Widest Soundstage?

[Czilla9000]

Which headphone, under $500, has the widest soundstage? Which one has the widest period? Are there any phones with one wider than my Stax 303s? Thanxs.

 

[Czilla9000]

65 reads and 0 replies?

 

[ayt999]

cannot answer your first question... but after a quick shootout between a balanced Qualia 010 driven by the SDS-XLR, a balanced HD650 driven by the BlockHead, an R10 driven by the Balanced Reference (unbalanced of course), and an HE90 driven by the Blue Hawaii, representing headphones I have that I believe to have good soundstage (and a good representation of headphones with large soundstage in general in my opinion), the awesome soundstage provided by the Sennheiser HE90 comes out on top yet again. haven't heard the 303 but if my Omega-II cannot outperform the HE90 in soundstaging, I doubt the 303 can do much better.

the Omega-II was left out since the Blue Hawaii only has one headphone out btw, but from previous comparisons the soundstage never approached that of the HE90.

 

[pbalcer]

Among the headphones I own and use, I think the K271S have the best soundstage. Despite the fact that they are not as clear as HD600 or RS1, I like their (K271) spatial presentation the best. HD600 sound a bit far away (which is great for orchestral recordings) and RS1 are very intimate (which is great for solo vocals and small assemblies of acoustic instruments). K271 is somewhere in between HD600 and RS1.

 

[thrice]

The Ergo 2 has a great soundstage and at $200 it's a steal. Warm and rich with a wide soundstage, these are great cans and give the HD600s and other cans at that price point a run for their money.

 

[KenB]

I have not experienced a STAX rig yet (coming soon), but my Sony CD3000's depict an unusually wide soundstage and, I don't think I'm overstating the case, that view is shared my many who have tried/owned/auditioned the CD3K's.

Ken

 

[KenB]

Sorry for the repeat... DELETED.

Ken

 

[philodox]

The K271S does have a very nice soundstage, but it is very intimate.

I'm not sure if it is the widest as I have not heard the HE90, but the K340 has a very wide soundstage.

 

[wualta]

Quote:

Originally Posted by thrice The Ergo 2 has a great soundstage and at $200 it's a steal. Warm and rich with a wide soundstage, these are great cans and give the HD600s and other cans at that price point a run for their money.

Aha! Two questions:

1)Are these "flat-driver" 'phones? Miniature Magneplanars? The blurbs prattle of "membranes" but don't elaborate.

2) Where does one get them?

 

[wualta]

Philodox! Where's your electric cat? Raistlin? He's nifty. Bring him back.

Back on topic: A 'phone with the widest "headstage" will, to my mind, be the 'phone most successful at playing back binaural recordings. I nominate the long-gone Sony ECR-500 electret electrostats for that. I'd say they're right up there with the Stax, maybe even better.

 

[philodox]

Quote:

Originally Posted by wualta Philodox! Where's your electric cat? Raistlin? He's nifty. Bring him back.

By popular demand... Raistlin is back!

PS. I actually got 2 PM's about this as well. LOL

 

[Helter Skelter]

I rather like my HD595s. Very wide and well-defined. Great for gaming, almost makes up for not having surround speakers.

 

[Murdoch]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Helter Skelter I rather like my HD595s. Very wide and well-defined.

Same here with the hd555.

 

[White Fox]

K501s have the widest soundstage (headstage) I've heard. Having the widest soundstage (with headphones) is kind of useless IMO.

 

[catscratch]

The SR-404/303 don't have that huge a soundstage. It's very well defined, however, and imaging is very accurate. I would expect that the K1000 would be clearly superior because of it's design - and, of course, the HE90 as well, because, well, it's an HE90.