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Just so everyone is aware, I'll start posting my in-depth review on here, piece by piece. The gear and tracks used for this evaluation were:
Source: FiiO E10
Amp: TTVJ Slim
Reference Tracks:
ALACs: - Drunk On Love by Basia (Bass impact test)
- Yearning by Basia (mid-bass/bass clarity test and female vocal test)
- Nitakungodea Milele (Live in London) by Al Jarreau (soundstage/imaging test)
- Spain by Al Jarreau (Speed/Dynamics test)
- Got To Get You Into My Life by Earth, Wind, and Fire (High Sparkle/ Clarity Test)
- Mirabella by Earl Klugh (Treble smoothness test)
Comfort:
Denon D-7000:
The D-7000 was very comfortable. Though the leather was not as supple as real leather (because it wasn't real leather), it was still quite comfortable. I found the headband assembly to be a bit rigid on the top of my head, but other than that the headphone was very comfortable. The D-7000 was considerably lighter than the Thunderpants and would probably be better suited for long listening sessions.
Thunderpants TP1:
The TP1 is HEAVY. Very very HEAVY. Now, don't let this make you think that the headphone is uncomfortable. It is actually very comfortable. The leather headband that Gary provides helps to reduce some of the weight on the crown of your head and the LCD-2 pads (+$80) help to reduce clamping force on your ears. While, for what it is, the TP1 is very uncomfortable, it is most definitely less comfortable than the D-7000.
EDGE: D-7000
Ergonomics:
Denon D-7000:
The D-7000 is pretty polished. The headband has nice little clicks when adjusting and the cable is nice and pliable. It's conveniently terminated and very easy to walk or look around with.
Thunderpants TP1:
The TP1 has some ergonomic challenges. The adjustment rods start off very difficult to move. This is countered, however, by the fact that the TP1 cups can wiggle a bit in the direction of each axis, allowing the cups to move around to help lessen pressure. Another thing that the TP1s have going for them, at least in my case, is that the real leather pads from the LCD-2's actually warm up and squeeze toward your head more after a bit of wearing. The cabling is a bit too long and the termination isn't the best in terms of assembly.
EDGE: D-7000
Denon D-7000:
The D-7000 is a handsome headphone. The Mahogany cups exude decacence, while the inlaid metal Denon logo simply and understatedly reminds you of the maker. The leather headband and pads are...reasonable looking. The chrome adjustment rods are a nice touch as well, though a bit tacky in my book.
Thunderpants TP1:
My TP1's are a quilted sapele that has a finish that screams arduously hand-crafted. The fostex/leather headband and copper-colored finishings all lend a bit of retro/steampunk appeal to the TP1, which in my book is completely unique. The TP1 's appearances are something to behold in person, truly amazing.
EDGE: TP1
We'll go from the bottom up.
Bass: Bass extension is ok. While it doesn't go all the way down (as planar magnetics often do), it will suffice. Some of the deepest notes I've heard are made by the jugs being played at the beginning of "Yearning". While the D-7000 "handles them, it by no means renders the deepest parts of th e notes, causing them to lack a bit of resolution. Bass impact is again OK. The main issue to be taken with the D-7000 is that it sounds wooly down low. There's something terribly loose about the low mids and bass section of the D-7000. I think the bleeding of the low end tones into one another is what gives the illusion of bass being a bit on the flabby side. This headphone is definitely on the side of what many would call "lush".
Low-Mids/Mids: Again, very lush, but almost nasally sounding. There's a small amount of that gives the bottom part of both male and female vocals a bit of unnatural heft. Instruments withing this range are rendered nicely, but don't feel as airy as is necessary. Clarity is good, but the tonality just feels a bit too warm for a headphone of this price.
Treble: There's a bit of sparkle hiding here somewhere. Trumpets get a bit of brassy sizzle and high-hats do feel fairly defined. The guitar notes on "Mirabella" seem to be a bit too much treble for the can to handle, though. This may have more to do with pacing and rhythm, but it's concerning nonetheless. All said and done, the treble is good. Not great, but good.
Speed/Dynamics: A little slow. In complex passages of "Spain", the obviously separate percussion and vocal percussion seem to get a bit lost. Shifts in dynamics don't quite have the sweep that live shifts in dynamics do. The lack of speed may also explain why the treble didn't feeel quite as great as expected.
Soundstage: As a sealed can, this isn't gonna get very big. The image has a comparable amount of width and height lending a slightly spherical stage to music. Good enough, but definitely not out-of-head.
Imaging: Not enough separation. Instruments and voices don't feel like they've had room to breathe. Accurately placed, but just not enough space.
Thunderpants TP1:
Bass: Bass extension is great. In my comparisons with the LCD-2, I found that the bass was almost effortless. The TP1, at least in terms of extension, is actually quite similar. The impact and dynamics aren't as effortless, but I feel like that's a limitation of the driver size on the TP1s. The tightness and texture are great, but the slightly recessed bass presentation (at least with my LCD-2 pads) will have you cranking for a bit more of the bass (and I'm no basshead). These are slightly more bass-light than even the HE-500. All-in-all, the bass is satisfactory. Better than the wooly, loose low-end on the Denons, in my opinion.
Low-Mids/Mids:Very neutral, bordering on dry. The mids are presented as they were recorded, no more, no less. The mids are given much more room to breathe with the TP1s. This may have to do with soundstage focus, but voices feel airily suspended in the image. Very good.
Treble: Enough sizzle for wood blocks in "Yearning" to have great attack, with low enough transient-ring to prevent jumbled perception of decay. There's enough energy for great highs, but not so much energy that it gets sibilant. Not as coherent as HD-800 treble, but still quite good.
Speed/Dynamics: Pretty quick. Keeps up well with dynamic sweeps and complex music. "Spain" felt like each instrument was executed quickly and allowed it's proper timing in the image. I always know a quick can when the music all feels a bit faster than I remember it being. The TP1 feels quick. Not electrostatic quick, but quick.
Soundstage: Surprisingly good, size-wise. Wide, though honestly not very tall. Thick harmonic phrases feel if they are meant to be presented in central layers. Sounds fairly large on live recordings, though at times (being a sealed can) during Al Jarreau's Live in London recordings, the audience felt a bit too close to the performer. Overall, good soundstage for a sealed can, but nothing to brag about compared to most high-end open-backs.
Imaging: Good. Everything feels like it has its proper place. Everything has space to breathe in the image. The only part of this that was awkward was that lower-mid range voices tend to drop back in the image, lending slightly deeper male voices a slightly "hands-cupped-over-ear" quality. I find that proper amp pairing easily resolves the low-mid presentation issues, as my TTVJ slim (with it's forward, lush sounding mids) helped a great deal in this regard.
EDGE: TP1
Source: FiiO E10
Amp: TTVJ Slim
Reference Tracks:
ALACs: - Drunk On Love by Basia (Bass impact test)
- Yearning by Basia (mid-bass/bass clarity test and female vocal test)
- Nitakungodea Milele (Live in London) by Al Jarreau (soundstage/imaging test)
- Spain by Al Jarreau (Speed/Dynamics test)
- Got To Get You Into My Life by Earth, Wind, and Fire (High Sparkle/ Clarity Test)
- Mirabella by Earl Klugh (Treble smoothness test)
Comfort:
Denon D-7000:
The D-7000 was very comfortable. Though the leather was not as supple as real leather (because it wasn't real leather), it was still quite comfortable. I found the headband assembly to be a bit rigid on the top of my head, but other than that the headphone was very comfortable. The D-7000 was considerably lighter than the Thunderpants and would probably be better suited for long listening sessions.
Thunderpants TP1:
The TP1 is HEAVY. Very very HEAVY. Now, don't let this make you think that the headphone is uncomfortable. It is actually very comfortable. The leather headband that Gary provides helps to reduce some of the weight on the crown of your head and the LCD-2 pads (+$80) help to reduce clamping force on your ears. While, for what it is, the TP1 is very uncomfortable, it is most definitely less comfortable than the D-7000.
EDGE: D-7000
Ergonomics:
Denon D-7000:
The D-7000 is pretty polished. The headband has nice little clicks when adjusting and the cable is nice and pliable. It's conveniently terminated and very easy to walk or look around with.
Thunderpants TP1:
The TP1 has some ergonomic challenges. The adjustment rods start off very difficult to move. This is countered, however, by the fact that the TP1 cups can wiggle a bit in the direction of each axis, allowing the cups to move around to help lessen pressure. Another thing that the TP1s have going for them, at least in my case, is that the real leather pads from the LCD-2's actually warm up and squeeze toward your head more after a bit of wearing. The cabling is a bit too long and the termination isn't the best in terms of assembly.
EDGE: D-7000
Appearances:
Denon D-7000:
The D-7000 is a handsome headphone. The Mahogany cups exude decacence, while the inlaid metal Denon logo simply and understatedly reminds you of the maker. The leather headband and pads are...reasonable looking. The chrome adjustment rods are a nice touch as well, though a bit tacky in my book.
Thunderpants TP1:
My TP1's are a quilted sapele that has a finish that screams arduously hand-crafted. The fostex/leather headband and copper-colored finishings all lend a bit of retro/steampunk appeal to the TP1, which in my book is completely unique. The TP1 's appearances are something to behold in person, truly amazing.
EDGE: TP1
Sound:
Denon D-7000:We'll go from the bottom up.
Bass: Bass extension is ok. While it doesn't go all the way down (as planar magnetics often do), it will suffice. Some of the deepest notes I've heard are made by the jugs being played at the beginning of "Yearning". While the D-7000 "handles them, it by no means renders the deepest parts of th e notes, causing them to lack a bit of resolution. Bass impact is again OK. The main issue to be taken with the D-7000 is that it sounds wooly down low. There's something terribly loose about the low mids and bass section of the D-7000. I think the bleeding of the low end tones into one another is what gives the illusion of bass being a bit on the flabby side. This headphone is definitely on the side of what many would call "lush".
Low-Mids/Mids: Again, very lush, but almost nasally sounding. There's a small amount of that gives the bottom part of both male and female vocals a bit of unnatural heft. Instruments withing this range are rendered nicely, but don't feel as airy as is necessary. Clarity is good, but the tonality just feels a bit too warm for a headphone of this price.
Treble: There's a bit of sparkle hiding here somewhere. Trumpets get a bit of brassy sizzle and high-hats do feel fairly defined. The guitar notes on "Mirabella" seem to be a bit too much treble for the can to handle, though. This may have more to do with pacing and rhythm, but it's concerning nonetheless. All said and done, the treble is good. Not great, but good.
Speed/Dynamics: A little slow. In complex passages of "Spain", the obviously separate percussion and vocal percussion seem to get a bit lost. Shifts in dynamics don't quite have the sweep that live shifts in dynamics do. The lack of speed may also explain why the treble didn't feeel quite as great as expected.
Soundstage: As a sealed can, this isn't gonna get very big. The image has a comparable amount of width and height lending a slightly spherical stage to music. Good enough, but definitely not out-of-head.
Imaging: Not enough separation. Instruments and voices don't feel like they've had room to breathe. Accurately placed, but just not enough space.
Thunderpants TP1:
Bass: Bass extension is great. In my comparisons with the LCD-2, I found that the bass was almost effortless. The TP1, at least in terms of extension, is actually quite similar. The impact and dynamics aren't as effortless, but I feel like that's a limitation of the driver size on the TP1s. The tightness and texture are great, but the slightly recessed bass presentation (at least with my LCD-2 pads) will have you cranking for a bit more of the bass (and I'm no basshead). These are slightly more bass-light than even the HE-500. All-in-all, the bass is satisfactory. Better than the wooly, loose low-end on the Denons, in my opinion.
Low-Mids/Mids:Very neutral, bordering on dry. The mids are presented as they were recorded, no more, no less. The mids are given much more room to breathe with the TP1s. This may have to do with soundstage focus, but voices feel airily suspended in the image. Very good.
Treble: Enough sizzle for wood blocks in "Yearning" to have great attack, with low enough transient-ring to prevent jumbled perception of decay. There's enough energy for great highs, but not so much energy that it gets sibilant. Not as coherent as HD-800 treble, but still quite good.
Speed/Dynamics: Pretty quick. Keeps up well with dynamic sweeps and complex music. "Spain" felt like each instrument was executed quickly and allowed it's proper timing in the image. I always know a quick can when the music all feels a bit faster than I remember it being. The TP1 feels quick. Not electrostatic quick, but quick.
Soundstage: Surprisingly good, size-wise. Wide, though honestly not very tall. Thick harmonic phrases feel if they are meant to be presented in central layers. Sounds fairly large on live recordings, though at times (being a sealed can) during Al Jarreau's Live in London recordings, the audience felt a bit too close to the performer. Overall, good soundstage for a sealed can, but nothing to brag about compared to most high-end open-backs.
Imaging: Good. Everything feels like it has its proper place. Everything has space to breathe in the image. The only part of this that was awkward was that lower-mid range voices tend to drop back in the image, lending slightly deeper male voices a slightly "hands-cupped-over-ear" quality. I find that proper amp pairing easily resolves the low-mid presentation issues, as my TTVJ slim (with it's forward, lush sounding mids) helped a great deal in this regard.
EDGE: TP1
