[Satan on a stick]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Happytab /img/forum/go_quote.gif Is anyone listening to these SJ5's out of a 5g Ipod? If so does the Ipod drive these to a reasonable volume ok? Seems these might be an answer to all my earphone problems.

I use SJ5's with a 5g, and they are easily driven by every portable device I own, especially the 5g. They are my goto muffs for casual listening; the sound is great for the price point. The highs aren't to shrill and they have for me great bass, not too boomy as to destroy Jazz and the lows are good enough to make hip hop kick. Performs very well with vocals and sax, both having amazing clarity and detail. Definitely a better phone the KSC 75 and Porta Pro and I love those (better overall details). They are pretty good at Isolating ambient sounds, I haven't worn them on the street but they do isolate me from the sounds like the TV. I’m now looking at buying either a ATH ad700 or a700 just to see if the ATH sound signature gets better while moving up the cost ladder. Even with the slight slight inflated price on Audio cubes these headphones are a bargain.

Keep in mind while some have golden ears my ears are brass.

 

[unwanted]

Quote:

Originally Posted by oli84 /img/forum/go_quote.gif Excitement about these phones grows. I just can't make myself quite yet pay close to double of what they actually cost. $32 in Japan (accdg to a post I've seen here), but total of $63 from audiocubes. It's like buying 2 of these! Compare that to ES7, a higher-end can, you end up paying ~$40 over the actual price there ($100); you get more headphone for your money.

http://www.audio-technica.co.jp/prod...p/ath-sj5.html
￥5,250/￥5,000 = 44.5240/42.4069 USD


Hardly looks like you would be paying double what they would cost.

 

[Gil Schwartzman]

Just got mine, about to go listen

 

[Gil Schwartzman]

Hmmm... You know what they say about first impressions...

I just put on what is without a doubt my favorite track to listen to on my Grado's, and was way unimpressed. I don't even really know how to describe the sound. They sound very dark and muddy, like I am listening through a wall. I had to plug in the Grado's quick to make sure it was them, and not a funky EQ setting or something. This is listening on my home rig BTW. The track I started off with is a slow acoustic track, and they just didn't handle it well. I hoped something a little quicker would be better, and it was, but it still had that same muddyness. They are very comfortable, I like that, but I am not feeling the sound so far.

I think the very first thing to do here is put these suckers under the knife. Time for a new cable!

 

[_M2]

or you can change the eq setting to suit the sj5 more

 

[oli84]

I was quoting the street price someone paid in Japan to get the cans. Here in the US one of the very limited ways to get them is through audiocubes.

I wouldn't buy cans directly from the manufacturer at full retail price if I could easily get it cheaper elsewhere.

Quote:

Originally Posted by unwanted /img/forum/go_quote.gif http://www.audio-technica.co.jp/prod...p/ath-sj5.html ￥5,250/￥5,000 = 44.5240/42.4069 USD Hardly looks like you would be paying double what they would cost.

 

[epithetless]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gil Schwartzman /img/forum/go_quote.gif I just put on what is without a doubt my favorite track to listen to on my Grado's, and was way unimpressed. I don't even really know how to describe the sound. They sound very dark and muddy, like I am listening through a wall. I had to plug in the Grado's quick to make sure it was them, and not a funky EQ setting or something. This is listening on my home rig BTW. The track I started off with is a slow acoustic track, and they just didn't handle it well. I hoped something a little quicker would be better, and it was, but it still had that same muddyness. They are very comfortable, I like that, but I am not feeling the sound so far.

Uh-oh...

 

[ghoti]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gil Schwartzman /img/forum/go_quote.gif Hmmm... You know what they say about first impressions... I just put on what is without a doubt my favorite track to listen to on my Grado's, and was way unimpressed. I don't even really know how to describe the sound. They sound very dark and muddy, like I am listening through a wall. I had to plug in the Grado's quick to make sure it was them, and not a funky EQ setting or something. This is listening on my home rig BTW. The track I started off with is a slow acoustic track, and they just didn't handle it well. I hoped something a little quicker would be better, and it was, but it still had that same muddyness. They are very comfortable, I like that, but I am not feeling the sound so far. I think the very first thing to do here is put these suckers under the knife. Time for a new cable!

What were your expectations?

These are $50 closed phones. They aren't going to have the detail or clarity of Grados.

The ATH take very well to EQ. They are pretty neutral and you can change them to suit your tastes.

Also, they are portable phones. Try them straight out of your portable player and see how they compare with what you are currently using.

 

[Gil Schwartzman]

Quote:

Originally Posted by _M2 /img/forum/go_quote.gif or you can change the eq setting to suit the sj5 more

I plan to. I am not putting them in the dog house yet

Quote:

Originally Posted by ghoti /img/forum/go_quote.gif What were your expectations? These are $50 closed phones. They aren't going to have the detail or clarity of Grados. The ATH take very well to EQ. They are pretty neutral and you can change them to suit your tastes. Also, they are portable phones. Try them straight out of your portable player and see how they compare with what you are currently using.

To be honest, I had no expectations really. I didn't know what they would sound like. Just... a little better than they did I guess. As said above, I will mess with IQ.



However, I am back, and recable is done for the most part. I need to resleave (cut to short

) so they are sort of ugly right now, but the new cable definitely helps. They sound noticeably better. I'll get up some pics soon, even though they will look better when I am done.

I've got lots of expirmenting to do yet, but I think by the time I am done, these will suit me fine.

 

[Gil Schwartzman]

Ok, here they are. As you can see, I way undercut the sleeving. It came out at the Y split, and is to short at the end of the cable also. That will be fixed shortly. Other than that, they came out well though

 

[solution_63]

Quote:

Originally Posted by unwanted /img/forum/go_quote.gif http://www.audio-technica.co.jp/prod...p/ath-sj5.html ￥5,250/￥5,000 = 44.5240/42.4069 USD Hardly looks like you would be paying double what they would cost.

I think the $32 price come from my post a few months ago. The Audio-Technica website lists the SJ5 as 5,250 but I've only ever seen it (them?) in shops for 3950 (about $34, but maybe the exchange rate has changed). It can be had for under $30 online:

http://www.rakuten.co.jp/soundwave/5...732468/780409/

 

[unwanted]

￥3,950 = 33.4972 USD

Still not twice as expensive unless you live in Japan, seeing as you would still have to deal with shipping and import taxes.

 

[oli84]

Quote:

Originally Posted by unwanted /img/forum/go_quote.gif ￥3,950 = 33.4972 USD Still not twice as expensive unless you live in Japan, seeing as you would still have to deal with shipping and import taxes.

It's twice as expensive in Japan? That's where it's cheapest.

 

[unwanted]

You were the one that said buying the SJ5 from audiocubes was like buying two of them due to the price. So to be clear, the price you would pay to buy them outside of Japan is still not twice as expensive.

 

[oli84]

Fine. You can't buy 2 cans at that price. But read between the lines, the point I was trying to make is that you're paying a pretty large premium for cans that cheap. That you should be able to see.