[TheOtus]

I seriously do not care about LCD3. It might be better than any Audio-Technica, but I still don't care. For some reason, it's brought up in every topic here.

 

[Skylab]

Quote:

Skylab, can you comment on whether Trafomatic Head One is a good amp for AT woodie in general?

VERY good, I think.  Using the 30 ohm setting, of course.
 


Quote:

Given Skylab's very early impressions, I'd say it's the chocolate cake. If you're in the mood for it, then it really hits the spot. The fillet mignon on the other hand is going to be the more refined meal.
 
Both are good, just in different ways.

More like a good rum cake, I think.  Not chocolate. 

 

 

[MuppetFace]

 
So, my pair is on the delivery truck and headed my way today. Butterflies in the stomach.

 
Quote:

More like a good rum cake, I think.  Not chocolate. 

 

At least we can agree that it's a cake and not pie. 

 

[iamsmrt]

Just picked up my pair of ATH-W3000ANV from Bic Camera in downtown Nagoya, Japan.  Various plans fell through with family obligations and weather mishaps along the way, so didn't manage to get to pick them on the 18th like I wanted, but all good now!
 
Ridiculously huge qualifier #1:  I love the Audio-Technica house sound, most of all the w2002's, which are much loved for their beautiful look and case, but most people aren't crazy about how they sound.  I am crazy about how they sound.  All the headphones I've owned have been Audio-Technica, other than briefly owning the Senn 600's a long time ago. 
 
Ridiculously huge qualifier #2:   I don't have any audiophile equipment with me and am running this straight out of a laptop.  Only cans I have for comparison are my ATH-EW9 clipons (my ESW9's are sent off to audio-technica in Tokyo for repairs currently).
 
Ridiculously huge qualifier #3:  I've never done a headphone review and don't care to research on how to best organize everything.  This is going to be first impression stream of consciousness, take it or leave it.  People on this board are super critical it seems, so you're more than welcome to ignore a noob's review.
 
Break-in?!?
Out of the box, I was pretty monstrously disappointed.  I was hoping for headphones that retained the w2002 sound and hopefully improved on it.  I heard none of the warmth I expected from an Audio-Technica woodie.  Initially, they were light on bass and super heavy on treble with heavy sibilance I'd never heard in an Audio-Technica anyways and no real warmth. Dejected, left some music running over dinner.
 
Came back after dinner and to my surprise, I could hear the warmth I was looking for!  I've never ever believed in break-in, but they sounded dramatically different to my ears.  I completely understand the break-in disbelievers out there and definitely think a lot is psychological and the expectations of the user simply shift/adjust.  But the difference in sound seemed, to me at least, to be significantly different.  I have a bachelors in biology and chem with a hefty weighting in psychology.  I'm skeptical.  But still, I'm a surprised new believer in break-in.
 
Box and Construction:
I was really hoping for a proper case like the w2002's or even the w5000's.  Instead we get a box.  A generic albeit nicely made black box, but still, a box.  There's a red "band" (can't find proper words to describe this) that encircles the box, but it'd be hugely impractical to put it on and off all the time for normal use.  So we're left with the boring black box.  Disappointed to say the least since the 40th anniversary w2002 is infinitely better and the w5000's are even better.  Albeit, the box is nicely wrapped in sexy black silky material and foam padded on all sides, but overall a downgrade.
 
From memory, there was no need to worry about the plug damaging the cans with the w2002 case because they were separated in the case and by the foam in the lid.  However, now we're given a small black velvety bag to insert the cable into so as not to damage the cans because they can float freely in the box.
 
Unlike the w2002's, the plastic portion directly above the drivers is symmetrical, so you can't differentiate between the left and right drivers based on feel, so you gotta take a peak at the side every time.  The plastic wings that sit on your head seem seriously flimsy though, the connection to the body of the headphone is I'd guess about 1cm (1/2"-ish) and just seems like it could break if you're not delicate.  The outermost wing portion seems hyper-mobile, allowing it to readily adapt to different head shapes, but to me it seems to move too much, as if it could break.
 
Sound characteristics:
 
Again, I don't have the experience of someone say Skylab.  I found a house sound I loved 7 or 8 years ago at my first head-fi meet, basically pieced together the first system I fell in love with over the course of a few years and have been very happy ever since.  However, it'd been my dream to buy the 50th anniversary cans too.
 
Treble:
These have way more treble than the w2002's and more than my memory of my ESW9's.  You can hear the clash of tamberines quite clearly.  Whereas the w2002's had quite rolled-off highs, these sound much closer to neutral for an AT headphone.
 
Mids:
The bread and butter of the AT house sound.  I think they're still emphasized relative to bass and treble, the rainbow frequency response people have been talking about.  Not as emphasized as the w2002's and if I had to guess, I'd say the mid emphasis has been placed lower, it's definitely a darker sound than I'm used to from my w2002's or ESW9's.
 
Bass:
Better bass extension than w2002's or ESW9's from memory.  Bass is really tight and you can really hear the differentiation between notes.  The bass slam isn't really there, very likely a product of using a laptop and no proper DAC or amp, or could be me expecting to hear bass notes slam the way I'm used to on my 15" Paradigm sub.
 
Decay:
I can't get over how much better the attack on these headphones is relative to my memory of the ESW9's and w2002's.  The w2002's are seriously slow in decay but these seem pretty damn fast.
 
Detail in general:
I feel I can hear way more detail than I'm used to mostly because of the fast decay.  When the bass is reverberating, I feel like I can better hear the ossciliation between notes.  The sound in general just feels way more textured than I'm used to.
 
Overall:
So far a fan!  They retain the AT house sound, but more neutral overall than I'm used to.  Less roll-off in the bass and treble, but still emphasized in mids, but perhaps lower than I'm used to hearing.  Attack is much better, but really need to listen to this on a proper system with DAC & amp to really know how I feel about these.

 

[TheOtus]

Nice impressions, really looking forward to hear mine. = D

 

[moodyrn]

Interesting. I seems the sound signature is some where between the classic w series and the w1000x maybe? But thanks for sharing. Is the isolation any better than previous audio technica woodies?

 

[iamsmrt]

Unfortunately, I can't comment on the w1000X as I've only heard them for 1 minute in the Nagoya equivalent of Tokyo's Akihabara.  
 
The isolation is pretty much just like the w2002's if I had to guess, pretty bad but maybe a smidge better?  I'm listening at elevated sound levels right now to test these guys out, but my girlfriend can hear the song pretty clearly it seems sitting next to me in a perfectly quiet room.  So not too isolate-y

 

[MuppetFace]

Thank you for your initial impressions, iamsmrt! These sound really interesting from your description.
 
I'm sort of getting the impression that they're more detailed than the W2002? Would you say that's right from what you've heard thus far?

 

[iamsmrt]

Yeah, I'd say so, mostly to me because the attack seems so much better and the sound has more texture.  When I listen to songs I know extremely well though, they don't quite "pop", like the sound detail doesn't blow me away liked I'm used to, but I think this has WAY more to do with me running this straight out of a laptop and not having my DAC & amp.  I think with a real DAC and amp, my guess would be that the detail would be improved relative to the w2002.  
 
From my extremely brief listen to a pair of L3000's a few years ago at a Seattle meet, my vague memory of their sound signature reminds me of these headphones, more detailed and refined than the w2002, though not coloured in the way that I love the w2002's.  Take this comment with not a grain a salt, but more like a beach full, I know very very little about the L3000's

 

[MuppetFace]

Quote:

From my extremely brief listen to a pair of L3000's a few years ago at a Seattle meet, my vague memory of their sound signature reminds me of these headphones, more detailed and refined than the w2002, though not coloured in the way that I love the w2002's.  Take this comment with not a grain a salt, but more like a beach full, I know very very little about the L3000's

Well, it would make sense, seeing as both have the "3000" designation. Thanks again for the impressions!

 

[iamsmrt]

Stupid as it sounds, I didn't even realize they both have the "3000" in common!  Thanks for pointing that out, feel kinda silly not noticing that.
 
Thanks for the thanks!  I just wanted to make a contribution as my appreciation for music has benefited so greatly from this website as I get to hear it delivered in a sound signature I love.  Really looking forward to hearing impressions from more senior members of the head-fi crew as well, especially Skylab.  Hell, anyone with a real DAC and amp too though!  Hopefully more people will contribute as they get their cans in the mail

 

[TheOtus]

Got a text message from FedEx! Was asked for necessary information, hopefully this thing gets to somewhere tomorrow or the day after. I probably need to make a bank transfer which takes a day minimum, probably no hope for tomorrow. = /

 

[wind016]

Thanks so much for the impressions! I'm glad the sound hasnt strayed too far from the older woodie sound. I'm a bit bothered by the pre-burn-in impressions. I don't think I've ever heard many sibilant woodies. I think the W1000 is the closest to being sibilant. I suppose I'll have to see for myself tomorrow. I'm happy about the mids though. The W20002 mids were a bit high for me actually. I'm looking forward to hearing that.
 
Quote:

Just picked up my pair of ATH-W3000ANV from Bic Camera in downtown Nagoya, Japan.  Various plans fell through with family obligations and weather mishaps along the way, so didn't manage to get to pick them on the 18th like I wanted, but all good now!
 
Ridiculously huge qualifier #1:  I love the Audio-Technica house sound, most of all the w2002's, which are much loved for their beautiful look and case, but most people aren't crazy about how they sound.  I am crazy about how they sound.  All the headphones I've owned have been Audio-Technica, other than briefly owning the Senn 600's a long time ago. 
 
Ridiculously huge qualifier #2:   I don't have any audiophile equipment with me and am running this straight out of a laptop.  Only cans I have for comparison are my ATH-EW9 clipons (my ESW9's are sent off to audio-technica in Tokyo for repairs currently).
 
Ridiculously huge qualifier #3:  I've never done a headphone review and don't care to research on how to best organize everything.  This is going to be first impression stream of consciousness, take it or leave it.  People on this board are super critical it seems, so you're more than welcome to ignore a noob's review.
 
Break-in?!?
Out of the box, I was pretty monstrously disappointed.  I was hoping for headphones that retained the w2002 sound and hopefully improved on it.  I heard none of the warmth I expected from an Audio-Technica woodie.  Initially, they were light on bass and super heavy on treble with heavy sibilance I'd never heard in an Audio-Technica anyways and no real warmth. Dejected, left some music running over dinner.
 
Came back after dinner and to my surprise, I could hear the warmth I was looking for!  I've never ever believed in break-in, but they sounded dramatically different to my ears.  I completely understand the break-in disbelievers out there and definitely think a lot is psychological and the expectations of the user simply shift/adjust.  But the difference in sound seemed, to me at least, to be significantly different.  I have a bachelors in biology and chem with a hefty weighting in psychology.  I'm skeptical.  But still, I'm a surprised new believer in break-in.
 
Box and Construction:
I was really hoping for a proper case like the w2002's or even the w5000's.  Instead we get a box.  A generic albeit nicely made black box, but still, a box.  There's a red "band" (can't find proper words to describe this) that encircles the box, but it'd be hugely impractical to put it on and off all the time for normal use.  So we're left with the boring black box.  Disappointed to say the least since the 40th anniversary w2002 is infinitely better and the w5000's are even better.  Albeit, the box is nicely wrapped in sexy black silky material and foam padded on all sides, but overall a downgrade.
 
From memory, there was no need to worry about the plug damaging the cans with the w2002 case because they were separated in the case and by the foam in the lid.  However, now we're given a small black velvety bag to insert the cable into so as not to damage the cans because they can float freely in the box.
 
Unlike the w2002's, the plastic portion directly above the drivers is symmetrical, so you can't differentiate between the left and right drivers based on feel, so you gotta take a peak at the side every time.  The plastic wings that sit on your head seem seriously flimsy though, the connection to the body of the headphone is I'd guess about 1cm (1/2"-ish) and just seems like it could break if you're not delicate.  The outermost wing portion seems hyper-mobile, allowing it to readily adapt to different head shapes, but to me it seems to move too much, as if it could break.
 
Sound characteristics:
 
Again, I don't have the experience of someone say Skylab.  I found a house sound I loved 7 or 8 years ago at my first head-fi meet, basically pieced together the first system I fell in love with over the course of a few years and have been very happy ever since.  However, it'd been my dream to buy the 50th anniversary cans too.
 
Treble:
These have way more treble than the w2002's and more than my memory of my ESW9's.  You can hear the clash of tamberines quite clearly.  Whereas the w2002's had quite rolled-off highs, these sound much closer to neutral for an AT headphone.
 
Mids:
The bread and butter of the AT house sound.  I think they're still emphasized relative to bass and treble, the rainbow frequency response people have been talking about.  Not as emphasized as the w2002's and if I had to guess, I'd say the mid emphasis has been placed lower, it's definitely a darker sound than I'm used to from my w2002's or ESW9's.
 
Bass:
Better bass extension than w2002's or ESW9's from memory.  Bass is really tight and you can really hear the differentiation between notes.  The bass slam isn't really there, very likely a product of using a laptop and no proper DAC or amp, or could be me expecting to hear bass notes slam the way I'm used to on my 15" Paradigm sub.
 
Decay:
I can't get over how much better the attack on these headphones is relative to my memory of the ESW9's and w2002's.  The w2002's are seriously slow in decay but these seem pretty damn fast.
 
Detail in general:
I feel I can hear way more detail than I'm used to mostly because of the fast decay.  When the bass is reverberating, I feel like I can better hear the ossciliation between notes.  The sound in general just feels way more textured than I'm used to.
 
Overall:
So far a fan!  They retain the AT house sound, but more neutral overall than I'm used to.  Less roll-off in the bass and treble, but still emphasized in mids, but perhaps lower than I'm used to hearing.  Attack is much better, but really need to listen to this on a proper system with DAC & amp to really know how I feel about these.

 
 

 

[HelloHell]

Guess who has arrived at my doorstep...
 

 
W3000ANV vs. W11JPN
 

 
Sorry for the crappy pics taken with my iPhone... I really like the classy look of these headphone jacks... Such small pieces of art. Photo just doesn't do them justice they look 10X better in person.

 

[HelloHell]

I'm still patiently waiting for my HA5000ANV to arrive. Probably after Thanksgiving I suppose. I will post some brief impressions (may include comparisons with W11JPN) after I complete my AT system and the initial burn-in process... Stay tuned...