[donunus]

Impressions before burn in:
This sounds like the headphone I was looking for in the first place when I started looking for headphones during the 90s. Great upfront and lively sound
with just the right amount of bass, mids, and highs with a little bit of a pro audio horn coloration as if one was in a live rock concert equipped with horns that are not blended too loud that one can still hear the sound of the direct acoustic sound coming from the drums. I was expecting it to be more boring and refined but what the hell? this can rocks! It can give a soundstage when the recording has it too.

The AD2000 behaves like a less grainy sounding grado without the plasticky coloration that grados have. It has just the right amount of impact and It made me notice that the drums that I thought that sounded realistic on my senn 595s was a coloration of the 595s themselves and were not always coming from the recordings.

At first, I thought my great recordings like patricia barber sounded better on the senns than the ad2ks but when I listened to the audio technicas again, I think the reason I thought this was because all the other recordings that were boring on the senns sounded great on the ad2000s. The pat barber stuff I had no longer stood out as much because I was finally enjoying my standard pop and rock stuff for the music now instead of the sonic attributes.

Something was always missing with my senns with my 70s, 80s, and 90s rock. I thought I needed grados again then bought sr60s. They had more of the balance I was looking for but they were too grainy for my tastes especially coming from the senns. I was thinking of getting an upper end grado but from what people are describing, they still won't give me the soundstage I want and I also got the impression that they would still have that plastic coloration voicing that the sr60s had. The AD2000s are a little expensive but considering that they can sound great even from an ipod and music like u2 can be snappy and fun again is a major plus for its value. It makes me wonder what the ad900 has for 220 bucks. I am trying to convince a friend that if it is just a slightly less refined version of the ad2000 that nothing will beat it for the money.

Bottom line is that the AD2000 is a great pair of cans even pre burn in. I already like it more than all the cans I had or heard in the past which includes hd580s, hd600s, dt990 05 editions, akg k240s, k81djs, grado sr60s 80s and 325s, hd555s, hd595s, the koss esp 950s and px100s hehehe. Some cans might be more refined but lack the combination of excitement and musicality as these.

I will post more if I think they have improved after more burn in and will also say if they improve a lot with a great source when I get to try it using my cousins CEC transport with thor DAC

More Notes On their Balance:
I've been doing a lot of listening with the sr60s on my pc lately and if you were to do a quick a/b swap, the first thing you will notice is the area around 5khz sounding way more present on the sr60s. This is what I think make the grados sound plasticky. The ad2ks remind me of senn hd580/600s when coming directly from the the grados. All that aside, the sr60s sound unrefined in comparison of course as it should be for the price difference.

 

[donunus]

I want to ask ad2000 owners about burn in methods. Do you just burn them in without anything covering the drivers or do you clamp them on a box simulating the size of a human head? It seems that the driver movement might simulate normal use better when they are broken in clamped on something to give air pressure force against the drivers. the only thing that worries me when starting the burning in process this way is the fact that the driver cushions are getting really squished when the box i am stretching them with is wider than a standard human head

 

[EnOYiN]

Congrats!

I am looking forward to more impressions because I am thinking about buying one myself.

Edit: and before I forget

 

[nickchen]

Still hate them...

...but heartly congrats!

 

[Gradofan2]

Quote:

Originally Posted by donunus /img/forum/go_quote.gif I want to ask ad2000 owners about burn in methods. Do you just burn them in without anything covering the drivers or do you clamp them on a box simulating the size of a human head? It seems that the driver movement might simulate normal use better when they are broken in clamped on something to give air pressure force against the drivers. the only thing that worries me when starting the burning in process this way is the fact that the driver cushions are getting really squished when the box i am stretching them with is wider than a standard human head

I just hooked 'em up with my Sony Walkman, and portable amp, and put on a CD of "pink noise" and played them 24x7 for a while (except when I was using them). It seemed to "mellow" / warm them just a bit - though not much - seemed to reduce the upper mids peak just a bit.

Yes... they do sound a lot like the RS-1s... but seem to have a bit bigger / smoother sound - both are great! The RS-1s have a bit more textured sound with acoustic instruments. The AD2000's are a nice "blend" between the HD600/650s and RS-1s. With the right set up... I can't imagine any phones are much better, if at all.

I found by inserting plastic foam crack / caulk filler from Lowes / Home Depot under the rear of the ear pads... that they sound a bit better (more melow) - I think I used 1/2" or 5/8" tubular foam (you can experiment) - see this mod in one of the AD2000 threads. It lifts the rear half of each phone from your ear, and provdes a bit better sound.

 

[donunus]

seems like they don't really change as much with burn in as other cans like the 555s i had

 

[Rickio]

i am glad to hear your impressions. i was considering this can also and in fact pulled the trigger last sunday, so i will be getting mine soon. i couldn't wait anymore

 

[Jingo Lingo]

Congrats on purchasing some nice phones. I was dead set on the MS-2i being my next upgrade but now i'm seriously considering these..

 

[donunus]

After a few hours of use yesterday, I did not really leave them with music on to burn them in. Instead I made them rest like I usually do on my first day of burn in with all cans. Today the cans have noticeable gotten cleaner and more defined. It is like the instruments in the soundstage got a more defined space where they are playing. I'm speculating this is due to the upper mids getting more focused after a few hours of use and is losing the horn coloration that was heavily present yesterday.

Bottom line is yesterday I was doing a side by side comparison between these and my 595s to see their pros and cons but now I look at the 595s and say "Whats the point???" These are great cans! I'm getting a satisfied look even directly connected to my friggin ipod playing 3.97 vbr v0 files

Rickio, I remember you to be a k240s fan. You were one of the guys that led me to buy a pair before. These ad2000s seem to have a similarity to the sound of the k240s minus all the faults

By the way, Question to all ad2000 owners ...
Is it normal for the metal on these cans to squeak when moving around?

 

[LawnGnome]

I have these phones. Just got them tonight actually.

I'd have to say the bass is a bit boomy. and doesn't have the tight sounding bass of my 325i's that I love.

Could use a bit more sparkle in the highs.

Sooooo comfortable though, and they are built very well. I think I'm going to make them my gaming and travel cans.

 

[IPodPJ]

What AT cans would one recommend for someone who thinks the Denon D5000 are the best dynamic cans on the market? I was always thinking about getting a pair, but am not sure if I would like the sound signature of them based on everything I've read. Keep in mind, I do not like Grados.

 

[donunus]

I hear no boomy bass on mine. The 595s are boomy compared to these. The highs are just right to me. Yesterday, the highs were a little shadowed by the upper mids, this is the part that has changed within a day of burn in.

 

[donunus]

IpodPJ

Actually, you would probably need to hear these to know if you will like them. Although they have a bit of the grado upfront signature, they don't have the grados colorations.

 

[Rickio]

Quote:

Originally Posted by IPodPJ /img/forum/go_quote.gif What AT cans would one recommend for someone who thinks the Denon D5000 are the best dynamic cans on the market? I was always thinking about getting a pair, but am not sure if I would like the sound signature of them based on everything I've read. Keep in mind, I do not like Grados.

what did you read about the sound signature? From what I read and you probably read more then I did, but the threads I saw all said D2000 and D5000 were very close in there sound if not the same.

 

[wower]

Quote:

Originally Posted by LawnGnome /img/forum/go_quote.gif I'd have to say the bass is a bit boomy. and doesn't have the tight sounding bass of my 325i's that I love. Could use a bit more sparkle in the highs. Sooooo comfortable though, and they are built very well. I think I'm going to make them my gaming and travel cans.

I came into this thread as a long time owner of a AD2000, coming, like the OP, from the HD595. However, you are the first person I've ever read to say that the bass on the AD2000 is anything but amazing. And sparkle? While listening to Kings of Leon I have literately taken my headphones off to look arond because I thought I heard someone ringing the chimes in my room. Perhaps you are mistaking the colorations of the grado mid-bass, which is okay to love, with the bass of the AD2000s. I'm with the OP, the 595 had way more bass bloom than the AD2000.

The AD2000s bass is slightly recessed to me but very recording dependent. "If you don't think your headphones have enough bass, it's because your music doesn't have bass" was a phrase I read on head-fi that fits this phone well. If it's in the recording, it will be played exactly balanced and controlled. One doesn't quite hear under the deepest bass notes like on some of the highest tier headphoens and speaker rigs but that would cost tens of thousands more.

For what to expect: I've paired my AD2000 with a yammy and am very very happy though they yammy is probably not completely burned in yet. I like what I am hearing and will take six months to fully evaluate the sound. The mid range of this pairing made me believer in others who say that music lives in the mids. (And I consider myself a basshead!!) Extremely transparent too, makes small essemble classical music have great PRAT.

To burn in my phones I played a mixture of pick noise, classical, Bob dylan SACD, and techno for about a week. Any changes after that have been very very small. Now the sound is very refined, detailed and smooth with great attitude when called for.