AKG K3003 High End 3 Way System Headphone

[james444]

  Is this a fair comparison though. Is the 535 measurement not done with the Shure foam plugs? Stick foam plugs (Comply or otherwise) on any earphone and the isolation will dramatically improve, especially in the low frequencies. I could share some of my own measurements, but I'm not sure I can actually.

 
It wasn't meant to be fair (this ain't my measurements after all), rather to give someone who has no personal experience with the K3003 an idea of what to expect. Moreover, I also mentioned that the AKG's isolation can be improved if you use deeper sealing tips. That said and measurements aside, I personally own the SE530 and K3003, have tried all kinds of tips on the AKG and nothing has brought the latter's isolation anywhere close to the former's. The K3003 are vented and designed for a shallow fit, and even with silicone tips the Shure's isolation is subjectively a lot better, because of its deeper fit and the housing providing part of the isolation.
 
Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying the Shures are better than the K3003 overall (actually not by a long shot), but once again, I wouldn't go for TOTL IEMs with lukewarm isolation if I planned to use them primarily in noisy surroundings.

 

[up late]

think we're on the same page

 

[robm321]

If you want better isolation than the 535 with a sound closer to the k3, the ER4S should fit the bill.

 

[pacman46]

It wasn't meant to be fair (this ain't my measurements after all), rather to give someone who has no personal experience with the K3003 an idea of what to expect. Moreover, I also mentioned that the AKG's isolation can be improved if you use deeper sealing tips. That said and measurements aside, I personally own the SE530 and K3003, have tried all kinds of tips on the AKG and nothing has brought the latter's isolation anywhere close to the former's. The K3003 are vented and designed for a shallow fit, and even with silicone tips the Shure's isolation is subjectively a lot better, because of its deeper fit and the housing providing part of the isolation.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying the Shures are better than the K3003 overall (actually not by a long shot), but once again, I wouldn't go for TOTL IEMs with lukewarm isolation if I planned to use them primarily in noisy surroundings.

that's what I'm finding out now..I love the sound of these things but I use them at work where it is kinda noisy and they just don't cut it for isulation .might have to trade them for something else

 

[proedros]

that's what I'm finding out now..I love the sound of these things but I use them at work where it is kinda noisy and they just don't cut it for isulation .might have to trade them for something else

 
tell them to shut up

seriously , working somewhere where you can listen to your K3003s is definitely a (+) in my book

 

[pacman46]

tell them to shut up


seriously , working somewhere where you can listen to your K3003s is definitely a (+) in my book

haha ya these are a gem to listen to for sure ..

 

[alert426]

It is the coolest IEM that Ive ever heard!! Very good sound!!

 

[proedros]

has anyone heard both k3003 and ck100pro  ? impressions ?

 

[Gilles De Rais]

has anyone heard both k3003 and ck100pro  ? impressions ?

Yes, but not at the same time. I found the AK bright, grainy, microphonic and uncomfortable. Much preferred the Ortofon eq7. To me the AK had the sound some people describe as detailed due to the treble prominence, but that I would call etched. I think the telling of the tale was that I don't think I've seen an iem drop in price as fast as that model. Here in Oz, all three retailers were selling it at 50% off rrp within six months of release. On the plus side I would say the packaging is exceptionally well presented...As always my ears, my tastes ymmv.

The K3003 is several classes above the AK in pretty much all sound respects.

Regards,

Giles

 

[audionewbi]

has anyone heard both k3003 and ck100pro  ? impressions ?

Ck100pro to me is much better value and there are things it does that nothing in my possession can do.

K3003 has a more of a hifi sounding approach where as Ck100pro has a very unique approach that focuses on clarify, speed and deep bass without sounding too artifical.

 

[up late]

what's that supposed to mean?

 

[audionewbi]

what's that supposed to mean?

To me or to you?

 

[Mozartaudio]

I am interest if somebody is using Comply foam tips for yours 3003? What's the results ? 

 

[up late]

To me or to you?

i assume that you understand the meaning of what you wrote so i'd appreciate it if you could explain it for me. what do you mean by "hi fi sounding"? if the ck100pro has sonic traits such as clarity, speed and deep bass - how does that differ from "hi fi sounding"? if the k3003 is "hi fi sounding" to you, does that also make it sound "too artificial" to you and if so, why? if the ck100pro sounds less "artificial" to you, does that make it sound more "natural" to you than the k3003 and if so, why? thanks.

 

[audionewbi]

i assume that you understand the meaning of what you wrote so i'd appreciate it if you could clarify it for me. for example, what do you mean by "hi fi sounding"? if the ck100pro has sonic traits such as clarity, speed and deep bass - how does that differ from "hi fi sounding"? does hi fi sound artificial to you and if so, why?

The truth of the matter is no word can express sound and if I was to give the objective answer the only answer for to the question of "how does x sound compare to y?" would be to just go listen to  for yourself. However if that was the case sites like head-fi have no purpose but to introduce product introduction and leave the subjective nature of stuff to the listeners. 
 
The definition of  Hi Fi that I submit to (and based on my encounters on head-fi) goes as this:  a hifi sound retains a high fidelity by presenting a full sound withh an extended lower region extension, has a warmer tonality in general as a result however it is well balance in order not to mask the treble and midrange. 
 
ck100pro is not that, it has a very distinct attention to micro-detail, high notes are very sharp and at time over accentuated. It has a very fast and impactful bass which is noticeably faster if compared to a dynamic driver. For my purpose I compared it with EX-1000. 
 
So what does all that mean? Really nothing, it means nothing if you simply do not have the experience in this hobby, or have tested enough gear to really try to understand how exactly the air pushed by a dynamic driver feels compared to the Balance armature driver (do they both have the same impact, I believe not). Even after all that it still means nothing. It is just that graphic does not make it easier too as not everyone can read graphs, even if they could not all graphs are drawn using the same standard.
 
So in summary nothing can be more important than listening to the gear yourself, there is no handbook in subjective audio description and we all have a different hearing range, what someone over 60 hears is different to what someone in their 16 can hear, that is another factor. This result in one hearing an IEM as balance and other as bright, analytic, etc
 
So yes, it means nothing at all, yes I am happy with this final answer.