Advanced AcousticWerkes W500 Hybrid Flagship Thread

 


These look really classy! Who knew B&W would look so good?

 

I will update this post later or post new one, previously my W500 had incorrect fit, so this comparison is not correct anymore.
 
Let’s compare these:

 
Sony XBA-H3 with same Vitesse Cable and with Spiral Dot Tips vs AAW W500AHMorph.
 
 

Spoiler: Massive Attack - Pray For Rain

H3 has more bass, sub bass equal in quality, control, speed, tightest. But mid bass impact is slightly better in quality on H3. High notes on H3 has a better instrument separation, a little more air, highs more smooth, overall I like highs on H3 much more, bass is overall on H3 is better to my opinion. Mids, vocal is more enjoyable and smoother.
W500 (hybrid mode) - sub bass just a little more deeper, bass is less emphasis, layering is more natural, but instrument separation is not even close to Sony. Mids are dry and on your face.
W500 (dynamic mode) - Almost same bass quantity as on H3, sound presentation is now more closer to H3, mids clarity better on H3, overall, H3 wins just a hair ahead in Bass, Treble and Mids quality to me.

 

Spoiler: Fausten - Punishment

H3 - highs have more details, again instrument separation better, depth is heart breaker, bass impact is more than on W500 (dynamic mode), overall sound is musical that want kill you.
W500 (hybrid mode) - reference like sound, analytical, on your face, nothing special on that track.
W500 (dynamic mode) - Nice full sound. More bass body than on hybrid mode, but again, mids clarity is typical dynamic driver type, details on mids is less then on hybrid.

 

Spoiler: Starves Gasparatos - Tchaikovsky

H3 - oh, that depth and instrument separation…
W500 (hybrid mode) - Here comes the mids… I don’t like them, dry with thin notes. Layering is good.
W500 (dynamic mode) - Wow (compared to hybrid mode), again, sound presentation is closer to H3, but with better layering and fuller sound.

 

Spoiler: Conclusion

W500 has more fuller sound due to V shaped H3 signature. H3 has more bass, mid bass and mids overall has better details and clarity, sub bass quality is equal to me.
No one can beat Sony in the sound engineering, IMHO.

 

 Unfortunately for me, the signature is not to my taste. The sound that the w500 can make is awesome though, don't get me wrong.
 
I will be putting them up for sale in the next day or so. PM me if interested in purchasing. Null audio in Singapore only charge $100SD for a re-shell (see bottom of page of the link below), so it's quite worthwhile for a keen buyer.
 
http://www.null-audio.com/pages/advanced-acousticwerkes-custom-in-ear-monitor-order-faq

 

I updated my post, due to fit issue.
 
After couple days of use, here is my extended impression about this earphone:
I notes that they are record sensitive and truly “reference” tuned. Let me explain what I mean about “reference”. Sony XBA-H3 with slightly more bassy sound, they add bass and body to every track that you listen to, when W500 however, only if track has bass. For example, in EDM tracks Chase & Status - International, Sub Focus Turn Back Time, both H3 and W500 have almost same bass quantity, but in IDM tracks however, Underhill - Happier, Displacer - Micro Chip Logic, bass on W500 is slightly more warm than on UE900 and sound overall lightweight in comparison to H3.
Do they tuned right? 
For me, not exactly perfect! While bass and highs are good in quality, they are not slightly V shaped (reminds me UE900 with more smoothed highs and extended bass), soundstage is close to your head in right 3D size, which is not good for electronic music, however, with more closer soundstage, and flat sound, mids is not so good, speed is not good, they can’t can handle Drum’n’Bass, Hardstyle, Breakcore, mids become to aggressive. While, atmospheric slow rhythmic electronic such as Ambient, Downtempo, Trip-Hop sound good (not perfect) to me too. But especially dark side of electronic, Drone, Dark Ambient, Mutant Breaks and Bass sound good doesn’t have enough with good dark depth.
W500 have good coherence between dynamic driver and they BA drivers. Especially between sub bass BA woofer and Dynamic bass. But, mids sounded more dynamic driver like to me (not anymore). Overall, sound is natural and musical with good dark depth background thick, but they sound more like Dynamic driver headphone rather than BA headphone. But still best coherent sounded hybrid is Sony’s hybrid earphones, AWW is in the second place. On Sony, Sub bas and mid bass have best available dynamic type sound but dynamic driver don’t bled to mids, and mids have BA type clarity, speed and details. (now they both equally good!)
Do they worth they money?
Go to W300, if W300 have same dynamic driver, then you should forget about W500, there is nothing special on W500 in highs, high is typical BA sound, mids even with BA drivers sound more like dynamic driver. 70% of sound is dynamic driver, so W300 should give you more price/performance. After Sony’s hybrid, I believe that all that multi driver war is ******** and marketing, nothing more. More driver gives nothing, I believe that only driver quality gives better sound, Sony’s BA tweeter for example, have a different BA design and sound much better than any multi tweeter BA drivers. If you don’t listen to music on subway or airplane, try Sony XBA-Z5, they are really best available earphone on the market for today. YES!
Do AHMorph version worth they price difference?
If you can listen to W500 before purchase and if you like how they sound, then you shouldn’t go to AHMorph version. But if you can’t try them before purchase, so I defiantly recommend you go to AHMorph. It really helps you tune sound almost to any sound signature. It add EQ in around 2-3dB. If you rotate nob just slightly, it change sound slightly. For example, when I first tried W500, in the default settings it sound too upper mid focused to me, due to FiiO X5 have a little forward mids, while I prefer more “dynamic mode” than “default”, however, in “dynamic mode” it sound more like typical dynamic earphone, while I’m not a dynamic driver fan, I’m more detail, speed and clarity fan. So I rotated nob to that position and it made upper mids a little smoother and just a little more V shaped which I prefer more. But I still lose a little clarity of BA here in comparison to default mode.

 
Do I like them?
Yes and No. I like how they tuned, I will keep them for “reference” sound and maybe someday will use for sound writing. But they are not so good for final mastering, soundstage and instrument separation doesn’t give you out of your head experience exact place and size. Most of my music collection are experimental, speedy and progressive type of music, which are not they type of and they can handle they with use, however mids is slightly in slow side, metal music sound good but not perfect. However, I still can enjoy with W500 with more relaxing or more commercial smoothed type of music (now I enjoying with all my music collection). But if they had a better tuned mids or tuned to be more coherent V shaped sound with out of head soundstage they could be a stellar to me (sorry, it was my mistake, they tuned exactly perfect as I wanted that every earphone was).
Difference between tunes are:
Yellow (Default) is flat, reference tuned sound for monitoring neutral tune lovers with enough bass quantity (bass is almost in the same as UE900 quantity, but with more dynamic driver type impact).
Red (BA mode) is upper mid forward sound, with thin mids notes. Overall out of balance sound signature (I will need now test it again with correct fit).
Blue (Dynamic mode) slightly V shaped sound, but still more monitor like, rather than fun, but much more musical than default mode. Sound signature more close to Audio-Technica monitor house sound but with more powerful bass impact. However, if you are not dynamic driver lover, I won't like that tune BTW. (I will need now test it again with correct fit)
Conclusion: Thick, natural and musical sound. Dynamic driver is good but not superb (hard to tell now ). Mids tuned not quiet good. If you can offer, go to Sony's CIEM Just Ear instead, otherwise W300 should be a better option for the price.

 

sorry guys for my negative review, it's my first CIEM  looks like I pushed them too forward to my ears that made sound more thicker, 2D and harsher in the mids....
currently, I'm starting enjoy with music more and more
looks like they really have good soundstage, black background and musical slightly V shaped smoothed sound

 

Hi all, this is my first post here on head-fi. Just got my AAW W500's in. They fit perfect, better than my Jh audio pro5's did. so hat's off to u AAW. Not sure if I can post pics or not being my first post. I'm using the 500's with my 901 and when at home connected to my fostex hp-v1( stunning to me the low end with this). Just to let u know if you couldn't tell from my user name I bought these to listen to reggae music (SDB, AUD), dub music (12'records), acid jazz (SDB's from DJ friends), and downtempo music being my only mp3s. So far very happy. If anyone would like my take on them with my sources, feel free to ask. I wish you could see these babies. just tried to add pics didn't work. black face plate with a reggae star a gold flake clear body and red clear tips. Cheers

 

Go ahead and post those pics!

As long as it isn't a nude body you should be fine lol

 

a couple more posts and I should be able to post the pics. I can't seem to be able to edit or add pics yet. SOON

 

My W500 AHMorph had fit issues, right earpiece didn't have a complete seal and even at the blue dot I was going, "where's the bass?"
 
I had to compare with the demo set to confirm my findings. Long story short, after a refit the sound is now perfect to my ears.
 
My only remaining qualm for the W500 is the size of the earpieces. Not flush with the ears, and turns out bigger than my 10-driver Solar. But the sound is perfect now, so I wouldn't change a thing.
 
I heard they have a new flagship coming soon?

 

Can anyone comment on sound leakage?  Does the port let out much sound?  Will I disturb my partner if I'm listening within a few feet in a quiet room?

 

No, it doesn't.
 
The thread is dead empty. I have owned W500 Ahmorph for 2 months after continuous burned-in. They sound absolutely amazing after this, previous i had JH13FP , tried a tons of ciems including k10, aurisonic, ue..except 64audio line. These goes toes to toes with those flagships if not being better. I already found this better than K10 which is insanely overpriced for its own performance. 

 

Thanks for the response, gearofwar

I placed my order a few weeks ago. Looking forward to them!

 

Just curious, does it come with Null audio copper cable as stock? In my experiences, the cable is not the best option for w500, you could play around for a while but also try to upgrade to better cables like me, the result is very rewarding.  

 

What cable are you using?

 

 
Mine were a reshell and upgrade without cable included.
 
I picked up a Double Helix UP-OCC Silver IEM cable at an OK price on eBay a short time ago, so I'll be using that.