SolarCetacean
500+ Head-Fier
Had the chance to listen to a bunch of headphones and gear at the DC area meet this past weekend.
The Moondrop Para is pretty good. At least Sundara-tier, and maybe better.
The Hifiman R10D was pretty neat. It has an overall warm and bassy sound, not as crazy at the R9 that I heard a few years ago, and there's enough midrange and treble to not make it wonky. I think it's like a brighter and less tonally extreme Sony MDR-Z1R, but it doesn't have the same level of spatial openness and imaging as the Z1R. A mini-Z1R for a lot less money and a wireless dongle. The earcups are still hilarious though.
The Diana MR was alright on my Erco. It was more comfortable than when I put it on my head at CAF. I enjoyed the kick of the bass and the midrange was pretty neutral or studio-tuned overall. A bit like the Audeze MM-500 from memory. Vocals could be a bit raspy for my taste, but many studio-oriented headphones sound like that. My main issue was that the soundstage was relatively small and the sound wasn't very open. It just felt a bit cramped spatially and I'm all about space and openness. Now, I was A/B comparing vs the SR-X9000, which is like comparing any gymnast vs Simone Biles; it's a tough ask to be even on the same level. Maybe I would like the Diana TC more, as the MR is the more studio-targeted release while the TC is audiophile-focused.
I got a new-found appreciation for the ZMF Caldera. I usually am not a big fan of the ZMF tuning, and the Caldera didn't really make an impression on me the first time I heard it last year. I tried it again on my Erco and while it's still a bit thicker, warmer, and more intimate in sound than I would prefer, I can hear how it has those summit-tier planar characteristics of bass impact, resolution, and spatial openness. I still preferred the Susvara that was at the meet, but I can see how the Caldera is an interesting alternative - a planar magnetic that leans towards warmth and richness while not fully abandoning the usual planar attributes.
I also heard the legendary LCD-4. That bass is something. It doesn't have the subwoofer-like boom of the AB-1266 TC, but the bass had this quality like it was physically rumbling my ears and head when it hit. It's a different texture from the 1266 with a more controlled rumble. Vocals were also smooth and the rest of the spectrum didn't detract from the bass or the vocals, which is nice.
Another great part of being at the meet was bringing my gear. Many of the attendees really enjoyed the SR-X9000. Some were also impressed with the Z1R. And it's not about purchase validation; I don't care if someone says they don't like one of my headphones. I've had people in meets say to me that they didn't like something I brought (my AWAS got mixed reviews at this meet), and I think that's great, because it's better that they find it out at the meet, on my dime, than spending the money on the headphone and realizing it then. But seeing people really get into the music, coming back for a second or third listen, that's a good feeling. Too much of this hobby is just reading stuff online (and yes, I realize that I'm typing out words for people to read online), so it's nice to be able to let other people listen to headphones that they normally can't try.
A good friend who attended actually found that he liked my SR-L700mk2 more than the SR-X9000, or really anything else at the meet. He liked how vocals were more forward on the L700, there was a bit more richness and warmth but not too much, and the treble level was lower and more agreeable to him. I'm planning to let him borrow the L700 and one of my estat amps for a while to see how he likes it.
The Moondrop Para is pretty good. At least Sundara-tier, and maybe better.
The Hifiman R10D was pretty neat. It has an overall warm and bassy sound, not as crazy at the R9 that I heard a few years ago, and there's enough midrange and treble to not make it wonky. I think it's like a brighter and less tonally extreme Sony MDR-Z1R, but it doesn't have the same level of spatial openness and imaging as the Z1R. A mini-Z1R for a lot less money and a wireless dongle. The earcups are still hilarious though.
The Diana MR was alright on my Erco. It was more comfortable than when I put it on my head at CAF. I enjoyed the kick of the bass and the midrange was pretty neutral or studio-tuned overall. A bit like the Audeze MM-500 from memory. Vocals could be a bit raspy for my taste, but many studio-oriented headphones sound like that. My main issue was that the soundstage was relatively small and the sound wasn't very open. It just felt a bit cramped spatially and I'm all about space and openness. Now, I was A/B comparing vs the SR-X9000, which is like comparing any gymnast vs Simone Biles; it's a tough ask to be even on the same level. Maybe I would like the Diana TC more, as the MR is the more studio-targeted release while the TC is audiophile-focused.
I got a new-found appreciation for the ZMF Caldera. I usually am not a big fan of the ZMF tuning, and the Caldera didn't really make an impression on me the first time I heard it last year. I tried it again on my Erco and while it's still a bit thicker, warmer, and more intimate in sound than I would prefer, I can hear how it has those summit-tier planar characteristics of bass impact, resolution, and spatial openness. I still preferred the Susvara that was at the meet, but I can see how the Caldera is an interesting alternative - a planar magnetic that leans towards warmth and richness while not fully abandoning the usual planar attributes.
I also heard the legendary LCD-4. That bass is something. It doesn't have the subwoofer-like boom of the AB-1266 TC, but the bass had this quality like it was physically rumbling my ears and head when it hit. It's a different texture from the 1266 with a more controlled rumble. Vocals were also smooth and the rest of the spectrum didn't detract from the bass or the vocals, which is nice.
Another great part of being at the meet was bringing my gear. Many of the attendees really enjoyed the SR-X9000. Some were also impressed with the Z1R. And it's not about purchase validation; I don't care if someone says they don't like one of my headphones. I've had people in meets say to me that they didn't like something I brought (my AWAS got mixed reviews at this meet), and I think that's great, because it's better that they find it out at the meet, on my dime, than spending the money on the headphone and realizing it then. But seeing people really get into the music, coming back for a second or third listen, that's a good feeling. Too much of this hobby is just reading stuff online (and yes, I realize that I'm typing out words for people to read online), so it's nice to be able to let other people listen to headphones that they normally can't try.
A good friend who attended actually found that he liked my SR-L700mk2 more than the SR-X9000, or really anything else at the meet. He liked how vocals were more forward on the L700, there was a bit more richness and warmth but not too much, and the treble level was lower and more agreeable to him. I'm planning to let him borrow the L700 and one of my estat amps for a while to see how he likes it.
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