[CJG888]

A1000 pads work well, and seal better.

 

[theuprising]

Hey guys, new owner of a used pair of a900x's here, and I'm a bit disappointed so i'd be really grateful if someone helped.
 
-First of all, this question hopefully everyone here knows the answer to: Exactly how much do you boost the right ear to correct the channel imbalance? If you look at the FR, you'll see the L + R ears have slightly different sound signatures, but functionally the L ear is generally louder.
 
-Secondly, I'm running unamped with a soundcard and thought it would be no issue since there was a thread saying these are pretty efficient, but these are quieter than the rest of my headphones, and secondly, the timbre of my mids is all wrong, along with the bass. From reviews I was expecting the bass to be "one-note" and lacking texture, but it also sounds resonant and "hollow." My mids sound tinny, and also hollow. Like the mids flat out sound like I'm listening to a lower bitrate than I actually am and lack detail. Is this due to the lack of an amp, and also from the cord being so long?
 
-Lastly, where do you guys generally put your ears, as I've seen them sound dramatically different each time I change the position of my ears. I did the rubber band mod, so where they lie on my ears is mostly my choice. From my experience so far, the bass comes out only when your ear hole is near the bottom + close to the driver, and the timbre sounds best down there too, so the bottom of my ear nub isn't actually enveloped in the pad. Maybe my timbre problem is simply due to not positioning my ears correctly?
 
Thanks ahead of time, these are the most "hi-fi" headphones I've ever owned and I was just saddened that in several aspects they sounded worse than my Takstar Pro80 + JVC s680, which are 50 bucks each, so hopefully I'm just doing something wrong!

 

[metal571]

Hey guys, new owner of a used pair of a900x's here, and I'm a bit disappointed so i'd be really grateful if someone helped.

-First of all, this question hopefully everyone here knows the answer to: Exactly how much do you boost the right ear to correct the channel imbalance? If you look at the FR, you'll see the L + R ears have slightly different sound signatures, but functionally the L ear is generally louder.

-Secondly, I'm running unamped with a soundcard and thought it would be no issue since there was a thread saying these are pretty efficient, but these are quieter than the rest of my headphones, and secondly, the timbre of my mids is all wrong, along with the bass. From reviews I was expecting the bass to be "one-note" and lacking texture, but it also sounds resonant and "hollow." My mids sound tinny, and also hollow. Like the mids flat out sound like I'm listening to a lower bitrate than I actually am and lack detail. Is this due to the lack of an amp, and also from the cord being so long?

-Lastly, where do you guys generally put your ears, as I've seen them sound dramatically different each time I change the position of my ears. I did the rubber band mod, so where they lie on my ears is mostly my choice. From my experience so far, the bass comes out only when your ear hole is near the bottom + close to the driver, and the timbre sounds best down there too, so the bottom of my ear nub isn't actually enveloped in the pad. Maybe my timbre problem is simply due to not positioning my ears correctly?

Thanks ahead of time, these are the most "hi-fi" headphones I've ever owned and I was just saddened that in several aspects they sounded worse than my Takstar Pro80 + JVC s680, which are 50 bucks each, so hopefully I'm just doing something wrong!

No idea I think they sound awesome right next to my HD 600 and K701. I pull the left channel down to somewhere between 88 to 92 out of 100 on the Modi feeding my Magni 2.

 

[Smugsie]

  Hey guys, new owner of a used pair of a900x's here, and I'm a bit disappointed so i'd be really grateful if someone helped.
 
-First of all, this question hopefully everyone here knows the answer to: Exactly how much do you boost the right ear to correct the channel imbalance? If you look at the FR, you'll see the L + R ears have slightly different sound signatures, but functionally the L ear is generally louder.
 
-Secondly, I'm running unamped with a soundcard and thought it would be no issue since there was a thread saying these are pretty efficient, but these are quieter than the rest of my headphones, and secondly, the timbre of my mids is all wrong, along with the bass. From reviews I was expecting the bass to be "one-note" and lacking texture, but it also sounds resonant and "hollow." My mids sound tinny, and also hollow. Like the mids flat out sound like I'm listening to a lower bitrate than I actually am and lack detail. Is this due to the lack of an amp, and also from the cord being so long?
 
-Lastly, where do you guys generally put your ears, as I've seen them sound dramatically different each time I change the position of my ears. I did the rubber band mod, so where they lie on my ears is mostly my choice. From my experience so far, the bass comes out only when your ear hole is near the bottom + close to the driver, and the timbre sounds best down there too, so the bottom of my ear nub isn't actually enveloped in the pad. Maybe my timbre problem is simply due to not positioning my ears correctly?
 
Thanks ahead of time, these are the most "hi-fi" headphones I've ever owned and I was just saddened that in several aspects they sounded worse than my Takstar Pro80 + JVC s680, which are 50 bucks each, so hopefully I'm just doing something wrong!

An amp doesn't significantly increase the quality of a headphone as much as people tell you. I can run the A900X off my phone and it'll sound nice.The mids of the a900x should sound forward and natural, a bit dark but still very forward.  All the amp does it add more texture to the treble, sweeten the mids and add more bass punch. The bass should kick and have punch but it's not a total one note at all. Try listening to a podcast and see if the person's voice sounds natural or not.

No idea I think they sound awesome right next to my HD 600 and K701. I pull the left channel down to somewhere between 88 to 92 out of 100 on the Modi feeding my Magni 2.

Also metal is right, I have an HD598 and Q701 (close to a k701 at least). I never gave away the a900x because they still sound good to their own sound signature. So you may have a defective pair? Considering it's used anyway. 

Try other sources like your phone?

 

[theuprising]

No idea I think they sound awesome right next to my HD 600 and K701. I pull the left channel down to somewhere between 88 to 92 out of 100 on the Modi feeding my Magni 2.

 

  An amp doesn't significantly increase the quality of a headphone as much as people tell you. I can run the A900X off my phone and it'll sound nice.The mids of the a900x should sound forward and natural, a bit dark but still very forward.  All the amp does it add more texture to the treble, sweeten the mids and add more bass punch. The bass should kick and have punch but it's not a total one note at all. Try listening to a podcast and see if the person's voice sounds natural or not.

Also metal is right, I have an HD598 and Q701 (close to a k701 at least). I never gave away the a900x because they still sound good to their own sound signature. So you may have a defective pair? Considering it's used anyway. 

Try other sources like your phone?

I mean I came from listening to the Takstar 80, is it just that the mids on these are supposed to be colored? Looking at this:
 
I suppose it makes sense, as there are dips before and after 1.5k Hz, so the mids may sound forward but also missing warmth+detail. EQ may be able to fix this. 
 
And the bass, well it doesn't sound "solid" like string instruments resemble woodwinds more. The FR is part of the problem, but even EQ doesn't fix this, so I think the driver + hollow compartment just wasn't built to emphasize sub-bass.

 

[Smugsie]

   
I mean I came from listening to the Takstar 80, is it just that the mids on these are supposed to be colored? Looking at this:
 
I suppose it makes sense, as there are dips before and after 1.5k Hz, so the mids may sound forward but also missing warmth+detail. EQ may be able to fix this. 
 
And the bass, well it doesn't sound "solid" like string instruments resemble woodwinds more. The FR is part of the problem, but even EQ doesn't fix this, so I think the driver + hollow compartment just wasn't built to emphasize sub-bass.

Emphasizing sub bass no, but it's a smooth roll off. I think there may be something wrong with your headphone. You might be right in which the timbre is off in that headphone. By no means is the A900X close to a K701 in regards to string instrument emphasis, or close to a DT990 in regards to sub-bass, or close to neutral as an Ety ER4S; but the a900x is no slacker that's for sure.

Edit: In regards to warmth, the a900x isn't that warm for starters, so you're right in that regard. The mids are sweet, forward and big sounding; they're definitely not warm as say a Sennheiser HD598. So yes, the mids in the a900x are indeed coloured to a certain extent.

Edit 2: I did a re-listen test between headphones, the a900x isn't that too far behind in regards to mids detail. They lack "reverb?" detail or any serious micro-detail, but they don't lack mids detail. If anything the a900x might miss maracas, violins and string instrument detail due to the 3-5khz dip.

Edit 3: Frequency response measurements vary between companies. I.E. Golden Ears measures both of these: Takstar Pro 80, ATH-A900X

 

[metal571]

Perhaps my detailed writeup on reddit could help here.
 
http://www.reddit.com/r/headphones/comments/36fq4y/the_atha900x_is_euphoria_long_term_impressions/

 

[JHern]

  Hey guys, new owner of a used pair of a900x's here, and I'm a bit disappointed so i'd be really grateful if someone helped.
 
-First of all, this question hopefully everyone here knows the answer to: Exactly how much do you boost the right ear to correct the channel imbalance? If you look at the FR, you'll see the L + R ears have slightly different sound signatures, but functionally the L ear is generally louder.
 
-Secondly, I'm running unamped with a soundcard and thought it would be no issue since there was a thread saying these are pretty efficient, but these are quieter than the rest of my headphones, and secondly, the timbre of my mids is all wrong, along with the bass. From reviews I was expecting the bass to be "one-note" and lacking texture, but it also sounds resonant and "hollow." My mids sound tinny, and also hollow. Like the mids flat out sound like I'm listening to a lower bitrate than I actually am and lack detail. Is this due to the lack of an amp, and also from the cord being so long?
 
-Lastly, where do you guys generally put your ears, as I've seen them sound dramatically different each time I change the position of my ears. I did the rubber band mod, so where they lie on my ears is mostly my choice. From my experience so far, the bass comes out only when your ear hole is near the bottom + close to the driver, and the timbre sounds best down there too, so the bottom of my ear nub isn't actually enveloped in the pad. Maybe my timbre problem is simply due to not positioning my ears correctly?
 
Thanks ahead of time, these are the most "hi-fi" headphones I've ever owned and I was just saddened that in several aspects they sounded worse than my Takstar Pro80 + JVC s680, which are 50 bucks each, so hopefully I'm just doing something wrong!

Sounds like you might have a bad used pair. My own pair (bought new in Tokyo) have none of these issues, and zero channel imbalance...it is a risk of buying used.

 

[theuprising]

 
Sounds like you might have a bad used pair. My own pair (bought new in Tokyo) have none of these issues, and zero channel imbalance...it is a risk of buying used

Where do you put your ears on the pad? I don't know I think its because of the design, but the whole headphone feels like it echoes and is resonant because of the large chamber the air needs to pass through before it hits your ears, so nothing but the treble sounds "hard" and solid.
 
Btw even goldenears reflects a somewhat serious channel imbalance, maybe you just got lucky?

 

[metal571]

I have an A900 sitting here too from a friend and it also works with exactly the same balance settings for the A900X, it's not matched either.

 

[JHern]

  Where do you put your ears on the pad?...
 
Btw even goldenears reflects a somewhat serious channel imbalance, maybe you just got lucky?

 
Basically ears right in the middle, thought I have a big head and this may be easier for me.
 
I have zero channel imbalance, would have returned them immediately if I did.

 

[Click]

  Hey guys, new owner of a used pair of a900x's here, and I'm a bit disappointed so i'd be really grateful if someone helped.
 
-First of all, this question hopefully everyone here knows the answer to: Exactly how much do you boost the right ear to correct the channel imbalance? If you look at the FR, you'll see the L + R ears have slightly different sound signatures, but functionally the L ear is generally louder.
 
-Secondly, I'm running unamped with a soundcard and thought it would be no issue since there was a thread saying these are pretty efficient, but these are quieter than the rest of my headphones, and secondly, the timbre of my mids is all wrong, along with the bass. From reviews I was expecting the bass to be "one-note" and lacking texture, but it also sounds resonant and "hollow." My mids sound tinny, and also hollow. Like the mids flat out sound like I'm listening to a lower bitrate than I actually am and lack detail. Is this due to the lack of an amp, and also from the cord being so long?
 
-Lastly, where do you guys generally put your ears, as I've seen them sound dramatically different each time I change the position of my ears. I did the rubber band mod, so where they lie on my ears is mostly my choice. From my experience so far, the bass comes out only when your ear hole is near the bottom + close to the driver, and the timbre sounds best down there too, so the bottom of my ear nub isn't actually enveloped in the pad. Maybe my timbre problem is simply due to not positioning my ears correctly?
 
Thanks ahead of time, these are the most "hi-fi" headphones I've ever owned and I was just saddened that in several aspects they sounded worse than my Takstar Pro80 + JVC s680, which are 50 bucks each, so hopefully I'm just doing something wrong!

You have either have a defective / broken pair of A900X and/or the ear pads are completely worn out and you're not getting the proper seal with them.
 
As with all low impedance headphones and IEMs, A900X doesn't need to be amped, but it should be. There's a major difference in sound quality to my ears when I plug them through my Meridian Explorer², FiiO E10 Olympus, straight out of the PC sound jack, through my phone and other portable sources. A quality DAC and amp will bring out the true potential of your headphones and IEMs. Put it this way, I don't listen to A900X anymore through anything but the Explorer². They sound inferior when plugged into anything else.

 

[theuprising]

Hey thanks everyone for the replies! While these still don't sound as detailed as my Takstar Pro 80's, the brain burn in of the colored/forward mids has begun and these are beginning to sound far more natural than my Pro 80, with okay detail until you get into ~300Hz or ~3000Hz, as the dips there make things like strings sound soft and muddy. I'm not sure if I really have a defective pair, I guess I didn't mention what these headphones did well: realistic sounding treble and amazing soundstage for a closed headphone.
 
However, the 8kHz boost makes these strikingly sibilant in several rock records, depending on where I place my ears, which again has a large impact in SQ, I'm not sure why no one else has mentioned ear placement :/ . Anyone have any fix? I notice it isn't much of a big deal if I EQ up the bass but then the HP loses its out of the box natural sounding quality. 

 

[theuprising]

Finally, I recreated goldenears Accudio's "flat" EQ settings, it sounds very open and clear and is the most enjoyable flattened EQ I have listened to in a headphone, a testament to the quality of the drivers, and also to how non-neutral the stock settings are. Its a night and day difference. If you want to boost the bass simply don't EQ 128Hz band.
 
Here's the goldenears template:

 
 
My EQ:

 
 Fc 20 Hz       Gain     5 dB   Q 1
 Fc 128 Hz      Gain   -3 dB   Q 1.2
 Fc 256 Hz      Gain  0.5 dB   Q 1
 Fc 3000 Hz    Gain     1 dB   Q 2
 Fc 3000 Hz    Gain -0.5 dB   Q 4.7
 Fc 7000 Hz    Gain     8 dB   Q 1
 Fc 8500 Hz    Gain    -7 dB   Q 2.8
 Fc 9800 Hz    Gain    -2 dB   Q 6.5
 Fc 10000 Hz  Gain  -2.5 dB   Q 1
 Fc 10100 Hz  Gain  -0.5 dB   Q 15
 Fc 11000 Hz   Gain  0.5 dB   Q 2

 

[metal571]

  Finally, I recreated goldenears Accudio's "flat" EQ settings, it sounds very open and clear and is the most enjoyable flattened EQ I have listened to in a headphone, a testament to the quality of the drivers, and also to how non-neutral the stock settings are. Its a night and day difference. If you want to boost the bass simply don't EQ 128Hz band.
 
Here's the goldenears template:

 
 
My EQ:

 
 Fc 20 Hz       Gain     5 dB   Q 1
 Fc 128 Hz      Gain   -3 dB   Q 1.2
 Fc 256 Hz      Gain  0.5 dB   Q 1
 Fc 3000 Hz    Gain     1 dB   Q 2
 Fc 3000 Hz    Gain -0.5 dB   Q 4.7
 Fc 7000 Hz    Gain     8 dB   Q 1
 Fc 8500 Hz    Gain    -7 dB   Q 2.8
 Fc 9800 Hz    Gain    -2 dB   Q 6.5
 Fc 10000 Hz  Gain  -2.5 dB   Q 1
 Fc 10100 Hz  Gain  -0.5 dB   Q 15
 Fc 11000 Hz   Gain  0.5 dB   Q 2

Ouch. If I was to EQ these things (and destroy their unique personality, but that's a personal thing whether you want that or not), I would definitely back off near 6k due to the noticeable ringing around that frequency. Time domain related sound artifacts are just as important as the frequency response itself.