After almost
30 hours of burn in > >
ipod4g > mostly ripped in aac some alac > ALO sixshooter > LDM+ > 580/w650 grill and stock cable | ksc75 w/quarter mod, kramer holes, recabled
KSC75: Even more
treble extension!
Blows away the total airhead with these cans.
Actually, something is wrong with my cabling tho:( as I used really cheesy components and the mid-highs just disappeared. I think stock ksc75 sounds absolutely wonderful with this amp, and maybe a better cable job than mine will add to the trebel and bass without killing the mids and mid-highs..
read: cold solder joints?
HD580: First of all, I think this is the high impedence version, as the 580 sounds
very reasonable with the knob at the 12o'clock position.
It feels different from its bigger valve brother.. I dont know exactly how to describe it, but it sounds more
fluid, but a bit compressed at the highs. There is a graininess throughout the whole spectrum that seems to put a very thin barrier between the music and the listener but it is minimal.
Female vocals with guitar and piano accomp seems like the model which is presented most differently. The
vocalist is placed closer, and the guitar is
pushed back, unlike the airhead which places both at approx the same distance. This is much more enjoyable in some situations,
but not all, such as when backing vocalists are present. There is more of a soundstage regarding vocals and backing vocals on the airhead.
Overall though,
mids sound much more upfront than the total airhead, which is more prominent in the highs.
On the low end, bass is
much more punchy. Beats are
fat and fast, though not as fat as the airhead, but much more discernable since theres more thump and punch instead of an "airy boom"
Theres
less decay in piano notes too, but then I really dont listen to piano solos when i'm mobile.
(0 is default total airhead)
Simplified, i would say with the 580s--->
low +2
mid lows -1
mids 0
mid highs +1
highs -2 (colder sounding but still doesn't do the 580s justice)
KSC75 (kramer + quarter mod)(before my [size=small]ghetto[/size] cable job)
low +1
mid lows -1
mid +1
mid highs 0
highs +2
With 580 IMO its a bit fun to listen to, and doesn not darken nor lighten the senns, but rather changes the sound in different fequencies in different ways. Mainly gives a midrange hump, and collapses the soundstage.
It is better with the KSC75, as it highlights the mids and doesnt lost the high end sparkle of the little clip ons.
This is in no way definitive, as I have yet to burn it in for 70 more hours, then use my home setup with my best classical and rock cds..
[size=medium]
Stuff I used for this:[/size]
Rikki- suteki da ne
Weezer- Make Believe
Namie Amuro- Style
Peter Frampton- Now
Utada Hikaru- Ultra Blue, Deep River
Beatles- White
ATB- Seven Years
