[mattigol]

No - it's a SLAM. However it has a hum issue which I am trying to get fixed asap.

 

[Vic]

Quote:

Originally Posted by mattigol No - it's a SLAM. However it has a hum issue which I am trying to get fixed asap.

Well it is a SLAM even better: although it is not a real hobbit in size, it is one of the best amps around and I would be delighted to include it in the merciless fight. Let me know when you'll fix it if you feel like lending it to me for the battle.
Many thanks anyway

 

[Vic]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Patu Very nice. Not so exciting though because we all know the winner of this battle.

Hi Patu,
you don't say who your winner is though. Well, considering your latest purchase, maybe I could try a wild guess

.

BTW what have you decided about your RP5.1? Are you going to keep it at the end?

 

[sonic32]

In my opinion they are the best all-arounder phones I have heard so far, with the exception of the L3000 which have a very similar sound signature, but do everything just a bit better but for a price four times higher.QUOTE]


I think they are great all-arounders too, but they have a completely different sound signature than the L3000's imo.

 

[darkninja67]

SLAM + K701 = No contest. IMO that is, but I agree that it will depend on genre played.

 

[Voltron]

** Vic, come in Vic, are you reading me?**

I have my helmet on in case of shrapnel from this epic clash. Great choice of cans for the competitors (2 that I own and 2 that I wish to own), great gear, and excellent selection of reference tracks. Like the others, I am anxiously awaiting your front-line reports. May the best can win!

Cheers,
Al

 

[Fastnbulbous]

Nice choices in music. I look forward to the dispatches from the battlefield.

 

[Vic]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Voltron ** Vic, come in Vic, are you reading me?** I have my helmet on in case of shrapnel from this epic clash. Great choice of cans for the competitors (2 that I own and 2 that I wish to own), great gear, and excellent selection of reference tracks. Like the others, I am anxiously awaiting your front-line reports. May the best can win! Cheers, Al

Hi Al,
great to see you on the front line ready to watch the terrible battle.
I like your signature: a masterpiece of keyboard art

 

[Voltron]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Vic Hi Al, great to see you on the front line ready to watch the terrible battle. I like your signature: a masterpiece of keyboard art

kyrie gets credit for the Jedi Squirrel art. I had posted a photoslopped pic of Jedi fighting squirrels and kyrie responded with that piece of art.

Have you unleashed the combatants yet? What are the early reports on the carnage? My [wife's] K701 are on my head right now and they seem to be quaking a bit in anticipation (but XTC's Mummer on vinyl still sounds great through them anyway

). The HD650s are on their hook but sweat seems to be dripping down their sides.

 

[Vic]

PART 1 - Take no prisoners

First of all I have to notify a major difference in the weapons used. I brought home the Lavry DA10 that I generally use at work with the W5000 fed by the iRiver H140. I have installed the DA10 with a Musical Fidelity X-ray v3 CD player and have ploughed the Lavry with an Isotek mains cable, in place of the stock one I use at work.
The increase in quality is really huge compared to my rig at work. I believe there could be five explanations (in order of probable relevance):
- Less jitter coming from the X Ray v3 compared to the iRiver
- Better quality of mains power at home compared to work where we have several hundreds of PC installed
- The aftermarket mains cables after all really do something!
- Psychological effect of being more relaxed at home than at work
- Too much beer drunk last night

W5000
Massive Attack - In this set up at home the increase of quality of the W5000 is really astonishing. I had often said that, although I like it a lot, I found it slightly lean on bass and a bit thin. None of the above persist now. The bass is still fast and detailed as it used to be, but now also brings a lot of weight, still with a good texture. The whole sound now has plenty of body and gives a very full impression. But the most striking characteristic of this HP is the “punch”: with the deep bass lines, drum and cymbals of this CD the W5000 can kick you off your chair if you don’t buckle your seat belts. This CD is also great to underline what I always considered one of the strong points of this HP: the PRaT is absolutely perfect: great timing lets fast music flows at the perfect pace; attack, sustain and decay are always perfect: drums could not sound anymore real than this, cymbals float in the air for the correct amount of time and decay very naturally. I have never heard a can with the same sense of rhythm. The sound stage is excellent: at the same time wide and high. Good resolution and a good amount of air. Never ever bright. A great performance, hard to beat.

Fiona Apple - I like the way the W5000 reproduces females voices, although some posters have reported a “honky” midrange. I do agree that there is a little hump in the midrange and a small degree of coloration in the voice, but that is part of the sound signature of the W5000 and I don’t consider it a negative point, although so far the SA5000 seem to have voices that are just a touch natural. The voice of Fiona Apple remains very well reproduced even in the fastest passages, as the separations of instruments is excellent and the bass is always under control and never gets in the way; voice, bass, drums and cymbals swing together in perfect harmony and with the usual great impact. There is a lot of intimacy with the singer, and again never any brightness, even in the passages where the voice reaches very high notes. The W5000 perfectly reveal the amount of energy and effort put in the songs by the singer

Nick Cave - The deep voice of Nick Cave sounds even more powerful with the full sound of the W5000. In the bluesy electric guitar I detected just a bit of distortion and harshness, certainly due more to the recording and the amp than to the W5000. The beautiful second track, “Breathless”, gives you goose bumps. Through the CD several analogic instruments are presents, notably flute, acoustic guitar and piano; the W5000 manage to render all of them in the most organic way: they all sound exactly as they would in the best concert hall. The female gospel chorus is perfectly placed above the main singer a slightly behind.

Kings of Leon - To listen to Rock with the W5000 is pure joy and this is a very good rock CD, somewhere between Creedence and Lynard Skynard. I had often read posts saying that Grado are the best HP for rock, or even the DT770 (???). IMO for rock no headphone can come anywhere close to the W5000, king of rock by many miles. The combination of timing, tight bass, speed, impact and perfect decay of guitar and cymbals makes for a killer cocktail. I Could go on and on describing how good Rock sounds out of this can, but I prefer to suggest you to just try it to believe.

Anthony and the Johnsons - again the W5000 handles very well the very different male voices in this CD, but what really shines is the piano: it really sounds clear, detailed, powerful and real, notably the sustain and decay of the notes is done to perfection.

New Pornographer - The W5000 is relatively forgiving. This CD sounds barely listenable, but not really enjoyable; unfortunately when a CD is badly recorded, miracles are difficult to perform and sadly there are tons of very badly recorded ones


Even though I have used the W5000 more than any other HP, is I am really astonished by this first performance. And this is the weakest configurations of weapons to be used in this war. I am very worried thinking about what can happen with a better amp and especially with the Opus 21 as a source.
I have to dig very deep to find any weak points: as I said there is a slight coloration in the female voices, but they still are outstanding, if just a touch less natural than with the SA5000. In a couple of very short passages I notice a tiny bit of distortion in the guitars, but I am quite sure this will disappear with better amplification.

W5000: 84%


[Going to dinner. The rest to come after a few tapas. Hasta la vista.]

 

[mattigol]

thanks vic...great writeup. eager to hear about the other contenders....

EDIT: I agree about New Pornographers' recording quality. I have the "Electric Version" LP, which took me a while to get my hands on, and it sounds duller than the mp3s I used before. really a shame, considering they are all such great musicians.

 

[Voltron]

Great first bulletin Vic. The W5000 is looking like a strong contender, especially since you are used to hearing it through a much more stripped-down setup at work.

I hope you had some good chorizo and maybe some sardines on those little plates...

Now have another cerveza and get back to the battle!

 

[Ruppin]

I am of the me generation. I want it now.

Please don't leave me hanging. Nice part 1, thanks, but I want to know who lives after the last episode.

 

[Vic]

Quote:

Originally Posted by mattigol thanks vic...great writeup. eager to hear about the other contenders.... EDIT: I agree about New Pornographers' recording quality. I have the "Electric Version" LP, which took me a while to get my hands on, and it sounds duller than the mp3s I used before. really a shame, considering they are all such great musicians.

Yes, they are great musicians. I saw them live in London last tuesday in a double bill withSpoon (other good band) and they were great. Too bad the record doesn't do them justice

 

[Vic]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Voltron Great first bulletin Vic. The W5000 is looking like a strong contender, especially since you are used to hearing it through a much more stripped-down setup at work. I hope you had some good chorizo and maybe some sardines on those little plates... Now have another cerveza and get back to the battle!

Al, how did you guess? I had some of the legendary Chorizo al vino they make in this Spanish restaurant around my house.

Well back to the front line now