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$500 cans on, this is how you dream right - Official Headphone Thread
- Thread starter HiResDes
- Start date
Dynamite Ringo Matsuri
Member
Nice. You'll enjoy that amp and what it does for your phones. You'll probably want to skimp on the beer to save up for tubes to roll though lolHiResDes said:
BentMyWookiee
Member
I bought the HD595 the other week and I absolutely love them! They were sitting on my Amazon wishlist for a few months, and the entire time Amazon had them listed at $140. So I'm pretty sure they aren't going to skyrocket in price tomorrow.Neckbeard said:
Dynamite Ringo Matsuri
Member
celcius said:
I've always liked the use of wood on phones. I don't know about the Fischer's but I've always wanted to hear a pair of R10s that pack bass. Those are supposed to be magical in tone/timbre.
Dice
Pokémon Parentage Conspiracy Theorist
Those Denons are 25ohms, right? I am extremely pleased with my Schiit Asgard, which I use for my Grado SR 325is, which is another strong-treble set of cans that are at 32ohms like all Grado. The amp is $250, they are pleasing to work with, and it has a 5 year warranty. It does run hot but it kind of fools you because the casing actually functions as a heatsink, so it's not too bad. It cools down really fast after you turn it off. It is very highly regarded for this kind of headphone.
Dice
Pokémon Parentage Conspiracy Theorist
RS2i eh? Those apparently have a warmer yet more refined sound than mine.Salazar said:
I had some comfort issues but after I stuck the headband pad from my 555s on there and got some comfies for earpads it's perfect. The comfies changed the sound too much but after I quarter cut them it's an even better balance than before. It lost a little bit of space but gained a lot of body, which feels more lively. It also smoothed out the fatiguing aspect of the treble while keeping the deliciousness, but my DAC and amp did the most for that.
If I didn't have a pad from the 555s to stick on, I would probably get something else to cushion the headband and weave some ribbon around to secure it. That way I could still easily undo the operation. You may not even need to because the wood would be lighter than the metal on mine.
Are you getting a source and/or amp with them?
MacGurcules
Member
Isn't turning the 555 into a 595 just a matter of opening them up and pulling out the baffling? Seems like an easy way to save some money to me.Neckbeard said:
Dice
Pokémon Parentage Conspiracy Theorist
I went with an HRT Music Streamer II+ and the Schiit Asgard based on recommendations. Apparently my setup isn't even transparent enough to truly show the quality of that DAC but I saved money on the amp because the Asgard is such a good deal. I was also futureproofing for when I get professional equipment for the studio I'm putting together.Salazar said:
Another tip I have is not to underestimate the burn-in on your Grados. Mine sounded kind of like tin cans when I got them. Amazing, magical, seemingly living tin cans, but still. I burned them in just playing music for 3 days and when I tried them again they had gained a ton of musicality.
Dynamite Ringo Matsuri
Member
Alucrid said:
That's a nice starter combo for anyone getting into this hobby. You might wanna create a FS over at Head-Fi too. Got home today, hoping that the SM3s were in the mailbox to no avail. Tomorrow, I hope :\
Dynamite Ringo Matsuri
Member
Yeah, drives me crazy sitting at work thinking they might be in the mailbox while I'm sitting there with time on my hands. I just tell myself that at least they'll actually come in... unlike the RE262's :/ And good luck with the sale.Alucrid said:
Edit: So my phones shipped on the 26th from CA. There's finally an update like a few minutes ago and they barely left Arizona. And yet... they're supposed to be delivered here tomorrow. What. The. Fuck. :l Ugh. And it has delivery confirmation. I'm not going to be home for the rest of this week to sign for it so it'll be held at the PO til I can pick up on Monday. Fuck my life :l
The Big Rig
Member
Ok, I need new earbuds. Here are the Nuforce NE-6's from the OP. Does anyone have experience with these? I'm bad with earbuds, and I've never had a pair last me more than six months. But this is around my price range (I'd like to stay below $50), and hopefully they're decent.
Also, should I get Amazon's warranty, if they do break?
Also, should I get Amazon's warranty, if they do break?
Dynamite Ringo Matsuri
Member
Eh, for the money I'd skip the Nuforces and pick up a pair of Brainwavez M1 or if you could find them, the Cyclone PR1 Pro. Or even better, I'd cut a deal with Alucrid for just his phones since he's selling his Eternas and FiiO as a combo for $60. All three phones will best the Nuforces in sound quality, with the Eternas being the best of the three.The Big Rig said:
squeeeeeeeee o_0 I went and done it...
In the end I listen to you enablers and just went with the "fuck it" mentality :3
Ordered the aiaiai tma-1
Never spent so much money on a pair of headphones before. My most I've spent is 25 on a pair of Sennys and was well happy with them (lasted me 2 years) and just broke. Excited a little. Hope it's worth it.
In the end I listen to you enablers and just went with the "fuck it" mentality :3
Ordered the aiaiai tma-1
Never spent so much money on a pair of headphones before. My most I've spent is 25 on a pair of Sennys and was well happy with them (lasted me 2 years) and just broke. Excited a little. Hope it's worth it.
Dynamite Ringo Matsuri
Member
Ah, yeah. Thanks for clearing that up. I always thought delivery confirmation meant you had to sign for a package. Got home from work extra excited that my SM3s were gonna be in since USPS said the estimated delivery date was 4/29. Refreshed all day at work after 2 PM (when mail is typically delivered) and there was never any update of a delivery. Thought to myself that, hey, maybe the updates are slow, and came home expecting them to be there to no avail :/ Man, If I'm ever shipping out a pair of phones to someone, my ass is doing it priority cause first class blows. Cause I swear, if they aren't there tomorrow and are coming in on Monday :lAshhong said:
Dynamite Ringo Matsuri
Member
MO. Phones are coming from CA via First Class w/deliver confirmation and were shipped at 9 AM on the 26th. I always assumed that First Class and Priority were exactly the same thing, except that Priority supported mailing of larger/heavier packages. I've always gotten stuff from CA through priority in exactly 2 business days. If the phones come in tomorrow, it will have been 4.Ashhong said:
Dynamite Ringo Matsuri
Member
Yeah, I just checked the tracking. They reached the city over about 40 minutes ago. I'm excited man. I'll take pics tomorrow and maybe write a few quick impressions, though they are supposed to be really polarizing upon first listen.Ashhong said:Priority is usually 2-3 business days, whereas firstclass is like 4-5 I think, so tomorrow is pretty good. Thats kind of slow for only going half the country. Usually first class is very fast. O well, you'll probably get them in tomorrow
Dynamite Ringo Matsuri
Member
What kinda setup you rocking Ash?Ashhong said:
manipulate {#123 | 01-02-2011} said:
soultron {#197 | 01-02-2011} said:
Tabris {#211 | 01-02-2011} said:Can anyone recommend the best neckband headphones out there? I can't do over the top as I have spikey/messy hair and can't do inner ear as maybe I have a weird ear but they hurt as hell.
Currently I use these, bluetooth synced but they are kind of flimsy (which is weird for a sennheiser product) and don't block out external noise that well.
Dynamite Ringo Matsuri {#1236 | 01-21-2011} said:
Dreams-Visions {#1237 | 01-21-2011 | @#1236} said:
.hacked {#1656 | 02-08-2011} said:
BreakyBoy {#2589 | 03-30-2011} said:
Alucrid {#2600 | 03-31-2011 | @ #2569} said:
rhfb {#2742 | 04-13-2011} said:Is there such a thing as DECENT wireless headphones? Range would be ~10 feet tops. I ask because my SR80s finally bit the dust, and like every other headphone I've EVER owned, the problem was the wire at the Y eventually separating/causing static/ect I'm going to try to do a solder job on it tomorrow but I have little faith that I will get them back to full working order
I figure wireless = no wire to break at the Y = happy me. I know the sound quality will be shit, but whatever, my SR80s weren't high end to being with anyways. I just want something decent for under $100 that will last.
... !Extollere {#2753 | 04-14-2011 | @ #2743} said:
Overcoming Our Wireless Racism: Sennheiser PX210BT
headfonia_mike {OCTOBER 8 said:This is my second take on a wireless headphone, and like the RS180, this one is also a Sennheiser. With the recent abundance of Sennheiser articles on Headfonia (and on the upcoming ultra-portables shootout, therell be three Sennheiser models), you must wonder if they pay me a lot of money for writing their articles. I know that some local friends, Hadi included, often called me a Sennheiser fanboy. I sure wish that Sennheiser was paying me money, unfortunately that is not happening. And as Ive said previously, this is just a matter of product availability. Id love to try out Bluetooth headphones from the other manufacturers, but just I havent seen them around that much.
Being mostly an audiophile who enjoys big complicated set ups for a rewarding music experience, press releases of Bluetooth based headphones dont really excite me (Who does, anyway?). One day, Tino, a local Sennheiser guy showed me the PX210BT, and I listened to it just to be polite. I was totally floored! I had compared nine of the most popular closed headphones a few months ago, and at that time was working on a comparison of ultra portable headphones, so I know what the competition in the wired world is like. The PX210BT still comes out as a very strong contender, even neglecting its wireless handicap. I told him that the PX210BT sounds really great, and that its a pity that its not getting the attention it deserves among the enthusiasts probably mainly due to the wireless status. Someone needs to write about this headphone!, I told him.
I contacted a friend at Sennheiser Singapore, but he ran out of sample units (he probably didnt expect an enthusiast site like this to be interested in a portable bluetooth headphone). Thanks to my buddy, Sem for the PX210BT loaner. Free promotion for Sennheiser, but what the heck, its a great product!
When I wrote the RS180 article, I was quite surprised to hear how the wireless full size headphone from Sennheiser had a sound thats more fun than any of the wired full sized ones, including the HD650 and the HD800. Although still inferior in the technicalities, the RS180 had a far more engaging sound than any of the wired models. It was the most perfect balance between the traditional laid back Sennheiser sound and yet with a forward and engaging midrange. Now, I dont know what Sennheisers strategy is, because they also had endowed the PX210BT with one of the best tonal balance Ive ever heard on any portable headphones. Dont even compare this with the PX100-II or the PX200-II, or even the HD238, because the PX210BT is more than that. Instead, take some of the more serious wired portables like the HD25-1, the ATH M-50, ATH ESW-9, or the Beyerdynamic T50p and the PX210BT is still a very strong contender in that group (even discounting the wireless capabilities).
For instance, take the HD25-1, which has always been a crowd favorite. The PX210BT is able to stand up to the HD25-1′s audio performance, and even better it in some ways. A fuller midrange, a fuller bottom end, still the same engaging sound, smoother and more refined than the HD25-1′s outdated driver. The HD25-1 still has a stronger bass punch and better PRaT, but other than that, the PX210BT does everything better than the HD25-1, even top and bottom frequency extension. And the PX210BT has quite a punchy bass too, just not as much as the HD25-1.
Next, take the T50p from Beyerdynamic. Yes, the Tesla driver from the T50p still has a superior edge in technicalities and resolution, but I really had problems with the midrange areas and the bass areas. Midrange transition was quite abrupt and a little recessed, and I cant seem to get a good low bass performance out of the T50p. The PX210BT, on the other hand, has a much more full midrange and low bass, resulting in a much more musical sound. I also need to add that the PX210BT fits much better than the T50p did on my head! (And Im still not talking one word about its wireless capabilities here)
The PX210BT shares some similarity in terms of tonal balance with the ATH M-50, which is still my favorite all rounder closed headphone. The PX210BT cant match the M-50′s soundstage size, and I also suspect that the M-50 is still superior on the frequency extension. But the PX210BT is more forward and engaging in the midrange, while not losing the treble and bass balance. Bass punch is also tighter in the PX210BT than it does in the M-50. So, despite being a wireless model, we do have quite a contender here. The technicalities, soundstage, and separation of the PX210BT is surprisingly very good. Although, being stuck with a mediocre source, I couldnt really see how well the PX210BT does with better quality source.
Seriously, the only problem that I have with the PX210BT is the quality of the Blackberry phone I use as a source (especially after weeks with the HM-602 Hifiman).
Being a Blackberry user (I use a Curve 9700), pairing the PX210BT is quite straight forward. Its a one time pairing operation, and after that the phone will recognize the PX210BT everytime I turn it on. When I tried the PX210BT on my friends Iphone, I believe the pairing is even easier, as I didnt need to enter any passkeys as I do on the Blackberry. The PX210BT will work on the Ipod Touch 3rd Gen (albeit with no track controls), and it will work fully on the 4th Gen Touch. For people using conventional Ipods, Sennheiser sells a dongle that connects to the Ipod conventional dock and sends out the bluetooth signal from there. They also make the dongle available for regular 3.5mm jacks. The PX210BT actually supports the newer apt-X Bluetooth standard, but not having the appropriate gadget, Im not able to test out the apt-X connectivity. As it is, I dont really hear any noticeable problems with the Bluetooth Connection, my main problem more to the source quality of the Blackberry. And its probably because Ive been spoiled too much with the Hifiman HM-602, as regular Ipods now sound so flawed to my ears.
When Peter stopped by with his new Iphone 4G, it worked much better as a source than my Blackberry did. Gone is the constrained sound that I hear out of the Blackberry, and the sound was more open out of the Iphone. Not to mention the better Ipod-based UI over the Blackberry, and the more straightforward pairing with the Iphone 4G. Strangely, controlling Forward/Reverse through the PX210BT doesnt work with the Iphone, the way it did with the Blackberry. But still it was not a big deal to me, since its easier to do all your controlling from the Iphones UI, including volume control.
The build quality of the PX210BT is really great, better than some other wired models. Its quite tough, and Ive seen Tino at Sennheiser twist the headband so hard without breaking it. Its much sturdier than the typical PX100/200, or even the HD23X models. The fit and ergonomics is also among the best. Its quite better than the newly released Beyerdynamic T50p in terms of fitting (the two models share a similar diameter pads & housing). The pads rest comfortably on the ears, with good pressure but not as tiring as the HD25-1. I even got a good amount of outside noise isolation from the PX210BT, something that I didnt really expect.
The PX210BT comes with an audio cable that you can use for listening in a wired mode. A nice accessory just in case your Bluetooth phone ran out of battery and needs to connect to a regular player. It also charges right out of USB. I really cant think of anything that the PX210BT misses in terms of design.
The other day I showed the PX210BT to a few audiophile friends who were hanging out at a headphone shop. This was a tough crowd to please, and yet they were all hugely surprised of how good the PX210BT sounds. Personally, the PX210BT definitely earns my audiophile certificate. It has one of the best frequency balance among all the portable closed headphones Ive tried, which results in one of the most fun sounding Sennheiser headphone Ive tried.
Once youve tried a wireless, its hard to go back to a wired model. Its like having to use a corded phone after being used with cellphones. Likewise with the RS180 and the PX210BT (sadly, both arent mine and I have to return it). When I had the RS180 around, I only listened to the wired models because of the Zana Deux amp. And now, if someone asked me an opinion for the ultimate portable set up, its probably going to be the HM-602 with the PX210BT (with the bluetooth dongle obviously).
Dynamite Ringo Matsuri
Member
Just got the SM3s in about half an hour ago. WTF at these phones. I honestly expected most of what I read about them being polarizing to be absolute rubbish until I experienced them myself. I plugged them in and expected to be impressed off the bat, but... my god did they sound underwhelming. They sounded muddy, bass deficient, claustrophobic, and treble wasn't all that present, they honestly sounded utterly, utterly disappointing, which was shocking, but this is what most people reported so I just shrugged off my dismay and continued listening. I ended up switching from my iphone 4 to my Kramer 15 minutes later and they sounded quite a bit better through the Kramers. I then said, fuck it, and switched back to the iphone 4. And something fucking clicked cause these sound pretty god damned amazing now. Mind boggling to say the least, to the point where I can't believe how I ever initially thought they were muddy, bass deficient or lacking in treble. At this point these are likely to be on track to becoming the best pair of phones I've ever listened to; they are just incredibly coherent and the sound sig is incredibly good. In fact, they've already outshined the DDM's in the scant 30 minutes I've listened to them. Incredibly, I can already tell they are delivering things that the DDM never did, and their midrange is somehow even better than the DDMs. It's incredibly cliche to say this, but I am actually able to identify things in songs that I've never been able to make out before. Instruments that were previously lost in the mix have suddenly become easily identifiable and lyrics that seemed mumbled before are now somehow intelligible. I'm going to continue listening and post further impressions after I've had some more time.
Dreams-Visions
Member
dumb question, but are you sure you got them in all the way?
Dynamite Ringo Matsuri
Member
I tiprolled, yes. I managed to get a seal after about 3 minutes of fiddling around with them. I've owned many pairs of IEMs in the past so I knew what to expect. The fit is about as finicky as with Etymotics (I think they share the same type of tips actually, which is kind of a bummer, but not a dealbreaker. The sound is seriously god damned gorgeous on these, it's just so effortless. I am actually hearing things that I never even noticed on my SA5ks which is just insane.Dreams-Visions said:
Guys, I'm new to headphones... I'm thinking of getting the AKG 701 and I was wondering which of these options would be best.
Asus Xonar Essence STX PCIe Sound Card
http://www.tigerdirect.com/applicat...CODE=GOOGLEBASE&cm_mmc_o=VRqCjC7BBTkwCjCECjCE
Built-in headphone amp
A high-quality TI TPA6120A2 headphone driver supports headphones up to 600ohms of impendence with lower than 0.001% distortion. Drive your headphones as intended without additional amplification.
or
NuForce Icon uDAC-2
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B003Y5FRNS/?tag=neogaf0e-20
If I buy the amp I don't need a sound card right? :X I'm so new to all of this, I don't want to pay $280 on headphones only to end up not using them to their full potential.
Asus Xonar Essence STX PCIe Sound Card
http://www.tigerdirect.com/applicat...CODE=GOOGLEBASE&cm_mmc_o=VRqCjC7BBTkwCjCECjCE
Built-in headphone amp
A high-quality TI TPA6120A2 headphone driver supports headphones up to 600ohms of impendence with lower than 0.001% distortion. Drive your headphones as intended without additional amplification.
or
NuForce Icon uDAC-2
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B003Y5FRNS/?tag=neogaf0e-20
If I buy the amp I don't need a sound card right? :X I'm so new to all of this, I don't want to pay $280 on headphones only to end up not using them to their full potential.
Dynamite Ringo Matsuri
Member
In due time friendo. You're gonna be amazed by these fucking things. Honestly the best phones I've ever heard at this point.HiResDes said:
It's been a while since I got my W1000X, and I think any "honeymoon" period they may have had is long gone... therefore, let's talk about what they are and what they do. I trade or sell headphones I don't like after a month generally... and we're right about at that mark. So let's check in, shall we?
As a reminder, they are these:
Firstly, fit and finish:
I am able to wear these guys for upwards of 7 hours in any day. The ATH "wing" mechanism is excellent, and one of the best headphone fit devices on the market. Perfect fit, every time, even if someone else tries them out. Totally amazing. Unlike the W5000, these suit my head nicely (I have a fairly large noggin) and stay in place even if I shake my head about.
The cups are still super nice looking. No change there, of course.
The pads... the pads. I'd say that's the one physical part that isn't up to par. The pleather is very clearly NOT leather and while that itself isn't particularly unremarkable, it isn't particularly nice looking pleater. It's comfortable, sure, but it I can already tell it's of the type that isn't gonna last more than a year or two. It's also hotter than the blazes of hell. At some point this summer, I'm going to break down and get L3000 or W5000 leather pads for these.
The cable is a little long but pretty tangle free. I like the wood housing on the plug, but I keep a bit of foam around it since I tend to be relatively careless with plugs and this one is way too nice to be careless with. I KIND of wish it was metal like the W5000 plug; it's not as nice looking, but I'll be damned if I've ever seen one of those broken.
Long story short: Minus my pad quibble, this is the kind of thing we think about when we hear "Hand Made in Japan."
Sound Quality:
(Note: These have well over 300 hours on them)
Genres that Work Best:
Audio Technica headphones are usually considered best with female vocals, and these are among the best female vocal-izin' headphones I've ever heard. There's a particular lush sweetness in even some of my poor Neko Case recordings; their quality had been an issue with the K701, RS1, and a few other headphones. The only downside here is that if your recording has sibilance you're going to hear it. They don't add any, but it will be accentuated like any bright headphone.
Another particular point of excellence for the W1000X is any and all classical music. Ranging from modern Nobuo Uematsu live symphonic recordings to older operas (I have a very nice recording of the Magic Flute I happen to like a lot) the headphone handles space and position of indivual instruments better than nearly any headphone I've heard... an R10, Orpheus, Stax Omega, K1000, or properly matched Qualia 010 certainly can do a slightly better job, but at much higher cost. I like a lot of "pluck" in my string sections and extra attention on soloists; the W1000X gives it to me with lovely timbre and a general smooth delivery. Excellent.
Bottom to Top:
Bass:
The W1000X is at first a very bassy headphone. Before you adjust to it and it is allowed to settle in (this happened at around a hundred hours for me, YMMV) the bass is front and center. However, unlike other bassy headphones during burn-in, (DT770 and HD650) the W1000X is deep and tuneful. While the bass is eventually balanced with the rest of the spectrum, you never lose that lovely musical nature. I don't know too many headphones that do textured bass (The GS1000 did, on my first run pair) but the W1000X is one of them.
Midrange:
I've heard the W1000X called a "Romantic" headphone before. I think that's relatively accurate, as the lower-midrange has a little extra warm omph to it. This too balanced out very nicely after a few hours were pumped through it. They also have a very particular midrange coloration (and bear in mind that I have never heard a headphone that I didn't think had coloration, including the K701 and HP1000) that I'd equate as the "Audio Technica House Sound." It's difficult to describe but almost always sounds ever so slightly "nasal" when a headphone is fresh out of the box and ends up being ever so slightly sparkling and musical after a while. It really works spatially once you listen to a song or two, and contributes greatly to the positioning and space of things around you. It's a like it or dislike it thing.
Upper Register:
In the end, I'd classify the W1000X as being ever so slightly bright due to the high resolution sparkle that exists. This can bring out sibilance if it exists in recordings, but generally accentuates female vocals and gives wonderful bite to percussion. I don't know if I've classified any headphones as having "warmth" in their treble before, but these do. Piano music is absolute heaven when someone's really lightly tickling the higher ivories. They just sing.
Dynamics and PRaT:
The W1000X isn't a fast headphone, and it isn't a slow headphone. I'd put it about on par with the K701 in speed, and most definitely above the HD650. It's not as quick as a Grado, but has a very similar PRaT (Pace, Rhythm, and Timing). My love of these is partially related to the smooth nature they share with older RS1 headphones; Truly Vintage RS1s have this lovely way of being smooth and gentle with even the quickest of cutoffs. The W1000X can't QUITE match that, but they come damned close.
And that brings us to what these are: a relatively well balanced if slightly bright headphone that has a very distinct house sound. If you've ever enjoyed an Audio Technica... in particular the L3000 or early W series, you're going to absolutely adore these. They do so much more correctly and have none of the glaring issues that many later W headphones have. I have absolutely no idea why the W1000X is priced lower than the W5000. These are a well balanced and caring love letter to anyone who has enjoyed a W 'phone in the past. They're super easy to drive and sound good out of even the lowliest iPod, but scale very well with the more expensive equipment I've tried. It should be noted that I've never tried them with any tube gear; only solid state. It's entirely possible that they may be sensitive enough to pick up the hum of the tubes. Dunno though, I'm sure it's very dependant on the gear.
Gaming Side Note:
I played through Portal 2 in its entirety last weekend with these and was incredibly pleased by the experience. The positioning and deep soundtrack were just awesome.
As a reminder, they are these:
Firstly, fit and finish:
I am able to wear these guys for upwards of 7 hours in any day. The ATH "wing" mechanism is excellent, and one of the best headphone fit devices on the market. Perfect fit, every time, even if someone else tries them out. Totally amazing. Unlike the W5000, these suit my head nicely (I have a fairly large noggin) and stay in place even if I shake my head about.
The cups are still super nice looking. No change there, of course.
The pads... the pads. I'd say that's the one physical part that isn't up to par. The pleather is very clearly NOT leather and while that itself isn't particularly unremarkable, it isn't particularly nice looking pleater. It's comfortable, sure, but it I can already tell it's of the type that isn't gonna last more than a year or two. It's also hotter than the blazes of hell. At some point this summer, I'm going to break down and get L3000 or W5000 leather pads for these.
The cable is a little long but pretty tangle free. I like the wood housing on the plug, but I keep a bit of foam around it since I tend to be relatively careless with plugs and this one is way too nice to be careless with. I KIND of wish it was metal like the W5000 plug; it's not as nice looking, but I'll be damned if I've ever seen one of those broken.
Long story short: Minus my pad quibble, this is the kind of thing we think about when we hear "Hand Made in Japan."
Sound Quality:
(Note: These have well over 300 hours on them)
Genres that Work Best:
Audio Technica headphones are usually considered best with female vocals, and these are among the best female vocal-izin' headphones I've ever heard. There's a particular lush sweetness in even some of my poor Neko Case recordings; their quality had been an issue with the K701, RS1, and a few other headphones. The only downside here is that if your recording has sibilance you're going to hear it. They don't add any, but it will be accentuated like any bright headphone.
Another particular point of excellence for the W1000X is any and all classical music. Ranging from modern Nobuo Uematsu live symphonic recordings to older operas (I have a very nice recording of the Magic Flute I happen to like a lot) the headphone handles space and position of indivual instruments better than nearly any headphone I've heard... an R10, Orpheus, Stax Omega, K1000, or properly matched Qualia 010 certainly can do a slightly better job, but at much higher cost. I like a lot of "pluck" in my string sections and extra attention on soloists; the W1000X gives it to me with lovely timbre and a general smooth delivery. Excellent.
Bottom to Top:
Bass:
The W1000X is at first a very bassy headphone. Before you adjust to it and it is allowed to settle in (this happened at around a hundred hours for me, YMMV) the bass is front and center. However, unlike other bassy headphones during burn-in, (DT770 and HD650) the W1000X is deep and tuneful. While the bass is eventually balanced with the rest of the spectrum, you never lose that lovely musical nature. I don't know too many headphones that do textured bass (The GS1000 did, on my first run pair) but the W1000X is one of them.
Midrange:
I've heard the W1000X called a "Romantic" headphone before. I think that's relatively accurate, as the lower-midrange has a little extra warm omph to it. This too balanced out very nicely after a few hours were pumped through it. They also have a very particular midrange coloration (and bear in mind that I have never heard a headphone that I didn't think had coloration, including the K701 and HP1000) that I'd equate as the "Audio Technica House Sound." It's difficult to describe but almost always sounds ever so slightly "nasal" when a headphone is fresh out of the box and ends up being ever so slightly sparkling and musical after a while. It really works spatially once you listen to a song or two, and contributes greatly to the positioning and space of things around you. It's a like it or dislike it thing.
Upper Register:
In the end, I'd classify the W1000X as being ever so slightly bright due to the high resolution sparkle that exists. This can bring out sibilance if it exists in recordings, but generally accentuates female vocals and gives wonderful bite to percussion. I don't know if I've classified any headphones as having "warmth" in their treble before, but these do. Piano music is absolute heaven when someone's really lightly tickling the higher ivories. They just sing.
Dynamics and PRaT:
The W1000X isn't a fast headphone, and it isn't a slow headphone. I'd put it about on par with the K701 in speed, and most definitely above the HD650. It's not as quick as a Grado, but has a very similar PRaT (Pace, Rhythm, and Timing). My love of these is partially related to the smooth nature they share with older RS1 headphones; Truly Vintage RS1s have this lovely way of being smooth and gentle with even the quickest of cutoffs. The W1000X can't QUITE match that, but they come damned close.
And that brings us to what these are: a relatively well balanced if slightly bright headphone that has a very distinct house sound. If you've ever enjoyed an Audio Technica... in particular the L3000 or early W series, you're going to absolutely adore these. They do so much more correctly and have none of the glaring issues that many later W headphones have. I have absolutely no idea why the W1000X is priced lower than the W5000. These are a well balanced and caring love letter to anyone who has enjoyed a W 'phone in the past. They're super easy to drive and sound good out of even the lowliest iPod, but scale very well with the more expensive equipment I've tried. It should be noted that I've never tried them with any tube gear; only solid state. It's entirely possible that they may be sensitive enough to pick up the hum of the tubes. Dunno though, I'm sure it's very dependant on the gear.
Gaming Side Note:
I played through Portal 2 in its entirety last weekend with these and was incredibly pleased by the experience. The positioning and deep soundtrack were just awesome.
Dreams-Visions
Member
sounds like they're pretty awesome indeed.
I wonder how they compare to my D7000's.
I wonder how they compare to my D7000's.
Yar, been too long since I popped in here. I see there's still interest in the Denon's, so to recap - if you want god tier Denon's, whether 2000's, 5000's or 7000's (I've used the 2000's and currently the 7000's) you need to go and see this post. Not only are the D7000's great, but this PPA works magic with em.
Traveling and want something that has nice bass and a very rich/natural sound without the bulk of the Denon's?
See this post, for the Victor FX700's
Either of these will sate your audiophile needs. I actually stopped using a portable amp with the Victor's because, in the end, I just didn't need it. I run em off my zune and they sound great without any kind of amplification.
Traveling and want something that has nice bass and a very rich/natural sound without the bulk of the Denon's?
See this post, for the Victor FX700's
Either of these will sate your audiophile needs. I actually stopped using a portable amp with the Victor's because, in the end, I just didn't need it. I run em off my zune and they sound great without any kind of amplification.
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