[tk3]

  Yep - really interesting build quality on these headphones. I believe they said it was cherry wood. Back in the day, there was an interesting article done on the L3000 and its creator -- not sure if it's lost to time now.
 

 
Yeah, it's cherry wood. I remember the article you're probably referring to, it was written by AT themselves and they had a whole interview exposing the entire design idea and materials they used, with many pictures.
It does seem to be gone now, no idea why they would take it down. All that remains is a tiny blurb here: https://www.audio-technica.co.jp/atj/legend_ath/zadankai/wseries.html
It's too bad, since I wouldn't mind re-reading it.
 
Another interesting site with data, pics of the drivers and other parts is this: http://torapo.com/headphone/overhead/audiotechnica-ath-l3000.htm

 

[protoss]

   
Yeah, it's cherry wood. I remember the article you're probably referring to, it was written by AT themselves and they had a whole interview exposing the entire design idea and materials they used, with many pictures.
It does seem to be gone now, no idea why they would take it down. All that remains is a tiny blurb here: https://www.audio-technica.co.jp/atj/legend_ath/zadankai/wseries.html
It's too bad, since I wouldn't mind re-reading it.
 
Another interesting site with data, pics of the drivers and other parts is this: http://torapo.com/headphone/overhead/audiotechnica-ath-l3000.htm

 
Hey great finding in that article from 2013. I remember a few years ago I found a Japanese article dating back to 2005/6 reviewing these headphones. The facts that it put forward was a little different than the article you linked. I remember it saying 300 units, price at $2500 and only 50 special edition green units released etch. I also wonder if it made any sense to even mass produce only 300 units. That also seem strange to me. And than mulveling over here said he bought his for $1600 and your link said its $2000 and my article said $2500 and i remember a Russian post on this said $3000 lol. The pricing was all over the place. 
 
I'm going to put my final edit on this page. So that the future generation can get quick facts right away without searching the back ends of the internet.
 
Cheers 

 

[mulveling]

   
Hey great finding in that article from 2013. I remember a few years ago I found a Japanese article dating back to 2005/6 reviewing these headphones. The facts that it put forward was a little different than the article you linked. I remember it saying 300 units, price at $2500 and only 50 special edition green units released etch. I also wonder if it made any sense to even mass produce only 300 units. That also seem strange to me. And than mulveling over here said he bought his for $1600 and your link said its $2000 and my article said $2500 and i remember a Russian post on this said $3000 lol. The pricing was all over the place. 
 
I'm going to put my final edit on this page. So that the future generation can get quick facts right away without searching the back ends of the internet.
 
Cheers 

It was definitely 500 units, but not sure if the 50 greens were included in that. And the list price was indeed close to $2500, as I recall. For a while in 2003/4, Japanese online shops were offering brand new L3000s at deep discount (which is where I got my 2nd pair). They were slow to get purchased, but eventually they were all gone. At that point, the prices on the used market started going up! Man...I feel nostalgic now for the days when I could pull up that page and see all those cheap L3000s!
 
I remember a very prolific early poster here by the name Tuberoller posted a very early and very negative review of the L3000, which seems to have had the effect of reducing early demand for the headphone. So the L3000 has had the opposite life-cycle of most hi-fi gear: de-hyped at the beginning, only to attain legendary status AFTER it was sold out.

 

[mulveling]

Having had multiple pairs, including a brand new one, I feel I can comment on the burn-in somewhat. I remember that the new pair didn't sound like what it should have out of the box. Not enough to consider it defective/broken, but significantly less musical than the well-worn one. This was a bigger discrepancy than I've noticed with any other new dynamic headphones, and note that I don't notice burn-in effects with new Stax headphones. 
 
That said, there did seem to be more unit-to-unit sonic variability with the L3000 than with other cans (barring silent version-changes, e.g. R10 and HD650), and they could have been much more susceptible to pad conditioning given the closed chamber, lush leather pads, and a lot of bass energy being thrown around by the drivers.
 
I wouldn't call the midrange at all recessed, and the treble had a nice sparkle to it. It didn't completely lose a sense of refinement, and the parts of the spectrum were nicely tied together to work as a whole. These are truly bass-head cans done the "audiophile" way. Yes they are bass-heavy and dark sounding overall, but they don't offend my audiophile sensibilities in the way the new Sony MDR-Z1R do -- which have bass are more akin to adding a poorly configured low-grade subwoofer to a 2ch setup.
 
I wrote a lot more about the L3000 than I thought I would. I really did love this headphone, though.

 

[protoss]

"UPDATE"

Another title for these were called: Iron Triangle

Build Update: L3000 used Hokkaido solid Sakuragi wood as the raw material of the ear shell. The outer layer of the British CONNOLLY manufacturing high-level leather package, highlighting the unique temperament. This is what made it moist to the touch sometimes.

This headset line with four core parallel lines, and the use of silk for a special woven package, in the earmuffs using natural rubber tube for protection.

The headband part is the new ear-wing support design called PAT. This was only used here. And the ear-wing adjustment didn't need any adjustment and can be softly close to the head without tampering for some. The contact surface was used was an expensive calfskin.

cheers

 

[tk3]

Iron Triangle is the nickname for the AT company in some Asian countries, not the headphone.

Edit: oh yeah, another thing that should be mentioned with these headphones is the DHA3000 DAC/amp combo.
They are probably near impossible to get outside of Japan now unfortunately.

Here's a decade+ old review someone wrote about it on HF, not a bad read.

 

[protoss]

Iron Triangle is the nickname for the AT company in some Asian countries, not the headphone.

Edit: oh yeah, another thing that should be mentioned with these headphones is the DHA3000 DAC/amp combo.
They are probably near impossible to get outside of Japan now unfortunately.

Here's a decade+ old review someone wrote about it on HF, not a bad read.

Thanks. good to know

 

[mulveling]

I think Purk still has his DHA3000, lol. I heard it briefly and while it's a very competent amp, it's not some magical combination w/ L3000. And I wasn't impressed by the digital-only input (where do I plug in the vinyl?). Beautiful build, though I'll take my Headamp Gilmore Reference for driving the L3000 no question.

 

[protoss]

I think Purk still has his DHA3000, lol. I heard it briefly and while it's a very competent amp, it's not some magical combination w/ L3000. And I wasn't impressed by the digital-only input (where do I plug in the vinyl?). Beautiful build, though I'll take my Headamp Gilmore Reference for driving the L3000 no question.

This what you guys are talking about right?

Looks amazing

 

[protoss]

Came across one of the best audio technica picture i ever seen while looking at the DHA3000!

 

[protoss]

Maybe someone can translate ?

 

[Makiah S]

awesome thread! REally happy you guys started this, I'm at the point now here I'm not as big a fan of my Modded W1000X as I used to be, seems like these days I like a darker sound, vs the very fun and bright engage of my W1000X, that and the mid bass bump is starting to get to me after having the HE 4s bass for years, still though the W1000X was my first Woodie and one of my favorites for a long time, I'd love to get my hands on a L3000!

Though, how does the L3000 compare to sony newest MDR Z1R? It seems to also be a very bassy flagship

 

[Surgut2006]

https://page.auctions.yahoo.co.jp/jp/auction/l522444864

 

[tk3]

There's an L3000 for sale on ebay if anyone is interested: https://www.ebay.com/itm/HEADPHONES...077221?hash=item2f39328d65:g:gwgAAOSwWnRdzpF0

No relation with the seller and I don't vouch for his integrity; I just happened to see it.
I think it's overpriced since he doesn't seem to have the original box and accessories, and it looks in good condition but not new as he claims. The box in the pics is from the W5000 I think.

But if you got the $$$, knock yourself out.

 

[nc8000]

I had 2 of these, a stock single ended and a recabled balanced pair about 13-14 years ago and absolutely loved them but sold them when the second hand priced started going crazy and I needed the money. No other top end Audio Technica came close to them for me. Since it is probaly at least 10 years since I last heard them I can’t properly remember their sound but today I’m happy with a Sony MDR-Z1R