[Zemo]

I just got 'em today (thanks jjcha!), and they are amazing! It's still too early for impressions, but it's NEVER too early for pics!

I didn't want to kill anyone's bandwidth, so here's a link to a folder full of pics!

http://oregonstate.edu/~moritaty/SA5k's/

-Z

 

[Zuerst]

Awesome pics! SA5000 looks so sexy!

 

[errorich]

Thats one sexy set of cans you got there.

What do you think of their comfort level? The cheese grater on top doesn't look too cushy for someone whos balding, but great for someone with a head full of hair.

 

[earache]

so where do you buy the MDR-SA5000's?

 

[EdipisReks]

very good looking phones!

 

[Zemo]

http://www6.head-fi.org/forums/showthread.php?t=104377

 

[Iron_Dreamer]

Very nice pics, esp. the B&W's

Hopefully the cans sound as good as the pics look.

 

[lan]

Welcome to the Team SA5000. You are I think the 5th.

 

[soupy]

yup, welcome to our small lil team

..

dayam lan, you're almost up to 5k posts

 

[bg4533]

The pictures alone make me want to buy them.

Unfortunately if they sound anything like the qualia is described or the CD3000 I can't imagine myself enjoying the sound.

 

[infiskik]

well, those pics just confirms that i need that.
but as posed before whats the headband comfort, and initial impressions?

edit, either jjcha or lan whats the open/closed status and isolation factor. if i got these they might be work cans.... or i just loved them too much home cans.

hopefully within the month....

 

[soupy]

I find these really really comfortable. The headband is great, keeps a nice grip on your head. Makes the headphone feel very stable. The pads do kinda clamp on around the ears though, kinda like the HD600/650. Isolation/leakage is about equivalent to your a900s infiskik...maybe a tiny, tiny bit less isolation.

 

[lan]

Quote:

Originally Posted by bg4533 Unfortunately if they sound anything like the qualia is described or the CD3000 I can't imagine myself enjoying the sound.

They sound nothing like the Qualia with the exception of high resolution.

Quote:

Originally Posted by soupy yup, welcome to our small lil team .. dayam lan, you're almost up to 5k posts

It's lonely... somebody buy these headphones and join us

Quote:

Originally Posted by infiskik whats the open/closed status and isolation factor. if i got these they might be work cans.... or i just loved them too much home cans.

Well coming from K1000s, anything is "closed"

I don't think anybody can relegate these as work cans as they're very good. Isolation wise, I think it isolates a little. Putting on my V6s, it maybe around the same. I'm not in a high noise environment so I can't truly test this.

 

[Jahn]

yep the SA5K dont sound like the CD3K or the Qualia - it has its own flavor. Great resolution too, and best bass in the bottom out of the 3.

 

[jjcha]

Yah, I'm missing that bass... and punchy fun of the SA5k. Though I don't think I'll be going back - I hit that sweet spot where the Qualia just sounded right to me. Dunno if it's burn in or acclimatization.

Still, while they sound meaningfully different from the Qualia, I wouldn't say the SA5k are like a totally unrelated headphone. The resolution is one of the defining characteristics I think.

I think the HD600+Cardas sounds pretty darn different from the HD650+Zu, but they're obviously from the same family. I think there's something similar going on, at least for me, between the SA5k/Qualia. This isn't to say the gap is the same, just that there's a different sound, but they're closer to each other than they are different, and they're closer to each other than any other headphone.

Anyway, I think of them like brothers. You know how brothers can be pretty different but clearly from the same family. I don't think I'm gonna call the SA5k the "baby" Qualia anymore.

Best,

-Jason