[hiccup]

My friend just got back from Japan and dropped off the W11R to me (at work) this morning. I don't have my usual source or amp here at work; however, I am too weak to resist plugging that can into the $5? soundcard to get some initial impressions. Also, all my comments of the W11R are based on my experiences with the Sony 7506.

First of all, a confession...I bought the W11R for its look

and based on your guys reviews of the W100 and W2002. In terms of built quality and finishing, it is top notch, except for the phone core. It looks and feels cheap...like a flexible version of those old cloth shielded lamp core.

The W11R sound stage is huge. It really is a day and night differences. In fact, I doubted the finding so much that I have to double check to make sure I didn't have any "enchancements" turned on in the mplayer/soundcard settings. This may not say a lot about the W11R though. Since narrow sound stage is the 7506's weakest point. The W11R is, for lack of better term, very musical (sorry, I know it has to be musical since I am listen to music

). Lots of people think one of the 7506's weakness is that it is very analytical; however, this is one of the 7506's property that I really like. I wouldn't say the W11R is less analytical...in fact it may be more so. But but...some how is more enjoyable (emperor's new clothes?). So far so good for the W11R, right? Well, no. Where the heck is the bass!?! It almost sounds like it has a 100Hz cut off point

I sure hope it is the soundcard or _maybe_ the can needs to burn-in. Oh yeah, please don't tell me that I am used to the 7506 bloated bass

With the my usual source & amp the 7506's bass is tight and deep.

Thanks for reading. I have to share my excitement with you guys; since everyone around me think I am nut and should be commited.

--hiccup

 

[Matthew-Spaltro]

I know, there does not seem to be much bass with the ATH cans. I think that is because it is accurate bass. And not boomy bass like most sony cans seem to be.

 

[puck]

wow, you guys must not have burned in your cans yet! if there is anything lacking, in the w100 anyway, it is most definitely not the bass. it has great bass-tight, deep extention, and lots of it. certainly out of the box they aren't even recognizable as the same cans though.

enjoy the w11r's, i haven't heard them but they should be a truely great set of cans.

 

[JML]

Give them time to burn-in. If they're anything like the W100, the amount of bass will you hear will increase and decrease until it smoothes out. Soundcards, at least on my computer, don't go down far, and they have little oomph behind them. When you go home, you'll hear bass. Clean, fast, articulate, and deep. After 75 hours they start to stablilize, and then they keep changing, but not as radically. Let them play music every night for a week, or leave them home and plugged in while you're at the office, and vary the type of music.

After a short while you'll listen to the Sony, compare them, and probably just laugh. My V6 sounded as if it had deeper bass than my brand new W100 when played via the soundcard as soon as I got them (just like you). But when I connected the W100 to a real source, even the D-25S without an amp, there was absolutely no comparison. The Sony goes down deep, but bass notes all sounded as if they came from the same instrument -- with the AT, you can clearly distinguish the instruments, not just the cycle of the tone.

Plus the midrange!!! Listen to some female vocals, or anything with multiple voices, with different things being sung. You'll not regret the investment.

Have fun!

 

[Atomicarnage]

Oh, yeah, that sounds like a great idea! Let's be a jackass and try to give our impression of a pair of high end headphones from the ****tiest source I could find! Especially since they have not yet had any breakin! Boy am I excited! I'm going to the head-fi forum right now to post my brilliant insights

note: dripping sarcasm included

 

[KR...]

Quote:

Originally posted by Atomicarnage Oh, yeah, that sounds like a great idea! Let's be a jackass and try to give our impression of a pair of high end headphones from the ****tiest source I could find! Especially since they have not yet had any breakin! Boy am I excited! I'm going to the head-fi forum right now to post my brilliant insights note: dripping sarcasm included

I thought that went without saying, since every single person who read the post thought the same thing.

 

[Dusty Chalk]

Quote:

Originally posted by KR... I thought that went without saying, since every single person who read the post thought the same thing.

Well then, you obviously don't know the people on this forum then, because, it goes without saying that nothing goes without saying.

That said, I thought it went without saying, too (also with a heavy dose of sarcasm). Get yourself a better source.

 

[bootman]

I thought this team was dead?

 

[millerdog]

Jeez...I just purchased a set of ATH-A9Xs that are on the way.
I also bought that new amp they put on their website the ATHA2....do I want to post?
sheesh!
Can't I be a neophyte and say what I think?
We don't all have ten thousand dollar systems!
This is an edit to my post. I just have to say that that was the rudest post I have ever seen on this forum. I have spent hours! hours! searching the archives on topics that interest me. I have checked out the recent Senn 280 posts and they are tame compared to this dude. Man, don't we all have the same hobby?
just my thoughts,
md

 

[Dusty Chalk]

Quote:

Originally posted by millerdog Jeez...I just purchased a set of ATH-A9Xs that are on the way. I also bought that new amp they put on their website the ATHA2....do I want to post? sheesh! Can't I be a neophyte and say what I think? We don't all have ten thousand dollar systems! This is an edit to my post. I just have to say that that was the rudest post I have ever seen on this forum. I have spent hours! hours! searching the archives on topics that interest me. I have checked out the recent Senn 280 posts and they are tame compared to this dude. Man, don't we all have the same hobby? just my thoughts, md

Sorry, man, I know you're not specifically referring to me, but I did contribute to the problem. By way of explanation, I think we were just trying to show how smart we were by anticipating what was truly the problem. Didn't mean to be rude. Please do share your initial impressions. But we tend to have a little fun around here. (See, for example, the world class thread. It refers back to this one.)

 

[KR...]

well, I think most people hear were CLEARLY just joking around with your post. As a matter of fact, you did it to yourself in the "review", so I am sure that we all thought it was fair game. We weren't trying to be mean and hurtful, we were just busting your balls for making such a silly post. It was all in good fun.

 

[millerdog]

okay okay...I get it...
I just hope the the original poster(with only six posts so far) got it. And right after how I posted in the members area about how cool and tolerant of green peas you guys were.
just a thought,
md

 

[hiccup]

<flamebait>
what!?! atomicarnage is being sacrastic!?! no! i think not. that punk is just plain rude!

</flamebait>

btw. the lack of bass problem is not from the $50000 soundcard (does the extra zero gives that soundcard more credit?

). it sounded the same with my regular source and amp. however, the w11r is improving by the hour. this ath woodie may not be just a pretty face after all.

--hiccup

 

[millerdog]

That's why I like this place..everyone is so cool...
Let me know how long you "burned" your ATs in. I have a set coming in.
Don't these cans look freaking great?
just a thought,
md

 

[JML]

That cord is NOT cheap! While I also wish it had a different cover instead of that silk fabric (because it is hard to untwist), the copper wire is expensive Ohno Cast copper that is supposed to have fewer crystal boundaries and thereby sound better. The Outlaw & Harmonic Tech cables, as well as AT's own cables, are made of that stuff.