Kernmac
1000+ Head-Fier
[size=medium]Pre-amble[/size]
[size=medium]The Tesla T1 and ATH W3000ANV arguably represent the flagship headphones for Beyerdynamic and Audio Technica respectively. They have both retailed around $1500 and had street prices as low as $1000. Although the beyer is open (semi open for the nit-pickers) and relatively inefficient with 600ohms and the AT is a closed design and an efficient headphone at 40ohms, they have much in common.[/size]
[size=medium]The T1 is built like a tank and traditional in physical headphone design terms (albeit not in driver design and placement) with a garden hose of a cable. The AT is a limited edition “cherry woody” with an [/size][size=9pt]Echizen lacquer-finish, [/size][size=medium]beautiful cups with a flawed 3D wing headband system. I find both headphones are comfortable (now that I have placed an elastic band around the W3000 wings) and both cables are better for stationary listening rather than moving about. The beyer hose is weighty and disproportionate to the headphone and the AT cotton cable has micro phonic issues. I’m going to call comfort and cables a draw, as they are both suited to the same environment albeit for different practical reasons ; home listening in the one spot.[/size]
[size=medium]This comparison was done using my Harman CDP and the Violectric V200 amp. The Violectric is a great piece of equipment IMO and ideal for an evaluation of this type as it has 2 headphone outs and is suitable for both high and low impedance headphones. I volume matched the headphones, with the T1 at 12 o’clock and the W3000 at 9 o’clock. [/size]
[size=medium]Music was a selection comprising of:[/size]
[size=medium]Sheffield Lab Drum and Track [/size][size=10pt]XRCD24[/size]
[size=10pt]Eva Cassidy-Songbird XRCD24[/size]
[size=medium]Enya-And Winter Came[/size]
[size=medium]The Cat Empire-Cinema[/size]
[size=medium]Barton Hollow –Civil Wars[/size]
[size=medium]Rodrigo y Gabriela[/size]
[size=medium]Ultrasone test cd[/size]
[size=medium]Sound Similar[/size]
[size=medium]The T1 and W3000 sound more alike than different, both neutral and fairly balanced across the sound spectrum, with the T1 being slightly more so. They both are a little mid centric with the W3000 perhaps more so, maybe one would describe both as r frequency response headphones as opposed to flat (the beyer is ever slightly more flat to my ears), but both are capable of reproducing decent tight deep bass with impact and neither presents excessive mid bass volume or has a sense of bloated bottom end. The top end spectrum is also similar to my ears, both crisp and clear with natural cymbal and high hat crashes, as opposed to one note “tish”. With tracks that have some sibilance, both are fairly even with presenting it; however neither headphone is overly sibilant to my ears. The T1 and W3000 have excellent detail retrieval, solid instrument separation and could be described as analytical; however I find both easy listening rather than diagnostic.[/size]
[size=medium]The differences between the T1 and W3000 are IMO slight, and I cannot understand how someone could like one of these two headphones and dislike the other, although I know such headfiers exist. On some tracks, I would not be confident in passing a blind test to determine which is which, they are that similar in some instances.[/size]
[size=medium]What are the sound signature differences?[/size]
[size=medium]The T1 is slightly less forward, has a wider sound-stage (although it isn’t chalk and cheese) is maybe a bit more neutral and could be described as not as clean in the instrument separation department. The Tesla T1 has been described by many as doing everything well but nothing stands out, it is not a “wow” headphone. The AT limited edition woody has some “wow” factor, is extremely clean and crisp and is slightly more r shaped and mid centric than the T1, albeit I am talking in subtleties and minor discernment, not significant contrast.[/size]
[size=medium]I would happily live with either of these headphones and cannot really say I prefer one over the other. If I owned only one of them, I wouldn’t purchase the other, however I already have both, oh well![/size]
[size=medium]The Tesla T1 and ATH W3000ANV arguably represent the flagship headphones for Beyerdynamic and Audio Technica respectively. They have both retailed around $1500 and had street prices as low as $1000. Although the beyer is open (semi open for the nit-pickers) and relatively inefficient with 600ohms and the AT is a closed design and an efficient headphone at 40ohms, they have much in common.[/size]
[size=medium]The T1 is built like a tank and traditional in physical headphone design terms (albeit not in driver design and placement) with a garden hose of a cable. The AT is a limited edition “cherry woody” with an [/size][size=9pt]Echizen lacquer-finish, [/size][size=medium]beautiful cups with a flawed 3D wing headband system. I find both headphones are comfortable (now that I have placed an elastic band around the W3000 wings) and both cables are better for stationary listening rather than moving about. The beyer hose is weighty and disproportionate to the headphone and the AT cotton cable has micro phonic issues. I’m going to call comfort and cables a draw, as they are both suited to the same environment albeit for different practical reasons ; home listening in the one spot.[/size]
[size=medium]This comparison was done using my Harman CDP and the Violectric V200 amp. The Violectric is a great piece of equipment IMO and ideal for an evaluation of this type as it has 2 headphone outs and is suitable for both high and low impedance headphones. I volume matched the headphones, with the T1 at 12 o’clock and the W3000 at 9 o’clock. [/size]
[size=medium]Music was a selection comprising of:[/size]
[size=medium]Sheffield Lab Drum and Track [/size][size=10pt]XRCD24[/size]
[size=10pt]Eva Cassidy-Songbird XRCD24[/size]
[size=medium]Enya-And Winter Came[/size]
[size=medium]The Cat Empire-Cinema[/size]
[size=medium]Barton Hollow –Civil Wars[/size]
[size=medium]Rodrigo y Gabriela[/size]
[size=medium]Ultrasone test cd[/size]
[size=medium]Sound Similar[/size]
[size=medium]The T1 and W3000 sound more alike than different, both neutral and fairly balanced across the sound spectrum, with the T1 being slightly more so. They both are a little mid centric with the W3000 perhaps more so, maybe one would describe both as r frequency response headphones as opposed to flat (the beyer is ever slightly more flat to my ears), but both are capable of reproducing decent tight deep bass with impact and neither presents excessive mid bass volume or has a sense of bloated bottom end. The top end spectrum is also similar to my ears, both crisp and clear with natural cymbal and high hat crashes, as opposed to one note “tish”. With tracks that have some sibilance, both are fairly even with presenting it; however neither headphone is overly sibilant to my ears. The T1 and W3000 have excellent detail retrieval, solid instrument separation and could be described as analytical; however I find both easy listening rather than diagnostic.[/size]
[size=medium]The differences between the T1 and W3000 are IMO slight, and I cannot understand how someone could like one of these two headphones and dislike the other, although I know such headfiers exist. On some tracks, I would not be confident in passing a blind test to determine which is which, they are that similar in some instances.[/size]
[size=medium]What are the sound signature differences?[/size]
[size=medium]The T1 is slightly less forward, has a wider sound-stage (although it isn’t chalk and cheese) is maybe a bit more neutral and could be described as not as clean in the instrument separation department. The Tesla T1 has been described by many as doing everything well but nothing stands out, it is not a “wow” headphone. The AT limited edition woody has some “wow” factor, is extremely clean and crisp and is slightly more r shaped and mid centric than the T1, albeit I am talking in subtleties and minor discernment, not significant contrast.[/size]
[size=medium]I would happily live with either of these headphones and cannot really say I prefer one over the other. If I owned only one of them, I wouldn’t purchase the other, however I already have both, oh well![/size]
