[pcf]

Is there a store in San Francisco that has T-1, D7000 and HD8000 on Demo?
I'm only an hour away....

 

[wind016]

I have seriously been trying to find such stores to no avail. I think your best bet is in San Jose. I remember going to a Magnolia with high-end Sennheisers for demo. Also, I went to a store with Grado PS1000s for demo. However, this was two years ago. I think the one with the Grados was called Audible Arts...  Hopefully, those are the right stores and they're still around with a good selection. I want to visit the places again some time
 
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Is there a store in San Francisco that has T-1, D7000 and HD8000 on Demo?
I'm only an hour away....

Quote:

What was the amp that you used?
 
Must be quite the store to demo $1300 headphones. As tough as these stores are to find, typically their amps are crappy CD players (from my experience). Before I bought my HD800s, I brought my tube amp to the store and listened for 30 minutes or so to some of my favourite CDs before passing judgment.

That's some great lengths to go to test equipment in a store. I'm currently in Seoul, Korea so I don't have all my equipment. It would be impossible to lug equipment around here with it being so crowded with people. Driving here is also insane too. No rules apply to taxis and motorcycles... They do what ever they want and drive however they like.
 
I've just been going to various audiophile stores in Seoul. I'm not positive what the equipment was used in the store with the T1, but I'm sure one chunk of it was a CD player(i know that doesn't help =/). But there were 2 other huges pieces that look like a DAC and amplifier. However, yes there are some AMAZING stores over here. I have seen HD800, T1, W1000x, ESW10JPN, Grado RS1s, Ultrasone ED8, AKG K501 etc etc for demo just to name a few. Walls of high-end headphones. Rare, discontinued, and new. However, the prices are RIDICULOUS. It costs more to buy almost any headphone in Korea than it is to have it imported at a high price to America. Example, AKG K701 is $650 here. T1 $1900

 

[sokolov91]

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FYI it is simply the bump in the mids of AT cans that make the vocals sound closer. You can achieve the same effect with any other pair of headphones with a simple EQ... there is nothing magical to AT cans. Not saying they don't sound good though, because they really do! But no voodoo here.
 
I can vouch for the vocals of the LCD-2 being superior to the W1000X. I really liked that headphone -very much actually. It does many things exceedingly well and is nice, rich and musical overall...but the mids of the LCD-2 are simply better. Quicker, more detailed... better decay, better tonality.. any way you look at the mids (IE where the vocals lie) it is a better experience on the LCD-2 in any quantifiable variable. Now, the experience as a whole I can't tell you, you would have to listen for your self, but if you focus purely on vocals... you really can't do better than the LCD-2, especially when compared to any AT...
 
And if you really can't live without the AT colouration... just EQ the LCD-2 in the mids and you will have the best AT to date instantly!

 

[wind016]

My experience with Audio Tech headphones equals your experience. I feel that they just push the mids out. However, I've never been able to achieve the same effect with a different set of headphones without extreme equalization that results in terrible phasing problems.
 
If the LCDs are anywhere as detailed as the HD800 or T1, then I would agree they are much better than the W1000X in terms of detail. However, the W1000X certainly are excellent headphones with better bass impact than the others. I would be satisfied with the W1000X, but I prefer the sound signature of the W1000 a bit more.
 
Honestly, I have been looking HARD to find a headphone (system) that sounds exactly like my W1000 on my Woo but with faster drivers. But I love the sound so much that I put up with all the imperfections. I heard the W11R, would be my ideal headphone, but those things are seriously hard to find. The LCD sounds like a great headphone, but the FR graph kind of worries me. I believe I like a more treble oriented sound with less sub bass. I also think I'm a closed headphone guy and I can't demo them... =/
I'm assuming my impressions of the LCD 2 may match Muppetface's impressions (whom also loves female vocals), which wasn't bad but not the best impression
 
 
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FYI it is simply the bump in the mids of AT cans that make the vocals sound closer. You can achieve the same effect with any other pair of headphones with a simple EQ... there is nothing magical to AT cans. Not saying they don't sound good though, because they really do! But no voodoo here.
 
I can vouch for the vocals of the LCD-2 being superior to the W1000X. I really liked that headphone -very much actually. It does many things exceedingly well and is nice, rich and musical overall...but the mids of the LCD-2 are simply better. Quicker, more detailed... better decay, better tonality.. any way you look at the mids (IE where the vocals lie) it is a better experience on the LCD-2 in any quantifiable variable. Now, the experience as a whole I can't tell you, you would have to listen for your self, but if you focus purely on vocals... you really can't do better than the LCD-2, especially when compared to any AT...
 
And if you really can't live without the AT colouration... just EQ the LCD-2 in the mids and you will have the best AT to date instantly!

 

[wind016]

http://www.4shared.com/account/audio/t9jnQHBy/08_Tanya_Chua_If_You_See_Him_-.html
 
this is the kind of music i try to optimize. audio is streamable, just to give you an idea to see if my preferences match
 
the orchestra and the bass should not overwhelm the vocals which some headphones do

 

[stef50millbay]

The concerto has a reputation of matching with almost any headphone.With the Denon D7000 on low impedance is a very nice sound and I use that for TV and music.

 

[Dubwicht]

I would take a close look a the Hifiman HE-5's.  I have both the D7000's and this model and the Hifiman's are my favorite - stunning sound and great value.