[graphic]

Guys, I need your voice.
 
I had W1000x for a year now and I like the clear sound these cans provide, and pretty much thats why I bought it,
recently I read a comparison between W1000x, W3000 and W5000 and was told that W1000x is definitely out of competition among its brothers and I've already started feeling numb about my w1000, the sounds becomes flat, not excited anymore and I feel like I need more clarity, more sound stage and a little bit more bass
you know, a phone which is improved all around but still keeps the clarity
 
I thought about going for its direct upgrade, W5000, but ppl say its only good if you listen to classic or acoustic, but I don't listen to any of those,
I listen to indiepop, eletropop, sometimes a little bit of rock
 
another fear to go for phones like Denon is that they may be too bassy? that might lose some sweet details and the clarity of Audio Technica is completely gone
 
whats ur thought on this guys? mind recommend some phones that carries these characteristics but do better?
 
 
my setup:
Woo Audio 6 with stock tubes
Schitt Bifrost with Uber + usb
 
Budget: under 1k
 
 
Thanks
Roger

 

[Bill-P]

If you go Denon, you'll lose that mid.
 
But you'll only get more bass with Denon.
 
W3000ANV and W5000 only gives more soundstage and clarity as far as I can hear. So you'll lose out on bass instead.
 
The way I look at it, you can try the 3rd option: mod your W1000X with purrin's mod and change the ear pads to those of the L3000. That should give you what you're looking for.

 

[graphic]

Thanks Bill, I did a search are you talking about this thread:
 
http://www.head-fi.org/t/544507/ath-w1000x-mods
 
and I'm new to audophile world, do you mind give a short explanation of the concept of modding and how does it improve the sound?

 

[Bill-P]

Basically, the stock W1000X has way too much resonance with the enclosure. This resonance causes distortion and in turn creates that romantic sound you hear from the W1000X but at the expense of detail and clarity. Purrin's mod attempts to reduce this distortion by putting dampening material on the ear cups to control the resonance characteristics. The result is a sound that isn't drastically different, but that is cleaner than the stock sound.
 
As for the ear pad swap, ear pads have been known to alter the acoustic properties of the sound wave that travels from the drivers to your ears. Thus a different pair of ear pads will give you a different sound. The L3000 ear pads specifically will give you more clarity and more soundstage over the stock ear pads, on top of being more comfortable as well.

 

[graphic]

  Basically, the stock W1000X has way too much resonance with the enclosure. This resonance causes distortion and in turn creates that romantic sound you hear from the W1000X but at the expense of detail and clarity. Purrin's mod attempts to reduce this distortion by putting dampening material on the ear cups to control the resonance characteristics. The result is a sound that isn't drastically different, but that is cleaner than the stock sound.
 
As for the ear pad swap, ear pads have been known to alter the acoustic properties of the sound wave that travels from the drivers to your ears. Thus a different pair of ear pads will give you a different sound. The L3000 ear pads specifically will give you more clarity and more soundstage over the stock ear pads, on top of being more comfortable as well.

 
Thanks a ton Bill,
 
I'm gonna order a pair of L3000 earpad via Audiocubes,
 
do you mind help on this thread I posted here:
 
http://www.head-fi.org/t/485226/ath-w1000x-appreciation-thread/1080
 
again much much thanks!

 

[drews]

Under $1k hmm?  I'd seriously consider the Fostex TH600 - I just picked up a pair and they remind my of the w1000x (quite dynamic and engaging but not really accurate).  The TH600 are truly in a different league though (which they should be at twice the price...) -  I think you might be very disappointed in the w5000 or w3000anv if you're looking for a 'better' w1000x...  
 
Drew

 

[Makiah S]

  Under $1k hmm?  I'd seriously consider the Fostex TH600 - I just picked up a pair and they remind my of the w1000x (quite dynamic and engaging but not really accurate).  The TH600 are truly in a different league though (which they should be at twice the price...) -  I think you might be very disappointed in the w5000 or w3000anv if you're looking for a 'better' w1000x...  
 
Drew

define not accurate? I find my SE modded w1000x to be on par with my Dt 880s and HE 400. Granted it's not as wide as either since it's closed  but the depth is just as good and the instrumental seperation and accuracy of sound [division of left right and center] is really top notch :O another option is the one I'm considering...
 
going to drive my w1000x balanced out of a RSA F-35 or SR71B... might do the SR71B as it has SE and Balanced out, but I hear a lot about how RSA amps tend to be dark, not sure I want a dark amp with an already dark Hifiman DAP as a source... but how ever the F-35 has been reported to be pretty colorless... although it's balanced only... either way I see balancing as the only upgrade to the w1000x for me atm :/ 

 

[drews]

By "not really accurate", I mean that in comparison to my HD800 and TH600 they don't convey the same sense of realism that those headphones do, most notably with live recordings...  Although I really do like the w1000x, I think they were tuned to have a more consumer-friendly sound (boosted mid bass, rolled off sub bass, mildly recessed mids, slightly grainy treble).  I've owned them 3 times and had L3000 pads on them, perhaps other mods would raise them up a notch...  BTW, I enjoyed them more than the w3000anv...
 
Drew

 

[Makiah S]

  By "not really accurate", I mean that in comparison to my HD800 and TH600 they don't convey the same sense of realism that those headphones do, most notably with live recordings...  Although I really do like the w1000x, I think they were tuned to have a more consumer-friendly sound (boosted mid bass, rolled off sub bass, mildly recessed mids, slightly grainy treble).  I've owned them 3 times and had L3000 pads on them, perhaps other mods would raise them up a notch...  BTW, I enjoyed them more than the w3000anv...
 
Drew

Ahh yes, compared to open back cans, they lack that open realism, and the L3000 pads and Purrin Dynamat mods really CUT the boosted Bass, which in turn leads to a slighty more forward or rather linear mids
 
but yea that TREBLE... the TREBLE is the issue with the w1000x... the only thing about it that needs to be... corrected. I might try the TH600 on day... but it's a little bassy isn't it... which means I'd have to tame that bass... ALOT :/
 
Still there are open back mods for the W series, in addition to the Dynamt Dampening mod, but I found the dampening to make a nice improvement! I pair mine with a HM801 and it'sounds glorious! Wanting to grab a RSA SR71B and balance my w1000x for an end game set up on it

 

[SONYES]

MY GAER IS TODAY
I CAN NOT UP PIC 
 
HD800
DT-880PRO THE BEST 
ATH-W1000X
ATH ESW11LTD
ATH-M50 THE BEST SOUND FOR THE 120$
CX400II
 
LUXMAN P-1U THE BEST FOR HD800 WIDE WORM SOUND TO ME HEVEN......
LHEMAANAODIO LINEAR
E-01 CLON OF THE BCL BUT THE SOUND IS SO GOOD FOR 220$ VERY GOOD WHIT DT88PRO
 
CD PLAYERS/TRANSPORTS
SONY CDP-XA50ES  - 
THE BEST SONY CD I HAVE  EVER HERD   - EVEN THE SCD-1 IS NOT SO OPEN AND ALIVE AS THIS  XA50ES - I SOLD MY  SCD-1+TAE1  WHEN I HERD THE XA50ES !!!
 
DENON DCD-1650AR
DVP-S9000ES
CDP-337ESD
CDP-X303ES
CDP-X222ES
 
DAC
 
REGA DAC- VERY VERY OPEN WORM  VERY GOOD SOUND FOR CALSICAL  FOR ME.
 
MARANTZ CDA-94 16 BIT  WOW FOR THE SOUND IN 1986 !!!!  IN TODAY  DACS .IS HIEND
XLR OUT TO THE LUXMAN P-1U THE SOUND WOW FOR ALL RENGE - NOT SO OPEN AS REGA DAC BUT FULL.
 
MDS 
SONY MDS-JA555ES- AS DAC IS VERY VERY GOOD -LIKE THE SOUND OF XA50ES WHIT A LOT OF BASS LINE
            MDS-JA30ES-AS DAC  SONY WAS AT THE BEST !
            MDS-JA3ES
 
AND ISTILL CANOT FIN THE PEROPER SOUND FOR W1000X
 
THANK YOU
SONYES
ISRAEL