Pioneer SE-A1000 Lightweight Audiophile AV Over-Ear Headphones

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Head-Fier
Pros: Wonderful sound, good price!
Cons: Simply silly design with Many flaws.
I think it is fair to say a quite a few of us have watched a ZeosPantera review and immediately emptied our wallets. This is one of those times.
 
When I first received these I was prepared with HM5 velour pads in hand and am glad i was. The first thing i noticed was how useless the stock pads are. They are too thin to be of any use, and mine smelled foul as well. I will not recommend these stock for this reason. With the stock pads it was like wearing on-ear headphones that were way too big. I then had to stretch the HM5 pads around these, which is not as easy as it is on most other headphones, but it is worth it. They are now not only bearable, but quite comfortable as well.
 
For looks, most people will likely find them quite ugly. I don't mind the look. I find them unique, which is good.
 
The build is quite odd, and honestly unfortunate in multiple ways.
1. The dual plastic arches are quite far apart (roughly 2 inches), making them annoying to hang from a wall mount, and the headband is not an alternative to hang from.
2. the headband is unstable, cheap, and just sub-par in general. getting the headband to not tilt back or forward, or become too loose and sags. It is a struggle. I cannot simply put the headphones on my head without bothering with the headband to make sure it aligns. It is held on either side by a ribbon about a third the width of the headband, and they twist, turning the headband upside-down.
3. The cable is of very good quality, but once again.... a non-removable....6 meter long........ who made that design decision??? At that length i would rather have an to use an extension and have the option to use a much shorter cable.
4. already mentioned is the pitiful pads, so that's a thing.
5. The earcups have springs inside to help combat slide downward, but they make twanging noises when you adjust them on your herd, or even just move a tiny bit.
6. round earcups. Not a fan of round earcups. shape them like ears maybe?
 
Overall, this is a poor design with many large faults. These are like a lego creation. They creak, and sag, but look just close enough that it can pass as a set of headphones.
 
Now for the good part. Sound.
 
These immediately remind me of the HD558. They are warm, bassy, and still clean enough. I would say cleaner than the HD558, better instrument separation, stronger bass, and generally objectively better. There is not a terrible amount to say. They are just warm, and bassy, and sound like they should cost more.
I waited to write this review until i had received all the headphones I recently purchased to arrive. This includes the Pioneer SE-A1000, HD558, SHP9500, Fidelio x2, and the AKG k7xx.
 
I will put these in order of cleanliness.
1. SHP9500
2. K7xx
3. SE-A1000
4. HD558
5. Fidelio X2
 
The thing to note here is that cleanliness is not all there is to sound. I get the most resolve out of the SHP9500, but that does not mean they have the best overall sound quality.
 
Recommended song for Pioneer SE-A1000:
Electric Love - BØRNS
 
Where the SE-A1000 shine is the price-performance. If someone wants clean, bassy, warm sound for a decent price, I recommend these. I do not think they are as good as the SHP9500 for overall quality and neutrality, but the Pioneer are much less likely to make you bored. They have more edge, warmth, and bass. In fact, my neighbor across the hall prefers the Pioneer to the Fidelio X2, his 668b, and my SHP9500 (hasn't heard the k7xx yet to tell). 
 
In my opinion, I find the sound comparable to my other headphones. I like each for a different reason. I find myself using the SHP9500 the most because of comfort, but also for use in CS:GO. The less bassy signature of the 9500 helps differentiate positional ques, and has a pretty accurate soundstage. I grab the SE-A1000 when I want a warm hug from my music, or/and a very non-fatiguing experience. The Pioneer are very capable for CS:GO as well, so don't let that sway you too much.
 
I have read that some people think these trade blows, or at least get close to the K7XX. I will be honest. I think the K7XX is superior. I would say the SE-A1000 is 65-70% of what the K7XX is in terms of sound quality, and not even close in design. If you do the math, this makes the SE-A1000 a pretty good buy. (also, I think the K7XX have quite a bit more analytic sound, so apples/oranges?)
 
In conclusion: For the price these sound wonderful. For any price, they are poorly designed. Do I recommend them? Yes, as long as you can put up with the design, and paying extra for pads that are actually useful. Warm huggy sound is abundant. These are some lovely headphones!
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Jar Jar
Jar Jar
Thanks! Looks like I'm getting exactly what I wanted lol! I know that the Brainwavz HM5 earpads work on these Pioneers, based on Zeos' review, and I was wondering as your brother has the Superlux HD668b, would pads that size fit the Pioneers? I don't have a lot of money to spend so I was thinking about salvaging my Samson earpads or possibly getting some K240 replacement earpads.
snapacap
snapacap
Jar Jar
Jar Jar
Oh, thanks so much! That does help a lot

Beocord

100+ Head-Fier
Pros: Good allrounder, Smooth pleasent sound, sub-bass extension, non fatiguing highs, detail retrival, not picky about amp and source
Cons: Loose headband, Price in EU, Soundstage and imaging is not on par with the best of it's price range
Build and comfort:
 
These headphones are built with quality materials. Original msrp of 149$ can clearly be seen here. A lot of metal is used. It doesn't work as well as it looks though. Part's that connect the hinges can be squeaky at times. It is caused by the spring inside the cups and metallic build emhasizes the sound. Headband is propably loose for most people. It is really huge. If Jabba The Hut was buying headphones, he would propably choose Pioneers. Luckily clamping force can be increased with easy headband mod.  It is explained here. Just don't go over board with that mod and bending the headband. Too much clamping force will increase the bass but will make the sound worse in general. Cable is 6(!)meters long, good for use with home theater but too long for everything else. When portability is not a concern I prefer long cable. I rather roll up the excess wire and tie it than use extension wires when wire is too short to begin with. Plug looks like high quality with strain relief spring. Pads are nice and good quality but I don't like the material that connects the pads to the cup. It is made of that stuff that peels of over time. If you have to take the pads of very often tearing might occur. Even though the pads are nice there is a problem with the stuff that protects the driver. It touches my ear and causes discomfort with long listening sessions.
 
The Sound:
 
I didn't know what to expect when I got my pair. These seem to be highly polarizing headphones. It is common that people disagree over sound quality and price/quality ratio but these are really something else. Some say these are similar to Sennheiser hd650, some say these are not that different from AKG K701 and others say these have similarities to Grado.

My pair of Pioneers was bought used so no burn in was necessary. Immeadiately after plugging these in it was evident that these are highly capable pair of headphones. Sound is smooth and effortless. Despite the smoothness Pioneers have nice dynamics and deliver even aggressive music with authority and punch. These would make a great open back alternative for people enjoying Creative Aurvana Live! headphones. Talk about polarizing headphones. What I'm hearing is complete opposite to what Tyll Hertsen had measured here.
 
Bass on these headphones is impressive.  I can't understand how people think these lack bass. These have less bass than Somic MH463, less mid bass than Takstar HI2050 but are signicantly bassier than basslight headphones such as AKG K501 and Renkforce cd-340.  Bass control and impact with kickdrums and such is not out of this world but lowest of lows are very good. Bass extends really low and rumble is really nice for a open backed headphone. I'm not saying these are suitable for bassheads because these definately are not. What I mean is that these have sub bass extension that all neutral headphones should have but unfortunately most fail in this regard. On pioneers website it says that these were designed for home theater use. Bass is definately capable  of producing those low end rumbles required to make action scenes involving. Cups are built with care so there are no resonances even with the most extreme bass notes playing.  These are however quite easy to drive to the point of distortion. With normal use that is not a problem even with bass heavy music but if you really like to put your headphones to the limit with bass test tracks some caution is recommended. Once you pop the voice coil, game is over.
 
Mids are a pleasure to listen to. There is a hint of warmth but overall coloration is not that noticeable. If you pay really close attention and have higher end headphones for comparison it can be heard that Pioneers lack some clarity and resolution. For me personally it is only a minor issue and clearly audible only with some very high quality aqoustic music recordings. Seperate guitar notes are not always perfectly distinct and stuff like that. Most of the time the live like sound and organic tone is just perfect. These are simply beatifull headphones for listening live recordings. These have the important ability to really connect the listener to the music. These sound excellent with all kind of music. Definately one of the best allrounders around.
 
Highs are polite and detailed. Not as much emphasis on highs as with Takstar HI2050 or Somic MH463. Highs sound about the same as on Digitech(Jaycar) Pro Monitors. I really like how the highs sound. I'm a big hater of sibilance and I was happy to notice Pioneers are excellent in that regard. There is a peak somewhere in the upper frequences but most headphones have it and most headphones have it way worse than pioneers. I also like how polite highs leave more room for the finer details in music. As much as I enjoy the smooth highs little more attack would be good with some music. I decided to do a little experiment and removed the cloth and foam covering the driver. Results were disappointing. It brought up the highs more but it also revealed that the drivers are covered for a reason. With fully exposed driver the highs sound very thin, unnatural and kind of tizzy. Also some bass bloat appeared from somewhere. Propably because two holes covered with paper were also hidden behind the cloth. Now bass reverbs have clear passage back to the ear. Needles to say I glued the cloth and foam back on.
 
Many people have complimented Pioneers for it's soundstage. I think it's ok, good at best but not excellent. Most cheap headphones have limited soundstage debth and unfortunately Pioneers are one of those headphones. That also makes imaging less accurate.
 
All in all these are truly magnificent headphones for the price and beyond. These don't force themselves and their abilities to the listener but insead let the music do the talking. Price in europe is high and it's definately out of the budget category. That is why I can't give it the highest value rating.  It is still a worthy buy though.  I compared these side by side with similarly priced akg k242hd, which I consider to be a fine product for it's price. Both are well balanced headphones without evident flaws. In most areas these are very evenly matched but pioneers have that better clarity without being considerably brighter than akg's. Also pioneers top akg's in detail retrieval. Akg's might not be the top contender for it's price but it is definately one of the better headphones in the 100+ price range, and there for excellent reference point for pioneers. Of course pioneers are also considerably easier to drive so thats a definately a plus. There is still one thing that needs to be answered. That is of course how these compare against similarly priced and highly praised Takstar HI2050?
 
Pioneer se-a1000 vs Takstar HI2050
 
Comparing these two headphones is bit tricky. Only thing these have common is the open structure. Takstars are tilted towards the bright side and Pioneers have more smooth, relaxed sound. There is no objective way of determining which headphone is better because it depends so much on listening preferences and the source and amplification used. I'f you're considering these headphones I would decide upon following three factors.
 
1) Preferred sound signature: Clear, bright sound of Takstars or smoother sound of Pioneers. It's a classic Beyerdynamic dt880 vs Sennheiser hd600 scenario all over again, but with less money involved.
 
2) Comfort: Pioneers are more suitable for large heads. Takstar headband has limited room for adjustment. For me Taktars are more comfortable and I think that is the case with most people with average or small heads.
 
3) Source and amping: I'f you are unable to make a decision based on soundsignature and think you would be comfortable wearing either of the headphones final decision can be made based on the gear you will be using the headphones with.  I compared both headphones with few different sources and amps. Here is what I found out.
 
HTC cellphone
As a portable gear I used only one available to me. Few years old htc phone with spotify. I was impressed how much detail pioneers were able to deliver despite the poor source quality. Really nice smooth and detailed sound. It could have been louder and bass would have definately benefitted from amplification but it wasn't bad. With decent portable gear I suppose pioneers would be really nice. My htc is not definately a final word in portable head-gear...far from it.
Takstars also sounded good out of HTC. Highs were not a problem. There was occasional sibilance, but not much. Bass was more detailed and more textured than Pioneers, but bass amount was lacking. Pioneers with HTC seem to lack bass control and takstar could use more juice to presenting the bass with more force.
If I had to choose, I would propably go for Pioneers here. HTC is unable to bring up Takstar's soundstage and imaging abilities. In fact it seemed like pioneers have larger soundstage than Takstars. I guess Takstars really need an amp to shine.  I also be vary of potential sibilance issues,  even though it wasn't a  big problem with my test tracks I'm afraid it might become a problem with poorly recorded material.
 
LG TV
When headphones were directly plugged in my LG television, I wasn't able to get either of the headphones really loud. It was decen't but I would have liked to have about 20% more volume. Pioneers sounded distant with very veiled highs. I preferred Takstars because with them the highs were there, atleast barely.

Pc with Startech soundcard
When using my pc's bad quality Startech soundcard the sound was complite opposite to my experiences with LG tv. Highs were exaggerated badly. Pioneers were still listenable but I couldn''t listen to takstars more than a minute when listening to stuff like AC/DC.

With low end gear it is highly important to know how your source sounds. Using Takstar's with bright gear might lead to a allmost painfull listening experience. On the other hand pairing Pioneers with a source that lacks upper end might leave you with barely any highs. If you are unaware what kind of source you have, Pioneers are a safer bet. Atleast it is listenable with everything. Choosing headphones based on your gear is even more important if you have no change to use an equalizer!

Moving on to more capable gear...

Xiang Sheng Dac-01a

Both headphones work very well with Dac-01a. This dac/amp emphasizes the different sound signature of these two headphones. Takstar's sound airy and spacious, Pioneers remain smooth. Now that we have proper gear it is clear that Takstar has Pioneers beat in soundstage and imaging. However Takstar's bass becomes slightly boomy, highs can get fatiguing and also sibilance can be an issue with certain tracks. I'm on a fence here and can't really pick a favorite. Depends a lot on the quality of the recording.

Schiit Modi + Lehmann Rhinelander

With 6db gain both headphones sounded extremely good. I don't like the way Rhinelander sounds on low gain. It feels like it boosts the bass and all in all sound is less transparent so I did not try that. I never use it with low gain, on high gain amp is silent even with low impedance headphones.  
I preferred Takstar's by some margin. With Rhinelander highs were not fatiguing, allthough a bit hot at times depending on the recording. Takstar's just do everything slightly better than Pioneers. Most notably bass control was better with Takstars. Bass is really fast and accurate without loosing impact. Pioneer's bass was also great but a notch behind.

Schiit Modi + Schiit Vali

I've always been impressed with Vali's soundstaging abilities and Takstar's definately benefitted from it. Also the highs were slightly more smooth than on Lehmann Rhinelander and definately less fatiguing than on xiang sheng. Takstars brightnes is definately a good match for Vali.
Also Pioneers took advantage of Vali's expansive sound but they still can't match Takstars. Pioneers bass did also sound clearly better with Rhinelander. Vali doesn't have same bass control as Lehmann. For some reason it wasn't that much of an issue with Takstars but with Pioneer's it was more evident.
Pioneers are more sensitive and have smaller impedance but to my ears there was no audible difference between the hiss level with vali. There is a slight hiss, but it is definately not a problem. It was bit difficult to compare the level of hiss because I had to wait a while before trying another headphone because of the vali's ringing.

All in all I preferred Takstars with modi+vali.

Hegel HD10 + SPL Phonitor

At this point it's not a even a matter of preference anymore. Going into details is just a waste of time. Takstars outperform Pioneers in every area. Performance with this gear is of course irrelevant. Nobody looking for these headphones for their main can's would not be using this kind of source and amp. Interconnects alone cost more than both of these headphones combined.
 
Conclusion:

When using low end gear Takstar are bit of a hit and miss due to the brightnes. Pioneers are more solid performer. With better gear Takstar's scale up more than Pioneers. When using decen't gear Pioneers top Takstar only in sub bass performance and finding hidden details in music.Ability to find small details, squeeks of a chair, turning the page of a notebook is quite even but sometimes with Takstars you just hear that there was some sort of a noice in the background but Pioneers are better defining  what that noise was. Pioneers less emphasised highs might be the cause for this. I think that with Takstar highs there is always so much going on that details sound less defined. Pioneers have the rare talent of being detailed but also forgiving of a bad source.
I know there are many people who disagree with me on this one but I stick by my statement. For those people believing these are revealing of a bad source I suggest comparing these to something generally considered as analytical and revealing. In the past few months I've done a lot of listening with headphones such as Beyerydynamic dt880 600ohms, Beyerdynamic T1 and lately with Audio Technica m40fs. Those kind of headphones are the one's that truly reveal bad sources and source material.

To finally wrap things up my conclusion is that when comfort and soundsignature preferences are put aside, I recommend Takstars, if you have decent gear or plan on getting one soon. If you plan on using your headphones mainly with onboard soundcard of your computer to play low quality mp3's or youtube, Pioneers should be on top of the list.

CrystalT

500+ Head-Fier
Pros: Open-air, 50mm drivers offer impressive extension, comfortable, light.
Cons: Unweildly cable, too large for some, glasses-wearers need-not apply, bassheads need-not apply, not collapsible.
Firstly let's get some things squared away:
 
I do not believe in break-in. (Burn-in for those who don't understand terminology.)
I do not believe cable materials alter sound.
I do not believe amping makes a large difference.
 
Ah, the sub-$100 market. SO much competition. I've been a self-proclaimed audiophile since late 2010. I started out with Bose Triport, and SoundMAGIC PL11. Since then, I've explored the $20-200 market very thoroughly, mostly staying in the sub-$100 market. Of this, I have had the pleasure of owning:
 
Audio Technica M50 (purchased for 60. I firmly believe the T500, which retails at $80, is superior to M50 sonically.)
Audio Technica T300
Audio Technica T400
Audio Technica T500
Audio Technica ESW
Sennheiser HD280PRO
Superlux 668B
CAL!
Grado SR60i
Grado SR80i
 
I've also had the opportunity to demo, at-length, just about every other mainstream $100~ range headphone. (Mainstream by Head-Fi's standards; Shure, Ultrasone, Beyer, AKG, KRK, etc.) I've been doing extensive comparisons, and I believe that these might be the best all-round ~$100 cans currently available on the market. Can be purchased online for about $60-$70.
 
Sonically, let's observe:
 
Bass: Reaches down to 10hz. It extends very well in to the sub-bass. Plenty of rumble, but not a whole lot of punch unless it's called for. For lovers of Djent, you'll adore the texture of Animals As Leaders's, and Ever Forthright's kickdrum, as well as fans of more ballsy power metal such as Secret Sphere, Vision Divine, Vulvagun, etc. It does darkstep, and more commercial dubstep impressively well for an open-air can. BTW, don't let the apperance fool you, despite the back being opaque, it's a metal mesh, and to my ears, is very nearly as open as Grado cans.
 
Mids: This is where the Pioneers really shine. Presentation, and tonality are incredible. Guitars really sing, and grunt when called for. Bass guitar is ridiculously clear. Steve Harrison shines exceptionally. Mids are also laid on thick when necessary. Lovers of Sludge, Drone, Crust, etc: This is handled incredibly well. Fall of Efrafa, Downfall of Gaia, Celeste, and Converge sound excellent. Agalloch, Black Sabbath, and Insomnium as well sound amazing. It's weird how these cans do it all. When called for, they convey the darkness that these genres call for, yet due to the open-air, and massive 50mm drivers, as well as the gigantic driver baffle and velour pads, its extremely spaceous, and airy. Nothing gets muddied. VERY fast cans. Chaotic Hardcore, Noisecore, Grindcore, etc sound great.
 
Highs: Sparkly. There's not much to say. It's very reminiscent of Grado, but airier. I haven't heard ATH-AD500, ATH-AD700, or ATH-TAD400, so I can't compare. It never gets sibilant, unless the track is mixed to be sibilant. It can get a little hot with super bright tracks, but just drop the higher end slightly on the EQ, or lower the volume. These are in-door cans, so if they run hot, I personally recommend just to drop the volume rather than affect overall SQ with EQing.
 
Live Music: ...These are the best cans I've ever heard for live recordings, even up in to the $200 range. ATH-A900X, Dennon AH600, D2000, Sennheiser HD600, Ultrasone PRO580, Shure940, Grado SR125/225 can't touch these when it comes to Live presentation. (Sorry if I get any model numbers wrong. :p) Their stereo positioning is impeccable. The stomp and cheer of the crowd, the sound of acoustic drums, live vocals, everything shines through. You can really feel, and percieve the sense of the large stage. Especially in open-air concerts, like Iron Maiden's "A Real Live One", or the sense of being in a concert hall, like with Joe Satriani's music hall performances, Yuki Kajiura's performances, live baroque recordings, or the sound of being at "The Assembly" with Machinae Supremacy.
 
Build:
 
Mostly metal, with a solid plastic double headband. It's self-adjusting, much like the ART Monitor series of ATH products. Huge, plush Velour pads. Behind the pads, is a massive piece of felt over the front, covering the driver and baffle to filter out HF. I haven't experimented with removing it, but I would assume it would make the HF white hot. The cable is thick, and protected by a thick woven cloth sheath. Strain relief is very solid, and positioned well. The jack is an extremely thick gold-plated 1/8th jack. The strain relief is kind of like a slinky. It's flexible metal. The TRS jack itself is gold, whilst the housing is solid aluminum. It's threaded, which works well for threaded 1/4th TRS adapters. For the DIY-minded purchasers: I recommend unsoldering the stock cable, and wiring a second gold-plated i-plug on the back for studio use. This cord is very well-made and worth salvaging for home/studio use. I also recommend cracking it open as it is single-entry, and sticking a 1/8th female pannel-mount within the cup, and buying V-Moda's audio-only cable. This will greatly improve its transportability.
Muzzy011
Muzzy011
I just got them, just opened, and now I listen to them through FiiO E10. Couple days ago I got AKG K550, and I bought these on hype in some of threads here.
 
First impressions are - They are airy, and that is it. Whole range feels veiled, highs not really sparkling, bass quite flat.. But I hope, opposite of you, that burn-in exists for these :) Same happened with K550, they started sounding good after about 20 hours of listening.
actorlife
actorlife
So what are your Impression so far?
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