[sonic]

Hello,
I am looking to purchase a nice pair of headpones. I think I have narrowed the search to the above two headphones. I am having trouble deciding between the two. If you have had the chance to listen to both of the headphones please tell me your thoughts on both. Also, I am not concerned about the amp requirements. I plan on purchasing one based on which phones I get. I am looking for the best overall performer as far as sound goes. I have seen that kwkarth has both cans, I sure would like to hear how he thinks they stack up.


Thanks a bunch.

 

[Raymond Kim]

I have the CD 3000 headphones and I will say they sound great; sorry to say but I haven't listened to the AKG 1000.

Even without listening to the AKG 1000 I would say you should go for the AKG's because I really do believe that you get what you pay for. Now, this isn't true in ALL cases but generally from my experiences, it is. If I had the money to buy the AKG 1000 AND a good amp that would complement the AKG's well I would buy those instead of the Sony CD3000.

 

[DanG]

While I listened to the AKG K1000 and the Sony MDR-CD3000 using different sources and different amplification, I greatly preferred the K1000. For reference, here were the systems:

Marantz CD6000 OSE -> Tara Labs Air-1 interconnects -> Holmes-Powell DCT-1 -> Sony MDR-CD3000

Cary CD306(with the PMD-100 filter) -> ? interconnects -> Cary 300SEI integrated amplifier (using KR tubes) -> AKG K1000

Listening almost exclusively to classical music, I found that the K1000 generally has the feel of a very natural soundstage, better than I've heard with any other headphone. With orchestral works, the sound was simply spectacular partly due to the natural presentation of the orchestra itself. With chamber music, the K1000 distanced me a little too much from the players, so it sounded more like the players (Alban Berg Quartett in this case, I believe) were playing in an auditorium and I was about ten rows away, as opposed to being in a small room with the musicians right in front of me.

In terms of specific sound regions, the highs of the K1000 were really very good -- not rolled off but not unnaturally omnipresent. Bass was there -- not pounding bass, but the information was definitely present and the bass was tight.

With the Sony MDR-CD3000, again, I used a different source, amp, and interconnects. However, the headphone amp costs $4500, and the Cary integrated (speaker) amplifier can be had for just over $3000 new. Then again, the Cary CD306 certainly beats my Marantz.

But anyway, on to my impressions. Many people say that the CD3000 has a lot of detail -- I found that it felt more like "artificial" detail. That is, while the CD3k is basically an open-back design and does not block the entrance or exit of sound from the earcups, the sound seems to stay within the earcups for a little time after bouncing off the backs. This makes it seem like it has more detail.

The CD3000 is an interesting headphone in that the amplification used to drive it greatly affects the sound. When using Vka's DCT-1, I felt the midrange was exaggerated and syrupy, and the bass somewhat less than tight (but still better than the HD600).

At the Home Entertainment Expo 2001 in NYC, I listened to a CD3000 plugged into a Headroom Home amplifier, which in turn was plugged into a Marantz CD67se. The sound was somewhat bright and could well have become fatiguing after half an hour of listening.

I preferred the sound of the CD3000 out of the DCT-1, but even then, it was not ideal to me; the Alessandro Music Series Pro headphone I heard then (it was my first time) just amazed me so much that I bought them a few months later to replace my newly purchased Grado RS-2 headphones.

Many members here who enjoy rock, dance, techno, and hip-hop music seem to enjoy the CD3000 very much. If you primarily listen to classical music, you will probably prefer the AKG K1000 -- I thought it was more balanced when I heard it.

Good luck!

 

[sonic]

Thanks for the great info. Dan. I really appreciate it.

 

[kwkarth]

Sonic,
I don't think you mentioned what sort of music you listen to or what the rest of your system is comprised of. Here's the reason I ask;
If you listen mainly to rock and pop, the Sony's should be your choice. You would be unhappy with the AKG's in all likelihood. But if Rock/pop are indeed your musical preferences, you may do well to consider some other cans as well that may be even better suited to that venue. The Beyer DT250/80 would be my top pick for rock/pop.

Now, if your listening includes classical, jazz, and the like, then we have to know if you're considering buying an amp as well. In my opinion the Sonys are so efficient that you can get away with not buying an amp initially. You'll love the sound you get and should you decide to get a good headphone amp later, you'll absolutely be able to appreciate it with your Sony's.

Further, in my opinion, if you should not consider the AKG's without buying the SAC-K1000 amp unless you already have or intend to buy something like the CARY or ASL recommended by Headroom.

Comparing the CD3000s to the K1000s, the Sonys have more prominent, but less accurate bass.
There is a very slight glassiness to the Sonys in the upper mid-range. You'll hear an amazing amount of detail in your music with the Sonys but it's nothing compared to what you'll hear with the K1000's (If you get a good amp for them) Without a good amp for the AKG's they do not sound good.

So here's table stakes: Sonys will set you back around 400 bucks and they'll be fine by themselves until you're ready to take the next step. The AKG K1000s will set you back around 1000 bucks with the SAC amp. If you're not going to buy the amp, don't buy the AKG's. Now, you can always spend more on an amp than what the SAC will set you back, but view that as a minimum. Also keep in mind that unless your source is up to snuff, the AKG's are so revealing, that you may not be able to relax and enjoy your music until you “fix” everything else in your system!

Happy listening!!