shimmer n roar
Aka: Mr Spenkelink
- Joined
- Jan 26, 2012
- Posts
- 392
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- 18
so the w3000anv is still doing it for you? is there anything you miss about the Stax 02mk1?
Well, I sold my whole Stax O2mk1 rig after attaining the W3000ANV. I even bought a dedicated dynamic amplifier just for it and I previously had a KGSS for the O2mk1. Different strokes for different folks. Stax are detailed and airy, but they weren't as beautiful sounding and electrostats are hassle to deal with in humid surroundings.
Got these a couple of days ago from Beach Camera. I'm really not sure whether to keep them or not. I did some burning in and then some A/B comparisons with the D7000 and the LCD-2. I prefer these to the LCD-2 (which sounds more congested, for example when listening to a string quartet), but the D7000's bass extension and slightly more effervescent high end make most genres simply more fun to listen to for me. Even with vocal music, the W3000ANV's apparent bump in the vocal frequency range doesn't really make the voices all that magical; voices have high-frequency overtones too and they're necessary for appreciating the vocal timbre. Maybe I need a lot more burn-in, but I don't want to overuse them if I'm just going to send them back.
I will say though that I've noticed the W3000 has less sibilance than the D7000 and even the LCD-2, which is surprising to me because the LCD-2 is in general a darker can--I suspect in this case the W3000 is masking faults in the underlying source.
I went back and forth, but I've pretty much decided to send these back. I read this entire thread before ordering them, and was quite taken with all the talk of magical vocals and whatnot, especially since it was coming from many of the most respected posters on head-fi. I was also prompted to order by the "limited edition" sense of artificial scarcity. I could forgive the lack of bass extension (I think the bass on the W3000 is quite nice, actually), but what I couldn't forgive (given the price tag) was a certain harshness in the mid-treble that I think Muppetface alluded to in her "crisis" post. Despite its high-freq extension and sibilance the D7000 is simply mellower in the frequency range that I find most grating. Back to the drawing board... or maybe I'll just cultivate the elusive art of contentment while saving up for an SR-009/BHSE.
We all hear things differently and use said headphones with different gear and listen to different music.
The problem is that for example for me, the treble is pretty much perfect. I can't warn anyone that it's going to be harsh. = /
I never said otherwise. But I would have benefited from a few more notes of caution when I was reading the thread, and so provide one for others who may be considering the purchase.
The problem is that for example for me, the treble is pretty much perfect. I can't warn anyone that it's going to be harsh. = /
Which is a good thing, we need different opinions so people can try to form some kind of idea on whether or not they will like the phones they are considering. But in the end only listening for themselves will let them know for sure. Best one can do is go to a dealer for an audition but unfortunately in many countries (like mine) high-end phones are scarce and most dealers who do have the brands only have the cheap gear in stock. Also meets are scarce here so that's usually not much of an alternative unless you want to wait a year or more to try a pair of phones.
So what I did is buy a lot of phones and amps to finally find what I really want. I had for example a pair of HD800 which are considered top phones by many and I did like them a lot as well, but in the end they didn't compete with the D7000 for me. So I can give that opinion to others, which I do, but I am sure there will be a lot more people who prefer the HD800 to the D7000. So in the end, when we give our opinion on a certain pair of phones, be it good or bad, it doesn't tell others anything for sure.
I see you are considering the Stax 009. I don't know if you have auditioned those but if not please do at that price point. I used to think Stax would be the ultimate phones for me as well and bought an O2MkI with 717 amp which was the top combo back then, unless you got an amp like the KGSS or BHSE. Nothing bad about these phones, I liked them but again, they didn't compete with the D7000 and DX1000 for example I had back then.
Which is a good thing, we need different opinions so people can try to form some kind of idea on whether or not they will like the phones they are considering.
Now this I'm not understanding... If everyone has a different opinion, how is one going to see which is the right one?