[obobskivich]

Still not really saying anything other than you dislike one of them (I'm assuming, but you aren't saying much at all), and no reasons. But thanks for trying, I guess...

 

[MacedonianHero]

The W5000s have rolled off bass and treble that isn't the smoothest. Throw in a honky sounding mid-range (along with the bass roll off), they just sound "off" and incoherent. 
 
Maybe this will help. Now I don't hear the W5000s as rolled off as Headroom measures them, but still they were so "off" sounding with the several amps I tried them with, I just can't bring myself to recommending them. The TH-900s on the other hand are quick, detailed and compete with the HD800s and LCD-3s (thought I prefer these two over the Fostex's, the differences aren't as wide).
 

 

[obobskivich]

And incoherent is not a word I'd put near the W5000 - so I guess we'll have to agree that we're a million miles apart.

 

[whoelse]

Quote:

Just to nit pick the Z1000 is not the same as the 7520:
 
This is from Jude (owner of Head-Fi.org) Holiday gift guide 2012:
 

 
Wow, I thought they were sonically quite similar if not the same?

 

[Andrew_WOT]

Quote:

And incoherent is not a word I'd put near the W5000 - so I guess we'll have to agree that we're a million miles apart.

 
I put my thoughts on W5000 standing against my HD800 earlier
 
Quote:

On my setup they get same or more headtime than HD800, I think of them as of HD800 with soul as they have comparable details and soundstage but W5000 adds very nice euphonic coloration to midrange, some do prefer more neutral presentation. Another thing, with wrong amp and bad seal they sound thin and distant.

 
And I may be not alone here
http://www.head-fi.org/t/429658/hd800-vs-w5000
http://www.head-fi.org/t/462270/mdr-sa5000-can-they-be-bettered/75#post_6261877
 
Granted that ATH "honked mids" house sound is not for everyone but same can be said about any headphone.
 
And speaking of measurements, they are pretty much useless on ATH woodies due to their "double air dampening".
 
Purrin talks about that here, where W3000Anv measurements turned out as some crazy roller coaster.
 
Quote:

Originally posted by Purrin
 
The Audio Technica woodies are very hard to measure because of their design. The driver baffle is semi-open to allow a delayed back wave to augment the forward wave. This probably accounts for their romantic or weird sound depending upon how you hear it.

 

[BillsonChang007]

Well actually, I sort-of prefer HD800 over K550 in a blind test. Paired the HD800 with Beyerdynamic A1 and the K550 with iBasso D7. Tried them with a DX100 DAP too [ is it just me or others too? You need a lot of setting to sound good for everywhere headphone you throw it at. ] Anywhere, the AKG K550 sound better with female vocals and less sibilants. I can hear more detail with the K550. HD800 on the other hand sound slightly sibilants [very slight], wider soundstage.
 
Side note: Just my very own opinion, one might like HD800 over K550 but please! Just my opinion xD Probably because the music I tried it with.. It was Adele all the way because that's what the DAP and the Mac there have. xD

 

[reddragon]

Quote:

Well actually, I sort-of prefer HD800 over K550 in a blind test. Paired the HD800 with Beyerdynamic A1 and the K550 with iBasso D7. Tried them with a DX100 DAP too [ is it just me or others too? You need a lot of setting to sound good for everywhere headphone you throw it at. ] Anywhere, the AKG K550 sound better with female vocals and less sibilants. I can hear more detail with the K550. HD800 on the other hand sound slightly sibilants [very slight], wider soundstage.
 
Side note: Just my very own opinion, one might like HD800 over K550 but please! Just my opinion xD Probably because the music I tried it with.. It was Adele all the way because that's what the DAP and the Mac there have. xD

 
 
never tried the hd800 but the k550 sounded good to me when i demoed them, clean and clear. interesting to see that someone prefers it more than the hd800! 

 

[Greed]

Quote:

Well actually, I sort-of prefer HD800 over K550 in a blind test. Paired the HD800 with Beyerdynamic A1 and the K550 with iBasso D7. Tried them with a DX100 DAP too [ is it just me or others too? You need a lot of setting to sound good for everywhere headphone you throw it at. ] Anywhere, the AKG K550 sound better with female vocals and less sibilants. I can hear more detail with the K550. HD800 on the other hand sound slightly sibilants [very slight], wider soundstage.
 
Side note: Just my very own opinion, one might like HD800 over K550 but please! Just my opinion xD Probably because the music I tried it with.. It was Adele all the way because that's what the DAP and the Mac there have. xD

I doubt you would prefer the K550 over the HD800 with a good synergizing amp/dac. What did you hear them out of?

 

[ThinkAwesome]

While maybe not the king of closed headphones, the Sony MDR-CD900ST is an absolutely stellar headphone.

They aren't very bassy, their extension on both ends is pretty weak, and their soundstage is very small, but their mid range is in the absolute highest tier of headphones, from my experience. They obviously aren't suited for all genres, but for music like folk, and small rock arrangements they sound incredible. Very, very lifelike presentation of voices, with great body and clean extraction of microdetail, while never sounding shouty or sibilant.

Once upon a time I thought that the CD900ST was the Japan variant V6/7506 since they use the exact same driver. They aren't. The CD900ST is the pretty big step up from the V6/7506, more neutral, more analytical. Also, though from a distance the only difference is the silver ring, they aren't physically interchangeable with the 7506/V6. It was designed in cooperation with Sony's entertainment division as their pro headphone of choice, and is popular is very popular in Japan for monitoring (sorta like the V6/7506 outside of Japan).

I found the sound too sterile, but if you like neutral, analytical headphones, I would definitely try to give it a listen.

 

[whoelse]

Audio Technica W5000
Beyerdynamic T5p
Denon AH-D7100
Fostex Mad Dog
Fostex Paradox
Fostex TH900
JVC DX1000
Kenwood KH-K1000
Sony MDR-CD900ST
Ultrasone Edition 8
Ultrasone Signature Pro
Yamaha Pro 500
AKG K550
Fostex TH600
Sony MDR-1R
Sony MDR-Z1000/7520
SoundMagic HP100

 

[Greed]

Quote:

Audio Technica W5000
Beyerdynamic T5p
Denon AH-D7100
Fostex Mad Dog
Fostex Paradox
Fostex TH900
JVC DX1000
Kenwood KH-K1000
Sony MDR-CD900ST
Ultrasone Edition 8
Ultrasone Signature Pro
Yamaha Pro 500
AKG K550
Fostex TH600
Sony MDR-1R
Sony MDR-Z1000/7520
SoundMagic HP100

Good list other than the Pro 500's imo, still not up to par with the rest of those. Also, Fostex doesn't make either the Paradox, or Mad Dog. They are just mods of the original which is the Fostex T50RP... Mrspeakers Mad Dog and Paradox Audio - Paradox. All the remaining up there have their rightful place as "King" in different ranges, sound signatures, etc. Good list, minus Pro 500.

 

[whoelse]

 
Audio Technica W5000
Beyerdynamic T5p
Denon AH-D7100
Fostex T50RP Mad Dog
Fostex T50RP Paradox
Fostex TH900
JVC DX1000
Kenwood KH-K1000
Sony MDR-CD900ST
Ultrasone Edition 8
Ultrasone Signature Pro
AKG K550
Fostex TH600
Sony MDR-1R
Sony MDR-Z1000/7520
SoundMagic HP100
Yamaha Pro 500
 
Welcome any protester

 

[ThinkAwesome]

Audio Technica W5000


Beyerdynamic T5p


Denon AH-D7100


Fostex Mad Dog


Fostex Paradox


Fostex TH900


JVC DX1000


Kenwood KH-K1000


Sony MDR-CD900ST


Ultrasone Edition 8


Ultrasone Signature Pro


Yamaha Pro 500


AKG K550


Fostex TH600


Sony MDR-1R


Sony MDR-Z1000/7520


SoundMagic HP100

Is the CD900ST really better than the 7520?

 

[BillsonChang007]

Quote:

I doubt you would prefer the K550 over the HD800 with a good synergizing amp/dac. What did you hear them out of?

ALAC -> Mac -> Beyerdynamic A1 -> HD 800
FLAC -> iBasso DX100 -> HD800
 
ALAC > Mac -> iBasso D7 -> K550
FLAC -> iBasso DX100 -> K550
 
Then again, using the DX100, without much setting, the HD800 sound better while the K550 here really lacks bass, cold sounding and bad highs. Sharp sounding... Like it best with D7! Excellent bass(for me), less cold(or no cold sounding?), analytical and very nice mids. Sibilants free. 
 
Billson

 

[reddragon]

Quote:

Is the CD900ST really better than the 7520?

 
 
you just asked my question lol. the z1000/7520 is newer and also more expensive, is the cd900st really the better headphone? if z1000/7520 is crossed out, does the cd900st have the right to stay? im not saying the cd900st is inferior to the z1000/7520 though since i only have a z1000 and never heard the 7520 or the cd900st, im merely asking a question...