CHANGSTAR: Audiophile Headphone Reviews and Early 90s Style BBS

  • December 31, 2015, 09:41:25 AM
  • Welcome, Guest
Please login or register.

Login with username, password and session length
Advanced search  
Pages: [1] 2 3

Author Topic: Chicago 2015-06-27 Meet Impressions  (Read 2938 times)

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

maverickronin

  • Objectively Sound
  • Able Bodied Sailor
  • Pirate
  • ***
  • Brownie Points: +58/-2
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 670
  • Your friendly neighborhood audio skeptic
Chicago 2015-06-27 Meet Impressions
« on: June 28, 2015, 10:55:32 PM »

Some highlights an lowlights

BMC Pure DAC > MicroZOTL > HEK

Low Zout or not, this amp doesn't get along with low Z, low efficiencyz planar magnetics.  I'm not really a tube guy, but it sounds like it's pushing those 6SN7s too hard and it's pretty audible.  Even at medium volumes swapping in my O2 resulted in better clarity and detail.  At Anax approved listening levels the MicroZOTL turned cymbal crashes into bursts of static.

On the plus size it took a bit of the edge and splash off the HEK's treble.  That's basically the audio equivalent of napalming you lawn to get rid of dandelions though.

Should have tried my HD650s with it to see how it handled high Z loads but I didn't think of it at the time.

Modi 2U > Magni 2U > DT880 Pro 250

Why does Beyer sell the T1 again?  Let me rephrase that.  How does Beyer sell the T1 at all.  I guess it has better forward projection to its soundstage.  That's about the only thing I remember being better.

Peachtree USB/SPDIF converter > Enagmatic Audio Design DAC > Violectric V281 > Balanced ZMF Omni w/ cowhide pads

Favorite T50RP mod that I've heard.  Better than any of mine, Claritas's  Paradox, or the Alpha Primes.  Even FR, deep bass, and fantastic control of the T50RP's upper mid/lower treble dip.

Fidelio X2 from my Clip ZIP and UHA-4

Smooth and a bit dark.  Laid back.  Bass seemed pretty deep for being (mostly?) open.  Not for detail whoring, but getting lost in the music.

Keithpgdrb's Airbow SC-1 on my Scarlett 2i2 > SRM-T1S

This is an allegedly cryo-treated SR-404 Lambda Signature.  I have no clue if that's even true or what the cryo treatment is supposed to encompass, the cable, the driver, or both.  Cryo treating the cable would be useless but may just possibly do something to the driver.  There weren't any 404 Signatures around to compare it to but I did have my modded Lambda normal bias, modded SR-202, and stock SR-207.

The Airbow better than both my modern Lambdas and just a hair behind my normal bias.  The Airbow had much smoother treble than the modern Lambdas with almost none of the Stax 'etch'.  It sounded a tiny bit plasticy compared to my normal bias, most likely because of it's pleather pads as compared to the Ultrasuede ones I made for my normal bias.  I think the Airbow would have pulled ahead after pad rolling.

I've got no clue if the cryo treatment of the drivers helped, normal 404s just sound that way, if they just have cherry picked drivers, or if something else is modded, but they are a very nice pair of Lambdas.

FraGGleR's Kenwood KH-1000 w/ Alpha Dog pads on my Clip Zip > UHA-4

Out of production Japanese market closed headphone.  Very comfy.  A bit closed in and hollow sounding, but not too bad.  A little bit dark, high treble shelved a bit.  Descent size soundstage for a closed can.  A small sharp ringing in the treble that's only really noticeable on high hats, chimes, and bells.  Decent clarity and resolution.  Over all a very pleasant surprise and nice for a closed can.  Too bad they're no longer produced.

Questyle CAS192 DAC > DNA Stratus > Balanced HD800

Pleasantly surprised.  I don't usually like tubes any more unless they're the output stage on a 'stat amp.  Good clarity and separation.  Takes a bit of the HD800's edge off, but not enough for my to like it better than the HD650.  Switching the HD800 to a single ended cable and running it from my 2i2 > O2 provided better clarity, especi ally in the treble, but the lower Z out brought out the HD800's treble sharpness even further.

LH Verb

Won this in the raffle.  Claritas told me that there's been some big kerfuffle about these that I seemed to have missed while I was away from the forums and that I should listen to them without looking up any of that first.  So far I haven't had time to do anything with them but decide on a pair of tips.
« Last Edit: June 28, 2015, 11:20:44 PM by maverickronin »
Logged
Heaven's closed - Hell's sold out - So I walk on Earth.

Sorrodje

  • excusez-moi, je suis français
  • Able Bodied Sailor
  • Pirate
  • ***
  • Brownie Points: +68/-8
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 617
  • Olivier Le Vasseur - "La Buse" - French Pirate.
    • Tips & tricks for Ubuntu or Debian administration (French)
Re: Chicago 2015-06-27 Meet Impressions
« Reply #1 on: June 29, 2015, 12:09:21 PM »

Keithpgdrb's Airbow SC-1 on my Scarlett 2i2 > SRM-T1S

This is an allegedly cryo-treated SR-404 Lambda Signature.  I have no clue if that's even true or what the cryo treatment is supposed to encompass, the cable, the driver, or both.  Cryo treating the cable would be useless but may just possibly do something to the driver.  There weren't any 404 Signatures around to compare it to but I did have my modded Lambda normal bias, modded SR-202, and stock SR-207.

The Airbow better than both my modern Lambdas and just a hair behind my normal bias.  The Airbow had much smoother treble than the modern Lambdas with almost none of the Stax 'etch'.  It sounded a tiny bit plasticy compared to my normal bias, most likely because of it's pleather pads as compared to the Ultrasuede ones I made for my normal bias.  I think the Airbow would have pulled ahead after pad rolling.

I've got no clue if the cryo treatment of the drivers helped, normal 404s just sound that way, if they just have cherry picked drivers, or if something else is modded, but they are a very nice pair of Lambdas.

Thks Sir.

I'm in love with my Lambda NB as well and I owned the SR404 that's significantly inferior in my opinion. You feelings about the Airbon are even more interesting for me. 

maverickronin

  • Objectively Sound
  • Able Bodied Sailor
  • Pirate
  • ***
  • Brownie Points: +58/-2
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 670
  • Your friendly neighborhood audio skeptic
Re: Chicago 2015-06-27 Meet Impressions
« Reply #2 on: June 29, 2015, 01:40:19 PM »

Thks Sir.

I'm in love with my Lambda NB as well and I owned the SR404 that's significantly inferior in my opinion. You feelings about the Airbon are even more interesting for me. 

The Airbow SC-1 was a pleasant surprise.  I'd heard that the 404 had a bad case of the Stax etch and I'm skeptical, to say the least, about semi-magical tweaks such as cryo-treatments but they sounded quite good.
Logged
Heaven's closed - Hell's sold out - So I walk on Earth.

Sorrodje

  • excusez-moi, je suis français
  • Able Bodied Sailor
  • Pirate
  • ***
  • Brownie Points: +68/-8
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 617
  • Olivier Le Vasseur - "La Buse" - French Pirate.
    • Tips & tricks for Ubuntu or Debian administration (French)
Re: Chicago 2015-06-27 Meet Impressions
« Reply #3 on: June 29, 2015, 02:10:13 PM »

IMO the 404 etch is not so bothersome ( less that a SR307 I compared directly for example) . What was more problematic for me with the 404 was the midrange shout.



maverickronin

  • Objectively Sound
  • Able Bodied Sailor
  • Pirate
  • ***
  • Brownie Points: +58/-2
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 670
  • Your friendly neighborhood audio skeptic
Re: Chicago 2015-06-27 Meet Impressions
« Reply #4 on: June 29, 2015, 02:50:44 PM »

IMO the 404 etch is not so bothersome ( less that a SR307 I compared directly for example) . What was more problematic for me with the 404 was the midrange shout.

Hmm...Didn't notice that but I wasn't really listening for it since it's not something that usually bothers me.
Logged
Heaven's closed - Hell's sold out - So I walk on Earth.

Claritas

  • strong in his convictions
  • Able Bodied Sailor
  • Pirate
  • ***
  • Brownie Points: +4200/-3162
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 495
  • Bachhead
Re: Chicago 2015-06-27 Meet Impressions
« Reply #5 on: June 30, 2015, 05:12:31 AM »

Dunu Titan

It has a generally neutral sound with moderate bass elevation. Fortunately, the treble is completely inoffensive without being shelved. (One of us thought it was splashy, but that was at a higher volume, so take that into account.) The soundstage is somewhat closed in, compared with RE400.  Major caveat: the angled nozzles necessitate straight down wear, unless reversing the channels doesn't matter for your music. That's pretty retarded. Still, overall, it's a good alternative if you're looking for a neutralish IEM in the $80-100 range.

ZMF Omni

It has the most neutral frequency response of the ZMF product line but retains the generally warm-toned ZMF sound. The soundstage is cohesive and well-proportioned: very natural. It reminds me of the Theta DACs I've heard. One minor quibble is that with large ensembles such as a full orchestra, the soundstage sounded slightly congested only in a small area at the very center.

AKG / Massdrop K7XX

I didn't believe the good press about this--but maybe I should've, because it was a pleasant surprise: the only recent AKG that I actually like. Kudos to AKG and Massdrop (now I'm curious to know the backstory). It's still cool-toned, but they fixed the uneven upper mids / lower treble instead of just masking it as they did with K712. Soundstage is set closer than HD600 but is gapless in comparison. Acix should get a pair and hear what he's been missing all these years.

Stax SR207 and Mav’s modded Stax

Stock is a hard experience: it's bassless and screechy at the same time. But Mav's mods are quite different and it's immediately noticeable. Suddenly, you're listening to a Stax with bass presence, tamer treble, and a much deeper soundstage. Nice work!

Questyle CAS192D, DNA Stratus, HD800

Several people here call this amp "euphonic," but it's euphonic only relative to even less-colored tube amps. There's more than just a bare touch of warmth, but it's nowhere near lush. That's a very fine experience, but it doesn't touch my heart the way even my cheap Darkvoice or some Woos do; not to be used with HD800, of course. Marv, told ya I like "tubes done wrong." :-*

Gear used: Caiman II + Corda Classic for full size, iPod 5.5 + Leck for IEMs
Logged

OJneg

  • Audio Ayatollah / Wow and Fluster
  • Mate
  • Pirate
  • ****
  • Brownie Points: +120/-3
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 1245
Re: Chicago 2015-06-27 Meet Impressions
« Reply #6 on: June 30, 2015, 05:26:19 AM »

It has the most neutral frequency response of the ZMF product line but retains the generally warm-toned ZMF sound. The soundstage is cohesive and well-proportioned: very natural. It reminds me of the Theta DACs I've heard. One minor quibble is that with large ensembles such as a full orchestra, the soundstage sounded slightly congested only in a small area at the very center.

Wow, good to know others feel the same way. Excited to hear them again.
Logged

Marvey

  • The Man For His Time And Place
  • Master
  • Pirate
  • *****
  • Brownie Points: +555/-33
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 6698
  • Captain Plankton and MOT: Eddie Current
Re: Chicago 2015-06-27 Meet Impressions
« Reply #7 on: June 30, 2015, 05:28:35 AM »

Omni is very noteworthy. Semi-open cups, and you do get that sound that you hear from the open headphones. I hope Zach does well with them.
Logged

Claritas

  • strong in his convictions
  • Able Bodied Sailor
  • Pirate
  • ***
  • Brownie Points: +4200/-3162
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 495
  • Bachhead
Re: Chicago 2015-06-27 Meet Impressions
« Reply #8 on: June 30, 2015, 05:33:47 AM »

Wow, good to know others feel the same way. Excited to hear them again.

Yeah, at some point when I was listening to them I really was thinking, "Oh, I see why OJ liked them more than Blackwood."
Logged

maverickronin

  • Objectively Sound
  • Able Bodied Sailor
  • Pirate
  • ***
  • Brownie Points: +58/-2
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 670
  • Your friendly neighborhood audio skeptic
Re: Chicago 2015-06-27 Meet Impressions
« Reply #9 on: June 30, 2015, 02:04:49 PM »

Stax SR207 and Mav’s modded Stax

Stock is a hard experience: it's bassless and screechy at the same time. But Mav's mods are quite different and it's immediately noticeable. Suddenly, you're listening to a Stax with bass presence, tamer treble, and a much deeper soundstage. Nice work!

TY.  Always good to hear I'm not crazy.

Also, in retrospect I should have spent more time playing with the crossfeed settings on you Classic.  It always seems like there's never enough time at these things, right?
Logged
Heaven's closed - Hell's sold out - So I walk on Earth.
Pages: [1] 2 3