Mine too arrived today.. and from the first 10 seconds I put them in, I was THOROUGHLY impressed. Immediately, what jumped out to me was the layered presentation. It's really quite something I noticed before anything else. Next, the texturing superb nature made itself known. ClieOS nailed what this phone is about in his review, and in my opinion, he was being modest.
A few words about the hardware.. stock tips were perfectly fine for me.. I love the sturdy silver cable, strain reliefs are excellent, chin slider is smooth. Ear guides track the cable effortlessly.. like a Neandrathal, I accidentally snapped one of them (but wans't planning on using the guides anyways). No complaints whatsoever from me when it comes to build quality. I'm a huge fan of the rotatable nozzle too.. I wish more manufacturer's would incorporate this. Once inserted, the phones are very comfortable too.
I'm just completely mesmerized by the GR07 at the moment. I literally love everything about it so far.. it reminds me a lot of the famed Fischer Audio 003's I listen to on a nightly basis while borrowing some of my favorite traits from the DBA. The GR07 shares with the 003 a terrific neutrality, smoothness, detail, and soundstage, and borrows from the DBA hints of its mid-range crispness, detail, and speed. I was wrestling between this & the 262.. reading all the reviews of the 262 & hearing these.. I'm very content with my decision to go with the VSonic's & I definitely feel like I made the right choice. These probably handle a wider variety of music better than the 262, do not need an amp to sound great (unamped out of my 3GS, they were excellent), and their end-to-end extension is probably more accurate than the 262
While the 003 might retrieve slightly more detail, the GR07 trumps the 003 in presenting the layered nature of instruments, vocals, and sounds. It's downright addictive and quite apparent in ANYTHING you listen to. There's so much I want to say about this phone but don't feel like I can really describe it well.. I just flat out enjoy the HELL out of them.. from a technical standpoint or otherwise.
One thing I disagree w/ ClieOS about.. I find these phones to actually be VERY engaging from their initial listen. The fact that they aim for neutrality but possess a very musical and engaging signature makes them, to me, one of the most impressive phones I've ever heard. Phones that can remain neutral while still lively and musical are truly the gems, IMO. As widely noted, they're amongst the least-fatiguing phones I've ever heard. While they fall on the slightly warmer side of neutral, the lean never feels too thick to where it muddies up details & timbre in the midrange and there is no midbass hump to be found whatsoever. In this way, the warmth is "felt" much more than actually heard, if that makes sense. It's so airy and well controlled that the midrange really puts on a show, IMO. The treble & bass perfectly buoy the midrange, which is neither forward or recessed, creating a very balanced, easy-on-the-ears sound signature. But when a track or album calls for detail or crunch, the GR07 seemed up to the task.
Re: genre friendlyness.. there isn't much to say that hasn't already been said.. these tackle everything that's thrown out them with a nuanced effortlessness that's really impressive. Tool's Parabola sounded arresting.. in a beautiful way.. my favorite hip hop album of this year (and probably favorite album regardless of genre), Oneirology (by the CunninLynguists) sounded majestic with the GR07.. it's about as close to Pink-Floyd inspired hip hop as it gets and it's truly something else w/ the GR07. Layers upon layers presented with such detail and accuracy that I just hit repeat and want to dissect away. DnB was so hypnotizing.. soundstage was something else with well recorded material. Pop, jazz, and funk also sounded excellent with them.
The GR07 have made me stash my 003's away for sometime cause I find them so awesome. They sound fantastic with a transparent amp.. run through my Arrow, they're an excellent pair which benefit from a tighter bass response and more definition & depth across the spectrum.
For DBA owners, I'll make it simple : BUY THE GR07. Very complimentary yet neutral at the same time. The GR07 certainly has more bass quantity & it's better textured on the GR07, but again.. remains neutral in response. The DBA is obviously a brighter phone, but the GR07 has just the right amount of sparkle and treble presence for me (and I love the DBA's treble).. it isn't presented the way the DBA presents treble, but I wasn't expecting it to. As a DBA lover, I can safely say the GR07's treble, when taken into account how it blends with the rest of the frequencies, is quite sufficient for me.
Bottom line, I'm LOVING these phones and the fact they garnered ClieOS' "Sonic Diamond" rating is COMPLETELY APPROPRIATE... these are true titans in their price range as well as a step above.
Thanks for the review, ClieOS, I don't think I would've caught wind of these if it wasn't for you.
So i put them in my ears and damn, they really are quite well rounded! Ive been going through a few different genres and they seem to do pretty damn well with all of them. No complaints on my end at all! Excellent Price to Performance.
