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| The Search is Over; Headphones for the office | |
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| Tweet Topic Started: 25 Jan 2007, 11:00 PM (1,520 Views) | |
| yongchris | 25 Jan 2007, 11:00 PM Post #1 |
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Moving to a new company, new office and new schedule. I've decided to reward myself with a new pair of headphones for office use... I want something open (so I can still hear the phone), easily amped by a small portable (I'm buying the Hornet), extremely comfortable (9 hours on and off) but doesn't leak too much (to not disturb my colleagues). Haven't really decided on a budget (to maintain flexibility), but sound quality is of course of utmost importance. I will be documenting my hunt in this thread... This is my Story.... PS... My current office rig is a SR60 run straight from a discman. My home cans are K240Ms (600bloodyOhms) run from a Original Master amp. My taste in headphones tend to lean towards the warm sounding side. I prefer lush midrange with deep, but none-boomy bass. Treble and transparency are not a 'top' qualities I look for in headphones as the proximity of the drivers will usually lead to brightness which lead to fatigue. |
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| yongchris | 26 Jan 2007, 12:01 AM Post #2 |
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I guess I should start from the top. I've reviewed the HD650 and DT990 previously, and I never really liked them. The HD650 is nice, but it takes way too long to burn in, and there's something missing from the sound. I guess changing the cables might've made a difference, but since Sennheiser does not supply units with modded cables, I was stuck with the stock cables. End of the day, I wouldn't pay so much for it. There was no 'wow' factor. I needed to be blown away, and they didn't do it for me. DT990 is just not my cup of tea. The bass and treble extension is just superb, but at the expense of midrange. It's not that the mids are recessed, its that the bass and treble are just too overpowering. I'm not a basshead, and the overly bright treble is very fatiguing over a extended listening period. So no. TBC... |
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Recipes at Secret Garlic Butter. Click me | |
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| chaych | 26 Jan 2007, 12:12 AM Post #3 |
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"Batman"
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did you use the HD590 with amps? i heard that only the little country tube amp syncs well with the HD590... |
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Home: - HD 590 - MS2i Portable: - UM1(for sale!) - UM2 - OVC TC20 - CrossRoads MylarOne - MX500 - XTRA X-1 | |
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| scanfiend | 26 Jan 2007, 12:16 AM Post #4 |
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Moderatus Supremus - Da Big Stick
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The HD590 has been discontinued.....unless you're talking about used sets
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Amps (Portable): XM3, Xin Supermini v5, GoVibe V5, Xenos REP, Portaphile V2^2 (maxxed), Headroom TotalAirHead, Xtra X-1, RSA Hornet-M (Gold), Headamp AE2, Headamp Pico, Graham Slee Voyager Interconnects: Currently: xxx's Red Series, ALO SCD (AU/AG) Amps (Desktop): Firestone Audio Beyond, Firestone Audio Little Country Headphone/earphones: Sennheiser HD590, AKG K601, Grado SR80, Grado MS Pros, Denon AD5000, Denon C700, OVC TC20, Sony EX90LP, AT CK9,CrossRoads Mylar (1-3), UE TripleFi 10 Pro, UE-11 Pro Sources: Panasonic CT820, Creative Zen Vision:M, Creative Zen X-Fi (32GB), iAudio X5L, Apple iPod Nano 8GB 2G, Apple iTouch (16gb), Samsung YH-J70SB, Cowon D2, Sony NW-A808, Sony NW-A829, Sansa Clip (4GB), Sansa Fuze (8GB) | |
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| yongchris | 26 Jan 2007, 12:19 AM Post #5 |
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Managed to spend some time with the 701s some time ago. It was everything I wanted in a pair of headphones... in terms of sound quality. I cannot live with the bulk though, its comfortable till I start moving my head. Having the princess leia cups (in white) made it all the more worse. Budget is a little bit of concern as well since I don't want to be spending so much money on headphones that I will be leaving in the office. Still, it's on the shortlist. Decided to try the 501s on a lark. Since they are cheaper and definitely nicer looking. A funny thing happened, Wilson let me try a brand new set and I hated it. It was harsh. I could not keep it on my ears to hear one complete song, I was constantly switching tracks. I bugged Wilson to let me try the display model instead, and it was a whole world of difference. Definitely a plus towards burn-in. The display model sounded a lot better. Sweeter mids (just the way I like it), with a lovely soundstage. The bass was disappointing. It's not that there was no bass, it was that it sounded so far away. It was kinda like the bassist decided to play in another room from the band, without a mic. I loved the comfort and the build quality, and the price is just right. Of course, I'm one of those chaps who like having 'discontinued' stuff, own it for the sake of being special. So the 501 is doubly attractive. Pending... |
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Recipes at Secret Garlic Butter. Click me | |
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| yongchris | 26 Jan 2007, 12:19 AM Post #6 |
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To my eternal shame, I've never heard the 590. Never been a senn fan. |
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Recipes at Secret Garlic Butter. Click me | |
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| razer | 26 Jan 2007, 12:38 AM Post #7 |
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banned + locked
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I can only think of one can, the ATH-AD2000. Its open, very airy, sweet and lush mids that's a little recessed but not as much as the K701's and bass is tight and goes deep. Its comfortable and you can do the stuff foam into pads mod to make it even better. Price wise, its also good. What's more is that its vry easily driven out of anything. |
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Headphones/Earphones: ATH-L3000, ATH-AD2000, SA-5000, HD650, K701, HF-1, E5C, ES-7, GS-1000, Stax Omega 2, ESW9
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| yongchris | 26 Jan 2007, 01:53 AM Post #8 |
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MS2 vs SR325i. Frankly, I was hard pressed to hear a difference. I do like the grado signature sound, although it's not really the kinda of overall 'warm' tonality I usually go for. The problem was that it leaked too much. Not very comfortable either. A little torn about this one. I'd probably pick the MS2 over the SR325i (I prefer the silver over the gold.. not really into bling). But it's also kinda too expensive for office use. Don't know about this one. Then again, since I already own grados, I'm probably going to strike this off the list too. AD900. Saving the best for last. This might be it. Spent about 30mins with this at Wilson's today. It was lovely. Beautiful lush midrange, deep bass and nice wide soundstage without trading for placement. Very accurate too. It was not as bright as I had expected and supremely comfortable. It looks really cool too. It's definitely above the budget I expected to spend, but I think I may end up using this at home, and bringing my K240Ms to work. ahhh. This one goes to the top of the heap. Thats all for today.... Although, there is a plan to hear the A900 first. Also want to listen to the AD700 (closer to budget) as well. Can't think of any other models... Maybe I should've gone from the bottom to the top instead. Now I won't be satisfied if I go downrange. Chris |
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Recipes at Secret Garlic Butter. Click me | |
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| yongchris | 26 Jan 2007, 02:00 AM Post #9 |
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A little PS before signing off. The DT990, HD650 was heard through my Original Master amp. The 701,501,AD900,MS2 was heard through the firestone setup at Wilson's. The 325i was heard through RA1s. I also brought my K240Ms to Wilson's just to compare. I found that the firestone had major difficulties driving it. It certainly had an easier time driving the AD900. Definitely need to re-evaluate the two once my hornet comes in. |
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Recipes at Secret Garlic Butter. Click me | |
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| scanfiend | 26 Jan 2007, 09:33 AM Post #10 |
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Moderatus Supremus - Da Big Stick
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Indeed you should. Despite the raves of many at headfi, I never had satisfactory results driving my full-sized cans from portable amplifiers. They just don't have the "oomph" factor. Better results are obtained with desktop amps. |
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Amps (Portable): XM3, Xin Supermini v5, GoVibe V5, Xenos REP, Portaphile V2^2 (maxxed), Headroom TotalAirHead, Xtra X-1, RSA Hornet-M (Gold), Headamp AE2, Headamp Pico, Graham Slee Voyager Interconnects: Currently: xxx's Red Series, ALO SCD (AU/AG) Amps (Desktop): Firestone Audio Beyond, Firestone Audio Little Country Headphone/earphones: Sennheiser HD590, AKG K601, Grado SR80, Grado MS Pros, Denon AD5000, Denon C700, OVC TC20, Sony EX90LP, AT CK9,CrossRoads Mylar (1-3), UE TripleFi 10 Pro, UE-11 Pro Sources: Panasonic CT820, Creative Zen Vision:M, Creative Zen X-Fi (32GB), iAudio X5L, Apple iPod Nano 8GB 2G, Apple iTouch (16gb), Samsung YH-J70SB, Cowon D2, Sony NW-A808, Sony NW-A829, Sansa Clip (4GB), Sansa Fuze (8GB) | |
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| razer | 26 Jan 2007, 10:59 AM Post #11 |
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banned + locked
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By the way, to TS, care to tell us your budget? [Moderator Edit: This is a reminder. Refrain from using short forms and SMS language. Thank You!] |
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Headphones/Earphones: ATH-L3000, ATH-AD2000, SA-5000, HD650, K701, HF-1, E5C, ES-7, GS-1000, Stax Omega 2, ESW9
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| aaron-xp | 26 Jan 2007, 08:36 PM Post #12 |
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Boy
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Somehow, I'm thinking of the K601 when I read this. I'm probably biased though. The K601 is every much as big as the K701 but at least the black is slightly more pleasing to the eye than the "toilet-bowl" white. The AD and A series is really big, so if you find them alright, won't the Kx01s be rather small in comparison? |
| team Lover, You Should've Come Over | |
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| yongchris | 27 Jan 2007, 01:48 AM Post #13 |
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The 601 is certainly on my 'to-listen' list. I started from the top of the heap and will be working my way downwards. Next up will be the A900, AD700 and K601. I've already heard the DT880 and DT770 (reviewed at the same time as the DT990, but never published) and the beyer 'sound' is definitely not for me. Also considering the K271. Not too sure about the K530 though. Chris PS. the AD900 is quite large, but there isn't the same sense of 'bulkiness' that I feel when I have the K701 on my head. I really hate the white. The AD900 looks sleaker cos it's black. |
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Recipes at Secret Garlic Butter. Click me | |
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| yongchris | 27 Jan 2007, 06:29 AM Post #14 |
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Ermm. You can say that my budget is unlimited within reason |
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Recipes at Secret Garlic Butter. Click me | |
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| yongchris | 14 Feb 2007, 02:09 AM Post #15 |
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Finally heard the A900. Sadly, was quite disappointed. I had expected something close to the AD900, but with a deeper bass and smaller soundstage. What I found was a constricted sound. Low Freqs certainly went low, but it was not satisfying. I put the A900 through the same track (double bass duo) as the AD900 and I found I much preferred the AD900. There was more body to the AD900 sound. The bassists harmonics seemed rather electronic on the A900. I also found the midrange disappointing. Jacintha did not sound as smooth as I liked her to be. Not so much lush as in your face. The A900 actually reminded me a little of the DT990, but with more balanced sound. Although, it still lacked the warmth in the midtones that I like for headphone listening. Although... I'm not sure if the CD player involved might have made a difference as well. It just struck me that all my previous listening was done on the CD63KI. But, it was the CD67 that was hooked up when I listened to the A900. The A900 is also not as comfortable as the AD900. I definitely could feel the mass of the A900s, and the clamp on my head. Isolation was good without drowning out too much surrounding noise. I think the AD900 is still topping the list. But I shall have to do a proper head to head when the AD900 returns. edited: I just found out about the AD950... curiosity has bit me, though it's a little too pricey for office use. I wonder how it sounds. |
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Recipes at Secret Garlic Butter. Click me | |
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| aaron-xp | 14 Feb 2007, 08:45 PM Post #16 |
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Boy
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AD950? Is it supposed to be the A950? It's supposedly a A900 with a different driver, hence the comfort level (or the lack of it), should be about the same. The collector value admittedly adds a bit of shine to them. Unless, we're talking about different headphones. |
| team Lover, You Should've Come Over | |
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| yongchris | 9 Mar 2007, 01:33 AM Post #17 |
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This should go in the amp forum, but I don't want to start a new thread for it. Finally got my hands on my Hornet. I'm very surprised at its size. It's kinda SMALL. I had expected something bigger, and the Tomahawk is kinda big. I had expected something smaller. Guess photos cannot do them justice. No impressions of the sound yet, will be leaving it running for a mandatory 200hrs before listening. Although, it drives my 600ohm K240M very nicely (9 o'clock at high gain). I couldn't hear any marked improvements with my UM2s (yet), except that it imparted a more spacious quality to the music. So now the amp is here, I can finally decide on the headphones... (although, I don't think I'll be using the hornet in the office.... Maybe I should get the SR71 for the office) The search is almost over.... Chris |
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Recipes at Secret Garlic Butter. Click me | |
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| theory_87 | 9 Mar 2007, 01:42 AM Post #18 |
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I Need More Money To Spend
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same view as you. the hornet is quite small. toma on the other hand look almost the same size as hornet. |
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Source: Sansa Clip x 2 | iAudio U2 | Rio Karma | iPod Nano 4GB Gen 1 x 2 | iMod 60GB iPod Photo | iPod Gen 5.5 x 2 | iRiver H140 | HP Pavilion dv6121TX Amp: Xin SuperMicro IV | theory_87's DPA1 | iBasso D10 Modded | iBasso fi.Quest | Onkyo TX-SV919THX | Yaqin CD1 Tube Buffer w Mullard E88CC | AMB CK²III Heaphone/IEM/Speaker: CrossRoad MylarOne X3 | SoundMagic PL30 | Modded Altec Lasing im716 | Fischer Audio Eterna w modified UM56 | Custom Ultimate Ears® super.fi 5 Extended Bass™ | Custom Ultimate Ears® #4/1000 triple.fi 10 Pro™ + mid driver| ACS T1 | JBL PS100 & Yamaha VS10M Others: xxx red series 3.5mm & RCA IC | DIY HGA 3.5mm IC | DIY Jena Cryo 3.5mm IC | DIY ALO SXC 3.5mm IC | Custom Optical IC | Ridox contact protector/enhancer | DeoxIT ProGOLD | Mapleshade SilClear | |
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| yongchris | 3 Apr 2007, 05:24 AM Post #19 |
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The Search is OVER. Have paid Wilson. I have to say, the hunting was more exciting. Final review to come. Burning in as we speak. *hint* Its one of the models mentioned in the posts. |
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Recipes at Secret Garlic Butter. Click me | |
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| yongchris | 26 Apr 2007, 07:34 AM Post #20 |
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I have been remiss in updating this thread. Been rather busy and haven't had much time to dedicate to writing a proper review. Not having a deadline helps in the procrastination. I can't imagine how I could churn out 4-5 reviews a month way back when. Definitely having a deadline helps the push. Anyway, I digress... So I finally settled on THE headphone for office use. The Audio Technica ATH-AD900 It was slightly over my expected budget, but since I couldn't find anything I liked at a lower price, I didn't mind so much paying for it. First off, these babies are supremely comfortable. They don't get hot, they don't get heavy and they don't move about once it's mounted on my head. I've been going 8-9 hours at a stretch only taking them off to answer the phone. Sometimes, I've even forgotten they were on and didn't take them off when the music stopped. I love how these babies stay on my head without the clamping feeling I get from other headphones. The build quality is top notch as well. Yes, I know, it's a little snobbish of me to think that the 'made in japan' imprint makes it all better, but somehow it does. You can sense a slight improvement in quality over the AD700/500 models that are made elsewhere. Looks. I have to say, these are the best looking (IMO) amongst all the models I've tried. I did really like the A950 very much, but not so much the sound. Of all the models, I could actually wear these in front of the mirror and not look odd. (I tried the 701 and got a shock of my life )Being an open model, I didn't expect any isolation from ambient sounds (which was actually a criteria, as I have to hear the phone ring), but I was pleasantly surprised that it didn't leak as badly as I would've thought (which was also another criteria as I do not want to disturb my colleagues). Equipment used. I finally brought my Original Master headphone amp to the office, the source is my trusty D-EJ915 discman. I also ran these through my Hornet with my iPod plugged in. First thing you notice when you put these on (after going "wow, these are comfortable") is the soundstage. The soundstage is simply immense. I honestly don't think I've heard another pair of cans with such a lovely wide soundstage. It was a pleasure listening to classical and live acoustic pieces. Imaging was quite good as well and it was easy to pick out individual instruments within the orchestra. This is not a headphone for bassheads. While it made a good representation of lower register notes, it definitely lacked the kind of chest-thumping, body-reverberating bass that I've heard from the DT990. To me, that is a good thing, I actually prefer the way the AD900 handled the bass. It was deadly accurate without getting too boomy and overwhelming everything else. You hear the bass more than feel it. I know sometimes, you have to 'feel' the bass resonate within your body (hence the 2 subwoofers at home), but this close to my ears, I prefer not to, thank you very much. Midrange was luscious, albeit slightly recessed. I felt that it did male vocals slightly better than it did female vocals. While it was not as warm nor accurate as my K240Ms, there was something distinctly enjoyable about them. Listening to my favourite Jacintha was infinitely pleasurable. I have definitely heard better, where Jacintha is whispering in my ears and giving me all sorts of hair-tingling sensations, but not at this price range. Honestly though, Jacintha is one of my most important test tracks, and if I were buying this strictly for home use (and spending more money), I would not have picked this model on this hurdle alone. However, sometimes it’s ok to compromise. In this case, it wasn’t that big a compromise. I suspect its because of its open design that’s causing Jacintha’s voice to lose the intimacy that I crave. I shall have to try to cup the headphones closed and see if it makes any difference. The highs are where the AD900 shine. There was a certain sweetness to it that I can’t describe. I’ve heard the clinical ER4S and the bright DT990 and I think the AD900 falls somewhere inbetween. It was not so bright that I felt fatigue after a few minutes of listening (When I reviewed the DT990, I couldn’t go more than an hour), but it wasn’t so clinical that everything else seemed washed out. Violins and trumpets sound amazing on these headphones, and I found myself re-listening to my Canadian Brass collection. I definitely liked the overall balance of the sound coming from the AD900. I found that I could enjoy the music more rather than have to listen critically. Ironically, I found that the AD900 paired better with my Original Master headphone amp than with my Hornet. The OM seemed to be in greater harmony with the AD900 than the Hornet. I found that (I tried all 3 gain settings) with the Hornet, the sound felt somewhat thin. It wasn’t bad per se, but compared to the OM, it did not seem to offer the same full-bodied sound. Equipment matching is definitely important. (The best I’ve heard the AD900 is at Jaben when it was connected to the CD63KI+Little Country amp). I guess I would have to fall back on the old audiophile expression ‘musicality’. The AD900 are very musical cans. While it doesn’t do everything perfectly (except comfort), it does everything right. These cans are certainly a joy to listen to. I’ve kept them on my head from the moment I sit in my chair right till the time I have to go home. Switching CD after CD, just enjoying the music. I suspect I could get more out of these cans if I switched to a better source, though I have not yet been tempted to bring them home to plug into my CD17KI and nonOS dac. I shall have to do that soon and write a followup. Overall, I’m quite pleased with my purchase. It fulfills almost all the requirements I set when I started on this search, and though I had to make certain compromises, they weren’t negative compromises. Compared to all the other models I auditioned, this fits my needs perfectly. Chris |
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| aaron-xp | 26 Apr 2007, 09:11 PM Post #21 |
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Boy
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I personally felt that the AD900 was not bad (the last time I was looking for a headphone of the same price range). I can't really comment on how it sounds now, but I do remember it to be quite big. I wonder how the "big brother" AD2000 sounds. |
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| raptor84 | 26 Apr 2007, 10:32 PM Post #22 |
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Hmm now I feel like giving one a listen was origninally looking at the AD700's too.. |
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Pet Portrait Portfolio Galleries - Flickr 30GB 5.5G + LOD + Corda Move| ER4p | DT150 | |
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| yongchris | 26 Apr 2007, 11:19 PM Post #23 |
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The AD700s were actually within my budget. But after comparing the 2, the choice was easy. And I have to follow my own rules 'Buy the best you can afford' Also, I really hate the colouring of the AD700, and it's not made in Japan
It is quite big, but it certainly doesn't feel big. I've tried all the 'Big' models, 990, 650, GS1000, 701, K1000...etc and while the AD900 is comparable in size, it's definitely feels lighter on your head. (Cheaper too) |
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