AKG K3003 is an important milestone in the development of IEM. It’s the first universal fit IEM that successfully combines dynamic driver and balance armature technology together. After owning them for 3 years, K3003 never fail to move me.
K3003 is hand crafted in Vienna with the highest standard of precision engineering. Its main component is made out of one single piece of stainless steel, this ensure an outstanding durability of the earphone. It terminate in an 3.5mm mini jack with rose gold plating. The build quality of K3003 is a 10/10.
Since K3003 is a combination of two different audio technology, I want to talk about each one of them briefly.
First of all, AKG K3003 contains 2 balance armature drivers in the housing: 1 tweeter and 1 full-range. Most people tempt to believe that balance armature earphones generally deliver a cold sound with great amount of detail, but actually this isn’t the case for every models. Shure SE530 is a typical example of a warm sounding balance armature earphone. On the other hand, the clarity of the earphones is actually depends on the number of drivers and the performance of each individual driver. In the case of K3003, the 2 balance armatures combination generates an unbelievable clarity that can even compete with some of the flagship Custom IEM on the market right now. From this aspect, K3003 sounds really similar to the K702. The only different is, the details on K3003 is under better control, not too define, not muddy at all, just right.
Other than the 2 balance armatures, there’s also 1 dynamic driver inside K3003. That dynamic driver is for the bass. In fact, at the very beginning, I was concern that the penetration of dynamic and balance armature wouldn’t work, but AKG proved that I’m wrong. They work together perfectly, result in a perfectly natural sound signature with outstanding soundstage performance (greatest width and depth I ever heard from a universal-fit IEM). All instrument and vocal now sound more heartwarming, When they finally comes together in one piece, language seems so powerless to describe the experience, it all comes down to one word: Heaven.
All of conclusion from above are all my impression with K3003 and iPod classic alone, without using any amplifier. K3003 is the kind of headphone that you have to listen it yourself to understand how amazing it is. A lot of people thinks K3003 is too pricey, but for me, when it comes to buying K3003, only 2 questions are require: Do I like it? Can I afford one? For IEM like K3003, price is nothing more than a number.
I believe that music creates miracle, K3003 did it.
Tracks use for review:
1. Evangelion Simphony 2 -Partita III fur Violin Solo in E No 3.
2. Kaori Kobayashi - Sunshine.
3. Mozart - Requiem in D minor.
4. Evangelion: 2.0 You Can (Not) Advance Original Soundtrack - "Mellow 2009" (2EM18).
5. Thanatos (If i Can't be Yours).
K3003 is hand crafted in Vienna with the highest standard of precision engineering. Its main component is made out of one single piece of stainless steel, this ensure an outstanding durability of the earphone. It terminate in an 3.5mm mini jack with rose gold plating. The build quality of K3003 is a 10/10.
Since K3003 is a combination of two different audio technology, I want to talk about each one of them briefly.
First of all, AKG K3003 contains 2 balance armature drivers in the housing: 1 tweeter and 1 full-range. Most people tempt to believe that balance armature earphones generally deliver a cold sound with great amount of detail, but actually this isn’t the case for every models. Shure SE530 is a typical example of a warm sounding balance armature earphone. On the other hand, the clarity of the earphones is actually depends on the number of drivers and the performance of each individual driver. In the case of K3003, the 2 balance armatures combination generates an unbelievable clarity that can even compete with some of the flagship Custom IEM on the market right now. From this aspect, K3003 sounds really similar to the K702. The only different is, the details on K3003 is under better control, not too define, not muddy at all, just right.
Other than the 2 balance armatures, there’s also 1 dynamic driver inside K3003. That dynamic driver is for the bass. In fact, at the very beginning, I was concern that the penetration of dynamic and balance armature wouldn’t work, but AKG proved that I’m wrong. They work together perfectly, result in a perfectly natural sound signature with outstanding soundstage performance (greatest width and depth I ever heard from a universal-fit IEM). All instrument and vocal now sound more heartwarming, When they finally comes together in one piece, language seems so powerless to describe the experience, it all comes down to one word: Heaven.
All of conclusion from above are all my impression with K3003 and iPod classic alone, without using any amplifier. K3003 is the kind of headphone that you have to listen it yourself to understand how amazing it is. A lot of people thinks K3003 is too pricey, but for me, when it comes to buying K3003, only 2 questions are require: Do I like it? Can I afford one? For IEM like K3003, price is nothing more than a number.
I believe that music creates miracle, K3003 did it.
Tracks use for review:
1. Evangelion Simphony 2 -Partita III fur Violin Solo in E No 3.
2. Kaori Kobayashi - Sunshine.
3. Mozart - Requiem in D minor.
4. Evangelion: 2.0 You Can (Not) Advance Original Soundtrack - "Mellow 2009" (2EM18).
5. Thanatos (If i Can't be Yours).
