[slunk007]

Quote:

Originally Posted by elliot I don't think I've actually seen any wireless headphones that actually look good. These look worse than the A500/A900 cans made by the same company (headband still sucks, plus they added ugly battery/receiver things). The pioneer headphones are pretty ugly too.

Headband still sucks? Have you tried them before? The headband actually works very well.

 

[Eric F]

Is there another generation of wireless phones planed by Pioneer for release?

It seems that it's the base/transmitter that will change faster than the phones. I suspect the AT/Pioneer phones will be around for quite a few years before new models are offered.

I guess I know what my next headphones are going to be.

 

[Takashi]

Charging batteries on the phone is nice, but having separate charger is quicker and practical.(you can use 2nd set of batteries)

Not that I was pleased to have another battery charger came with 3000R when I have 2 chargers already.

 

[Franchot]

Thanks, Takashi, for your review. (I always find your comments and opinions well-thoughout and balanced.) Reading it, it makes me think that the 1000Cs (which you own) are noticeably different from the 800Cs (which I own.) (I can hear a substantial difference between the 3000Rs and the 800Cs, and in every case I would choose the Audio-Technicas over the Pioneers, while in some cases you prefer the 1000Cs over the 3000Rs.)

I still haven't broken in the 3000Rs properly, but I did a little music comparison with them and the Pioneer 800Cs and my Sennheiser 595s.

First off, I would call the 800Cs closed headphones (although they're listed as being open on Audio Cubes Web site. Am I wrong or are they?) The 595s are open and I'm assumming that the 1000Cs are also open (according to Audio Cubes.) (Maybe that plays into the differences I'm hearing and the preferences I have for the A-Ts over the Pioneers?)

Anway, I chose four tracks to test:

"Happy Hour"--The Housemartins
"Love Cats" (Acoustic Version)--The Cure
"Walk On" (DVD-Audio release)--Neil Young
"Nutted By Reality"--Nick Lowe

And I tested them on my Panasonic XP50 DVD Player connected to the Pioneer DIR800C through an optical cable with straight stereo and no sound processing (Dolby HP 1, Dolby Logic, etc.)

The Sennheiser 595s had the best sound on all the recordings. (I'm not surprised since I think these cans are very nice--they offer a wonderful sound at an exceptional value.) The music was full, forward, and had a wonderful bass thump on all the songs.

Not too far behind, the Audio-Technica 3000Rs had a good sound. I agree with you in that they have a "warm" sound. The music was full, though not as forward and with less bass kick. Still, for wireless headphones, they stand up very well to some wired headphones I've heard.

When it came to the Pioneer 800Rs, they ran a distance third. The 800Rs sounded confined and artifical. Tinny and cold. I couldn't see any area in which they excelled over the other two headphones. For the movies I've watched with them, they sounded fine. Or at least they sounded fine until I received my Audio-Technias.

Now, I find the 3000Rs are my preferred wireless headphones to use when watching movies. The 3000Rs just have a wider and more encompassing soundstage.

In another room I have a Denon receiver with the Dolby Headphone circuitry. I'll have to do a comparison between it with some wired headphones and the Audio-Technica 3000Rs with the Pioneer encoder some time in the future.

 

[Takashi]

Franchot, thanks for the follow up review.

1)Pioneer's official site says 800C is closed, as you see. 1000C is as open as M.Schumacher's gas pedal on Sunday.

2)With your choice of music(classics, btw, made me dig up my old Housemartins record from closet

) I would also prefer 3000R.
1000C only does better with loud music/movies, where subtle presentation is not really required.