[dspang]

A week or so ago I bid on some ad500's and had asked about them. I got many replies saying they were the same as the ad 700's and such. Many saying they suck also. Here are some of my impressions without burn in.

Right out of the box I like the sound of these. Not warm or overly colored.
They seem pretty clear to me.
I love the sound of guitars with these things. I suppose that would be the mids their.

Treble wise these are bright to my ears and forward but not sibilant or harsh. I ran them out of a Harmon Kardon Hk 3480 receiver(total noob) output so I couldn't judge on proper amplification.

Bass wise they don't have a lot of heft. But I love the fact that it seems tight and controlled and not muddy. I'm generally a metalhead so I'm loving these with guitars. I do have to eq the bass up a bit.

If this is any indication or maybe a slight taste of what even higher end stuff sounds like I feel sorry for my wallet as they say around here.

Sound stage wise these are pretty wide. Wider than anything i"ve had in the past. Would love to hear feed back and or suggestions on what where to go next. What kind of dedicated amp would go well with these and or when I want to upgrade where to go to next.

All in all I'm enjoying them.

 

[mechtech]

From the sound it you like bright/fast headphones, and the wide soundstage is a +.

When choosing an amp, make sure the amp is either a neutral or warm amp, because bright + bright can simply make the ssss too harsh on badly recorded tracks.

I don't know your current setup or what you're willing to spend. That said, if you like the phones, your next move should be a DAC/Amp, and after that another pair of headphones. The AD-500 is fine unamped, but once you start getting higher than that, you really need an amp to bring out the subtleties and nuances that you'll start noticing and caring about.

I think a Zero is a great start. It's solid state, has a slightly warm sound. It's a DAC/Amp combo for under 200$. The DAC is top notch, easily matching many higher end offerings, which is great, because it offers an upgrade path. Once you decide you want a nice dedicated amp, you can flip a switch and just use it for the DAC, and run the line out signal to an amp. (remember to get the upgraded version with the OPA627 in the DAC section, and it's also probably a good move to get a couple LM1364s for the amp section, you can get free samples online and the sound improves.)

Of course if you already have a good DAC this advice doesn't pertain to you.

As for phones, obviously the higher end Audio Technica stuff should be the main thing you want to look at. The AD-900 is a good upgrade from what you already have, and the AD-2000 is a great high end headphone that's not neutral (it has it's own sound), but it's a pleasure to listen to with almost any genre.

Of course the Beyer DT880 is another option you should consider. The detail in the DT-880s are amazing, but it's not exactly a "fun" sounding phone. Personally I love my '03 DT880s though, and am sticking to them for a long while. Between the AD-900s and the DT880s the choice is very hard. The DT880s need a decent amp to bring out the bass, but I've heard them out of a Zero amp and they sound fine with it. (of course tube amps are fairly ideal for most bright headphones like them)

So all in all I say next move should be (assuming you don't already have a high end DAC) Zero DAC/Amp combo -> new headphones (AD-900/DT-880 price range) -> dedicated amp run from the Zero DAC -> dream headphones.

That's pretty similar to the path I'm taking and should keep me busy for a good decade

(also having a set plan means I don't end up dropping 5k on audio equipment, I can't afford it!)

 

[lucky]

Enjoy what you have for as long as you can. The thrill of buying an upgrade is fleeting, but the pleasure from the music can last a lifetime, if you let it.

There will always be something better, but buying it is no guarantee of satisfaction. The people with $100 phones dream of $250 phones; those owners dream of $500 phones; those owners dream of $1000 phones; those owners dream of multi-$1000 phones or speakers.

The only way to get out of it is to decide what you've got is good enough. I'm working on it myself. It's easier said than done.

 

[mechtech]

Quote:

Originally Posted by lucky /img/forum/go_quote.gif Enjoy what you have for as long as you can. The thrill of buying an upgrade is fleeting, but the pleasure from the music can last a lifetime, if you let it. There will always be something better, but buying it is no guarantee of satisfaction. The people with $100 phones dream of $250 phones; those owners dream of $500 phones; those owners dream of $1000 phones; those owners dream of multi-$1000 phones or speakers. The only way to get out of it is to decide what you've got is good enough. I'm working on it myself. It's easier said than done.

This is so true. Remember that the jump from 20$ headphones to 100$ entry level audiophile headphones is the biggest jump you'll ever make. For some, it's more than enough to be satisfied. I personally stopped at my 150$ ebayed pair of DT880s. Sure, Denon D7000s and HD-800s are nice, but I'm happy with what I have.

That said, if you're running out of a computers on board audio, that does make a very noticeable difference and warrants an upgrade to a 50$ sound card at least.

 

[dspang]

Thanks for the replies fellas. Yeah I plan on getting me a decent amp down the line. Right now I'm just running them out of a stereo receiver which is pretty decent. I have a bday coming up so if I get a little cash I might be getting me an amp. Thanks for the advice very much. By the way. These things are farking huge. But the most light comfortable phones I've put on my head.