The ATH-AD900 Appreciation Thread - Page 34

Hi, first post, I'm not a massive audiophile (hearing not sharp enough) but I do own the AD900 and have to say I was surprised and disappointed by the comfort, or lack of it, especially after reading tons of posts raving about how comfy it and the AD700 were. I too find my ear pressing the driver - even and tiny hole in the material in front of the driver now. But also the bottom of the pad was pressing against my earlobe/neck/jawline just below my ear which also caused discomfort.

 

So a big thanks sysfail! (Bengt77 & Kernmac too etc). Tissue makes a huge difference - much more like how I expected a circumaural to fit! Tempted to try the W5000 pad mod too - especially as I feel leather is really the material for a high end phone - but I think I may miss the emphasis away from those beautiful highs... Nevertheless comfort is really important to me and I find the standard pads a little hot/itchy also. Anyway, know where I can get hold of some W5000 pads? Tried audiocubes but couldn't find any there.

 

Thanks once again - first time these headphones have felt comfortable in over a year's use...

Glad you like the mod . If the stock pads are already hot for you, the leather ones would be even hotter lol, but otherwise the W5000 are much more comfortable compared to the stock pads for me. You could buy one directly from Audio-Technica if you contact them. I thought audiocubes always had them.

 

The AD900s are not in the same league as the AD700s in terms of comfort.  It's hilarious to me how the littlest things can make the most massive differences.  In this case, there are two primary differences: the AD900s clamp slightly more tightly and, more importantly, have flat drivers instead of angled drivers.  That's why your ears press against the driver grilles.  This would probably not happen in the AD700 unless you have really big ears because they angle back and contour quite nicely to your ears.

 

Puffing up the pads works, but I found it an unsatisfactory solution to the problem in terms of sound quality.  Plus, they still weren't in the league of the AD700 comfort.

But, the AD700 has a problem that the AD900 doesn't have. The AD700 earcups go further down the side of your head due to them being physically bigger than the AD900. With some people, the AD700 can clamp down toward your jaw in an upper motion, causing discomfort near the jaw. The AD900 didn't have that problem at all, due to them being probably an inch higher away from the jaw.

 

Here's the link to the w5000 pads.  http://www.audiocubes2.com/category/Headphone+Accessories/product/Audio-Technica_Replacement_Pads_for_ATH-W5000.html 

Thanks for the link - ahhh cos it's audiocubes *2* that's why couldn't find it. Tons of alternatives on that site - got me thinking. Reading about the W5000 pads though, sound's like they may distort the sound too much away from the lovely mids and strong treble that I like. Real leather always has the most premium feel but I'd be happy with decent fake leather too and have read many recommending the A1000 pads as they are just that and fit a bit better too (allegedly).

 

As I understand it, the A1000 are oval shaped - like the stock AD900 pads - whereas the W5000 are circular and smaller, which is probably is responsible for swinging the sound towards the bass end (no bad thing for some of course). So I'm guessing the sound signature is less altered by the A1000... Can anyone comment? Has anyone tried both? Thanks for any help.

If you're okay with faux leather, then the A900Ti pads might be your cup of tea. I have that headphone, and I like its pads a lot. Maybe they're the same as the A1000 pads. At least I know for a fact they're certainly not the same pads that are used on the regular A900.
Edited by Bengt77 - 7/15/11 at 5:25pm

I got my AD900's for nearly 3 years now & I've been using the W5000 (black leather) pads for the last 1½ year, & these pads DO make the image somewhat darker, but imo not in a negative way at all. The W5000 pads are slightly wider inwards than the stock ones, so they cover up the drivers a little bit extra, which leads to the mid's being pushed back a tad & the lows sounding more prominent, but without practically any loss of the wideness/stage (unlike the AD2000's). So with the W5000 pads you just got yourself another pair of interesting headphones for less than 70 USD.. ʕΘᴥΘʔ

 

( ￥5,250 + $3.- S&H @ Kuboten: http://at-listening.jp/repair/repair_info.php?product_id=ATH-W5000&Submit=%A1%A1%A1%A1%C9%BD%A1%A1%BC%A8%A1%A1%A1%A1 )

Got my W5000 pads in the mail today. Am listening to the stock AD900 now, to be able to tell the difference later, when I change the pads. I'm very curious; I can't wait to hear the differences!

Whoa! This is something different alright...

But do you see that? Well, do you see that? Indeed, there's a big grin on my face.

There is a very definite, and very noticeable increase in bass presentation. Punch is what describes this well. Highs still as awesome. Clarity is somewhat lessened, but certainly not dramatically. The mids are somewhat tamed, which makes the vocals stand out a tad less. Nothing to worry about, though. Detail, soundstage and instrument position and separation aren't affected at all. One aspect of the AD900 with the W5000 pads is altered pretty much, though: PRaT. This is increased by a lot.

So far I'm certainly liking the changes this 'mod' brings. But it may be too early to give a final opinion.

What does PRaT mean? I would like to hear/feel the W5000 pads on my Ad900, but not for that price.

PRaT stands for Pacing, Rhythm and Timing. Unscientifically, it means you'll automatically start bobbing your head and tapping your foot to the music. So basically, it means how much the headphone gets you involved in the music.

EDIT: Sometimes, though, PRAT is also said to mean something along the lines of Pathetic (or Pretentious) Ridiculous Audiophile Term.
Edited by Bengt77 - 7/20/11 at 3:06am

I've been trying a new mod lately and really like it. It's too much a deviation from this thread to discuss it here, though, so I've created a new one. It's particularly for an ATH-AD900 with the HP-W5000 leather earpads, but might still be interesting for people with the stock velours pads as well.
Edited by Bengt77 - 7/30/11 at 1:06pm

While I don't own the AD900 anymore, they are my equal favorite $200 or less headphone, with the HD598. I agree, the driver did sometimes press against my ear which caused discomfort, but the energetic presentation of these cans was just a lot of fun. They were also awesome for gaming, and could easily be the perfect <$200 solution for someone looking for a gaming and music headphone, along with the HD598.