renlute
100+ Head-Fier
- Joined
- Oct 31, 2009
- Posts
- 170
- Likes
- 13
Many thanks to Icarium for hosting the mini-meet at his home in Silicon Valley this weekend, and to Craig (see photo below beside an early production of his Balancing Act) for bringing his latest creation the EC 215.
I was apparently the only one who took any photos so I’ll post the pictorial essence here. I’ll let the higher-tech attendees fill you-all in on the gear, especially the new amp, and give more authoritative impressions.
I spent most of my testing time, which was not very extensive, comparing my own K702 with an HD800, driven by an Eddie Current Balancing Act. I wanted to see if the fidelity and quality of sound of the Sennheiser were sufficiently better to warrant an upgrade from the AKG. Both combinations sounded awful good on Craig’s BA. While the HD800 is more comfortable to wear, I didn’t perceive that I need to change phones. The character of sound is similar to the K702, and even to a K601 that I just got recently, though I could hear some subtle distinctions that I didn’t have the time or silent surroundings (there was lively chatter in the background) to pursue.
Right next to me on the seat was a woodie phone so I picked it up. Audez’e LCD-2 it said on it. I have not been paying much attention to new developments so I had never heard of it. Only later did I check the forum to see what it is. Arg, it seems to be a very hot new item. In any case its character was dramatically different from the AKGs and the Senn. While these were straightforward and analytical by comparison, I’d describe the LCD-2 as dramatic. I was listening to some short organ pieces by Bach. The organ sounded more like an orchestra on the woodie. Since my my primary intended use of the phones is monitoring orchestrations, I want a more analytical sound which the AKGs and the Sennheiser provide. If you want kick-ass sound, listen to the Audez’e.
Speaking of kick-ass, I am kicking my own because on the bench there was also a Sony Qualia 010 which looked kind of light and flimsy to me, and I didn’t know that it used to cost over $2000 so I paid no attention. Do your homework before you come to a head-fi meet is the lesson I learned.
Since a pair of K701s was lying conveniently at hand, I thought I’d see how it sounded compared to the K702. Again, not enough time. Same general character. One thing that was noticeably different was the headband. The notorious bumps on the K702 are thinner and hard, while those on the 701 are wider, softer and more pliant. See photo.
Phones on the bench are, top to bottom: Sony Qualia 010; Audio-Technica ATH-AD2000; AKG K702, K701, K601; Audez'e LCD-2.
I was apparently the only one who took any photos so I’ll post the pictorial essence here. I’ll let the higher-tech attendees fill you-all in on the gear, especially the new amp, and give more authoritative impressions.
I spent most of my testing time, which was not very extensive, comparing my own K702 with an HD800, driven by an Eddie Current Balancing Act. I wanted to see if the fidelity and quality of sound of the Sennheiser were sufficiently better to warrant an upgrade from the AKG. Both combinations sounded awful good on Craig’s BA. While the HD800 is more comfortable to wear, I didn’t perceive that I need to change phones. The character of sound is similar to the K702, and even to a K601 that I just got recently, though I could hear some subtle distinctions that I didn’t have the time or silent surroundings (there was lively chatter in the background) to pursue.
Right next to me on the seat was a woodie phone so I picked it up. Audez’e LCD-2 it said on it. I have not been paying much attention to new developments so I had never heard of it. Only later did I check the forum to see what it is. Arg, it seems to be a very hot new item. In any case its character was dramatically different from the AKGs and the Senn. While these were straightforward and analytical by comparison, I’d describe the LCD-2 as dramatic. I was listening to some short organ pieces by Bach. The organ sounded more like an orchestra on the woodie. Since my my primary intended use of the phones is monitoring orchestrations, I want a more analytical sound which the AKGs and the Sennheiser provide. If you want kick-ass sound, listen to the Audez’e.
Speaking of kick-ass, I am kicking my own because on the bench there was also a Sony Qualia 010 which looked kind of light and flimsy to me, and I didn’t know that it used to cost over $2000 so I paid no attention. Do your homework before you come to a head-fi meet is the lesson I learned.
Since a pair of K701s was lying conveniently at hand, I thought I’d see how it sounded compared to the K702. Again, not enough time. Same general character. One thing that was noticeably different was the headband. The notorious bumps on the K702 are thinner and hard, while those on the 701 are wider, softer and more pliant. See photo.
Phones on the bench are, top to bottom: Sony Qualia 010; Audio-Technica ATH-AD2000; AKG K702, K701, K601; Audez'e LCD-2.
