 if this is an unfair impression. It didn't sound good on that rack. I love leather pads though.
Bose Triports/Around Ear
- Since I haven't listened to a pair of Bose headphones in a while, I was glad they have them in the same rack. I put them on, and they were as comfortable as ever. As soon as the sound came on, however, the smile faded, as I was reminded how muffled the lower-mids are. It was slightly bright, and the low end was boomy. Not good for Feist. GF tried them on, and after 5 seconds she stuck her tongue out in like she ate something bad. To be fair, I did prefer them over the AKG-518DJ, which sounded muffled, and dark (I don't know if that's normal). The AKGs had superior detail and bass reproduction, but I didn't like the muffled + veiled high-mids and highs. By preference of sound, the Triports was preferable over those (at the time). That said, the Grados were more pleasing to listen to even when I don't like Grado sound.
Grado SR325, Grado RS1i
- Stepping up from the lower end Grados, I noticed an increase in clarity, and smoothness. The lower end models were a bit too harsh in the highs, and the lack of bass was very obvious. These sound smoother, and richer, especially the RS1i. However, it still is quite harsh for my taste, and GF agrees that Grado isn't the sound signature for us. The bowl-pads were very hard and rough...
Sennheiser HD595, Sennheiser HD650
- These were among the best we've tried on the rack. The HD595 was very musical, with lots of impact, tight bass and the soundstage was right. The HD650 was the same, except that it sounded a bit harsh on the high-mids. I found vocals to get very loud at times with the rest of the music laying back in the background. I don't know if it's because of not being driven well (since the HD650s are supposedly hard to drive from what I've read), but at that point the HD595 sounded better. GF put them on, and started dancing. Approved! She likes the HD595 among all the headphones on the rack. I agree. They are the most musical, while maintaining a great amount of detail. They are also very comfortable, with nice soft circumaural pads.
And now, the Big Leagues! These were not on the demo rack, but were under a glass display case. I had to let a clerk know I wanted to try them.
Sennheiser HD800
- Oh the fabled HD800. How many audiophiles have lusted for your sound? It even feels badass in my hands. I dunno why some people think it looks bad. It totally looks crazy awesome! It's smaller than I imagined in my head. My AD700s look bigger. I tried them on, and it was just amazing! Every instrument was separated, and separated well. It was as if each instrument had its own place in the sound-space. Everything was smooth, but still retaining good texture, and impact. The bass was very well controlled, and evenly applied. This was easily one of the best sound experiences I've ever had. GF liked it even more than the HD595, and danced again.
For fun, I tried to hook it up to my iPod Touch 2G + PA2V2, and played Metric's Fantasies album (128kbps AAC). The music came alive! Everything seemed perfectly produced. It was wonderful. GF said "Metric's here!" noting that the music is so realistic that it seems like the real person is right before us.
Not as comfortable as the HD595, but still very comfortable. There was enough space for my ears inside the cup without touching the driver shell.
Grado PS1000
- In order to have a comparison with high-end champions, I decided to test the PS1000. The first thing that came to my mind was that this sounded nowhere close to the sound from the lower/mid-end phones. These had lots of bass! It also has lots of treble. The lower-mids are a little bit recessed though, but it's not really that bad. It sounds like the "Rock" equalizer setting in most media players. There was good clarity and sparkly highs. I thought my dad would like this sound since he loves a nice tweeter + deep bass. Though it's not for me, It sounded really good. GF didn't try them because the bowls hurt her ears.
Overall, It was a great visit. I got to try awesome headphones, listening to what all the fuss with the high-ends were all about, try out some of the speakers, and even got to try the "Bose Exprience" show thing again for lols (SOOOO cheesy! And for all the claims, it sounded pretty thin, especially on the classical music parts. Violins had no body. Only bass. lol). Sorry GF... she was trying to get us to exit the show early, complaining how thin the violin sounds, but I wanted her to see why people detest Bose on this site. In the end, she understands (after telling her the thing costs $3000).
Oh, one more thing. Tube-amps are awesome.
Bay Bloor Radio is a store focusing on Hi-Fi systems, and Home Theatre components.
They sell Speaker Systems, Home Theatre Systems, (3D)HDTVs, and other components.
The link to their site is here http://www.baybloorradio.com/
Bay Bloor Radio has a Headphone Demo Rack!
I had the opportunity to test out some of the headphones regularly touted here at Head-Fi!
I tested them with my girlfriend (i will refer to as GF), who may not have experience with headphones, has a good ear for quality from her dad's audiophile system when she was growing up. I will be commenting on each headphone based on my opinion from listening, as well as her impressions.
Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this review are based on my taste and GF's taste in musical reproduction alone. I am not looking for the most balanced headphones, or the most neutral. I look for headphones that suit my musical taste, while maintaining a high level of detail, and clarity.
These Headphones were connected to an NAD C565BEE CD Player and an NAD C375BEE Integrated Amp.
Music: Feist - The Reminder CD Album
Grado SR60i, Grado SR80i
- I finally got to listen to the Grado Sound after hearing so many things about it. I could tell right away that while the sound was detailed, the soundstage was up-front, and great for in-your-face music. Electric guitar had an extra edge in the reproduction. However, I couldn't get away from the recessed bass. It kept nagging at me. GF had the same expression. She said it sounds good, but it's just okay for her. The pads were very soft and comfortable.
Denon AH-D1001
- Seeing as I do have a pair of them, I was excited to see how they compare to other headphones on the rack. They have a good amount of bass, with great impact, and sparkly highs. GF likes them more than the Grados, and it had something to do with more bass content. She took a listen, and started nodding her head to the beat. I also like the reproduction of detail a bit more than the Grados, although the Grados were sharper in production. But, I think that was also the down-side of the Grados, as the sharper sound them it appear too harsh. The pads are the most comfortable I've ever tried.
Denon AH-D2000
- For whatever reason, these sounded alot worse than the AH-D1001. They were completely off-sounding, and the bass was lacking. Really? That is weird. I suspect some kind of connection disruption or something. Whatever sound was there was detailed and soundstage was good. But, the sound in general was appalling. I apologize to fans of the D2000 if this is an unfair impression. It didn't sound good on that rack. I love leather pads though.
Bose Triports/Around Ear
- Since I haven't listened to a pair of Bose headphones in a while, I was glad they have them in the same rack. I put them on, and they were as comfortable as ever. As soon as the sound came on, however, the smile faded, as I was reminded how muffled the lower-mids are. It was slightly bright, and the low end was boomy. Not good for Feist. GF tried them on, and after 5 seconds she stuck her tongue out in like she ate something bad. To be fair, I did prefer them over the AKG-518DJ, which sounded muffled, and dark (I don't know if that's normal). The AKGs had superior detail and bass reproduction, but I didn't like the muffled + veiled high-mids and highs. By preference of sound, the Triports was preferable over those (at the time). That said, the Grados were more pleasing to listen to even when I don't like Grado sound.
Grado SR325, Grado RS1i
- Stepping up from the lower end Grados, I noticed an increase in clarity, and smoothness. The lower end models were a bit too harsh in the highs, and the lack of bass was very obvious. These sound smoother, and richer, especially the RS1i. However, it still is quite harsh for my taste, and GF agrees that Grado isn't the sound signature for us. The bowl-pads were very hard and rough...
Sennheiser HD595, Sennheiser HD650
- These were among the best we've tried on the rack. The HD595 was very musical, with lots of impact, tight bass and the soundstage was right. The HD650 was the same, except that it sounded a bit harsh on the high-mids. I found vocals to get very loud at times with the rest of the music laying back in the background. I don't know if it's because of not being driven well (since the HD650s are supposedly hard to drive from what I've read), but at that point the HD595 sounded better. GF put them on, and started dancing. Approved! She likes the HD595 among all the headphones on the rack. I agree. They are the most musical, while maintaining a great amount of detail. They are also very comfortable, with nice soft circumaural pads.
And now, the Big Leagues! These were not on the demo rack, but were under a glass display case. I had to let a clerk know I wanted to try them.
Sennheiser HD800
- Oh the fabled HD800. How many audiophiles have lusted for your sound? It even feels badass in my hands. I dunno why some people think it looks bad. It totally looks crazy awesome! It's smaller than I imagined in my head. My AD700s look bigger. I tried them on, and it was just amazing! Every instrument was separated, and separated well. It was as if each instrument had its own place in the sound-space. Everything was smooth, but still retaining good texture, and impact. The bass was very well controlled, and evenly applied. This was easily one of the best sound experiences I've ever had. GF liked it even more than the HD595, and danced again.
For fun, I tried to hook it up to my iPod Touch 2G + PA2V2, and played Metric's Fantasies album (128kbps AAC). The music came alive! Everything seemed perfectly produced. It was wonderful. GF said "Metric's here!" noting that the music is so realistic that it seems like the real person is right before us.
Not as comfortable as the HD595, but still very comfortable. There was enough space for my ears inside the cup without touching the driver shell.
Grado PS1000
- In order to have a comparison with high-end champions, I decided to test the PS1000. The first thing that came to my mind was that this sounded nowhere close to the sound from the lower/mid-end phones. These had lots of bass! It also has lots of treble. The lower-mids are a little bit recessed though, but it's not really that bad. It sounds like the "Rock" equalizer setting in most media players. There was good clarity and sparkly highs. I thought my dad would like this sound since he loves a nice tweeter + deep bass. Though it's not for me, It sounded really good. GF didn't try them because the bowls hurt her ears.
Overall, It was a great visit. I got to try awesome headphones, listening to what all the fuss with the high-ends were all about, try out some of the speakers, and even got to try the "Bose Exprience" show thing again for lols (SOOOO cheesy! And for all the claims, it sounded pretty thin, especially on the classical music parts. Violins had no body. Only bass. lol). Sorry GF... she was trying to get us to exit the show early, complaining how thin the violin sounds, but I wanted her to see why people detest Bose on this site. In the end, she understands (after telling her the thing costs $3000).
Oh, one more thing. Tube-amps are awesome.
