This show was a real eye opener for me, and it really goes to show that reviews MUST be taken with a massive grain of salt, since there were so many shockers at the show that went totally against the stereotypes that have developed over them on these boards, magazines and other places. I must now call these (stereotypes) myths, since they were proven to be totally untrue! I went to the show with Bootman, so he can give his thoughts on these as a follow up. I listen to more headphones than just these, but I forgot which ones they were, but these stood out the most.
The Beyerdynamic 831 and 931. They both sounded bright and had weak bass. The 931 were the best one out of the two, but it still was too bright. One the plus side, they are exceptionally comfortable, but who cares if they sound so bad?
The Sony MDR-CD2000 and MDR-CD3000. Holy crap, these sounded extremely awful, and as bad as the 3000 was, the 2000 was even worst! One the plus side, the MDR-CD3000 was remarkably comfortable and also it was a lot smaller than I thought it was going to be, you guys sure love to exaggerate about size, huh?
The AKG K270S and the AKG K1000. The AKG K270S sounded like utter ****, it was like something out of the early 80’s, except this is a new design! I didn’t like the K1000 with the Antique Sound Labs AQ1005DTI, but I thought they sounded much better with the E.A.R. V20. Nice Bass with the E.A.R. V20, that’s right I said nice bass! Sure it wasn’t all that deep but it was there, just like the 501. AKG K1000 are a very good headphone but they were just missing too much on top and bottom to be reference quality by my standards, they are also not very musical at all, in other words they are a bit boring, and they didn’t sound natural enough, this was very noticeable with my Telarc classical guitar CD, since the Guitar didn’t sound realistic to me, it had a plastic sound to it that turn me off.
The EGO AMT, it didn’t sound bad, but it wasn’t all that great either, it was however, the ugliest headphone there, it made the AKG K1000 look normal. They are huge and hideous! But, at least they sound ok.
The Grado SR325, RS-2, and RS-1. The SR325 and RS-2 sounded a lot a like, with the RS-2 sounding a bit warmer, oh and they both sound like ****! I hated them both, the MS2 are so much better than the 325! I didn’t think it would be that big of a difference between them, honestly. The RS-1 was a true shocker, in that they were so damn neutral! They sounded great! The soundstage is not as big as with the Sennheiser 600’s and Orpheus, or my HP-2 (which I had with me) but if you want truly uncolored sound and want to get up close and personal with your music, these are the only headphones for the job. This made me wonder how the MSP must sound like, if they are suppose to be even more neutral. I really loved these headphones, they are the most comfortable Grado headphones as well.
The Etymotic. The most impressive thing about these headphones is the amazing amount of sound that they block out. The sound is super clear but where’s the bass? They would be right up there with the very best sounding headphones if only they had better bass. They were however, the most uncomfortable headphones I have ever worn, just brutal to wear.
The Wheatfield HA-1 and HA-2. They both sounded really good, but I wasn’t blown away by them either. I also didn’t think that the Wheatfield HA-2 deserved to be anywhere near the high-end set-up.
The Antique Sound Labs MG-Head DT, this is a sweet little amp! It was extremely musical, great for Jazz! But, it’s also very colored. I didn’t think I was going to like this amp going in, yet I enjoyed it. It’s not neutral at all, but it’s a fun, cute little amp.
The Headroom Little. With the power upgrade it is shocking how sweet this little guy can sound! It’s no Max, since it missing the awesome bass of Headroom’s big boys, but it was very enjoyable! Perfect for anyone who thinks that the two big guys have too much bass.
Ok, kiddies now it’s time for the big boys!
But, first…
Sennheiser Baby O. These headphones looked so cool, the violet and black looked fantastic, and it was extremely comfortable, but it sounded bright with very weak bass. I didn’t like the sound at all. I really wish that Sennheiser would make a version of the 600’s that looked like the Baby O and was as comfortable. I really hope that the upcoming 600 SE is just that, but who knows.
Stax 4040 Signature headphones with SRM-006t Tube Amp. If I could use only two words to describe this combo it would be putrid ****. I really, really, really, really hated these, they felt , looked, and sound so bloody awful that it was almost traumatizing, since I really thought that the Stax were good headphones going in, oh boy was I ever wrong.
Headroom Max and Blockhead. I tried the Blockhead with the two different cables, the Clou and the Cardas. 1st of all, the special Blockhead Clou cable is completely absurd. It is the heaviest, most impractical headphone cable ever made. What the hell were they thinking, and remember that I have the Red Clou at home and I am very much used to it, but this thing was just too much even for me. At one point, Bootman started working out with this massive cable, DO NOT purchase this cable if you plan on getting the Blockhead. The new Cardas cables for the Blockhead is the complete opposite, light, thin and practical just like the stock (in it’s practicality) only it sounds a million times better and looks better as well, and it has superior built quality. It’s the only way to go if you plan on getting a Blockhead. I did an A/B test with the two Headroom big boys, and the Blockhead was clearly better, it was just the most neutral amp in the whole show. The bass was the best of the show as well. The Max was really great, but the Blockhead was even better. It is hands down the best Solid State Headphone Amp ever, only the Max comes close. So close that I would say that the Max will get you 90% there. The drawback with the Blockhead is that you can only use two different headphones with it, well they are the 600’s and the RS-1 which just so happen to be the best headphones that you can get, but still, you are pretty much stuck with them. You also can only used it with a balanced source. The Max on the other hand, can be use with all normal headphones and they all sound great with the Max, plus you don’t need a balanced source, and it also cost a lot less.
The Homes-Powell Amp. I used the Grado RS-1 and HP-2 with this amp. Can you say overpriced piece of ****? Other than the price and rarity, it didn’t belong on the high end rack, as far as the sound goes. What a waste of money.
The Stax Omega. I really, really wanted to like the Omega 2, I so badly wanted to like it, but it just sounded so ****ing awful! What a heartbreaker. As bad as the Homes-Powell Amp was, this was worst! I used to lust over this combo so bad, before I heard it, but not anymore. It was a horrid piece of ****. Other than the price, this shouldn’t had been anywhere near the high end rack.
The E.A.R. HP4 sounded great for rock, but once I started listening to my audiophile quality CDs, its limitations became clear. There was a bad hiss problem with this amp, and the bass was too sloppy, which seem to be a problem with every tube amp in the place, but it was peculiarity bad with this one. I tried this amp with the 600’s with the Cardas and the 600’s with the black replacement cable and the HP-2. BTW, the black replacement cable is the worst replacement cable that you can get, since it is so rolled off in the highs and lows.
The Cary Audio 300 SEI. I tried this amp with the 600’s with the Cardas, the Grado RS-1, Etymotics, and Grado HP-2. This was hands down the best Tube Amp at the show, it sounded very good with the RS-1, it sounded great with the 600’s, and it sounded the best with the HP-2. I really wish it wasn’t true, due to the price, but it was a match made in heaven with my HP-2. This was the best amp for these headphones, it was a perfect match. Awesome amp!
The Sennheiser Orpheus. With rock it was a toss up between this combo and the Blockhead since they sounded so much alike, but with my CDs, the difference became clearer. The Orpheus had a bigger soundstage, it had a sweeter highs and a super sweet midrange, but the bass was still sloppy, it was the least sloppy bass of all the tube amps, but the bass just can’t compare to the blockhead. It was also colored, it wasn’t as colored as the Cary, but it wasn’t no where near as neutral as the Blockhead. The headphones were the most comfortable headphones ever made! The Blockhead’s sound was pure and neutral, it allowed you listen to every last detail of the recording with authority. The Orpheus on the other hand is sweet and seductive. It would be extremely hard to choose between these two setups if the cost was the same. However, it’s not, the Orpheus cost three times as much as the Blockhead and it doesn’t sound better, just different.
In closing, the best amps were the Max, Blockhead, Cary Audio 300 SEI, and the Sennheiser Orpheus. The best Headphones were the Sennheiser HD600 w/ Cardas, Grado RS-1, and my own HP-2. All of these are true reference headphone audiophile equipment.
