[kyrie]

The midbass overpowers that midrange?
Hm, on my setup the midrange ~ bass balance is about right (if anything, it's probably the treble that overpowers the midrange).
Serves to show that it sounds different on every setup, I guess.

 

[gsferrari]

Yeah...the packing is a joke. The box is nice for a $400.00 headphone although I would have preferred wood or plastic for a more permanent solution. The satin fabric over cardboard is a joke...

 

[patman657]

I think the trade off is the stand, which for most people is more useful than a case. Anyway, I just received shipping confirmation from Etronics (they have them in stock BTW if anyone is looking for a place to order), so I will have a pair on Wednesday (and lucky me, I'm on spring break)!

 

[tyrion]

I just spent the last hour or so with my new cdp and the SA5k's and what a difference a day makes. It's like the Berendsen/Veda or HD25/SA5k's were made for each other. The cans were shrill with the the Samsung, now everything is back in place. Plenty of detail, nice tight bass and treble that doesn't make your ears bleed. It's not that I didn't expect the Berendsen to outclass the Samsung, it's just that the cans sounded bad with the Samsung and I don't think I've noticed that with either the ms-pros or 325i's.

 

[Canman]

Quote:

Originally Posted by kyrie The midbass overpowers that midrange? Hm, on my setup the midrange ~ bass balance is about right (if anything, it's probably the treble that overpowers the midrange). Serves to show that it sounds different on every setup, I guess.

The midbass comparison is to the R10 and most headphones exhibit this symptom to some extent. There is a midbass hump that is apparent when switching between the R10 and the SA5000. It can get a little muddy if there is a lot going on. In my experience this is often a symptom of not enough burn in and may dissappear after some use. My pair only has around 50 hours on it.

Right now the brightness can make bad recordings sound irritating. Blue Merle which is compressed and thinly recorded pop (but great music) sounds awful. Van Morrison sounds very good. David Grisman Quintet, which is a dark acoustic recording sounds phenomenal. Brightness will be a factor in whether or not I decide to keep these. Either way, these are still impressive heapdhones in many aspects.

 

[Jap]

[size=small]
Inquiring minds would like to know: How do the SA5000's compare in detail and transparency to the Qualia 010's, the Joe Grado 1000's or other top phones? (I have to admit, when somebody claimed these phones had more detail than the ER4S, I found myself getting sexually aroused!

)
[/size]

 

[Sovkiller]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jap [size=small] Inquiring minds would like to know: How do the SA5000's compare in detail and transparency to the Qualia 010's, the Joe Grado 1000's or other top phones? (I have to admit, when somebody claimed these phones had more detail than the ER4S, I found myself getting sexually aroused! ) [/size]

The details on the Qualia are in a completelly different league over all of the headphones I have heard to the date (IMO the HP-1000 can't evne touch it regarding that) not sure about electrostatics though, the details on them are nowhere similar to anything I have heard except maybe the R-10.

 

[kyrie]

The SA5000 has more detail than the HP1000.
In transparency...well, I'm not sure. The perception of that probably differs from person to person.

The Qualia I have not heard so I cannot comment on, but people who have heard both (on Japanese messageboards) have commented that the main difference between the SA5k and Qualia is not in detail, but in soundstaging, imaging, and overall balance.
In other words, except from a very high-end setup, there's probably only a minor level of difference in detail only (though imaging can influence perception of detail) between the SA5k and Q010. On the other hand, there might be some significant difference in terms of "transparency," whatever this is. This is all hearsay, so I wouldn't know.

 

[Jap]

[size=small]
Thanks for your thoughts, guys.

I have no problem believing that the modern SA5000 and Qualia 010 outclass the older HP1000 wrt details. It would be interesting to see if a modern headphone tops the HP1000 with respect to transparency (where transparency is the measure of the phone's ability pass along the musical signal with little coloration, the ability of the phone to "disappear" and allow the signal to shine clearly, so to speak).

I remember when I tested one of Ray Samuel's diminutive amps against another amp using Ray's famous (infamous?) switcher. The Grado HP2 was the only phone where a difference was clearly discernable. I was supremely impressed with the HP2's ability to "get out of the way" of the musical signal.

It would be really impressive for a modern phone to combine greater details and greater transparency over the HP1000.
[/size]

 

[jjcha]

I tried the SA5k again last night (I had been listening to the Qualia almost exclusively for the last month or so in the bed rig) and wasn't really that surprised to hear some more separation/clearly focused instruments from the SA5k that I did from the Qualia. There are some CDs I've only really listened to on the Qualia (and think the Qualia is best suited for them) and on the SA5k, I heard instruments separated out - bass lines, drum tracks - that I didn't notice from the hours and hours on the Qualia. It's amazing how subtle differences in sound can really bring instruments out.

It took me a little while to get used to the SA5k again. I guess they do sound quite meaningfully different (though still related, damn you!) from the Qualia.
I prefer my Qualia over my SA5k, but I don't think getting the SA5k again was a mistake at all.

Best,

-Jason

 

[Sovkiller]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jap [size=small] Thanks for your thoughts, guys. I have no problem believing that the modern SA5000 and Qualia 010 outclass the older HP1000 wrt details. It would be interesting to see if a modern headphone tops the HP1000 with respect to transparency (where transparency is the measure of the phone's ability pass along the musical signal with little coloration, the ability of the phone to "disappear" and allow the signal to shine clearly, so to speak). I remember when I tested one of Ray Samuel's diminutive amps against another amp using Ray's famous (infamous?) switcher. The Grado HP2 was the only phone where a difference was clearly discernable. I was supremely impressed with the HP2's ability to "get out of the way" of the musical signal. It would be really impressive for a modern phone to combine greater details and greater transparency over the HP1000. [/size]

According to Nik the Qualia is the more "accurate headphone" to the date he had heard and he had heard the Grados also (not my personal opinion though) Me personally don't care too much about accuracy, but musicality, and euphony, as I have stated many times IMO nobody knows how the recording was done unless you personally made it, nobody knows the engineer tastes, the mikes used, the EQ used after in the production process, etc...and to what extend all those factors could colour the recording or not, to sound lifelike does not means that the recording was done that way neither.....and the considered most accurate headphones IMO have not been that great, and according to my short experience, the HP-1000 is not the exception, the bass is IMO overpowered, and the highs were rolled, but for some more experienced members they are a darn fine headphones, and extremelly accurate and neutral, so I will not argue that, this is just my opinion based in my short experience.

 

[NeilPeart]

IMO there is not a 'phone more resolving and transparent then the Qualia – it is unbelievably detailed and the clearest window into music I have ever peered through. Right behind it is the HE90, followed by the R10, then the K1000 and finally HP-1000 brings up the rear (though all of these cans are extremely transparent and revealing).

 

[gurus]

See my impressions

http://www6.head-fi.org/forums/showthread.php?t=113446

 

[thatopampguy]

I received the SA5k from beach audio today.

First impression: Good lord, these are bright, sterile, and harsh! Uhhh, lots of mental burn in will be necessary. My grados and my hd600s are easier to listen to. You'll need an excellent source.

Build is metal, but it's thin. Is difficult to fit on big heads.

 

[jjcha]

Quote:

Originally Posted by thatopampguy I received the SA5k from beach audio today. First impression: Good lord, these are bright, sterile, and harsh! Uhhh, lots of mental burn in will be necessary. My grados and my hd600s are easier to listen to. You'll need an excellent source. Build is metal, but it's thin. Is difficult to fit on big heads.

I really don't like the SA5k with the SR-71. Pushes the highs too far forward. I only became really happy with the SA5k when I stopped using it with the iPod + SR-71.

Best,

-Jason