Audio Technica Woodies

Discussion in 'Headphones' started by MoatsArt, Oct 13, 2015.

  1. Mshenay

    Mshenay Barred from loaner program. DON'T SEND ME GEAR.

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    I'm curious to see how the pad changes the sound, I heard a stock W5000, it sounded like a very angry version of my W1000X, I'm really hoping I can get a W3000 or W2002 as I've yet to heard either of those. Audio Technica is what started me down the Wood Back path and I'd like to always keep at least one in my collection, thankfully @Bill-P did an amazing job modding a ES10 that I have, it's a great reference point for what a mid range portable headphone can sound like. So hopefully, I can grab an actual flagship to keep in my full size collection
     
  2. sacredgates

    sacredgates Audio-Technica's high priest

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    Location:
    Black Forest Germany
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    Modding the Audio-Technica ATH-W3000ANV
    Background:
    I lived happily with my W3000 until I got my ZMF Eikon. The signature of both these headphones was so different that my brain went into a shock each time when swapping.
    At the beginning I thought the Eikon was way too dark, and I even considered selling them. After listening for a while to the Eikons only, giving both headphone and my brain time to burn in, I starting to love the Eikons more and more. Moreover I started noticing many little things the Eikons did better than my ATH-W3000anv: especially body, less treble peakiness, rumble and micro detail. If I was to keep the W3000, it needed to be modded.

    3 goals:
    a) lifting the amount of bass
    b) reducing cup resonance. I felt sure the cup resonance, while inducing that bit of romantic extra for slow music, was eating up micro detail and muddling up more complex music
    c) reducing the overall amount of treble and taming the treble spikes

    mod solutions (related to goals):
    a) swapping earpads for ZMF Eikon pads
    b) adding dynamat extreme to strategic places in the cups and on the driver housing (partly inspired by an old Audio Technica woodies mod thread on Head-fi, where Marvey was posting suggestions) + adding some shelf liner behind the damping material (inspired by the ZMF Eikon)
    c) adding an acoustic filter layer with Saatifil Acoustex B160HY (inspired by an article on Innerfidelity)
    extra) I also had them recabled by Forza Audioworks with a beautiful braided balanced cable.

    result:
    the W3000 lost some of its uniqueness, but became a much better behaved headphone to my ears. There is still more than enough difference with the Eikons. The W3000 for example with vocals will emphasize mouth-lips-tongue, whereas Eikon will bring out more the chest and body. The W3000 will focus on the strings being touched, the ZMF will focus on the resonance chamber of the instrument. The W3000 can´t do the rumble like the Eikons. Soundstage is about equal. A lot of vocal music is just heavenly with the W3000 (it has always been known for that), even though you won´t hear me complain about the Eikon either.
    I did no measurements. These mods were tuned by ear.
    I don´t think that many people own the W3000 and only very few may be interested in modding them.
    So I will not further elaborate in detail on the mods. I added some pictures (via imgur), which speak for themselves when acquanted with modding headphones. Otherwise just ask me.

    Caveat: be careful with the yellow damping material inside the cups. It consists of glass fiber or similar. Don´t inhale. Wear gloves.

    https://i.imgur.com/u0a0RJO.jpg
    https://i.imgur.com/vCHXjOP.jpg
    https://i.imgur.com/SzO51gZ.jpg
    https://i.imgur.com/qU78yXF.jpg
    https://i.imgur.com/9tEXd0V.jpg
    https://i.imgur.com/xQTpqIt.jpg
    https://i.imgur.com/gH7i4X9.jpg
     
    Last edited: Oct 3, 2017
  3. Mshenay

    Mshenay Barred from loaner program. DON'T SEND ME GEAR.

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    This... I have the mods from Marvey's old thread on HF, and I really love my W1000X with them, but the modest W1KX just doesn't compare to the Eikon, how ever seeing the mods you've done on a W3000! That's pretty exciting. I'd love to get to hear your modded W3000! An hopefully get to own one to compliment my Eikon as well
     

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