Goldring NS1000 for £49 on play.com

[idc]

That is three weeks since I got the ThatCable Loops extension cable and what an improvement in the sound. I can only assume it is the cable as I did not feel the Goldrings had run in at all, see a previous post. There is now more life to the sound and the soundstage is more out of my head than before. That feeling of being there 'live' is stronger with more recordings than before.

 

[matengawhat]

idc - have you tried replacing the whole cable to the ns1000s - i have a spare one somewhere that will just plug in and i'm trying to find it to give it a go in the hope of boosting the high frequencies a bit

 

[idc]

No, but I have been looking at the kit to make my own cables.

 

[stanleyk]

Apologies IDC, I am back with yet more questions on the Goldrings, one day I may actually buy them!(also open to others)

I am still umming and arring over them a bit, I like what I am reading but wonder if they may be a bit overkill at the moment for my day to day use, basically going to work and sitting in an office. Was just hoping you could summarise your thoughts on the NS1000 vs the PX200. I have taken your adivce and purchassed an E5.

I currently have some beyer dt231 and like them a lot, so am a little concerned that the Senns maybe have too small an ear piece, I quite like the full ear (nearly with Beyers) coverage. However the NS1000 may be just too big and I fear the sound leakage may be a problem at work.

Can get older version (not ii) px 200 for £25 at the moment, so good value, and may get less of an ear bending from the purse holder too!

Off to NZ in summer (their winter) so may upgrade to ns1000 then for flight, you can't have too many headphones right?

Thanks for any help

 

[idc]

Goldring vs Senn. Sound quality the Goldring wins. Whether it is the bigger driver, over ear design or what, the Goldrings are far more dynamic and have a greater depth to the sound. The Senns sound flat when you listen to them after the Goldrings. But that is on my main amp. The FiiO evens things up a bit. Bass boost is effective on the Senns, but not so much on the Goldrings. I presume that is down to the amps low power and the Goldrings low sensitivity. Both have good clarity and detail. Their closed backed design limits soundstage. With both the sound is mainly in the head.

I also do not like on ear for comfort. If I was going to NZ I would take the Goldrings. The main disadvantage is noise leak, but on a plane the person next to you may not notice it with the background noise. In any case the FiiO helps the Goldring retain dynamics and over all SQ down to a low volume. The Senns would not be noticeable at all.

The main reason why I would go to NZ with the Goldrings is its travel case. It is big enough for the headphones, cable, adapter for the plane and the FiiO and an ipod classic.

 

[stanleyk]

Many thanks for your input on this subject again IDC. I think I said this last payday, but think I may just order and hope end of month is better than this month!

Will attempt to get my thoughts on here following purchase

 

[stanleyk]

Just ordered, god bless work drinks and the rdunken purchases!

Will post thoughts soon, hop they are as comfy as the beyers and sound as good as the grado, not too much to ask right?

 

[stanleyk]

So they finally arrived, my drunken purchase was too big to fit through the letter box, but a 30 minute walk each way to the PO depot and they are on my head. First impressions are they certainly seem well made, the packaging is great, like the travel kit, and nice touch of supplying a battery. They certainly sit snugly, going to take a bit of geting used to with the Beyers being on ear (just), where are these are totally over, certainly warm!

Currently running through my first listen, hard to say which i prefer in terms of NR on or off yet. I am finding the NR off having a slightly muddy sound, maybe a bit boomy, lacking the nice crunchy guitars sound you get with Grandaddy, a bit like they are playing through a wall, howver I then find the NR on sound a little too bright. Does the treble come to the fore a bit following some good listening time?

Waiting to see if I can cope with the short cable tomorrow, and also whether people can cope with the reported leakage, I think the volumes they'll beon at work should be ok.

Any feedback on sound setups, improvements through listening etc would be interesting to hear. Setup is old 40gb photo, fiio e5 and lod.

Thanks

 

[idc]

I much prefer NR off and find NR way too bright. Never had an issue with the treble. With time the main change has been widening of the soundstage as opposed to any SQ change.

 

[stanleyk]

Thanks IDC, maybe that is what is is, all sounds a bit closed in at the moment, maybe it will open up with repeated listening. Worth sticking on repeat and pushing music through them for a couple of days, or just allow them to open up over time with my natural listening? Have found them great for shutting out noise even with nr off, much to the annoyance of work people!

 

[idc]

I enjoyed them from the moment I got them, so did not see the point in wasting electricity running them in whilst I was not listening to them.

 

[Anonymous]

hi there, i also have the ns1000 and feel they dont have the warmth that the senns have, can i ask how they compare to the sr80i , im thinking of getting a pair but is it worth paying a ton when i already have these, do the sr80s have the warmth that the ns1000 dont, i listen to all sorts of music using a e5 amp with my ipod touch and gigajuke hifi. cheers jason

 

[idc]

Hi Jason. I find the Grado SR80 and Goldrings are similar and would say the Goldrings are the warmer of the two. If you want a warm sound Grados are not for you. They major on dynamics and attack where changes in tempo and the leading edge of notes are emphasised. Warmth, IMO is virtually the opposite of that.

What Senns are you referring to?

 

[Anonymous]

cheers for that, might just save my cash, only had these a couple of days so might give them a bit more time, i had the hd485 , they had a nice warm feel to them but voices just seemed a bit far away on them for me. the voices on the ns-1000 are defo at the front which i like, just wish they had the bass line of the hd485. cheers jas

 

[idc]

Jas, have you tried both NR on and off? I use off as I find on too bright. Sennheiser often tune headphones with an emphasis on bass. But there is BASS and there is bass.

I hate BASS where it dominates and drives the music. I much prefer bass where it is to the background and supports the rest of the music providing rhythm. I also find bass is more detailed and musical, whereas BASS is often reduced to thud, thud, great for a nightclub, no so with hifi. You may have got used to BASS and so you find bass a bit lacking, particularly in dynamics. Give it a chance and hopefully you will start to hear detail coming through where the bass guitarist and drummer are shown as the expert musicians that they are. Though, that does not apply to computer generated dance music.

 

[stanleyk]

Jas,

I have both the NS1000 and SR80 (not i) but use them for totally different listening. The SR80 I think are a much nice listen, just make the music sound amazing, however I don't think people in my office liked them when I tried them there. The NS1000 are much better suited to my listening when out and about or sat at my desk. If noone else was in my immediate I would go with the Grado everytime.

On a side, the NS1000 sound is definitely warming to me, I find the bass a little muddled, but really like their drive, certainly found myself enjoying some of my music a great deal.

 

[Anonymous]

cheer for advice, ive been a dj for 15 years so maybe i am used to BASS , although its not dance music i listen to in the house, i am more of an easy listening wet wet wet -angel eyes sort of listener ,i hear what yous are saying and maybe i need to give them time and need to listen to music in a different way( i suppose thats why we all have different headphones),although the sr80s get some great feedback, though most say for rock music. the problem is that i just dont get the eargasm with the ns-1000 like i did when i had a pair of ultrasone 2500s a loan of. i suppose thats why im always looking for the next pair of great headphones, i take it you need to spend money to get that level of quallity? jesus! why are heaphones so complicated ? happy days

 

[Anonymous]

ps . i did listen to "fleetwood mac - everywhere" and for the first time i heard the bass guitar coming through the left ear which i have never heard before in a headphone which did impress me, so maybe there is wisdom in what you are saying, defo will give them time, cheers jas

 

[idc]

I was not a big believer of running in/burning in headphones. But now, after 500 or so hours, the soundstage and attack of these headphones has changed. There is more sensation of the sound around me and effects are clearer. There is also more drive and they seem less laid back. It is not so much better, just different.