[Kurashima]

I'm considering getting a pair of Audio-Technica ATH-A900 for use at home as my first set of 'hi-fi' cans to go along with my Eggos which will be for portable. From what I've heard of them, they seem like they're perfect for me but I've been hearing some complaints about them here when I checked it out. So before deciding on anything, I'd like to clarify some things, from most important to least:

1) People say the phones' greatest weakness are recessed mids making vocals sound kind of nasally. I'm wondering if this is just relative to other hi-fi cans and is more of a nit-picking type detail or if it's really distracting. For anyone who's tried these, how do they compare in the mids to lower class phones like the PX100, PortaPros, or D66s? If they're not any worse, then I'm not going to be worried. I've heard someone say that they have "one note bass" though I'm pretty sure this is just hi-fi exaggeration so I'm wondering how much merit the mids issue has.

2) Are these really a worthwhile upgrade from the Eggos? I'm not expecting miracles, but I do hope that their sound is going to be in another class instead of just a barely noticeable upgrade as I'll be spending $200 on them when I'm fairly satisfied with what I have. I've never used any higher class headphones like the Senns 580+ (the D66 being the highest I've went) so I don't know exactly what to expect. I'm hoping for a fuller, richer sound in all areas, although I'm also buying them for the isolation. Basically, I just want top notch sound at home.

3) Not too important, but does anyone want to suggest any others I might be interested in? The criteria is somewhat limiting: $200 MAX, closed and isolating (somewhere in the teens in terms of decibels), fairly neutral though it can be coloured in a slightly warm way, and it can be driven by a portable without need for an amp. I listen to all types of music so they have to be flexible. And of course, great, balanced sound worthy of the upgrade. I'm interested in getting the best sound for my money so I'm not considering canal phones and I'm already stretching to pay $200. I think the A900s offer all of the above and I don't know of any others, so as long as they're what they're cracked up to be, then I'm happy with them.

Besides that, anyone who owns them feel free to post about how you like them.

 

[MetalManCPA]

Here's my review of the ATH-A900's

I love them

 

[Natsuiro]

I did notice a somewhat distant mid-range on the A900s. I haven't heard the PX100s or D66's, but I do like the A900s alot better than the portapros. It's clearly in another tier with it's detail, clarity, and soundstage.

 

[fr4c]

i'd say the A900's are your best bet. since you're looking for closed headphones thats easily driven by a portable, you pretty much narrowed it down to the A900. unless you willing to invest a few more Benjamins for a "open headphone" setup like the HD580 etc., you should stick with the A900's.

 

[Kurashima]

Thanks for the quick replies! I can live with recessed mids as in the aspect of treating voices as another instrument, I'm a lot like you MetalMan. I'm mostly all about the melody/hooks in songs and texture, a thing in which obviously the better the phones are the better the effect. I'm just worried about this nasal sounding thing I've heard talk about. I don't want any part of the sound to sound off-kilter in any way.

 

[MetalManCPA]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kurashima Thanks for the quick replies! I can live with recessed mids as in the aspect of treating voices as another instrument, I'm a lot like you MetalMan. I'm mostly all about the melody/hooks in songs and texture, a thing in which obviously the better the phones are the better the effect. I'm just worried about this nasal sounding thing I've heard talk about. I don't want any part of the sound to sound off-kilter in any way.

I haven't noticed anything nasal about vocals. Each person hears things differently though. The A900's kick butt in my book. No amplification necessary, really decent range, good bass punch without being muddy, crisp highs without being tinny, and right in your price range.

 

[Bleed]

i dont hear it either, but I rarely listen to anything with vocals

. it doesn't take much to drive these headphones, but i still got a gilmore lite amp for it

. with the addition of the amp, the bass really came to life, it tightened up quite a bit. its got that oomph feeling now, and it alo helped a bit with the mids too.

i might get another headphone to compliment my A900's, maybe the DT770 OR DT990's since you can get both for $157.

 

[jesse_w]

On a warm source the A900 has a slightly recessed midrange. On a colder/more neutral source it is slightly bright. It does have an odd and very slight midrange coloration, an echoey/nasal sound that occasionally shows up. I noticed it very rarely, so it seems to be rather picky, and it was impossible to reproduce. IME it's not something thats constantly there, just every once in a while at just the right volume when they hit just the right note it is fairly obvious. Even allowing for that, they are excellent headphones for the money.

jesse

 

[Kurashima]

Cool, I'm not concerned about the mids issue anymore. Now I'm just wondering how worthy an upgrade it is, as I don't want to spend all that money for nothing. If people have experience upgrading from an entry level hi-fi phone like the portable ones I mentioned earlier to a more hi-fi one, care to explain how much of a difference it made? While I know about diminishing returns as you go higher up on the scale of headphones, I would think that the difference between these and say, the Eggos would still be fairly significant.

 

[MetalManCPA]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kurashima Cool, I'm not concerned about the mids issue anymore. Now I'm just wondering how worthy an upgrade it is, as I don't want to spend all that money for nothing. If people have experience upgrading from an entry level hi-fi phone like the portable ones I mentioned earlier to a more hi-fi one, care to explain how much of a difference it made? While I know about diminishing returns as you go higher up on the scale of headphones, I would think that the difference between these and say, the Eggos would still be fairly significant.

I went from 15 year old Nakamichi SP-7's, which were considered good for their time, to the A900's. Absolutely no comparison whatsoever. The jump to high fidelity was noticed immediately and even before burn-in. I hear things in music now I've never heard through headphones before.