[AzraelDarkangel]

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Mine have just been posted and I will not be home until 13th, so less than two weeks. Cannot wait. Also a Metrum Acoustics Octave is waiting to be tested out and a new PC

Oh, lucky you on having the Metrum DAC, probably help alot with testing the ultimate resolution of the SA5000. I unfortunately am very limited in budget and can't afford a good DAC for awhile.
 
 

 

[Dubstep Girl]

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You can dig back a few pages and find my original statements on this. Overall I think the K701 is better. More explanation is probably warranted though:
 
 
 

very nice review, answered and explain stuff well. 
 
thanks! 
 
umm, it seems that SA5000 + K701 = Hd 800? the speed and air of the sa5000 with the soundstage and 3d of the k701 in a more improved and expensive package? 

 

[obobskivich]

Haven't heard HD 800, but I wouldn't regard the speed difference as substantial. They're both lean. Would be interesting to try all three in context. Stats will out-pace either. 

I will also say that nothing I've ever heard can match the K701's soundstage - I don't mean it's the best ever, I mean it's very unique.
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very nice review, answered and explain stuff well. 
 
thanks! 
 
umm, it seems that SA5000 + K701 = Hd 800? the speed and air of the sa5000 with the soundstage and 3d of the k701 in a more improved and expensive package? 

 

 

[Sil3nce]

Well I'm pretty sure the k1ks soundstage is much more "unique", having heard both.
I'm going to be pitting the sa5000/sa3000 vs each other and my current setup when I have time. Review to come.

 

[Szadzik]

Got my SA5000s for a few days ago and have listened for some time. So far I am quite impressed. The level of detail is just unbelievable. I have only tried them with Octave>WA2, but plan on seeing how they pair with my Sony X Series Walkman. I will also want to see how they improve when I get a USB>SPDIF transport as at the moment I am using on-board Coax - it does not sound bad, but I bet it can be improved a lot. One step at a time though.
 
As for bass on these - they are definitely not bass monsters, but not completely bass shy either. The bass is there, maybe a bit like it was moved to the back of the stage, but still there and well audible.
 
I am quite happy with the purchase. I just need to find the time to compare them with my T1s in detail. 
 
 

 

[Graphicism]

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I just need to find the time to compare them with my T1s in detail. 
 

 
Look forward to your review, these Sony's need more air time especially against the new 'flagships'.

 

[Szadzik]

 
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Look forward to your review, these Sony's need more air time especially against the new 'flagships'.

 
Even with only the limited time I have had with them I would agree with that.

 

[Szadzik]

 

Build quality:

T1s feel a bit more robust mainly because of the weight, but SA5ks are as nicely built as the Beyers. Cable is not as robust, but it is still very nice and seems extremely durable.
Sonys really look like a piece of high-end gear (cosmic era) while T1s have that casual, classic look. Both very attractive.
 
Comfort:

T1s much heavier and in the beginning one might think less comfortable for longer listening sessions, but their earpads are more comfortable than the leather on Sonys. Sony are very comfortable in the very beginning, but then the pads start getting a bit tight and uncomfortable. Sony still seem comfortable enough if you take them off for a few moments every now and again. They are incredibly light compared to T1s. I like the headband regulation on Sonys more as it is more precise and much less prone to sliding on its own.


MDR-SA5000

Stage right next to the listener, a small studio and not a huge club. More intimate. A tiny bit brighter and thus seem more transparent. Might get a bit fatiguing during long listening sessions.
Bass is there when called for, maybe 10-15% less than one might want, but also not as controlled as on T1s. Overall, not as balanced as T1s, but still excellent.
They remind me of T5ps - I loved them and think if someone needed a cheaper, much better version of them SA5000s might be what they are looking for. Brightish, bass-lightish, but paired with a good amp will totally shine.

T1:

Stage a bit farther away, female voice a bit less in the centre of the image. Everyhing spaced out better, better defined soundstage. Not as bright and seem a tiny bit less transparent because of that. Completely fatigue-free. More balanced and suite for more kinds of music. Total all-rounders.


Conclusion

The main differences are the little touch of brightness in case of SA5000s (nothing excessive IMO) and more bass on T1s showing just how balanced T1s are. Looking at the price difference however, I
think SA5000s are a great value for money and pairing them with the right amp will make them shine and for some types of music (Classical and some synthpop) I would even say I would prefer the Sonys over Beyers.


Real world conclusion - if I were not crazy and did not want to spend $1000 on a pair of these Beyers I would buy the Sonys any day and never look back.
 
Disclaimer - I am not very experienced in looking for nuances in sound and someone with more knowledge would probably be able to describe them in more depth, but I have done my best to quickly show what my personal feeling about these two headphones are. Just my personal opinion and how I hear things. YMMV.

 

[Graphicism]

Interesting conclusion. You're coming into this with T1s being your neutral sound, coming from the DT880s I found the SA5000s bass inline with the rest of the spectrum. Personally I would consider the Sony's closer to the HD800, minus a touch of body they have a lot of similarities. I find the T1s bass to be emphasized and somewhat separated, similar to that of a separate sub woofer in a speaker system... and that isn't to say I don't like that, I definitely feel that with my D7000s to an even larger extent but coming from the T1s to the SA5000s you would find it quieter.
 
I do consider the Sony's to be quite bright, I've heard them with a number of amps and they greatly benefit from a warmer sounding tube amp which makes sense.

 

[obobskivich]

Question on the "pad comfort" comment: how old are your SA5000s? Leather will naturally "break-in" with use (this doesn't just apply to the SA5000), and it will become softer as a result. 
 
Anyways, thanks for the impressions! I think it's interesting that your take on the SA5000 relative to the T1 (something I've never heard) gets at a lot of how I feel about them overall. Also makes me want to try the T1. 
 
Regarding brightness: I would agree to an extent; they're probably about as bright as I could live with continuously - anything more and they'd be too much. Anything less and they'd be no fun.
 
 
 
 
 

 

[Sil3nce]

Keep them coming! Need love for this can.

 

[RexAeterna]

Interesting conclusion. You're coming into this with T1s being your neutral sound, coming from the DT880s I found the SA5000s bass inline with the rest of the spectrum. Personally I would consider the Sony's closer to the HD800, minus a touch of body they have a lot of similarities. I find the T1s bass to be emphasized and somewhat separated, similar to that of a separate sub woofer in a speaker system... and that isn't to say I don't like that, I definitely feel that with my D7000s to an even larger extent but coming from the T1s to the SA5000s you would find it quieter.

I do consider the Sony's to be quite bright, I've heard them with a number of amps and they greatly benefit from a warmer sounding tube amp which makes sense.

i don't know bout tubes but i been running a loaner balanced pair off speaker outputs of my 1980's Yamaha M-45 class A power amp driven by my echo audio interface as my passive preamp at +4dbu gain(1.23v RMS) and really like how they sound. yea they can be bit bright depending on the track but are very smooth sounding where it's a very fast decay. they are very quick and smooth sounding headphone. i find nothing wrong with the bass performance either. bass is audible down to 30hz but any lower pretty much won't feel or hear anything but shouldn't be an issue unless all someone listens to is 64/128ft pipe organs(128ft pipe organs can hit down to DC/0hz flat) or bass competition tracks. i find them no issues with electronic music or hip-hop/trip-hop either but that's me personally. the clarity is also the best thing i like about them too. insane level of clarity.

i tried them off of other amps(even warmer ones) but i tend to like them lot off of a neutral/transparent system cause how quick and clean they are.

 

[Uncle00Jesse]

The SA5000s are incredible. It's been an amazing year with them. While they are very bright and non-forgiving, the detail and precision of these cans is breathtaking. I've been thinking hard about upgrading in the past few weeks. The more I read, the more confusing it gets. These sonys are so unique that I think I may end up always gravitating towards them in the end. I've been thinking all sorts of crazy things lately, how bout an LCD-3 and a new lyr to go with my bifrost? Or maybe instead lets get a HE-6 and and brand new EF-6! This hobby is nuts. I just want to find that one setup that makes me not want to come on this site anymore

 

[obobskivich]

Unlikely that you'll find "the one" - I put my SA5000 up for the evening, randomly grabbed my K701, and I'm instantly taken back to why I love the AKGs so much. I'm sure I'll put the SA5000s on tomorrow and the whole journey starts all over again. They're all different voices singing the same sweet song; there's nothing at all wrong with that. 
 
On a more serious note, I find my ESP/950 to be the most perfect "companion" with the SA5000 - it goes the "right way" from where the SA5000 starts (its faster, has better (and deeper) bass, etc). Not quite as "fun" but still very good alongside them. Or the K701. Haven't tried a planar so I don't know about either of the models you've mentioned; from what I've read they'll both have substantially more bass than the SA5000. Probably a very dramatic departure.
 
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The SA5000s are incredible. It's been an amazing year with them. While they are very bright and non-forgiving, the detail and precision of these cans is breathtaking. I've been thinking hard about upgrading in the past few weeks. The more I read, the more confusing it gets. These sonys are so unique that I think I may end up always gravitating towards them in the end. I've been thinking all sorts of crazy things lately, how bout an LCD-3 and a new lyr to go with my bifrost? Or maybe instead lets get a HE-6 and and brand new EF-6! This hobby is nuts. I just want to find that one setup that makes me not want to come on this site anymore

 

 

[Jtom94]

whoa , i've always heard good things from the SA5000, but this thread is really surprising to me.