[marvie]

I have the CD780, and I think that the comfort is overrated here. Sure, they feel like pillows when you put then on, but after a while, the lower headband kind of pinches the sides of my head, and my ears gets *really* warm. They are also heavy as hell! There is also something missing in the sound which I can't pinpoint what

Looks like the current rage is on the Audio Technicas and curiousity has got the better of me.. I am now considering the A500/A900

So if you had experience with both of these cans, can you do a side-by-side comparison of it? I'm especially interested in comfort. Please don't just tell me "I have an A500/A900 and I love it!".

Thanks!

It'll be wonderful if someone from USC/Downtown-LA can let me audition them

 

[Superbaldguy]

I have both and, TBH, both are equally comfortable. Sorry I wasn't very decisive.

 

[some1x]

If the CD780 felt warm to you, then you should look at getting open-air headphones (i.e. not A500/900).

 

[marvie]

Quote:

Originally posted by some1x If the CD780 felt warm to you, then you should look at getting open-air headphones (i.e. not A500/900).

Aww man. The quest for the perfect cans continues yet again.

 

[TheMuffinMan_01]

lindrone has all of these phones and will be able to give you a really good idea of what to get. some of the trained ears around here hate the cd780's, and lindrone has compared the a500's and a900's and said that there is very little difference in sound quality. and everybody loves the a900's, if i were you i would get whichever one of those 2 i could afford.

 

[lindrone]

You guys have got to stop misquoting me.. I said there's very little difference if your ears aren't trained to understand and notice these differences. After owning a couple of different headphones and becoming more experienced, the difference in quality between A500 and A900 is obviously and blatant..

A500/A900 actually doesn't build up as much heat as the CD780. Even though CD780 is open, the padding of the CD780 covers your ear completely, doesn't allow much air circulation.. it doesn't have a "hole" in the middle as most headphone padding, it's a flat pad.

So even though A500/A900 is closed, they build up heat slower (still builds up nevertheless) than the CD780. CD780 is like having a blanket & pillow on your ears.

Sound-wise, A500 will sound more spacious, the soundstage is larger, and the sound imaging is more accurate. The sound itself will be a little less warm, but a little more detailed. Everything will sound just a bit clearer and defined in comparison to CD780.

A900 is like A500, except everything is a step up... sound is more detailed, sound extension is more in both direction (highs and lows), soundstage and imaging are both improved.

 

[GanChan]

Quote:

Originally posted by lindrone You guys have got to stop misquoting me.. I said there's very little difference if your ears aren't trained to understand and notice these differences. After owning a couple of different headphones and becoming more experienced, the difference in quality between A500 and A900 is obviously and blatant..

To save a hundred bucks, i think this semi-trained listener could be persuaded to listen to the A500 while pretending the A900 doesn't exist.

To save even more money, I might hang onto my 280 Pro, but that might be more thriftiness than is good for me. People criticize the 280 Pro, but i think it goes pretty well with classical. How's the A500 for classical (on its own merits, as opposed to comparison with the A900)?

 

[marvie]

So there are no difference between A500 and A900 comfort-wise?

 

[lindrone]

A900 is a little better due to the slightly firmer padding. There's no huge difference, the design are pretty much the same otherwise.

 

[ch1nkster]

Yep other than the aluminum/ metal housing on the A900's, the A500 are pretty much the same thing as the A900's except for the sound. A500's are probably a considerable step down from the A900's as I would like to imagine.

 

[MuZI]

I wana get the A500 but i`m worried about the pads, what happens if i need replacements, how log do the pads last ussually?

 

[marvie]

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