[Graphicism]

Does anyone have any experience with these CD3000 younger siblings?
 
I received them today and upon listening the left channel sounded flatulent when the bass notes hit, I figured this was a hair so I pulled the pads off and heres what I found...
 

 
The padding over the speaker was disintigrating, flaking off and into the speaker encloser. So I opened them up and scraped off what I could, I can see there are a lot of bits inside and directly on the speaker.
 

 
Wanting to open them up I tried pulling and twisting the speaker housing but it won't budge, my question being is it glued or do I need to do a special trist-pop?
 

 
If it's glued any advice on the best way to go about it, short of brute force and a knife?
 
The padding over the speaker was disintigrating, flaking off and into the speaker encloser. So I opened them up and scraped off what I could, I can see there are a lot of bits inside and directly on the speaker.

 

[leeperry]

that foam also ends up like this....I usually clean it w/ this: http://www.giottos.com/Rocket-air.htm

 

[Graphicism]

I'm not sure that would work because they are ball like to the size of the holes... I might just go at it very carefully with a tweezer.

 

[leeperry]

it does work on the first CD generation, did it numerous times...the fragments look big but w/ a bit of air they get through the front grill eventually.
 
and this air pump is very soft, it's meant for cameras and such.

 

[Graphicism]

Fixed em! I pulled out the large parts with a tweezer and blew the rest out with a can of air... carefully.
 
Listening to them now I think they sound great, very much like K701 with a tad more bass... huge huge soundstage! I'll give them a listen this week and maybe post my impressions, the majority of people aren't really interested in these 10, 20, 30 year old headphones which given there sound is a shame. I'm convinced I will never buy a new production headphone, at least not until I have more money than sense. I can definitely see the direction Sony went with the Sony SA series which while being more detailed are similar to these, if only the SAs had more bass, perhaps that's to come. Well needless to say I'll be on the lookout for a CD3000 in the near future.
 

 

 

[leeperry]

as I understand it, this phone has CD1700 lower grade drivers...this second CD gen is much more bassy than the first, so if you want BASS w/ clearer trebles/SS be on the lookout for a CD1700 then

 
so the SS is wider than on the sa5k? I think I'd dig those, as they're the latest iteration of those SONY 50mm drivers...too bad they don't seem to isolate whatsoever, carry a somewhat narrow SS and a sloppy dual ended cable...as I very much prefer single ended, and the Y connection looks very fragile.

 

[udauda]

CD770's diaphragm is a PET material- while CD1700's is made out of a Vectran fiber mesh w/ bio-cellulose covered.

 

[Graphicism]

I'm not entirely sure what material is used, acording to this site they use a Vectran blended bio-cellulose diaphragm...
 
(Translated from Japanese)
The top model with three generations of MDR-CD3000 except, MDR-CD3000 downgraded version of the MDR-CD1000 → MDR-CD950 → "* 50" series model, employing a Vectran blended bio-cellulose diaphragm MDR-CD1700 → MDR-CD770's → "* 70" series model, employing a detachable cable MDR-CD2000 → MDR-CD780's → "* 80" model series has.
Sony's catalog has been and still is 別枠, MDR-R10 are included for this series. 
 

 
I don't own a Sony SA anymore (Owned 3k auditioned 5K) and it's pretty impossible to compare from memory, of course I remember them being detailed and airy which these CD770s certainly are. There large soundstage makes them a fun listen, they're also incredibly light, this in conjunctioned with the elastic headband makes them practically disappear. I'll look out for the CD1700 - more bass would be fun!
 
You're right about the Sony SA cable; connection problems at the entry point (single entry Left channel) and the exposed wires made them an easy target for my cat!

 

[Blasto_Brandino]

I have the SA3000's and the CD2000's (Owned the CD3000's) The SA3000's need a little juice to sound their best, anything that will make the MDR-F1's jump will run the SA3000's perfectly. The CD2000's are CLEAR though a tad bright with tight accurate bass with a nice wide open soundstage, I'm actually selling a pair brand new for $350 (wonder if my ad's still up...)

 

[leeperry]

your translation is not very clear, but the cd850 drivers look identical to the cd3k except that the white diaphram(biocellulose?) is much narrower on the cd850, and the SQ is much worse.
 
can you see a white diaphragm on the whole diameter of the driver through the front grill? the grill is plastic or metal?
 
bass-heads seem to prefer the cd1700 over the cd3k...which can be very bright used on the wrong source.

 

[leeperry]

I have the SA3000's and the CD2000's (Owned the CD3000's) The SA3000's need a little juice to sound their best, anything that will make the MDR-F1's jump will run the SA3000's perfectly.

 
I'm kinda hot for the F1, it's newer than the cd2k..does it sound good/better? SS must be eye-popping? I don't care for bass, I'm a mids-head

 
is the sa3k worth anything? it's an instant love/hate phone apparently, just like the dreadful Proline750. Some find its mids completely wonky, even though it's the same drivers as the sa5k.
 
how do you rate all those phones against the cd3k please? mostly PRaT and SS depth/width wise.

 

[Blasto_Brandino]

The MDR-F1's are like the sister cans to the CD2k (IMO) (the MDR-F1's have been around for a LONG time) They have a better soundstage and incredible imaging (they are great for videogames) than the 2k's but the F1's need JUICE. They are warmer than the CD2k's and when amped properly, have surprisingly ample bass. They are not quite as detailed, and not QUITE as dynamic as the CD2k's but they are smoother. The F1' s would bury HD595's and have  a better sound stage than the HD650's but the HD650's overtake them in nearly every other aspect. (IMO)
 
The CD2k's are easy to drive, and sound great (though a little bass light on some songs) on Daps and other mobile devices, but I've found they get tighter and more dynamic when you amp them, the sound stage improves too. I use my CD2k's more than any of my other cans, even today.
 
I only had the CD2k's when I had the CD3k's But their sound stage was similar, maybe a bit smaller (it was years ago) but I remember they are SMOOTH, with no edges, just perfect. They had warm mids that were a little more upfront than the CD2k's, and the bass was not quite as tight as the CD2k's. The highs were perfect, just perfect, never a bright moment (at least on my Sony D-EJ925 CD player).  I loved my CD3000's to death, but I had to sell them to get the Talon Khorus's and I don't regret it for one second (the speakers were worth it)  I wish I could get my hands on another pair to compare to my HD800's. I STRONGLY suggest you make it to a meet if you know a pair will be there.
As always, your mileage will vary!

 

[leeperry]

ok, thanks for the infos!
 
yes, the mids are incredible on the cd3k...I heard they were even better on the K701, too bad the latter doesn't isolate whatsoever.
 
yes, the F1 must really be the pinnacle SS-wide, kinda curious

 
the F1 was released in 1997 FWIR?
 
and what about PRaT on all those Sony phones you mentioned? coz I've heard phones much more transparent than the cd3k, but they were boring to death.

 

[Blasto_Brandino]

PRaT? (?)
 
And as for the SA3k, I remember them being very similar to the F1's except more dynamic and more detailed, I'll have to compare them again...

 

[leeperry]

PRaT, the ability of the phone to make you nod your head...the toe-tappability factor of music: http://www.head-fi.org/forum/thread/371771/what-is-prat#post_4854619
 
it's easy to find a transparent and clear phone, but they're usually clinical-sounding and boring...DT770/600Ω comes to mind, some will say K701.
 
are the mids any good on the F1? coming from a cd3k, can the mids match up? SS would be even wider and 3D'ish I presume?
 
coz the cd3k's drivers are very angled, and it gives a really amazing 3D SS...all the newer SONY phones do that too? it's a mixed bag on the sa3k apparently..