[amp 36]

Just received the Sonys cd3000.

I haven't done a lost of listening but I cannot say I am impressed with them. Right out of the box they sounded dark and muddy. Later on they began to sound better. I would say they are a bit on the bright side and the bass is not very punchy. My other cans are the Beyers Dt-770 so I am used to the big bass they produce.
However I do get better bass and better sound overall from my speakers( Dynaudio Contour 1.1.)

I think the biggest difference between the beyers and the sonys is the sounstage, which is a lot better with the sonys.

But I think the real problem is the amp. It seems that the X-CANS V2 is not a good mach for the Sonys. Even with Mullard valves I don't like this amp very much and I think to extract all the potential of the Sonys I need a better amp.

Based on comments posted here it seems that the Perreux is the way to go........


I listen mostly to pop-rock/alternative and soft electronic music.

What do you guys think?

Regards,

AMP

 

[lindrone]

Let them burn in for a couple more days before you make up your mind on getting a new amp. CD3000 is known to have a pretty dramatic burn-in characteristic change.. so you'll want to wait at least a bit longer.

 

[Shurenuff]

I loved mine straight out of the box. I think the DT770's might of distorted your views on bass response

 

[blessingx]

First time I've heard of a phone go from dark to bright. How many hours did it take?

 

[SouthPaW1227]

Quote:

Originally posted by amp 36 \I would say they are a bit on the bright side and the bass is not very punchy. My other cans are the Beyers Dt-770 so I am used to the big bass they produce. I listen mostly to pop-rock/alternative and soft electronic music.

Ahh, finally, some support. Ppl here PRAISE the CD3000s...so much I bought a used pair to hear their "amazingness"...however, upon receiving them, I had the EXACT SAME reactions as what you've quoted, and I mean right down to every last word. The bass was seriously lacking, even in comparison to my ATH-A500s (bass machines like your 770s) and the highs nearly killed my eardrums...didn't matter if it was from the PC, iPod, or PIMETA...same sound.

I was very unimpressed w/ the bass as my $99 cans outthumped them EASILY...needless to say I hadta sell 'em, they were defninitely not for me.

And amazingly enough, we like the exact same kinds of music, so I'm pretty sure we're hearing (and not hearing) the same things...

Some ppl love 'em, some ppl (like me) don't...I heard "oh it's your amp" but I'm not so sure, b/c when my A500s outthump the CD3000s it didn't make me wanna upgrade my amp just to get more bass outta the 3000s...good luck w/ 'em

 

[3lusiv3]

Quote:

Originally posted by amp 36 Just received the Sonys cd3000. I would say they are a bit on the bright side and the bass is not very punchy. My other cans are the Beyers Dt-770 so I am used to the big bass they produce.

There's your answer, in your question. You're used to bloated bass from the Beyers.

Give them a chance to burn in and for your brain to get accustomed to the new sound. You may prefer a different sound thoug.

 

[cmascatello]

I got a pair of CD3Ks yesterday and was quite impressed with them out of the box. I do find the highs a little crispy right now but hope that they will settle in a bit after some burn-in. A alck of bass is certainly not something I experienced with the 3Ks last night. There was a good thump and thwack to every double bass kick and bass quitar in the Anthrax, Pantera, and Slayer tracks I was using for testing the bass response and speed (via Karma -> XP-7 w/797s). Hopefully they settle down and grow on you over the next few days/weeks. Personally, I think these will be a nice complement to the HD650s in my collection.

 

[zeplin]

amp
always give a new headphone not only the chance to burn-in physically, but to also allow for your ears/brain to get use their sonic signature psychologically (or whatever you wish to name it). it just isn't logical to judge something so fast when coming from something entirely different (especially the bass heavy DT770). give your mind some time to help change more broadly your frame of reference by allowing yourself to realize that there are many different kinds of sonic signatures out there. who knows, you might end up liking it better. if not, at least you can say you gave it a fair chance because they are no doubt a pleasure to listen to.

from a gear point of view...
most of the time, very high end cans (pretty much all cans in the same category as the CD3000) require system synergy in order for their top performance to be noticeable. if one component in your chain has the chance to mess with the sound (meaning to degrade it or change it in any way), be sure that it will show it.

plus, imo, the CD3k's do extremely well with electronica. if they are not sounding awesome with electronica music, you might want to first try to attack the problem from a viewpoint other than changing the headphone itself. good luck!

 

[screwdriver]

I have owned both of these in the past and i agree with what zeplin is saying .

try using the cd3000 for a week without using the other headphones and then make a comparison .

aslo the combo of each equipment matters a lot too.

in my system - the cd3000 is miles way better than the beyer 770.
even in electronica and rock- the cd3000 had way better bass quality than the beyer which really floods you woth too much bass.

 

[wallijonn]

Quote:

Originally posted by amp 36 Right out of the box they sounded dark and muddy.

Definitely try another amp.

Why not take your headphones and source to a meet or mini-meet?

 

[pbirkett]

Well as a previous owner of the DT770, you simply cannot expect the quantity of bass from the CD3k that you get from those. Its not going to happen. However, they are very punchy from my Perreaux. I also used to drive them from an X-Can v2 and they sounded bright, metallic and thin (I sold it after a week). Get a better amp.

 

[amp 36]

I agree with most of you in a lot of things.

First, I have to get used to them and to place them correctly in my ears, cause I have noticed significant changes just by changing the adjustment to my ears.

Second, I am used to the Beyers and their bass, eventhough I don't specially love them. I think they are just OK, and they can give you some fun an exciment but they are not very accurate cans.

Some burn-in will also change things. The impressions I have posted are based on brief listenings.

About the amp, I think I have to change it. When I bought it, it sounded very good with Sehns-580 but I didn't like the character of the Sehns- too laid back and laking in highs,( at least for my tastes)

With the Beyers, they make a good combo. Not great, but good.
What I don't understand is the fact that since I changed the stock valaves for a pair of mullards I cannot say things have improved. In some ways they have, in others they dont. The brightness has been tamed with the mullard valves, but I would say the sound is a bit darker now and the bass is slower and less punchy.

Based on the experience of people here that have the Sonys and also the Perreux amp, I think getting the Perreux will give me the sound I want.

Here in Spain I cannot attend any meeting, just because they aren't and I don't even have the chance to try a different amp. The only headphones amps available in Spain are the X-CANS, and the Creek and even this are very difficult to find.

Now there is a new Hi-fi brand, which is creating a lot of buzz here in Spain between the audiophile community, and also in other European countries because of the quality and the relatively low price of its gear. Is a German brand called Vincent. They have a hereadphone amp. Is a valve one. I haven't tried it but I think I will probably prefer a solid state amp like the perreaux.

 

[Guyferd]

Strange, I've heard cd3k out of mullard rolled x-can v2 and I absolutely love the sound.. it's very dynamic, smooth and exciting

Perhaps there's something in the IC or source region... that u might want to change.. then again if you are fine with it then don't bother.
Hrm as an ex dt770 user, and current cd3k user, I agree than cd3k doesn't have as much 'bass' as the dt770. But then again, they don't hail 770 as the king of bass for nothing, right

?
What the sonys give u in return though, are warm and full vocal, extended highs, enormous soundstage, magnificent decay, and plenty of details .. compared to the beyer dt770

Do burn in more and adjust to the sony sound. I'd say give it a week or two before deciding if it's really for you.

 

[amp 36]

My source is the same as yours Guyfred. As for the IC'S now I am using Eccose The Composer.

Don't know really which IC'S are good to partner with heaphone amps.

I think I will probably end up buying the perreux. Maybe the X-CANS you tried had also a X-PSU which it said to make a big difference.

I am planning to use the X-CANS in my second equipment, which is a Denon mini system and the headphone socket sounds just horrible.

 

[Guyferd]

Yep I did hear it with the X-psu.