For anyone wanting my EQ profile for the GL2000 Double Sided, I'm still working on it and I will be posting that to the forum thread here: forum.headphones.com/t/goldplanar-gl2000/10236/5?u=resolve
you all probably dont give a shit but does anyone know of a trick to get back into an instagram account?? I stupidly lost the password. I appreciate any help you can offer me!
@Abram Harry Thanks so much for your reply. I got to the site through google and Im in the hacking process atm. Takes quite some time so I will get back to you later with my results.
To preface this mini review i am a beginner to this hobby and my collection is not that large, so you can take my opinions with a grain of salt. Still, i wanted to give those who are on the fence about purchasing these my first hand experience on what it's like to own a pair of GL2000s. Comfort - First off, these things are heavy (all metal build) but not so heavy that it would cause any pain in your neck. There is an nice balance of clamping force and padding which creates little pressure on the top of your head. Im confident that i could wear these for a whole day. Connection - The cable that comes with it is nice but i have no use for the 4.4 pentacon, currently using a periapt cable with it. The connection points on the earcup are nice and solid, no wiggling. Pads - Nice thick pads, i opted for the perforated pads cause to me it widens the soundstage a bit and smooths out the sound, also less hot on the ears Sound - This thing produces sound in a very grand way, think of an indoor concert minus the echo. With the perforated pads it sounds like the venue has an open top. These give a more out of you head sound, but is still extremely detailed. Imaging and separation are spectacular, i feel this comes with territory of having a wider soundstage. Bass is very linear, but it has that planar tightness i love so much. Songs used: A Star is Born Ost - Music to My Eyes, I Don't Know What Love Is - Great Vocals, especially Lady Gaga's, Bass comes in real smooth on both songs Amy Winehouse - Body and Soul with Tony Bennett - Again, great vocals. I've heard this song many times, but this the first time ive heard Amy pronounce the words so clearly. You really hear the separation in their voices during harmonies. Boney M - Sunny - Probably the most sibilant song in my collection, good slam from beginning bass line, borderline bearable sizzle in vocals (hurts less) even on high gain Cortex - Huit octobre 1971 - Crisp hi-hats and cymbal crashes forced into your earholes, i enjoyed that Cuphead OST - Railroad Wraith - AMAZING INSTRUMENT SEPARATION AND IMAGING, bass is there but kinda weak Death Parade OST - Dounyuu - THICK PLANAR BASS, detailed Raveena - Honey - Buttery smooth bass, not boomy, harmony separation Puccio Roelens (Oceans 13 OST) - Caravan - Images like a beast, can really hear nuances and sounds traveling from side to side The Weeknd - True Colors - smooth and competent bass, but by no means a bass monsters I can honestly say that ive fallen in love with these cans, despite it being my second pair of planars. Money well spent.
Agree, imaging, seperation and soundstage are what these headphones excel in. But in everything else I still prefer my Audio-Technica R70x, especially the mids. After I used EQ it sounded ton better, in comparison- without the EQ it's like you put a metal cup over your ears. Plus it made them relaxed and the highs chilled down a bit, as for my liking (had no issues with R70x). You HAVE TO listen to Session from the 17th Ward album by Amber Rubarth (Spotify). That album is the king of soundstage.
Excellent review! Very understandable analysis, to the point and yet still appropriately detailed. One off the best I’ve seen of probably a few hundred so congratulations and thanks!
Yeah like how he calls it the flavor of the month. Many are always looking for the next big thing or just something new. It's kind of like with video games and wanting the newest game where many pre order a game that ends up being mediocre crap.Taking a blind leap of faith on a headphone, game or anything really off of some hype men/hype train is foolish and a rookie mistake.
@@ConnorHammond But you could have spent your lockdown money much wiser on the $700 Ananda or the new Focal Celestee $990 if money isn't the issue and you wanted to really get some great bang for your buck. Whatever... it's your $$$
@@ConnorHammond It is your money and I so don't care how you spend it. I'm just trying to save some people like you who obviously fell for the hype train. When you just paid $630 bucks for a headphone that's only comparable to the $350 Sundara... you got BEAT!! You can try and justify the purchase all you want. My point is the Ananda at $700 competes with $1500+ headphones... and the Focal Celestee $990 coming in early February is being compared to the $2990 Stellia sound signature which is insane value! So while you're over spending for a lame mediocre Big Mac.... I'm finding top of the line, world class Filet Mignon for a steal of a price. But if buying into the hype train from reviewers who make money from headphone sale's is your thing... more power to ya!!
Thank you for your review. I found this very helpful. And for those skeptics…, sure, tastes vary and preferences are subjective. Measurements don’t tell everything and enjoying the sound is what matters after all. However, I believe a good professional review should at least offer a detailed analysis and logical reasoning behind them, instead of just saying “this is awesome/terrible.” In that sense, I think this review is doing a great job in that it gives explanations, comparisons, measurements, and even openness to different opinions as thoroughly as possible.
ive had these a couple weeks, no issues yet, running with a Monoprice THX Desktop Dac/Amp. Takes to eq very well, and my favorite with electronic music (techno, dub, industrial, bass music). Very macro sound.. Huge comfy pads, switch to hybrids for width
@@TheHEADPHONEShow please do I just do a 2-3db shelf at 110 and 1db at 7 k, but like we all have collections this to me is for that big thick club sound, techno is amazing with that boost for kicks
I just wanted to say I very much enjoy your reviews. In my opinion, you’re the best headphone reviewer on the web, and you come the closest to filling the void created when Tyll retired. Keep up the great work and many thanks.
Really enjoy hearing your comments and opinions on things, well done as always! I do own these as well as many other headphones (too many... including the Arya) and I do not regret purchasing these at all. I'll add that I agree that no, they are not the golden ticket to replace all high end headphones but they do perform extremely well and I absolutely love listening to them. I just hope that people are not being harsher on reviewing them due to the exaggerated hype because they definitely deserve some praise, they are insanely enjoyable to listen to. But yea, these are not for bass heads that's for sure. To answer another person's question, I haven't had issues with the loose joint on my set yet but I have only had them for a week and I am fairly careful with my stuff.
I agree , i have been listening to these HP for the past couple of weeks and come to love the sound quite a bit . They work well with all genres i throw at it . Compared to my previous HP (Grado PS500e) , the frequency response is quite balanced . My only cons are just the vocals range that sometimes can get a bit buried in the mix (Compared to my Grados that is) .
Everyone who has them loves them, I expected better from Resolve than just to try and be contrarian and score “honesty” points with the uninformed. He is giving them a bad review just because there is a hype about them and nothing more. I have them and I have Verite Closed, Abyss Diana V2, HD800S and T1.2. And it is no stranger with those guys as well. What makes it worse is him coming along and liking all the comments that trash on Zeos, very low move ethically speaking, I expected better from you Andrew.
No offense, but i'm actually really glad your review didn't came out before zeos and chris lol. I might not have gotten the GL2000 if i had watched your review first, which i'm really glad that wasn't the case. Because i absolutely love the GL2000. I almost couldn't tell the difference in sound when compared to my arya. I have been grabbing this repeatedly so far since the day i got it. Literally the best purchase i have made in a long while compared to all my other expensive headphones...coughs LCD2 and LCDX....don't get me wrong, i still really love my arya though but my love is kinda split between this and arya now. I feel bad for my sundaras that has been collecting dust D:
Really interesting, seems like gl2000 not works well with some genres of music. Its interesting how he says that they have dry lows. I think i will stay with my 4xx and go for some pads and cable and be happy.
@@velko2433 yeaaa it boils down to personal preference really. I really like the sound of my GL2000. At least to my ears it doesn't really sound dry though. Or maybe i'm just not bothered by it i guess.
@@velko2433 I loved my pair of 4xx when I first got them, but over time I couldn't get over the sibilance and extremely rolled off bass. These issues only got worse as the stock pads started to flatten with use. The gl2000 look to have a more linear bass response which I think is very close the Ananda and Arya. BGGA says the gl2000 has no problem doing bass and I trust him when he says it because he hates bass light cans.
@@KTT94 i see many people find them 4xx sibilant and lacking bass , but i am fine with this. I have no problem with sibilance because i use little eq on 8-10k - 1,5db , and bass is ok for me, i actually find them really bassy with little eq on 30-40hz . I have made grill mode and now i am goiung for different pads and cable. But i wanted to get second pair of open planars and when i saw this 2 review of Z and BGGA i was sold, but now i am not so sure. I am sure that amount of bass on gl2000 will be just enough for me, because i love planar bass.
@@velko2433 I tried EQing them as well, but I still wasn't satisfied with the sound. I found myself reaching for them less and less, sigh. Anyways my pair of gl2000 is out for delivery today, I hope they live up to the hype.
Saw Z’s review, now yours. Shoot from the lip emotional stream of consciousness vs careful, considered, data driven, professional and useful. Oh my! So great to listen to someone who actually cares about their audience, rather than provoking (I’ll be polite) “information cascades”. And one more thing - your slightly understated presentation and Canadian accent are very engaging. Keep it up!
Z is a hype-man, so watch his videos with that in mind. he is entertaining as all heck though, but information wise, better do a double or triple check if you want a thing he endorse.
I bought the GL2000 from Z’a reviews, and I don’t regret it at all. They punch waaaay above their weight of 600$, they do certain things that none of my other headphones do. Resolve is just being contrarian to be contrarian, if Z didn’t hype it up, he would have been all over it. A shame really, I thought better of Resolve than to be like that. Resolve did you burn the GL2K in, when I got them out of the box they were absolute garbage, I only really started evaluating them after 72 hours of burn in. This is a very important detail as well.
Ill be subscribing to your reviews from now on. I was tempted to order these but glad I didn’t. Thank you for your in depth review along with charts to show the performance. I’m super happy with my Sundaras. I guess the grass isn’t greener on the other side.
This hype for the GL2000 is giving me a feeling of FOTM IEMs that flooded Headfi in the past years, I have bad feelings about that. If those hypes keep coming, it's inevitable that we'll eventually fall for one of them without auditioning first, especially during COVID when all shows are canceled. I'm very grateful that reviewers like you exist so I have something consistent to rely on.
Hi, today they arrived, they are great straight out of the box.. , i have not a big experience, but for me they are superb hp for the money: air, detail, bass, dynamics... my music is metal, rock, edm, sometimes hiphop.. only one thing, the clamping force could be little higher (i have smaller head)
For edm, how do they compare to other headphones you have? I listen to a lot of edm and reviewers rarely cover that genre which is always more bassy than other genres. Of course, eq helps but what are they like in your opinion specifically with regard to edm? Thanks!
@@TheJbh147 Hi, I have only two hp Audioquest nighthawk carbon and gl2000, the bass is much more tight and clean, for my ears they are great for edm.. I have also mangird tea and tape pro iems, the gl2000 are the best for me..
Your other headphone is one of the worst tuned headphones that used to exist on the market. It was pulled not before being lowered in price 3 times to over 70% off, and yet it still didnt sell because of how incoherent its tuning was. What you just did was the equivalent to eating only hamburgers made from rat meat, then reviewing it like it was a regular burger that normal people would eat.
My advice to people would be to stop dicking around in the lower tier level purchases and simply save up for an end game. I did just that two years ago and haven't bought a full sized since. It's definitely an addictive hobby and it's difficult to tame purchases, but buying an end game helps put the brakes on lower level impulse buys that will inevitably end up costing the same or more of said end game. The fact is you will NEVER be satisfied...but having something really good already will help tip the scales in favor of not purchasing something when you're on the fence. This has been my experience.
True, but you cant appreciate the end game if youve never heard the lower tier stuff. What you are talking about is human nature, were always looking for the next best thing. someone who starts out with say an LCD4 wont have a whole lot of options after that
Dan M - you are exactly right - and right where where I am. I have made many regretful purchases thinking that I will "hit the jackpot" with a good but not great headphone at a "moderate price". End result? A lot of wasted money on mediocre cans that I don't listen to. All of that money added up to at least Utopias. Sundara, 6XX or Elex are more than adequate to get into "the hobby" (along with a decent amp/DAC you can grow with). Meanwhile don't waste your money on ihe latest/trendy offering which will be ultimately unsatisfying. Likewise don't waste your $ on super expensive electronics. You need enough good, low distortion, clean power to get the most out of your phones - even low efficiency planars in case you ever go that way. Tubes are nice because you can change the sound easily, but absolutely not necessary. In other words the quickest way to a satisfying end game is to save and focus your resources on gear that actually makes a difference to the sound. If you avoid the other stuff you'll find that you can ultimately afford summit headphones and be happier and have more money. Does anyone really need (or want) a "wall" of crappy/mediocre headphones? Sure they sound "different". But once you've experienced the summit you'll never bother with them again.
+1 to Jud C. Sampling things is great for knowing what your preferences are, in such a subjective hobby. The compromise I'd argue, is when getting into any new hobby, skip the consumer level budget stuff and go straight to enthusiast. I got a 400$ well used bike, that I tore down and rebuilt to my liking for another 400$, and in these covid times I could probably get 1200 for it. My prior bike was a brand new 600$ hybrid that I'd probably be lucky to get 250 for. Average Joes getting into a new hobby, think they want brand new, with warranty, or they want to pay nothing. And so gear that targets that audience has no resale value. Enthusiast level gear attracts enthusiasts that know the value of the product and have the cash to pony up, so as long as you acknowledge that everything depreciates, it's usually less of a problem if it turns out you don't like something. Except Grado headphones, their built quality/materials choice was shocking, I don't care what they sound like (and their sound did not agree with me at all) you could get better build quality out of China 2 decades before I got my one and only pair of grados in 2015, "made in America" be damned.
Completely agree. I wasted thousands on buying multiple $300 to $500 iems, probably have 10 of em laying around only to pull the trigger on good deals on high end iems, specifically Lime Ears Aether R and Noble K10U, both of which sound incredible and have no real flaws like my "lesser" iems which now get little ear time. The only lesser iem I would keep is my JVC FW01 because of its sound signature being smooth and bassy fun, the others were stepping stones that are impossible to recoup my costs because people don't like buying used iems. Do yourself a favour and wait for a high end iem or HP to go for a killer deal, they are out there, Drop or manufacturer seconds or Black Friday sales. My Elex is my final HP purchase because it competes with their other headphones costing double
Thanks for the honest and more analytical review, you're the second reviewer to have an issue with a loose joint screw in the same area which is a little worrying.You're the first however to describe the headphone as having inferior bass response, drastically inferior to most of the common competitors described. Though the general concesses I got from this video is that it's at least a slightly better *sidegrade* to the sundara rather than straight *upgrade* which is dissapointing because the headphone as it stands is £200 more than the sundara. It's not enough to cancel my pre-order but alot to consider in future when I decide to drop money on a headphone with very few reviews. As somone who has never bought a relatively expensive headphone before, and denied the Focal Elex because I live in europe I still look forward to getting my hands on this!
I don’t think he mentioned it being better than a Sundara in any way, if anything the poorer bass response makes it overall worse. FR is “worse” but that’s pretty subjective. Resolution and detail is similar. I guess the one thing that the GL2000 has is cup swivel but it’s also heavier so I feel like that most offsets whatever it gains with cup swivel. Suppose the GL2000 does come in a pelican like case, but you could easily buy a pelican case (and a meze cable) with the price difference.
Many have said that the pad change solves a lot of the problems he complains of, but because he doesn't like the frequency graph with the other pads he doesn't review them in the form people actually prefer them and are actually using them
One key take-away is to be patient until more people are able to experience, review and arrive at a general consensus. In several weeks, our collective experiences will be able to define who the GL2000 is for. People will be able to have better basis for deciding and not rely on pure hype. We're definitely seeing it now already as more of us have been receiving our orders already. Sometimes however, the hype is correct and it's just a matter of time when what started as hype becomes canon at the most, or valid at the very least. 330 comments below me. Wow, taking an opposite stance that courts controversy definitely helps with the TH-cam algorithm huh. It's also really helpful to use careful language because it really balances those telling smirks.
lol You were very polite about that FR, would be easy to say that the 5k death murder spike is so awful that it blocks out the 11,14k spikes which would otherwise murder you! Appreciate the sober take on this, it was definitely being overhyped.
I'm glad to see this review. I only got to demo them and only one track I had access to had a lot of stuff going on in the treble region and that was the only track that sounded off to me. If they were $350 I would be all over them but at the full msrp I strugle to see the value given the headphones I already have. Given the review my impression of the bass was off and I need a better selection of music on my phone incase I get other chances to demo something while out. I hated them with the hybrid pads but with the pleather pads I remember being very impressed with the bass extension. I don't recall thinking the bass was one note but the music I used wasn't ideal either. I'm glad to hear I made the right choice by waiting for more reviews and passing on these. Thank you.
I had my suspicions about it. I was like hmmm, I need to learn more about its technical performance. Cause I suspected it might screw up with that. But to my little amazement it did bad in other categories too.
Oh thank God for this review. I trust your review is more than a lot of other reviewers out there. You put out a lot more realistic expectations, quality and as I do understand frequency response it makes it a lot easier for me to relate with a sound pattern. I've made my decision on these headphones. I'm going back to the sundaras
All youtube reviewers who've reviewed the GL2000 listen to different music libraries and tracks for testing, thus all have differing results; however across the board, these headphone's have received positive reviews. There is no such thing as a perfect headphone. The headphone you love using for your listening enjoyment is what counts. My order for the GL2000 has been placed.
Frequency response measurements don't care what your music library is :P but the only thing that matters in this hobby is that you end up enjoying the headphone
@@metal571 No no. You need to come back and start doing reviews again. Your honest perspective is sorely missed. Don’t be a Karen, get off Twitter, and come home.
Really enjoyed the nuts and bolts review. I’m always interested in how irrelevant some measurements can be when compared to “reference”. The GL2000 did get some hype and for $639, they are worth every penny. For my ears, they don’t need EQ. I tweaked frequencies for about a week but am now back to flat and happy. Maybe my ears are shot, but I hear no grain or other related oddities. Too bad so many people like them. Had they gotten a couple high profile “average” reviews, I think there would have been a flurry of “Wow, best value ever!” reviews to follow. Anyway, soundstage alone blew me away. I’ll try to be more critical with those other characteristics, but so far, all signs point to great value.
Thanks for this I am on my hunt for my preferred headphone, just returned the he4xx and ordered the Sundara to try out, if I don't like those I was think the GL2000 as the next step up guess I will skip them and look elsewhere.
Newbie here. You say you listen to Jazz and mention this might be better for other types of music, but don't mention what those types of music that may be. Personally, while new, I find that I like different things for different types of music. For example, movie soundtracks vs vocals with a single instrument. So while this may not be the right headphone for Jazz perhaps it fits better to another type of music? Also, it was mentioned by another reviewer that the amplification plays apart in how this sounds. Perhaps you cover this in other videos, but I don't know what you are listening with. Other reviewers clearly said that this does well with Class A amplification vs a linear approach of a Topping A90 or equally linear THX representation. Lastly, I look at headphones like bicycle seats. Not everyone is built the same and not everyone rides the same way. For me, this comparison is very linear, what I would really enjoy is a review that states how to get the best out of a headphone. What does it do well, how to amplify it and what type of music really fits its tuning. Rap, Jazz, Movies, Vocals are all different. Also, while some headphones are very technical, they may not be overly enjoyable - which for me is most important.
Sorry if this wasn't clear, it's not that this is better for other genres, but more so that I particularly notice the 'percussion compression' issues with the 5khz peak on my jazz recordings that have a prominent percussion section. Maybe if you're listening to something that doesn't have that, it would be better. My source equipment is listed in the description.
Realy enjoyed this review, are you going to check the monolith m1570? Would realy like to know how they compare with this and other mid/high end planars
@@bosthebozo5273 i am quite a big guy so the weight isn't much of a concern, i can wear them even for 3-4 hours straight without any problem. But i have skinnier friends that feel discomfort after just 30-40 minutes so it can realy be a dealbraker for someone
Hi, Andrew. This is my first time watching videos on your channel, much I enjoyed it, especially for your attempt to explain sounds in a scientific way. But here I have an advice which might be challenging and troublesome. Speaking of the way of reviewing audio products, I am most convinced by the way Stereophile does, which measuring and listening are done by different groups of people to avoid bias due to the measurement while listening. While I understand there definitely are relations between how it sounds and the FR of a pair of headphones, I always found that there might be some other factors, which we still don't know how to measure, that impact the sound as well, and they might compensate what looks like a flaw on FR (or produce sound defects that FR doesn't tell). So what I'm asking for is, is it possible that you finish the subjective part of the review before measuring? That's a better (and more challenging) way of reviewing a product IMO, and it'll also be very interesting to compare the subjective thoughts and the objective measurements afterward.
Thia is exactly what i was referring to. I mentioned that it looked like he measured it, and then nitpicked the parts that dont conform to the target curve he likes. If you go out looking for 5k spikes, of course you're going to convince yourself that you hear it.
Zeos and BGGAR almost had me pulling the trigger on these. Then I looked at my gear collection and all the “meh” headphones Zeos had convinced me to get. I thought to myself, “I’ll just wait for a review on The HEADPHONE Show and see what the actual deal is with these.”. Glad I did. Thanks for the rock solid quality content.
Regrettably, Gl2000 actually sounds really good on my head, better than any headphone at simillar price that I've listened to. It's the ears that matter, not curve.
There's just waaaaay. too many things that CANNOT be measured by a curve and I would say FR is just half of what makes good sound, and less than half of what makes enjoyable sound.
So glad I returned them. Knew the hype was bs. I need bass and no one would address it clearly. Have been happy modding Fostex T20s so far. Except for the center staging.
I did tell you on Drop that they would not be good for the bass that you wanted :) I still absolutely love my set but I am glad you found what you wanted!
I consistently enjoy Andrew's reviews. His taste tends to align with my own, and has informed some purchases that I've been incredibly happy with (Arya, Verité, Clear). I'm glad I waited for this review before taking the plunge on the GL2000.
Honestly if you like the Arya, you would like the GL2000. I have both myself and the GL2000 has many qualities going for it that resemble the Arya, alas it is not better than the Arya but it’s also $1000 MSRP less.
My findings were very similar to yours. Minus the testing rig. Lol I found this compression like qualities very annoying. Not sure if you would qualify it as upper mids or lower treble? I actually describe it as a low treble region. Same thing goes for upper bass region. It’s muddy and affects both, upper bass and lower mids. Very unsettling. I also agree on technicality. Not close to my LCDX. Good enough but not reference quality. Overall, I think they’re fine headphones. A little overhyped lol But I can see ppl calling them their end game in 700-1K price range.
I have found these models in similar price range. Which one to choose? Thanks - Gold Planar GL2000 - Cleer Audio NEXT Wired - Beyerdynamic T1 2nd Gen Ninja Edition - Beyerdynamic T5 3rd Generation - Beyerdynamic DT 1990 Pro - iBasso SR2 - HIFIMAN Ananda - Focal Elegia - Focal Celestee
This was way too technical for my taste of a review for a headphone and i appreciate the effort 100%. However, would love to know (you personally) how they sound in different type of music and stuff, more than just technical comparisons and graphs. keep it up
It's an important line to walk when giving descriptions yeah. Basically, it has an 'overly excited' kind of sound with the upper treble emphasis. So, oddly bright at certain parts, but at other times a bit congested (like with my jazz tracks that I like).
my pionneer hdj-c70 mostly perfect tone with coiled cable showed easily the hazy constant tone of the GL2000 on zeos sound demo, same with adx5000 who couldnt compete without HF filter pads in front of the driver and back also showed the exagerated soundstage using out of phase trickery of some sort on GL2000 true good headphone will never have constant tone they show the tone of what theyve been fed with
Amazing! Can you please recommend me headphones that don't leak that still feel airy/spacious I want headphones that are natural but not too flat. Thanks!
I know you can't depend much on sound demos but after listening to Zeos's sound demo on the GL2000 and then now listening to your review, I'm very surprised to see very similar opinion to my own regarding this headphone from you. Well, it's going to be a pass for me! Thanks for the review!
I have no concerns over balanced pentaconn, I prefer it over XLR or 2.5mm I think more systems should be pentaconn actually since its the future. Either 3.5mm or 4.4 thats really all we need.
I don't understand how can 2 people have drastically opposite opinions about a headphone. Zeos from z reviews praised this as best ever & now after seeing your review i think he oversold it. (why? Because a technical & scientific review is always agreeable than just stating sentences) but as they say: To each their own. Thank you for review.👏 If you want to have only one Headphone as endgame what will you recommend? I have been using k7xx for 2 years now and saving since then so ofc the budget ia not 5k but about 3.5k
Something that's emerging now afterwards is that there may be some unit variation going on with these as well. So that may explain it. Still, the people I trust who have heard this generally agree with the notion that it's been overhyped. As for endgame, that's always a tough question. If you want true end game, that's the Susvara and a powerful amp of some kind. I do recommend that, but if you're a bit more budget conscious, I also recommend getting into the LCD2F or LCD-X (not the classic), and then learning how to EQ... Because they need it haha. But their technical performance is way better than anything else in that price bracket. Also, it's worth considering the type of presentation you desire. Planars are great but some people prefer dynamic driver presentations, in which case I recommend going with a high impedance DD and a tube amp from ampsandsound. Currently loving my EQ'd verite with the Kenzie
@@TheHEADPHONEShow thank you so much. Yeah the thought of unit variation went over my head. Coming to planar vs dd i only heard dd till now so ofc judging planar for that presentation will be not recommended i will listen to my friends headphones then i will make a decision. Thanks alot though 👍👏 I was leaning towards Vérité closed. & as much I've read they are not that different to opens apart from soundstage your's are open ofc right? Btw I have a90 won't that be enough for susvara or even for Vérité closed?
Really, where? That's a insanely good price I would jump on that. I own these and they are really good despite the frequency graph - they sound incredible.
Great comment! Be patient and look around! Thanks for your input! I have a specific question that is relevant to DJ and producers.... Could you test Sonarworks Reference 4 Headphone software? Its supposed to "EQ" headphones so that they are completely FLAT. So my questions are: From an audiophile perspective, what do you think about the "correction" the software uses and 2) Does using Sonarworks with headphones like Beyer 990 PRO 250ohm "Even the playingfield" vs Beyer DT 1990 Pro a)without Sonarworks and b) with Sonarworks???? Peeps! This is a serious question! Like my comment and send me to the top so we can explore this theme through a Veteran audiophile's perspective!!!!
I usually finish the video before commenting but right off the bat i have to say this : 1) Andrew's funny smile at the beginning got me :D, knowing how much people were waiting for the "truth". 2) Dunno if it was done on purpose but as a nerd i directly spotted the teaser in the back, Focal _________ (enter the mysterEE name 😃) and R10P. Last one is Kennerton ?
@@TheHEADPHONEShow Thanks for clarifying. :) That got me thinking, maybe you missed a free opportunity to hype up the 28th's event at the conclusion ? You know a lot of people are going to watch this review. Just my 2cents.
@@TheHEADPHONEShow I'm sure the community would've had no problem to hear it, plus it benefit all parts and didn't have to be a long speach either just a quick recall and it's not like those reveal events happens everyday anyway. Surely there might be some newcomers to the channel with the hype this headphones got. Something to consider for next time. 🤷♂️
Hello, I have a question for you all. I currently own a pair of Arya. Stock sound was really nitpicky with the recording quality of musics... basicly almost all of my Tidal playlists where unlistenable because voices (mainly female one's) and high tone instruments where too bright, it sounded too unnatural.... Yesterday I was questionning myself as to should I return them or not and so, as a last resort, I tried eq them with crinacle gras_43ag-7_harman parametric EQ. Oh man ! The sound went from meh / garbage to Duh! OH! Piouf! Then come an question... Can we EQ all headphones to sound exactly the same ? Like, if you take a sundara and EQ it to ressemble Harman curve like you did with an Arya, then does it sound like the Arya ? If so why pay for more ? Am I missing something in the equation or what ? Edit : forgot to say my setup is computer with tidal -> USB -> SMSL M300 -> S.M.S.L SP200 THX AAA-888 -> Arya
Tonally you can get them to sound similar but due to driver limitations they won’t perform on the same level. So you can get them close to the same tuning but due to other factors like driver type, driver size, headphone fit, seal, etc... they won’t be on the same level as the Arya
“It has a major issue - it’s a little on the short side” - it’s two friggen meters long !!!! “The only connector it comes with is 4mm balanced pentagon which is wierd ” - but this is quickly becoming the most common connector. “But I found that because this uses 3,5mm connectors on the bottom I had no problem just swapping this out with other cables that I have” - EXACTLY , that’s why it’s not wierd because GoldPlanar figured that’s precisely what people would do!!! Bro, it’s one thing to be objective and analytical , it another being overly pedantic
Funny, I find that Andrew's tone doesn't come off as pedantic as your comment does. A reviewer's job is to disclose as much info about a product as possible. Whether that info is relevant to the viewer is up for them to decide. Maybe the 4.4mm ordeal doesn't bother you, but for some, it might
his impressions seem to contrast with those from a lot of people that love this headphone. I wonder if some people have gotten a bit overhyped or perhaps there is some unit variation happening here. Wouldn't be the first time a midfi planar suffered from unit variation...
I posted a written review of GL2000 that I will post here comparing them to headphones I own. I didn’t compare them my Verite Closed as that would be an unfair comparison. GL2K test, 3-way free of all Battle Royale results between the GL2K, T1.2 and HD800S results: - [ ] Soundstage: for Soundstage a multi-disciplinary approach was taken, taking into account width of the soundstage over all, as well as the ability of the headphone to present sounds within the soundstage, and between the three the biggest difference between the three was not the size as all three have relatively wide soundstage in comparison to other headphones, but the ability to present micro-details within the soundstage . The HD800S still remain as the top-dog of the headphone world in terms of soundstage, however the GL2K brought something interesting in that it has superior layering capabilities that while the HD800S is able to present said micro details in the soundstage, they however sound distant and inconsequential to the recording, but the GL2K was able to bring those micro details closer within the soundstage however despite doing that, the clarity of the micro-detail was hampered and small sounds like rain droplets, room reverberations and secondary noise in stringed instruments sounded blurry and not as well defined. The T1.2s was able to layer better than the HD800S and to present those micro-details closer however not as close as the GL2K, that is until you run them through a tube and that is when they open up on soundstage to rival the HD800S while being able to present those micro-details in a more convincing matter. - [ ] For imaging: all three have wonderful imaging capabilities, all three are able to bring images from above and below your head, with the GL2K being able to present the above and below images from further away than both, however the accuracy of the image goes to the HD800S, where a sound from 10 o’clock will be presented there, while in the GL2K it would be between 9 o’clock and 11 o’clock as a haze, and that rings more true the further the sound is supposed to be presented within the soundstage. The hybrid pad that comes included with the GL2K did not change soundstage, however it did bring a slight loss in image accuracy, the T1.2 straddles a line between both, with loss in image detail after tubing, which is to be expected from vacuum tube amplification. - [ ] Concerning Bass: the GL2K handily beat both in terms of bass lushness, presentation and quickness of presentation, with both the T1.2 (untubed) and HD800S (regardless of tubing) falling behind in bass impact. The bass impact however is nothing to write home about, there was no jaw shakage for bass with any of the three, except with the T1.2 after tubing. - [ ] About that midrange: Vocals take a back seat with the GL2K, a very distant backseat, which makes it the most V-shaped can in my collection so far, both the HD800S and the T1.2 don’t compromise the mid-range for soundstage and imaging in a similar fashion to the GL2K, but in a way for a planar to be able to bring soundstage and imaging to the degree the GL2K does it has to compromise on the mid-range which is understandable. The mid-range by and large on still clear and there are no missed details on the GL2K, but something to keep in mind. - [ ] Treble: both the T1.2 and HD800S are bright cans, both I have modified with other pads to curtail their shrilly highs with Dekoni Elite Hybrid pads so this test regarding treble must be undertaken with that in mind. However the GL2K like it’s sister cans in this comparison like to take the treble to the edge of sibilance but does not cross that line, the treble is further curtailed with the included hybrid perforated pads on the GL2K. The HD800S and the T1.2 both have been moded by me to tame their highs as well, the result is a somewhat equal treble across the board when untubed, however the T1.2 is able to bring the details of the highs much better, and this is further amplified with running them through a tube amplifier. - [ ] Comfort: all three headphones are comfortable by and large, however the GL2K obscene driver size and shape means that it will take sometime for you to find that sweet comfort spot, but unlike the T1.2 and the HD800S, it doesn’t really “disappear” on your head and you will always feel them pressed against you, it is more of a getting used to them kind of thing. - [ ] Build quality: the Byerdynamic much like it’s brethren of the same make are built like German tanks, everything fees sturdy, however I must say that I had the left driver fail on me which promoted me to send them back to Germany for a driver replacement which went smoothly. The HD800S does the Sennheiser thing of making plastic look and feel like luxury items. The GL2K still feel cheaply made and isn’t much of a looker honestly, the matte finish of its aluminum housing makes it feel more plastic than the actual plastic of the HD800S, something to keep in mind. - [ ] Final thoughts: it is hard to grade them from best to worst, after spending the last few hours with all three of them, I find myself loving each of them for a different reason, I wish the GL2K was a little bit better in a few things here and there, but at the end of the day they are a 600$ can, and maybe I expected too much of it to try and go up against the big boys, but they are firmly in place as the best headphone to recommend at that price range. However with the T1.2 being priced so close to it, it is something worth considering, and if you have a tube amp, the T1.2 wins over them handily, but keep in mind that they are 600 ohms and require a lot of juice to allow them to sing. The HD800S once again reminds me how utterly boring it is, it is so impressive technically with such a focus on accuracy that listening it feels like it forces the details on you with the end result being a technically accurate but extremely boring headphone. At least for me. Gaming test will be undertaken either tomorrow or at a later date. Thank you for reading and I hope this helps you make a more informed purchase decision.
I have a feeling this is going to be another one of those varying QC issue headphones. Some reviews are saying these are fantastic and others are saying they're borderline crap for the price. Bad QC and production variances are a likely culprit IMO.
@@MasonMena one screw can't be quality control, little Loctite for threads and it will be fine. Cheap plastic "gold" grillZ are another story :) I personally think they look cheap crap. Also like dark color of one sided magnet better, this silver really screams chinse in my opinion.
@@velko2433 FR variances are also pretty common with Chinese brands like Thieaudio and Hifiman. Earlier Audezes as well. FR variance are regarded as QC issues. edit: there are many other factors considered as QC, driver failures, headband defects etc... Should consider this on a brand new headphones, especially if it's Chinese (I'm looking at you failed 2019 SKU Sundara that I had to return)
Whenever there is a less than stella review of a headphone touted as a giant killer, many people are quick to claim that the reviewer must have received their sample from a bad batch.
![ละลาย (LALALYE) - DAOU PITTAYA ต้าห์อู๋ พิทยา [OFFICIAL MV]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/wo6r9TgausI/mqdefault.jpg)
For anyone wanting my EQ profile for the GL2000 Double Sided, I'm still working on it and I will be posting that to the forum thread here: forum.headphones.com/t/goldplanar-gl2000/10236/5?u=resolve
you all probably dont give a shit but does anyone know of a trick to get back into an instagram account??
I stupidly lost the password. I appreciate any help you can offer me!
@Ahmed Mack Instablaster :)
@Abram Harry Thanks so much for your reply. I got to the site through google and Im in the hacking process atm.
Takes quite some time so I will get back to you later with my results.
@Abram Harry It worked and I now got access to my account again. I'm so happy!
Thanks so much, you saved my account !
@Ahmed Mack No problem :D
To preface this mini review i am a beginner to this hobby and my collection is not that large, so you can take my opinions with a grain of salt. Still, i wanted to give those who are on the fence about purchasing these my first hand experience on what it's like to own a pair of GL2000s.
Comfort - First off, these things are heavy (all metal build) but not so heavy that it would cause any pain in your neck. There is an nice balance of clamping force and padding which creates little pressure on the top of your head. Im confident that i could wear these for a whole day.
Connection - The cable that comes with it is nice but i have no use for the 4.4 pentacon, currently using a periapt cable with it. The connection points on the earcup are nice and solid, no wiggling.
Pads - Nice thick pads, i opted for the perforated pads cause to me it widens the soundstage a bit and smooths out the sound, also less hot on the ears
Sound - This thing produces sound in a very grand way, think of an indoor concert minus the echo. With the perforated pads it sounds like the venue has an open top. These give a more out of you head sound, but is still extremely detailed. Imaging and separation are spectacular, i feel this comes with territory of having a wider soundstage. Bass is very linear, but it has that planar tightness i love so much.
Songs used:
A Star is Born Ost - Music to My Eyes, I Don't Know What Love Is - Great Vocals, especially Lady Gaga's, Bass comes in real smooth on both songs
Amy Winehouse - Body and Soul with Tony Bennett - Again, great vocals. I've heard this song many times, but this the first time ive heard Amy pronounce the words so clearly. You really hear the separation in their voices during harmonies.
Boney M - Sunny - Probably the most sibilant song in my collection, good slam from beginning bass line, borderline bearable sizzle in vocals (hurts less) even on high gain
Cortex - Huit octobre 1971 - Crisp hi-hats and cymbal crashes forced into your earholes, i enjoyed that
Cuphead OST - Railroad Wraith - AMAZING INSTRUMENT SEPARATION AND IMAGING, bass is there but kinda weak
Death Parade OST - Dounyuu - THICK PLANAR BASS, detailed
Raveena - Honey - Buttery smooth bass, not boomy, harmony separation
Puccio Roelens (Oceans 13 OST) - Caravan - Images like a beast, can really hear nuances and sounds traveling from side to side
The Weeknd - True Colors - smooth and competent bass, but by no means a bass monsters
I can honestly say that ive fallen in love with these cans, despite it being my second pair of planars. Money well spent.
Thank you. I own the pair and i agree with you. I love how u gave reference to songs and described the sound. I hope all reviewers do that.
Agree, imaging, seperation and soundstage are what these headphones excel in. But in everything else I still prefer my Audio-Technica R70x, especially the mids. After I used EQ it sounded ton better, in comparison- without the EQ it's like you put a metal cup over your ears. Plus it made them relaxed and the highs chilled down a bit, as for my liking (had no issues with R70x). You HAVE TO listen to Session from the 17th Ward album by Amber Rubarth (Spotify). That album is the king of soundstage.
the technical breakdown is really, really helpful. I think using it to explain your subjective impressions should be the standard
It *was* the standard, because of Tyll. So thankfully we have a replacement for that site now
Excellent review! Very understandable analysis, to the point and yet still appropriately detailed. One off the best I’ve seen of probably a few hundred so congratulations and thanks!
I love the "exercise in being patient" conclusion. Good job, Andrew.
Yeah like how he calls it the flavor of the month. Many are always looking for the next big thing or just something new. It's kind of like with video games and wanting the newest game where many pre order a game that ends up being mediocre crap.Taking a blind leap of faith on a headphone, game or anything really off of some hype men/hype train is foolish and a rookie mistake.
@@JTB-- Plenty of people have lockdown money to spend. It's no big deal to them/me/us
@@ConnorHammond But you could have spent your lockdown money much wiser on the $700 Ananda or the new Focal Celestee $990 if money isn't the issue and you wanted to really get some great bang for your buck. Whatever... it's your $$$
@@JTB-- You don't know what is better bang for buck. You're hearing opinions and trying to guide others based on speculation. It is indeed my money.
@@ConnorHammond It is your money and I so don't care how you spend it. I'm just trying to save some people like you who obviously fell for the hype train. When you just paid $630 bucks for a headphone that's only comparable to the $350 Sundara... you got BEAT!! You can try and justify the purchase all you want. My point is the Ananda at $700 competes with $1500+ headphones... and the Focal Celestee $990 coming in early February is being compared to the $2990 Stellia sound signature which is insane value! So while you're over spending for a lame mediocre Big Mac.... I'm finding top of the line, world class Filet Mignon for a steal of a price. But if buying into the hype train from reviewers who make money from headphone sale's is your thing... more power to ya!!
been waiting for this review!
The hype machine for these cans were real. Fantastic to see a level-headed breakdown on them.
Let's be honest. It's THAT guy on youtube who hyped it
@@deluxesofa audio hobby is damm stupid at times, watched 5 reviews so far, all different opinions.
Not just him, many others too. By now you should know that Andrew is a massive hifiman fanboy
Yep, this is exactly the Resolve cold shower I needed after watching the Z review. :)
Thank you for your review. I found this very helpful. And for those skeptics…, sure, tastes vary and preferences are subjective. Measurements don’t tell everything and enjoying the sound is what matters after all. However, I believe a good professional review should at least offer a detailed analysis and logical reasoning behind them, instead of just saying “this is awesome/terrible.” In that sense, I think this review is doing a great job in that it gives explanations, comparisons, measurements, and even openness to different opinions as thoroughly as possible.
ive had these a couple weeks, no issues yet, running with a Monoprice THX Desktop Dac/Amp. Takes to eq very well, and my favorite with electronic music (techno, dub, industrial, bass music). Very macro sound.. Huge comfy pads, switch to hybrids for width
Macro sound is a good description. Yeah I also EQ'd them a bit, I may post my profile on the forum thread for it.
@@TheHEADPHONEShow please do I just do a 2-3db shelf at 110 and 1db at 7 k, but like we all have collections this to me is for that big thick club sound, techno is amazing with that boost for kicks
Ooooo I can’t wait mine arrive friday only paid 400$ for a double magnet
I just wanted to say I very much enjoy your reviews. In my opinion, you’re the best headphone reviewer on the web, and you come the closest to filling the void created when Tyll retired. Keep up the great work and many thanks.
You got it. Tyll, Steve, and Andrew imo. No smoke show honesty
Great conclusion and advice about not getting on the 'flavor of the month' bandwagon.
Really enjoy hearing your comments and opinions on things, well done as always! I do own these as well as many other headphones (too many... including the Arya) and I do not regret purchasing these at all. I'll add that I agree that no, they are not the golden ticket to replace all high end headphones but they do perform extremely well and I absolutely love listening to them. I just hope that people are not being harsher on reviewing them due to the exaggerated hype because they definitely deserve some praise, they are insanely enjoyable to listen to. But yea, these are not for bass heads that's for sure.
To answer another person's question, I haven't had issues with the loose joint on my set yet but I have only had them for a week and I am fairly careful with my stuff.
I agree , i have been listening to these HP for the past couple of weeks and come to love the sound quite a bit . They work well with all genres i throw at it . Compared to my previous HP (Grado PS500e) , the frequency response is quite balanced . My only cons are just the vocals range that sometimes can get a bit buried in the mix (Compared to my Grados that is) .
Everyone who has them loves them, I expected better from Resolve than just to try and be contrarian and score “honesty” points with the uninformed. He is giving them a bad review just because there is a hype about them and nothing more. I have them and I have Verite Closed, Abyss Diana V2, HD800S and T1.2. And it is no stranger with those guys as well.
What makes it worse is him coming along and liking all the comments that trash on Zeos, very low move ethically speaking, I expected better from you Andrew.
Andrew you are the only one who I really trust for my headphone buying decisions. Thank you for your passion, time and honesty
No offense, but i'm actually really glad your review didn't came out before zeos and chris lol. I might not have gotten the GL2000 if i had watched your review first, which i'm really glad that wasn't the case. Because i absolutely love the GL2000. I almost couldn't tell the difference in sound when compared to my arya. I have been grabbing this repeatedly so far since the day i got it.
Literally the best purchase i have made in a long while compared to all my other expensive headphones...coughs LCD2 and LCDX....don't get me wrong, i still really love my arya though but my love is kinda split between this and arya now. I feel bad for my sundaras that has been collecting dust D:
Really interesting, seems like gl2000 not works well with some genres of music. Its interesting how he says that they have dry lows. I think i will stay with my 4xx and go for some pads and cable and be happy.
@@velko2433 yeaaa it boils down to personal preference really. I really like the sound of my GL2000. At least to my ears it doesn't really sound dry though. Or maybe i'm just not bothered by it i guess.
@@velko2433 I loved my pair of 4xx when I first got them, but over time I couldn't get over the sibilance and extremely rolled off bass. These issues only got worse as the stock pads started to flatten with use. The gl2000 look to have a more linear bass response which I think is very close the Ananda and Arya. BGGA says the gl2000 has no problem doing bass and I trust him when he says it because he hates bass light cans.
@@KTT94 i see many people find them 4xx sibilant and lacking bass , but i am fine with this. I have no problem with sibilance because i use little eq on 8-10k - 1,5db , and bass is ok for me, i actually find them really bassy with little eq on 30-40hz . I have made grill mode and now i am goiung for different pads and cable. But i wanted to get second pair of open planars and when i saw this 2 review of Z and BGGA i was sold, but now i am not so sure. I am sure that amount of bass on gl2000 will be just enough for me, because i love planar bass.
@@velko2433 I tried EQing them as well, but I still wasn't satisfied with the sound. I found myself reaching for them less and less, sigh. Anyways my pair of gl2000 is out for delivery today, I hope they live up to the hype.
Saw Z’s review, now yours. Shoot from the lip emotional stream of consciousness vs careful, considered, data driven, professional and useful. Oh my! So great to listen to someone who actually cares about their audience, rather than provoking (I’ll be polite) “information cascades”. And one more thing - your slightly understated presentation and Canadian accent are very engaging. Keep it up!
Oh please what a crock
Z is a hype-man, so watch his videos with that in mind. he is entertaining as all heck though, but information wise, better do a double or triple check if you want a thing he endorse.
@@josuad6890 Amen
@@josuad6890 yep Z sucks as a reviewer
I bought the GL2000 from Z’a reviews, and I don’t regret it at all. They punch waaaay above their weight of 600$, they do certain things that none of my other headphones do. Resolve is just being contrarian to be contrarian, if Z didn’t hype it up, he would have been all over it. A shame really, I thought better of Resolve than to be like that. Resolve did you burn the GL2K in, when I got them out of the box they were absolute garbage, I only really started evaluating them after 72 hours of burn in. This is a very important detail as well.
The best review I’ve seen on these so far - just pulled the trigger on a used set and this review helps temper my expectations. Thanks! 🙌🏽
Ill be subscribing to your reviews from now on. I was tempted to order these but glad I didn’t. Thank you for your in depth review along with charts to show the performance. I’m super happy with my Sundaras. I guess the grass isn’t greener on the other side.
Thank god I didn't jump on this. I literally had it in my cart about to hit buy and just couldn't do it. As always, thank you for the detailed review!
This hype for the GL2000 is giving me a feeling of FOTM IEMs that flooded Headfi in the past years, I have bad feelings about that. If those hypes keep coming, it's inevitable that we'll eventually fall for one of them without auditioning first, especially during COVID when all shows are canceled.
I'm very grateful that reviewers like you exist so I have something consistent to rely on.
worst still when these FOTM being hyped as giant killers....
For the screws loosening you can fix that by applying loctite to the threads so they will set in place and no longer move.
Hi, today they arrived, they are great straight out of the box.. , i have not a big experience, but for me they are superb hp for the money: air, detail, bass, dynamics... my music is metal, rock, edm, sometimes hiphop.. only one thing, the clamping force could be little higher (i have smaller head)
For edm, how do they compare to other headphones you have? I listen to a lot of edm and reviewers rarely cover that genre which is always more bassy than other genres. Of course, eq helps but what are they like in your opinion specifically with regard to edm? Thanks!
@@TheJbh147 Hi, I have only two hp Audioquest nighthawk carbon and gl2000, the bass is much more tight and clean, for my ears they are great for edm.. I have also mangird tea and tape pro iems, the gl2000 are the best for me..
Your other headphone is one of the worst tuned headphones that used to exist on the market. It was pulled not before being lowered in price 3 times to over 70% off, and yet it still didnt sell because of how incoherent its tuning was. What you just did was the equivalent to eating only hamburgers made from rat meat, then reviewing it like it was a regular burger that normal people would eat.
Thanks for the honest and really complete review
Meanwhile Audeze charges 500$ for a case (lcd x)
My advice to people would be to stop dicking around in the lower tier level purchases and simply save up for an end game. I did just that two years ago and haven't bought a full sized since. It's definitely an addictive hobby and it's difficult to tame purchases, but buying an end game helps put the brakes on lower level impulse buys that will inevitably end up costing the same or more of said end game. The fact is you will NEVER be satisfied...but having something really good already will help tip the scales in favor of not purchasing something when you're on the fence. This has been my experience.
True, but you cant appreciate the end game if youve never heard the lower tier stuff. What you are talking about is human nature, were always looking for the next best thing. someone who starts out with say an LCD4 wont have a whole lot of options after that
Actually good advice for anyone that is seriously getting into the hobby, the mid level HiFi is a dangerous area for that reason exactly.
Dan M - you are exactly right - and right where where I am. I have made many regretful purchases thinking that I will "hit the jackpot" with a good but not great headphone at a "moderate price". End result? A lot of wasted money on mediocre cans that I don't listen to. All of that money added up to at least Utopias. Sundara, 6XX or Elex are more than adequate to get into "the hobby" (along with a decent amp/DAC you can grow with). Meanwhile don't waste your money on ihe latest/trendy offering which will be ultimately unsatisfying. Likewise don't waste your $ on super expensive electronics. You need enough good, low distortion, clean power to get the most out of your phones - even low efficiency planars in case you ever go that way. Tubes are nice because you can change the sound easily, but absolutely not necessary.
In other words the quickest way to a satisfying end game is to save and focus your resources on gear that actually makes a difference to the sound. If you avoid the other stuff you'll find that you can ultimately afford summit headphones and be happier and have more money. Does anyone really need (or want) a "wall" of crappy/mediocre headphones? Sure they sound "different". But once you've experienced the summit you'll never bother with them again.
+1 to Jud C. Sampling things is great for knowing what your preferences are, in such a subjective hobby. The compromise I'd argue, is when getting into any new hobby, skip the consumer level budget stuff and go straight to enthusiast. I got a 400$ well used bike, that I tore down and rebuilt to my liking for another 400$, and in these covid times I could probably get 1200 for it. My prior bike was a brand new 600$ hybrid that I'd probably be lucky to get 250 for. Average Joes getting into a new hobby, think they want brand new, with warranty, or they want to pay nothing. And so gear that targets that audience has no resale value. Enthusiast level gear attracts enthusiasts that know the value of the product and have the cash to pony up, so as long as you acknowledge that everything depreciates, it's usually less of a problem if it turns out you don't like something. Except Grado headphones, their built quality/materials choice was shocking, I don't care what they sound like (and their sound did not agree with me at all) you could get better build quality out of China 2 decades before I got my one and only pair of grados in 2015, "made in America" be damned.
Completely agree.
I wasted thousands on buying multiple $300 to $500 iems, probably have 10 of em laying around only to pull the trigger on good deals on high end iems, specifically Lime Ears Aether R and Noble K10U, both of which sound incredible and have no real flaws like my "lesser" iems which now get little ear time.
The only lesser iem I would keep is my JVC FW01 because of its sound signature being smooth and bassy fun, the others were stepping stones that are impossible to recoup my costs because people don't like buying used iems.
Do yourself a favour and wait for a high end iem or HP to go for a killer deal, they are out there, Drop or manufacturer seconds or Black Friday sales. My Elex is my final HP purchase because it competes with their other headphones costing double
I love how detailed these reviews are 😌
been waiting for this review for a long time haha
Hi Andrew,
Thanks for the review.
I have been waiting for this, your review makes a lot of sense and it really helps.
Thanks for the honest and more analytical review, you're the second reviewer to have an issue with a loose joint screw in the same area which is a little worrying.You're the first however to describe the headphone as having inferior bass response, drastically inferior to most of the common competitors described.
Though the general concesses I got from this video is that it's at least a slightly better *sidegrade* to the sundara rather than straight *upgrade* which is dissapointing because the headphone as it stands is £200 more than the sundara. It's not enough to cancel my pre-order but alot to consider in future when I decide to drop money on a headphone with very few reviews.
As somone who has never bought a relatively expensive headphone before, and denied the Focal Elex because I live in europe I still look forward to getting my hands on this!
Just get a used LCD 2 pre fazor or Hifiman HE500 and thank me later.
I don’t think he mentioned it being better than a Sundara in any way, if anything the poorer bass response makes it overall worse. FR is “worse” but that’s pretty subjective. Resolution and detail is similar. I guess the one thing that the GL2000 has is cup swivel but it’s also heavier so I feel like that most offsets whatever it gains with cup swivel. Suppose the GL2000 does come in a pelican like case, but you could easily buy a pelican case (and a meze cable) with the price difference.
@@AresWasTaken Hence why I said *sidegrade* vs *upgrade*
@@GhostTheAssassin it’s more or a downgrade but hey it’s your money m8
Many have said that the pad change solves a lot of the problems he complains of, but because he doesn't like the frequency graph with the other pads he doesn't review them in the form people actually prefer them and are actually using them
Love your work. I would very much enjoy a review from you on the quad era-1.
been waiting, for you and also DMS to get ur hands on these, before i consider dropping cash on a pair
Also Joshua Valour
I love the fact that it comes with a strong case for portability.
One key take-away is to be patient until more people are able to experience, review and arrive at a general consensus. In several weeks, our collective experiences will be able to define who the GL2000 is for. People will be able to have better basis for deciding and not rely on pure hype. We're definitely seeing it now already as more of us have been receiving our orders already. Sometimes however, the hype is correct and it's just a matter of time when what started as hype becomes canon at the most, or valid at the very least.
330 comments below me. Wow, taking an opposite stance that courts controversy definitely helps with the TH-cam algorithm huh. It's also really helpful to use careful language because it really balances those telling smirks.
Patience really is the bottom line that I'm trying to express with this. Otherwise you end up with a feedback loop of hype and purchase justification
Hey Andrew, excellent, detailed review. Do you plan to review some Fiio products in the future? Like the FH7 or the FA9?
Once again. The crown of level headed reviews rests on your head.
lol You were very polite about that FR, would be easy to say that the 5k death murder spike is so awful that it blocks out the 11,14k spikes which would otherwise murder you! Appreciate the sober take on this, it was definitely being overhyped.
Thank you for the review, Resolve.
I‘d take the case and skip the hf.
I love the fact that you have a subjective view and an objective view of the sound in your videos
I'm glad to see this review. I only got to demo them and only one track I had access to had a lot of stuff going on in the treble region and that was the only track that sounded off to me. If they were $350 I would be all over them but at the full msrp I strugle to see the value given the headphones I already have. Given the review my impression of the bass was off and I need a better selection of music on my phone incase I get other chances to demo something while out. I hated them with the hybrid pads but with the pleather pads I remember being very impressed with the bass extension. I don't recall thinking the bass was one note but the music I used wasn't ideal either. I'm glad to hear I made the right choice by waiting for more reviews and passing on these. Thank you.
Yeah it's not 'one note', and it is well extended, but even compared with Sundara, GL2K lacks bass detail and texture
@@TheHEADPHONEShow yeah, the Sundara has ruined a lot of headphone purchases for me. Lol. They even compete well with the Focals I have.
Great review Andrew, I'm thinking of getting the Ananda. Which headphones under $500 do you think could complement it the most?
I had my suspicions about it.
I was like hmmm, I need to learn more about its technical performance.
Cause I suspected it might screw up with that.
But to my little amazement it did bad in other categories too.
That Focal tease tho...I see you! 🤫
Oh thank God for this review. I trust your review is more than a lot of other reviewers out there. You put out a lot more realistic expectations, quality and as I do understand frequency response it makes it a lot easier for me to relate with a sound pattern. I've made my decision on these headphones. I'm going back to the sundaras
All youtube reviewers who've reviewed the GL2000 listen to different music libraries and tracks for testing, thus all have differing results; however across the board, these headphone's have received positive reviews. There is no such thing as a perfect headphone. The headphone you love using for your listening enjoyment is what counts. My order for the GL2000 has been placed.
Frequency response measurements don't care what your music library is :P but the only thing that matters in this hobby is that you end up enjoying the headphone
@@metal571 bro you are the worst get out the comments and back on headphone shows tweeter lol
@@theodorezurla496 😂😂 ok ok I'll stick to Twitter lol
@@metal571 No no. You need to come back and start doing reviews again. Your honest perspective is sorely missed. Don’t be a Karen, get off Twitter, and come home.
Really enjoyed the nuts and bolts review. I’m always interested in how irrelevant some measurements can be when compared to “reference”. The GL2000 did get some hype and for $639, they are worth every penny. For my ears, they don’t need EQ. I tweaked frequencies for about a week but am now back to flat and happy. Maybe my ears are shot, but I hear no grain or other related oddities. Too bad so many people like them. Had they gotten a couple high profile “average” reviews, I think there would have been a flurry of “Wow, best value ever!” reviews to follow. Anyway, soundstage alone blew me away. I’ll try to be more critical with those other characteristics, but so far, all signs point to great value.
Thanks for this I am on my hunt for my preferred headphone, just returned the he4xx and ordered the Sundara to try out, if I don't like those I was think the GL2000 as the next step up guess I will skip them and look elsewhere.
Did you keep the Sundara's or did you get the GL 2000's?
Newbie here. You say you listen to Jazz and mention this might be better for other types of music, but don't mention what those types of music that may be. Personally, while new, I find that I like different things for different types of music. For example, movie soundtracks vs vocals with a single instrument. So while this may not be the right headphone for Jazz perhaps it fits better to another type of music?
Also, it was mentioned by another reviewer that the amplification plays apart in how this sounds. Perhaps you cover this in other videos, but I don't know what you are listening with. Other reviewers clearly said that this does well with Class A amplification vs a linear approach of a Topping A90 or equally linear THX representation.
Lastly, I look at headphones like bicycle seats. Not everyone is built the same and not everyone rides the same way. For me, this comparison is very linear, what I would really enjoy is a review that states how to get the best out of a headphone. What does it do well, how to amplify it and what type of music really fits its tuning. Rap, Jazz, Movies, Vocals are all different. Also, while some headphones are very technical, they may not be overly enjoyable - which for me is most important.
Sorry if this wasn't clear, it's not that this is better for other genres, but more so that I particularly notice the 'percussion compression' issues with the 5khz peak on my jazz recordings that have a prominent percussion section. Maybe if you're listening to something that doesn't have that, it would be better. My source equipment is listed in the description.
@@TheHEADPHONEShow OK, thank you. I cancelled my order. I thought they would be cool with a Class A Amp. But it's too confusing to know what to get.
Realy enjoyed this review, are you going to check the monolith m1570? Would realy like to know how they compare with this and other mid/high end planars
Yes please. Haven't had the chance to hear the 1070 or 1570, but various M570s have been measured and are a broken design with 650 Hz ringing
I loved the 1070s so much. Incredibly underrated IMO.
@@bosthebozo5273 never tried the 1070 but i love my 1570. Planning to mod them with hifiman or audeze headband to improve the comfort
@@Andr3_E90 Sweet, I really want to try a pair of those. My only concern was the weight because I'd want to wear them for hours on end.
@@bosthebozo5273 i am quite a big guy so the weight isn't much of a concern, i can wear them even for 3-4 hours straight without any problem. But i have skinnier friends that feel discomfort after just 30-40 minutes so it can realy be a dealbraker for someone
Hi, Andrew. This is my first time watching videos on your channel, much I enjoyed it, especially for your attempt to explain sounds in a scientific way. But here I have an advice which might be challenging and troublesome. Speaking of the way of reviewing audio products, I am most convinced by the way Stereophile does, which measuring and listening are done by different groups of people to avoid bias due to the measurement while listening. While I understand there definitely are relations between how it sounds and the FR of a pair of headphones, I always found that there might be some other factors, which we still don't know how to measure, that impact the sound as well, and they might compensate what looks like a flaw on FR (or produce sound defects that FR doesn't tell). So what I'm asking for is, is it possible that you finish the subjective part of the review before measuring? That's a better (and more challenging) way of reviewing a product IMO, and it'll also be very interesting to compare the subjective thoughts and the objective measurements afterward.
Thia is exactly what i was referring to. I mentioned that it looked like he measured it, and then nitpicked the parts that dont conform to the target curve he likes. If you go out looking for 5k spikes, of course you're going to convince yourself that you hear it.
I always measure after subjective listening. Measurements are only one part of the story. An important part, but I'm a subjectivist at heart
ever see the Stax SR-Lambda FR? looks very similar to the GP GL2000 but so many love the SR-Lambda when they hear it- so listening to the HP is key
I haven't had a chance to evaluate that yet, but yeah I agree, listening to the headphone is key.
Zeos and BGGAR almost had me pulling the trigger on these. Then I looked at my gear collection and all the “meh” headphones Zeos had convinced me to get. I thought to myself, “I’ll just wait for a review on The HEADPHONE Show and see what the actual deal is with these.”. Glad I did. Thanks for the rock solid quality content.
What are these meh headphones...
@@jaroslavfricek7772 same, I'd like to know this too, and what you have that isn't "meh" in comparison
Zeos is an idiot and comes across to me as an extremely unpleasant and suspect individual. God knows how he's still got an audience.
Regrettably, Gl2000 actually sounds really good on my head, better than any headphone at simillar price that I've listened to. It's the ears that matter, not curve.
Glad you enjoy it! We should all be so lucky. The bottom line is that if you like the way something sounds, be happy.
There's just waaaaay. too many things that CANNOT be measured by a curve and I would say FR is just half of what makes good sound, and less than half of what makes enjoyable sound.
do you have the same channel imbalance like the one measured ?
@@lextr3110 My pair works well. If you want to buy them, you can check the after-sales of the store just in case.
@@jasonlynn2505 not interested for now.. i will wait for more review
today as of 2021, you are one of the more professional reviewers out there that goes deeper into the technical important staff. thx
Excellent review and conclusion.
So glad I returned them. Knew the hype was bs. I need bass and no one would address it clearly. Have been happy modding Fostex T20s so far. Except for the center staging.
I did tell you on Drop that they would not be good for the bass that you wanted :) I still absolutely love my set but I am glad you found what you wanted!
I consistently enjoy Andrew's reviews. His taste tends to align with my own, and has informed some purchases that I've been incredibly happy with (Arya, Verité, Clear). I'm glad I waited for this review before taking the plunge on the GL2000.
The Verite is the absolute bomb! I’ve never heard a better all around headphone that is detailed, yet not harsh.
@@irondad007 It's so good. Zach is the king.
Honestly if you like the Arya, you would like the GL2000. I have both myself and the GL2000 has many qualities going for it that resemble the Arya, alas it is not better than the Arya but it’s also $1000 MSRP less.
My findings were very similar to yours. Minus the testing rig. Lol
I found this compression like qualities very annoying. Not sure if you would qualify it as upper mids or lower treble? I actually describe it as a low treble region. Same thing goes for upper bass region. It’s muddy and affects both, upper bass and lower mids. Very unsettling. I also agree on technicality. Not close to my LCDX. Good enough but not reference quality. Overall, I think they’re fine headphones. A little overhyped lol But I can see ppl calling them their end game in 700-1K price range.
I have found these models in similar price range. Which one to choose? Thanks
- Gold Planar GL2000
- Cleer Audio NEXT Wired
- Beyerdynamic T1 2nd Gen Ninja Edition
- Beyerdynamic T5 3rd Generation
- Beyerdynamic DT 1990 Pro
- iBasso SR2
- HIFIMAN Ananda
- Focal Elegia
- Focal Celestee
Ananda, Celestee or Elex
Resolve out here breaking down the hype
Man I just ordered one of these with the dual magnets for 400$ I can’t wait for it to show up it should be here Friday
You talked a bit about eq on some of the other headphones.... did you try any eq on the gl2000? If so, how did it fare?
Pinned comment. Still not something I'd get over a Sundara 2020, Ananda or Elex. But people may have different preferences.
The one we've been waiting for :D!
How do these compare sound wise to the Audeze Mobius?
I picked these up but don't have them yet. I want to say this was an excellent review. I wanted to ask how they eq?
They take it reasonably well actually.
This analytical review is highly appreciated, no hype just facts.
Meanwhile, Zeos doing the best he can.....
as a salesman.
Keep debating on buying these.
This was way too technical for my taste of a review for a headphone and i appreciate the effort 100%. However, would love to know (you personally) how they sound in different type of music and stuff, more than just technical comparisons and graphs. keep it up
It's an important line to walk when giving descriptions yeah. Basically, it has an 'overly excited' kind of sound with the upper treble emphasis. So, oddly bright at certain parts, but at other times a bit congested (like with my jazz tracks that I like).
my pionneer hdj-c70 mostly perfect tone with coiled cable showed easily the hazy constant tone of the GL2000 on zeos sound demo, same with adx5000 who couldnt compete without HF filter pads in front of the driver and back
also showed the exagerated soundstage using out of phase trickery of some sort on GL2000
true good headphone will never have constant tone they show the tone of what theyve been fed with
New Microphone!
Amazing! Can you please recommend me headphones that don't leak that still feel airy/spacious I want headphones that are natural but not too flat. Thanks!
you show an eq graph with all the headphones you review but not with the GL2000 ?
I have one, still working on it though - it'll be in the forum thread.
I know you can't depend much on sound demos but after listening to Zeos's sound demo on the GL2000 and then now listening to your review, I'm very surprised to see very similar opinion to my own regarding this headphone from you.
Well, it's going to be a pass for me! Thanks for the review!
Yeah like, there is comparative value there. But I always worry about people assuming that's what something actually sounds like haha.
The zeos sound demo for me personally sounded detailed but fake. Not natural sounding at all
I have no concerns over balanced pentaconn, I prefer it over XLR or 2.5mm I think more systems should be pentaconn actually since its the future. Either 3.5mm or 4.4 thats really all we need.
You mean the GL2000 isn't the end all be all of headphones like some other reviewers have said, shocker.
I get what you're saying, but Zeos still made me spend a lot of money, so whos the real loser.
@@nikks1371 Do you like the headphone? If you like it you win.
By whom?
Turns out..
We Will See
I don't understand how can 2 people have drastically opposite opinions about a headphone.
Zeos from z reviews praised this as best ever & now after seeing your review i think he oversold it. (why? Because a technical & scientific review is always agreeable than just stating sentences)
but as they say: To each their own.
Thank you for review.👏
If you want to have only one Headphone as endgame what will you recommend? I have been using k7xx for 2 years now and saving since then so ofc the budget ia not 5k but about 3.5k
Something that's emerging now afterwards is that there may be some unit variation going on with these as well. So that may explain it. Still, the people I trust who have heard this generally agree with the notion that it's been overhyped.
As for endgame, that's always a tough question. If you want true end game, that's the Susvara and a powerful amp of some kind. I do recommend that, but if you're a bit more budget conscious, I also recommend getting into the LCD2F or LCD-X (not the classic), and then learning how to EQ... Because they need it haha. But their technical performance is way better than anything else in that price bracket.
Also, it's worth considering the type of presentation you desire. Planars are great but some people prefer dynamic driver presentations, in which case I recommend going with a high impedance DD and a tube amp from ampsandsound. Currently loving my EQ'd verite with the Kenzie
@@TheHEADPHONEShow thank you so much. Yeah the thought of unit variation went over my head. Coming to planar vs dd i only heard dd till now so ofc judging planar for that presentation will be not recommended i will listen to my friends headphones then i will make a decision. Thanks alot though 👍👏
I was leaning towards Vérité closed. & as much I've read they are not that different to opens apart from soundstage your's are open ofc right?
Btw I have a90 won't that be enough for susvara or even for Vérité closed?
was about to buy into the hype... i guess i'll just get the ifi signature for my sundara instead..
I have the Sundara. Where can I find the signature?
@@bosthebozo5273 its for the 6xxs DROP
I can get a double-sided GL2000 at the 400-ish dollar price point, guess it would make more sense there instead of 600.
Really, where? That's a insanely good price I would jump on that. I own these and they are really good despite the frequency graph - they sound incredible.
How??
In the Chinese website Taobao, it's directly from the manufacturer of GoldPlanar, and it is WAY cheaper then what Linsoul listed ;)
@@teddyisntabear I'll check them out! Thanks!
@@teddyisntabear can you please link to that listing on taobao ? i couldn't find it myself
Perhaps loctite will fix those screws backing out?
This or the Sennheiser HE 1?
Great comment! Be patient and look around! Thanks for your input! I have a specific question that is relevant to DJ and producers.... Could you test Sonarworks Reference 4 Headphone software? Its supposed to "EQ" headphones so that they are completely FLAT. So my questions are: From an audiophile perspective, what do you think about the "correction" the software uses and 2) Does using Sonarworks with headphones like Beyer 990 PRO 250ohm "Even the playingfield" vs Beyer DT 1990 Pro a)without Sonarworks and b) with Sonarworks???? Peeps! This is a serious question! Like my comment and send me to the top so we can explore this theme through a Veteran audiophile's perspective!!!!
I wish there was an easy way to just try all of these headphones and find what's right for you.
I usually finish the video before commenting but right off the bat i have to say this :
1) Andrew's funny smile at the beginning got me :D, knowing how much people were waiting for the "truth".
2) Dunno if it was done on purpose but as a nerd i directly spotted the teaser in the back, Focal _________ (enter the mysterEE name 😃) and R10P. Last one is Kennerton ?
That's actually the Radiance, and yeah it's a Kennerton Odin variant.
@@TheHEADPHONEShow Thanks for clarifying. :) That got me thinking, maybe you missed a free opportunity to hype up the 28th's event at the conclusion ? You know a lot of people are going to watch this review. Just my 2cents.
@@random-internet-dude ehhh, yes... but it's also a totally different product. Not sure I want to do the usual tactics haha.
@@TheHEADPHONEShow I'm sure the community would've had no problem to hear it, plus it benefit all parts and didn't have to be a long speach either just a quick recall and it's not like those reveal events happens everyday anyway. Surely there might be some newcomers to the channel with the hype this headphones got. Something to consider for next time. 🤷♂️
@@random-internet-dude Yeah, it's a good thought.
I put Dekoni nuggets on these, extremely comfortable.
Hello, I have a question for you all. I currently own a pair of Arya. Stock sound was really nitpicky with the recording quality of musics... basicly almost all of my Tidal playlists where unlistenable because voices (mainly female one's) and high tone instruments where too bright, it sounded too unnatural....
Yesterday I was questionning myself as to should I return them or not and so, as a last resort, I tried eq them with crinacle gras_43ag-7_harman parametric EQ. Oh man ! The sound went from meh / garbage to Duh! OH! Piouf!
Then come an question... Can we EQ all headphones to sound exactly the same ? Like, if you take a sundara and EQ it to ressemble Harman curve like you did with an Arya, then does it sound like the Arya ? If so why pay for more ? Am I missing something in the equation or what ?
Edit : forgot to say my setup is computer with tidal -> USB -> SMSL M300 -> S.M.S.L SP200 THX AAA-888 -> Arya
Tonally you can get them to sound similar but due to driver limitations they won’t perform on the same level. So you can get them close to the same tuning but due to other factors like driver type, driver size, headphone fit, seal, etc... they won’t be on the same level as the Arya
@@rippinfreestyle thanks for the clear anwser 😉
Sundara , Elex, Now these... I guess the headphones with most Quality problems get the 🎂 :)
Sundara has gotten better and Elex really wasn't THAT bad. Clipping problems are hard to detect tho
“It has a major issue - it’s a little on the short side” - it’s two friggen meters long !!!! “The only connector it comes with is 4mm balanced pentagon which is wierd ” - but this is quickly becoming the most common connector. “But I found that because this uses 3,5mm connectors on the bottom I had no problem just swapping this out with other cables that I have” - EXACTLY , that’s why it’s not wierd because GoldPlanar figured that’s precisely what people would do!!! Bro, it’s one thing to be objective and analytical , it another being overly pedantic
Funny, I find that Andrew's tone doesn't come off as pedantic as your comment does. A reviewer's job is to disclose as much info about a product as possible. Whether that info is relevant to the viewer is up for them to decide. Maybe the 4.4mm ordeal doesn't bother you, but for some, it might
What EQ app/device do you use?
Peace ea with equalizer apo work very well on windows. Super easy/intuitive and you can fine tune a lot. Best part is it's open source and free
his impressions seem to contrast with those from a lot of people that love this headphone. I wonder if some people have gotten a bit overhyped or perhaps there is some unit variation happening here. Wouldn't be the first time a midfi planar suffered from unit variation...
Always possible for unit variation. That's such a big thing that explains a lot of different impressions.
I think Andrew pays closer attention to all the different aspects of the sound than many reviewers. He certainly explains it better.
what you think about lcd 2 f vs lcd x because I just bought the x, gonna arrive these days
Both need EQ. LCD-X is more detailed. I like them both.
@@TheHEADPHONEShow and how about the bass and the impact? sorry it is just very difficult to find comparison with the lcd fazor model
@@popops3 the lcd 2 has a wider soundstage
what's on the right to the Focal Radiance in the background?
hifiman r10
Hifiman closed backs
Hifiman 5K dollars flagship closedback planar.
@@Traffic-Light😂 friendship ended with Fang
I am pretty sure it looks like it made of solid materials. If it was liquid or gaseous, you would know pretty quickly.
I do love some juicy hype though!
I posted a written review of GL2000 that I will post here comparing them to headphones I own. I didn’t compare them my Verite Closed as that would be an unfair comparison.
GL2K test, 3-way free of all Battle Royale results between the GL2K, T1.2 and HD800S results:
- [ ] Soundstage: for Soundstage a multi-disciplinary approach was taken, taking into account width of the soundstage over all, as well as the ability of the headphone to present sounds within the soundstage, and between the three the biggest difference between the three was not the size as all three have relatively wide soundstage in comparison to other headphones, but the ability to present micro-details within the soundstage . The HD800S still remain as the top-dog of the headphone world in terms of soundstage, however the GL2K brought something interesting in that it has superior layering capabilities that while the HD800S is able to present said micro details in the soundstage, they however sound distant and inconsequential to the recording, but the GL2K was able to bring those micro details closer within the soundstage however despite doing that, the clarity of the micro-detail was hampered and small sounds like rain droplets, room reverberations and secondary noise in stringed instruments sounded blurry and not as well defined. The T1.2s was able to layer better than the HD800S and to present those micro-details closer however not as close as the GL2K, that is until you run them through a tube and that is when they open up on soundstage to rival the HD800S while being able to present those micro-details in a more convincing matter.
- [ ] For imaging: all three have wonderful imaging capabilities, all three are able to bring images from above and below your head, with the GL2K being able to present the above and below images from further away than both, however the accuracy of the image goes to the HD800S, where a sound from 10 o’clock will be presented there, while in the GL2K it would be between 9 o’clock and 11 o’clock as a haze, and that rings more true the further the sound is supposed to be presented within the soundstage. The hybrid pad that comes included with the GL2K did not change soundstage, however it did bring a slight loss in image accuracy, the T1.2 straddles a line between both, with loss in image detail after tubing, which is to be expected from vacuum tube amplification.
- [ ] Concerning Bass: the GL2K handily beat both in terms of bass lushness, presentation and quickness of presentation, with both the T1.2 (untubed) and HD800S (regardless of tubing) falling behind in bass impact. The bass impact however is nothing to write home about, there was no jaw shakage for bass with any of the three, except with the T1.2 after tubing.
- [ ] About that midrange: Vocals take a back seat with the GL2K, a very distant backseat, which makes it the most V-shaped can in my collection so far, both the HD800S and the T1.2 don’t compromise the mid-range for soundstage and imaging in a similar fashion to the GL2K, but in a way for a planar to be able to bring soundstage and imaging to the degree the GL2K does it has to compromise on the mid-range which is understandable. The mid-range by and large on still clear and there are no missed details on the GL2K, but something to keep in mind.
- [ ] Treble: both the T1.2 and HD800S are bright cans, both I have modified with other pads to curtail their shrilly highs with Dekoni Elite Hybrid pads so this test regarding treble must be undertaken with that in mind. However the GL2K like it’s sister cans in this comparison like to take the treble to the edge of sibilance but does not cross that line, the treble is further curtailed with the included hybrid perforated pads on the GL2K. The HD800S and the T1.2 both have been moded by me to tame their highs as well, the result is a somewhat equal treble across the board when untubed, however the T1.2 is able to bring the details of the highs much better, and this is further amplified with running them through a tube amplifier.
- [ ] Comfort: all three headphones are comfortable by and large, however the GL2K obscene driver size and shape means that it will take sometime for you to find that sweet comfort spot, but unlike the T1.2 and the HD800S, it doesn’t really “disappear” on your head and you will always feel them pressed against you, it is more of a getting used to them kind of thing.
- [ ] Build quality: the Byerdynamic much like it’s brethren of the same make are built like German tanks, everything fees sturdy, however I must say that I had the left driver fail on me which promoted me to send them back to Germany for a driver replacement which went smoothly. The HD800S does the Sennheiser thing of making plastic look and feel like luxury items. The GL2K still feel cheaply made and isn’t much of a looker honestly, the matte finish of its aluminum housing makes it feel more plastic than the actual plastic of the HD800S, something to keep in mind.
- [ ] Final thoughts: it is hard to grade them from best to worst, after spending the last few hours with all three of them, I find myself loving each of them for a different reason, I wish the GL2K was a little bit better in a few things here and there, but at the end of the day they are a 600$ can, and maybe I expected too much of it to try and go up against the big boys, but they are firmly in place as the best headphone to recommend at that price range. However with the T1.2 being priced so close to it, it is something worth considering, and if you have a tube amp, the T1.2 wins over them handily, but keep in mind that they are 600 ohms and require a lot of juice to allow them to sing. The HD800S once again reminds me how utterly boring it is, it is so impressive technically with such a focus on accuracy that listening it feels like it forces the details on you with the end result being a technically accurate but extremely boring headphone. At least for me.
Gaming test will be undertaken either tomorrow or at a later date. Thank you for reading and I hope this helps you make a more informed purchase decision.
I can't decide between GL2000, Ananda and LCD-X(Pre-Owned)
It used to be 500$ . After z review made a video about it it's now 650+ $
Damn you reviewers
I have a feeling this is going to be another one of those varying QC issue headphones. Some reviews are saying these are fantastic and others are saying they're borderline crap for the price. Bad QC and production variances are a likely culprit IMO.
excuse my ignorance, but what QC means?
@@velko2433 quality control
@@MasonMena one screw can't be quality control, little Loctite for threads and it will be fine. Cheap plastic "gold" grillZ are another story :) I personally think they look cheap crap. Also like dark color of one sided magnet better, this silver really screams chinse in my opinion.
@@velko2433 FR variances are also pretty common with Chinese brands like Thieaudio and Hifiman. Earlier Audezes as well. FR variance are regarded as QC issues.
edit: there are many other factors considered as QC, driver failures, headband defects etc... Should consider this on a brand new headphones, especially if it's Chinese (I'm looking at you failed 2019 SKU Sundara that I had to return)
Whenever there is a less than stella review of a headphone touted as a giant killer, many people are quick to claim that the reviewer must have received their sample from a bad batch.
As always, he seems to really like Sundara. But I'm hearing that's... Sundara was no match for Zeus. So I am very curious about the sound of gl2000.
Planar V's DD...Apples and Oranges tbh
FINALLY !!!
I won't pull any trigger without your opinion first.
Elegia or those?
Lets talk about those Hifiman Sony Reps in the background ~ :D
Not sure I'm going to be reviewing them. Measurements and impressions are up on the forum.
ZReviews cried after watching this.