Audio-Technica ATH-AD2000 Discussion (and Appreciation) Thread! - Page 30

I honestly don't understand the love/hate comments about the ad2000, then again I absolutely love them so I can't imagine anyone disliking them.

It's the coloration of the AD2k. I can see people either absolutely loving them or hating them.

I find the coloration very pleasant. I think I spent too much time looking for neutral headphones prior to giving Audio-Technica a go. Whether a headphone is neutral or not no longer matters to me. Does the music sound good? Alright then.

They're like orange juice, great, but you need water to balance it out. Hence it can't be my sole headphone.

Yours must like orange juice from concentrate.

Quote:

Originally Posted by ZenErik 

I find the coloration very pleasant. I think I spent too much time looking for neutral headphones prior to giving Audio-Technica a go. Whether a headphone is neutral or not no longer matters to me. Does the music sound good? Alright then.

That is what is important here. While I do think that AD2000 is a very good sounding headphone I dont think I could use it as my main one. It's great to have along side my HD800 but not as my only headphone. Of course that is not the same for everyone.

Hey guys I'm back. Bought the AD900's from a shop with a 30 day returns policy. All I can say is they will definitely be going back. Now I realise these are supposed to be bass light, but I didn't expect them to be this bad. They are practically missing! I have to EQ the bass in because it is so anaemic. Problem is I hate EQing. It ruins the experience for me knowing I've changed the signature of the headphones and is always there in the back of my mind. Bass is capable of reaching 30hz, which is nice, but again it's hardly audible. The other problem is impact. It's Zero. Even with a +6db increase in bass which is quite sad.

One good thing these offer compare to my mostly closed panasonics is clarity. It does feel like a veil or 2 have been removed between me and the music, but it also sounds quite thin and weightless. I don't know if the 900's share the special Audio technica house sound, but I'm finding nothing special about the vocals. the mids as I have said are thin. Next is the treble energy which I find to be a bit too high and fatiguing. It's quite painful. Overall I'm not enjoying my music through these at all. If these are supposed to be a Better version of the AD700 with fuller mids then I can only imagine how terrible the AD700's are. They kind of remind me of the sennheisers I had in that they are quite uninvolving.

I do like the design of these headphones though. They look much better in person. Also the comfort is great. Feels really special when I put them over my head, and like others have said its like a big pillow. I'm surprsed they fit me tbh.  I have a small head and the other headphones I have tried were the a700x and a500, both of which kept sliding down the side of my head. I berated the wing system in another thread but they are working brilliantly on the AD900's. Probably because of the much tighter clamp, which was too tight at the start (driver literally resting completely on my ear). They are still touching my ear but aren't pressuring them as much. Velours are really soft but like found on my sennheisers, they are causing me to itch quite a but. Not sure why.

I know I've asked this before, but in light of what I've said, how much better would the AD2000 be over the 900? I'm not talking about small technicalities or micro details. I mean in the presentation as a whole. I'd like it to be more enganging with at least a neutral bass but with good slam. If anyones tried the Grado 225's that's the kind I'd be expecting at least. Vocals were nothing special on the 900's so if the 2000's are the same they wont be for me. Also clamping force could be a problem. I've read the 2000's have more clamping force than the 900's. The 900's cause me discomfort initially but softened up, will I have a problem with the 2000's? The treble energy was too high and the music was quite thin. I can't "try before I buy" with the 2000's so I have to get it right the first time. The price is a lot higher than I'm comfortable in spendng so If anyone can suggest a similar sound for a much cheaper price that would be helpful

Quote:

Originally Posted by RayleighSilvers 

I know I've asked this before, but in light of what I've said, how much better would the AD2000 be over the 900? I'm not talking about small technicalities or micro details. I mean in the presentation as a whole. I'd like it to be more enganging with at least a neutral bass but with good slam. If anyones tried the Grado 225's that's the kind I'd be expecting at least. Vocals were nothing special on the 900's so if the 2000's are the same they wont be for me. Also clamping force could be a problem. I've read the 2000's have more clamping force than the 900's. The 900's cause me discomfort initially but softened up, will I have a problem with the 2000's? The treble energy was too high and the music was quite thin. I can't "try before I buy" with the 2000's so I have to get it right the first time. The price is a lot higher than I'm comfortable in spendng so If anyone can suggest a similar sound for a much cheaper price that would be helpful

My suspicion is that although the AD2000 is going to be more engaging / bassy than the AD900, I do not think the advantage is large enough for you if you dislike the AD900's that much. The AD2000 is a bit smoother and certainly more full sounding, but I actually recommend you look into something like the Sennheiser HD600 / 650 for a tone that is a little more forgiving and much sweeter. Cheaper too.

Lol I want something more engaging, not something that will bore me to death  (no offence sennheiser fans). I thought the AD2000 would be a grado but without the harsh treble and more soundstage. If it's more like the AD900 then it wont be for me. I listen to Jpop which is what the AD2000 is apparantly made for

Well you can "gamble"..

For example, I don't like both AD700&900 but like the AD2000 very much.

You had the 900? Were they in anyway similar to the 2000's?

No I never owned AD900, just some experience in shop.

To me its like AD900 is really lacking something especially in low-frequencies, but I don't feel like that with AD2000.

Coming from HE-300s which were bassy to the point of veiling the rest of the sound, I wouldn't say the AD2000 are extra bassy, but I would also say they're far from anemic.

I find the AD2000 to have an ample supply of bass for the music I listen to. It does pretty well all around despite it having a fairly small soundstage for an open headphone. I prefer my W3000ANV for j-pop that favors electronic drums because it does offer more bass impact. The W3000ANV is a bit loose sounding in comparison, but it works for certain styles.

The AD2k will play bass down quite low.  The hard part is the impact, you hear it but don't feel it as much as with some other cans.  In no way is the ad2k a boring phone, it shares some qualities with RS-1 in its coloring.