Mr. Morden
Head-Fier
- Joined
- Feb 18, 2010
- Posts
- 75
- Likes
- 20
Hey everyone, I recently picked up a pair of these in good shape in their original box for $10 (Quite a score for some vintage TOTL headphones - I knew nothing about these but figured they were worth their price given it said electrostatic on the box. I've heard there are three versions (Bass heavy, bass light, and balanced) - anyway I can tell without taking them apart? I've not listened to them for too long or too critically, but they work fine without any issues. My only other headphones are a pair of ATH-M50's and some Head Direct RE0 IEMs - though the latter doesn't seem like a fair comparison since I have discovered I have a strong preference for OTE's (Stupid IEM's, the left one falls out of my ear all the time). Comparing to the M50's these don't have as much bass, so I'm guessing they're not the bass heavy version. If one considers the M50 a comparatively balanced headphone then these would be the bass light, though while they don't have as much bass as the M50's they're not bad (I've honestly not heard enough headphones to be really informed on what a boomy headphone is vs a weak one - other than those awful Apple buds, yuck!). They're quite pleasant to listen to - first pair of electrostatics I have ever heard. I almost had some Stax but got a great deal on some audio components that were way rarer than a good deal on some Stax (And cost me less on top of it).
I hear people with Stax say they have good bass and imaging - I'll say these AKG's have pretty nice imaging from what I've heard so far, bass is certainly better than a lot of cheap headphones I've had the displeasure to listen to. I find it funny too that this has the same flat cable like a Stax - what is the reason for this strange looking cable? These things are also super lightweight on my head - I never thought the M50's were that heavy but these AKGs are so light the M50 feels heavy by comparison. I'm not a fan of the stupid round headphone cups though - I have to fidget with it for awhile before I get a comfortable listening position on my head, but it's fine once I get it. I guess my ears are just a tad too oval shaped or big to fit these as easily as the M50's comfortably fit on my head. Ha, at first I thought these also might be a new pair of headphones I could listen to on campus - however I saw the impedence, 400 ohms is uhh a wee-bit more than my iPhone can easily drive on its own.
I don't really need more headphones (Really I'm more of a speaker guy - but the more I hear nice headphones the more I want more!). Figured I couldn't go wrong with the price I paid, but I wonder how these compare to more contemporary headphones? I've heard about some mods too - what exactly would those be and what effect do they have on their sound? If anything, I'd like a little more bass out of them - I have no quelms with the highs or mids so far, but the more I hear them the more the bass seems pretty decent. Funny thing though, these are the only pair of headphones I have ever used that made my receiver get warm while listening to them - but I know electrostatics be they headphones or speakers are power hogs.
So what are some of your opinions on these headphones? If anyone owns or has owned both these and the ATH-M50's, I'd love to know your comparative opinion - relative also to what version of the AKG's you have.
I hear people with Stax say they have good bass and imaging - I'll say these AKG's have pretty nice imaging from what I've heard so far, bass is certainly better than a lot of cheap headphones I've had the displeasure to listen to. I find it funny too that this has the same flat cable like a Stax - what is the reason for this strange looking cable? These things are also super lightweight on my head - I never thought the M50's were that heavy but these AKGs are so light the M50 feels heavy by comparison. I'm not a fan of the stupid round headphone cups though - I have to fidget with it for awhile before I get a comfortable listening position on my head, but it's fine once I get it. I guess my ears are just a tad too oval shaped or big to fit these as easily as the M50's comfortably fit on my head. Ha, at first I thought these also might be a new pair of headphones I could listen to on campus - however I saw the impedence, 400 ohms is uhh a wee-bit more than my iPhone can easily drive on its own.
I don't really need more headphones (Really I'm more of a speaker guy - but the more I hear nice headphones the more I want more!). Figured I couldn't go wrong with the price I paid, but I wonder how these compare to more contemporary headphones? I've heard about some mods too - what exactly would those be and what effect do they have on their sound? If anything, I'd like a little more bass out of them - I have no quelms with the highs or mids so far, but the more I hear them the more the bass seems pretty decent. Funny thing though, these are the only pair of headphones I have ever used that made my receiver get warm while listening to them - but I know electrostatics be they headphones or speakers are power hogs.
So what are some of your opinions on these headphones? If anyone owns or has owned both these and the ATH-M50's, I'd love to know your comparative opinion - relative also to what version of the AKG's you have.