Audio Technica updates their open headphones "AD" Series: AD2000x, AD1000x, AD900x, AD700x and AD500x
Apr 29, 2013 at 9:02 PM Post #1,051 of 2,205
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A large of the "change" in sound comes from your own interpretation, a "Brain-in" if you will.
Some headphones have a very noticeable change in signature after 100 hours, the AD900X however didn't with me.
The whole matter is really subjective to the owner, burn-in or brain-in.
I do enjoy the AD900X, but lately I've been listening to music with more emphasis in bass.


Ok ok. I get it now. You don't believe in burn-in and instead want to pretend it's just in people's heads. Let's not start that futile debate.

 
l know how it feels when you deal with people that want to deny that which is easy to perceive by observation.  Fortunately, Yazen is not one of those.  He was just describing what his ears noticed.  The AD900X's sound did not change much to him, with use.  Even if someone else's experience with the same model is different, it is nice to know that the opposite experience comes from firsthand personal observation and not unfounded reasoning.
 
Apr 30, 2013 at 7:19 AM Post #1,052 of 2,205
I got my ad1000x last week, compared with K702 65th (all driven by retina macbook, I know this is unfair for K702 65th, it is just not properly driven), the tremble is much brighter, extremely detailed, yet soft and gentle, with a special ATH coloration. I think ad1000x worth the price just for this beautiful treble.
 
amount of bass: 4 (diffuse and not heavy, not for bass head)
amount of mids: 4 (natural and very smooth, a little coloration)
amount of treble: 5 (described above)
 
sound stage and imaging not as good as K702 65th, but transparency is much better.
 
Good at: new age, piano, violin, chorus, female voice (like Enya and Sarah Brightman)
 
Hope this helps.
 
Apr 30, 2013 at 12:53 PM Post #1,053 of 2,205
Quote:
I got my ad1000x last week, compared with K702 65th (all driven by retina macbook, I know this is unfair for K702 65th, it is just not properly driven), the tremble is much brighter, extremely detailed, yet soft and gentle, with a special ATH coloration. I think ad1000x worth the price just for this beautiful tremble.
 
amount of bass: 4 (diffuse and not heavy, not for bass head)
amount of mids: 4 (natural and very smooth, a little coloration)
amount of tremble: 5 (described above)
 
sound stage and imaging not as good as K702 65th, but transparency is much better.
 
Good at: new age, piano, violin, chorus, female voice (like Enya and Sarah Brightman)
 
Hope this helps.

 
I am dying to read a comparison between the Annie and AD1000X/AD2000X and this is about as close as it's gotten so far. You are right about it not being fair, though. You need to add a decent amount of power to the Annie to get what you can out of it. I would love it if you did that and then got another detailed comparison out. Can't wait to read more and thanks for your feedback so far!
smily_headphones1.gif

 
Apr 30, 2013 at 1:34 PM Post #1,055 of 2,205
It doesn't "suffer" without an amp, it sounds pretty good except for a somewhat blurry image and present, but not particularly strong bass. 
 
It does benefit from amping, though, especially darker amps like the FiiO E12.
 
Apr 30, 2013 at 2:16 PM Post #1,056 of 2,205
According to some of the genius posters here, an amp would have no affect on headphone sounds because nothing is going to change the headphone mechanics after you take it out of the box. Just what is happening when using an amp?
 
If they were profiling how their own ears perceive sound, that would be one thing but to ignore the physical properties of materials is ridiculous.
 
Since I can't find the description of the diaphragm material used in a AD900x, I will use the MA9000 as an example with its called out PET (Mylar) diaphragm material. Think the Mylar will stretch and loosen up over time which would create more movement?
 
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diaphragm_%28acoustics%29
 
If titanium is used in a diaphragm the resulting stiffness would take even longer break in.
 
Ignorance is bliss.
 
Apr 30, 2013 at 4:22 PM Post #1,057 of 2,205
I am about to sell my K702 65th, because to explore the potential of the Annie, I really need LOTS of money for DAC and amp. However, the AD1000X is much easier to drive, and I actually prefer the overall much brighter atmosphere and the ATH coloration. (It sounds like a sunny morning in autumn!) So sorry I cannot write a further comparison.
 
By the way, according to what I hear from Chinese forums, as a comparison of AD1000X and AD2000X, the energy and coloration of AD1000X is more in the treble, while AD2000X is more in the mids. The AD2000X has more emotional and warm sound, with a more detailed bass. AD1000X is good at female voice like Enya and Sarah Brightman, AD2000X is perhaps good at female voice like Adele and Beyonce.
atsmile.gif

 
Apr 30, 2013 at 5:52 PM Post #1,058 of 2,205
Quote:
I am about to sell my K702 65th, because to explore the potential of the Annie, I really need LOTS of money for DAC and amp. However, the AD1000X is much easier to drive, and I actually prefer the overall much brighter atmosphere and the ATH coloration. (It sounds like a sunny morning in autumn!) So sorry I cannot write a further comparison.
 
By the way, according to what I hear from Chinese forums, as a comparison of AD1000X and AD2000X, the energy and coloration of AD1000X is more in the tremble, while AD2000X is more in the mids. The AD2000X has more emotional and warm sound, with a more detailed bass. AD1000X is good at female voice like Enya and Sarah Brightman, AD2000X is perhaps good at female voice like Adele and Beyonce.
atsmile.gif


Lot's of money
rolleyes.gif
, well not so much only on head fi peraphs you needs a "lots of money" to amp  a K702 (sure it need something but not that as some can lead to think) .
 
Well it's what it was with AD1000 and AD2000 then .(AD1000 more treble and AD2000 mor mids)
 
Apr 30, 2013 at 7:32 PM Post #1,059 of 2,205
Quote:
According to some of the genius posters here, an amp would have no affect on headphone sounds because nothing is going to change the headphone mechanics after you take it out of the box. Just what is happening when using an amp?
 
If they were profiling how their own ears perceive sound, that would be one thing but to ignore the physical properties of materials is ridiculous.
 
Since I can't find the description of the diaphragm material used in a AD900x, I will use the MA9000 as an example with its called out PET (Mylar) diaphragm material. Think the Mylar will stretch and loosen up over time which would create more movement?
 
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diaphragm_%28acoustics%29
 
If titanium is used in a diaphragm the resulting stiffness would take even longer break in.
 
Ignorance is bliss.

Indeed a bliss it is 
size]

 
For all I know I received an open box unit marked new, happened to me this week with my DT 990 Pro.  Scuffs.. The scuffs!  No this was not some typical eBay seller, this was an authorized retailer!
 
If we lived in a perfect world amplifiers would not distort (aka color) sound, and we could all share the exact same unit to test audible differences in signature.
 
Apr 30, 2013 at 7:36 PM Post #1,060 of 2,205
Quote:
Quote:
According to some of the genius posters here, an amp would have no affect on headphone sounds because nothing is going to change the headphone mechanics after you take it out of the box. Just what is happening when using an amp?
 
If they were profiling how their own ears perceive sound, that would be one thing but to ignore the physical properties of materials is ridiculous.
 
Since I can't find the description of the diaphragm material used in a AD900x, I will use the MA9000 as an example with its called out PET (Mylar) diaphragm material. Think the Mylar will stretch and loosen up over time which would create more movement?
 
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diaphragm_%28acoustics%29
 
If titanium is used in a diaphragm the resulting stiffness would take even longer break in.
 
Ignorance is bliss.

Indeed a bliss it is 
size]

 
For all I know I received an open box unit marked new, happened to me this week with my DT 990 Pro.  Scuffs.. The scuffs!  No this was not some typical eBay seller, this was an authorized retailer!
 
If we lived in a perfect world amplifiers would not distort (aka color) sound, and we could all share the exact same unit to test audible differences in signature.

 
O2? :p
 
Apr 30, 2013 at 8:53 PM Post #1,062 of 2,205
Quote:
I am about to sell my K702 65th, because to explore the potential of the Annie, I really need LOTS of money for DAC and amp. However, the AD1000X is much easier to drive, and I actually prefer the overall much brighter atmosphere and the ATH coloration. (It sounds like a sunny morning in autumn!) So sorry I cannot write a further comparison.
 
By the way, according to what I hear from Chinese forums, as a comparison of AD1000X and AD2000X, the energy and coloration of AD1000X is more in the tremble, while AD2000X is more in the mids. The AD2000X has more emotional and warm sound, with a more detailed bass. AD1000X is good at female voice like Enya and Sarah Brightman, AD2000X is perhaps good at female voice like Adele and Beyonce.
atsmile.gif

 
Yeah. I tried the Annie. I like it, but it's not making me excited. I'm keeping it because, with the older ear pads, it's a gaming beast, but I'm ready to explore the higher end AD cans for my home rig.
 
May 1, 2013 at 12:56 AM Post #1,063 of 2,205
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Only point I am trying to make is that the less than exotic headphones will break in. If a little or a lot, they will break in.
 
An amp is mainly used to only boost the signal which creates a stronger magnetic field then in turn causes the diaphragm to move more, kinda simplistic. An amp should not be coloring or highlighting parts of the original signal to any great degree. Opamps do the coloring and enhancing.
 
From there a multitude of possibilities. A combination of amp plus opamp circuit would be nice if you could switch off and bypass the opamps and just listen through the amp for the original sound signal as an option. Some amps will allow you to start tuning (filtering) the signal esp. on the bass side but that is set according to personal preference as an enhancement. If using an opamp circuit,  you are stuck with what the opamp(s) produces. If they are standard industry opamps ex. used in CD and DVD players then what you hear is going to be typical. Don't confuse opamps with DAC. The DAC takes the original digital signal and converts mono/stereo/5.1/etc. to an analog signal. That signal gets sent along to be amplified before being sent to the speakers/headphones. For more signal processing opamps are used and can affect any part of the sound spectrum according to the opamp's characteristics which can vary greatly.
 
May 2, 2013 at 9:02 AM Post #1,064 of 2,205
Quote:
By the way, according to what I hear from Chinese forums, as a comparison of AD1000X and AD2000X, the energy and coloration of AD1000X is more in the tremble, while AD2000X is more in the mids. The AD2000X has more emotional and warm sound, with a more detailed bass. AD1000X is good at female voice like Enya and Sarah Brightman, AD2000X is perhaps good at female voice like Adele and Beyonce.
atsmile.gif

 
Well that's interesting! I thought it might be the opposite.
 
Right now I am listening to Holst's 'The Planets' very loudly on the AD1000X and it is awesome sauce.
 
May 2, 2013 at 1:20 PM Post #1,065 of 2,205
Quote:
 
Well that's interesting! I thought it might be the opposite.
 
Right now I am listening to Holst's 'The Planets' very loudly on the AD1000X and it is awesome sauce.

 
When in the AD1000X video going up? I need to see it! 
wink.gif

 

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