Who still has the Sony SA5000? - Page 9

701 is a bass monster compared to the SA5000.  Though everything is.  Not sure how something with such utter absence of bass response below 100hz is considered neutral.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Anaxilus 

701 is a bass monster compared to the SA5000.  Though everything is.  Not sure how something with such utter absence of bass response below 100hz is considered neutral.

Is it really that bad? What amp did you use with it?

Quote:

Originally Posted by TimPrice 

 

It is NOT that bad if you take into account their overall quality and that they sound like 'studio headphones', dry and clear.

From my collection, they have the best strings, percussion (especially drums), and wind I ever heard, plus every instrument/note has it's own space/body/kick.

The bass presence is quite lower than for example the ATH-M50, but for me the quality it is not comparable.

 

 

Thanks for the impressions. I currently have T1s and Woo Audio Wa2 and was wondering how these would be compared to T1s. I think I will soon buy SA5000s and see for myself :)

Quote:

Originally Posted by Szadzik 

 

Thanks for the impressions. I currently have T1s and Woo Audio Wa2 and was wondering how these would be compared to T1s. I think I will soon buy SA5000s and see for myself :)

 

I bought them on a whim. I was really really impressed with them. They have a very unique overall sound. 

Quote:

Originally Posted by SoundFreaq 

My M^3 amp has two sets of inputs. If the other set isn't used, it works as a line-level through that I connect straight to the sub, which is actively powered. Tons of fun I tell ya. 

Thanks for this. I'll give it a try but I thnk I'll need to upgrade from the E9...it only has one line in.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Szadzik 

Is it really that bad? What amp did you use with it?

Everything from a soundcard to a Balancing Act and Sansui speaker amp.  They really don't require much amping IME which is a strength.  Transparency in your chain is more critical than power here.  They do require EQ and their tonal qualities in proper listening contexts merit the effort I'd say. 

Thing is people can become attuned to less or more bass presence and normalize it.  In AB though you can't hide.  I have no problem people adjusting to and liking a signature but claiming it as reference/neutral is a bit of a stretch especially in the low end.  Plus the treble gets nasty if you crank up the dB a bit.  Gets worse than the T1, HD700 or 800.  If I listen on the low to moderate side the treble is nice and sweet.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Anaxilus 

Thing is people can become attuned to less or more bass presence and normalize it.  In AB though you can't hide.  I have no problem people adjusting to and liking a signature but claiming it as reference/neutral is a bit of a stretch especially in the low end.  Plus the treble gets nasty if you crank up the dB a bit.  Gets worse than the T1, HD700 or 800.  If I listen on the low to moderate side the treble is nice and sweet.

 

Not IME, treble was smoother than HD800's for sure but more present. You're absolutely correct abuot adjusting to bass presence, I remeber it was very low... compared to Ultrasone PRO900's that is.

Yeah, calling it neutral would be silly. but they're were not designed to achieve that goal in the first place, I think clarity and resolution were the most important factors and these are extremely satisfying with these phones.

 

You can dig back a few pages and find my original statements on this. Overall I think the K701 is better. More explanation is probably warranted though:

- The SA5000 might be a tad-bit faster (it's hard to say) 

- The K701 has better midbass/bass (I would not use the words "bass monster" - the SA5000 has a respectable output in the lower registers) 

- The K701 has much better 3D imaging (I found the SA5000 could not do "front to back" with movies or videogames, everything was two-dimensional, while the K701 can render space) 

- Comfort and fit is a toss-up; the the K701's headband is a point of contention for a lot of people (I actually like it, I have basically accepted that I have a mis-shapen head), the SA5000 (once you figure out how to put them on right and the headband is a non-issue) have leather pads which can get hot and sticky. 

- The K701 is more "all around" while the SA5000 is more "on and off" - what I mean here is that when the SA5000 is "on" it's absolutely amazing, but when it's "off" it's a disappointment; the K701 is more consistently "good" but doesn't quite hit that magic groove 

I liked the bass (when it was there) on the SA5000 better than most any headphone I've heard, I like everything else on the K701 more. I would say both are "good" but if you have both to compare, it gets more wishy-washy. If you just randomly bought one without any sort of research or learning process, you'd probably be happy either way. Otherwise, if you're torn between them, get both of them and keep the one you like better. Or both. I found that another Sony headphone, the MDR-F1, has enough of the SA5000's flavor (But with that 3D soundstage) to woo me. The F1 has its own faults though (less bass, no isolation whatsoever, very low impedance and high sensitivity, hard to find outside of Japan, and it can do weird things to vocals with some material (the SA5000 can as well, but not *as* weird; the SA5000 feels very much like a second-generation part in comparison). I totally disagree with the "faster than stats" or other such comparisons though. They are good enough to sit at the table though (just like the K701 and HD6x). 

If I had to rank them (assuming you only get one), I would put the K701 in first, the SA5000 in second, and the F1 in third. This is simply based on the "good all-rounder" nature of the K701. 

If you want to put "pride of ownership" details into the mix (in other words "which one makes your rear feel most kissed"), the SA5000 is probably among the best in the world. The packaging and presentation is top-notch, the build-quality is unequaled (even compared to the F1, another all-mag Sony 'phone), the accessories are great, etc. K701 would score second place here, and the F1 again third. 

If you can have multiples, get both, or all three, or whatever you want. 

Oh, and keep in mind, the SA5000's cord is bloody long and only terminates into 1/4" (it's not a nice twist-off Unimatch like the F1 has, and it doesn't include an adapter like the AKG does, so plan accordingly). 

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dubstep Girl 

how do the sa5000 compare to the k701?

Quote:

Originally Posted by obobskivich 

You can dig back a few pages and find my original statements on this. Overall I think the K701 is better. More explanation is probably warranted though:

 

- The SA5000 might be a tad-bit faster (it's hard to say) 

- The K701 has better midbass/bass (I would not use the words "bass monster" - the SA5000 has a respectable output in the lower registers) 

- The K701 has much better 3D imaging (I found the SA5000 could not do "front to back" with movies or videogames, everything was two-dimensional, while the K701 can render space) 

- Comfort and fit is a toss-up; the the K701's headband is a point of contention for a lot of people (I actually like it, I have basically accepted that I have a mis-shapen head), the SA5000 (once you figure out how to put them on right and the headband is a non-issue) have leather pads which can get hot and sticky. 

- The K701 is more "all around" while the SA5000 is more "on and off" - what I mean here is that when the SA5000 is "on" it's absolutely amazing, but when it's "off" it's a disappointment; the K701 is more consistently "good" but doesn't quite hit that magic groove 

 

I liked the bass (when it was there) on the SA5000 better than most any headphone I've heard, I like everything else on the K701 more. I would say both are "good" but if you have both to compare, it gets more wishy-washy. If you just randomly bought one without any sort of research or learning process, you'd probably be happy either way. Otherwise, if you're torn between them, get both of them and keep the one you like better. Or both. I found that another Sony headphone, the MDR-F1, has enough of the SA5000's flavor (But with that 3D soundstage) to woo me. The F1 has its own faults though (less bass, no isolation whatsoever, very low impedance and high sensitivity, hard to find outside of Japan, and it can do weird things to vocals with some material (the SA5000 can as well, but not *as* weird; the SA5000 feels very much like a second-generation part in comparison). I totally disagree with the "faster than stats" or other such comparisons though. They are good enough to sit at the table though (just like the K701 and HD6x). 

 

If I had to rank them (assuming you only get one), I would put the K701 in first, the SA5000 in second, and the F1 in third. This is simply based on the "good all-rounder" nature of the K701. 

 

If you want to put "pride of ownership" details into the mix (in other words "which one makes your rear feel most kissed"), the SA5000 is probably among the best in the world. The packaging and presentation is top-notch, the build-quality is unequaled (even compared to the F1, another all-mag Sony 'phone), the accessories are great, etc. K701 would score second place here, and the F1 again third. 

 

If you can have multiples, get both, or all three, or whatever you want. 

 

 

Oh, and keep in mind, the SA5000's cord is bloody long and only terminates into 1/4" (it's not a nice twist-off Unimatch like the F1 has, and it doesn't include an adapter like the AKG does, so plan accordingly). 

Wow, good write up - appreciate the input.

I was supposed to reach the end of my headphone journey when I bought Beyerdynamic T1 and Woo Audio WA2, but somehow I still crave to try some more phones and even though SA5k does not seem like a headphone that would complement T1s, it still makes me want it :) - no idea why - maybe I am hoping it will replace my T1s, but that seems quite improbable. Maybe I could sell the more expensive gear that does not get much of my time and use something cheaper and yet very good? I really have no idea why I want these phones :)

Well, I found a used pair of these on eBay for $300 sold from Europe and placed a bid - no one was interested and so I won. Will be getting them soon and trying them with my Burson HA-160D (will probably be too bright a combo) and WA2 - hopefully a good combination. If I like them, I might keep them just as a hobby item.

Quote:

Originally Posted by AzraelDarkangel 

Looking forward to your impressions. I just ordered the Beyerdynamics dt880 Pro for overall cost/performance ratio, durability and comfort. Should get them in about a week. Probably get an Objective2 amp for them too in a few weeks.

Mine have just been posted and I will not be home until 13th, so less than two weeks. Cannot wait. Also a Metrum Acoustics Octave is waiting to be tested out and a new PC :)