SouthPaW1227
100+ Head-Fier
- Joined
- Feb 26, 2004
- Posts
- 255
- Likes
- 10
Well I've been a freak for audio all of my life, and have been a musician since I was about 11, and have always loved hearing the best stuff when it came to speakers. I saved up cash from working on a farm when I was younger to get a true 5.1 system setup in my room & remember watching T2 on DVD in true surround sound and being blown away...been hooked on audio since that day.
Well I'm a single child, thus I've always had the ability to blast my simply amazing Klipsch's in my room whenever I wanted with whatever music I wanted...then came college. And a roommate. Of course he doesn't wanna hear my music while trying to study, but I *have* to have music while working, so I found this place! Ahh another place for me to spend every dime I make (curse this addiction!)
So after researching, I just wanted to get a decent low cost pair of cans to enjoy so I wouldn't have to use external speakers & disturb others...I settled on the ATH-A500s & ordered a pair from AudioCubes. After anxiously waiting 4 days, they finally shipped from Japan & arrived Friday...of course my Spring break started Thursday, argh, so today I drove 2 hours BACK to the university to pick them up, w00t! While waiting for them, I couldn't resist a decent amp to go with them, so I ordered one from a custom amp maker here in the U.S., I. Castano, and it arrived a few days back. It's a mid-level PIMETA (not quite maxed), but I love it. Temporarily I've got my iPod 40GB as my source w/ a Monster mini-to-RCA into the PIMETA & then my ATH-A500s plugged into the Neutrik locking 1/4" jack. As of tomorrow I'll have a Pioneer DV-563A SACD/DVD-A player that I'll use as my primary source. I've got 5 SACD's & 1 DVD-A on order that I'll be able to test & give opinions on next week.
So, into my newbie opinions...granted, the only other "hi-fi" phones I've listened to are a pair of Senn. HD280, but they were unamplified. But I've noticed a lot of newcomers to this are wanting opinions of the "relatively" cheap A500s, and so I wanted to post for those guys. This isn't really a comparison, it's just some words of wisdom of whether spending your $99 on these phones are worth it or not.
Straight out of the box I listened to Skillet's "Collide" album (in 320k MP3) and was dissapointed...got to checking, and realized I had the iPod EQ set to "Rock" b/c of the lackluster phones I was using on it last...turned the EQ off so everything was flat, and WOW! Incredible clarity & depth! Long story short, these cans don't need an EQ...send them some good signal & they'll impress. This album is a "hard rock/metal" album, so there's plenty of low-mids from the Drop D crunching distortion riffs, and the A500s performed amazingly...no distorting whatsoever even with double bass drums & riffs happening simultaneously. These phones, contrary to some things I'd previously heard, aren't too "bass-heavy" at all...I love bass...I have 4 12"s in my Explorer kind of "love bass", but even thinking in a "normal" perspective, there's not too much bass, but as a bass-head, there's plenty there to please my ears. And beyond bass prescence, there's incredible bass DETAIL! Play something with bass slides, runs, etc. and you'll hear every note...in a Skillet song I clearly heard a terrible misfret I had never heard before at all...it was quite funny to hear things in music I'd never heard before. No sloppy bass in these phones...even in demanding conditions they've proven clear.
Mids - these are HIGHLY important to me because I listen to rock-oriented music 80% of the time, and low driving riffs are my thing. No lack of drive in the A500s. The mids are consistently clean & are always spot on. Driving songs are driven perfectly, and the low-mids flow perfectly with the bass notes.
Highs - Ahh, how beautiful. Vocals are absolutely redefined...I was amazed to hear singers sing, you can hear when they almost run out of breath and the smallest quiver in holding a high note. Lead lines are perfectly meshed with the driving riffs and synths are clear as a bell. They aren't peircing at all...I have not been bothered a single time by highs being too loud or too "in my face". Also, positioning is amazing on these!!! About 5 times now I've found myself turning around suddenly to see who "is coming in my room" but it was just the music sweeping in the phones! Crazy!
Comfort - This isn't even a question. Felt beautiful upon putting them on, fits on the ears with uncanny precision, and the fact that weigh very little is a definite benefit. They feel sturdy, but after ~5 mins. of listening, you'll forget they're on your head; they aren't burdensome in weight nor do they "clamp" your head/ears. Much more comfortable than the Senns. by far.
Overall, even though these headphones have only seen ~4 hours of use and certainly aren't broke in yet, I am absolutely THRILLED with them. Worth $99? In every way possible, YES! Granted, the amp helps quite a bit, adds a lot of depth and clarity (escp. in the mids/lows where power shows it effect), but even un-amped I can't recommend these cans enough for one looking to get into the hi-fi league of headphones without going totally broke. But believe me, these cans are like a gateway drug, I already want to try more & more! If you're looking for any negative comments, honestly, there really aren't any. The only one I can think of is that they probably aren't on the same level as the ATH-"W" series or the Sony CD3000s, but then again, they're a lot cheaper and aren't expected to be like those. For $99, these are a BARGAIN! I don't have a single complaint about these phones, they suit my listening perfectly.
I'll add comments once my SACD/DVD-A player arrives and my SACD/DVD-A discs arrives. Any questions from any ppl looking to get these phones? I'll be glad to answer! Below are a few pics of my phones, PIMETA, and my temporary "at home" setup while on Spring Break...snagged a banana tree at Wal-Mart for ~$5 to hang the phones on, works like a charm and looks good to boot!
EDIT: Impressions with new source: Pioneer DV-563A
One word: WHOA!!
Now I fully understand how "Oh man, it can't get any better than this" can quickly turn into "Whoa, it just got even better..." I snagged this source for $140 from Crutchfield after reading great things & wanting a SACD & DVD-A all-in-one unit. I could not be more impressed...the difference between this and my iPod's headphone out is night & day. Everything I noted earlier is still exactly true, except with this source all the positives are amplified 10 fold (at least). The trueness & detail of the music are even more "in your face" and you just can't miss a single note. This unit is quite light, very easy to setup, has a ton of outputs, and looks great. So far I've only been able to sample redbook (normal CDs) CDs as my SACDs & DVD-As are on their way from Amazon. Comparing Lostprophets - "Start Something" album in 320k MP3 via the iPod & now out of this source is incredible...$140 *VERY* well spent, I can't wait to see what it'll do w/ SACDs and DVD-As. Nothing has changes about the phones except they've grown more impressive with a more impressive source, escp. in the clarity of highs (cymbals ring instead of mud) and the depth of the lows (bass rumbles more now, noticeably more). Below are a few pics of the new temp. setup as well while I'm here on Spring Break:
Well I'm a single child, thus I've always had the ability to blast my simply amazing Klipsch's in my room whenever I wanted with whatever music I wanted...then came college. And a roommate. Of course he doesn't wanna hear my music while trying to study, but I *have* to have music while working, so I found this place! Ahh another place for me to spend every dime I make (curse this addiction!)
So after researching, I just wanted to get a decent low cost pair of cans to enjoy so I wouldn't have to use external speakers & disturb others...I settled on the ATH-A500s & ordered a pair from AudioCubes. After anxiously waiting 4 days, they finally shipped from Japan & arrived Friday...of course my Spring break started Thursday, argh, so today I drove 2 hours BACK to the university to pick them up, w00t! While waiting for them, I couldn't resist a decent amp to go with them, so I ordered one from a custom amp maker here in the U.S., I. Castano, and it arrived a few days back. It's a mid-level PIMETA (not quite maxed), but I love it. Temporarily I've got my iPod 40GB as my source w/ a Monster mini-to-RCA into the PIMETA & then my ATH-A500s plugged into the Neutrik locking 1/4" jack. As of tomorrow I'll have a Pioneer DV-563A SACD/DVD-A player that I'll use as my primary source. I've got 5 SACD's & 1 DVD-A on order that I'll be able to test & give opinions on next week.
So, into my newbie opinions...granted, the only other "hi-fi" phones I've listened to are a pair of Senn. HD280, but they were unamplified. But I've noticed a lot of newcomers to this are wanting opinions of the "relatively" cheap A500s, and so I wanted to post for those guys. This isn't really a comparison, it's just some words of wisdom of whether spending your $99 on these phones are worth it or not.
Straight out of the box I listened to Skillet's "Collide" album (in 320k MP3) and was dissapointed...got to checking, and realized I had the iPod EQ set to "Rock" b/c of the lackluster phones I was using on it last...turned the EQ off so everything was flat, and WOW! Incredible clarity & depth! Long story short, these cans don't need an EQ...send them some good signal & they'll impress. This album is a "hard rock/metal" album, so there's plenty of low-mids from the Drop D crunching distortion riffs, and the A500s performed amazingly...no distorting whatsoever even with double bass drums & riffs happening simultaneously. These phones, contrary to some things I'd previously heard, aren't too "bass-heavy" at all...I love bass...I have 4 12"s in my Explorer kind of "love bass", but even thinking in a "normal" perspective, there's not too much bass, but as a bass-head, there's plenty there to please my ears. And beyond bass prescence, there's incredible bass DETAIL! Play something with bass slides, runs, etc. and you'll hear every note...in a Skillet song I clearly heard a terrible misfret I had never heard before at all...it was quite funny to hear things in music I'd never heard before. No sloppy bass in these phones...even in demanding conditions they've proven clear.
Mids - these are HIGHLY important to me because I listen to rock-oriented music 80% of the time, and low driving riffs are my thing. No lack of drive in the A500s. The mids are consistently clean & are always spot on. Driving songs are driven perfectly, and the low-mids flow perfectly with the bass notes.
Highs - Ahh, how beautiful. Vocals are absolutely redefined...I was amazed to hear singers sing, you can hear when they almost run out of breath and the smallest quiver in holding a high note. Lead lines are perfectly meshed with the driving riffs and synths are clear as a bell. They aren't peircing at all...I have not been bothered a single time by highs being too loud or too "in my face". Also, positioning is amazing on these!!! About 5 times now I've found myself turning around suddenly to see who "is coming in my room" but it was just the music sweeping in the phones! Crazy!
Comfort - This isn't even a question. Felt beautiful upon putting them on, fits on the ears with uncanny precision, and the fact that weigh very little is a definite benefit. They feel sturdy, but after ~5 mins. of listening, you'll forget they're on your head; they aren't burdensome in weight nor do they "clamp" your head/ears. Much more comfortable than the Senns. by far.
Overall, even though these headphones have only seen ~4 hours of use and certainly aren't broke in yet, I am absolutely THRILLED with them. Worth $99? In every way possible, YES! Granted, the amp helps quite a bit, adds a lot of depth and clarity (escp. in the mids/lows where power shows it effect), but even un-amped I can't recommend these cans enough for one looking to get into the hi-fi league of headphones without going totally broke. But believe me, these cans are like a gateway drug, I already want to try more & more! If you're looking for any negative comments, honestly, there really aren't any. The only one I can think of is that they probably aren't on the same level as the ATH-"W" series or the Sony CD3000s, but then again, they're a lot cheaper and aren't expected to be like those. For $99, these are a BARGAIN! I don't have a single complaint about these phones, they suit my listening perfectly.
I'll add comments once my SACD/DVD-A player arrives and my SACD/DVD-A discs arrives. Any questions from any ppl looking to get these phones? I'll be glad to answer! Below are a few pics of my phones, PIMETA, and my temporary "at home" setup while on Spring Break...snagged a banana tree at Wal-Mart for ~$5 to hang the phones on, works like a charm and looks good to boot!
EDIT: Impressions with new source: Pioneer DV-563A
One word: WHOA!!
