[jpelg]

LOL

!

Well, I assure you that there is no wax in these ears, and the Benchmark is definitely one of the brighter sources/amps out there. I don't discount burn in as a factor. The pair I heard was a few years old. I'd be surprised if it accounted for that huge of a diff, but who knows? Variation in samples is also a possibility, but again, I'd not think so much. Age? Maybe. In that case, who knows what changes happened to the wood over time just sitting in the package, and I wonder if it could be reversed (as in , back to original specs)?

In any event, I am glad you are enjoying your find, Mike. Keep us updated as you perceive changes over time, and if you do any tweaks.

 

[Hirsch]

I can now confirm that there are two different sounds out of the W100. Another Head-Fi member brought a pair by on Sat, and we were able to compare out of the same amp. His had a bright hard edge and attenuated bass response. They sounded exactly like I remember my first W100. My current W100 has a far more natural frequency response, stronger bass and no hint of a tipped up high end. You'd never think these were the same model headphone.

 

[thrice]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hirsch I can now confirm that there are two different sounds out of the W100. Another Head-Fi member brought a pair by on Sat, and we were able to compare out of the same amp. His had a bright hard edge and attenuated bass response. They sounded exactly like I remember my first W100. My current W100 has a far more natural frequency response, stronger bass and no hint of a tipped up high end. You'd never think these were the same model headphone.

*sigh* Those would be my cans...I don't know what happened to them. Oh well, I'm burning them in more. I got these with about 50 hours on them a year ago and then used them intermittantly throughout the year (probably have about 150-200 hours on them). They are now burning in full-time, we'll see what happens to them...sigh.

 

[Zuerst]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hirsch I can now confirm that there are two different sounds out of the W100. Another Head-Fi member brought a pair by on Sat, and we were able to compare out of the same amp. His had a bright hard edge and attenuated bass response. They sounded exactly like I remember my first W100. My current W100 has a far more natural frequency response, stronger bass and no hint of a tipped up high end. You'd never think these were the same model headphone.

Hmmm... interesting, I thought AT's are built to pretty strict standards? Maybe different manufacture batch? Just random variants like the wood cup itself or... can't make things that different though?

Hope the one coming to me is the "good" one.

Quote:

Originally Posted by thrice *sigh* Those would be my cans...I don't know what happened to them. Oh well, I'm burning them in more. I got these with about 50 hours on them a year ago and then used them intermittantly throughout the year (probably have about 150-200 hours on them). They are now burning in full-time, we'll see what happens to them...sigh.

So yours is bright and lacks bass?

How can they be so different? Maybe AT ran out of W100 drivers and just stick in some W2002 or L3000 drivers?

 

[Tomcat]

Quote:

Originally Posted by PinkFloyd I was commenting earlier on the treatment of the wood as this will have a pronounced effect on the characteristics of the sound.... if the wood dries out this will affect the sound... if the wood is fed with wax this will also change the characteristics... there are so many variables when you use wood in acoustics.... any violinist will know that no two Stradivarius violins will sound the same... the age of the wood, the patina, the conditions they have been stored in all play a part in making each violin sound unique. Similarly, IMO, no two headphones with wooden earcups can be said to sound identical to one another.... nature doesn't work that way. My phones "could" be sounding brighter due to the fact they have been kicking about unused in a Japanese warehouse for the past six years.... it's possible the wood has dried out a bit? As I said earlier.. I'm a great believer in feeding wood so watch this space for a "Feed your W100 tweak" thread a few months down the line

Mike,

You are absolutely right. A couple of years after I got my W100s, they started to develop a treble response that was just a little bit dry and brittle. I treated the wooden enclosures to several helpings of antique wax that they quickly sucked in. Et voilà: the suppleness and agility of the W100's treble came back. Even the efficiency increased: the W100s played louder than before. Not by much, but it was noticeable. I had to adjust the amp's volume control. There was more low-level detail than before. It wasn't the kind of detail that jumps out on you but it increased the music's cohesion and liquidity. jpelg would have hated it.

This might be one factor that explains Hirsch's findings that two W100s can sound very different from another: they have been stored and used differently. You are right, Mike!

I am looking forward to your future experiments.

 

[audio-technicaUK]

Oh yeah, i remember when they got returned, though they aren't from Japan. They're from Holland, nice headphones though. Glad you like 'em

 

[PinkFloyd]

Quote:

Originally Posted by audio-technicaUK Oh yeah, i remember when they got returned, though they aren't from Japan. They're from Holland, nice headphones though. Glad you like 'em

?

 

[StevieDvd]

audio-technicaUK

Welcome to the forum, if you work for Audio Technica, doubly welcome.

Perhaps you know whether there are replacements pads (other than imitiation leather) for the ATH-W100s as another UK member is asking in his recent thread. Or pads for a newer model that will fit.

Steve

 

[Tomcat]

Quote:

Originally Posted by StevieDvd audio-technicaUK Welcome to the forum, if you work for Audio Technica, doubly welcome. Perhaps you know whether there are replacements pads (other than imitiation leather) for the ATH-W100s as another UK member is asking in his recent thread. Or pads for a newer model that will fit.

Steve,

Audiocubes sell genuine leather pads: W2002 leather pads They will fit the W100. I followed JML's example and have never looked back. The W100 with genuine leather pads is much more comfortable and it sounds a little bit better.

 

[elnero]

When I owned the W100's I suspected that they could be affected to a fairly high degree by things like temperature, humidity and amount of use. My very first experience with them came when the postman delivered them to my work. It was around -20 degrees out that day and had been quite cold for awhile before. Needless to say when I took them out of the box the wood felt quite cold to the touch. I immediately plugged them in and was greeted with a rather shrill, bassless and honky presentation but after a few hours they started to settle down. I don't remember how long it took for them to stabilize but I always wondered if there was more that could be done to tinker with their sound.

For reference, the W2002's leather replacement pads can also be used on the W100's. Audiocubes used to sell, I'm not sure if they still do though.

 

[digitaldave]

Tomcat,

It's actually me who is looking for the replacement pads

. Soupy replied in my original post with the same answer you just gave, i.e. W2002 pads. The standard W100 pads aren't uncomfortable in terms of how they feel, it's just that they could get very sweaty (ewww!) in warm weather, which is something that the fluffy HD600 pads don't do (for me, at least). So, would a pair of W2002 pads make a significant difference over the W100 pads? Are the W100's imitation leather and the W2002's genuine leather?

Thanks

.

Dave.

 

[PinkFloyd]

Have you bought a pair Dave?

 

[elnero]

Quote:

Originally Posted by daveabrey Are the W100's imitation leather and the W2002's genuine leather?

Yes the W100's are imitation, nice imitation but imitation nonetheless. The W2002 on the other hand are genuine leather and as such should breathe more and be at least a bit cooler than the stock pads.

 

[Tomcat]

Quote:

Originally Posted by daveabrey The standard W100 pads aren't uncomfortable in terms of how they feel, it's just that they could get very sweaty (ewww!) in warm weather, which is something that the fluffy HD600 pads don't do (for me, at least). So, would a pair of W2002 pads make a significant difference over the W100 pads? Are the W100's imitation leather and the W2002's genuine leather?

Dave,

Yes, they W2002 pads are genuine leather, and yes, they are cooler. You'll like them, I'm sure.

This is JML's old thread about the swapping procedure. He was the first to try it: http://www5.head-fi.org/forums/showthread.php?t=11975

 

[digitaldave]

Quote:

Originally Posted by PinkFloyd Have you bought a pair Dave?

If you mean W100's, then yes, I bought a pair on Saturday. They are currently on an epic burn in, 40 hours in, ??? hours to go

. How are your pair getting on?

However, if you mean replacement pads, no, not yet.