[Beauregard]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Patrick82 With K1000 you are part of the orchestra instead of sitting in the audience. ...

I auditioned the K1000s a while back. (I really enjoyed their unique sound at many levels but ended up returning them because of comfort issues.) At first, I felt strangely embarrassed when listening to orchestral music through the K1000s. Like in the dream when you realize you're naked in a public place, I found myself standing between the conductor and the woodwinds and felt like I should excuse myself and return to my seat!

 

[Ferbose]

DT880, K501, HD650 are very good classical.
K1000, Omega II and R10 even a higher level.
K701 may be somewhere in between.

 

[robm321]

Quote:

Originally Posted by robm321 you know in the end headphones are like coffee: you like the brand you are used to. My first cans were K501 and when I moved "up" to the DT880 I missed the sweetness, the musicality of AKG mids. That's why I spent lots of time and not a little money restoring my K340. Finally we AKG fans have found an affordable headphone on a par with the boring Senns, so will you please cut us some slack, and let us brag for a while? When the HD700 will come I promise I'll shut up (perhaps )

You're right brag away!

 

[milkpowder]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Patrick82 With K1000 you are part of the orchestra instead of sitting in the audience. ...

Darn if even the K1k have trouble reproducing soundstage, then what 'phones can? It is NOT desirable to sit in the orchestra to listen to pieces for large ensembles. Everyone knows that the best seats are about ~10 meters away from the orchestra. Speakers have headphones beaten when it comes to soundstage. However, there are definitely benefits for using headphones over speakers.

 

[AsuAmo76]

Quote:

Originally Posted by milkpowder Fair enough. I haven't listened to the SA5k, so I am not to judge. I do however have a pair of ER4S, which people say has a very similar sound signature to the SA5k. I think that clarity and airyness is very important when listening to small ensemble works. The ER4S just do very well to deliver clarity, but airyness? I'm not too sure. The SA5k, being open-air phones, should sound quite airy in comparison. So do you prefer your ATs for small ensemble works?

Cannot comment on ER4S, but SA5k will provide the "next level" of clarity compare to dt880, which have better details than hd6xx anyway. With stock cable sa5k are missing body and likely some coloration to sound more involving, musical. Look, everything is in place - tight well controlled bass, cristal clear highs, detailed mids and yet you just grub some over cans for chamber music or vocals or not-very-complex concertos/symphonies. But take sa5k for the 1812 overture, teldec recording - out of this world, in the final part you can hear everything, the last violin (don't believe me, my ears not so good

).

w5k or recabled sa5k or ms-pro for small ensembles? Don't know yet. As the diy guy, every major headphone upgrade leads to major recabling, amp tweaking/rebuilding. So I am in the middle of this mess, but sor far it looks like w5k will be the primary.

 

[Lerman]

So, Milkpowder--by now you've presumably received your 701s, yes? Back on 3/20 they were coming any day. Thoughts? Hype, over-hype, thrill, disappointment?

 

[Patrick82]

Quote:

Originally Posted by milkpowder Darn if even the K1k have trouble reproducing soundstage, then what 'phones can? It is NOT desirable to sit in the orchestra to listen to pieces for large ensembles. Everyone knows that the best seats are about ~10 meters away from the orchestra. Speakers have headphones beaten when it comes to soundstage. However, there are definitely benefits for using headphones over speakers.

I don't like to just listen to the music, I want to be part of it. You can't do that unless you are playing/sitting in the orchestra yourself. In most cases I prefer K1000 to real life...
My HD590 have a deeper but narrower soundstage, it sounds muddy which makes it sound like you are further away.