[Smugsie]

Thanks, I'm really looking forward to it, but I have to say I'm worried about the fit. Let's see, hopefully it won't be a problem.

I believe it, but I'm actually considering getting the Soundblaster Z for the SBX virtual surround. Unfortunately I've read that the Z makes stereo sound worse even compared to onboard solutions. The Titanium HD should be better, but the drivers sound like such a hassle. I'll read some more before I make my final decision, maybe I'll end up just downloading Razer Virtual Surround.

I had to rule out open back due to my current situation, but I'll definitely be looking into them for my next upgrade.

I wonder if the razor surround is still free... In my opinion it's a decent software that do some games justice. Valve makes games that already have great stereo sound for headphones. Battlefield though sound great, benefits from a little artificial boost in regards to audio positioning for headphones.

Both a900x and k550 benefit people with large heads, the a900x found itself less troublesome for smaller ears.

My recommendation would be to get a dedicated amp/dac to future proof yourself for other headphones. Although I guess the sound blaster does look nice.

 

[goober-george]

.

 

[Smugsie]

.

.
indeed

 

[Xanatos]

Although I wish the wing system were like the old ones in terms of firmer support, the new ones aren't bad after a few minutes of sitting on my head.

 

[eklipz330]

So I was just searching for some mods on my ATH-A900x and stumbled on your comment. Had to make an account on the website, but I think you'll appreciate it

I have the ATH-A900x, with sound blaster Z and the Razer Surround Software. I can attest that that surround feature on the razer software is superior to my ears. i play cs:go, and hearing footsteps around the corner is difference between you being MVP and you dying.

and i wouldn't knock the sbz either. i have the equalizer a little bass heavy, and the ath-a900x handles it beautifully. no crackling, no distortion. makes games sound amazing.  makes music sound a little...weird, but it does give it an almost concert hall effect (the razer surround anyway)... the sbz surround gives it a.. a band at a bar effect. 

what's strange is that enabling the virtual audio device on the razer software brings the mids forward... then activating the surround recesses(and the lows) it a bit again. it's really really really hard to describe. you really need to play some games with it and see what works for you. i usually just turn on the razer surround and leave it at that. if im listening to music, i turn off the stereo enhancement.

you can also "stack" the sbz surround and razer surround features.  gives it a real spacious sound, but i dont find it enjoyable. also, i try not to put the sbz surround above 20% since it gives the phones some sibilance.  

 

[Mani ATH 87]

I'm also a proud owner of the A900X. They are great headphones, but I have to admit that since getting my HE-400's I've barely used them.

 

[invalid404]

hey guys, so i've had my pair of a900x's for about 1.5 years and I really like them.  Recently i've noticed the leather earpads are cracking a little bit, and am curious about options for earpad replacements. Has anyone had any good results experimenting with other earpads? 
 
i've also noticed that the wire by the jack is worn out, and can cause one side of the headphones to lose sound. 

 

[Smugsie]

hey guys, so i've had my pair of a900x's for about 1.5 years and I really like them.  Recently i've noticed the leather earpads are cracking a little bit, and am curious about options for earpad replacements. Has anyone had any good results experimenting with other earpads? 

i've also noticed that the wire by the jack is worn out, and can cause one side of the headphones to lose sound. 

I've tried hifiman he400 pads, they lost some mids intimacy. Mainly because my head is too big and the back of the pads lift. Alpha pads make them boomy and darker sounding, although get a better seal. There's no pad like the original.

 

[Medaud]

Okay so I just got my ATH-A900x and I love it. To my ears it sounds much more clear than my previous Tactic 3D wrath, I can hear a lot more details in my music. The downside is that I can also hear flaws in the recordings that I couldn't before . Out of the box it has a bit less bass than the Tactic 3D wrath, but I haven't played with eq settings yet. Of course this is all my non-audiophile subjective opinion, I know of the fickleness of human memory in regards to audio and have not switched quickly between the two. One more thing about the fit, I don't find it too loose. People were complaining about it falling down and resting on their ears, but I don't think that is the case with mine at all. In fact the fit is quite tight, I used the phones quite a long time yesterday and at the end my jaw and molars actually started to ache. I hope this is just an initial tightness and that the compression will lessen slightly.
 
EDIT: Nec3 wrote earlier that the Tactic3D sounds "muddier" than the ATH-A900x. I agree with this, just couldn't find the right word for it.
 
Quote:

  So I was just searching for some mods on my ATH-A900x and stumbled on your comment. Had to make an account on the website, but I think you'll appreciate it

I have the ATH-A900x, with sound blaster Z and the Razer Surround Software. I can attest that that surround feature on the razer software is superior to my ears. i play cs:go, and hearing footsteps around the corner is difference between you being MVP and you dying.

and i wouldn't knock the sbz either. i have the equalizer a little bass heavy, and the ath-a900x handles it beautifully. no crackling, no distortion. makes games sound amazing.  makes music sound a little...weird, but it does give it an almost concert hall effect (the razer surround anyway)... the sbz surround gives it a.. a band at a bar effect. 

what's strange is that enabling the virtual audio device on the razer software brings the mids forward... then activating the surround recesses(and the lows) it a bit again. it's really really really hard to describe. you really need to play some games with it and see what works for you. i usually just turn on the razer surround and leave it at that. if im listening to music, i turn off the stereo enhancement.

you can also "stack" the sbz surround and razer surround features.  gives it a real spacious sound, but i dont find it enjoyable. also, i try not to put the sbz surround above 20% since it gives the phones some sibilance.  

 
Thanks a lot for the info, you have confirmed my decision not to go with the sbz or any soundcard for that matter, but aim for a DAC/AMP as Nec3 suggested (specifically the O2/ODAC). I have heard some pretty good things about Razer Surround and you just confirm it. Having watched some comparisons on youtube I think the best virtual surround you can get is CMSS-3D, but then you'd have to get a Titanium HD card and deal with the drivers. Anyway, I'll be aiming for the least amount of hassle and just get the DAC/AMP and use Razer Surround on the side. The slightly worse sound quality is alright with me.
 
The problem is that the DAC/AMP will cost me more than my headphones and I have a hard time justifying that. It will have to be a future upgrade, until then my onboard audio will have to handle things
 

  hey guys, so i've had my pair of a900x's for about 1.5 years and I really like them.  Recently i've noticed the leather earpads are cracking a little bit, and am curious about options for earpad replacements. Has anyone had any good results experimenting with other earpads? 
 
i've also noticed that the wire by the jack is worn out, and can cause one side of the headphones to lose sound. 

 
I was wondering about the wire and its durability. 1.5 years is a bit poor tbh.

 

[PurpleAngel]

  hey guys, so i've had my pair of a900x's for about 1.5 years and I really like them.  Recently i've noticed the leather earpads are cracking a little bit, and am curious about options for earpad replacements. Has anyone had any good results experimenting with other earpads? 
 
i've also noticed that the wire by the jack is worn out, and can cause one side of the headphones to lose sound. 

 
I use the Hifiman HE Velour ears pads ($10+shipping) on my A900Xs, they do a good job of holding the A900Xs in place, around my ears.

 

[Smugsie]

   
Thanks a lot for the info, you have confirmed my decision not to go with the sbz or any soundcard for that matter, but aim for a DAC/AMP as Nec3 suggested (specifically the O2/ODAC). I have heard some pretty good things about Razer Surround and you just confirm it. Having watched some comparisons on youtube I think the best virtual surround you can get is CMSS-3D, but then you'd have to get a Titanium HD card and deal with the drivers. Anyway, I'll be aiming for the least amount of hassle and just get the DAC/AMP and use Razer Surround on the side. The slightly worse sound quality is alright with me.
 
The problem is that the DAC/AMP will cost me more than my headphones and I have a hard time justifying that. It will have to be a future upgrade, until then my onboard audio will have to handle things
 
 
I was wondering about the wire and its durability. 1.5 years is a bit poor tbh.

Well, if you'd like to save some money, read this thread.
http://www.head-fi.org/t/628297/help-needed-o2-amp-or-o2-odac-with-a900-x-fi-titanium-hd-sound-card

Looks like you'd be good with the Titanium HD after all!

In regards to durability for the A900X, it's a hit or miss for everyone.

I stuffed mine in a school bag, wore it in -10°C, dropped it on wooden floors, splashed it with water, overamped the drivers, heavily modified the wings, rolled over the cable with my chair, with over 4000 hours of playback....

Still works great!
 

 

[Dozbik]

Hey lads! 
 
Where do you think would it be best business to buy this can? Aren't there any bargain prices anywhere? Either with shipping to Hungary or to England. In Hungary it's crazy expensive, like $500 and I'm unwilling to pay that much for it. I saw some offers from Japan that claimed to sell it for ~125-130 pounds, but I am unsure whether those are valid, reliable sites and not forgeries. I could order it to relatives living in the UK and get it from them. Do you have any suggestions where to look around? Also, where should I around for used ones? 
 
Many thanks! 

 

[kennybobenny]

Hey lads! 

Where do you think would it be best business to buy this can? Aren't there any bargain prices anywhere? Either with shipping to Hungary or to England. In Hungary it's crazy expensive, like $500 and I'm unwilling to pay that much for it. I saw some offers from Japan that claimed to sell it for ~125-130 pounds, but I am unsure whether those are valid, reliable sites and not forgeries. I could order it to relatives living in the UK and get it from them. Do you have any suggestions where to look around? Also, where should I around for used ones? 

Many thanks! 

I
I'm in the states, I got mine used ( perfect condition) for $100.00 on Amazon

 

[Dozbik]

I
I'm in the states, I got mine used ( perfect condition) for $100.00 on Amazon

Well, I couldn't find any good prices for used ones so far, but what do you think about ordering from random Japanese shops that offer the lowest price (~$150 plus shipping)? I am a bit unsure whether it's risky or not to order from literally the other half of the world. Or maybe I should just wait and see if a better opportunity presents itself?

 

[perhapss]

I got one from Bic Camera in Fujisawa for about $100 USD on sale a few weeks ago.
They currently have them for 12,999 Yen which is about $123 USD.Bic Camera is very reliable company and if you contact them someone will probably respond in English

.
They are frequently discounted but I think this is their standard price.
 
Here is their Japanese link:
 
http://kakaku.com/item/K0000291003/