Update on Frankie and the Senn HD540 Ref1s: A new level of transparency has appeared from top to bottom, as if a slight and very mildly warm veil has been lifted, leaving an even quieter and darker background; what was already excellent fine detailing at the back of the stage, no matter how quiet among much larger and more forward instruments, has become even more obvious. Tiny shimmering of cymbals, higher string harmonics, brushed tympani, backing vocals, ambient details are all now even more apparent in their own space. I was shocked on a favourite hip hop track by the Aussie group, The Herd's Full Moon, when a guitar melody just appeared in space just left of centre that I'd never really noticed before. What a treat. Ani DiFranco's Shy (live from Living In Clip) was starkly clear and alive, the drum kit powerful and crisp, Ani's vocals very focused and with extremely clean diction, including all the yips and growls accented with the guitar notes and totally transparent air between all three musicians and the live audience, even if most of this double album is near mono in places. This extra transparency also translated well to Ricki Lee Jones' Nude Songs (live), Coolsville being as stunning as ever, her voice seemingly devoid now of that slight warming veil, though it applied all round, as the air between Ricki and her audience became vanishingly pure, the tiniest mutterings, gasps of awe and the odd coughs are just suspended in space. Her use of the bass guitar on Autumn Leaves reveals the improved transparency is across the board, the lowest bass notes just sliding on down in all their glory, never warming or thickening at the lowest levels, wonderful! A last 'test track' was from Random Access Memories, Giorgio, By Moroder, keeping his voice separated from the low bass notes can be a challenge for some gear, not here, his voice having even less colouration than previously and moving into the layering of pounding synths and drums as the track develops, all kept separated and very dynamic.
Other musical delights have become the best I've ever heard them, Richard Thompson's, Calvary Cross is so alive, the drum kit have more dynamic impact in what I had always thought was a bit lightly recorded - though the sound of the kick drum itself has always sounded like the real live skin and metal - now having a deeper, crisper and more dynamically clean impact, very fast and open percussive transients.
Something that really struck me last night was that the Burson Vivid V6 has taken on more of the nature of the A-GD HDAM in its sheer scale, in that the headphones now disappear more, the sound stage is larger while still being very focused and defined. However, small scale recordings are still small scale, some are just not recorded with an apparently large s/stage, after all. I suspect the bigger and cleaner power supply suits the Vivid V6. Even Joan Armatrading's very analogue recordings, such as Willow and Kissing and a Huggin' have got bigger in scale, yet are deliciously warm and analogue yet transparent at the same time. A joy to listen to. Bigger, closer and deeper (if recorded as such). Bass is full, warm and organic on these tracks.
The HD540 Ref 1's sound like even more accomplished headphones now and as I was listening last night I was thinking that why would I want any more than this? Oh, I'm sure there are modern cans that sound maybe better in some areas, but as such a holistic and timbre-correct, of-a-piece whole? I haven't heard one in the last thirty years and while I have only heard a small selection of modern mid to highs-end cans (and far more expensive, that taking inflation into account may be a similar or of much greater cost), I am not inclined to go searching so much.
Thoroughly enjoying the refreshed and improved FrankenZero alongside the other usual suspects.