As promised, here is description of the sound of the JVC HA-S500 supraural (on ear) headphones with solo (classical ) piano in mind.
OP stated he is going to listen to both modern recordings in stereo as well as historic ones by great masters that could not but record in mono at the time.
The first recording I used was Glen Gould's Goldberg variations originally recorded in 1955 in mono, from CBS 61540 long play record, made in 1977 in Germany. Oddly enough, this particular copy does not present mono in dead center, it leans to the right. The recording is bass shy, and JVC portrays this well. Someplaces I heard people talking ( Gulda humming along ? ) in the background – not before with any other phones, electrostatics included, was this as clearly reproduced. Hiss from the analog tape was there, but it was not piercing or unpleasent to the ear. The same goes for the noise of the vinyl – JVC HA-S500 must be one of the least expensive phones to handle this hard to do thing with near aplomb.
#2 was a recording most probably little known in western world – Rach 3 played by Eugene Moguilevski with Moscow State Philharmonic Symphony Orchestra under the baton of Kiril Kondrashin on LP Mezhdunarodnaya Kniga ( predecessor of Melodiya ? ) D 014875-14876(a).
The only date I can see on the cover is 1958, but is it reffering to the date of recording or the review of the pianist's achievements that year in »Musical Calendar« 1958 by B. Asafiev is not exactly clear.
According to my (very limited ) internet research, this record made Recording of the Year Award back in the day – it is great playing.
It is mono – dead center this time. Somehow, a good perception of depth is created. Even though the LP has obviously been played a lot, it does not fall to pieces during louder passages. There is some congestion of piano and strings where they almost overlap in timbre , but it occures rarely and very briefly, not distracting from the performance at all. Bass is still rather shy, but not so much as with Gould above. Sadly, my copy of this rare LP exhibits end of side distortion, the nice lady, a piano teacher (ret.) who gave it to me, did unfortunately not posess a top notch turntable.
I use Stax Lambda Pro electrostatic headphones driven by Stax SRM1MK2 amplifier as reference - no exception here. JVC HA-S500 are very chameleonesque in sound, depending which earpads one uses with it. Please see the JVC HA-S500 thread for details :
http://www.head-fi.org/t/621063/the-new-jvc-ha-s500-40mm-carbon-nanotubes
I used what is reffered to in this thread as ATH velours , as it was with these pads of limited selection at hand that I achieved the sound most closely matching the Stax combo. It is very inexpensive possibility to rather completely change the character of the JVC headphones by changing the pads ( from around $5 to $30, with most desirable ones below $15 on average delivered ), according to taste, personal preference or characteristics of a particular recording. No matter what, JVC HA-S 500 always remain clear and articulate, with resolution at times rivalling, if not exceeding, the electrostats. Under no circumstance write it off as inferiour due to its modest cost (about $ 75 delivered, import from Japan, count in customs etc ).
#3: Beethoven Concerto #5, Alfred Brendel, Orchestra Pro Musica Vienna, Zubin Mehta conducting, on Fabbri Editori (Italy) LP licensed from Vox MMG, stereo recording originally from 1965, my copy is from 2nd edition by Fabbri Editori of 1981. Although the piano is quite brightly recorded, JVC never get glassy, even at fortissimo. Piano does take center stage, with orchestra flanking it – but this unnatural perspective is comment on the recording itself and not criticism of the headphones' inability to present proper acoustics – if it is not on the recording, it can not reproduce it. Here,
bass is already recorded well enough for the Stax to show its impeccable extension below anything a piano can possibly play – JVCs a a bit lighter in bass, but it is not a day and night difference by any means. JVC does never loose control in the bass, will not get boomy or congested at all.
#4 My introduction to Erik Satie : Daniel Varsano on French CBS 61874 LP. Stereo recording from 1979. Chased the elusive LP for 11 ( ! ) years after getting acquainted with it first through our local Centre Culturel Francais Charles Nodier way back in 1979 – after all the trouble, numerous orders and failures to deliver, I was not allowed to pay for it more than DEM ( Geman Mark ) 3,98 in Munich, Germany in 1990 – phew ! Needless to say, I know the recording intimately – and JVCs did get on verge of glassines with it using ATH velour pads. Change back to stock pads (which are too bassy and reduce the brilliance a bit ) took care of the glassines – and revealed cyclic rumble from the imperfect vynil ! This recording sports quite high dynamic range –which is a forte of JVC HA-S500 anyway; no nasty surprises here, even the loudest peaks reproduced clearly.
#5 Keith Jarrett: Koln Concerto ECM 1064/65 LP. With the stock pads from the #4, a bit too shut in and strangely distant – back to ATH velours ( about 15 sec per pad required to change ). The airy tone of the piano on this well known recording restored, although bass may well appear as too weak for some. Fear not – there are pads available for the JVC HA-S500 that fit in beetween the above mentioned extremes in sound – mine are in the mail.
Next time, I will use a few CDs with piano I have – generally prefer analog or in recent times DSD, never did I truly embrace music on CD.
Hope this helps – despite opening yet another option to the OP; if not to him, to others that might want to give the JVC HA-S500 and piano a try. I am in no way trying to say JVC HA-S500 is overall as good as Stax Lambda Pro - but is a viable alternative at very reasonable cost most prospective listeners can afford.
How does this pricing thing work? Will prices go down again eventually?
