[bizkid]

I just got my A900LTD in, having owned it before its no new headphone to me. I got it because i was curious how the new 900Ti compares to the 900(LTD) and doing this out of memory would been pretty nonsense.
The A900LTD retailed for 35000 Yen (MSRP) but is now unavaible, the 900Ti retails for 52500 Yen (MSRP). Streetprice for both was/is lower than that, as usual with AT headphones.
Fit and Construction is exactly the same on both headphones (beside the cups).

Here's the 2 contenders + 1 guest star:

For now ill post my first impressions and later ill add detailed comparisons.

As i already posted before the 900Ti is clearly a different sounding headphone as compared to the A900(LTD). People could hardly tell the difference between the standard A900 and the LTD. That is not the case with the 900Ti.

The first thing to hear that the A900Ti has a flatter response, the bass is reduced but still there (more than the AD2000 or W5000). Also the upper mids are reduced a bit, vocals don't stand out as much as with the 900LTD. Overall the Ti sounds flatter and more even but i also like the colored response of the 900LTD.
Now where's the 900Ti better? Technically it has a noticeably wider soundstage, is a bit more refined and sounds more involving as the soundstage is a bit more "holographic" compared to the A900LTD, like heard in the W5000, but to a lesser degree. It still has that typical A900 smearing highs which is present on some tracks and thus doesnt reach the refinement of the AD2000/W5000 but its more refined as the 900LTD.
Besides that it sounds more transparent and has more clarity as the LTD. Also it packs more impact, not only in the bass, but also the mids and treble. You can feel a strung guitar. Not as much as in the the L3000 who is the champ in this regard, but the LTD almost completely lacks this which is no surprise when you take it's hole in the 200-400hz region into consideration. Thats the freq. range where many instruments and the human voice have their body. The Ti has a much much smaller dip there.

I also threw the W1000 into the comparison because pricewise its comparable to the 900Ti.
I've never heard the W1000 before, but have owned the W5000, L3000 and other ATs.
I honestly didnt expect much from it reading the impressions around here. When i finally got
it i was very pleasantly surprised. The 900Ti will have a hard time against it, I think the W1000
is a bit underrated here going by its popularity. Many user ask for a headphone which
will get them as close as possible to the L3000 and from all AT headphones i have/had, the
W1000 (and proably its bigger brother the W2002) have the most potential to get you there,
WITH a good quality EQ and knowledge on using it.
These 3 headphones are all based on the same basic construction (W1000 & 2002 came
out 2002, L3000 came out 2003 and was basically an improved W2002)
Compared to the A900 line the construction as well as the fit is better.


Im currently waiting for my new A900LTD pads, i threw the old ones away as i couldnt
stand the smell anymore. They should be here next week.


Thats all for now, more to follow

 

[d-cee]

awesome, thanks for the comparison

look forward to your further, detailed posts

 

[fkclo]

Thanks! I am eager to learn more. Please keep the impression coming - especially with regard to different amp matching and music genre...

F. Lo

 

[TMM]

Now only if it were a bit cheaper.....

 

[warubozu]

Thanks for posting your initial impressions, keep us posted.

 

[jpelg]

Thanks for taking this on. We need more info about the Ti models. Comparing to earlier A900 variants is even more valuable. Looking forward to more impressions as you spend more time with them.

Q: Can the softer leather pads from other AT woodies (W2002, L3K, etc.) fit on the A900 models?

 

[TMM]

I'm not 100% sure about the W2002/L3000 pads but the W5000 pads should be an almost perfect fit. W1000 pads are too small.

 

[Dash]

So I guess it suffice to say that the A900TI is better than the W1000?

 

[bizkid]

I've never heard the W1000 but from measurements its tonality is something different. If i can pick up a 2nd hand W1000 ill throw that into the comparison too. The 900LTD is currently undergoing the vinegar treatment to remove its smoke odor, which the seller didnt mention

Its mostly on the pads but also on the foam ring around the driver, hope the vinegar will work.

 

[d-cee]

soda bi-carb works wonders for removing smells

 

[bizkid]

Updated the OP and added the W1000.

Dash: The 900Ti doesnt better the W1000, but the opposite also isnt true. With ATs headphones you always get what you pay for, means the more you move up their price latter, the better the headphone gets technically.
I have experienced this with ALL audio technica headphones to date.

This ranking is for their MSRP but it also ranks them in pure technical ability:

L3000 - 250000 Yen (probable exception: expensive cooperation with conolly)
W5000 - 120000 Yen
W2002 - 100000 Yen (technically clearly under the W5000)
AD2000 - 84000 Yen (open and difficult to compare, but less resolution and refinement than the above, but clearly more than W1000, 900 Ti)
W11JPN - 65000 Yen
W11R - 56000 Yen
W1000 - 54000 Yen (streetprice only 33000 Yen = 200 Euro)
900Ti - 52500 Yen (clearly above the other A900s)
W100 - 42000 Yen
W10VTG - 38000 Yen
A900LTD - 35000 Yen
A900 - 29000 Yen

You might want to add a bit of inflation to the oldest cans (w10vtg, w100, w11jpn)

 

[Dash]

Thanks for the info. The more time I spend with the W1000, the more impressed I am. The sound signature times some time to adapt. The pair I received did not have much time on them either. I ran some pink noise through them for a couple of days and seemed to help fill out the bottom end. It's no Dt700 but not nearly as anemic as portrayed.

 

[Al4x]

ive been reading about the a900ti

is it worth it overall, cause it seems no from the few threads

 

[bizkid]

I spent more time listening to both the W1000 and the 900Ti. Im still waiting for my A900LTD replacement pads but its already clear that the LTD can't reach up to the other 2 cans, it just doesnt have enough refinement, clarity and transparency. Also it's a bit sibliant and especially treble resolution leaves something to be desired. However it's still enjoyable, with some tracks it can create a nice engaging presentation (for me personally), somehow the soundstage holds together well for faster rock music, good compromise between too big and too small soundstage. I don't really like to use the word since it doesnt have any real meaning but something about it makes it sound "musical" to me, even with the lack of refinement.


Back to the W1000 & A900Ti, these ATs offer 2 very different presentations/soundsignatures:

The W1000 sounds upfront and has the "typical" AT coloration which is widely known. The upper mids are emphasized so vocals stand out in the mix. As already written in earlier reviews, the bass is a bit below neutral but it has alot of potential in quality and quantity if you use a good EQ (soft or hardware). Not only vocals but also Instruments sound more upfront (for an AT). It still does offer a nice stage depth if that is in the mix, but mostly it features a nice left to right soundstage with a slightly more upfront-than-neutral staging.

The A900Ti actually sounds laidback, the vocals sit deeper in the mix and are not emphasized. On first listen you might think there is veil but this is not a lack of refinement, just EQ. The bassquantity is less as the 900LTD but more than the AD2000 or W1000, in my opinion its perfectly chosen between "too much" and "not enough".
As the whole mix sounds more laidback the soundstage is also different compared to the W1000. While it does have the capability to extent to the left and right as much as the W1000, it is more concentrated in the middle and shows good depth, instruments in the mix appear with more distance compared to the W1000. That doesnt mean it has a small soundstage though.

Layering on both cans is on the same small-to-average level. These are no W5000s or Stax.


They have their strengths in different places which i would say, keep them at level:

The W1000 offers good clarity and transparency, it has a faster attack and a good treble resolution, and also more precise imaging compared to the Ti.

The A900Ti isn't as transparent in the mids (but close), that's also due to its slightly thicker sounding mids. It's not as precise in imaging but good enough.
What's very nice is the visceral presentation in bass/mids that remind me of the L3000, its surely not up to that level but it has a more visceral bass & felt weight behind notes than the AD2000/900LTD/W1000 and probably W5000 (but i havent heard it for a year, nor EQd). Also the 900Ti seems to resolve fine detail better as the W1000, for example ambience in the recording is easier to hear with the 900Ti.


One more word about transparency (the more transp. the "less" you hear that the music is coming from a headphone): Although the W1000 seems to be more transparent in mids, the 900Ti sounds more transparent in bass, esp. drums. The lack of bass clearly makes the W1000 more "headphony" in that regard. The mids can also differ depending on the recording, but i'd say on 70% of what i have the W1000 has a tad more transparent mids.



Thats it for now, more coming as i get my pads.

ps. Sorry for my wacky english

 

[Superpredator]

Quote:

Originally Posted by bizkid /img/forum/go_quote.gif ps. Sorry for my wacky english

Say what?

Your English rules, dude.

Thanks for continuing your excellent comparison.