AKG K3003 — Impressions, Reviews & Discussion  

I'm starting, again, what I hope will become the 'official' AKG K3003 Impressions, Reviews & Discussion Thread.

There is another active K3003 thread, which is now 40 pages long. In that thread reviews & impressions are buried all over the place and, unfortunately, there are many more posts that have very little or nothing to do with the AKGs. So I've taken the time to search for relevant reviews & impressions and posted links to them below.

I would like to ask those posting in this thread to PLEASE try to keep on topic as much as possible so that other members and visitors alike can benefit from the contents of this thread. Let's try to avoid what often happens in so many dedicated threads: They become exceedingly long, often running into dozens/hundreds of pages and making it quite difficult to find useful information.

Review by k3oxkjo:
http://www.head-fi.org/products/akg-k3003/reviews/6699

Initial impressions by shotgunshane: http://www.head-fi.org/t/610145/akg-k3003-appreciation-discussion-and-reviews-thread/75#post_8571216

Review by shotgunshane: http://www.head-fi.org/t/610145/akg-k3003-appreciation-discussion-and-reviews-thread/90#post_8586656

Review by piotrus-g: http://www.head-fi.org/t/610145/akg-k3003-appreciation-discussion-and-reviews-thread/90#post_8575090

Review by Joker:

http://www.head-fi.org/t/478568/multi-iem-review-237-iems-compared-akg-k3003i-added-05-07-12/6855 - post_8367297

Review ("a work in progress") by bizkit:

http://www.head-fi.org/t/610145/akg-k3003-appreciation-discussion-and-reviews-thread-aka-the-coherent-impressions-thread#post_8384158

Comparison between the K3003 & the FitEar TO GO! 334 (a work in progress) by bizkit:

http://www.head-fi.org/t/608477/the-fitear-to-go-334-vs-the-akg-k3003i-a-work-in-progress

Review by average_joe:

http://www.head-fi.org/t/603570/akg-k3003-universal-iem-review-challenger-to-the-custom-iem-world#post_8270258

Review from Headfonics:
http://headfonics.com/2011/10/akg-k3003-is-this-the-best-universal-iem-in-the-world/

Review from Sound & Vision:

http://www.soundandvisionmag.com/article/review-akg-k3003

Mountain_Rice_Oppose's K3003 analysis: http://rinchoi.blogspot.com.es/2012/09/akg-k3003-part2-general-analysis-updated.html

Impressions by RedBull:
http://www.head-fi.org/t/554628/akg-k3003-high-end-3-way-system-headphone/75#post_7770498
http://www.head-fi.org/t/554628/akg-k3003-high-end-3-way-system-headphone/75#post_7772987
http://www.head-fi.org/t/554628/akg-k3003-high-end-3-way-system-headphone/90#post_7777293
http://www.head-fi.org/t/554628/akg-k3003-high-end-3-way-system-headphone/90#post_7779130

Impressions by rudi0504:
http://www.head-fi.org/t/554628/akg-k3003-high-end-3-way-system-headphone/120#post_7932789
http://www.head-fi.org/t/554628/akg-k3003-high-end-3-way-system-headphone/180#post_8027311

http://www.head-fi.org/t/610145/akg-k3003-appreciation-discussion-and-reviews-thread/45#post_8547013

Impressions by music_4321:
http://www.head-fi.org/t/554628/akg-k3003-high-end-3-way-system-headphone/165#post_8023473
http://www.head-fi.org/t/554628/akg-k3003-high-end-3-way-system-headphone/210#post_8037412

http://www.head-fi.org/t/610145/akg-k3003-impressions-reviews-discussion/165#post_8713128

Impressions by james444:
http://www.head-fi.org/t/554628/akg-k3003-high-end-3-way-system-headphone/180#post_8027713
http://www.head-fi.org/t/554628/akg-k3003-high-end-3-way-system-headphone/195#post_8036405
http://www.head-fi.org/t/554628/akg-k3003-high-end-3-way-system-headphone/210#post_8044082
http://www.head-fi.org/t/554628/akg-k3003-high-end-3-way-system-headphone/255#post_8064869

Impressions by MuppetFace:

http://www.head-fi.org/t/610145/akg-k3003-appreciation-discussion-and-reviews-thread-aka-the-coherent-impressions-thread#post_8385616

http://www.head-fi.org/t/610145/akg-k3003-appreciation-discussion-and-reviews-thread-aka-the-coherent-impressions-thread#post_8387971

http://www.head-fi.org/t/603570/akg-k3003-universal-iem-review-challenger-to-the-custom-iem-world/30#post_8399774

Impressions by tomscy2000:

http://www.head-fi.org/t/554628/akg-k3003-high-end-3-way-system-headphone/510#post_8206635

Impressions by Anaxilus:

http://www.head-fi.org/t/554628/akg-k3003-high-end-3-way-system-headphone/585#post_8411502

Impressions by Kunlun: http://www.head-fi.org/products/akg-k3003/reviews/7489

Impressions by i2ehan:
http://www.head-fi.org/t/554628/akg-k3003-high-end-3-way-system-headphone/285#post_8075132

Initial impressions by driver 8: http://www.head-fi.org/t/610145/akg-k3003-appreciation-discussion-and-reviews-thread/30#post_8541639

Impressions by ztsen:
http://www.head-fi.org/t/554628/akg-k3003-high-end-3-way-system-headphone/90#post_7775980

Impressions by boringz:
http://www.head-fi.org/t/554628/akg-k3003-high-end-3-way-system-headphone/105#post_7802166

Impressions by avorite:
http://www.head-fi.org/t/554628/akg-k3003-high-end-3-way-system-headphone/105#post_7846598

Impressions by spekkio:
http://www.head-fi.org/t/554628/akg-k3003-high-end-3-way-system-headphone/120#post_7870378

Impressions by ElyrionX:
http://www.head-fi.org/t/554628/akg-k3003-high-end-3-way-system-headphone/135#post_8003608

Impressions by fatpooh:
http://www.head-fi.org/t/554628/akg-k3003-high-end-3-way-system-headphone/225#post_8055360

Endgadget review (translated from German):
http://translate.google.com/translate?hl=de&ie=UTF8&prev=_t&rurl=translate.google.at&sl=de&tl=en&u=http://de.engadget.com/2011/09/10/review-akg-k3003/

This is bizkit's review:

The impulse buy that turned that turned out to be one of the best portable-fi decisions if I've made in years. Yeah, that pretty much sums up my four months with the AKG K3003i's. Having broken my last spare set of cables for my Sony EX-1000's while staring to down the barrel of a two week trip to South Korea, panic started to set in. For those of you that haven't been to Korea, it's a hatefully awful country. The soundtrack of bodily functions in an enclosed public environment is enough to drive you mad. The office I work in when I visit Seoul is somewhat akin to a relentless mouth breathing, a**blasting, phlegm hacking, noodle slurping symphony of evil. I could go on, but this isn't a rant about a culture hell bent on prodding every last one of my pet peeves, it's an earphone review. I just felt it necessary to convey the importance of having headphones while staying there.
Anyway, I figured I should make a quick stop on my way to the Kuala Lumpur airport. Upon entry into the audio shop I was greeted by a white box that had five or so store employees eye banging it as if it was in a string bikini. Like your standard American ****** bag abroad, I undoubtedly stomped on the hopes/dreams of the cashier and purchased the store's demo set before they where able to open it. My first taste of the AKG K3003i's out of my HiFi-Man 801 on the cab ride to the airport was not very favorable. Since, I had to throw little more than "just a few" glasses of Glenfiddich Snow Phoenix to convince myself hop on a plane to Korea, I was unable to understand why filth was being injected into my ears. The background hiss and the congested sound had me contemplating chucking them out of the window in a fit of drunken rage. K3003i's and low bit rate files can pretty much be called oil and water.

Fortunately, I kept listening until one of my hi-res tracks popped up on the play-list. The music that came out these things when playing a well recorded track was, for lack of better term, incredible. I found myself having the time of my life drunkenly dancing (which is apparently terrifying to people when you're a 6'1" 220 pound black guy that people describe as, well, terrifying) my way to the airport's cigar bar. The detail and texture the AKG's deliver was unlike anything I've heard from an IEM before. I rarely do any critical listening with my portal gear, but I found myself exceedingly tickled with Robert Levin's interpretation of Mozart's Requiem while enjoying a Maduro No.5 and glass of Ron Zacapa Rum. The vocals were crisp and defined to the point of rivaling some of my full sized cans. I was thoroughly impressed to say the least.
Now, as much as I would like to a give a real in depth review of the K3003i's, I am not a journalist. So, I'm not equipped with an arsenal of words and phases as to describe the details of sound or the various audiophile quibbles I'm hearing. I've been drinking in my hotel for the last three hours, which is how I came up with grand idea for this review, and so far I've been relying heavily on MS Word's grammatical safety net to make this somewhat legible. If, by chance, you feel I do not use the right term to convey my thoughts. You may find solace in fact I didn't type what I was actually thinking at the time, which is probably something along the lines of "Because this mother f**ka sounds good...". Additional questions about my review can be answered by referring to that last quote.

 

Source: Sony X-1070

Player: PowerAmp (EQ set to flat)

Amp: ALO Audio Continental V2

Volume: 4 o’clock (Hi Gain)

Rock:

Pink Floyd – Breathe In The Air (44khz 1411kbps WAV File)

Though it may not be as popular as some Pink Floyd’s other songs. “Breathe In The Air” holds steady spot at the top of my progressive rock favorites and remains a constant on my “decompression” playlist. The AKG-K3003i’s suit this genre better than any other universal IEM I’ve come across. I found myself getting lost in the music, leaving all of my baggage behind and seemingly floating off on a cloud sound without a thought or care in the world. What makes the K3003i’s perfect is they do nothing that stands out. It’s like you’re being hit with a wall of balance and clarity; almost as if they’re telling you “Nothing to see here, mate. Just move along and enjoy the melody”. Everything is where it ought to be and I can’t find the motivation to pick apart transportable perfection in case of this track.

Elton John – Holiday Inn (96khz 2905kbps FLAC)

It may seem like a fairly simple song, but it’s a wonderful complicated bit that wreaks havoc on most Dynamic driver IEM’s that I’ve owned. A lot of the quick notes, echoes, and reverberations from the mandolin, sitar, and acoustic guitars usually get lost somewhere in translation. The bass guitar also has a tendency to disappear if you’re not looking for it. The AKG, on the other hand, comes out swinging like it’s the Golden Corral of earphones; serving up every scrumptious (unlike Golden Corral) morsel of sound your source has on tap. I can pick what slice I want to or take in the whole thing. The notes are so crisp that I sometimes question the ownership or some of my full sized cans.

David Bowie – DJ (44khz 256kbps AAC)

I couldn’t do this review without a little David Bowie and this one, like much of his music, is positively all over the over the place. Alas, I’ve been disappointed with this AAC file since I purchased it from iTunes. Instrument separation and detail is non-existent when compared to my vinyl pressing. The EX-1000 and K3003i are almost neck and neck with a slight nod going to later for fluff that isn’t worth mentioning.

New Wave:
I've always found it difficult to listen to this genre with headphones. Feeling the music when listening at loud levels, to me, has always been one of the most enjoyable caveats of this particular style. I usually find it best to leave the New Wave stuff to the my home speaker setup or my car.

Depeche Mode - Personal Jesus
No*

Depeche Mode - Enjoy the Silence
No*

New Order - Blue Monday
No*
    
New Order - True Faith
No*

Duran Duran - Come Undone
No*

Duran Duran - Planet Earth
No*

*Detail, clarity, it's all there. But it comes across as boring when you can't feel the thump of the bass in your chest.


Rap/R&B:

Wu-Tang Clan – Wu-Tang Ain’t Nuthing Ta F’ Wit (44khz 1411 kbps WAV File)

I picked this track to see how the K3003i’s would perform with something poorly recorded and gritty by design. I believe it was said to be a spat of genius from the RZA to offset the popular glistening studio products of Death Row and Bad Boy labels. If it was Rza’s goal to project the grit and grime of the street in audio form, then the AKG’s deliver it beautifully.  The small “flaws” in the background are brought front and center, giving you the impression that the recording was done in an apartment closet. Vocally, this is just a mish-mash of talking and yelling over music, so there’s really nothing to probe.  Regrettably, as much as I would like to claim these are the prefect universal, I still prefer my FX700’s and EX-1000’s for most forms of rap. With the reference filter installed, the AKG comes up as lacking in the area of bass impact when comparison to those other two.  Before some of you start grabbing pitchforks and discrediting me because of my perceived love of the low notes. I’d like you to first remember that overpowering bass is a staple of the genre.

The Dramatics - Get Up And Get Down (96khz 2901kbps FLAC File)

What makes Get Up and Get Down one of my favorite R&B tracks is that it contains all of the musical ingredients that made the 70’s soul something special. A strong bass line, electric guitar, a small horn section, and some violin work thrown in for good measure. It was a time when the look of an artist held little to no merit and success was usually direct result of their talent. The imaging the K3003i’s provide in respect to this song boarders on pornographic. Horns blaring off to my right, strings to my left, vocals and drums front row center; leading to a stunning three dimensional sound stage to that is simply mind blowing. Every note is analytically broadcasted, yet the listening experience remains full of depth and excitement. The real surprise of this track, though, has been how well the AKG’s cater to brass instruments. Crisp and focused is what comes to mind…..

The Fugees - Fu Gee La (44khz 1411 kbps WAV File)

Like the Goldilocks finding Baby Bear’s bowl of porridge; I believe that, as far as this song is concerned, this earphone is just right.  Lauren Hill’s vocals are projected with a sense of power and clarity that I have not heard from another IEM. The bass comes across as robust, but not powerful enough to draw your attention away from the rest of the AKG’s almost euphoric frequency range.  The sharpness of the snap of the snare drum and the slight background crackle give the track a somewhat analog sound, as if you’re playing it from an old tape deck. Though, unlike a tape deck, the sound is completely devoid of background hiss.  I know this may counter some of what I said in my in my Wu-Tang review, but I believe the K3003i’s suit this form of musical hip-hop better than any other IEM I’ve come across.   

Electronic/Pop:

Lady Gaga - Telephone (44khz 1411 kbps WAV File)

Like most 30 year old men, I too, own a rather sizable music collection of otherwise questionable taste. I'll be the first to admit that I'm not immune to the pelvic thrust inducing tunes of Lady Gaga. While fun, there's really nothing to look for in the music; no rouge violin far off in the distance or interesting tessiture to explore. Suspect production values, heavily EQ'd vocals, and the lack of any real depth to the musical notes means the AKG's are ultimately wasted on music such as this.

DI-RECT - Times Are Changing (Bart Claessen Remix) (44.1khz 320kbps MP3 File)

Jumping into the fast paced world of electronic music presents little or no challenge to the K3003i’s, but the same can be said for many lower priced IEM’s.  Truthfully, I would find it extremely hard to justify the extra $1000 cost associated with these over a set of mid-level earphones if this genre is primarily what you listen to.  There really isn't much to describe detail wise when it comes to subject of trance and dance music. So, all I can say is that it makes me give my head a proper nod when I’m listening on the go, but so do my EX-1000's.     

Classical:
Although Classical makes up a majority of what I listen to. I'm not going to spend time covering this genre and just going to leave it at
"buy these now!" if Orchestral/Choral works make up the bulk of your play-list.

AKG K3003i VS The World:

One of the major problems I've notice on head-fi over the years is a lack of common reference recordings used to preform A/B comparisons with. Many of the "people hear things differently" comments that litter the forum can simply be attributed to everyone listening to different music. So in an attempt to bring some semblance of balance to the force, I will be utilizing some of the sample 24bit/96khz tracks from http://www.2l.no's HiRes Test Bench for the review. These files are free to download and fairly hassle free to play on computers and non "i" devices. Hopefully, removing another wild card from test will provide better insight/discussion as to why and what the AKG's are capable of as more reviews follow.

Tor Espen Aspaas (solo piano) Beethoven: Sonate 32 - Maestoso

TrondheimSolistene Britten: Simple Symphony, Op. 4
Tone Wik & Barokkanerne (period instruments) Vivaldi: Recitative and Aria from Cantata RV 679, "Che giova il sospirar, povero core"

Sony EX-1000

This review is a work in progress. I've found the glossary of sound description, so I'll be going a little more in depth over the next week.

Early impressions by MuppetFace:

"First thing's first: Final Audio should take a lesson from AKG on how to properly present a $1000+ pair of earphones. My goodness. I think these rank as having one of the nicest unboxing experiences I've had in this hobby. Said box is quite large for a pair of IEMs, and inside amidst velvety foam inserts and brushed aluminum badges rests some truly exquisite craftsmanship in the form of the K3003. Their fit and finish leaves nothing to be desired in my humble opinion, and small touches like the rose gold plated jack are really splendid. So far these outdo anything from FAD and even the borderline-OCD presentation of the FitEars when it comes to instilling a sense of luxury.

Of course, that means very little if these don't sound good. Keeping in mind that I've only had an hour or so to listen to these this morning, I'm pleased to report that's far, far from the case. To these ears the K3003 sounds exceptional so far.

The first word that comes to mind is 'airy.' I know that's something of a head-fi buzzword, but I'm finding the K3003 (with the 'reference' filter) really epitomizes that sort of presentation. Compared to the FADs and FitEar, the K3003 just has a more effortless feel about it, along with a nearly electrostatic-like ability to render music in such a way as to sound as though it materializes out of thin air. For vocals in particular, the effect is magical. Tonally everything sounds spot on thus far; nothing I've thrown in their direction this morning has sounded off. Details and dynamics are nearly on par with the FitEar TG334, with the K3003 able to present sound in more of an 'out-of-head' manner. So far I think the FitEar has better imaging, however.

Weaknesses? Thus far, the most apparent to me relative to the FADs and FitEar is a certain sense of distance and detachment. Music is immersive, but I'm not finding it as engaging as its competition. Now, I don't want to imply these are un-engaging, but rather that they are relatively less so thus far. Also imaging seems relatively less pin-point in comparison, something that seems indicative of the overall airier presentation.

(taken from the FitEar TG 334 thread)

Again, these are very early impressions. I'll post something more substantial in the K3003 thread when I've had a week or so to process the sound of these. So far however, I can say I'm impressed with the overall package and enjoying what I'm hearing quite a bit."

Further impressions from MuppetFace:

"...I'm rather livid, as I had typed up a rather nice post about the K3003, complete with links, only to have my browser crash at the last moment.

The abridged take: I've been enjoying them immensely, and I find they render female vocals more adeptly than the FitEar TG 334, FI-BA-SS, Piano Forte IX and X. In particular the K3003 is able to capture more of the breathy and wavering subtleties of Marisa Champoonote's voice in "Thisgo Ball."

It captures her stuttering immaturity exquisitely. Overall I'm finding the K3003 to be a worthy successor to AKG's flagship lineage, and as a follow-up to the K1000, I'm finding it to be more even-handed in its execution. The latter has a bit too much top end emphasis, and on all but a few setups it can sound a bit thin and grating. The K3003 is more of an enjoyable listen to my ears, and dare I say even more sophisticated. It's certainly more convenient. I feel however that it manages to retain those positive qualities that made the K1000 so endearing: that wide open presentation, the detailed airiness and almost celestial mids and highs.

There are those who would balk at the price of these, and it seems as though we've somehow gotten it into our heads the only customs merit an expense of over $1000 USD. I wont say these reservations aren't justified, but upon reflection, I don't find the asking price to be too terribly outrageous, at least in relative comparison to other gear. I'm finding the K3003 is every bit as capable as similarly priced, full-sized flagship headphones. It's likely I need to spend more time listening to gain a more balanced perspective, but as of now I'd personally take the K3003 over the HD800 if given the choice between the two."

Short comparison between the K3003 & the FitEar TO GO! 334 by MuppetFace

Comparison between the K3003 & the FitEar TO GO! 334 (a work in progress) by bizkit

Impressions by Anaxilus

.

My responses in BLUE

Quote:

Originally Posted by Inks 

Moved it here, since it's more proper. I agree it really wasn't a review, more like impressions. There is only one filter that is worthwhile though, it's always the case with these multiple tuning IEMs, one is always easily above the others.

 

And which filter is that? I personally find both "reference" & "high-boost" filters to offer two distinct options and quite good in their own particular ways -- more people seem to prefer the "reference" filter, though.

 

There was a bias because of the price, he had a presumption from that.

 

There was also bias towards AKG, which is now owned by Harman ("Harman Cardboard").

 

I have listened to these myself, briefly I'll add, the pair joker has. Honestly I feel you aren't paying for performance, you are paying for the best hybrid configuration and exclusivity. The bass is fairly boosted, mids are easily colored (thickness added from 200-300hz regions) and the typical TWFK 8-10k boost (funny how it was denied it was one) that may makes it a bit hot and mildly sibilant.

 

Denied? Who by? Is that relevant, by the way?

 

I was surprised that the treble wasn't that extended as I though it will be, the spike isn't bothersome though, quite fun but fall short of the airness (extension past 10k), smoothness of the ER4S (which dips in sensible regions (5-7k) with a smaller higher treble boost).

 

It's strange to see you use the term "fun". Can you measure fun?

 

The transient speed of the dynamic driver is also noticeably slower, reminded me of the GR07, not slow for a dynamic's standard but behind the TWFK. The soundstage width was nice, it added to the "fun" sound.

 

Just how important is "transient speed"?

 

My take so far: AKG should've used the dynamic driver as a subwoofer instead, keeping that TWFK intact while only boosting regions below 100hz, now that will innovative. This will enable a more transparent midrange which is held back by the current configuration, the dynamic driver moves too much air, it adds thickness to the midrange of the recording. I believe AKG priced it very high to gather some respect and the fact that it's a rare configuration allows some room as well. Also believe company like Vsonic would be able to do something like this for a much lower price. 

 

Sony Hybrids as tips, which joker liked the best. Listened to a section of a song I use as reference in which I had on loop, previously used to compare other IEMs.

 

What does Joker's preferred choice of tips have to do with anything?

 

-------------------------------------

 

I hope at least you liked the colour of the housings; or perhaps the colour of the carrying case; or the packaging (if you got to see it).

 

You and I clearly hear things differently and have a different concept of what good sound is, and that's absolutely fine, but if I hadn't tried the K3003s myself, and only read you comments above, I would definitely NOT want to try these IEMs.