[Calanctus]

Quote:

If I listen to the Senns after the ATs, I feel like I'm hearing blobs of music throughout the soundstage. The bass is over there the drums are over here, etc., but they each stand seperately. They don't meld together.

Kevin, an interesting comment. I remember hearing this from another poster on these boards.

Some people might prefer a sound that lets them pick out individual instruments from the overall sound, others (like you) prefer a more 'whole' sound. I'm probably with you on this one.

 

[ablaze]

Old pa: how different ie. in what ways are the smurfed HD600s different from the ATs you've heard?

williamgoody,LTU: thanks for the input too

 

[DarkWolf]

You guys are killing me. I just got my amp, my 590s are on their way, and I already want A1000s! Arg. Well, I think I'll need to try them sooner or later.

 

[Pepsione1]

I've been very very tempted to get the w1000 since they were annouced couple months back. However, because of the lack of availability of them here in the US its rather hard to audition them. I wonder how the w1000 would compare to the CD3000 while their prices are similar (thru audiocubes). I really want some good closed headphones and those seem to be the utimate choices besides the R10.

 

[Kieran Comito]

Quote:

Originally posted by williamgoody Well, I'm a HD 600 owner, and I think they sound better than the AT Cans I heard, which were the AT100 and AT1000. If I'm not mistaken you can get all of these for around $300, give or take. Throw a set of $100, $150 cables on the 600's and to me they even further surpass the AT's, especially in depth, soundstage, and enhancing the highs. Speaking as a consumer I would expect a "$400 or $450" headphone to "outperform" a $300 headphone (subject to your preferences of course). Some of you moan about the 600's not sounding great " out of the box", while the AT's do. What exactly would be the difference between getting the 600's and adding a cable as opposed to buying a set "out of the box: for $450? It's also nice to have a set of headphones that have perceivably a greater potential to "grow" as you upgrade your gear, while giving you awesome sound with your present gear. The AT cans are great cans if you prefer them. Nothing wrong with them in comparison to the 580's or 600's. They sound good, and fit a lot of situations really well. But I haven't read too many recommendations for the 580's or 600's that were a "reach".

The A100s are not 450.00. They are only a little over 300.00. My point was that that a lot newbeis get recomended the Senns which require an uprgaded cable and amp to sound thier best. A lot of newbies even state they are not looking to get an amp, yet there are people that still recomend the Senns. With the A1000s, they sound good without an amp. Wouldn't that be a better choice. To top it off, I have the HD 600 and two very good amps plus the recplacement cable. From my experience the last two weeks, the A 1000s blow the HD 600s away for the music I listen too. I listen to rock, not anything really hard. Now for other types of music, who knows the Senns might be better, but rock is really all I listen too. Comparing the two phones amped by the Sugden Headmaster, the HD 600 does have a better soundstage(not much), but the AT 1000s have better detail and a better punch. The sound more alive. The bass seems about even.

 

[elnero]

Quote:

Originally posted by Pepsione1 I've been very very tempted to get the w1000 since they were annouced couple months back. However, because of the lack of availability of them here in the US its rather hard to audition them. I wonder how the w1000 would compare to the CD3000 while their prices are similar (thru audiocubes). I really want some good closed headphones and those seem to be the utimate choices besides the R10.

That might be a question for ServinginEcuador. He has the CD3000's and had the W1000's for a couple of days before he sold them. (Due to his big ears

) I believe he really like the both but gives the edge to the CD3000. Of course his W1000's weren't broken in though.

 

[RickG]

I have owned the CD-3ks for a couple of years and also have the W1000s. While they are both great sounding cans, they exhibit very unique characteristics that make comparison difficult, I would probably give the very slight edge to the Sonys. Especially in the mid-lower bass, the 3k's have a certain tightness and punch. The ATs are much more subtle and delicate and don't go quite as deep.

I like both phones for particular styles of music and would be very hard pressed to give up either one.

 

[elnero]

Hehehe, I forgot you had both as well Rick.

 

[Duncan]

Hmm... HD600s vs A900s...

The thing that worries me here... and i've heard it myself, in a limited and brief way... The A1000s do, as Bangraman states sound richer in the midrange than the A900s... yet to me the A900s can sound very nasally with vocals... Compress the vocals... The Sennheisers don't do this...

I'm not bashing the ATs at all... I like the A900s with smooth music so much that I'm buying Bangramans pair from him... but I find it hard to say that the ATs are far and away better than even the stock Sennheisers...

Bass, thats in the favour of the ATs, but the midrange, and the treble... to me, ultimately belong to the Sennheisers...

With the ATs Its Sssssssssssssssssweet music, but with the Sennhesiers its just simply... Sweet

 

[Old Pa]

Lou & Ablaze: I'm fine, Lou, so far. Thanks for asking. I hope you are well, too.

The W1000 are the only AT headphones I have listened to for any real period of time and where I could have the necessary control over the source. There are two major differences between the W1000 and the smurfed HD600s that I hear. #1 is the difference between closed and open phones itself; W1000 have both better isolation and the effects of a closed earcup. As the W1000s are very well engineered (notably in their bass chamber design), the effects of the closed earcup is not bad, but it is different.

I understand also that the W1000's wood earcups season and settle over time with some subtle changes to the sound, but I cannot speak to that yet. This potential of the W1000 gives me pause as to storing, transporting, and using the cans as not to"hurt" the wood. The wood certainly is beautiful and adds an old instrument quality to the 'phones. I am pretty sure and long term owner would value the W1000 wood's aesthetics and feel they were getting their money out of them. Pro or portable use might also favor the A1000s.

Among other genres, I like pipe organ music, and the smurfed HD600s sound better at this than do the W1000s to my perceptions. This is a big sound and the closed cups of the W1000 do not do as well with it.

The second difference I hear, although it is much more subtle to me than to some Head-Fiers, is a difference in the frequency response curve between the W1000 and the smurfed HD600s. Most notably (and expectedly), although both are good for small sounds, the slight mid-bass emphasis of the smurfed HD600s causes them not to resolve as well and be as clear in the affected frequency range.

I got my W1000s from AudioCubes when they came through with a good price. I had read good things and decided to go out on a limb and get them unheard. Boy, did I luck out on all counts. While this is not buyer feedback, AudioCubes did a great job. The W1000s are a wonderful addition and should be considered as being at least as good as a pair of smurfed HD600s (just different).

 

[LTUCCI1924]

Duncan
HI: How are you? I am a little disappointed in the fact the you compare the 600 to the A900. I think that the A1000 may be a lot better than the A900 but I never heard the A900 so cant be sure but I am sure of this. If you would like to a/b the 600 then its only fair that you a/b them with the top of the line A T meaning The A1000 or W1000. Now please don't take offense but only get the best A T not the second best even though you might think that it is close to the A1000. The 600 are some of the best cans so please get the best ATH-A-W 1000 for a true comparison. Now don't get mad at me. But you only seem to get used stuff and not even the top of the line stuff and then do a compareson to the senn.600. This ant fair to us ATH-A-W-1000 folks who spent a lot of money for new top of the line A Ts.

 

[Duncan]

lol Lou, I'm not mad at you...

But, as I say... my one concern of going to the top of the line ATs is the midrange... its more emphasised than the A900s I know... but I find the A900s to sound a little sticky in the midrange, compressed... nasally, call it what you will...

As I said in my previous post... I do like the AT sound with certain music, it beats the Senns hands down... I know it... but for more upbeat music, I can't help feeling that the ATs are TOO vibrant at times... with little self control

As Old Pa says, some kinds of music sound better on one headphone... others, on another...

Personally, I know my quest isn't over... in all honesty, I am now doubting it ever will be...

I feel the call of speakers... Hmm, sounds good

 

[williamgoody]

Kiernan.

I'm happy you enjoy your AT's. They have good sound. But with side by side using the same equipment, to me the 600's sound much better. I feel they have better detail, contrary to what you've found. Yes the AT's have more "punch", but for me, my Sr225's sound just as good, if not better, for rock music.

You've missed my point. One of the main "rah rah" points for the AT cans are the sound "out of the box", that you don't need to upgrade. I feel the 600's with an upgraded cable sound THAT much better than the AT's I've heard. What again exactly is the difference if they're sold with the cable for $450 (as an example). Then would you say they have better sound "out of the box"?

Granted they're not for everyone or every situation. But again they offer the potential to improve over how great they already are with amps, better equipment, etc. Is there a ceiling to how much better the AT can be?

Personally I find the AT's to be a shade behind the Grado's (225's or 325's) for rock. They make a good alternative to them, but I find the Grado's to be better.

And to be fair, I've read many a recommendation for the AT cans for situations where personally I feel the 580's or 600's would've been a better choice.

 

[Kevin]

Thanks for all of the positive response to my comparison of the ATs.

I need to clarify some matters.

For the tests I used a Sony C555ES SACD player through a nOhr SE9 amp.

I listed the music I used on the tests to not only to show what I listened to, but also what I didn't. I did not use any classical, choral or pipe organ music. Just pop, rock, jazz and blues.

I used a HD600 with a Cardas cable during the tests. I did not intend to put down The HD600. I only wanted to illustrate the difference in sound reproduction. I am not selling my Senns, or any other headphone I own (except the A1000 because I believe they are redundant) since I got the AT 1000s. Each has a place in my listening "library." I only used the 600s as an example of how the sound is reproduced differently. Each of my headphones provide a different listening experience. Also, even though this hobby has done its best to ruin listening to music, I have tried to get over changing headphones during a listening session.

To sum it up, I really like these headphones. The are "easy" to listen to and are extremely comfortable. I also really like my other phones. Each has its own place.

 

[LTUCCI1924]

HI KEVEN: How are you? You are selling the ATH-A1000. You said that you are selling them. except the A1000 because I believe they are redundant) is what you said. Can you tell me how they are redundant? Its ok if that is how you feel.