[NotJeffBuckley]

I lied about the excitement.

Alright, I'm saving for another new headphone. I figure if I have the money before it's gone I'll get the A900 Ltd., because I like the A900 a lot and it seems to be "like that, but a bit better." All well and good, yeah?

But it is limited, and the general cup doesn't exactly overfloweth, so I'm having to reconsider my options to include non-chronologically challenged options. I'll have between $200 and $400 to spend, so please recommend headphones in that pricerange.

My desires are simple:

1. I love my HD650. I love nearly everything about them. I especially love how they handle bass (especially in terms of extension), how much bass there is, how they handle midbass and midrange, how much midbass and midrange there is, and how pleasant they are to listen to with a variety of genres. I do not, however, love the fact that when my air conditioner is blowing I have to turn them up to drown it out, because I do love my ears.

2. I love my A900. I love nearly everything about them. I especially love how they handle bass (especially in terms of impact), how much bass there is, how they handle treble, how much treble there is, and how wonderful they sound with progressive rock, metal, etc. thanks to their great soundstage. I do not, however, love the fact that A-T had the audacity to release a limited edition, giving me buyer's remorse despite having a fully functioning great headphone. I also have a few minor misgivings about the midrange, mainly that going between the HD650 and the A900 I notice a gap and it doesn't seem to be as capably (that is, effortlessly) handled. I chalk it up to closed nature and house sound, no big deal.

3. And this is the big one: I'd love a headphone that combines the best aspects of the two aforementioned. I would like the A900's treble (to lower myself to adjectives, crisp without being sibilant) and bass impact with the HD650's midrange and bass extension. Soundstage isn't a big deal, comfort however is (to elucidate, I find the HD650 very comfortable and the A900 very comfortable, too). Impedance doesn't matter. I'd prefer closed, but if the ideal headphone for me is open that's fine too.

Please, help me get over my bizarre obsession with the A900Ltd. by suggesting a better headphone, or at least one that won't make me regret not owning the A900Ltd while I (don't, thanks to finances) have the chance.

 

[Jabka]

When I was actively considering the A900's I noticed that some were complaining about the recessed midrange. Some modders here have come up with a fix that seems to help them with this. YMMV of course, but maybe, just maybe, the "fix" would be dramatic enough for you to reconsider the LTD version. Here's a link to get you started:

http://www6.head-fi.org/forums/showt...hlight=bluetak

 

[J-Pak]

I've read some very good things about the AT AD-2000. Might want to look into that.

 

[hansel_ng]

you should consider the W1000. I compared it side by side with the a900ltd and ended up buying the W1000. I think it might suit your needs with it's superior midrange. Compared to the a900ltd, there is even more treble extension (still no sibilance), but the bass extension is diminished somewhat.

I actually also had a bizarre obsession with the a900ltd, but it disappeared when I auditioned it.

When I took a close look at it, one thing really bugged me - the hideous and tacky sticker used to indicate the left and right earpiece. It just completely spoils the sleek look of the a900ltd.

 

[NotJeffBuckley]

Quote:

Originally Posted by hansel_ng you should consider the W1000. I compared it side by side with the a900ltd and ended up buying the W1000. I think it might suit your needs with it's superior midrange. Compared to the a900ltd, there is even more treble extension (still no sibilance), but the bass extension is diminished somewhat. I actually also had a bizarre obsession with the a900ltd, but it disappeared when I auditioned it. When I took a close look at it, one thing really bugged me - the hideous and tacky sticker used to indicate the left and right earpiece. It just completely spoils the sleek look of the a900ltd.

I've definitely held that in consideration. Another I am considering is the Sony SA5000. The W1000 definitely has aesthetic appeal, and wood sure does feel nicer than metal, but the relatively low bass worries me. I'm not a

but I need at least good extension if I can't have good impact. How low do they go? Do they respond well to digital equalization in lower frequencies? What kind of music do you listen to with them? What are their weaknesses?

 

[hansel_ng]

On the aesthetics..actually..the metal feels better than the wood. The metal is cold to the touch, and that's really fun when you take it off and put in on. Sounds silly, but it's true!

The stickers are just too ugly though, if you want to get the a900ltd you should find a way to remove/replace it.


Bear in mind that my impressions of the w1000 are my own, and that the pair has only had about 60 hours burn in, so things could well change.

In a nutshell, I chose the w1000 over the a900ltd because the a900ltd sounds closer to my hf-1s than the w1000. In fact, imho the a900ltd has a bit of the grado house sound, and it's an excellent can for the price.

W1000:

digital equalisation: I'm using it with an imodded ipod. The bass is much stronger with the digital bass boost. A bit muddier though.

Bass depth: I think they go deep enough. Compared to my hf-1, they are similar, and i think hf-1s are known to have one of the lowest bass depths in the grado line. I think it would really depend on your amp as well, if you are using one, you'll need one with high current to suit the w1000

What kind of music: Classical and electronica. the w1000 has a great headstage, which suits these genres. The funny thing about the w1000 is that it has a great frequency range. With the hf-1 i feel like it's a dark headphone, whereas for the w1000, sometimes it's dark and sometimes it's bright (more often bright though), depending on the music played. That's great for the abovementioned types of music. Sounds fantastic with bjork, for some reason.

Weaknesses: can be very boring for rock and jazz music. Vocals can be a bit bright. I listened to a track by Garbage and was surprised at how slow it actually sounded, which was a real shocker as I've never heard a Garbage track sound boring in my entire life!


The w1000 is a great contrast with the hf-1, and I'm still discovering the pleasure of owning 2 great cans!

 

[J-Pak]

Quote:

Originally Posted by hansel_ng On the aesthetics..actually..the metal feels better than the wood. The metal is cold to the touch, and that's really fun when you take it off and put in on. Sounds silly, but it's true! The stickers are just too ugly though, if you want to get the a900ltd you should find a way to remove/replace it. Bear in mind that my impressions of the w1000 are my own, and that the pair has only had about 60 hours burn in, so things could well change. In a nutshell, I chose the w1000 over the a900ltd because the a900ltd sounds closer to my hf-1s than the w1000. In fact, imho the a900ltd has a bit of the grado house sound, and it's an excellent can for the price. W1000: digital equalisation: I'm using it with an imodded ipod. The bass is much stronger with the digital bass boost. A bit muddier though. Bass depth: I think they go deep enough. Compared to my hf-1, they are similar, and i think hf-1s are known to have one of the lowest bass depths in the grado line. I think it would really depend on your amp as well, if you are using one, you'll need one with high current to suit the w1000 What kind of music: Classical and electronica. the w1000 has a great headstage, which suits these genres. The funny thing about the w1000 is that it has a great frequency range. With the hf-1 i feel like it's a dark headphone, whereas for the w1000, sometimes it's dark and sometimes it's bright (more often bright though), depending on the music played. That's great for the abovementioned types of music. Sounds fantastic with bjork, for some reason. Weaknesses: can be very boring for rock and jazz music. Vocals can be a bit bright. I listened to a track by Garbage and was surprised at how slow it actually sounded, which was a real shocker as I've never heard a Garbage track sound boring in my entire life! The w1000 is a great contrast with the hf-1, and I'm still discovering the pleasure of owning 2 great cans!

I have the HF-1. Unfortunatly the bass extension isn't the best in the Grado line, the RS-2 and RS-1 both have better extension. The HF-1 has more impact and more bass (quantity)

 

[NotJeffBuckley]

Hrm. I'm also thinking about the SA5000, but I've heard some say that it's light on the bass.

If I were looking for a headphone to fill the gap between A900 and HD650, sonically speaking, would that fit the bill?

 

[Chri5peed]

Anyone got pics of the blu-tak mod?

 

[ScubaSteve87]

Quote:

Originally Posted by J-Pak I've read some very good things about the AT AD-2000. Might want to look into that.

Another Vote

I have not heard the HD650, but from what I have read, you might find the bass a tad lean. I read that the HD650 have a midbass hump and I don't think that the AD2k does at all. The AD2k does have amazing treble and mids though. THe bass is still there though, its not in mass quantity, but it does have great impact and extension