gdahl
100+ Head-Fier
- Joined
- Oct 27, 2001
- Posts
- 122
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- 11
I now have had several evenings to compare the sounds of several headphones on the Espressivo SET headphone amp. The list includes the W1000, W100, HD600, HD580 and my old DT311.
When I was trying to decide between the W100 and W1000 (for personal purchase), I was torn. Some of the things written about the W100 described a musical, if not always accurate sound. The descriptions of the W2002 emphasized detail and HF energy, which made me nervous about the W1000--since it is built so much like the W2002, I was afraid it might sound "tipped up" and unmusical. I ended up buying a pair of each, so I could decide for myself. First, the used W100's showed up, already broken-in. I was happy with them...
Well, the W1000's arrived and have a good amount of burn-in time on them, and my fears about them were unwarranted...the W1000's sound superb. I don't consider them to be unnaturally bright. To my ears, they are clearly superior to all of the other headphones on the list above. I can tell why some people really like the Sennheisers, though, and wouldn't be at all surprised if a cable upgrade brought them closer to the A-T's, but the Senns' weaknesses are all well-documented, as well as the strengths and weaknesses of the W100. I noticed especially how much more natural the bass was on the A-T's than the Senns.
Upon re-reading many of the things written about the W2002, however, I suspect that the W1000 and W2002 don't sound as similar as I might have supposed. The descriptions of the W2002 lead me to expect that if I had them here for comparison, I would likely prefer the W1000.
Has anyone had the chance to hear both 'phones?
When I was trying to decide between the W100 and W1000 (for personal purchase), I was torn. Some of the things written about the W100 described a musical, if not always accurate sound. The descriptions of the W2002 emphasized detail and HF energy, which made me nervous about the W1000--since it is built so much like the W2002, I was afraid it might sound "tipped up" and unmusical. I ended up buying a pair of each, so I could decide for myself. First, the used W100's showed up, already broken-in. I was happy with them...
Well, the W1000's arrived and have a good amount of burn-in time on them, and my fears about them were unwarranted...the W1000's sound superb. I don't consider them to be unnaturally bright. To my ears, they are clearly superior to all of the other headphones on the list above. I can tell why some people really like the Sennheisers, though, and wouldn't be at all surprised if a cable upgrade brought them closer to the A-T's, but the Senns' weaknesses are all well-documented, as well as the strengths and weaknesses of the W100. I noticed especially how much more natural the bass was on the A-T's than the Senns.
Upon re-reading many of the things written about the W2002, however, I suspect that the W1000 and W2002 don't sound as similar as I might have supposed. The descriptions of the W2002 lead me to expect that if I had them here for comparison, I would likely prefer the W1000.
Has anyone had the chance to hear both 'phones?
