Woo WA6 SE Amp and Audeze LCD 3 vs SF Elipsa's and JL 112 sub.

[KingRT10]

One test CD = Daft Punk RAM (Loud) (It seemed like a Headphone CD)

I thought although much cheaper, $2k, the Headphones would keep up or actually do better, because you always read how great Headphones can sound, like 30 to 60k plus speakers with a good amp.

The headphone and amp music layers sounded congested and heavy resonance at high DB levels to me. The electronic voices or auto tune, was really bad with heavy resonance. The bottom end was fine!

The Sonus Faber and JL sub sounded much better the louder it was turned up. The sound stage and clarity was perfect. Not congested.
The different instruments had space. Certain Headphone instruments/voices shared the same space, which sounded muddled together.

Footnote: The Headphones and Amp did not have the required break in time. One of them requires 1500 hrs. So a recheck is in order later.


But right now it was not even close and I was pulling for the cans for personal reasons.

 

[mdkim]

Interesting test.

I rarely prefer my headphone setup over my system but for certain recordings where pinpoint imaging (although you have to settle for your skull and its contents for the stage) can be distinguished, my headphone system definitely surprises me.

Example is Alice and Chains Unplugged. I can readily hear the bassist off to center left while I can make out vocals center and center right. On my two channel, it's also there, but in a much subtler way. In fact if the amps are cold, everything is just a degree of center. There is also some micro detail you can pick up from cans that is hard to beat.

 

[KingRT10]

I read the RAM was an excellent Headphone CD.

It was, but in a negative way, as it exploited all the weaknesses. (Again at very loud levels)
I was surprised. They could not reproduce the voices and some of the beats at high Db's without showing their limitations.

Put Cafe Blue on and they are great!