The title says it all, pretty much. I'm just collecting a general consensus (if there is one) as to what would yield the best sound. I live in japan, so the d7000 and 3030ii system would be the cheaper option, but the rs1i price here isn't too outrageous... I listen to mostly acoustic music - classical, some jazz, and rock on occasion. It would be helpful to gather your opinions since i live in quasi-countryside of japan and don't have access to listen to any of those options, though i listened to the 3030ii system the other day and was impressed, but it was a little bit loud in the store i was in...
From those genre's, FWIR, the decision should be very easy, RS1i. They are wonderful for rock and jazz, good for Classical (although some complain about soundstage) and are very, very nice for acoustic pieces. It is said the Classical is the weak point of the Denons. Rock can sometimes sound odd to some, because of its slightly recessed midrange. I have no idea about the Stax sound signature though, so I cannot help you there, sorry.
I own both the RS1i and the D7000. I have never auditioned any Stax equipment.
Needless to say, it is a toss up for me between the Grados and the Denons. Each headphone is amazingly different. Denon gives you that home theater speaker sound with thunderous deep bass, a moderatley relaxed mid with a bright tint to the highs and a fairly wide soundstage for a closed can. The RS1i is a much more intimate headphone. It has almost no soundstage but images well within its small space. It brings the mids forward bringing detail directly to your ears and carries this warm resonate tone with each note. Its bass is decent but the highs can be somewhat shrill at times (this depends on the recording).
I notice your 0404USB is broken and that you are using a total airhead as an amp. If you are not planning on upgrading your source and amp, I would go with the RS1i. While it is better amped, it is no slouch out of a standard source. The Denons on the other hand really need to be properly amped to sound their best.
How come you have narrowed your search down to these three headphones? Are they the most available in your area? Have you auditioned other cans before? IMHO, my HD650s out of my millett minimax hybrid is still the best overall setup I have found. Just a thought.
Thanks for all your replies, guys.So, this is a risky hobby since we don't often have opportunities to try before we buy. We rely on the reviews of others that are usually more subjective than objective, it seems. I see people getting excited over a piece of equipment in which they only seen impressive pictures of and that which is priced highly. DACs are something I'm the most skeptical about... Does anyone else share this skepticism?
With that said...
Currawong:I'm leaning more toward stax (rs1i or another grado will be for another time when I'm back in the states and don't have to pay a huge markup). I heard the 3030ii and 4040ii in tokyo the other day, and I actually think I enjoyed the sound of the 3030ii more... Perhaps it was just the 006t amp that made the 404 sound bad? I can get the srm-600 limited amp for about 100,000 yen (a little over 1000.00 usd)... Do you have any opinions on this?
This can be quite a frustrating hobby...but thanks for all your assistance!
cmk: How's the transparency of the D7000 in your opinion? Ever since going to open-cans a few years ago, I've always hesitated going back to closed. If you could nitpick, do you wish there was an open-ended D7000 (and hypothetically assuming none of its other positive sonic qualities are lost)?
Originally Posted by PianoForte /img/forum/go_quote.gif The title says it all, pretty much. I'm just collecting a general consensus (if there is one) as to what would yield the best sound. I live in japan, so the d7000 and 3030ii system would be the cheaper option, but the rs1i price here isn't too outrageous... I listen to mostly acoustic music - classical, some jazz, and rock on occasion. It would be helpful to gather your opinions since i live in quasi-countryside of japan and don't have access to listen to any of those options, though i listened to the 3030ii system the other day and was impressed, but it was a little bit loud in the store i was in...
Thanks in advance!
if your primarily listening to classical and jazz, i'd go stax. they have a wonderful presentation and transparency while sounding so effortless. their soundstage would be good for classical music and jazz; they have a more "out of the head/speaker-like" experience. they do pretty well with rock too. i'm basing this on having owned the stax lambda signature series. i haven't heard the 3030ii system, but electrostats in general have pretty good soundstage, transparency, resolution, and detail. plus you're in japan anyway, so it's pretty much a no brainer.
Semiaudiophile:
That's been the biggest debate in the last week or so... I've heard plenty of positive reviews of stax, but I've heard just as many negative reviews claiming them to be lifeless, harsh, strange mid-range, rendering of strings and piano... My fear is that I have to spend a lot of cookie dough in order to get a satisfying electrostatic system. I listen to a lot of mahler, which relies on punchiness in the climaxes. I'd hate to miss that.
I'd like to throw the audio-technica ATH-W5000 into the mix if I may. I understand that there are good price reductions for this headphone to be had in Japan. I was also considering the Denon D7000 and D5000. What swayed me towards the ATH-W5000 over the Denons, were reports of its suitability to jazz (and classical music genres), its unrivalled detail retrieval for a closed headphone, admirable transparency, excellent instrument imaging and separation, spacious soundstage for a closed headphone, and a reasonably balanced presentation overall.
I was also attracted to the tight, textured bass presentation of the ATH-W5000, which from what I have read, contrasts with the more robust bass of the Denons. It might not go as deep as the Denons, but I'm under the impression that the Denon sound signature appeals to lovers of bass. I like bass too but not when it's the dominant frequency.
Like the Denons, it's a beautiful phone to behold and the build quality is exceptional. From what I've read, the ATH-W5000 is easier to drive than the Denons. It even peforms well out of an ipod. So you can enjoy it now and save up for a headphone amplifier to pair with it later. The ATH-W5000 has lived up to my expectations and I'm very pleased that I chose it for my premium closed headphone.
Originally Posted by cmk /img/forum/go_quote.gif I don't think the RS1 should be put in the bunch cos the sound and comfort level is very different from the other 2 cans.
Personally I'd go for the D7k anytime. I've heard all 3, but the D7k gets more intimate and is more flexible with other music genres.
I found the RS1/RS1i very comfy...even more so than the substantially heavier D7000.
I agree that the D7000 can me more flexible with more music genres, but nothing beats the Grado intimacy for me....just my 2 cents.
Since you are located in Japan I would say that Stax is a clear choice.
As Stax is really competitively priced over there, unlike Grado who protect their international distributors and allow them to charge an arm and a leg for a headphone.
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