[HeroicPenguin]

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Yep, that's true you can rotate them around after.
Get the pads already, it's not a rocket science to put them on unless you have two left hands.

 
Haha yeah. I guess I'm so heisitant because $50 for pads would be terrible if I couldn't get them to work.

 

[JWahl]

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Hmmm still can't figure out what to do. Should I get the AD2000X to try or not? I just want more impressions :/. No offence to those who have generously given theirs. Preproman, can you buy them first?

I think the HD800s sound very different to the AD2k. They are more open, more accurate, more detailed, scale better with my DACs and aren't as warm. This doesn't mean they are better though although I like them the most and have gone to a lot of work to get a good set up (been through 5 or so to find one with less treble).

I think it's going to take some time for more people to get them since they're still so new.  I'm planning on taking mine to a meet in Michigan in April to get them some more exposure.  That's probably the best thing that AD2000X owners can do right now is just try to go to meets.  There will also be a W3000ANV there that I'm hoping to get to listen to as well.

 

[preproman]

So what the hell is AT's flagship headphone?

 

[HaVoC-28]

They have top of line for their different lines , and ANV editions , but there is no properly flasgship above all .
 
A2000X => Art Serie
AD2000 = Air Series
W5000 => Wood Serie
 
yet some are better than others ^^
 
etc

 

[Andrew_WOT]

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So what the hell is AT's flagship headphone?

Precious Raffinatos.

 
I've received HD800 as of yesterday and just can't help thinking that ATH *almost* got it so many years before Sennheiser.
On technicalities like resolution, soundstage and speed they are neck and neck race against Senns. Details retrieval is 95% or so of HD800, I found just one track where I could hear some minor things clearer on HD800 than on W5000. Granted HD800 soundstage is concert hall enormous, but W5000 is not a slouch either and the second biggest I've heard out of any headphones. Bass impact is about the same, hits hard on both, but HD800 has more sub bass. Of course W5000 are more colored with elevated mids, HD800 are more neutral (flatter). But overall I am quite surprised to find out how similar these two are.
 
I see HD800 as a hybrid between LCD-2.2 and W5000, resolution and soundstage of ATH and neutrality/flatness of Audeze.
 
AD2000 clearly are not as detailed as either.

 

[preproman]

Quote:

Precious Raffinatos.

 
I've received HD800 as of yesterday and just can't help thinking that ATH *almost* got it so many years before Sennheiser.
On technicalities like resolution, soundstage and speed they are neck and neck race against Senns. Details retrieval is 95% or so of HD800, I found just one track where I could hear some minor things clearer on HD800 than on W5000. Granted HD800 soundstage is concert hall enormous, but W5000 is not a slouch either and the second biggest I've heard out of any headphones. Bass impact is about the same, hits hard on both, but HD800 has more sub bass. Of course W5000 are more colored with elevated mids, HD800 are more neutral (flatter). But overall I am quite surprised to find out how similar these two are.
 
I see HD800 as a hybrid between LCD-2.2 and W5000, resolution and soundstage of ATH and neutrality/flatness of Audeze.
 
AD2000 clearly are not as detailed as either.

 
 
I never tried the W5000 so for me the AKG line of headphones does soundstage real good.  More believable when compared to the HD800s - sometimes the HD800s sound unreal.  The AKGs always sound about right.

 

[JWahl]

Of course now, one must wonder if there will be a W5000X in the future.  There is already the W1000X.  Here's to hoping. 

 

[MacedonianHero]

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I never tried the W5000 so for me the AKG line of headphones does soundstage real good.  More believable when compared to the HD800s - sometimes the HD800s sound unreal.  The AKGs always sound about right.

I wouldn't bother, the W5000s are pretty poor sounding. IMO, the W3000s are the best headphones AT has made in a long time. That said, I haven't heard the AD2000X yet.
 
But if one looks at $ to define the flagships, the W3000ANVs are the most expensive. 

 

[Andrew_WOT]

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I wouldn't bother, the W5000s are pretty poor sounding. IMO, the W3000s are the best headphones AT has made in a long time. That said, I haven't heard the AD2000X yet.
 
But if one looks at $ to define the flagships, the W3000ANVs are the most expensive. 

Comments like that just kill me, seriously. 

How anyone can proclaim them just like that - "poor sounding", it gets even worse David put them at the very bottom of his flagship list. Really, the very, very bottom, how come?
I am honestly completely befuddled, if you look back a couple years, W5000 were pinnacle of dynamics with almost everyone raving about them, what changed since?
Why some are fascinating with them and some plain hate. Is that amplification, fit issue or samples variation?
But again if you search there are not that many bashers of these truly wonderful cans and they keep staying ATH flagship for that many years for a good reason.
I just don't understand how one can like W3000Anv and HD800 and at the same time outright hate W5000, they are really not that far apart timbre wise.
Anyhow not trying to enforce my opinion on anyone, personal preferences determine everything in this hobby but I have a nagging feeling that something was just not right when someone jumped to that "poor sounding" conclusion, fit most likely but I cold be wrong on that.
 
And this is AD2000 thread which despite their overall awesomeness for some reason always leave me cold when comparing to Raffinatos, guess some euphonic and that last bit of refinement are just missing.

 

[MacedonianHero]

Quote:

Comments like that just kill me, seriously. 

How anyone can proclaim them just like that - "poor sounding", it gets even worse David put them at the very bottom of his flagship list. Really, the very, very bottom, how come?
I am honestly completely befuddled, if you look back a couple years, W5000 were pinnacle of dynamics with almost everyone raving about them, what changed since?
Why some are fascinating with them and some plain hate. Is that amplification, fit issue or samples variation?
But again if you search there are not that many bashers of these truly wonderful cans and they are staying ATH flagship for that many years for a good reason.
I just don't understand how one can like W3000Anv and HD800 and at the same time outright hate W5000, they are really not that far apart timbre wise.
Anyhow not trying to enforce my opinion on anyone, personal preferences determine everything in this hobby but I have a nagging feeling that something was just not right when someone jumped to that "poor sounding" conclusion, fit most likely but I cold be wrong on that.
 
And this is AD2000 thread which despite their overall awesomeness for some reason always leave me cold when comparing to Raffinatos, guess some euphonic and that last bit of refinement are just missing.

The W5000s had too many things going on that I wasn't a fan of. The W3000s are coloured, but in an appealing way. Sorry, but the W5000s were just wrong in so many areas that I really didn't get into them. Have a look at the Headroom graph....not very appealing either.

 

[Andrew_WOT]

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The W5000s had too many things going on that I wasn't a fan of. The W3000s are coloured, but in an appealing way. Sorry, but the W5000s were just wrong in so many areas that I really didn't get into them. Have a look at the Headroom graph....not very appealing either.

I believe that was posted before that whoever at headroom took W5000 measurements did not do a good job achieving a decent seal, which is not a surprise as many have the same problem positioning them on the head.
This Japanese site has more realistic measurements, but in the end we do not listen graphs, right.

http://www.geocities.jp/mister_terch/audiotechnicaATHW5000.html

 
Speaking for myself I can easily pack HD800 away and live with W5000 alone, they outlived LCD-2.2 already but that wasn't that hard. HD800 are definitely an improvement (finally after many other phones I've tried) but to me it's quite marginal.

 

[Andrew_WOT]

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Haha yeah. I guess I'm so heisitant because $50 for pads would be terrible if I couldn't get them to work.

If you can take off and put back OEM pads, you are good.

 

[MacedonianHero]

Quote:

I believe that was posted before that whoever at headroom took W5000 measurements did not do a good job achieving a decent seal, which is not a surprise as many have the same problem positioning them on the head.
This Japanese site has more realistic measurements, but in the end we do not listen graphs, right.

http://www.geocities.jp/mister_terch/audiotechnicaATHW5000.html

 
Speaking for myself I can easily pack HD800 away and live with W5000 alone, they outlived LCD-2.2 already but that wasn't that hard. HD800 are definitely an improvement (finally after many other phones I've tried) but to me it's quite marginal.

I'm gonna call shinnagans on that FR response, not sure of the methodology and gear used by these guys.. The bass is truly rolled off on the W5000...they make Grado's sound like they have sub bass. Let's split the difference and use Tyll's graph:
 
http://www.innerfidelity.com/images/AudioTechnicaATHW5000.pdf
 
Have a look at the bass roll-off on Tyll's. While not as rolled off as Headroom's measurements, still matches what I hear with the W5000s; unlike that graph that shows bass response like the LCD-2s. 

 
The square wave responses are also pretty poor. The 30 Hz square wave response AND the %THD noise plots show a lot of distortion at the lower frequencies as the drivers really can't "bring the goods down low". The over shoot on the 300Hz square wave matchs the piercing treble that I hear too. I'm glad you like them; nothing wrong with that 

, but to everyone else, please listen to these headphones before buying. They are very "coloured" and as such may not be to your taste. But some like Andrew here really enjoy them.

 

[Andrew_WOT]

Something started bothering me with Denon pads and tried reverting back to stock.
 
Yep, they were somewhat colder in midrange and brighter in treble with Denons', for the lack of the better word "harder" sounding.
Not very noticeable off the bat but if you are quite familiar with AD2000 signature you'll start noticing it sooner or later.
Stock sound a bit better IMO, YMMV.
 
Nivana's MTV Unplugged in New York is pretty good for testing this.

 

[Andrew_WOT]

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I'm glad you like them; nothing wrong with that 

, but to everyone else, please listen to these headphones before buying. They are very "coloured" and as such may not be to your taste. But some like Andrew here really enjoy them.

 
Thank you my friend, now after you painted me and all other Raffinato's fans as some sort of freaks, we are officially insulted.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Ha-ha, just kidding, what a boring place head-fi would be if everyone agreed on everything, back to graphs listening. LOL