Audiophilepure

Give them sufficient power, and they will sound excellent at any listening level. For better or worse, the EXPANSE encourages you to listen at unsafe levels. They are so smooth, balanced, and free of distortion that their sound doesn’t induce fatigue, even at high volumes. It’s not that the sound changes or improves with more volume; it just keeps giving you more.

As the name implies, the soundstage is large and open, without sounding artificially distant. Imaging is distinct, and layering is phenomenal, especially with music that has a lot of space and separation.

The bass response is fast and relatively full for a planar. The bass is satisfying for most genres with a focus on texture and musicality over quantity. While the EXPANSE are not ideal for EDM and super-heavy bass tracks, they can hold their own surprisingly well and reach low, with fantastic bass texture and control, especially given that they are open-back planar headphones. They will not achieve the kind of physical sub-bass rumble that a large dynamic driver can more easily.

The midrange will reflect the quality of the recording and mix. It can be enchanting, or thin, or centered, or lacking. The treble is the same. If sibilance is inherent to the recording, you will hear it. If it’s detailed and crisp, you will be the beneficiary.

https://www.headfonia.com/moondrop-skyland-review

As with most higher-end planar magnetics, two things immediately hit you. First, the low end extends effortlessly into the infrasonic range. There’s no roll-off like we’ve come to expect with dynamic drivers, which usually dive after 60Hz. Then there’s the fact that the low-end, no matter how abyssal, is effortless and extremely clean. I still think that the absence of low-end distortion is a part of the stereotypical “planar bass”.

The low-end on the Skyland just begs for tracks where a lot is going on down low. In other words – electronica. Lorn, Moderat, Monolake – they all take extra care to deliver a layered architecture down under. While Moderat relies more on impact and stays danceable, the other two are unveiled by the low-end prowess of the Moondropo Skyland. This headphone is made to dive, not too boogie.

If you are looking for a luxury headphone in this range that offers fine design, solid build, exceptional comfort, and sustainability, the Poet should be on the list for audition. Texture and tone are fantastic, across the spectrum. In comparison to similar designs, its center of gravity is lower, and somewhat contained by its smaller driver, earcup, and pad design. Resolution is on a par with others in this category, and dynamic expression is agile, refined, and consistently delivers the feel of our favorite performances, regardless of the fare. Meze has a sophisticated voice in the Poet.

Though the synergy with the SRM-700T energizer was spectacular, the SR-009D cable is a standard 5-pin design and will work with any other 580V Pro bias electrostatic amplifier on the market. Using STAX’s own SRM-D10ll portable driver, which retails for $945.00 and which I’ve reviewed and can recommend highly, can liberate the SR-009D from the desktop and can play up to DSD128 music files.

STAX is held in an almost mythical regard by audiophiles who seek the holy grail of the perfect reproduction of music, though it may never be possible to capture that enchanting goal. And STAX has competition these days, ironically because it was STAX that brought the magic of their earspeakers to the audio world and inspired other companies to reach for that elusive sound. We all benefit as these companies strive to reach the gold, but STAX is not resting on its exalted history; it is clearly continuing to innovate as the SR-009D clearly demonstrates.

If you are looking for a luxury headphone in this range that offers fine design, solid build, exceptional comfort, and sustainability, the Poet should be on the list for audition. Texture and tone are fantastic, across the spectrum. In comparison to similar designs, its center of gravity is lower, and somewhat contained by its smaller driver, earcup, and pad design. Resolution is on a par with others in this category, and dynamic expression is agile, refined, and consistently delivers the feel of our favorite performances, regardless of the fare. Meze has a sophisticated voice in the Poet.

https://www.headfonia.com/es-lab-es-2a-review/

Some people really don’t like that, so do try the headphone on first. For me personally this isn’t an issue with any of the filters, but they’re very close. Another thing some might find annoying is the driver flex. While normal and completely acceptable, you will experience this when putting the headphones on/off or adjusting them.

This headphone is one that you’ll be using at home or in your office in quiet environments as all the music leaks out and every single noise will crawl in. The ES-2a does need an EST amplifier and those usually are not portable either. The ES-2a comes with a hardwired 2.3m cable, so you do have a good range from your amp.

With the S750 Grado has well earned their Product of the Year Award and I’ll repeat my comment of then; representing the entry level for Grado’s Signature series of headphones, with the audiophile timbre, extreme efficiency, and dynamic range that denotes the Grado sound, the Grado Signature S750 has a unique subsonic heavy tonal balance that resonates with old Delta-Blues recordings, giving them a more modern feel. Jazz fans will love the liquid mid-range vocal reproduction, and Progressive Rock and Pipe Organ fans will adore the pulsating subsonics. And let’s not forget speed that is a rarity in dynamic headphones. Simply another gem from Grado, congrats.