Hmm between this thread and this one I don't know which one I should post in! (
http://www.head-fi.org/t/592247/the-audio-technica-collectors-thread ) Any possibility that they could be merged?
I love AT gear, as its always comfortable and (generally) well made, with great vocal reproduction. Luckily in Sydney there is a Audio Technica direct kiosk, so its been possible for me to audition and buy quite a few models (though the entire range is not available in Aus.)
As for my AT's, I have the following:
AD2000: I got these on the FS forum, and they are fantastic as you can imagine. Basically an airy sound that does terrific things for female vocals; a tremendous sense of breath and pace, delicate detail and also surprisingly a nicely extended bass region (though a little subtle). What is of note is that the mids are forward on this. I did not really know what a mid-forward sound was until I heard this - rather than a treble spike or a nasally kind of colouration, it sounds like the entire range of female vocal frequencies is just louder in the mix. There is no sibilance or fatigue, but I imagine that this effect is not for everyone. They are very fast and great for electropop / synthpop, and overall very dreamy. They are comfortable for me like all the 3D Wing AT's, but the cups do touch my ears and so after a few hours do make them a little sore. No problem, I just switch to something else then. XD
AD900: An airier sound then the AD2000, and for some these might be better. They don't have the same mid-colouration, but actually they do have a somewhat nasally sound. Soundstage is not quite as accurate as the AD2000 (its more smeared across a wider expanse) but still special. They are also supremely comfortable. I'm actually trying to sell a pair so if you are curios check my signature! :3
Pro 700MK2 ANV: The 50th Anniversary Edition of the Pro700Mk2. When I compared them to the normal edition I found that there was less plasticky housing reverb, which I suspect might have been a dampening effect of the aluminium accents on the driver cups. The sound was also a little more cohesive though it wasn't the best environment to do an exact comparison. For 300 compared to 200 dollars in price (In Australia) I felt that the nicer build quality, better sound, newer drivers, etc was worth it. These aren't the bass monsters that you might expect, but have a very solid, cohesive and dark sound to them, but still manage clear vocals and most surprisingly for a closed phone a really well formed soundstage.
M50: I picked these up like any good head-fier. I like them but with some sources, and particularly unamped, the treble can exhibit a little too much bite. To be honest while these are good, I generally recommend the Sony ZX700 to anyone now over the M50. The ZX700 is more comfortable, easier to drive, more compact for portable use, and has a more balanced sound. Plus it's cheaper!
SQ5: I got these because they looked pretty neat. I like them, but they have a bit of a nasally sound (classic kind of AT signature but not as refined) and really quite bad reverb problems from the plastic housing. They are also surprisingly hard to drive. I have a white pair which I've stuffed with quite a lot of blu-tack and foam as a damping mod, and the results are pretty good. I mostly use them for jogging.
CK90Pro: Until I got my SM3's (and later the XBA-4's) these were my favourite IEM. They are dark sounding, but have tremendous transient performance. Decay times are unfortunately too short to have the correct kind of timbre but they are almost perfect for electronic music, with a surprisingly weighty bass section. I'm very interested in the CK90Pro MkII as a result.
Quote:
Who's heard ES88? There's not much by the way of impressions other than it being cold. Same drivers as ES55, I read in another thread. ES55 seems to be pretty good going by what people remark about it, ES88 should be a little better in some ways with all that aluminum.
I can tell you that the ES88 are good, but probably more worth the Japanese price (around 150-200) than the overseas price. They have a rich sound, slightly mid-bassy though overall quite refined, and with little housing reverb because of the metal cups. I felt that they are quite different from the V-shaped sounding ES10's. The only real issue with the sound is that the earcups seem so small and shallow that the sound is a little congested. It can sound murky at times, or even constrained / overdamped.
Anyway, other than these AT's and the CKS70's and some clip ons I gave to friends, thats my opinion on what I've heard. Yes, I do really like AT gear. ^__^
