I am still listening to HP's wherever I can. Now I heard also the Audio Technica M 50. These give a full sound, as you are playing with a powerful amplifier. Read some critics to find it sounding sharp. Not understand that a bit. Ok, they sound easy, warm and if you not look for detail, pleasant. Would never even think of buying them though. I not hear some instruments, I used to hear, the bass is lazy, slow. Pleasant sounding not mean natural.
Then I went back to listen to the Sony's 100 AAP, and and 1 A. I took different tracks this time, considering what has been said here. On David Gilmour's "rattle that loc"k, High resolution, the 1 A, played wonderful. I was surprised by that. Why, as they have the reputation to have bass bleeding. Gilmour use a lot of bass in his recordings and live (been to the concert this year in Orange). The track did well on the 100aap also as it is not overbright. Bass was tider, but further away from what I am used to hear on my B&W 800 D speakers.
Then I used something else. The second track on "Older" of George Michael. This is also Bass heavy, but another kind of Bass, rounder then on Gilmour's. I have to confess that on this track the 1 A, was "Booming excessively (Ok they are really heavy also on my speakers, but tighter) The track sounder much better on the 100AAP. But maybe bass was not so heavy as it is on the recording, like a part vanished. But this sounded much better then on the 1 A, where the bass got all your attention.
I found on this 100AAP, the brightness bother me a bit less. It was a red one. Not important? Not so sure as maybe people will listen to it more often and maybe the longer burn in, softens it a bit, just a guess. The shopkeeper was wondering why I compared such a long time. Well because both had their strength and flaws. I really like the mids and high tones in the 1 A. I find they sound thinner in the 100AAP, and more aggressive. Voices could there use a bit more warmth. As the 1 A got too much bass on some recordings, the 100AAP misses some here and there.
Some recordings gave advantage to the one, and then others to the other phone. Both has strengths and flaws. If after a serious "burn in" the 100AAP, sounds a bit more smoother, I could live with it. But I am not eager to own it. If I would make the decision of buying it, it would be for
- Comfort
- Better price then the 1 A
When the 1 A sounds good, it is musical, mostly on falt recordings without too much boosted sound. Love the voices But when the music is very Dynamic, then transparency can fail you. Then the BASS can invade your head. Pity, because it not do this on all recordings, just in some frequency's.
The 100AAP, has a more regular sound signature. It is still a bit too bright for me, I like also a bit more depth in some voices, that can sound a bit too flat. I think the good thing Sony did is not to propose a lesser 1 A, but a different approach to choose from.
I listened now, with the wiring problem of my ATH ES 7, to a lot of gear. All have their sound signature, they qualities and flaws, and taste and accuracy, are two determining factors to choose a phone. Your player also of course. My 2 Fiio's behave differently on all. The X3ii, overkill the bass at the end on the 1 A. The original X3, was kinder, with his little bump and going not so deep. In general if this can help, I found the M 50 as described above, the momentum, pleasant, but a bit artificial, pushed sounding, The B&W (sorry not remember which one, 6 months ago) musical, but restrained, the Urbans, very very pleasant, but not so natural, but with good highs and a bit overwhelming bass at times (but not bleeding so much on what I listened too). I cannot help it, but I never fell in love as I did with my ATH ES 7. Which deforms my opinion also, as I am using these for 3 years. Every time I listened to it, after hearing other one's, I still like them and was not overwhelmed by another pair. Except one's, and I am ashamed to admit, I forgot which one's, probably Grado's. But they were 500 €, and I am not willing to spend more then 200. Also these were paired with an excellent Sennheiser Headphone amp.
So for Sony lovers, they have a choice. The musical but Bass leaking A1, or the more restrained, fast, but a bit too bright 100 AAP . As a second pair, and their sound isolation when traveling, I still could go for them. But meanwhile I pick up my good old ATH ES 7 headphone, with a complete new wiring. On holiday in Thailand, shops still repair at a reasonable price, when in Europe they force you to buy another headphone.
