Hello, how are you?
Are the L1's a noticeable upgrade to the Citiscape Uptowns?
And would they pair well with the HDP-R10?
Cheers!
Hi,
L1s build quality is definitely more solid, the cables have a much better feel also. On the other hand, Uptowns are lighter, more comfortable with slightly bigger earpads.
Frequency response aside, I think L1s provide a clearly more 'HiFi' and realistic sound in comparison. They sound bigger, fuller, with more realistic treble too.
The problem (or not) with Fidelio L1s is that they have a pretty colored sound signature: powerful and really extended sub-bass, quite recessed mid-bass kick, raised upper mids (2,5 Khz) and quite rolled off treble.
While some people could find this sound signature pretty engaging, with some recordings this headphones can sound a bit congested and dark. They could leave you wanting more mid-bass clarity and not as much background sub-bass.
That said, L1s may be very appealing for modern music, specially electronic music where a forgiving presentation with powerful sub bass is often really praised.
Uptowns are probably more balanced by comparison, and thus many people like them better.
In my opinion, Uptowns are great headphones for the money, (good sound quality, great comfort, nice looking, etc.) while L1s are more special and clearly more love/hate headphones.
If you like an overall warm presentation, with some sub-bass emphasis, and you are not too picky about comfort then L1s are a solid upgrade over Uptowns.
Best Luck!