Please tell me more about the Creek OBH 11 + AKG K501 synergy. How's the K501's bass extension with the Creek? Are the lower octaves noticeably missing? How do Rebecca Pigeon's drums there sound in the Creek/K501 combination? How's the soundstage? Upper level of detail? How about mids? Sound clarity? How far up do you turn the volume knob to power the K501s to earsplitting levels? Do you hear any distortions? What kind of musical genres sound best through the Creek/K501 combination? Do any genres sound bad with it?
I'll do my best
Since switching from the Little to the Creek for the 501s, I've felt the bass has improved significantly. While I didn't find it inaccurate with the little, I feel it may be a bit deeper now. The soundstage is very good to my ears. One track that comes to mind is track 10 of Blue Notes Blends: On the Court 3 (Can't stand the rain). The soundstage, airiness and just feel of the accoustic "twang" were just awesome to my ears.
To my ears it feels as if this combination might be a touch on the bright side (atleast when compared with my HA-1/HD600s). But I guess brightness is something I like. When listening to some of my favorite older Jazz recordings like Sketches of Spain, I sort of like that almost fatiguing push at the top and then relief as frequency comes back down. The highs don't come appart at the extreeme as I've noticed with other phones on the AKGs (not comparing to HD600s). With the HD's the highs have a different feel, they are more detailed and accurate, though I'm undecided if I like that. One thing I did notice with my HDs is with Rebecca Pidgeons Grandmother when she gets really high what I thought was the phones distorting is really the frequency being represented by some instrument, probably a guitar or something. I couldn't really find this with the AKGs but maybe my ears aren't the most sensitive.
As far as mids, though I'm not precise where upper lows and lower highs are determined, I feel as if it may perhaps be a bit thin. I don't know if it's the fact that they are more open headphones then my HD600s or what, but at comparable volumes the HDs have a thickness to them. I prefer the thinness of the AKGs for accoustic pieces and 'less throaty' female vocalists. I'm not really certain the quality I'm describing here is in actuality the mid region though.
I typically listen to my AKGs with the volume knob ~ 1:00, but upon your request to hear about earsplitting volumes I cranked it up a bit. It distorted horribly beyond 3:00. This was not what I would call a comforable listening volume, but still I was a little suprised at how ugly it got.
Alright, it's finals week. I gotta get back to work. I hope this was helpful.
Keep in mind I'm a newbie
Fred
