Iām glad my attempt of humor was not lost.
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Soā¦ the HP-3ās definitely sound better on the THX 887 amp than my Bifrost 2. The treble seems clean where there is this weird timbre Iām not a fan of on the RNHP completely that is just gone on the THX. Ironicallyā¦ the timbre Iām complaining about kind of shows up when comparing it to the Kph30ā¦ These headphones have me confused as they do they do weird things on different sources than what I would expect.
I will say the THX amp does give the headphones appreciated increased slam.
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I may be experiencing what you are. Iām very sensitive to harsh treble hence why Iām an Audeze fan. Using my bifrost/ lyr combo I have to roll more neutral tubes to get the HP3 into a sweet spot. If I use my best tubes they are way too bright and there is this annoying timber in the high end at the end of treble section.
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While you have that set up if have the kph30, listen for one to have the harsh timbre when the other doesāt have it. Itās the strangest thing.
Well, mine came in today! Some of you may have seen me get coaxed into buying these for ~$700 on the deals thread, since I really wanted these and felt I just couldnāt say no.
First impressions:
- Build quality and presentation are exceptional. Anyone who saw Zās review knows that but itās true.
- I share @DagoRedās sentiments that these definitely look $1200, but Iām not sure the sound quality alone justifies the price point. However, Iām very happy with what I did pay for them.
- Iāve only been listening for about an hour, but I am really enjoying these. They seem to just be generally well-rounded in everything. I havenāt listened to anything and felt the sound signature was weird or out of place.
- I get what Z is saying about how theyāre very āmusicalā. Thatās true, everything sounds lively and ācolorfulā for lack of a better word, without losing any detail. The bass is tight and punchy.
- Iāve been listening to Seven Lions on these and wow, they just sound great.
These are very likely āendgameā for me as I canāt imagine I will find a headphone I would enjoy more at a higher price point to justify the difference.
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Obligatory pic.
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I must say I feel the same way but be sure to grab a zmf pilot pad or some dekoni nuggets because that headband be throwing me back to my ath-m50 days.
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Okā¦ so I stumbled across something that some people might be perfectly content calling this their end gameā¦ and I wouldnāt blame them.
Dragonfly Cobalt + HP-3 is this thick and slightly muddy soundā¦ but it is SO pleasurable. I assuming the Dragonfly Red would be close enough. Iām going to have to say the Bifrost 2 is NOT the ideal DAC for this headphone. For the record Iām not trying to do use EQ or anything with the DFC. Iām just blown away right now and have to recommend that if someone wants to define endgame a lot cheaper than most people and want just a fat, rich, āv-shape done rightā kind of soundā¦ this is it.
Interestingly enough, the comparisons the khp30ās are GONE with respect to connecting the DFC. The HP-3ās just sound like a different class for timbre, quality of bass, bass extension, and just a much thicker and richer sound. I can firmly say I finally get the hype of these headphones and say with a DFCā¦ worth it.
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I would agree with you for the āWorlds Apartā album, however āThe Throes of Winter Albumā has has more symbols and details that the HP-3ās struggle with. Worlds Apart album is simpler and the sharper focus on a single instrument vocal makes the HP-3 really stand out.
Where I really like HP-3ās with the DFC is with jass, blues, and old school rock like stuff like Bostonās āMore than a Feelingā. They just sound so addicted there, much like the Worlds Apart album. I donāt disagree that this can be an end game for people with the right signal chain. I do say think that while the headphones are nice on DFC, I donāt think the HP-3ās scale with multibit DACās. The HP-3ās definitely benefit from a warmer sound overall and make cheaper gear sounds MUCH better than Iāve ever heard it out of my own options.
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Ha, itās funny you say that as I was primarily listening to the Worlds Apart album and Days to Come; I actually havenāt listened to The Throes of Winter yet. So good call!
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I will have to take a look at the Dragonfly line nowā¦
The DragonFly Red is the one to buy in my opinion. I got the Cobalt the same time as the Schiit Fulla 3. A buddy of mine A/B the red and Cobalt with Stax L300 and said they sound the same to him. The Cobalt however at 100% volume transforms to a line out which is quieter that 99% volume.
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Iām kinda pissed since I tried the Elegias because theyāre actually more comfortable than these. The HP-3ās donāt seem to have a ton of room inside the pads and I have to constantly adjust until my ears are inside. If I turn my head too quick, they move out of place again. Also, the pads seem to come off way too easily. Like if I grab the cup and try to move the pad, it slides off. Not to say theyāre uncomfortable, they are nice once I finally sit them properly. Itās just more work then necessary.
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Hmm my cups have yet to come off.
The pads have slid off. For me I keep having to fix one the screws before it falls off the head band again.
They seem to shift around a lot in their mounting holes. Would have preferred a snap-in over magnetic.
Havenāt had that problem. Build quality for me is otherwise great.
Shame that some people are seeing build problems. Mine have had zero problems with the pads or cups. My only gripe remains the headband which definitely creates some discomfort after extended use. I could do something about that pretty easily but theyāre so pretty I feel like putting nuggets or a band cover on them is some sort of blasphemy.
Iām still super happy with them, havenāt rotated any of my old headphones back in since the first month or so when I was doing comparisons, and havenāt felt the desire to purchase anything else for my desktop setup.
Itās interesting to read that they have large changes from amp to amp, but Iām still more than happy with my THX 788 and since I do EQ I canāt really imagine a better setup for my preferences.
My complaints are that it takes a second to find itās comfort sit. Maybe its because I wear glasses or maybe my ears are too bigā¦ or maybe itās because Iām comparing it to a fairly large cup.
I rest my glasses on top of the pads so thatās a non issue for me. I see glasses listed as a problem all the time but I have been able to do that with no problem on literally all of the headphones I own, I never understood why people would actually leave their glasses sticking into the pads. I do see how the cup size could be a problem though. I donāt have big ears but I can tell that if they were any bigger I would be making contact with edges.
I had been pretty bummed out recently over having slept thru both Adorama sales on these headphones. I just managed to snag some off Electronics for Less Canada for about the same price as what I would have paid importing the from Adorama into Canada.
Feeling pretty hyped as Iāve been wanting to give these a shot for some time now.
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