Much less bass overall and what’s there is super tight and extends low. More forward mid range and top end - much more vocal oriented. No sharpness in treble but definitely brighter but not too bright.
So far favourites are Wild Chechen (Type 4) followed by Black Limba (Type 1). Black Limba was much much warmer and fuller sounding. More listening to be done!
Incase you’re all wondering… favourite is still Wild Chechen Type 4…
Still not certain if I like Black Limba Type 1 more than Flame Marbled Walnut Type 1.
I think im leaning towards Flame Marbled Walnut as 2nd fav.
The Limba has bass that can be overbearing with some electronic music that has lots of sub bass and defintely can have a tendancy to be more muddy and boomy with some types of music, but then with others they just rock hard. Definitely Bass Cannons but still not quite to the level of the TH900 (stock), which to me were definitely too bass heavy for me.
Much more listening to be done, but for now will be comparing Wild Chechen type 4 to Flame Marbled Walnut Type 1 back to back a few times and listening for more of the subtle changes now and doing another swap back to stock for another baseline.
PS. I loved the look of Wild Ziricote Type 5 and they are definitely the heaviest most dense wood but they are also much more clinical and clean with forward vocals and brighter topend. I could probably live with them but I think the stock cup with a bit of 4db eq bass boost 70hz and 2-3db cut @ 6Khz is much more fun. So I’d say stick to type 4 down to type 2 if you like to have a bit more warmth, the closer you get to 1 the more warmth but obviously. Type 1 is very warm and punchy, particulary the Black Limba as it’s almost a quarter of the hardness of the Wild Ziricote and about 1/2 to 2/3 of the Walnut.
Great posts Hilton, but what will you do in the end? You can’t keep changing them out as the cups won’t last.
When you do find an absolute favourite, what happens with the rest? You have a good chunk of money tied up with those. Will you try to sell them?
I would say from my own listening, you can defintely go by what Mark says. I was a little sceptical at first, which is one of the reasons I had to see for my self and try a few different cup types out.
Marks assessments and his tone selector are pretty much spot on. I have to say I was suprised!
I plan to get another pair of TH610 (or maybe 2) and keep 2 or 3 sets of cups. Likely to resell the Wild Ziricote… Though they do look spectacular in the right light! It will be hard to give any of them up though!
Yeah - These are by far far far - the best headphones I have ever heard now. By a long long way.
Wait till I start comparing to my HD600, MDR1A / 1000XM3.
The driver technology is just so much better than most of the others out there. With the right cups and pads they really do sound spectacular. Plenty of width, depth, punch and sparkle - all in the right balance… Im just blown away by it to be honest!
The famous Sony MDR-R10 had Biodynamic drivers and are collectors items today. (and they were woodies too)
Only 2000 were made and they still sell for upto $7kUS second hand.
The Biodynamics share more incommon with speaker technology than they do with headphones, which is maybe why they are so dynamic, fast, clean and punchy sounding.
Listening to the Flame Marble Walnuts as I type this and they defintely have a lot more warmth, maybe too muddy for me compared to the Wild Chechens.
I really like my 610’s, but I don’t love them (I am wearing them right now).
I got a surprising gift for Christmas this year. Next Saturday I am going to do some shopping. It might be a set of headphones or it might be a set of cups. Depends on what’s happening with Boxing day sales.
And maybe even a DAC…
So for you it is a choice between the sharpness of the 4’s and the fat bass of the 1’s?
When I explained my love for vocals he recommended the 3’s and maybe the 2’s and 4’s.
I am thinking maybe the 4’s and the 3’s or the 2’s.
I don’t think the 1’s or the 5’s are for me.
If you like vocals the 4 are great, the 5 even better but you give up too much bass in the 5s.
1’s are definitely not tight, but they are fun and warm, 2 might be better. I couldnt see a 2 i liked that he had in stock.
I can highly recommend the cups for sure. I was going to buy another pair of headphones. Now Im glad i didnt. I was even considering the Stellias which are $4500AU and there’s no way Id ever consider them now after the Lawton cups.
Hmm
You don’t make it easy for me guys.
Lcd 2 Classic ordered and still on the way.
And if that’s nothing then a hefty Lawton mod.
I have seen that the cups apparently do not fit on the D2000.
If that’s the case I’ll have to find a second D2000 and put the Ebony mod on it so I can do the Lawton mod on the tr x 00.
My decision of the cups was already fixed but the gibts probably no longer.
Were the rosewood cups.
Now would really be the question where next year the journey will go.
Am curious how it continues @Hilton.
Thank you for your insights can not be repeated often enough, .
I recently acquired a pre-owned Lawton modded (D5000) headphone, and it was literally within a few hours of listening to it that I started getting these tingly urges from the “I wonder what if” syndrome I am afflicted with.
I started reading through this thread from the beginning and all that did was fuel the fire. “Man if I like this one so much, what if I did my own? I could customize it even more to my personal taste and man, do these cats seem to be having a lot of fun tweaking and tuning on their headphones”.
Having purchased a pair of modded D5000 via Mark I can only agree with this statement. He really made them shine and to date I think they are the best closed headphones I’ve ever owned, much more comfortable than the LCD2 CB, but it’s been so long I have no fresh memory of the D5000 sound and I’ve never done A/B between them.
Since then though the cable has broken and the earpads have deteriorated. So I’m thinking of having him do a level 3 makeover on the headphones some time in the future.
Having read and seen all the pics from Hilton, I’m probably going for a pair of Tier 4 cups, those both look amazing and they would fit my preferences quite well.
Wild Chechen Type 4 definitely my favourite overall for refinement and versatility.
Tighter bass that extends low, still has good impact and force and a nice timbre and not boomy.
Sweet top end that shimmers but doesnt bite and still extends nicely.
Mid range is forward and full but not in your face.
Just my perfect kinda headphones!
Was listening back to back with Flame Marbled Walnut / Wild Chechen and the Walnut has a nice warmth but with double bass in Jazz it can be a little fuzzy sounding, while the Wild Chechen just sounds natural and full with great impact and articulation with just the right amount of warmth.
(Diana Krall - Look of Love & also Jeff Hamilton Treo - Live from San Pedro)
The walnut is great with dance and rock and just about everything else but the Wild Chechen has got me.
TH610_Wild_Ziricote_Lawton_Cups by Hilton, on Flickr
TH610_Wild_Ziricote_Lawton_Cups by Hilton, on Flickr
TH610_Wild_Ziricote_Lawton_Cups by Hilton, on Flickr
TH610_Wild_Ziricote_Lawton_Cups by Hilton, on Flickr
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