Nomad
1000+ Head-Fier
- Joined
- Jan 24, 2005
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It's been almost 3 years since last time I used most of my cans. So after unboxing I listened to them for at least 8 hours at day in continuous back and forth with all kind of music during two weeks. I thought I should share some impressions as I always loved posts from people talking about different gear in the same context. I won't be discussing other cans I have abroad at the moment (OmegaII, HE60, HD800...). Only the ones I used extensively during these two weeks before going back to the boxes.
Orpheus: Maybe the best all-rounder. Everything sounds amazing on them with great wow factor. Such amount of euphonic sound starts to get a bit syrupy after several hours, though. They go way deeper than most people think, making it the best headphone for organ music (due low bass plus airiness plus vertical soundstage).
R10 (#1xxx): Exceptional for most classical music. Great horizontal soundstage. Best violin solos ever. Very pleasant, quite euphonic and relaxing sound. PRaT could be better. I often find them not that engaging. What makes them extraordinary is that airiness for a closed can and being so detailed and "soft" at the same time.
Qualia: Amazing detail and imaging. And great soundstage, but more record-dependent. Not perfect for all occasions but when they do it right they are truly something. Tone is a tad bright and cold, even with perfect fit (very fit dependent). Very very fast and sharp. They are excellent cans for most electronic music.
SR-Omega: A HE90 and a Qualia walk into a bar... The perfect transducer? A more neutral and detailed HE90 with wider soundstage. The only can that can beat R10s for classical music. They beat them in vocals too. I just wish a bit fuller sound, like the HE90, but it might be the HEV90 against the 717. A tad fatiguing after hours.
K1000: Just like the Qualias, a bit frustrating that they are not perfect in every occasion because sometimes they beat every other can out of an EAR V20. Very punchy and dynamic with amazing soundstage. I love them for symphonic rock. Tip: In bed with a soft pillow you get way fuller sound even fully opened, keeping soundstage.
L3000: So underrated lately. Best speaker-like, realistic bass ever. Very detailed for such a warm sound. And you thought Grados were fun... Amazing PRaT. They get "closed" and tonally weird as you turn them up (some can get used to it). But almost perfect and so seductive at low volume levels. Great for rock, pop and jazz.
PS-1: Best tonal balance on any can. They sound tonally "real" in highs and mids. Unfortunately the bass region mess this. And it is not that real low bass (try organ). On tracks with heavy bass presence they could get annoying but without it they sound absolutely right, even without giving much detail. Very fun and great PRaT.
HD650: Why not? Still a classic. Not huge detail. PRaT is not that great and can be a bit boring for some (Zu Mobius can mitigate that). But sound is very pleasant and laid back. Also have very good soundstage. And they really are amazing value. They scale very well. You can be care-free and even go to sleep with them.
The winner? Live music, of course. I'll keep going to lots of concerts for as long as I can. I can't recommend this enough to people who have the opportunity to do it. There is nothing like live music. Regardless of the style. Go. You will learn to appreciate all kinds of music. By far (far, far, far), the best way to get into new styles of music is by going to concerts. And the more types of music you can appreciate, the more master pieces you get to enjoy.