[Meliboeus]

I'm quite interested in trying the audio technica AD sound before upgrading my grados, the ad900 in particular, has anyone of you tried both grados and ad700/900 ? My main concern is the lack of bass someone seem to notice in the lower end model, but from the 900 up to the ad2000 the bass impact is often described to be on par with the grados...

 

[ciphercomplete]

Has anyone ever compared the AD700 to the AD1000? I thought I read somewhere that the AD1000 also had less coloration than the AD2000. Might be a nice comparison to do.

I don't entirely agree with the OP, I found the K701 to be better than the AD700, but this all personal taste at this point.

 

[donunus]

the k701 has a refinement to its presentation but the tonality of the ad700 is exactly what ive been looking for all this time... just a slight touch more bass would be nice though... Listening to the remastered Depeche Mode Violator CD and the hd600 is crap coming from the ad700s. WOW. These are now my current favorite headphone.

 

[1Time]

Quote:

Originally Posted by donunus /img/forum/go_quote.gif the k701 has a refinement to its presentation but the tonality of the ad700 is exactly what ive been looking for all this time... just a slight touch more bass would be nice though... Listening to the remastered Depeche Mode Violator CD and the hd600 is crap coming from the ad700s. WOW. These are now my current favorite headphone.

With what source equipment / amp have you made these observations? Thanks

Regarding more bass for your K701, I suggest taking a look at this thread about a simple mod.

 

[donunus]

My k701s are gone. I didnt like the bright low treble on them. I thought the bass quality was great on them though.

Source: Mhdt Havana NOS DAC using the Western Electric 396A tube. (playing audio cds from either pc to usb, pcdp via optical or my pioneer dvd player via coax)
AMP: Headamp Gilmore Lite with Dedicated Power Supply

 

[KevM2]

Waht makes these superior to the HD600s in your mind and better than the AD2000s you had? Just curious? I may just opt for the 900s if I can find a good deal on them.

 

[1Time]

Quote:

Originally Posted by donunus /img/forum/go_quote.gif My k701s are gone. I didnt like the bright low treble on them. I thought the bass quality was great on them though. Source: Mhdt Havana NOS DAC using the Western Electric 396A tube. (playing audio cds from either pc to usb, pcdp via optical or my pioneer dvd player via coax) AMP: Headamp Gilmore Lite with Dedicated Power Supply

I think the Gilmore Lite explains in part your findings with the K701, and I suspect that mod would have helped with your dislike of its treble.

 

[donunus]

1time,
ok sounds fair. too bad i hated them too much to try any mods. didn't want to ruin the resale value.

kevm2,
These are not as colored to me as the ad2000s plus the highs are better on these IMO. The ad2ks were more punchy and solid sounding though so it depends on your priorities as to which one sounds better. As for the hd600, I still love them but the clear highs on these are making the hd600 sound muffled. Maybe It depends on your mood as to which one will sound better but damn these are $100!

 

[KevM2]

Exactly. The muffled highs on the HD600 really get me annoyed. Like when I hear some singing, and they start hitting the high notes, instead of hearing those high notes, the singer's voice fades out. I'm also annoyed at how 'balanced' it keeps everything. Like the singer is singing his soul out and should have dominance on the song, but the HD600 keeps him having the same weight as the background singer. Sometimes the background singer is louder! Or, if the lead guitarist is wailing away, it doesn't take prominance in the song like it should. It has about as much weight as everything else. I feel like I am not hearing the song as it was originally recorded, but in the more gentle format the headphones are presenting it to me in. "Everyman is treated equal even if they aren't equal."

The HD600 gets the tone right, but the rolled off highs, the somewhat distant sound and restrained balance is just aggravating to me. They sound good, but it's like they aren't being fed enough power. They do good for music when I'm trying to study or go to sleep because nothing just explodes in my ear, but I also feel that gentle presentation robs some music of a lot of its emotional impact. I keep sitting there 'wanting a little more.' I'm keeping them around, especially to hear them out of a Zana Deux when I eventually get one... but I can admit the flaws of the headphone coming out of my headphone. At $300, they seem like a bargain for a 'world class phone,' but they are much more expensive than they look when you have to put so much expensive EQ behind them to get them to sound like they should. I guess I'm not a big fan of 'polite and overly balanced' presentation. I need something that grooves. I'm getting the SR80, but I'm not a fan of bright phones that stab my eardrums, so I'll see how accustomed I can get to the Grado sound.

My perfect headphones would be the HD600s unrestrained. Let the main singer go. Let the guitar player wail away. Don't roll it off. If he dominates the song, let him dominate... and let the music come forward a bit.

 

[Maxvla]

Kev,

What music were you listening to when you say the singer's high notes fade away? I'm currently listening to Strauss - Vier Letzte Lieder (translation: Last four songs) featuring Janowitz and her voice is steadily powerful throughout her range and she is presented clearly in front of the orchestra, not blended in as you were mentioning.

 

[KevM2]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Maxvla /img/forum/go_quote.gif Kev, What music were you listening to when you say the singer's high notes fade away? I'm currently listening to Strauss - Vier Letzte Lieder (translation: Last four songs) featuring Janowitz and her voice is steadily powerful throughout her range and she is presented clearly in front of the orchestra, not blended in as you were mentioning.

This song is an example
Around the :18 second mark

YouTube - Willie Hutch - The Overture Of Foxy Brown

The voice starts getting thin as he starts getting a bit higher. It doesn't completely disappear and things improved after I put in the Mapleshade Interconnects and Equinox headphone cable, but if you listen to it on something like even the Zune stock earbuds, you can tell that it sounds different. Some of the oomph is gone out of it, like a thin strip of the higher frequency.

 

[hardstyler]

Quote:

Originally Posted by KevM2 /img/forum/go_quote.gif This song is an example Around the :18 second mark YouTube - Willie Hutch - The Overture Of Foxy Brown The voice starts getting thin as he starts getting a bit higher

Its recorded like that imo.

 

[Maxvla]

I see what you mean, but I can't believe that is the HD600s causing that. It almost seems like someone put reduced his total volume while recording at that exact second. Perhaps someone with other phones can try it, but that seemed way too much of a change to be headphone caused. The difference between before 18 seconds and after is very drastic.

edit: Listening to it a few times more I'm hearing quite a bit of volume shifting, perhaps this was recorded off an old tape that was abused? Check out 0:52. There's a sudden spike for just a second.

 

[KevM2]

Yeah I believe a big part of it is the way it was recorded, but if you listen to the song with a different headphone... even the Zune earbuds, you'll see that the track should have a bit more 'blare' to it. Like the horns and his singing should dominate when he really starts putting his soul into it, but it sounds somewhat laid back and gentle through the 600s. They are great phones no doubt, but not really suited for certain tracks I listen to. The 600s polite presentation can make soulful performances turn into nonchalant ones. The one thing that I find that the 600s do very well is deliver very natural and realistic sounding instruments. Slower performances are great, but it looks like I'm going to have to play around with different phones for more 'groove'.

Here is a song they are great with:
YouTube - RYUICHI SAKAMOTO - KOKO

Here is another:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rVzVU...related&fmt=18

 

[donunus]

Now, I'm really interested to know if the ad900s are really better in every way. One user says that the ad900s are more colored in the mids though which worries me because ive heard lots of that color in the ad2000s that I wasn't too thrilled with... especially given their price.