[steaxauce]

Actually, I replaced my entire setup over the last two weeks. I went from a Lavry DA10 driving a W5000, to the Musical Fidelity X-DAC v3 with X-PSU and X-10 v3 tube buffer (highly recommended), and a Headamp GS-1 driving the JVC HP-DX1000. Yes, this setup is definitely better than the Lavry, and well worth the price difference, which wasn't that big for me. A few very rare deals allowed me to get this setup.

I don't really believe in expensive power cords, but I somehow ended up with over $500's worth. SACD Lover gave me an Analog Research Silver Raincoat and an Iron Lung Jellyfish, but the most extravagant are the two 0.5m Revalation Audio Labs Passage Cryo-Silver Reference umbilical cords used to connect the DAC and tube buffer to the power supply. These little cords go for $169 apiece. For interconnects, I'm using two pairs of 1m Enigma Audio magnet wire cables terminated with copper bullets, which are supposedly warm cables. I don't know; I don't have anything to compare them to.

These photos were taken by the previous owner, Soupy. He wrote a very good review of this exact pair.

I'm very, very impressed with the build quality of these headphones. These are $1000 headphones if I've ever seen ones. The wood is beautiful! I prefer it to the W5000s' and the Headphile bubinga wood cups I had for the HD650. The cord is thick but very pliant and unobtrusive. Somehow, this cloth-covered cord is even quieter than the W5000's rubber one. Not that that's something I judge headphones on, but I think that's quite an accomplishment. These isolate quite a bit better than the AT woodies, as well.

I really wanted to like these headphones for the above, but after just a few hours of listening, they're not for me. I'd call them a direct upgrade to the HD650 (yes, the Cardas balanced HD650 as well). The bass is punchier, and the highs and mids are smoother, but I percieve the same "veil" that made the HD650 my least favorite high-end headphone. To put things in perspective, the other headphones I've owned in order of preference are:

W5000
SA5000
K701
Cardas Balanced HD650
Shure E4

I honestly don't know where to put the DX1000 on that list. As you can see, the headphones I most prefer generally have prevalent highs, but that's not why I liked them. Actually, I considered that a flaw of the SA5000 and W5000. What draws me to headphones like that is mostly their detail. Every headphone I've tried up to now has had some fatal flaw that I absolutely could not live with, with the exception of the K701, which was just unexceptional. It was the most natural of those headphones, but it didn't have the otherworldly detail I liked so much about the SA5000 and W5000. The next leg of my quest for the perfect headphone will probably be a GS1000 or K1000. Too bad, I was hoping the one headphone would be closed. That is a definite convenience feature for me.

So, I won't be keeping these long enough to write a review, but there are three on head-fi that I know of:

http://www6.head-fi.org/forums/showt...ghlight=DX1000
http://www6.head-fi.org/forums/showt...ghlight=DX1000
http://www6.head-fi.org/forums/showt...&highlight=JVC

 

[Stangs55]

steaxauce,

Congratulations...those are some gorgeous cans

! I'm anxiously awaiting some impressions.

Looks great!

 

[jpelg]

Quote:

Originally Posted by steaxauce but I percieve the same "veil" that made the HD650 my least favorite high-end headphone.

This is one of the problems I had with them too.

They were always a double-edged sword. At times their extra-wide soundstaging came in handy, while others it was just plain wierd. At times their warmth & extra bass was just the ticket, while others it was way too overwhelming. But that 'veil' - man, it aggravated me. It was like they had a chest cold, and I just wanted to cough out the phlegm from them so that I could hear the detail.

They are beautifully constructed - way better than the W5000's! They deserve a better case than the box JVC provides.

In the right system, I'm sure they are the right headphone for the right person. I recall they sounded particularly good out of a Cary 300sei amp.

 

[steaxauce]

I forgot to mention; these things are huge! To put things in perspective, if it were hollow, you could fit a potatoe between those two cups, with room to spare!

Very ugly.

 

[Iron_Dreamer]

Quote:

Originally Posted by steaxauce To put things in perspective, if it were hollow, you could fit a potatoe between those two cups, with room to spare!

Is that so, steaxauce? Or should I just call you Mr. Quayle?

 

[Zoide]

They look a bit like the Sony CD-3000s. In fact, so do some of the AT cans. Maybe Japanese cans have a certain look to them in common?

 

[steaxauce]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Iron_Dreamer Is that so, steaxauce? Or should I just call you Mr. Quayle?

Osborn. Mr. Osborn. (I have no idea what you're talking about.)

 

[Wmcmanus]

Quote:

Originally Posted by jpelg This is one of the problems I had with them too. They were always a double-edged sword. At times their extra-wide soundstaging came in handy, while others it was just plain wierd. At times their warmth & extra bass was just the ticket, while others it was way too overwhelming. But that 'veil' - man, it aggravated me. It was like they had a chest cold, and I just wanted to cough out the phlegm from them so that I could hear the detail. They are beautifully constructed - way better than the W5000's! They deserve a better case than the box JVC provides. In the right system, I'm sure they are the right headphone for the right person. I recall they sounded particularly good out of a Cary 300sei amp.

Jimmy, I didn't realize that you had sold your pair. I've been intending to PM you to ask for any further impressions that you had with them because as I recall you were quite impressed initially (about the time of the national meet when I heard them briefly and found them 'interesting' at least).

But given the veil issue (deal killer for me), as well as some of the so-so types of reviews (like this thead for instance) that have gradually surfaced, I think I'll take a pass.

I think it was jjcha who recently said that JVC has made a nice first effort, but that he would prefer to wait for their 2nd or 3rd incarnation of the idea. Wise man, that Jason.

But still, I admire the approach they've taken with the unusual design on the chamers (and the like), and it's nice to know that they've scored major points on build quality issues.

 

[Fitz]

Quote:

Originally Posted by steaxauce Osborn. Mr. Osborn. (I have no idea what you're talking about.)

Dan Quayle... the former vice-president who had a bit of trouble spelling "potato"

And it looks like you're finally coming around about tubes.

 

[purk]

Quote:

They were always a double-edged sword. At times their extra-wide soundstaging came in handy, while others it was just plain wierd. At times their warmth & extra bass was just the ticket, while others it was way too overwhelming. But that 'veil' - man, it aggravated me. It was like they had a chest cold, and I just wanted to cough out the phlegm from them so that I could hear the detail. They are beautifully constructed - way better than the W5000's! They deserve a better case than the box JVC provides.

Yep....I agree completely. I always felt that the JVC bass was nice but seem very bloated next to the L3000, R10, and W2002. The midrange was also colored and not as sweet or velvet like the R10 and the L3000.

Of course, the JVC is much cheaper, but I would pick the HD-650 w/ Zu over the JVC. IMO, of course. If you just want a fun headphone, the JVC could be your ticket.

 

[steaxauce]

Thanks, Fitz. Iron_Dreamer, don't berate my spelling. I'm willing to bet that you use a spellchecker.

Yeah, the tube buffer is fantastic. I have my rig set up so that I can bypass the buffer with a flick of the GS-1's input switch, and the difference is very clear to me. It's much fuller, it improves and increases bass. I'm sure there's no one who would say the W5000 sounds better in my setup bypassing the tube buffer. It's another story with the DX1000. Usually I prefer the buffer, but it's already so bassy and full in the mids that it might be too much for some.

Contrary to what most people seem to think, this buffer isn't just to add the sound of tubes to your system. It's a BUFFER; it does something. It has an input impedance of 470K ohms, creating no load for the DAC. It essentially acts as a new output stage for the amp, and it's identical to the output stage of the Tri-Vista DAC, but with tubes that MF says are better. MF also says the digital part of the X-DAC v3 is better than what's in the Tri-Vista, so yeah, the combo should be better, especially with the PSU, and for a lot less money if you buy used.

I ordered the pinkfloyd mod kit for the tube buffer yesterday, so I'm looking forward to that. It should be arriving next week, but then I need to find someone to help me mod it, hopefully before the Austin meet.

 

[Iron_Dreamer]

Quote:

Originally Posted by steaxauce Thanks, Fitz. Iron_Dreamer, don't berate my spelling. I'm willing to bet that you use a spellchecker.

It's not every day you can bust out the Dan Quayle card on someone, I could hardly resist when presented with that opportunity

Spellchecker, schmellchecker!

 

[JMcMasterJ]

I was in Japan a few weeks ago and I saw these headphones all over the place. They were usually sitting next to a pair of W5000's. I wondered about them, but I never tried them because I spent most of my time in stores listening to the W5000 and the Stax O2. I wish I had listened to them, but I definitely don't regret buying my W5000 + HA5000 (especially for what I paid for them).

 

[Headphoner]

Quote:

Originally Posted by steaxauce To put things in perspective, the other headphones I've owned in order of preference are: W5000 SA5000 K701 Cardas Balanced HD650 Shure E4 The next leg of my quest for the perfect headphone will probably be a GS1000 or K1000. Too bad, I was hoping the one headphone would be closed. That is a definite convenience feature for me.

I have similar tastes in phones. I like air, sheen, and detail. I like a sound balance the instruments would have if you were close to them. This means that the instruments are not only bright with detail but also that they retain a degree of warmth. I like human voices that are clear and detailed, but also retain chest tones which require a degree of upper bass and lower midrange.

Please consider equalization instead of an unending search for phones and amps with a balance you like. Right now, I am using the Beyer DT990 (2005) as my large phones. With equalization and a relatively cheap amp, they are terrific. I also have the Shure E4c. When I first tried them, I thought (probably like you) that they were almost unlistenable. I now EQ them. I add substantial bass beginning at around 125Hz, a 3dB bump at 4kHz, and a 4dB bump at 16kHz. The Shures are transformed! Utterly transformed.

Adding EQ can be tricky at first. To add air and sheen, one must be careful about the balance of high and low frequencies. Air and sheen are not just high-frequency phenomena. They require a measure of lower midrange and bass. Etc.

You've spent a lot of money on phones and amps. Are you willing to try a $200 experiment and do it with an open mind? Buy a HeadRoom Bithead amp. It hooks into the USB port on your computer. Use your computer to play your favorite CD's. BUT, first select player software that has an equalizer. This is free. For simplicity, I suggest Windows Media Player. The equalizer has options for wide, middle, and narrow bands (that is, there is an option for changing "Q"). I suggest you try the narrow band option. If you are interested in trying this experiment, I can suggest specific EQ settings for your E4c phones. Email me.

--Best of luck. I know the frustration you must be feeling.

 

[Andrea]

Quote:

Originally Posted by steaxauce So, I won't be keeping these long enough to write a review,

You tormented soul