kr0gg
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how much did they cost overall?
ATH-W1000X Thread!
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Mercuttio
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Bureiba
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So the manual says to keep these cans in a place with nice ventilation; however, I just moved into a rental house with some college friends so I stashed them in a drawer in my closet for safety reasons. Is this a big concern? I usually leave them out in the open at my parents house, but I would feel a bit uncomfortable about doing that here.
Mercuttio
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There was a manual?
Kidding. I keep mine in a metal brief-case intended for photo equipment, I think I got it at a Ritz camera years ago.
My pair are fine, no issues.
Quote:
Kidding. I keep mine in a metal brief-case intended for photo equipment, I think I got it at a Ritz camera years ago.
My pair are fine, no issues.
Quote:
Bureiba
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Alright, thanks 
TheGomdoRi
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Anybody interested for a group buy for the L3000 pads?
kr0gg
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depends on the price.
Mercuttio
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My L3000 pads are out for delivery today. Shame there's nobody at home to receive them! I'll probably have to pick them up from the Post Office on my way in to work tomorrow.
I'll do a full write-up on any impacts to sound and comfort. Pictures too! Stay tuned.
I'll do a full write-up on any impacts to sound and comfort. Pictures too! Stay tuned.
Mercuttio
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Picked up my package from the post office this morning!
Firstly, here's the plain white box they come in. Plastic is taped around it. Near as I can tell, Audio Cubes orders each pair from ATH directly; I'm not sure what they pay but they're listed at about $80 on the box with today's conversion rate.
Inside that is another plastic bag, containing the pads and this crappy paper sheet which seems to be for pretty much any ATH pad you order.
And then the pads! Very, very nice feeling leather. Feels a bit softer than my B&W P5's lamb skin leather, and those are extremely good feeling as is. Even the part that wraps around the earcup to hold the pads in place is leather, which surprised me. Anyone with lesser pads on their ATH knows about the weird stretchy vinyl they use there ordinarily.
Pardon the crappy pictures for now, folks. I'll have luscious 5D Mark II images of them on my phones up tonight, with a direct comparison of the new pads vs the old pads.
Stay tuned!
Firstly, here's the plain white box they come in. Plastic is taped around it. Near as I can tell, Audio Cubes orders each pair from ATH directly; I'm not sure what they pay but they're listed at about $80 on the box with today's conversion rate.
Inside that is another plastic bag, containing the pads and this crappy paper sheet which seems to be for pretty much any ATH pad you order.
And then the pads! Very, very nice feeling leather. Feels a bit softer than my B&W P5's lamb skin leather, and those are extremely good feeling as is. Even the part that wraps around the earcup to hold the pads in place is leather, which surprised me. Anyone with lesser pads on their ATH knows about the weird stretchy vinyl they use there ordinarily.
Pardon the crappy pictures for now, folks. I'll have luscious 5D Mark II images of them on my phones up tonight, with a direct comparison of the new pads vs the old pads.
Stay tuned!
kr0gg
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use them! try them! tell us how they feel/sound!
Mercuttio
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Can't until I go home! The W1000X lives at home. Ugh, and it looks like it's going to be a late one for me.
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Quote:
use them! try them! tell us how they feel/sound!
Mercuttio
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Alrighty folks, here they are with preliminary impressions.
In this first picture, the L3000 pad is on the left and the stock is on the right. (Clicky for high res!)
Firstly, there's a fairly notable jump in quality of stitching and construction with the L3000 pads. I'll be more evident in the W1000X pad closeup later on, but the stock pads are almost... lumpy in comparison? And keep in mind, these things have spent a minimum of 40 hours a week on my head, often more if I have a lot of work to take home. I'd estimate they've got over 500 hours on, and those stock pads are about as broken in as they're going to get.
So, what are we replacing? Let's take a look.
The texture IS leather-ish. But pales in comparison. (Clicky for high-res!)
As you can see, it's almost as if the parts they sewed together didn't fit quite right. I've seen one other pair first hand, and had similar impressions. They're comfortable most of the time, but brutal in hot weather and don't breathe particularly well ever. And also, why do they always look very slightly greasy? Check that out. What the heck is that? I wash my hair far more than is healthy for the average human (ask my wife about our shampoo consumption and she'll roll her eyes) and I don't know why that is. Never had that issue with any other pad, pleather or leather.
The pleather pads, without question, are the weakest link (followed really only by packaging) in the otherwise delicious W1000X package.
Much more pebbled, and much better made. (Clicky for high-res!)
So, what do we gain?
Immediately, it's visible how much better the construction is. These WERE intended for $2000+ headphones though that were coated in the finest English leather... so that shouldn't come as a shock. The leather is supple, soft, and appears to cover every surface. Even the bits that stretch and go into the groove and hold the pads onto the phones are the same leather. If you examine the underside, it's a soft suede texture. Cool!
The comfort is top notch now; my ears don't sweat as much and my skin doesn't feel quite as "trapped." I'd imagine this is due to the natural fiber; imagine wearing a Polyester shirt compared to a silk one and you've got the general idea.
Most interestingly, and I didn't really expect this, the sound has actually improved. There's more space around my head now, and detail recovery has improved. It's a general sense of more "air." I imagine this is because we're getting closer to an open design; better airflow simply improves the audio. At this point these feel about as thick as my 6-7 month old W1000x pads did. They're not as padded as the stock pleather, and I'd imagine they'll compact a bit with extended usage. This is a positive: I find the midrange is most influenced and brought forward when the drivers are closer to my ears. Win win.
So, are these worth $100? I think so. I'll have to listen to them a lot over time (poor me) but they seem to have improved my W1000X in both comfort and sound.
In this first picture, the L3000 pad is on the left and the stock is on the right. (Clicky for high res!)
Firstly, there's a fairly notable jump in quality of stitching and construction with the L3000 pads. I'll be more evident in the W1000X pad closeup later on, but the stock pads are almost... lumpy in comparison? And keep in mind, these things have spent a minimum of 40 hours a week on my head, often more if I have a lot of work to take home. I'd estimate they've got over 500 hours on, and those stock pads are about as broken in as they're going to get.
So, what are we replacing? Let's take a look.
The texture IS leather-ish. But pales in comparison. (Clicky for high-res!)
As you can see, it's almost as if the parts they sewed together didn't fit quite right. I've seen one other pair first hand, and had similar impressions. They're comfortable most of the time, but brutal in hot weather and don't breathe particularly well ever. And also, why do they always look very slightly greasy? Check that out. What the heck is that? I wash my hair far more than is healthy for the average human (ask my wife about our shampoo consumption and she'll roll her eyes) and I don't know why that is. Never had that issue with any other pad, pleather or leather.
The pleather pads, without question, are the weakest link (followed really only by packaging) in the otherwise delicious W1000X package.
Much more pebbled, and much better made. (Clicky for high-res!)
So, what do we gain?
Immediately, it's visible how much better the construction is. These WERE intended for $2000+ headphones though that were coated in the finest English leather... so that shouldn't come as a shock. The leather is supple, soft, and appears to cover every surface. Even the bits that stretch and go into the groove and hold the pads onto the phones are the same leather. If you examine the underside, it's a soft suede texture. Cool!
The comfort is top notch now; my ears don't sweat as much and my skin doesn't feel quite as "trapped." I'd imagine this is due to the natural fiber; imagine wearing a Polyester shirt compared to a silk one and you've got the general idea.
Most interestingly, and I didn't really expect this, the sound has actually improved. There's more space around my head now, and detail recovery has improved. It's a general sense of more "air." I imagine this is because we're getting closer to an open design; better airflow simply improves the audio. At this point these feel about as thick as my 6-7 month old W1000x pads did. They're not as padded as the stock pleather, and I'd imagine they'll compact a bit with extended usage. This is a positive: I find the midrange is most influenced and brought forward when the drivers are closer to my ears. Win win.
So, are these worth $100? I think so. I'll have to listen to them a lot over time (poor me) but they seem to have improved my W1000X in both comfort and sound.
cky8
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The greasy part is not because of your hair. It is because of the pads touching your skin. When things heat up your face sweats around that area of the pads, thus leaving a mark of grease at the pads. Maybe it's just typical for these pads. It only happens to me when I wear the W1000X for longer sessions.
The W1000X should already sort of be a hybrid open/closed design. Given the 4 tiny gaps around the wooden cups. What do exactly mean with mids being more influenced and brought forward? Looking forward to read your extensive review anytime soon. I'm condering these pads already and you're the only one here I know of to provide some good feedback.
The W1000X should already sort of be a hybrid open/closed design. Given the 4 tiny gaps around the wooden cups. What do exactly mean with mids being more influenced and brought forward? Looking forward to read your extensive review anytime soon. I'm condering these pads already and you're the only one here I know of to provide some good feedback.
francisdemarte
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Thanks for the great review!
TheGomdoRi
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Nice pads
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