AD2000 and classical music

[fatmaneatschild]

I've enjoyed my ATs alot since I got them a month ago and feel that it sounds at least decent for most music. I thought the classical tracks I've heard out of it sounded pretty good but Im a novice of the genre. However, I was reading various posts that the violins sound wrong with the ad2000. Ive never been to a live show so I'll just take their word for it. I like the AT because it can be used unamped and still sounds good from an ipod. Would something similarly efficient and priced such as a recabled d2000(had d5000 but couldn't drive it) or w5000 be better? What would I be gaining and losing in comparison to those two? I dont want to give up on them but I need something which is very good with the genre while being easy to drive. Any input?

 

[orkney]

Quote:

Originally Posted by fatmaneatschild /img/forum/go_quote.gif I've enjoyed my ATs alot since I got them a month ago and feel that it sounds at least decent for most music. I thought the classical tracks I've heard out of it sounded pretty good but Im a novice of the genre. However, I was reading various posts that the violins sound wrong with the ad2000. Ive never been to a live show so I'll just take their word for it. I like the AT because it can be used unamped and still sounds good from an ipod. Would something similarly efficient and priced such as a recabled d2000(had d5000 but couldn't drive it) or w5000 be better? What would I be gaining and losing in comparison to those two? I dont want to give up on them but I need something which is very good with the genre while being easy to drive. Any input?

I haven't owned the W5000s, which have a good rep as a classical music phone. I have owned and D5000 and AD2000 and I preferred the ATs for classical music, particularly chamber, lieder and opera. I tend not to find symphonic music totally convincing with a headphone rig, but then only a few (usually expensive) loudspeaker setups can really do it justife IMHO.

The AD2000 soundstage serves chamber music well and its rich midrange can be glorious on cellos but I find the RS1s to have a bit more rosiny bite on violins and guitars with my setup, though they don't do space as well.

Given your needs, perhaps spend a bit more time with the ADKs and try to hear the Denons alongside -- neither may be perfect, but one may satisfy you enough to hang onto.

best,

o

 

[fatmaneatschild]

Thanks for the reply but could you elaborate more about the violins? On the ad2000, do they simply sound unrealistic or something else? I actually owned the d2000 awhile back but wasn't into classical then. Which of these two cans are more realistic for instrumental music? (flutes, pianos, cello etc)

 

[ricmat]

Forget the AT for classical!

If you want to hear what your classical tracks really sound like grab some K701, or maybe HD580... but I even prefer the AKG...

 

[Andrew_WOT]

Quote:

Originally Posted by ricmat /img/forum/go_quote.gif Forget the AT for classical! If you want to hear what your classical tracks really sound like grab some K701, or maybe HD580... but I even prefer the AKG...

And why is that? Have you heard all ATs in existence, or just plain assume that they all sound like ES7?

Both W5000 and AD2000 are great for classical, I feel like W5000 might be better here because of more spacious soundstage. Personally I haven't noticed anything unusually unnatural with violins on AD2000.

 

[Silvain]

I want some r10's...

Anyway, I read that the AD-2000's midrange is excellent but not as detailed in the highs as the 701's.

 

[ricmat]

I didn't listen to the W5000 (sorry for my precipitation if they are good for classical then!) but I've heard the AD2000, A900, ES7 and W1000 and I just didnt like their sound signature for classical, mainly for piano works and piano with orchestra and strings. chamber music was just so... coloured! they all sounded like that to me when compared to my K701.

did found them ok with modern symphony orchestras though (mahler, schoenberg and some boulez)




Quote:

Originally Posted by Andrew_WOT /img/forum/go_quote.gif And why is that? Have you heard all ATs in existence, or just plain assume that they all sound like ES7? Both W5000 and AD2000 are great for classical, I feel like W5000 might be better here because of more spacious soundstage. Personally I haven't noticed anything unusually unnatural with violins on AD2000.

 

[ricmat]

...oh, I recall I didnt like the Rach 3 also on all of them! (despite the period)


EDIT: and please have in mind that I am mostly never talking about the ES7! they are just too coloured, too airy, too fun for classical! (despite my love for them!)

 

[Rednamalas1]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Silvain /img/forum/go_quote.gif I want some r10's... Anyway, I read that the AD-2000's midrange is excellent but not as detailed in the highs as the 701's.

there's more detail in AD2000 - about the level of DT880 IMO. K701 is not very detailed either - common misperception is that bass-light cans have more detail.

 

[ricmat]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rednamalas1 /img/forum/go_quote.gif K701 is not very detailed either

Sorry... I have to disagree... I think they have great detail. Which ones do you say to have more than K701 in the range?

 

[MaloS]

Quote:

Originally Posted by ricmat /img/forum/go_quote.gif Sorry... I have to disagree... I think they have great detail. Which ones do you say to have more than K701 in the range?

Meh properly driven HD650 is just as detailed as k701,, k701 just has stronger treble and appears to be more detailed.

If we talk amped K701 then Stax SR-303 is more detailed out of the 313 amplifier and we are still in similar price range.

 

[orkney]

Quote:

Originally Posted by fatmaneatschild /img/forum/go_quote.gif Thanks for the reply but could you elaborate more about the violins? On the ad2000, do they simply sound unrealistic or something else? I actually owned the d2000 awhile back but wasn't into classical then. Which of these two cans are more realistic for instrumental music? (flutes, pianos, cello etc)

I wouldn't say that the ADKs sound UNrealistic with violins, etc. They sound very good to me. I find that both the RS1s and the Ed 9s when I had them gave violins and cellos more resonance and bite that, to me, sounded a little closer to what I hear at a concert, but these are subtle differences and I'd be perfectly willing to admit that someone else might have a different preference -- I read all the time here that the RS1s are lousy phones for classical music and I can't see it.

If I had to choose -- all things being equal -- between the D5000s and the ADKs as all-rounders I'd take the ATs hands-down. They do more of the things musically that I like than do the D5000s and I think they're a bit more transparent to the souce. They're great phones. I'm also not a K701 fan. Owned them twice and sold them twice, because although I respected their accuracy, soundstaging, etc., they never moved me emotionally. They move others and very deeply, so they may be perfect for you.

I think all HPs involve compromise, and given your requirements the ADKs seems like a good choice. Maybe listen to them exclusively with classical music for a while and decide if there's something missing. Then you can try something else and see if it fits the bill.

best,

o

 

[Rednamalas1]

Quote:

Originally Posted by ricmat /img/forum/go_quote.gif Sorry... I have to disagree... I think they have great detail. Which ones do you say to have more than K701 in the range?

DT880 + SA5000

K701 have pretty good detail, but are far from being detail monsters.

Their strength is neutrality, soundstage, and instrument seperation IMO.

 

[Andrew_WOT]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rednamalas1 /img/forum/go_quote.gif DT880 + SA5000 K701 have pretty good detail, but are far from being detail monsters. Their strength is neutrality, soundstage, and instrument seperation IMO.

And king of details - W5000. Gauging AD2000 to be somewhere on par with DT880 (yes it has no less details than DT880, they are just not as sharply accentuated), it will be at least on par with K701 if not better. And I am 100% with MaloS here, HD650 has a great deal of details, they do not jump into your face but all there. And HD650 does a better than AD2000 job on layering, probably because it's are not as forward as the latter.

 

[Rednamalas1]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Andrew_WOT /img/forum/go_quote.gif And king of details - W5000. Gaging AD2000 to be somewhere on par with DT880 (yes it has no less details than DT880, they are just not as sharply accentuated), it will be at least on par with K701 if not better. And I am 100% with MaloS here, HD650 has a great deal of details, they do not jump into your face but all there. And HD650 does a better than AD2000 job on layering, probably because it's are not as forward as the latter.

W5000 is a bit more expensive than K701s and such, but yes! great detail in W5000.

I haven't got a chance to listen to HD650 balanced, but I've heard HD600 balanced from Apache - it was amazing.