[neilvg]

Has anyone experienced a line noise type sound with their L3000's with some amps? I have this issue in the right earpad only with the Rudistor RP6 and it is independent of Interconnects and this does not happen with other headphones amps or even umamped directly through a CD player.

The noise is not subtle and can be heard through quieter passages and of course when nothing is playing at all.

I remember hearing something about the Qualia being susceptible to this, but a correctly matched amp would fix this.

I find it curious that it manifests only the right ear and in an amp that specifically had cans like the qualia and L3000 in mind.

Edit when I plug my HD600 (cardas) into this amp, I hear NO noise.

Neil

 

[bobeau]

neilvg,

I would suggest contacting ayt999 (Alex) as I believe he's in the bay area and has a couple L3000s.

 

[neilvg]

I have a few more comments @ around 25 hrs of burn in or so.
More so than the 600's when I first got them, I can really get a sense of these can's potential. I've been listening to them for a few hours today as they have been progressing through the burn in cycle and it is most interesting; I can actually hear the sound changing, and then seemingly changing back to a less resolved state. I notice this most in the midrange where I feel many of the burn-in refinements will take place. When the headphone is performing though, words like intimate, and sensual definitely come to mind. At first I thought I was imagining this since we are all pretty susceptible to placebo in the headphone/headphone amp world, but I played a familiar track on Mark Knophler's new DVD-A and it did indeed oscillate a bit.

I also finally got to try out the HE60/HEV70 today, got a good stepdown transformer from... Raidoshack! hahaha, I was pleasantly surprised. Not with the Combo! But with Radioshack. I walk in and there are these two relativlely ditsy girls working the counter and no offense but I was hesitant to ask them anything. As it turned out, amazingly, the one I asked was quite knowledgeable saleswomen. She showed me the right transformer, told me why, and when I said it was for headphones, showed me another with the correct Watt Handling Stage, and she actually wanted to hear what the fuss with an $800 pair was all about! Haha!, nevermind I already have a girlfriend, but that was surprising.

Anyway, the headphone (HE60/HEV70) sound very nice to me. I do not think, as most have already said, that this headphone is at its peak with this amp, but comparing it to the HD600 is very informative. I would say that this combo currently in many ways IS better than my HD600 (cardas) out of my RP6, but in many ways it is not. The sound is more lush with that electrostatic type of speed and treble clarity, however, it doesn't seem to have the same excitement and extension that my HD600 has (I know, that is actually shocking). On a visceral level, I found myself sinking a bit deeper and engrossed a bit more in the sound of the HEV as I found I wasn't analyzing it the way I do with the L3000. The 600's are a little harsher with more prominant sibilance which works for and against it at times. I think the HEV70 lacks balls though, and it comes across as merely a pleasant driver.

By the way, I use an Esoteric DV50s for as my source, and all cardas golden reference cables (except on the 600, where I think it is a cross).

Neil

 

[raisin]

neil,
I was experiencing that same oscilliation in the SQ, it felt strange, almost like the drivers where falling out of phase?

 

[neilvg]

Quote:

Originally Posted by raisin neil, I was experiencing that same oscilliation in the SQ, it felt strange, almost like the drivers where falling out of phase?

Yeah I suppose you could say they were a little out of phase, which would certainly account for an at times crystal clear vocal midrange presentationl and at other times a more 'hollow' and now that you mentioned it, slightly phased sound.

I presume this eventually cleared up for you? (fingers crossed)

Neil

 

[raisin]

Neil,
I last felt that condition at the 60hr point. In the last day there have been real flashes of brilliance (DSOTM, teared the corners of my eyes!), interspersed with rough moments (upper mids, especially female vocals).
So far, the SS is pretty much what I had hoped for, Clapton, Allman, Nirvana, Violins (did I mention tears, yet) are all superbly rendered.
Comfort is incredible, at times the phones just disappear on your head. If you swivel your head, you sense mass, not weight?- like small helium balloons.

 

[neilvg]

Quote:

Originally Posted by raisin Neil, I last felt that condition at the 60hr point. In the last day there have been real flashes of brilliance (DSOTM, teared the corners of my eyes!), interspersed with rough moments (upper mids, especially female vocals). So far, the SS is pretty much what I had hoped for, Clapton, Allman, Nirvana, Violins (did I mention tears, yet) are all superbly rendered. Comfort is incredible, at times the phones just disappear on your head. If you swivel your head, you sense mass, not weight?- like small helium balloons.

This also falls right in line with both my observations and listening material. We listen to the same kinds of music it seems. At first the headphones didn't feel as comfortable to me, and the pads were heating up my ears a lot. But after about 2-3 hours of head-break-in, they now feel super comfortable, and I agree with the weight issue. It is not a sence of bulk, or a fatiguing heaviness, but rather a comfortable buoyancy almost. Most importantly, I can indeed forget the headphones are on my head.

You are ahead of me in the burn in curve, I probably have near 36-40 hours on it, and already the sound has changed. The whole burn in process never seases to both amaze and make me wonder why this isn't done before we get them. But I guess, for us Head-Fi tweakers anyway, the option to Do It Ourselves is usually preferable in the long run.

Btw, I just bought an Earmax Pro AE . This is the American Version so it has gold plated RCA inputs + a Classy looking triangular Insignia in the corner, a little different than Nik's or some of the other European Versions I believe. Anyway, I can't wait to hear the 3000's out of this, especially judging from some of the comments I have heard. Mostly, this buy was influenced by the desire to have an amp I could be happy with for both the HD600 and the L3000./ The Rudistor RP6 hasn't been making the cut, but I still love that amp for the 600's...

... Anyone wany s Beautiful new RP6?

Neil

 

[raisin]

Quote:

Originally Posted by neilvg This also falls right in line with both my observations and listening material. We listen to the same kinds of music it seems. Neil

Well, the qualities that drew us to the L3000's lend themselves to certain music, so one would assume a certain familiarity between owners.
BTW, hopefully that new amp will clear up your line noise problems.

 

[gpalmer]

Quote:

Originally Posted by raisin Well, the qualities that drew us to the L3000's lend themselves to certain music, so one would assume a certain familiarity between owners.

Wow, you guys like the Sex Pistols and MegaDeath too? Cool!

 

[akwok]

Quote:

Originally Posted by gpalmer Wow, you guys like the Sex Pistols and MegaDeath too? Cool!

I still can't believe you listen to that at 60db..

 

[gpalmer]

Quote:

Originally Posted by neilvg Gpalmer, so now you would say that your phones are very mich not like this? How much did they change from the original character?

I'd very much agree that they've changed. The slowness and muddiness went away after a couple of days though it took longer till they completely hit their peak. The big change was over the first few days though.

The shouty mids persisted for a LONG time but I believe that was because I usually listen very quietly. Originally I found it rather obnoxious to turn them up more than a little because they sounded almost like they were distorted or rough when I did. This was noticeable in the upper mids. I ran them at a high volume level overnight and they smoothed right out and since then they've been great.

 

[tkam]

Yeah the L3000 do have a rather long burn-in period. IMO other than the soundstage I think the L3000 are better all around headphones than the R10.

 

[neilvg]

Quote:

Originally Posted by gpalmer Wow, you guys like the Sex Pistols and MegaDeath too? Cool!

Hell Yeah! (but not at 60db... that's like going to a rock concert and putting heavy duty ear plugs in and standing facing the back wall).

 

[gpalmer]

Quote:

Originally Posted by akwok I still can't believe you listen to that at 60db..

Heh, maybe not, at the electrostatic amp shootout they thought someone had switched on a set of speakers from the leakage coming off the HE-90s. Even jpelg who I thought listened pretty loud was stunned...