Blighty
100+ Head-Fier
- Joined
- Jan 19, 2002
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[UPDATED: The W1000 has now been burning in for 100+ hours and I have had over 20 hrs of listening time on them. Further comments and insight are provided in the Addendum below.]
I am very familiar with the W100 sound and could immediately identify differences between it and the newer W1000. For those fence sitters deciding on whether to take the plunge or not, here is a breakdown of what I felt were the major differences between the W100 and W1000:
[size=small]Upper Mids & Highs[/size]
The W1000 has a much more focused high frequency presentation than the W100. I have always felt that the W100 was a little soft on top and could use some better extention and decay. The W1000 provides this quality which seems to give natural instruments even more realism than before. Wind instruments sound that much more satisfying while cymbals shimmer instead of just splashing in comparison to the W100. Benefits of a more sophisticated treble include a greater sense of ambience especially in live recordings. The manner in which notes trail off and decay is now sharper and more palpable which adds greater transparency and presence to the presentation. If there is a sacrifice here then it is detail at the expense of a relaxed and somewhat polite sound that the W100 portrays in the highs.
[size=small]Mid-range[/size]
The mid-range magic that the W100 is famous for makes vocals sound very lush, warm and full. The W1000 in comparison offers a cooler and perhaps leaner presentation here. If the W100 is lush and warm, the W1000 is nimble and the essence of clarity. The fuller upper bass/lower mids seem to give the W100 plenty of body in male voices and instruments that many find pleasurable and musical. The effect also allows the W100 to provide a great sense of cohesiveness to the sound without sounding bloated. However, it is in my opinion that this is also the characteristic that has caused the W100 to sound a bit congested at times during large orchestral crescendos as well as in other busy music with lots of voices and instruments. The W1000 is thinner in this region and results in a presentation that never feels confused or congested regardless of what the material you play through them. It has the ability to separate, image and layer multiple individual instruments in their appropriate spaces without sounding detached or overly cohesive that it blurs. A known issue some people experienced with the W100 was its lack of compatibility with some types of fast, aggressive rock music. This is no longer the case as the speed and impact that the W1000 possesses has made this genre sound as good as any headphone I have heard. Rock and Alternative now has the edge that defines the genre.
Female vocals in particular are presented exceptionally well in the W1000. The clarity and articulation is noticeably improved over the W100 although male vocals do not have quite the same heft they do with the W100.
I find that preference or mood sometimes comes into play when deciding which is better for nicely remastered older recordings from DCC or MFSL. The W1000 gives greater clarity and focus while the W100 oozes out more warmth and tube-like lushness. On pristine modern recordings, the W1000 has a sizeable advantage over the W100.
[size=small]Mid-bass & Lows[/size]
Low frequency extention and response is greatly improved over the W100. This is in no small part due to the addition of the DADS(Double Air Damping System) that Audio-Technica has built into the W1000. The W100 always had good bass and great definition/texture in the lows but suffered from a premature rolloff which resulted in a -10dB rolloff by 30hz. The W1000 by comparison can reach down to the depths of 20hz before becoming inaudible. The absolute quality of the bass is mildly improved because of a more linear response throughout the bass region but both headphones clearly possess superior bass texture in comparison to other popular headphones. With its increased output in the lowest octave, the W1000 can do justice to even artificially bass heavy electronica and movie soundtracks. It also now adds the proper amount of weight to the lowest keys on a grand piano or the lower notes of an organ. Moreover, drums have increased resolution, texture and decay over the W100 which admittedly already sounded wonderful to me.
[size=small]Putting it into Perspective[/size]
The common theme throughout this short analysis seems to allude to the opinion that the W100 offers a more relaxed presentation with its slightly rolled off highs and fuller upperbass and lower mids while the W1000 possesses significantly higher resolution, detail and overall transparency. It has better low level/ambient content retrieval and considerably improved instrument imaging and separation. The whole presentation is very sharp and focused and great for critical listening with classical and Jazz selections. The increased linearity in the W1000's frequency response allows for a more tonally balanced presentation, which in turn gives it much greater versatility and consistency over the W100 with a wider variety of music. The only compromise(Which may not be a compromise at all for many) is the W1000 trades a degree of warmth/thickness in favour of more speed and clarity. However, I am sure you can mix and match tube/solid state amplifers to find the sound you prefer.
At this time, I fully intend to keep the W100 to compliment the W1000 as it is still a great headphone for many types of music with its heavier emphasis on the upperbass and lower mids as well as general high transparency.
If I could only keep one headphone it would probably be the W1000 and I would gladly recommend it to anyone looking for "that one last headphone"(yeah right) within a reasonable price. I have owned most of the popular headphones but have never been able to live with any single one of them due to flaws I could not reconcile. The W1000 is definitely a headphone that I feel I can live with without having to switch between headphones every other disc to get a better presentation of the recording. The only other significant upgrade I can foresee would be something like the Sony R10 or Stax Omega II which both cost considerably more than the W1000, being at the highest echelons of headphonedom.
[size=small]Addendum[/size]
i) The loosening of the headband on the W1000 has alleviated much of the tightness I initially experienced with them right out of the box. I continue to stretch the headband in order to match the lightness and low pressure of the W100's headband.
ii) Frequency response in the upper bass and lower mid region no longer exhibit the slight thinness that I was initially very aware of. The result is additional cohesion to the musical body without sounding thick, slow or excessively romanticized. The music is now better represented with more even tonal balance and improved pace, rhythm and timing.
iii) Some of the early traces of stridency in the upper midrange is now no longer detectable unless the recording itself is harsh and sibilant to begin with. This is a welcome change as it does not compromise clarity in any way while removing unwanted attention to itself by providing a smoother, silkier response.
iv) Spatial imaging is as good as I have heard on any headphone. On certain well recorded discs the perception of depth and presence is really quite incredible. The sense of dimension and space around natural instruments is nothing short of excellent. This integrates into the W1000's uncanny ability to pick up very low level detail and reproduce the natural ambience that adds to the perception of naturalness and realism in good recordings.
v) The resolution and sheer amount of detail is extremely high in relation to most headphones shy of electrostatics, but it does not intrude on the presentation as a whole unless you consciously critque individual elements. The ability to sit back, relax and enjoy the performance in its entirety is most pleasing while the competency to effortlessly follow individual instruments clearly is an added benefit for those wishing it.
vi) The significant improvements I perceived could be attributed purely to psychosomatic effects due to the loosening and increase in comfort of the headband coupled with further extended listening and hence familiarity with the W1000. However, the loosening of the drivers may also be a strong factor in my favourable perceptions of the changes although it is possible and quite probable that it is a combination of all three factors. In short, the W1000 is sounding better than ever.
I am very familiar with the W100 sound and could immediately identify differences between it and the newer W1000. For those fence sitters deciding on whether to take the plunge or not, here is a breakdown of what I felt were the major differences between the W100 and W1000:
[size=small]Upper Mids & Highs[/size]
The W1000 has a much more focused high frequency presentation than the W100. I have always felt that the W100 was a little soft on top and could use some better extention and decay. The W1000 provides this quality which seems to give natural instruments even more realism than before. Wind instruments sound that much more satisfying while cymbals shimmer instead of just splashing in comparison to the W100. Benefits of a more sophisticated treble include a greater sense of ambience especially in live recordings. The manner in which notes trail off and decay is now sharper and more palpable which adds greater transparency and presence to the presentation. If there is a sacrifice here then it is detail at the expense of a relaxed and somewhat polite sound that the W100 portrays in the highs.
[size=small]Mid-range[/size]
The mid-range magic that the W100 is famous for makes vocals sound very lush, warm and full. The W1000 in comparison offers a cooler and perhaps leaner presentation here. If the W100 is lush and warm, the W1000 is nimble and the essence of clarity. The fuller upper bass/lower mids seem to give the W100 plenty of body in male voices and instruments that many find pleasurable and musical. The effect also allows the W100 to provide a great sense of cohesiveness to the sound without sounding bloated. However, it is in my opinion that this is also the characteristic that has caused the W100 to sound a bit congested at times during large orchestral crescendos as well as in other busy music with lots of voices and instruments. The W1000 is thinner in this region and results in a presentation that never feels confused or congested regardless of what the material you play through them. It has the ability to separate, image and layer multiple individual instruments in their appropriate spaces without sounding detached or overly cohesive that it blurs. A known issue some people experienced with the W100 was its lack of compatibility with some types of fast, aggressive rock music. This is no longer the case as the speed and impact that the W1000 possesses has made this genre sound as good as any headphone I have heard. Rock and Alternative now has the edge that defines the genre.
Female vocals in particular are presented exceptionally well in the W1000. The clarity and articulation is noticeably improved over the W100 although male vocals do not have quite the same heft they do with the W100.
I find that preference or mood sometimes comes into play when deciding which is better for nicely remastered older recordings from DCC or MFSL. The W1000 gives greater clarity and focus while the W100 oozes out more warmth and tube-like lushness. On pristine modern recordings, the W1000 has a sizeable advantage over the W100.
[size=small]Mid-bass & Lows[/size]
Low frequency extention and response is greatly improved over the W100. This is in no small part due to the addition of the DADS(Double Air Damping System) that Audio-Technica has built into the W1000. The W100 always had good bass and great definition/texture in the lows but suffered from a premature rolloff which resulted in a -10dB rolloff by 30hz. The W1000 by comparison can reach down to the depths of 20hz before becoming inaudible. The absolute quality of the bass is mildly improved because of a more linear response throughout the bass region but both headphones clearly possess superior bass texture in comparison to other popular headphones. With its increased output in the lowest octave, the W1000 can do justice to even artificially bass heavy electronica and movie soundtracks. It also now adds the proper amount of weight to the lowest keys on a grand piano or the lower notes of an organ. Moreover, drums have increased resolution, texture and decay over the W100 which admittedly already sounded wonderful to me.
[size=small]Putting it into Perspective[/size]
The common theme throughout this short analysis seems to allude to the opinion that the W100 offers a more relaxed presentation with its slightly rolled off highs and fuller upperbass and lower mids while the W1000 possesses significantly higher resolution, detail and overall transparency. It has better low level/ambient content retrieval and considerably improved instrument imaging and separation. The whole presentation is very sharp and focused and great for critical listening with classical and Jazz selections. The increased linearity in the W1000's frequency response allows for a more tonally balanced presentation, which in turn gives it much greater versatility and consistency over the W100 with a wider variety of music. The only compromise(Which may not be a compromise at all for many) is the W1000 trades a degree of warmth/thickness in favour of more speed and clarity. However, I am sure you can mix and match tube/solid state amplifers to find the sound you prefer.
At this time, I fully intend to keep the W100 to compliment the W1000 as it is still a great headphone for many types of music with its heavier emphasis on the upperbass and lower mids as well as general high transparency.
If I could only keep one headphone it would probably be the W1000 and I would gladly recommend it to anyone looking for "that one last headphone"(yeah right) within a reasonable price. I have owned most of the popular headphones but have never been able to live with any single one of them due to flaws I could not reconcile. The W1000 is definitely a headphone that I feel I can live with without having to switch between headphones every other disc to get a better presentation of the recording. The only other significant upgrade I can foresee would be something like the Sony R10 or Stax Omega II which both cost considerably more than the W1000, being at the highest echelons of headphonedom.
[size=small]Addendum[/size]
i) The loosening of the headband on the W1000 has alleviated much of the tightness I initially experienced with them right out of the box. I continue to stretch the headband in order to match the lightness and low pressure of the W100's headband.
ii) Frequency response in the upper bass and lower mid region no longer exhibit the slight thinness that I was initially very aware of. The result is additional cohesion to the musical body without sounding thick, slow or excessively romanticized. The music is now better represented with more even tonal balance and improved pace, rhythm and timing.
iii) Some of the early traces of stridency in the upper midrange is now no longer detectable unless the recording itself is harsh and sibilant to begin with. This is a welcome change as it does not compromise clarity in any way while removing unwanted attention to itself by providing a smoother, silkier response.
iv) Spatial imaging is as good as I have heard on any headphone. On certain well recorded discs the perception of depth and presence is really quite incredible. The sense of dimension and space around natural instruments is nothing short of excellent. This integrates into the W1000's uncanny ability to pick up very low level detail and reproduce the natural ambience that adds to the perception of naturalness and realism in good recordings.
v) The resolution and sheer amount of detail is extremely high in relation to most headphones shy of electrostatics, but it does not intrude on the presentation as a whole unless you consciously critque individual elements. The ability to sit back, relax and enjoy the performance in its entirety is most pleasing while the competency to effortlessly follow individual instruments clearly is an added benefit for those wishing it.
vi) The significant improvements I perceived could be attributed purely to psychosomatic effects due to the loosening and increase in comfort of the headband coupled with further extended listening and hence familiarity with the W1000. However, the loosening of the drivers may also be a strong factor in my favourable perceptions of the changes although it is possible and quite probable that it is a combination of all three factors. In short, the W1000 is sounding better than ever.
