[fntms]

First impressions are a little disappointing: bass is not that present (as compared with my ATH-FC7) and a little bit too airy. Not what I was expecting after the glowing reviews I have been reading here. The level of detail is very good as well as the higher mids and top range. Comfort wise they are great, but I'm used to much tighter headphones, so I'll need to get used to these (not a problem). Also, isolation is on the low side but acceptable.

I'm breaking it in right now (a few hours only), and there already seems to be some improvement for bass, but I'm still hoping for a lot more bass. Is this common with A900s, what can I expect?
Second, the cord is laughably tangle prone, is there a way to improve this? Has anyone had it changed because it became too annoying?
Thanks!

 

[warubozu]

I own a pair of A900s, haven't had the chance to audition the ATH-FC7 so I can't tell you how they would compare to the A900s. Put in at least 150 hours of burn in and bass should begin to tighten up. Not sure how much bass you expect out of the A900s, but if you're thinking along the lines of bone rattling bass you may be disappointed. The A900s are a detailed sounding set of cans with a good amount of bass (not too much) to complement the rest of it's sound signature. As for the cable, I just make it a point to keep it neatly wound up and not let it get tangled.

 

[fntms]

150hrs of burn-in, wow! I'm after a reasonably deep bass, I don't actually need to have my skull dissolved, so I'm somewhat hopeful. I was just surprised by the contrast between the bass I heard from my speakers and the a900s, with a clear difference, while usually hps beat my speakers.
The problem I have with the cable is that I attach it to an extension, so maybe this is making the tangle worse (but I need the extension). Also I tend to pull on the cord to ease the tangle and the cord gets detached...

 

[909]

Give them about a week of 24/7 burn-in if you can before you make a final decision.

They are a good all-around can and decent value for your dollar. What is you set-up?

The cord should relax with a bit of time.

I don't know how much bass you are looking for, but the A900s had more bass than many of the headphones I've owned. Yet more doesn't always mean better.

I know my expectations were quite high when I got these cans too. I suppose after reading and researching we have a preconceived idea of how something should sound.

 

[manchau]

Maybe X-Fi will shake you guys. I got double power and puch from my previous SB live 24-bit and M-Audio Revolution 7.1. Though I am using A900LTD.

 

[nickchen]

Be confident. As a

DT770 owner I must say that a A900 comes very close to the nutty DT770 bass in respect of quantity - and I found the quality even better. The A900 I tried for A/B comparison was ~3 month old.

 

[fntms]

Thanks for the replies, my setup is in my new sig (I hope)...My reaction maybe arose from the fact that my previous hp did not need much burn in. The Shure E4 for instance (and FC7 to a lesser extent) were amazing straight out of the box (with adjusted eq for bass, of course, but the iAudio X5 is great for this). The ATH Pro 5 never really got better with burn in...(but they offer great isolation if you can stand the clamp).

 

[slunk007]

I'm assuming that this is an unamped setup? I have my A900s hooked up to my computer in one of two configurations:

Critical Music Listening Configuration:
Foobar2k (asio) => M-Audio Audiophile 24/96 => JMT-built PIMETA => A900

Gaming/Casual Music Listening Configuration:
Winamp (DirectSound) => Onboard SoundBlaster Live! 24-Bit => Headphone Out of Monsoon PM14 2.1 Speaker Rig => A900


Music definitely sounds better with the "Critical Music Listening Config". Bass is deep and impactful but not overpowering to the mids and highs. This is due to the amp and the soundcard. Highs are also clearer. Soundstage seems to open up a bit.

When listening to music in Gaming Config mode, bass is still there but not as clear. Music is certainly enjoyable, but does not wow me like it does in the other setup. I use this setup only when I am extremely lazy (too lazy to move a headphone jack a foot away) or if I am gaming, or need to be listening to windows sounds while listening to music.

Now that I have put hundreds of hours on these cans I feel that they are more laid back than a being a loud rock can. I love chillin out listening to tunes on these in my comfy computer chair. I sometimes fall asleep listening to music this way. Some of the best lullabies I've ever heard.

Give them a good burn-in period unamped and then try them again. If you feel that they are still lacking just a little something then you might want to try them amped. There is a noticable difference but it is not a drastic change like people say the senn HD580/600/650 benefit from.

[EDIT] Just saw your rig in your sig and I guess you can throw that unamped assumption out the window. My apologies. One should never assume things...

 

[Chri5peed]

Lots of lovely burn-in is needed. New A900s were a differrent beast compared to worn-in ones.

 

[Rempert]

I got my A900s used, so I'm not sure about the burn-in aspect. The bass should sound about right in proportion to the upper mids and treble. When you turn up the volume to hear the vocal range

, you should now have a fairly strong bass presence and a somewhat bright sound signature. But everything is relative, and I haven't heard your other headphones for comparison.

 

[fntms]

They have definitely improved a good deal after just 30hrs burn in. However, I still fail to understand the dreadful textile cable, and hate it with a passion (also because it reminds me of ironing! you get textile cables with irons and man do they tangle...) I just hope it gets better but doubt it will.

 

[slunk007]

Use a black twist tie.

 

[HeavyBassMan]

Quote:

Originally Posted by fntms They have definitely improved a good deal after just 30hrs burn in. However, I still fail to understand the dreadful textile cable, and hate it with a passion (also because it reminds me of ironing! you get textile cables with irons and man do they tangle...) I just hope it gests better but doubt it will.

The 'textile' cable is a very nice touch on the A900s. When I first got my A900s I was immediately impressed with it's unusual cable. It was just so different to what I had expected. I'd never even seen a cable like this on a headphone before. Furthermore, I've never once had any problem with it getting tangled up? I just can't see how this could happen really

. If you were talking about UE super.fi's cables or similar, then I could empathise. The unique cable material seems to keep mine quite tangle free.

 

[Chri5peed]

Quote:

Originally Posted by HeavyBassMan The 'textile' cable is a very nice touch on the A900s. When I first got my A900s I was immediately impressed with it's unusual cable. It was just so different to what I had expected. I'd never even seen a cable like this on a headphone before. Furthermore, I've never once had any problem with it getting tangled up? I just can't see how this could happen really . If you were talking about UE super.fi's cables or similar, then I could empathise. The unique cable material seems to keep mine quite tangle free.

Same here, I thought it was a sweet-arse move of ATs.

The screw-on adapter is quality too. Also take note that as soon as the cable goes in the left earcup its nowhere to be seen after. The headband is hardly connected to the earcups but there is obviously the cable for the right cup going through one of the tubes.

 

[fntms]

Quote:

Originally Posted by HeavyBassMan The 'textile' cable is a very nice touch on the A900s. When I first got my A900s I was immediately impressed with it's unusual cable. It was just so different to what I had expected. I'd never even seen a cable like this on a headphone before. Furthermore, I've never once had any problem with it getting tangled up? I just can't see how this could happen really . If you were talking about UE super.fi's cables or similar, then I could empathise. The unique cable material seems to keep mine quite tangle free.

It does look and feel nice to the touch, but it just automatically rolls up/twists on itself at the slighest movement, producing "braids". Quite irritating (although my cat finds it very amusing!) as it shortens the cable and when I pull on it, it gets detached from the extension. I'll try to wrap it in twist ties if I can find them, thanks for the suggestion.