[DJShadow]

I've never heard any of those Audio-Technicas but the sa5000 is awesome for electronic music.

 

[ionblastoid]

Thank you to everybody so far!

It is really sounding like i want the AD2000. I actually didn't realize that headphone could be had for around $500. I've seen multiple posts about PriceJapan.com, you guys trust their service? I live in Jersey.

However, does anyone else know about the Denon D5000 that Icarium mentioned? Haven't really seen anyone "talking" about them so much.

Also, I am trying to understand amplification. I know about impedance and that you would need amplification for some headphones just to get high volume. But I feel like there are other benefits to be had, like maybe it makes the sound more powerful or dynamic in volume?

I'm actually listening to my HFI-700s through my consumer level Harman Kardon AVR125 receiver right now for the first time. It's connected optically through my Mac Mini. I'm trying to make comparisons to just plugging the headphones directly in the Mini's 1/8". Will a receiver like this perform the same functions as a dedicated headphone amp? The music does seem to have more overal impactfulness.

 

[Zoide]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Elephas /img/forum/go_quote.gif Based on this, I suggest the AD2000. I think it performs better with a laptop's headphone out or with an iPod than the SA5000 or W5000. I haven't heard the A900, but the A950LTD also did well directly from an iPod. The AD2000 is one of my favorite headphones, the one that got me into the headphone listening hobby. I'm still not sure if that was fortunate. I liked the Proline 2500 well enough, but don't think its as good as the HD650 or K701. And I prefer the AD2000+HA5000 over the HD650/K701+Raptor.

How would you rate the AD2000 vs W5000, if good amplification is provided? (if I may sneak a slightly OT concern, how do they compare with rock?)

Thanks.

 

[hYdrociTy]

I say give the inexpensive(relative to the other choices) K501 a try. They reproduce bass very well- meaning they are extended yet do not color the bass in a way most punchy flavors do. Since this type of music already is inundated with bass these phones are in my opinion very well suited.

 

[MaloS]

Quote:

Originally Posted by hYdrociTy /img/forum/go_quote.gif I say give the inexpensive(relative to the other choices) K501 a try. They reproduce bass very well- meaning they are extended yet do not color the bass in a way most punchy flavors do. Since this type of music already is inundated with bass these phones are in my opinion very well suited.

Amplification. The guy wants to run the phones straight out of his computer.

 

[hYdrociTy]

the k501 out of the line out in my portable cd player is at perfect volume and sounds pretty good.

 

[MaloS]

Weird, head-fi keeps on throwing the idea that k501 is hard to drive...

Iono, I only use low-impedance phones xD

 

[Davesrose]

Maybe I had a different pair of k501s

It's not that they couldn't reach a good volume without an amp.....they sounded terrible without and amp! Hugely distant sounding and sluggish: without an amp, I don't see them being an electronica headphone. For my flavor/setup, I like my HD650s for electronica (delivering bass and soundstage, but being balanced enough to handle fast transients). I don't like an overly bright or dark headphone for this genre. The HD650s aren't any good on a laptop: maybe ATs, but seems kind of silly to get more expensive headphones when they won't be up to their potential. Maybe A900, HD595, or Sony MDR V6

 

[hYdrociTy]

Quote:

Originally Posted by MaloS /img/forum/go_quote.gif Weird, head-fi keeps on throwing the idea that k501 is hard to drive... Iono, I only use low-impedance phones xD

It is, but in reality when I use it with the line out on my cdp(which should) be less powerful than a laptop- plus the laptop you have volume control) the soundstage did not [edit]completely[/edit] collapse and bass did not disappear as one would expect from a lack of amplification.

I only suggest this because I feel anything perceived to be lost due to not using some kind of amp is offset by the (in my opinion) perfect sound flavor of this headphone for electronic and trance music..

Yea another vote for the ad2000 if you can afford it ^^ get it

 

[MaloS]

Quote:

Originally Posted by hYdrociTy /img/forum/go_quote.gif It is, but in reality when I use it with the line out on my cdp(which should) be less powerful than a laptop- plus the laptop you have volume control) the soundstage did not [edit]completely[/edit] collapse and bass did not disappear as one would expect from a lack of amplification.

I am sure you are a self-respecting head-fier and your CDP sounds better than a laptop integrated card. They are bad. Really bad. :-/ (Mine had trouble getting any bass out of hd595 and I am not going to even bother plugging w5000 into it).

 

[hYdrociTy]

Quote:

Originally Posted by MaloS /img/forum/go_quote.gif I am sure you are a self-respecting head-fier and your CDP sounds better than a laptop integrated card. They are bad. Really bad. :-/ (Mine had trouble getting any bass out of hd595 and I am not going to even bother plugging w5000 into it).

well maybe I made an ass out of myself by assuming(never tried them out of a laptop), but it seemed to my like common sense that a 3 volt portable cdp would be less robust than a laptop audio circuit.. guess cant judge a electronics by it's size..

 

[Wmcmanus]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Zoide /img/forum/go_quote.gif Holy ****... This is coming from a guy who owns almost every headphone out there, guys!

Hmmm... don't take too much stock in my opinion. Afterall, opinions are just like something else... you know how the saying goes, we all have one!

I've listened to a lot of headphones (and so have a lot of other people) but that really doesn't make any of us experts. Plus, it's hard to say whether my tastes and preferences will match up with yours.

On top of that, I really believe that headphone listening is an emotional thing. I could easily imagine a room filled with 10 experienced listeners along with 10 different headphones, and at the end of the day all 10 people would be walking home with their favorite pair (and nobody would be fighting for a pair that they preferred to the one they ended up with). Imagine that the phones were the HD600, HD650, K701, DT880, DT990, AD2000, Ultrasone 2500, Ultrasone 750, SA5000, and Stax 404. There would be something for everyone in that mix, and I didn't even include the CD3000 for Sovkiller, or the HF-1, etc!

Quote:

Originally Posted by Zoide /img/forum/go_quote.gif Hey Wayne, how do your AD2000 compare to the Ultrasone PROlines?

I've never really compared them. I can give it a shot and report back but the Ultrasones need to be fully broken in before I'll be able to make a lot of sense out of what I'm hearing with them. They're both excellent (the 2500 and 750) but I'm not sure that I'll ever be convinced that they're the end-all-be-all (as some observers seem to believe). Yet, time will tell.

This is part of what I love about this hobby. We all have our own tastes and preferences (some people swear by Grado, others by Ultrasone, some love the Qualia, others hate them, etc). For me, the AD2000 seem to click on all cylinders. For $500, I've yet to find anything that "grabs" me more than they do. They offer a Grado-like 'fun factor' without that terribly annoying treble glare (such as the RS-1 which are fun but colored). At the same time, they offer a rather neutral sound signature like the DT880 or K701 (which are not colored like the RS-1 but not as much fun either). So with the AD2000, you get the fun without sacrificing much (if anything) in terms of balance/neutrality. But that's just me. Others might think they such eggs.

 

[MaloS]

Quote:

Originally Posted by hYdrociTy /img/forum/go_quote.gif well maybe I made an ass out of myself by assuming(never tried them out of a laptop), but it seemed to my like common sense that a 3 volt portable cdp would be less robust than a laptop audio circuit.. guess cant judge a electronics by it's size..

Sorry to make you think that, I was just going for that portables can have much better sound than laptops can say for themselves because thats what portables are made for. And 3 Volts can go a long way with proper circuitry =] (Xin SM swings on 1.5V?) Cheers, CDPs are pretty damn good these days, while laptops have a pile of electromagnetic issues going on. (noiissyyy).

OP: Listen to Wcmanus - man with that many headphones in his house knows more than the rest of the forum put together

 

[Elephas]

Quote:

Originally Posted by ionblastoid /img/forum/go_quote.gif Also, I am trying to understand amplification. I know about impedance and that you would need amplification for some headphones just to get high volume. But I feel like there are other benefits to be had, like maybe it makes the sound more powerful or dynamic in volume?

Amplification affects the headstage, soundstage, details, tonality, bass quantity, bass texture, treble harshness/smoothness, etc. among other things. The degree of change differs with different headphone+amp combinations, and is also affected by other factors.

I consider the AD2000 more versatile than the SA5000, which I use exclusively with electronica. I don't think the SA5000 is too bright or harsh. It is colder and more clinical-sounding than the AD2000, though.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Zoide /img/forum/go_quote.gif How would you rate the AD2000 vs W5000, if good amplification is provided? (if I may sneak a slightly OT concern, how do they compare with rock?)

To me, they're very close. Both sound very good matched with either the AT-HA5000 or Raptor. The W5000 seems more sensitive to amplification and has a significantly larger soundstage when driven by the HA5000, and has more bass impact when driven by the Raptor.

Both do well with pop and rock music, as well as trip-hop such as Goldfrapp. I might pick the AD2000 a bit more often than the W5000 for rock music.

This is one reason why it can be difficult to explain which amp matches "better" with a headphone. Besides personal tastes, it can depend on the type of music and source material quality.

For example, I think the AD2000 does better than the W5000 with many lower-quality recordings. The AD2000 hardly ever sounds bad and often sounds great, while the W5000 can be thin or even slightly harsh with some recordings. But when the W5000 is good, it is very, very good.

Actually, when either one is performing at its best, I think at the time that it is my favorite headphone; this happens with the SA5000+electronica, too, and some other headphones.

 

[Kees]

For what it's worth:
For me the ranking in headphones for electro is:
1. PROline 2500/750
2. (headphile) AKG K340
3. ATH AD2000

Key words: spacious, detailed and dynamic.