[Beocord]

Yeah...I was also under the impression that the drivers are the same. Part numbers on sonys spare part catalogue match. Well...if I can't get a good deal on sa3000 I propably do something else with the sa5000 headband. I was thinking about buying hd650 drivers because theyre so cheap but I doubt it would work. That connector bad sticks out so much that there might be no space for it within the sa5000 cups. Shame...the headband is gorgeus.

 

[Eternal Schism]

I like the HD800 and T1 quite a bit and also a fair share of darker cans too. Would have been very keen to try a SA5000 but it seems like there is none new and only second hand. It'd be highly appreciated if anyone knew where a new one could be found?

 

[elmoe]

They've been discontinued, you'll have a HARD time finding a brand new pair, I looked everywhere for one and got extremely lucky to find one on French eBay for a very decent price after quite a few months of hunting.
 
You're better off finding a used pair. I did find a new pair here:
 
http://www.amazon.com/gp/offer-listing/B0007N55KK/ref=sr_1_1_olp?ie=UTF8&qid=1393070682&sr=8-1&keywords=sa5000&condition=new
 
but at 789usd, that's a joke of a price, I wouldn't buy them for that much. You can find a used pair in good condition on head-fi for 350-450usd, just gotta be patient and wait for one to pop up.

 

[Beocord]

I never got around experementing if the sa3000 and sa5000 drivers are the same because I got a good deal for a used sa5000. So now I have one working pair and extra headband and spare driver if something happens Anyway... I definately would have fixed my pair if I had known how good these sound. Spl phonitor seems to be a great match. These are first headphones that really impress me without having a huge soundstage. Depth is great but presentation is not that wide. But with imaging and instrument separation this excellent who cares! Perfect change of space for DX1000. On the other hand it's great to be able to enjoy headphones with different soundsignatures but this "ability" might get expensive at some point

 

[borrego]

The SA5000 and SA3000 do share the same drivers. They sound differently because of the following:

1. The SA5000 uses leather pads and SA3000 uses fabric pads. The leather pad can reflect sound better (more bass)
2. At bottom of the ear cups, the SA5000 uses sealed rubber like membrane, the SA3000 uses unsealed medium density papers. The membranes agains reflect more sound (more bass)

Knowing thr above, I bought my pair of discounted SA3000 4 years ago and are still enjoying it. Knowing if needed, I can probably apply some mods the ear cups to add more base. I like the fabric pads of the SA3000 better anyway.

The stock cables of the SA3000 and SA5000 are also different. But I doubt they affect the sound signature much.

I find enabling crossfeed would help reducing fatigue listening to the SA3000. Most tube amps are actually too slow for the SA3000/SA5000 to shine.

 

[elmoe]

Actually after further research, i found that isn't exactly right:
 
The sa3k has a dome type transducer (and specs similar to the sa1000), whilst the sa5000 is listed as having a nanocomposite dome type driver, but both the sa3k and sa5k are listed as having a nanocomposite diaphragm. So the drivers are not exactly the same. Having demo'd the sa3k, I can honestly say that the sa5k is much better at everything.
 
The SA5k cable is pretty slim and crappy, so that won't matter much either way.
 
However, the SA5k highly benefits from a decent tube amp. Paired up with the proper source, a tube amp is a must with them in fact. I wouldn't even bother owning the SA5k if I didn't have a tube amp to pair them up with. They sounded harsh and sibilant with every SS amp I tried (quite a few of them).

 

[borrego]

Here is a copy of the SA1000/SA3000/SA5000 Service Manual.
 
The SA3000 and SA5000 have the same driver: Part No. 1-542-603-11
 
The SA1000 driver is different, with Part No 1-542-604-11
 
The SA3000 cable is even thinner than those of the SA5000. Many people claim replacing the SA3000 stock cable would improve sound quality but I haven't tried
 
One can call me ignorant. But I can neither afford expensive "fast" tube amp, nor can tolerate "slow" tube amp. If need I use free Tube VST plug-in with my SS amp.
 
One might also tame the SA3000/SA5000 treble by putting a 20-30ohm resistor in serial to the amp output (coincidentally, most tube amp has higher output impedance). My A1 clone amp has a 25ohm output resistor. SA3000 + my A1 clone actually sound very nice.

 

[elmoe]

Parts number are the same in the manual yes, but someone took them apart at some point and showed they were different. I'll try to hunt down the review when I have some free time later on.
 
Not all cheaper tube amps are "slow". But then if you prefer using a VST, that's your prerogative. I just gave my opinion.

 

[borrego]

Here is a SA5000 tear down article (comparing to the Qualia) : http://www.erji.net/read.php?tid=675915. There is a picture in the middle showing the SA5000 black color membrane inside the ear cup.

 

[borrego]

Finally my Meier-Audio Classic has arrived and it pairs with my SA-3000 very well. I don't even find it lacking any bass!
 
To extract bass from the SA5000/SA3000, one definitely needs to drive them with amplifiers having low output impedance (< 1 ohm).

 

[AzraelDarkangel]

There is still stock around of the SA3000 but of course the SA5000 is rare and getting more expensive. Pretty soon it will join the cult Sony headphones that are impossible to find at a reasonable price like the Qualia, R10 and CD3000.

 

[borrego]

I bought my pair of SA3000 a few years back at close out price. I won't say the SA3000 and SA5000 are still good deals considering their current prices.

Also I have heard the SA3000/SA5000 drivers are quite fragile and won't survive a casual drop. So this is something to consider.

But for sure I will pamper my pair of SA3000 and enjoy. Till this days I still cannot find another full size headphone which is this light in weight yet giving so much soundstage and details. Ortho headphones are too heavy and Staxs are too limiting to me.

 

[borrego]

I think the SA3000/5000 are victims of an era where not many good headphone amps were having low output impedence. People were trying to drive the SA3000/SA5000 with tube amps which output impedence values are higher than that of the SA3000/SA5000! So rarely one would find good synergy.

 

[Mad Max]

...
Also I have heard the SA3000/SA5000 drivers are quite fragile and won't survive a casual drop. So this is something to consider.
...

 
The housings/headband are made of pitiful, cheap plastic, they're not far from being as fragile as glass.  They're impossible to glue back together to make it worse.  Even the cheap old V6/7506 puts them to utter shame in build quality.
Edit: good sound, though

 

[elmoe]

I think the SA3000/5000 are victims of an era where not many good headphone amps were having low output impedence. People were trying to drive the SA3000/SA5000 with tube amps which output impedence values are higher than that of the SA3000/SA5000! So rarely one would find good synergy.

 
 
Yep. I modded mine to have lower output impedance (higher capacitance output caps) and my SA5ks really shine in the bass department now. 

 
 
Quote:

   
The housings/headband are made of pitiful, cheap plastic, they're not far from being as fragile as glass.  They're impossible to glue back together to make it worse.  Even the cheap old V6/7506 puts them to utter shame in build quality.
Edit: good sound, though

 
I don't know about the SA3k but the SA5k housing and headband are both made of aluminum, they are quite sturdy headphones overall except for the cable. Very light too.
 
 
You can still find the SA5k for decent prices if you hunt well enough. The pair I own now I got for 200 bucks (new in box) on ebay, from a French ebayer. It took me 2-3 months to find a pair cheaper than 400 bucks, and nowadays I can't find any under 500-700. That said, there is a pair of them in the classifieds here on Head-Fi for 350 I think. That's a pretty decent price.