Thank you all for your help. Here's the "results" from our High End Headunit Shootout we did about a month ago:
RESULTS ARE IN!
Today we set up a "reference" system consisting of an Arcam Full Metal Jacket CD player, a Pathos Classic One amplifier (hybrid tube) and Infinity Kappa 600 speakers. The RCA's were the Stealth Audio "Nanofibers", the speaker wire were IXOS Ixotica.
http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/randy_kun ... pg&.src=ph
http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/randy_kun ... pg&.src=ph
http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/randy_kun ... pg&.src=ph
Listeners:
Me
CSUFLYBOY "Matt"
QMOTOX "Quinton"
We listened to Alanis Morrisette's "You ought to know" from her unplugged album, and Dire Straits "You're latest trick". Both recordings are excellent, and provide several sonic cues that we were listening for.
These are our observations after listening to the refence setup:
http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/randy_kun ... pg&.src=ph
http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/randy_kun ... pg&.src=ph
The H/Us that made it in the showdown:
Denon DCT-Z1:
The soundstage instantly became 2-D - the depth was gone.
With was expanded compared to the FMJ
Strings were sharper and more defined, but not fatiguing
The low end was not as full as the FMJ, and lacks energy.
McIntosh MX5000:
Great bottom end, with "space" around the kickdrum and bass guitar.
Vocals are forward
Image is perfect
Not as 3-D as the FMJ, but better than the Z-1
McIntosh MX4000:
Vocals are almost as good as the FMJ!
Center cohesion is BETTER than the FMJ!
Bass is just as good as the MX5000
Overall - slightly better than the MX5000
Nakamichi CD700ii:
Nice low end
No "shimmer"/"sparkle" on the top end seemed to roll of quite a bit
Good vocals and center image
No depth, much like the Z-1
Drums sound flat, and not defined and full like the MX's
Very sweet, mellow, and warm sounding
Clarion DRZ-9255:
Top end is clear and neutral
Well balanced
Center image is very good
Nothing stands out as "wrong"
Depth is comparable to the MXs
Lacks low end definition to the MXs, but better than Z-1
Overall a very sweet, neutral sounding H/U.
Panasonic TX-5500W
Top end is SWEET!
Not as shallow as the Z-1, but not deep like the MXs; like the DRZ-9255
VERY Clear and transparent!!
Rich midbass/midrange like MXs, but added spakle of Z-1
Great low end definition/clarity
Grundig:
"Cold" - lacks richness
Sharpest upper end
"Sterile"
Focus and image very well
Fatigues ears quickly
Uninvolving
Eclipse ECD-510:
Best low end extension of all H/Us
Vocals are very good
Staging was on par w/ 9255
Another very good h/u and very easy to listen to
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We all could agree that the McIntosh pieces were the best sounding H/Us with the mx4000 slightly over the mx5000, but both were the closest to our Arcam reference. Needless to say, the Panasonic surprised us all. It easily got us involved, capturing the sprit of the music the best and would say that it is a tough third and so close to the 5000 it scary!!!. The DRZ-9255 was an outstanding performer as well, with nothing to complain about, but nothing "super" about it. The z1 I would have to say, was not a huge disapointment, but I expected more...as well as the cd700...The eclipse was another deck I could just throw in and be happy with...And I would put the Grundig in last place...
