[Fitz]

Since nobody else has, I thought I'd mention that the ATH-5 are complete rubbish.

 

[wualta]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Swarkestone Excuse my absolute ignorance Wualta but could you elucidate on the condenser mics ? Any model numbers in particular ? Thanks for the info on the phones - guess I´ll look elsewhere.

Take a look at Audio-Technica's site. Here's the current line of small-diaphragm condensers, for example. There's also an archive section of old stuff.

A-T has made so many different mics, at all price points, for so long that it would be tough to get any more specific, but if it's an A-T condenser mic, chances are it's good no matter what price it was/is. So if you spot some.. copy down the model numbers.

 

[Swarkestone]

I spotted the following condenser mics: AT-853 Unidirectional, AT9450 Video Recording, AT9350 Unidirectional Shotgun, AT 857Qm Miniature Unidirectional Unipoint, AT-930 Super Directional-Omni Convertible Electret and loads of dynamics basically ATM41 of all colours and guises.
The AT-8 do include the transformer unit, by the way and are immaculate in the box. I am still undecided whether to try some. I don´t really follow the comments about LPs of the day not having deep bass - what are we comparing them to - as I am a vinyl only person, maybe I should give the AT-8s a try - suffice to say, I´ve never heard better bass from any digital sources so maybe being incapable of reproducing modern bass might not be a bad thing.

 

[Inkmo]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Swarkestone /img/forum/go_quote.gif I spotted the following condenser mics: AT-853 Unidirectional, AT9450 Video Recording, AT9350 Unidirectional Shotgun, AT 857Qm Miniature Unidirectional Unipoint, AT-930 Super Directional-Omni Convertible Electret and loads of dynamics basically ATM41 of all colours and guises. The AT-8 do include the transformer unit, by the way and are immaculate in the box. I am still undecided whether to try some. I don´t really follow the comments about LPs of the day not having deep bass - what are we comparing them to - as I am a vinyl only person, maybe I should give the AT-8s a try - suffice to say, I´ve never heard better bass from any digital sources so maybe being incapable of reproducing modern bass might not be a bad thing.

man, I'd say curiosity is reason enough if the price is right. now bad-on-bad, or old-on-old, based synchronicity? I dunno.

 

[wualta]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Swarkestone /img/forum/go_quote.gif I spotted the following condenser mics: AT-853 Unidirectional, AT9450 Video Recording, AT9350 Unidirectional Shotgun, AT 857Qm Miniature Unidirectional Unipoint, AT-930 Super Directional-Omni Convertible Electret and loads of dynamics basically ATM41 of all colours and guises. The AT-8 do include the transformer unit, by the way and are immaculate in the box. I am still undecided whether to try some. I don´t really follow the comments about LPs of the day not having deep bass - what are we comparing them to - as I am a vinyl only person, maybe I should give the AT-8s a try - suffice to say, I´ve never heard better bass from any digital sources so maybe being incapable of reproducing modern bass might not be a bad thing.

Ah. Thanks for the model #s. The AT-853 is a hanging choir mic (needs phantom power); the 857 and the AT-930 (which sounds the most intriguing) aren't on the A-T database for N. America. The 930 looks like it converts from an omni to a shotgun (!) from what little I could find about it.

As for vinyl, unless you confine yourself to the audiophile labels, there's not as much bass on them as on a digitally recorded CD, but of course this depends on the label, the remastering, etc. Rule of thumb is, if you can't see the bass wiggles (real bass needs LOTS of room to wiggle on an LP), they ain't no real bass there. If your LPs have big wiggles (and 15 min of playing time per side), and your arm and cartridge can track 'em, more power to you. I'm an old vinyl jockey myself and still have a working table.

In any case, the ATH-8 will deliver bass, but not without a small struggle. If 100 Euros doesn't sound like a lot of money to you, grab 'em, they're just neatokeen headphones. If you want the full-on electrostatic experience for not much more than that, look for a used Lambda variant. A slightly dog-eaten Lambda Pro and SRM-1 Mk2 amp went at auction a couple of weeks ago for about USD 250.

 

[Swarkestone]

Hi Wualta,
I don´t wish to sound disrespectful but I cannot agree with your observation regarding digital CD bass in comparison with vinyl as heard from a good turntable/arm and cartridge - in my humble opinion, CD bass is MOSTLY crap, one note, completely lacking in expressiveness, nuances and is just a noise. My doubts regarding 20 year old AT phones stem from the fact that in the past 20 years or so magnet technology has come on in leaps and bounds (look at SOME cartridges, though not all - I use a Denon DL103, designed well over 20 years ago) and so maybe SOME modern phones will be innately better than what was possible years ago.
If I can be of any assistance regarding the mics, just let me know.
Cheers

 

[Swarkestone]

P.S. What does neatokeen mean ? I´m afraid I´ve lost touch with my native tongue.

 

[ericj]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Swarkestone /img/forum/go_quote.gif Hi Wualta, I don´t wish to sound disrespectful but I cannot agree with your observation regarding digital CD bass in comparison with vinyl as heard from a good turntable/arm and cartridge - in my humble opinion, CD bass is MOSTLY crap, one note, completely lacking in expressiveness, nuances and is just a noise.

Just like on a record, it depends on the mastering.

CD bass is often poor in quality. Vinyl bass is often filtered out before pressing.

Quote:

My doubts regarding 20 year old AT phones stem from the fact that in the past 20 years or so magnet technology has come on in leaps and bounds (look at SOME cartridges, though not all - I use a Denon DL103, designed well over 20 years ago) and so maybe SOME modern phones will be innately better than what was possible years ago.

There are no magnets at all in the ATH-8 or any of the microphones we've discussed.

 

[Cankin]

anyone heard about AT701,702,703 dynamic headphone or 705,706 eletret headphone? I found them new in box, how much should I pay for them?

 

[Swarkestone]

I stand corrected regarding magnets. Thanks - just shows how wrong I am. Does this mean that this type of headphone is now old hat and I should be looking for some more conventional Sennheisers or Denons which presumably have benefitted from more modern technology and are better able to reproduce music in all its nuances whether it be CD based or vinyl based ?
Sorry to be such a pain as this is not a question for this forum but all I know, is that in MY system, in MY house, and to MY ears vinyl knocks spots off CD, especially in the bass info/credibility department.
Regards to all.

 

[facelvega]

I wouldn't get too worried about magnet technology in this matter. First, electrostatic headphones (and now, it seems, piezoelectric) are widely considered superior to any dynamics. This isn't necessarily the case for the old AT electrets, but still I don't think you'll be disappointed by their sound. Second, even within the category of magnetic driver headphones, there are plenty of worthy contenders from twenty and even thirty years ago. The big innovation was the use of a microphone capsule instead of a paper cone as the diaphragm; the magnets mainly just let the housing get smaller.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Swarkestone /img/forum/go_quote.gif I stand corrected regarding magnets. Thanks - just shows how wrong I am. Does this mean that this type of headphone is now old hat and I should be looking for some more conventional Sennheisers or Denons which presumably have benefitted from more modern technology and are better able to reproduce music in all its nuances whether it be CD based or vinyl based ? Sorry to be such a pain as this is not a question for this forum but all I know, is that in MY system, in MY house, and to MY ears vinyl knocks spots off CD, especially in the bass info/credibility department. Regards to all.

 

[Swarkestone]

I shall stop putting my foot in it - this is clearly not my territory - If I decide to go for the ATs I will post my review based on gut impression as I haven´t actually used any headphones for donkey´s years. Anyway, no-one seems to have actually heard a pair of 8s for years, if at all.
Thanks folks.

 

[d.phens]

ATH-5 : dynamic, not worth a try indeed

ATH-6 : these are supposed to be Stax electret clones
ATH-7 : these are supposed to be Stax electret clones


ATH-8 : for sure AT's own push-pull design,
probably better than both ath-6, ath-7 and Stax SR-30 as well as SR-40

Signet TK33 = Audio Technica ATH-8 for sure
Signet TK44 = probably Audio Technica ATH-7 (worse than TK33 or ATH-8)

Considering the records, they did have to be bass-shy, otherwise the needle couldn't transfer details on it's surface and the record would wear off more quickly and they even feature more treble peaks, it's called RIAA curve
but PHONO stages are used to correct the sound to normal tonal balance.

CDs have no physical limits so they enabled so-called "loudness wars" and that's why clipping and too nasty bassssss started to appear for the first time in commercial recordings. It all started when CDs became the standard...

 

[Wombat128]

Swarkestone,
 
I've just come across this thread - somehow got to it when in the act of purchasing a set of ortofon E-Q7s, wierd - and would be very keen (neatokeen?) to get a pair of ATH8s if they are still available?  I still have a pair of ATH7s from wayyyyy back when.  Couldn't afford the 8s at that time (late 70s) but if your time machine is still working and you still have access can you hook me up???
 
I was very much into electrostatic/electrets at the time.  Would have loved some Stax. I had a pair of ESS Heil AMTs for the main system and was running a Nakamichi amp and deck at the time - ****!  Where did the years go?????????
 
Wombat128

 

[tk3]

5 year old thread dude, not likely he will respond.