MomijiTMO
Headphoneus Supremus
Disclaimer: I’m just a uni student and am into headphones as a consumer of music. Take anything I write with a grain of salt – I don’t claim to have a ‘better’ opinion than another person. I do try and be as objective as I can be. Feel free to slander anything I say, I think it is a good thing. Also note that I'm not a very good photographer but I try with my point and shoot camera
[size=large]Audio Technica AD1000 - Are they as bad as everyone seems to suggest?[/size]
Well not much is said about these headphones so I thought I’d do my best to help people who are considering the AD1000. These headphones don’t have a good reputation here. One of the faults of Head-Fi is that people just regurgitate what others have said and just like Chinese whispers, the message is often distorted. Consequently I was intrigued by the almost unanimous hate of this headphone and the instant recommendation to just buy the AD2000 or stay with the AD900.
The AD1000 is oddly positioned in the AT line. Everyone knows that the AD700 is Mr Budget and the AD900 improves upon it for a price. The phrases often associated with these include “great imaging”, “awesome sound stage”, “immersing sound”, “bass shy” and “lose fit” with the first three being the major selling points. Those who enjoy the AD2000 claim it is different to the AD700/900. The soundstage is said to be more congested which is a downgrade to the majority of people. However, to me, soundstage isn’t that important. I’d much rather pay for improved instrument separation and weight than a huge sound stage. This is one of the reasons why so many people enjoy the RS1 and the MS Pro.
Rightio, with all that rubbish stuff out of the way, it’s time to move onto the important bit. The sound of course!
Set up is MF v-dac -> CK²III -> headphones. Not the greatest set up but it’s ok. I’ll frequently refer to my other headphones or headphones I’ve owned which at the time of writing include the HD580, HD650, K701, D2000 and the MS1i.
Packaging
It’s acceptable and isn’t something I give much thought too. However, Sennheiser manage to include a nice box and beyerdynamic include a bag so I don’t understand why AT didn’t include any accessories apart from the 3.5 to 6.5mm adapter. I think they should add something else, even if it is a soft bag that no one will use.
Headphone design
I like the look of them. The cage is rough to touch unlike the HD650 but feels quite sturdy. The earpad material is very soft and doesn’t irritate my skin. I don’t really like the look of the metal rails on the top but once they are on your head, who cares? The cable material is thick unlike the whimpy cord on the HD580/600 and is about the same as the k701. I’m not a proponent of expensive cables but if you are you might find this to be on the thin side.
Fit
These are comfy. My ears rest nicely on driver cage and I actually don't mind the deflated pads. It could also be due to them being new and still firm. After 2 hours of use, the upper part of my ear became a bit tender but we aren’t talking Grado like discomfort so I deem it acceptable. The wing support is quite nice and is probably the best out of all my headphones. The clamping factor is quite lose but is just enough on my smallish head. Like most headphones, you can adjust this by bending the parallel beams at the top. The auto adjusting height works well. If your head is well rounded, you might have some issues but you’d run into those issues with the HD650/580s too. Another point worth mentioning is in order to get the best sound out of your ATs, you want your ears to be not exactly in the centre. Basically you want your ears to be towards the rear. To me, this improves the bass in all areas and improves sound stage.
Quick size comparision
Everyone says the ATs are massive and I don't think that's very fair. Here's some proof that they aren't gigantic pillows although they feel like gigantic pillows
.
Bass
To me the bass is ok. No, we aren’t talking HD650 bass levels but something around the K701. It kicks in when it needs to with good impact but it doesn’t linger around. Bass drums can sound a little empty and hollow which makes this headphone not the best match for metal and to a less extent, rock. AT fans can run circles around this to avoid the truth but the bass leaves a lot of be desired. I’m think that the bass issue with the AD1000 lies with the sub bass. It just isn’t there. This gives the impression the AD1000 has less bass than the K701. However, in electronic music, the bass can be pushed beyond what is normal in rock and metal and it is fairly evident that the AD1000’s mid bass surpasses the K701. In ‘Exceed (Marcus Schossow Remix)’ – Kamui, the bass was simply greater than the AKG in quality and quantity. K701 comparisons aside, the HD650 has a more pleasing bass level and bass drums sound like. . .. bass drums! Whether the light bass nature of the headphone is going to be a deal breaker to you comes down to your preferences.
Mids
Wow, they are amazing. Everything is incredibly smooth and if you’re listening to someone who has a wide vocal range, the transition is perfect. There isn’t any graininess I found with say the D2000. The mids are quite liquid and I can’t say I’ve heard this in anything other than the MS1s I had. They are definitely forward which is where they should be. I really cannot stand the mids in the D2000 which is just dominated by the bass. They force me to increase the volume which just exacerbates the problem with a headache being the end result. No such issues here. Lush is the perfect way of describing the midrange of the AD1000. The K701 sounds quite thin in comparison.
Treble
Everyone says the AD1000 has piercing treble. I don’t completely agree. Ok ok, maybe I’ve grown accustom to the K701 which can be harsh at times but AD1000 is energetic but never offensive. As a result, trance sounds amazing. While the mids are definitely the focus of the headphone, the highs would be second. Cymbals are crisp and cut through the wall of guitars easily, sometimes too easily. It’s not as bad as with the K701 but it is obvious that this is a bright headphone. Pianos can sound far too bright at times, as do violins but it’s not cringe worthy. If you’re overly sensitive to harsh treble, you won’t like these headphones or the K701 or even the MS1s.
Sound stage
There is some height but things do appear to be very two dimensional. It does sound like the vocalist is meters away from you because the mids are so forward. This does work well with a lot of genres but in metal and some rock, it’s unusual to have so much emphasis on the vocals. Unlike the K701, there isn’t a weird phenomenon where the vocalist sounds like they are 5 meters behind the drummer etc. Everything is nice and close together, like they are in real life. Overall the sound stage is more to my liking than the ever expansive K701 and the three blobs in your head HD650. Listening to psybient really demonstrates the head stage these headphones are capable of. While listening to Aes Dana’s Memory Shell album, I felt a little unnerved at times with the phantom voices coming from 4 and 8 o’clock. This is comparable to the directionality of the K701 although instead of the voices sounding a few meters behind you, they felt like they were 30 cms from you head! Some sounds do sound quite distant too so don't think that everything is boxed in because it isn't. I do favour the smaller sound stage over a bigger one that seems to have no boundaries.
Speed, Detail and Transparency
I am impressed with the speed of these headphones. They are faster than the K701 and the HD650. They do not smear fast bass notes and can easily keep up with complex electronic music, for example, IDM. These are easily the most detailed headphone I own. Listening to Falling Snow by Agalloch, the vocals are much more throaty, something you just don’t hear with the D2000 or even the HD650. Not only does it sound clearer and more lifelike but there is more body to the vocals. The K701 is thin in comparison. The AD1000 is also transparent which can be as much of an advantage as it is a disadvantage. Poor recordings [eg, early black metal] sound appalling. Even Oceanic by ISIS sounds more grainy than usual. The HD650 makes poor recordings sound better which like most things is as much of a pro as it is a con. Thus, this headphone is very revealing of the recording.
Final words
I’ve yet to compare these with any other headphones by AT but I will be looking into the AD900 and the AD2000. However, compared to popular headphones like the HD580, HD650, K701 and the D2000, I can easily say the AD1000 might be a worthy rival, especially to the K701. The level of detail is a like a fresh breeze after listening to Senns which do have appear to have a ‘veil’ because they are so laid back. Many people find fault with the K701’s over pronounced highs and the AD1000 is much more tame. Unlike the majority of happy HD650 users, I find the treble to be unexciting. Cymbals just don’t sound as crisp as they do in real life. There is no sparkle, no substance to them at all. This also leads to some big issues in electronic music as the music loses most of its energy. Removing the inner foam of the HD650s can remedy this BUT it creates a few problems, for example, even harsher treble than the K701. The same issue occurs with the HD580. With the AD1000, the bass isn’t overly strong but this can be slightly improved with a warm amp. If you are a bass head, these are most definitely not your headphones. If you find the D2000s to be very unpleasant, you might find the bass on here to be acceptable. These are easy to drive headphones and they sound much better unamped compared to the rest of my headphone family. Still, the CK²III really does make the mid bass come out of their slumber. Amping these is a good idea.
It’s clear I really like this headphone, mostly for the detail, forward and liquid mids and the intimate sound stage. It has showed me that there is a middle man between the K701 and the HD650 which has most of the sonic attributes I like. It isn't better than the HD650 but to me is slightly better than the K701. The HD650 just eases into anything you throw at it and rarely hits a poor return. If only the AD1000 had a bit more bass… I’ll have to check out the AD2000 and the AD900 won’t I? The search continues for the perfect headphone!
List of songs:
Falling Snow – Agalloch
The Beginning and the End – ISIS
Distortion Sleep – Soilwork
The Surface – Beneath the Massacre
In The Shadow Of The Horns - Darkthrone [this almost broke my ears.]
Night's Blood - Dissection
The Human Stain - Kamelot
Wes Bound – Lee Ritenour
Mind Expansions - Kyoto Jazz Massive feat. Maiya James
Come Right Out And Say It – Relient K
Strobe Lights – Kill Hannah
MOS 6581 – Carbon Based Lifeforms
Dusts - Aes Dana
Exceed (Marcus Schossow Remix) – Kamui
Crash Into Reason [Original Mix] - Tritonal feat. Cristina Soto
You (Club Mix) - Robert Burian feat. Zdenka Predna
The Reward Is Cheese (Original Mix) - Deadmau5 vs Jelo
Swindon - Venetian Snares
Feuer Frei – Nachtmahr
My Fall - Tamtrum
Angel – Ophidian
Good Day – Hayley Warner
[size=xx-small]PS: If you have got to the end, you must agree Australia is awesome.[/size]
[size=large]Audio Technica AD1000 - Are they as bad as everyone seems to suggest?[/size]
Well not much is said about these headphones so I thought I’d do my best to help people who are considering the AD1000. These headphones don’t have a good reputation here. One of the faults of Head-Fi is that people just regurgitate what others have said and just like Chinese whispers, the message is often distorted. Consequently I was intrigued by the almost unanimous hate of this headphone and the instant recommendation to just buy the AD2000 or stay with the AD900.
The AD1000 is oddly positioned in the AT line. Everyone knows that the AD700 is Mr Budget and the AD900 improves upon it for a price. The phrases often associated with these include “great imaging”, “awesome sound stage”, “immersing sound”, “bass shy” and “lose fit” with the first three being the major selling points. Those who enjoy the AD2000 claim it is different to the AD700/900. The soundstage is said to be more congested which is a downgrade to the majority of people. However, to me, soundstage isn’t that important. I’d much rather pay for improved instrument separation and weight than a huge sound stage. This is one of the reasons why so many people enjoy the RS1 and the MS Pro.
Rightio, with all that rubbish stuff out of the way, it’s time to move onto the important bit. The sound of course!
Set up is MF v-dac -> CK²III -> headphones. Not the greatest set up but it’s ok. I’ll frequently refer to my other headphones or headphones I’ve owned which at the time of writing include the HD580, HD650, K701, D2000 and the MS1i.
Packaging
It’s acceptable and isn’t something I give much thought too. However, Sennheiser manage to include a nice box and beyerdynamic include a bag so I don’t understand why AT didn’t include any accessories apart from the 3.5 to 6.5mm adapter. I think they should add something else, even if it is a soft bag that no one will use.
Headphone design
I like the look of them. The cage is rough to touch unlike the HD650 but feels quite sturdy. The earpad material is very soft and doesn’t irritate my skin. I don’t really like the look of the metal rails on the top but once they are on your head, who cares? The cable material is thick unlike the whimpy cord on the HD580/600 and is about the same as the k701. I’m not a proponent of expensive cables but if you are you might find this to be on the thin side.
Fit
These are comfy. My ears rest nicely on driver cage and I actually don't mind the deflated pads. It could also be due to them being new and still firm. After 2 hours of use, the upper part of my ear became a bit tender but we aren’t talking Grado like discomfort so I deem it acceptable. The wing support is quite nice and is probably the best out of all my headphones. The clamping factor is quite lose but is just enough on my smallish head. Like most headphones, you can adjust this by bending the parallel beams at the top. The auto adjusting height works well. If your head is well rounded, you might have some issues but you’d run into those issues with the HD650/580s too. Another point worth mentioning is in order to get the best sound out of your ATs, you want your ears to be not exactly in the centre. Basically you want your ears to be towards the rear. To me, this improves the bass in all areas and improves sound stage.
Quick size comparision
Everyone says the ATs are massive and I don't think that's very fair. Here's some proof that they aren't gigantic pillows although they feel like gigantic pillows
Bass
To me the bass is ok. No, we aren’t talking HD650 bass levels but something around the K701. It kicks in when it needs to with good impact but it doesn’t linger around. Bass drums can sound a little empty and hollow which makes this headphone not the best match for metal and to a less extent, rock. AT fans can run circles around this to avoid the truth but the bass leaves a lot of be desired. I’m think that the bass issue with the AD1000 lies with the sub bass. It just isn’t there. This gives the impression the AD1000 has less bass than the K701. However, in electronic music, the bass can be pushed beyond what is normal in rock and metal and it is fairly evident that the AD1000’s mid bass surpasses the K701. In ‘Exceed (Marcus Schossow Remix)’ – Kamui, the bass was simply greater than the AKG in quality and quantity. K701 comparisons aside, the HD650 has a more pleasing bass level and bass drums sound like. . .. bass drums! Whether the light bass nature of the headphone is going to be a deal breaker to you comes down to your preferences.
Mids
Wow, they are amazing. Everything is incredibly smooth and if you’re listening to someone who has a wide vocal range, the transition is perfect. There isn’t any graininess I found with say the D2000. The mids are quite liquid and I can’t say I’ve heard this in anything other than the MS1s I had. They are definitely forward which is where they should be. I really cannot stand the mids in the D2000 which is just dominated by the bass. They force me to increase the volume which just exacerbates the problem with a headache being the end result. No such issues here. Lush is the perfect way of describing the midrange of the AD1000. The K701 sounds quite thin in comparison.
Treble
Everyone says the AD1000 has piercing treble. I don’t completely agree. Ok ok, maybe I’ve grown accustom to the K701 which can be harsh at times but AD1000 is energetic but never offensive. As a result, trance sounds amazing. While the mids are definitely the focus of the headphone, the highs would be second. Cymbals are crisp and cut through the wall of guitars easily, sometimes too easily. It’s not as bad as with the K701 but it is obvious that this is a bright headphone. Pianos can sound far too bright at times, as do violins but it’s not cringe worthy. If you’re overly sensitive to harsh treble, you won’t like these headphones or the K701 or even the MS1s.
Sound stage
There is some height but things do appear to be very two dimensional. It does sound like the vocalist is meters away from you because the mids are so forward. This does work well with a lot of genres but in metal and some rock, it’s unusual to have so much emphasis on the vocals. Unlike the K701, there isn’t a weird phenomenon where the vocalist sounds like they are 5 meters behind the drummer etc. Everything is nice and close together, like they are in real life. Overall the sound stage is more to my liking than the ever expansive K701 and the three blobs in your head HD650. Listening to psybient really demonstrates the head stage these headphones are capable of. While listening to Aes Dana’s Memory Shell album, I felt a little unnerved at times with the phantom voices coming from 4 and 8 o’clock. This is comparable to the directionality of the K701 although instead of the voices sounding a few meters behind you, they felt like they were 30 cms from you head! Some sounds do sound quite distant too so don't think that everything is boxed in because it isn't. I do favour the smaller sound stage over a bigger one that seems to have no boundaries.
Speed, Detail and Transparency
I am impressed with the speed of these headphones. They are faster than the K701 and the HD650. They do not smear fast bass notes and can easily keep up with complex electronic music, for example, IDM. These are easily the most detailed headphone I own. Listening to Falling Snow by Agalloch, the vocals are much more throaty, something you just don’t hear with the D2000 or even the HD650. Not only does it sound clearer and more lifelike but there is more body to the vocals. The K701 is thin in comparison. The AD1000 is also transparent which can be as much of an advantage as it is a disadvantage. Poor recordings [eg, early black metal] sound appalling. Even Oceanic by ISIS sounds more grainy than usual. The HD650 makes poor recordings sound better which like most things is as much of a pro as it is a con. Thus, this headphone is very revealing of the recording.
Final words
I’ve yet to compare these with any other headphones by AT but I will be looking into the AD900 and the AD2000. However, compared to popular headphones like the HD580, HD650, K701 and the D2000, I can easily say the AD1000 might be a worthy rival, especially to the K701. The level of detail is a like a fresh breeze after listening to Senns which do have appear to have a ‘veil’ because they are so laid back. Many people find fault with the K701’s over pronounced highs and the AD1000 is much more tame. Unlike the majority of happy HD650 users, I find the treble to be unexciting. Cymbals just don’t sound as crisp as they do in real life. There is no sparkle, no substance to them at all. This also leads to some big issues in electronic music as the music loses most of its energy. Removing the inner foam of the HD650s can remedy this BUT it creates a few problems, for example, even harsher treble than the K701. The same issue occurs with the HD580. With the AD1000, the bass isn’t overly strong but this can be slightly improved with a warm amp. If you are a bass head, these are most definitely not your headphones. If you find the D2000s to be very unpleasant, you might find the bass on here to be acceptable. These are easy to drive headphones and they sound much better unamped compared to the rest of my headphone family. Still, the CK²III really does make the mid bass come out of their slumber. Amping these is a good idea.
It’s clear I really like this headphone, mostly for the detail, forward and liquid mids and the intimate sound stage. It has showed me that there is a middle man between the K701 and the HD650 which has most of the sonic attributes I like. It isn't better than the HD650 but to me is slightly better than the K701. The HD650 just eases into anything you throw at it and rarely hits a poor return. If only the AD1000 had a bit more bass… I’ll have to check out the AD2000 and the AD900 won’t I? The search continues for the perfect headphone!
List of songs:
Falling Snow – Agalloch
The Beginning and the End – ISIS
Distortion Sleep – Soilwork
The Surface – Beneath the Massacre
In The Shadow Of The Horns - Darkthrone [this almost broke my ears.]
Night's Blood - Dissection
The Human Stain - Kamelot
Wes Bound – Lee Ritenour
Mind Expansions - Kyoto Jazz Massive feat. Maiya James
Come Right Out And Say It – Relient K
Strobe Lights – Kill Hannah
MOS 6581 – Carbon Based Lifeforms
Dusts - Aes Dana
Exceed (Marcus Schossow Remix) – Kamui
Crash Into Reason [Original Mix] - Tritonal feat. Cristina Soto
You (Club Mix) - Robert Burian feat. Zdenka Predna
The Reward Is Cheese (Original Mix) - Deadmau5 vs Jelo
Swindon - Venetian Snares
Feuer Frei – Nachtmahr
My Fall - Tamtrum
Angel – Ophidian
Good Day – Hayley Warner
[size=xx-small]PS: If you have got to the end, you must agree Australia is awesome.[/size]
