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Mayberry on Acid -- Meet Impressions


tyrion

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Can we get a non-Casino impressions thread, and/or split this one over there? I mean, I can do it, but I wanted to check with y'all first. If I don't hear anything dissenting, I'll do it later tonight. I won't go any earlier than from when the meeting started, perhaps boomana's first pics post.

Good idea Dusty. Go for it.

If you don't like the KGBH, then I don't think you'll like the KGBH SE, from what I know of the "upgrades".

From what I understand the new amp, dubbed the KGST will have less power than the BH, in which case, I wouldn't hold out hopes for this combination either with the SR-007. The direction needs to be more class A, more power, more heat.

Let's not go down this rabbit-hole here at head-case. No, this isn't a concession or agreement with the above line of logic, in fact it's the opposite.

Thanks for the info on the KGST, which I have do not know anything about other than its intended existence. Not meaning to start anything with spritzer or otherwise -- and not sure if your post means that he has fought this fight over on HF -- but it really seems like a silly comment given that it is not possible he has heard Neil's amp.

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Impression of the HE1.2 & HE1.3 vs. OII vs. Baby O please.

Second that, especially HE1.2 vs. HE60. More specifically, bass extension aside, I'd really like to know how vocals and midrange-rich instruments sound on the two in terms of microdynamics, purity of resolution, clarity, and that spine-tingling "magic."

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I'll post more detailed impressions late, but the K1000 out of the GM70 was possibly the best I've ever heard that headphone. Maybe even better than the Pass labs and Firstwatt stuff, but I'd have to build a GM70 amp and compare it with the Firstwatt F1 I've got...oh yeah, and get a pair of K1000.

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I'll post more detailed impressions late, but the K1000 out of the GM70 was possibly the best I've ever heard that headphone. Maybe even better than the Pass labs and Firstwatt stuff, but I'd have to build a GM70 amp and compare it with the Firstwatt F1 I've got...oh yeah, and get a pair of K1000.

Just got home, and am happily exhausted. I'll try and get impressions up tomorrow, but I spent most of my time on five rigs, and kept coming back to this one. I have the F1, which was the best K1000 amp I'd heard until the Zanden and this amp. The Cooter amp brings a natural sound to the high end that even the Zanden (foo_me has an freaken amazing rig) didn't pull off. I'm real curious what this could do with a four-pin (the K1000s were used single-ended). I'd also like to hear it with a different source. I'm trying to convince myself I don't need this amp, which I don't, but damn, I want it. I'd want L3000s for it, though. That was a magical combo I can't seem to get out of my mind.

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Impressions!

I only listened to the SR007mkII from the SRM007mkII, and it was clear that not much has changed from the original version of both, the Omegas still sound stuffy with this amp, certainly not up to the potential I've heard in the past via Dr. Gilmore's amps.

The 4070 on the other hand, was a real joy to behold, feeding it with the SRM007mkII from my Apogee's balanced outputs. I spend a good solid 2.5 hours listening to this rig, while all else snoozed (and rained). Thank god for closed 'stats, eh? I haven't been this struck by a headphone in years, going back to my first Qualia experience. The 4070 certainly lives up to the "monitor" label clearly stamped on each earcup, as I've never heard a headphone with such remarkable ability to see into the mix of any given track. Dissecting even the most densely produced music with aplomb, the 4070 was a surgeon at work, giving me the experience of some heretofore virgin detail on some of my favorite albums (which I'd also not experienced in years).

The bass is about as quick as I could imagine, showing the extreme contrast between bassy and thinly recorded material. The earcups must be extremely well dampened, as no matter how hard I pushed them, I did not feel any vibrations. Nevertheless, the bass had impact common only to the Omegas, and well amped HE90's among stats. This is certainly a very unique sounding headphone, which I'm sure would not suit all comers, as I heard several comments to the effect of "I listen to music to experience it, not analyze it..." What's odd is that I found this very analytical and hetrogenous presentation to be extremely musical or groovy, which is probably more a figment of my twisted mind, than the headphones themselves.

The Lambda Pro, coming some time after this 4070 epiphany, was somewhat disappointing, with a more emphasized, but slower bass lacking depth. The midrange seemed a bit recessed in comparison to the rest, a bit of V EQ if you will. The Lambda Signature had a more pleasing and even tone, but still lacked bass impact and depth. The HE1.2 outperformed both, with an improved timbre, and somewhat deeper bass. This headphone is also extremely comfortable. However, it still couldn't touch the top tier for bass performance, nor did it have a truly distinguishing quality. Whereas the HE90 is supremely inviting and enveloping, the Omega II is realistic and spacious, and the 4070 is insanely introspective; the HE1.2 is just nice sound. In this regard, it is somewhat similar to (and interchangeable with, in the absence of a direct comparison) the HE60, i.e. a very high performing 'stat, but not a killer app.

In other listening notes, Audio Technica has a really nice piece in the ESW9. The overall presentation, from the midrange up, is relatively L3000esque, certainly a good thing in my book. The bass is both more prominent and less controlled (not exactly a surprise) but not to the point it detracts from the music. Rather, it is an amount of bass which tends to mitigate the differences in lower-end equipment and recordings, making it an ideal partner for travel, or just kicking back without a care.

In that regard, the ESW9 might do well to pair with the Sansa Clip. A more portable audio player, I could hardly imagine, and one with the power to make an HD650 sound relatively good in a fairly loud room, now that's something to write home about. I might just have to combine this player with some Yuin's for the ultimate stealth rig....hmmmm....D

And oh yes, how could I forget nightwoundstime and I discovering the secret to making DT990's sound like complete poo....saddling them with leather pads, cool as they might appear. Talk about holy midbass hump Batman! Few things this side of a Triport have ever had a presentation so loaded with bass in such a narrow frequency range. The pads had a very odd effect, in that they turned the supposedly open DT990s into what seemed like a closed can, at least in terms of sound leakage. Upon mounting the standard velour pads, the sound went back much closer to what I recall the 990's sounding like, and Santa's report of very little burn in could account for the rest.

Oh, and the R2R/ES2/HE90 system? It took only seconds for me to feel like a piece of audio roadkill along the side of the Autobahn. This is as realistic a reproduced sound as I think I've ever heard, to the point that I didn't feel like I was in a room or venue with the music, but inside the music itself. Drums sounded like a (much quieter) version of holding your head right next to one. Truly spine tingling realism, no matter how over used an expression, as nothing fits better to describe this experience.

I can't add much to the discussion of the Frank Cooter tube amp. When I heard it with the K1000, it was playing an unfamiliar sounding electronica track, which could not have been much worse of a pick to show off what a K1000 can do, short of Cannibal Corpse :). When I heard it with the HP1, it was playing something much more suitable, and you could hear just what was so great about this amp (a sense of purity and smoothness), not to mention them Joe Grado drivers.

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you know, even if Bjork did beat my head against the ground, it would be ok. i used to be really obsessed with Bjork (in terms of her music, movies, stuff, i wasn't stalking her or anything).

No.. no. Of course you're not a stalker.

So, when do you plan to paint your nipples, shave your head and shoot yourself? ;D

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