ATH-AD**** users unite!
Jan 18, 2006 at 6:05 AM Post #76 of 122
Quote:

Originally Posted by ScubaSteve87
AD2k pretty much sounds good all the time and has the ability to improve to the level of the equipment it is paired with
biggrin.gif
if that even makes sense


Makes sense to me. This falls in line with the L3000, in which I found the same characteristic, OTOH the HD650 is not even worth owning without a good amplifier.
 
Jan 18, 2006 at 9:26 AM Post #78 of 122
With the A900 as my first really good set of cans...and nothing to compare to other than everyone's comments here could people who have more experience than i say this line up is on par/better/far superior to grados, senns and what have you?

I mean they're easy to drive. Sound good out of any source. You really don't need an amp to make them shine. You add a dash of your personal taste when you do.

All the other cans that people have, you kinda sort of/must/definately have to buy an amp to make them sound good. Financially speaking... this is the bonus with the AT headphones. Whatever you were going to spend on grados or senns and an amp and get the AD2000
smily_headphones1.gif


Right?
icon10.gif
 
Jan 18, 2006 at 1:06 PM Post #79 of 122
I think the AD2000 sounds OK directly from an iPod headphone out. I also think the RS-1 sounds OK with an iPod.

The AD2000 has a distinctive "airy" quality that probably adds the sense of air and space to unamped sources that may be particularly deficient. It also has relatively bright highs without harshness or sibilance that can add treble sparkle to the unamped source.

I think the AD2000 sounds better with an iPod than the L3000 or W2002. The L3000 and W2002 seem to be more difficult to match with an amp. The AD2000 seems to sound good with the limited number of amps I've tried it with.

To me, its more versatile than the RS-1, HD650 or DT880. The RS-1 is best for fast-paced, energetic music and is unbeatable for sheer jump up and down fun. The HD650 is excellent with classical and jazz, and it has a smooth relaxing sound that never fatigues. The DT880 has an expansive soundstage that's great with downtempo electronica, one of my favorite types of music.

However, to me, the AD2000 can do most of the above and has qualities the others lack. It has similar forwardness to the RS-1 and can be as energetic with fast music. It is more neutral and accurate-sounding, and is never harsh. The RS-1 can be fatiguing and ear-piercing sometimes, even at low volume levels, while the AD2000 is not.

Compared to the HD650, the AD2000 seems clearer. The HD650 can seem too distant and "veiled" (aargh, that word, sorry) in comparison. Switching from the HD650 to the AD2000 always results in some re-orientation. The HD650 is smooth with rolled-off, non-fatiguing treble, while the AD2000 is smooth with bright, clear, non-fatiguing treble.

The DT880 has a bigger soundstage that is better with some music. However, its treble can sometimes be harsh, and its bass can be too thin. The AD2000 loses in terms of soundstage size but I think it has better treble, midrange and bass than the DT880.

Oops, I didn't mean to be so wordy. OK, shutting up now.
 
Jan 18, 2006 at 2:54 PM Post #80 of 122
So in other words get the AD2000 and save money on buying lots of other cans.
biggrin.gif


Thanks for the comparisons though. I would definately in the future like to hear the cans you mentioned. In the begining I was leaning towards getting something from the Grado line. But since I'm in Japan.. I saw AT stuff all over the place, all the headphones sounded good and I later found headfi.org.

There just had to be something good about this line so I went with it. Definitely glad I did.
 
Jan 18, 2006 at 3:35 PM Post #81 of 122
Just my two cents...Although I am sure the AD2000 sound decent with no amplifier, I have no doubt it improves greatly using a quality, high current amplifier. This has been my experience with every phone I have owned.
 
Jan 18, 2006 at 3:52 PM Post #82 of 122
Quote:

Originally Posted by Ugusensei
So in other words get the AD2000 and save money on buying lots of other cans.
biggrin.gif


Thanks for the comparisons though. I would definately in the future like to hear the cans you mentioned. In the begining I was leaning towards getting something from the Grado line. But since I'm in Japan.. I saw AT stuff all over the place, all the headphones sounded good and I later found headfi.org.

There just had to be something good about this line so I went with it. Definitely glad I did.


You can say that...Its sort of like a jack of all trades but a master of "all"....very good pair of cans imo.
 
Jan 19, 2006 at 2:28 AM Post #83 of 122
Well I've had my AD2000's playing a ton of electronic music all day. It got through all my Amon Tobin and some of my Aphex Twin, about 7 hours worth. In total, they have about 12 hours of burn in on them now. Initial impressions are, well, I won't say anything accept that I'm pretty sure that I've found my "it" phone in terms of sound quality. I'll wait until 100 hours though before making any formal comments.

The only thing that I'm a little concerned with at this point is the fit. I think the metal bars connecting the earcups together cause the headphone to clamp to your head a lot tighter than the A900s. The A900's fit is very loose and although they slip off your head if you move around in certain ways, they feel absolutely wonderful. Frankly, the AD2000s at first were very uncomfortable because when I wear the phones they clamp so hard that the drivers actually touch my ear. Today during burn-in I had them stretched but the fit has only marginally improved. I'm hoping that over time the fit will get better so the drivers aren't clamping my ear. I guess time will tell.

There's also the fact that they smell like a band-aid... seriously
frown.gif
I'm pretty sure at least that will go away with time
tongue.gif
 
Jan 19, 2006 at 3:29 AM Post #84 of 122
Quote:

Originally Posted by james__bean
Frankly, the AD2000s at first were very uncomfortable because when I wear the phones they clamp so hard that the drivers actually touch my ear. Today during burn-in I had them stretched but the fit has only marginally improved. I'm hoping that over time the fit will get better so the drivers aren't clamping my ear. I guess time will tell.


So you think the earpads would give you enough room if the clamping force was not so high, causing them to flatten out?
 
Jan 19, 2006 at 4:33 AM Post #85 of 122
Quote:

Originally Posted by sonic32
So you think the earpads would give you enough room if the clamping force was not so high, causing them to flatten out?


Its more like hoping at this point. There's actually a lot of reasons it clamps on my ears. For one, the drivers aren't angled like they are on the A900. The cups don't rotate vertically either. Then there's the fact that the earpads themselves aren't as thick. But I actually tried the A900 pads on the AD2000 and it didn't really help. BTW, you can't put the AD2000 pads on the A900, they're too small.
 
Jan 19, 2006 at 4:46 AM Post #86 of 122
Quote:

Originally Posted by james__bean
BTW, you can't put the AD2000 pads on the A900, they're too small.


What about the W5000 pads? Anyone have both the AD2000 and the W5000, would the pads interchange?
 
Jan 19, 2006 at 4:58 AM Post #87 of 122
Hmmm, actually if i just press the cups towards the front of my face it feels better. I think its just going to take time for me to get these adjusted. I wonder about the W5000 pads too. That would be sweet if they worked, I'd probably order a pair or two if they worked with the A900.
 
Jan 19, 2006 at 5:15 AM Post #88 of 122
Just looking at pictures, the W5000 and AD2000 look like the pads may interchange, just a guess. It would be great to know if they did, that way you could use either the leather or fabric pads depending on what you prefer.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Users who are viewing this thread

Total: 2 (members: 0, guests: 2)
Back
Top