[Anaxilus]

Quote:

The MDR-MA900 is here! Can wait to burn it in and then some ear time. Let's see if the SA5000 still has a place.
http://www.head-fi.org/t/611444/new-sony-mdr-ma900-unboxing-video#post_8408431

Interesting comparison.  I'd be shocked that there would be a similarity in the least.  Seems like comparing a Porsche to a Land Rover.

 

[kiteki]

Have
 
-Sony EX700
-Sony EX600
-Sony XBA-3
-Sony XBA-4
 
Missing
 
-Sony SA-5000
 
will trade XBA-4, thanks.

 

[RexAeterna]

just bumping this old thread. since i got my sa5000 back from a loan to be reviewed by a friend, i decided to mod them a bit. i really loved their sound on their own but still got me curious. first thing is i open them up and added tiny bit of r-19 roxual stone wool/mineral wool of very light/thin density so it won't hamper the bass but allow it to completely absorb midrange to high frequency back waves. then i have some left over craft foam so i cut some thin pieces best of my ability eyeing it and then used some glue stick and stuck it on the wall thingy inside the baffle and then trim down rest best i could so it look clean. that's all. i say they became tad more cleaner overall,especially in the midrange.

i would take pics but i do not have my phone on me but might later on take some pics.

 

[Neogeo333]

Just got my SA-5k back from a 4pin xlr recable.  Wow, how this change it sound.  Before it was cold, fast and lacked bass.  Now its more lively, more open sound.  The first thing that struck me was the bass.  Before the 5k lacked in it, now it has more and some.  The quality of the bass seems the same but quantity looks like it lot more.  Btw also replaced the pads before any listening.  Since the old one disintegraded. 

 

[mrAdrian]

I suspect most change in bass came from the new pads... except wouldn't the old pads seal better?

 

[Neogeo333]

I think your right. The new pads are fuller and hug better. While the old ones are looser and are less cushion.

 

[RexAeterna]

I suspect most change in bass came from the new pads... except wouldn't the old pads seal better?

i never experience the newer pads but from what i heard of them, yes. the old ones are supposedly real leather. from the smell and feel of my pair it seems they are, they mold to your face like leather does too so you get a perfect seal. if pads go flat i suggest just stuff them with cotton underneath to fluffing them out a bit. it will improve seal and of course imaging cause the drivers are bit more distant from your ears. that's what i did with my pair besides adding small density of mineral/stone wool in the cups and cut some craft foam out to put on the walls of the baffle to prevent any high frequency and midrange frequency reflections to the ear.

 

[sunneebear]

The SA5k are open phones so whether the pads seal or not should not effect the bass...that much.

 

[RexAeterna]

no they aren't. they are semi-open at best. they have thick felt piece covering the opening behind the driver. only way they became actually open is if you remove that felt piece. i never personally did. also mine when was given to me was already recabled so only way i can fully open mine if i undid the solder joints. i don't want to do that so what i did was just cut some stone wool pieces and threw it in there since stock sa5000 is known to have midrange cancellation from reflections in the enclosure. also with headphones seal is probably most important when coming to bass performance. i don't find nothing wrong with the bass though since i appreciate their air and imaging ability the most.

 

[sunneebear]

Ok, semi open.
 

 
There is a hole in the black felt.  Since the black and white part is connect by the magnets air gap the driver is open to the atmosphere.  The fake carbon fiber on the outside of the headphone and behind the driver is not sealed so that air space is also open to the atmosphere.  The "wall" separating the front and back of the driver is also ported... to the atmosphere.  This headphone has no sealed sections anywhere.
 
I read what I just typed and realize I came off sounding like a dick.  Didn't mean that, just wanted to point out that the SA5000 is not a closed headphone.

 

[obobskivich]

What "fake carbon fibre" are you talking about? The SA5000 is almost all metal...:confused_face_2:

Anyways, yes, it's an open headphone. It's not as open as the MDR-F1, but it's not a closed-back design (I think if we, as Head-Fi, went from "open and closed" to "sealed, closed, semi-open, and open-air" it'd eliminate a LOT of confusion). The pad-seal still influences the sound, it changes the coupling to the head (which influences the sound a lot). It's the same reason putting leather pads on the HD 600, while cool looking, makes them sound like poo. Or putting velour pads on my ESPs is a really mega-bad idea.

An easy way to test this is to put the headphones on with something that prevents any seal from occuring (like a few q-tips to "shim" the thing up from your head) and listen to changes. Or see any of the various Grado mod threads.

 

[sunneebear]

The black weaved fiber you see on the outside.

 

[obobskivich]

The black weaved fiber you see on the outside.

What "black weaved fiber" ???



I see magnesium alloy. An (assumed) steel grille with chromed accent ring, rubber stick-on grip, and a fabric cover to protect the innards. Do you mean the fabric by chance?

I'm only asking this because Sony did actually make a CF headphone:

 

[sunneebear]

Look closely at the black part.  It is a fiber weave.  I assume they tried to duplicate the back of the Qualia 010.

 

[obobskivich]

Look closely at the black part.  It is a fiber weave.  I assume they tried to duplicate the back of the Qualia 010.

So you mean the fabric part? I didn't get a CF feel from that, but I expect CF to be a finished material - not raw carbon fabric. I always felt the SA5000 was meant to look somewhat unique, and the SA3000 was meant to play off of the 010. Then again, if memory serves - the 010 is about 4 years newer than the entire MDR-SA line.