david watt

Maybe i will do that one day... Been there...Done that last Christmas: DT880 Cheers! (1/1/06 update-This has become like a blog for my A500:)) This is the current state of the headphones, following the tear in the "skin" of the earpads- if they are shedding, why not just "skin" it? Based on memory, with the music off, the isolation of the headphone is reduced by a tiny margin; with the music on, there is no doubt that this is still a closed headphone. IMO, the comfort factor does go up since it is less warm on the ears and also feels softer like a smooth sponge. Sound-wise( http://www.sgheadphones.net/index.php?showtopic=134 ): When used to watch movies, A500 prominently loses in transparency/ambience/ presence and imaging etc to the DT800 from an amped source. When used to listen to music, A500 seems to have its pitch tuned up by a few semitones, which is evident on the piano and vocals when compared to the DT880. But the accuracy in the timbre is good. From my understanding of reviews and opinions online, this seems to be the characteristic of the Audio-Technica line. These opinions are solely based on my hearing.

My home set-up plus the headphones/earphones: Beyer DT880 (Home-Music) ATH-A500 (Movie/Computer) Shure E2C (Portable) Panasonics RP-HJE50 (Portable)

Hi Iikfa! U r here too! Not really that heavy of a usage but just that my ears sweat a lot when i use them. I do clean the earpads but then nature still takes its toll... The replacement pads i can actually contact Retrospective for the job... just that, the same thing is going to happen to the earpads again, i am sure, with time... Yup, guess i have shaky hands, too much caffeine, u think?

Hey Thanks for input! I was still editing my post when u popped in! Ya, i just snapped away using my Compact. Indoor & Outdoor shots are different really! Personally i find the colours a bit off and dark... BTW these shots have been roughly edited using photo software already.

Pouch for E2C But really, i can find little use for it since i listen to my earphones everyday, i just don't bother coiling & un-coiling. I just lay the E2C on the table after use & put it on the next day...

The pouches for the earphones...

RP-HJE50...Hey look at the reflection

E2C with the softies...

Filters...For the panasonics there is another medium-sized pair which is attached to the earphones

Casing...

After getting my DT880 & Original Master during the beginning of the year (Thanks to Clarence & Benjamin ), i thought that i should get some portable earphones since i spend so much time commuting everyday. So i have gotten the HJE-50 followed by the E2C later. The E2 is a true canal-phone while the Panasonics is a "canal-phone" The Panasonics merely sit at the opening at the ear canal while the E2C goes into the ear-canal. As a side-remark, before i got both these earphones, I am one of those who hesitate to stuff things into my ear. I mean, doesn't that sound gross? That is why i bought the Panasonics to try out first. My ear did not resist my putting physical objects into my ear and i soon overcame the psychological barrier Then, when using the Panasonics- isolation not good, microphonics a-plenty, sound too treble-high for me. So, hunt for replacement begins. The natural step up would be the entry level Shure E2C. For the Portables-Headphones category, things are more interesting in that there are so many more criterias to compare with in contrast with the comparisons for headphones to be used at home. Soundwise: Well, i am not good at this type of reviewing. Just my opinion, though i think it is obvious that i will say E2C is better. "Of course it is better since it costs more!" The Panasonics have always sounded shrill. Side by side, the Panasonics sounded muffled and high-pitched even. Portability: Shure again wins. Why? Panasonics' cables are very prone to noise caused by friction with other bodies. Also, its Y-cale is very long for me on the right side. In contrast, Shure's cables are very much thicker and this cuts down on the noise mentioned above. Also, Shure's implementation of the over the ears idea for the cables is very good indeed- very convenient in that one will not yank out the cables accidentally. Besides, this way of wearing the earphones looks cool! Just remember to use the cable fastener to secure the cables at the back of the head. (Refer to the Shure website if this sounds glibberish ) Isolation: No contest again- E2c goes deeper into the ear than the Panasonic. the change in volume needed for the music to remain audible is quite significant for the Panasonics compared to Shure when the MRT goes underground. Durability: Shure looks more durable with thicker cables and also the jacket at the joints. Conclusions: So Shure wins every category-bah! No fun! Might as well chuck all these comparisons aside, after all! Well, so it all boils down to the cost, as i have mentioned earlier. E2C costs nearly thrice that of the Panasonics. Ultimately, it is up to the user to decide whether the design and function superiority of the E2C over the Panasonics is worth the extra dough. Pictures: Shure on left/ Panasonics on right P.S. Experts at digital photography pls input some advice on ways to improve my shots, ok?

...and then...like this...

Yup... This is the tear i was referring to...it was initially like this...

Pictures...

Pictures...

Pictures of the A500... P.S. Experts at digital photography out there, pls give me advice on how to improve my shots, ok

Actually i feel that EQ will only help to a certain extent. The female vocal-thingy is actually a inherent nature of the sound of the A500. It is precisely that character that makes watching action movies on it so fun. Vocals and acoustic instruments, however will not sound quite natural especially when one plays/hears the particular instruments first-hand. But then, YMMV & it might have been that i am just too nitty-picky. Cheers!

Hehe...surprised to see this thread revived! Actually i got my A500 nearly a year ago so i am not sure whether Retrospective still has it. The earpads of my a500 are already wearing out, the thin outer layer material tearing actually, revealing the soft sponge underneath! However that doesn't affect the sound in any way except maybe a tinny-weeny part of the isolation factor(?) In fact the headphones are actually more comfortable since the original padding can cause the ears to feel warm. IMO, A500 is very good for watching movies straight out from the audio jacks- impactful, deep bass and one can hear the sound effect moving from left to right etc. However for music, personally i feel that the pitch of the sound is a little high, causing female vocals to sound un-natural tone-wise. Other than that is quite OK, i feel. For that price, actually Shure E2c can be considered too. The built is durable with thick chords and sleeves at the joints to cushion against wear and tear. Sound wise after burn-in: Bass is there but not as deep as the A500, vocals more prominent. Side-by-side comparison with the Panasonics HJE50, the Panasonics sound very muffled and everything being so bright in comparison.

gfgfmoses: Actually Ma6jia has been offering his service in bringing in the Master HeadAmp for us since last year. But then, i realise that u have only just joined us this year n thus might be clueless about this Do a search for more details- there are a few threads regarding this amp.

Got my A500 from Retrospective at S$160

Hmm, actually all the phones u mentioned are open/semi-open i.e. minimal isolation. If u really want close can w/o amp, maybe the A900 selling in the Classifieds is worth considering. I have only used the A500. Ppl at head-fi say that the difference between A500 & A900 is minimal for a casual listener. I feel that A500 is quite ok, with good details and quite solid bass. However IMO it sounds bright. It does not need an amp and is easily driven by my discman. It is really good for watching action-movies with good sound effects on a computer. My 2-cents worth...

Nope. Just plain Redbook CD playback.

Also encountered the crackling sounds on my DT880 for some tracks of certain CDs. Eg: The Prayer from Celine Dion's Collector's Vol 1. At parts when the music reach a climax, the crackling sound will prevail. I feel that the crackling is from the tracks themselves as another pair of Panansonic earphones that i have also give a slight crackling sound at the same part of the music. Anyone with that CD can give it a try too? However, when the treble is turned up or when bright sounding equipment is used i.e. from the ATH-A500 headphone, this crackling noise will not be so obvious.

Just to chip in, i got my U-DM31 at $550 after some haggling from a shop at 2nd level at SLS near Christmas last year. Not quite remember the name of the shop but just walk into the shop and you will see it with the other mini-micros. Mine is with the Mission-designed speakers.

Hi Laomao, Actually i also send u a private message. U can actually access it at the top right hand corner next to "my controls". Click on "X new messages", where X is no of messages. Just sent you a message!