Some A500 questions you have probably already answered

[MoSXS]

Okay, after using "search" extensively

I still have some questions about the A500s. I'm hoping that someone will be so kind as to help me. I'm on the verge of ordering them.. my girlfriend is visiting her parents in Japan and said she would send me some for my birthday in a couple of weeks. But I can't wait

haha.

Oh, this might be a long post. As I like to talk too much.

I guess I should give a run down of equipment used and how the headphones will be used!

I generally listen to all types of music. Rock is my preferred genre, but you can find me listening to almost anything. I'll listen to anything from 3 Doors Down, to Fear Factory, to The Police, to Pink Floyd, to Eminem and Utada. So, I basically listen to anything.

I also like to watch DVDs with headphones. I can usually only watch movies at night... so using my sound system is out of question

haha.

My sources right now.. well, I'm using the Pioneer DV578As connected to a Pioneer receiver.. I can't remember the exact model, and I'm a little too lazy to get up and look

But the receiver is only 4 years old. I listen to CDs, SACDs, and DVD-Audio. I'll also be using a NetMD player for the times when I need to be "Semi-portable".

My first real question is just how easily are the A500s driven? I know a lot of people say that an iPod can drive them with no problem. But just how easily driven are they? I don't want to buy an amp. But it seems like they might be difficult to drive at 64ohms... In the future, I'll be using them with an iPod (or Zen Touch) and either an iBook (or Windows based PC). Will the iPod or Zen be able to drive them good? I don't necessarily care about volume. I'm trying to preserve my hearing

I'm only 22 after all

I'm sure my receiver will have no problem with them, but I don't know how well my MD player will be able to drive them for the time being.

My next question is regarding the differences between the A500 and A900. I've read a lot of posts here saying that the A500s are "80%" of the A900s. I've also read that the A500s can be 95% of the A900s. How different are they really? I've read that the A500 just lacks the "final level of detail".

I'm no audiophile, but I do enjoy good sound quality. However, I've never heard a truly good set of headphones. Infact, all of my headphones have only been Sonys! Hey, don't laugh too hard! hah.

Right now, my current set of headphones.. well... they're the dreaded V700s. So I can imagine I'll be experiencing quite an upgrade!

But I guess my main question is, well, is the difference between the A500 and A900 worth the extra almost $100? Is it really worth the extra money for a 20% increase? Will I really miss the final level of detail, if I've really never heard it anyway? Honestly, it does seem like a bit of a stretch to spend almost double the money for a small increase. If you couldn't tell, I don't really want to spend the extra money. haha. So is the difference really that small? Are the A900s really for the audiophile, and the A500s are for the pseudo-audiophile or someone who wants good sound quality without breaking the bank?

I'm also wondering what kind of upgrade I will be experiencing

Just how do the A500s compare to the V700s? I've managed to tame the bass of the V700s using my receiver. But I'm wondering how much better the detail will be? How does the bass sound also? We all know the V700s have a pretty bloated sounded upper bass, but they don't extend low at all. How far down does the bass extend? And how clear and present is it? I'm not looking for subwoofer-attached-to-my-head bass.

I just want to hear bass if its there, and know that its there.

How well do the A500s fair with DVDs too? I watch a variety of movies. Everything from LOTR to Lost in Translation. How well do the A500s fair in action scenes with a lot of deep, rumbling bass?

I guess my next question will be about comfort and isolation. How comfortable are they? Can I wear them for say.. 11 hours?Thats roughly the flight time to Japan from California. I've read that the A500s can give you "Sweaty ear syndrome", but the V700s do too. I can deal with that. But do they make you horribly uncomfortable after a certain amount of time? Will my ears be sore and red like I was out in a blizzard?

Isolation is somewhat important to me. Because I'll be on an airplane a few times over the next couple of years. I don't want to hear the roar of the engines. So do the A500s do a good job of blocking the sound? Without me having to turn the volume up to deafening levels?

I guess that covers everything I wanted to ask..

OH! If I order my A500s later today, can I expect them to get to California by Friday?

Anyway, thanks for any help

 

[infiskik]

i went the route of the 900s. ill can try and list why and how i like mine
while ihavent given my review of them im doing a slow listen/burn in, and waitin untill atleast 100 hours, but been busy lately so havent done much.

anywho

when i set about for my first nice pair, i figured bout 200, but was 90% sure on the hd280s, well spent 3 days here reading and figured id go the ATH way to try smoenthing new then what ive ever listened to.

it came between the 500s and 900s, i figured this pair of phones would hold the closed cans spot for atleast a year hopefully 2, and figured that the extra 90 bucks was worth it, since in that time i would grow into more of an audiophile, and didnt want to 5 months later , be like damn i should of gotten the 900s, if i had gone with the 500s. that said the 500s get glowing marks around here and if you dont want ding the wallet to much they are more then likely to suit you. if you think you might want to hear or learn to hear that 20% they go for the 900s. the 20% remarks are opinions, and really the only opinion that will matter is yours. guitar center sells the ath a series and might have them on display for you try out. thats all i can say for which to get...

as my 900s, comfort is great, sound so far is great to put it as simply ass possible. they can be driven nicely directly from my h120 or laptop. i find my amp helps them enough to consider getting an amp if dont have one. as for movies and games, anything not music they are very nice, and currently cant say anythnig bad about them.

 

[mavis]

I can't really help with the A500 question as I've never heard them, and my A900s are only 24 hours old so I can't really comment on them, either.

What I WOULD like to offer is this:

http://www.mavisxp.com/data/japanese.htm

I mirrored this some time ago and now the original page is offline, so there ya go.

 

[MoSXS]

Quote:

Originally Posted by mavis I can't really help with the A500 question as I've never heard them, and my A900s are only 24 hours old so I can't really comment on them, either. What I WOULD like to offer is this: http://www.mavisxp.com/data/japanese.htm I mirrored this some time ago and now the original page is offline, so there ya go.

That was great! Espicially about the anime freaks! hahaha. I loved it. I'm saving that and sending it to my friends. My girlfriend will love it too! haha. Thanks

infiskik, thanks for your input too! I honestly would like to hear that extra little bit of sound. But at the same time, I don't want to spend the extra money. You know? Plus, I have a lot of spending I have to do coming up.. A few international flights, I have to move, the PC is getting to be a few years old, I need a better portable player than a NetMD.. Wow, I didn't realize I had to spend that much money. haha.

Anyway, yeah. You can see what I'm getting at. I do want to get the A900s. But I need new headphones now. My V700s just don't cut it anymore (maybe they never did!), and they're so cracked that they're unusable. So I need new headphones now. I also have to spend more money than I currently have on many other things

So I'm wondering if the extra little bit NOW is worth it... espicially when in a few months I'll be able to get the A900s significantly cheaper when I'm in Japan.

Bah. I don't know. I'm tired right now. Anyway, it does seem like the A500s are worth it. And if in a few months, I want to hear that extra little bit, I can buy the A900s for about $80 cheaper

I'm still curious to hear everyones input though!

 

[viator122]

Well you know, there are the A700s that are supposedly quite close to the A900s and cost around $150.

 

[catscratch]

Yes, there are the A700's, but I've never heard them. In any case, you can wear the A500's for hours and hours on end without any discomfort whatsoever. I'd rank them comfort-wise roughly on par with my Sennheiser HD590's and very slightly below the Stax 303 - very good marks, seeing how these 2 are some of the most comfortable headphones available. They have a very light grip - bad if you want to do something physical in them, as they'll fly right off, but good if you plan to listen to them for hours on end. The 3-d wing design that A-T keeps boasting about actually works, as they don't have to be adjusted and fit most heads, as long as they're not on the extremes of the size scale. Isolation is pretty good - you can still hear what people are saying next to you if you don't have anything playing, but almost all ambient noises are attenuated. With music playing, even at moderate levels, you definitely will not hear anything around you. Also, there's next to no sound leakage whatsoever, so you won't be bothering anyone either (unlike both of my primary headphones, which can be heard downstairs in the kitchen when I have my door closed!).

I've driven them well out of my Fisher PCDP, but it has a very decent signal strength; I've also driven them out of my Audigy, and of course out of my CD changer and pre-amp/receiver. It performed pretty well with all of these, easily besting the 590 in terms of sound quality when driven out of the PCDP/Sound card (although using an audigy as a judge of quality is like putting racing tires on a 50 year old VW Beetle and then trying to evaluate how good they are). I've given these to a friend since then, and they've been easily driven by anything he has (and his PCDP had trouble driving the 62-Ohm Koss Pro3AA, but no problems with the A500).

As far as what I mean by missing the last layer of detail... well, think of it this way - it's the difference between seeing something through a piece of glass or seeing it with the bare eye. It's the difference between looking at an image that's slightly out of focus, or one that is crisp and clear. It seems to blend sound together more than it should, and gloss over some of the details in the process. A lot of sounds which appear as textured on higher-end cans seem smooth and glossy on the A500 - not necessarily sounding bad, but once you've heard what this is supposed to be like, you realize that there's something missing.

But, this doesn't mean that the A500 is a bad sounding headphone. I can switch from the Stax to the A500 at my friend's house, and not wince in terms of quality, which is saying a whole lot.

If you can cough up the dough, then go for the A900 and feel no remorse. Otherwise, go for the A500 and still feel no remorse, since it is a very good headphone.

 

[crazyfrenchman27]

Quote:

Originally Posted by MoSXS My first real question is just how easily are the A500s driven? I know a lot of people say that an iPod can drive them with no problem. But just how easily driven are they? I don't want to buy an amp. But it seems like they might be difficult to drive at 64ohms... In the future, I'll be using them with an iPod (or Zen Touch) and either an iBook (or Windows based PC). Will the iPod or Zen be able to drive them good? I don't necessarily care about volume. I'm trying to preserve my hearing I'm only 22 after all I'm sure my receiver will have no problem with them, but I don't know how well my MD player will be able to drive them for the time being.

Your sources will drive the headphones sufficiently. One is never too young to grow deaf, either...High frequency hearing loss can be obtained quite easily with the proper set of headphones... *glances at Grados lying on the table*

Quote:

Originally Posted by MoSXS But I guess my main question is, well, is the difference between the A500 and A900 worth the extra almost $100? Is it really worth the extra money for a 20% increase? Will I really miss the final level of detail, if I've really never heard it anyway? Honestly, it does seem like a bit of a stretch to spend almost double the money for a small increase. If you couldn't tell, I don't really want to spend the extra money. haha. So is the difference really that small? Are the A900s really for the audiophile, and the A500s are for the pseudo-audiophile or someone who wants good sound quality without breaking the bank?

If you intend to upgrade later, yes, the difference is worth it. However, if you never intend to visit this site again, the ATH-A500s should be more than adequate. I have not personally tried the ATH-A500s, but if they are anything like the ATH-A900s, they should get the <A TITLE="Click for more information about job" STYLE="text-decoration: none; border-bottom: medium solid green;" HREF="http://search.targetwords.com/u.search?x=5977|1||||job|AA1VDw">job</A> done for you.

Quote:

Originally Posted by MoSXS I'm also wondering what kind of upgrade I will be experiencing Just how do the A500s compare to the V700s? I've managed to tame the bass of the V700s using my receiver. But I'm wondering how much better the detail will be? How does the bass sound also? We all know the V700s have a pretty bloated sounded upper bass, but they don't extend low at all. How far down does the bass extend? And how clear and present is it? I'm not looking for subwoofer-attached-to-my-head bass. I just want to hear bass if its there, and know that its there.

It will be there. It's not DT770 levels, but it's most definitely there.

Quote:

Originally Posted by MoSXS I guess my next question will be about comfort and isolation. How comfortable are they? Can I wear them for say.. 11 hours?Thats roughly the flight time to Japan from California. I've read that the A500s can give you "Sweaty ear syndrome", but the V700s do too. I can deal with that. But do they make you horribly uncomfortable after a certain amount of time? Will my ears be sore and red like I was out in a blizzard?

They are comfortable...the main problem I've had with them is the weight of the aluminum cups with the ATH-A900s...but the ATH-A500s are much lighter. I have never had problems with the pleather.

Isolation is somewhat important to me. Because I'll be on an airplane a few times over the next couple of years. I don't want to hear the roar of the engines. So do the A500s do a good <A TITLE="Click for more information about job" STYLE="text-decoration: none; border-bottom: medium solid green;" HREF="http://search.targetwords.com/u.search?x=5977|1||||job|AA1VDw">job</A> of blocking the sound? Without me having to turn the volume up to deafening levels?[/Quote}

You will not have to turn the volume up to deafening levels.

Quote:

Originally Posted by MoSXS OH! If I order my A500s later today, can I expect them to get to California by Friday?

Expect them sometime next week. Audiocubes is slow at processing orders.

 

[MoSXS]

I want to say a real quick thank you to those who replied

I've been lurking here for a couple of years and you guys are always helpful. I'm glad you were helpful to me too

I ordered my A500s lastnight and they've already shipped! hah! I was surprised! Audiocubes told me that it could be several days before the order was even processed. So I'm very happy

Thanks again! I'll let you know what I think of them after I get them in a few days

 

[infiskik]

good for you, and ill be interested to see how long it takes you to get yours, since we live in roughly same area.

 

[tradja]

Congrats on the A500's! Ironically, right at this moment I am enjoying my A500's out of my Sony MD, a rig that I almost never use. But, my wife is watching a lame movie in our room, forcing me into the office, far from my amp and DT531's

Anyway, my MD drives the A500's adequately, but an amp (even my now-sold Cmoy) helps with bass extention and bass articulation.

As far as movies, the A500's high degree of detail (especially good for dialogue), soundstage, hours-long comfort and bass extention make them my favorite movie cans. Movies are almost the only time I use the A500 these days.

I live at Lake Tahoe, and up here at 7000 ft the air is quite dry and cool most of the time. Nonetheless, the Sweaty (or "Humid")-Ear Syndrome of the A500's is mildly annoying compared to my other cans.

Isolation is okay. I don't know that it's quite up for airline noise, though. I use cheapo canalphones or sturdy, folding Sony V6's for travel. I'd hate to jam my big, beautiful A500's in a backpack.

I've never heard the A900's, and so can't opine. Significantly, I've never heard the other popular "~$100 cans" either (although I really really want to): MS1, K240S, HD555 (ok, I did audition them at a shop and they were very nice), used HD580, etc.

If it weren't for the DT531, the A500 would be my all-purpose, go-to headphone. Enjoy them!

 

[MoSXS]

They still haven't shown up yet. According to USPS, they arrived in San Francisco on Wednesday and there hasn't been any updates since. It doesn't usually take 2 days for mail to get from northern California to southern California.

So its rather disappointing that I'll have to wait until Monday to get them.

I guess thats my only complaint about Audiocubes. The fact that theres no faster shipping option. I would rather pay an extra $10 to FedEx or UPS to have had them delivered yesterday.

 

[MoSXS]

Quote:

Originally Posted by tradja Congrats on the A500's! Ironically, right at this moment I am enjoying my A500's out of my Sony MD, a rig that I almost never use. But, my wife is watching a lame movie in our room, forcing me into the office, far from my amp and DT531's Anyway, my MD drives the A500's adequately, but an amp (even my now-sold Cmoy) helps with bass extention and bass articulation. As far as movies, the A500's high degree of detail (especially good for dialogue), soundstage, hours-long comfort and bass extention make them my favorite movie cans. Movies are almost the only time I use the A500 these days. I live at Lake Tahoe, and up here at 7000 ft the air is quite dry and cool most of the time. Nonetheless, the Sweaty (or "Humid")-Ear Syndrome of the A500's is mildly annoying compared to my other cans. Isolation is okay. I don't know that it's quite up for airline noise, though. I use cheapo canalphones or sturdy, folding Sony V6's for travel. I'd hate to jam my big, beautiful A500's in a backpack. I've never heard the A900's, and so can't opine. Significantly, I've never heard the other popular "~$100 cans" either (although I really really want to): MS1, K240S, HD555 (ok, I did audition them at a shop and they were very nice), used HD580, etc. If it weren't for the DT531, the A500 would be my all-purpose, go-to headphone. Enjoy them!

Now I'm really looking forward to getting my A500s!

I just wish USPS had been a little bit faster! Oh well. haha. Thanks for offering your opinion though

All opinions and words of advice are greatly appricieated!

And you live in Tahoe? Talk about being jealous! I drove by that area on the way to Reno last year. That part of California is VERY beautiful. It makes me want to leave this desert more than I already do!

 

[infiskik]

i never got any contact info from audiocubes when i ordered my a900s,

i got a order conf. email and nothing else.

 

[cmanc]

I didn't want to start a similar topic about the same 'phone so I thought I might ask my questions in your thread instead

. I was actually looking for a pair of headphones to compliment my MS-1 and the A500 is on the top of my list so far. I want a pair of headphones that I can use for listening to classical/play games/watch movies for hours on end that wont annoy anyone who maybe sitting in earshot. Being easy to drive without a amp is also a requirement i.e mostly the things the MS-1 aren't good for, especially soundstaging, isolation and comfort.

The other alternative I was looking at is the Sharp HP-MD33, but I'm a little hessitant about canal 'phones after being bitten by my one and only experience with them although It looks to be great value considering all the positive feedback it's been getting while only being half the price of the A500. From what I've read it delivers good isolation from ambient noises eg my computer fans for instance and is pretty comfortable as far as canal 'phones goes. The downside is I think soundstaging/positioning would not improved from my MS-1 and the MD33 might not be in the same class in terms of sound, while still possessing a simlar high end bias.. I really want to sample something a little different aswell.

So which is the better option for me, the MD33 or A500? my mind is split between the two.

 

[plainsong]

The a500's have plenty of isolation, enough for computer noise and the like. In fact, I was talking not so long ago with a friend of mine about the a500's, and we commenting that you could plug these into a computer soundcard, be completely happy with the sound, and never worry about upgrades again. They're that kind of headphone. Just pleasent and nice and not really too much of anything.

Are they perfect? No, of course not. But are they enjoyable? Oh yes, very. I got a pair to use with the headphone out of my tv. They offer enough detail to enjoy the sound, but not so much that I don't enjoy it. Meaning, they're aren't revealing enough for me to hear the hiss from the headphone-out.

The ms-1's are similar, but different. These are enjoyable with low-end sources, but really benefit as you go up the chain (they hit a wall eventually though). They have lots of bass slam and are a really rockin' listen, but they will not isolate you from noise, and they leak sound like a saggy diaper.

Both are great though, you just have to decide what, if any, future upgrades you plan on dong.