brainwavz memory foam xl pads,
best of both world,
more comfortable, cooler, sound better,
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Do they have a funky type of fit or is a perfect fit?
Comfort-wise they fit ok to me, the only downside there is their weight. They definitively seal and you can adjust the pads in every direction if you need it. They are big, I am wearing them on the lowest extension of the arch. If you have a big head fit should not be a problem. I canāt feel any weird pressure also.
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I have the suede and the protein leather versions of the XLs, will be sure to try them out.
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I donāt think you can achieve perfection even at $4k+, probably it is asking too much. Mind that there is no real frequency perfection, but just adherence to some standard and I believe the GL2000 to have the freq response they have because of psycho-acoustic reasons to increase immersion. That is no mistake but a choice rather.
I think I have made up my mind that these is the pair I would choose for the price range. Comparing it to what I was able to hear from the demos of the Focal Elex these sound a lot more cleaner in the extended mid-bass section. To me the Elex sound kind of bloated and bland and I still prefer the compressed heights of the GL2000 to the darker ones of the Elex.
Also I donāt think I like the Ananda as I do like transients and dynamics and these I believe to be superior in that regard. True the Anandas have better mid to height section but I donāt think I would enjoy them without good dynamics.
At this point the only pair I have listened to that has both the Ananda heights and the GL2000 dynamics is the Arya. But I guess it is safe for me to say they are outside the price bracket. Perhaps next year.
3 Likes
Do you mean the round ones? Do they fit on these?
My pair arrived today and as someone who doesnāt measure, I am very very very pleased.
I have plans to get the Arya or the HD800s in March but I havenāt decided yet which. I think Iāll have to hold off on buying either one of them because I think Iāll be enjoying these for a while. Iāve just been recently auditioning the HD800s, Arya and Focal Clear but can I say Iām really enjoying these. I can say Focal Clears are good at what they do but they just arenāt for me, they hurt my ears. I feel like the enjoyment I get from the GL2000 is somewhere in the orbit of the Arya and HD800s. The clarity, separation, layering are all great. I can point to the precise spot where the instrument is located instead of just a general idea that itās somewhere to my left or somewhere to my right. The soundstage is not like the HD800s, itās a bit more like an Arya soundstage, but the layering. Iād describe it as playing the layers as separate music files simultaneously through different speakers around me. Seems like what I really enjoy about these are the mostly unmeasurable elements. My Anandas are getting the most ear time lately but I think theyāll need to take a vacation for the meantime.
I tested with the new SMSL SU-9 and SMHL SH-9 stack which is very transparent and linear. Also tested using the new iFi iDSD Signature with 4.4 pentacon connection on turbo power. The XBass function of the Signature partners really well with the GL2000.
Yosi Horikawaās āLetterā, āBubblesā and āFluidā were all very enjoyable because it feels like Iām inside a movie scene. āHoursā by FKA Twigs was absolute ear candy I was listening with my mouth open. Airās āLa femme dāargentā sparkled at the high notes.
Bye for now while I enjoy these headphones.
11 Likes
curious, have you heard sundaraās?
These still seem like they are worth trying for me. Iām glad to have waited to hear all the discussion. Iāll plan on snatching up a used set at a good price once they start appearing on the used market.
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I had auditioned the Sundaras vs the Anandas and ended up getting the latter which has become my daily driver. I preferred the Ananda it just edged out the Sundara over everything. I know the Sundaras have a bit more punch but I still preferred the Ananda sound overall. Then the GL2000 is pushing my Anandas to the sidelines right now. Iām happy to keep both, they both make music so much more enjoyable
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Thank you sir, that gives me a good perspective on general quality. Just got the DT1990ās that will probably push out my 3 month old DT990ās, and BD is coming with something new soon so I will wait to get a more complete rundown of these + that one considering all my recent purchases. Clearly there is more going on than I thought.
Hi zeos. STOP IT ZEOS HAVE MERCY ON MY WALLET!
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Someone on YouTube said Ananda is noticeably better
As a daily Ananda user, I can say that Ananda does something akin to a ābeauty filterā on the music so I am not surprised. Also, Ananda tuning is very good so those who are into nerdy measurements can really appreciate it because it sounds good in the ear and looks good on paper. GL2000 so far has better clarity, imaging and layer. They are both good in different ways and complement each other. I dunno how GL2000 does it but it seems to be able rearrange the position of the instruments, separating them and is able to make hidden gems in the music more audible. Maybe thatās what makes it sound so fresh and maybe that contributes to it being so controversial.
Maybe what GL2000 does is amazing with certain tracks but mediocre in certain tracks. Would be good if the same reviewers listened to the same things and then point out which portion of the track excelled or sucked. Thankfully my music library agrees with GL2000.
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yes, yesā¦
yeah, yes
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And the crazy thing is that eq doesnāt seem to fuck up their ability to achieve that crazy separation at all. I will say Iām not in love with the default sound they have but the eq profile in working on for them is making them easily one of my favorite headphones Iāve ever used.
Im also building a gaming eq and when you pull the veil they have on mids off, the imaging capabilities shoot through the roof. I donāt have it perfect yet but the difference is crazy. I didnāt originally think that the imaging, especially with sounds that are behind you, was very precise at all but these things really open up with eq.
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When you EQād your GL2000ās in the mids, how much did you increase/decrease the frequencies by?
This isnāt a comprehensive review butā¦here are my impressions throughout some comparison testingā¦
Note: running the GL2kās balanced via an after market XLR cable on a Monolith THX DAC/amp. I tried 1/4" but it just wasnāt enough power. XLR seems to be sounding better, maybe.**
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The GL2kās have a better bass response compared to HD 800ās; not even fair. Not too much to ever be overbearing. Bass has enough heft to feel perfectly right by my ears. Damn near perfect here in musical quality. Perhaps not the clearest ever, but very good to the point where the tuning of the low end is just so satisfying. For the expression the GL2kās have on the low end alone, I would own them alongside the HD 800ās in a collection of two headphones.
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Vocals are beautiful on the GL2kās, but tough to say if they are ābetterā than HD800ās outright. This may be subjective. The female vocals in particular have an exceedingly lovely sound. Listen to āEarly Morning Lightā by Sarah Jarosz. Where female vocals can be shrill on some headphones, the GL2kās are just vibrant enough to be clear and pleasing to hear, but not sibilant. Both the HD800S and GL2k do well with vocals. Both are pleasing to hear. Where the 800ās are extra spacious around the singer and leave their voices pristine in the space left around them, the GL2kās have a more intimate instrumental and vocal appearance together. The GL2kās are closer in to the head, for better or for worse. Personally, I would prefer the HD800ās for a singer/songwriter/acoustics track. Then againā¦going back and forth againā¦Iām more and more hearing the GL2kās as being relaxed relative to the 800ās. The 800ās can be stunning headphones when youāre used to them, but this comparison has my brain hearing sibilance where I hadnāt before. Weird! The GL2kās make me want to have them on my head for acoustics/vocals I wouldāve preferred the 800ās on. Very strange. I think youāll be happy hearing either one, depending on how you long you get used to either one and where your tastes are. Both will certainly have great fans.
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Acoustics, plucking instruments, orchestralā¦the GL2kās are doing very well here. As far as imaging, separation, the overall details heardā¦the GL2kās are no slouches.
I donāt want to get carried away with too much meandering on. Maybe I just want to relax and get my whiskey right now and do a more thorough breakdown another time haha, but Iāll just give you a summary for nowā¦
HD800S is better in being airy, clear, spacious. In that clarity, it is a masterpiece. I adore them. The GL2kās do not beat it on that audacious level of clarity and separation.
GL2kās are better at having a more balanced tuning. While it sacrifices the great qualities the HD800S gains with its treble quirks and headphone/driver design, the GL2k makes up for it by having a low end that feels like it ought to be there and is missing from the 800ās somewhat.
P.S. Where there is white noise in a recording, the GL2kās have more of it. Itās actually quite a negative for me on some tracks where I normally find myself relaxed and enjoying the music on the HD800ās. I donāt know why this hasnāt come up with other reviews/posts. Maybe itās just my audio chain? My DAC/amp or wire? hmmm. Wellā¦itās really quite bad when itās there on some tracks (see āThe Xith Commandmentā by Chuck Mangione for a particular example of Jazz I usually relax to and love on the 800ās but have a harder time enjoying on the GL2kās by comparison.
Maybe there is a relative spike in the frequency response on the GL2kās in a region where noise would be heard, compared to it being less so on the HD800ās? I donāt know!
Final verdict:
Iām keeping both headphones. GL2Kās may be the best all arounder Iāve heard. The HD800S is still the king of clarity and separation Iāve personally had the experience of trying.
16 Likes
My Honest Review of the GL2000.
GOLDPLANAR GL2000 REVIEW! BETTER THAN SUNDARAāS?
I think itās certainly not mid forward but I wouldnāt exactly call to recessed. It doesnāt feel distant and details are not loss, but it does require a bit of attention / effort to āfeelā the female vocal. It also sounds slightly dark compared to Hifiman stuff
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