I auditioned these last weekend at the AT Concept Store in Paris.

Configurations:
DX100 > AD2000X
DX100 > HA5000ANV > AD2000X


Compared them also to W5000's, W3000ANV's, W1000X, ESW11LTD's

Tracks used for testing:
Artur Rubinstein - Chopin Nocturnes (16/44 FLAC)
The Doors - The Doors - Break on Through (24/96 FLAC)
Extrawelt - Schöne Neue Extrawelt - Messy Machinery (16/44 FLAC)
Goldfrapp - Supernature - Ooh La La (16/44 ALAC)
Fischerspooner - #1 - Emerge (16/44 APE)
Flying Lotus - Cosmogramma - Do the Astral Plane (16/44 ALAC)
The Avalanches - Since I Left You - Live at Dominoes (16/44 FLAC)
Richard Galliano & Michel Portal - Blow Up - Libertango (16/44 ALAC)
UHT - Pic de pollution - Mr K (16/44 FLAC)
Bill Evans - The Paris Concert - My Romance (16/44 FLAC)
Charles Mingus - Oh Yeah - Wham Bam Thank You Ma'am (24/192 FLAC)
Alisson Krauss - O Brother, Where Art Thou? - Down to the River to Pray (24/192 FLAC)
Night Spirit Masters - Gnawa Music of Marrakesh - Baba l'rouami (16/44 FLAC)
Boubacar Traoré - Mariama - Mariama Kaba (16/44 FLAC)
Les Witches - Mr Playford's English Dancing Master - Nobody's Jig (16/44 FLAC)
Charles Mingus - Tijuana Moods - Ysabel's Table Dance (Alternate Take) (16/44 FLAC)
Toumani Diabaté - The Mandé Variations - Elyne Road (16/44 ALAC)
John Coltrane - A Love Supreme - Resolution (24/96 FLAC)
Stephan Bodzin - Liebe Ist... - Mondfahrt (16/44 FLAC)
Flying Lotus - Until the Quiet Comes - Putty Boy Strut (16/44 ALAC)
Keith Jarrett - The Köln Concert - Part II (24/96 FLAC)
Miles Davis - Kind of Blue - So What (16/44 ALAC)
Isaac Hayes - Hot Buttered Soul - Walk On By (24/96 FLAC)
Fleet Foxes - Helplessness Blues - Montezuma (24/96 ALAC)
Stan Getz & João Gilberto - Getz/Gilberto - The Girl from Ipanema (24/192 FLAC)
The Chemical Brothers - Further - Escape Velocity (16/44 FLAC)
Nina Simone - Pastel Blues - Sinnerman (16/44 FLAC)
The Dust Brothers - Fight Club OST - Hessel, Raymond K. (16/44 ALAC)
Ella Fitzgerald - Ella and Louis - Isn't This a Lovely Day? (24/192 FLAC)
Jimi Hendrix - Band of Gypsys - Power of Love (16/44 FLAC)
The Rolling Stones - Beggars Banquet - Sympathy for the Devil (24/88 FLAC)
Cypress Hill - Black Sunday - Hits From the Bong (16/44 ALAC)
Richard Galliano & Michel Portal - Blow Up - Leo, estante num instante (16/44 ALAC)
Miles Davis - Kind of Blue - Freddie Freeloader (16/44 ALAC)
Noir Désir - Des Visages des figures - L'Europe (16/44 FLAC)
Flying Lotus - Cosmogramma - Zodiac Sh|t (16/44 ALAC)
John Zorn - Bar Kokhba - Abidan (16/44 FLAC)
Bill Evans - Waltz for Debby - My Foolish Heart (24/192 FLAC)

Review continued after the break.

I tried a few Grado's —didn't like the Grado house sound—, a few Senn's —HD650 left a good impression—, a few lower-end AT's —I thought the AD700 were impressive for the price— and after reading Head-Fi and other audio forums for a long time, I thought the W5000 would suit me and my listening habits well.
 
For over three years I'd waited for a good deal on a used set sold in Europe —to avoid custom duties— and an opportunity finally came around.
 
Now, at first I didn't have any decent amplification to run them from, and but I could certainly fathom they were the best I'd ever heard from the headphone output of my Onkyo integrated amp or from my Sony Hi-MD Walkmans —playing PCM of course .
 
Only a year later with my acquisition of the iBasso DX100 Reference DAP did I truly realise the potential of these headphones, and how amazingly good they sound.
 
I can only imagine what they must sound like paired with a full-size dedicated high-end desktop headphone amp!
 
Bending of the metal headphone bands is important to get a good seal and experience how good the bass is. Those who have complained about the W5000 lacking bass just haven't dared bending them. For my feeling, the W5000 are certainly not bass-light; in fact more bass would be too much for me. They deliver just the impact and slam that is required to reproduce the music as it has been recorded.
 
What more can I say, I'm now in the process of acquiring my second set! I love to share with a good friend the experience of loosing oneself in exquisite sound !
 
• Review in progress - more after the break.


Update: I payed a visit to the Parisian AT Concept Store past weekend and got the opportunity to plug into the HA5000ANV headphone amp, and wow, it brought the W5000's another notch up, even more articulate, more authority, more bass, fantastic! :atsmile: Pure bliss, with every musical genre I tested.
Saving up for that amp, or rather the non anniversary one, I certainly am now.
Also, I fully appreciate the importance of burn-in and bending those metal bands. Between my second pair of W5000's, my first, and the one in the shop, there was a clear difference, and no doubt did my heavely used W5000's sound the best. More fluid, better bass, more musical, less harsh, everything was better.
Also, compared to the W3000ANV's, the W5000's are the better headphones if you are looking for more neutral. The bass on the W3000ANV gives the feeling of being heavier, but it is only the mid-bass that are accentuated. The W5000 extend actually lower, and are more linear overall in the low end. Not denying that the medium range sounds particular, or special, on both those woodies, and the AD2000X fare better in that respect being a tad more balanced, i.e. even more neutral, but the W5000's are definitely still AT's flagship and the best technically. Treble extension also.
The W1000X just don't compete, resolution/detail, soundstaging not as grand, and frequency bandwidth also a bit shorter. Can be less fatiguing though.

Will post more soon, but I tried them briefly, and was impressed.

 
A bit of background: I'm coming from using Sony MiniDisc Walkmans, Hi-MD specifically, with their ability to play full CD-quality LPCM, and providing true gap-less playback, aside a sound quality that is way above that of iPods and other typical MP3 players -and I have tried a few of those.
My musical library just keeps growing, the price per 1GB Hi-MD MiniDisc just isn't competitive any more, and lugging around many discs isn't always convenient, so I'd been on the look-out for a replacement for my Hi-MD Walkmans, and ideally even an upgrade in sound quality, since from using Sony MDR-EX90SL's I'd upgraded to the Audio-Technica W5000's.
 
I'd considered the iMod at one stage, with a large SSD and a good headphone amplifier with a long lasting battery, & that probably remains a solution for those seeking the longest on-the-go autonomy; also the iPod Classic + portable iDACs, CLAS (-dB) / HP-P1 / Go-DAP(-X) / PHA-1, but why support a product, the iPod, that is mediocre in its conception in its first place? Sure the UI is unanimously recognized as intuitive and practical, but for a music player, isn't sound quality the most important? Apple failed miserably here.
 
So Colorfly has an interesting device, the C4 Pro, but alas no gap-less, and 24bit/192kHz only via WAV, not FLAC, not quite practical.
 
HiFiMan just has a terrible UI, no gap-less either, and the design just doesn't appeal to me.
 
Then iBasso came along to announce their first DAP, and touting it as a "reference" one, setting a new high level standard.
Up to 64GB swappable memory via µSDXC, 64GB internal, gap-less, one of the best DAC's on-board, and a powerful amp; the ability to plug my W5000's straight-in without an adaptor, cool. Metal housing, nice.
All that sounded like a truly meaningful upgrade to my MD Walkmans.
 
So, bought it, and how do I like it?
 

 
Built quality is pretty good, not quite Sony-Made-In-Japan level, but very acceptable. 64GB capacity and credits are printed just slightly slanted on the back*, and I have to insert the µUSB cable into its slot also in a slightly slanted manner. I don't mind that, but I can imagine others would return their unit immediately for these little faults. I'm too addicted to the sound right now to bother.
 

 
Wow! As the listening mileage grows, all I can say is that I'm very impressed, and get a better idea of what my W5000's really are capable of.
 

 
The DX100 is giving me the best sound quality I've ever heard with my headphones. My first true audiophile experience.
 

 
The user interface takes some getting used to, but one gets the hang of it after a while. I've disabled all the applications but the music player of course. This reduces interferences and optimizes battery life.
 

 
I'll post more in-depth impressions of actual musical comparisons eventually, but so far I can notice more depth in the sound, more impact, the power delivered is adequate, the treble extends higher and ever so smoothly, though still crystal clearly, without fatigue; bass goes lower too, while remaining tight and articulate, and I will hear no more "W5000's are bass-light": if you think that you either didn't bend the metal bands enough to get a good seal, either you won't admit you're a bass-head, or they weren't amped adequately! Since the thundering bass you get here when its called for is tremendous! I was already quite happy with what the EH1 or RH1 could deliver, but this is even more impressive. More bass impact would be too much.
Mid-range is beautiful, nothing special to add; will do more piano listening for this aspect.
Sound-stage, imaging are bettered too; instrument separation is further much improved.
Now, the details, those are amazing! I get so much more out of the music; typical comment, but indeed, I now hear things in the recordings much better or that I hadn't even noticed before!
All these qualities on the DX100 brings you closer to the live sound!
 
I'm very, very pleased with my purchase.
 
Disclaimer: You've noticed I'm only a budding audiophile, haven't had other high-end gear to compare to, so please take my comments with a pinch of salt. Just MHO, YMMV.
 
N.B.: User interface rating I have bumped up a notch since my first rating, since with firmware version 1.1.7 and proper ID3 tagging, album art & tags show up nicely, and the UI operation has become a little snappier.
N.B. #2: Support of 64GB µSDXC confirmed. After formatting to FAT32 it is perfectly recognized by the DX100. 120GB of flash memory at hand, ain't that nice! I will be adding more of these flash memory cards over time since my Norêve carrying case conveniently has a few slots for them, but moreso because those high definition albums do take an awful lot of space up...
N.B. #3: With iBasso's v.1.2.7 FW update for the DX100, the user interface has been much improved: nearly all my albums' cover art is showing up, the battery management is better in that the standby mode is effective, so that it doesn't drain as fast as it used to, and believe it or not, the sound quality has moved up yet another notch!
Thus, I have bumped up the UI rating by another half star!
 
*After more than six months of very intensive use which translate into a few scratches and dents, I made use of iBasso's excellent customer service & cheap spare parts catalogue & ordered a new backplate, and that one is impeccable. With a new display protection —that I got for free— I also ordered two extra mains adapters: one for in the backpack & one for at my other most visited location. All this was promptly shipped and delivered just as quickly as the DX100 itself via DHL.
 
 
P.S.: A few user interface images that show CUE file support:
 


 
N.B. #4: Some fall 2015 updates on my usage of the DX100; Support of 128GB µSDXC, provided you format it to FAT32. I now clean, edit ID3 tags rip & transcode all to ALAC (wich has become open source since a couple of years) with the help of XLD & iTunes, & album art display at start-up, playback are now truly flawless on the DX100, & I've gotten used to iTunes & Audirvana+ as music manager & player on my computer, so a unified file type on all media.
More than 3 years after my purchase, I'm still very happy with the DX100. I ordered a new battery via iBasso's customer service & cheap spare parts catalogue last year, it was fairly easy to install & brought the battery life back to normal, lasting around 8 hours.

When this came out in 2004 it was a neat universal player, that integrated nicely with the rest of the Onkyo Intec 205 Series components.
Compared with nowadays solutions, it lacks some features, but it still holds up well, and for audio, satisfactory enough.
 
I can play the odd MP3 CD-R's guests might bring, of course regular CD's which is its main task, CD-R backups, and higher resolution SACD and DVD-Audio's, although I don't take benefit of the multi-channel capabilities of those latter formats as yet, since not having it connected to a multi-channel A/V receiver, but I might eventually address that.
 
SQ-wise, connected to my A-905FX amp itself connected to my D-152E speakers, it performs fine. Nothing much to say. Clear transparent sound, warm and punchy, transcribing well recorded music beautifully and vividly to the speakers. I'd say its DAC does its job very well.
 
I will edit this review when having listened to and compared SACD's to CD's more. I haven't done that enough yet, to comment on how well it deals with higher resolution material.
 
Anyhow, so far, after over half a decade of use, I would certainly recommend this player.

The line out isn't that bad, but still leaves a lot to be desired for. My Hi-MD Walkmans sound so much better.
 
All the new iDevice DAC desktop docks, Home Cinema multichannel amps, Hi-Fi stereo amps, tuner amp combos, desktop CD players, car radios, with USB inputs certified for iPod finally make this mediocre sounding DAP a good candidate for a compact music server.
 
For those going the iMod / DIYMod route, there now is the option to go solid state, for improved ruggedness, better battery life & slimmer form factor since compatible with the legacy 30GB backplate. Up to 256GB SSD even!
 
The Toshiba 240GB HDD if primarily used as a small footprint music server at home is a more affordable option.
 
Unfortunately, this generation of iPod is not compatible with the Fostex HP-P1 iDAC+amp combo nor the CypherLabs AlgoRhythm Solo iDAC, so for portable use, only the iMod / DIYMod make it acceptable to the discerning audiophile.
 
I was going to look into the iPod Classic, or wait until the iTouch's capacity increases dramatically, but with the recent release of the iBasso DX100, I might be able to scratch the whole iDevice as transport idea, since said DX100 might be the ideal DAP I've been looking for these last years.

The durability of the legendary "twelve hundred" turntable doesn't need further introduction: original ones of the 70's still work to this day, and since it has been so popular and so many have been sold, availability of spare parts, should any servicing ever be necessary, is guaranteed.
 
Like all SL-1200's from the MK2 on, the die-cast heavy aluminium housing achieves great stability with a 12.5kg total weight.
The vibration-damping proprietary Technics Non-Resonance Compound inside does a great job of reducing the vibration of the direct drive motor to the maximum & further isolating any external vibration that the spring-mounted feet unlikely would have let by.
 
I needn't remind you of the qualities of the actual direct drive, precise, powerful, and very low maintenance compared to belt drives to say the least.
 
Quite some improvements have been added over the years to the base model, and this MK4 model to my feeling has to most interesting ones. It was released in 1997 in Japan only, and made for the audiophile crowd rather than for the DJ scene.
 
This model allows the use of one's own RCA cables, and the RCA connectors themselves are gold-plated.
 
The usual aluminium S-shaped tone-arm has here been replaced with a titanium one, stronger, lighter and more accurate.
 
The circuitry and inner cabling uses oxygen free copper wire, fore more a higher fidelity of signal transmission.
 
The most interesting feature of this turntable is the unique support of 78rpm vinyl recordings, which gives it a kind of universal appeal -save for the rare 16rpm, but lets not split hairs.
 
With the right cartridge -you need a special 78rpm needle for 78rpm records, like the Orthophon N78-, results are very good, the quartz controlled direct drive is very accurate, and sensitivity is impressive, extracting great sound quality from the grooves, provided the disc is in good condition.
 
A worthy piece of equipment for digitalization of precious records.
 
For regular playback of 33 & 45rpm's, it works a treat too, though to avoid changing the settings of the anti-skating, weights or changing of cartridges, a second SL-1200 is a good idea, a MK5 or 6 for example, to avoid the hassle of acquiring another MK4.
 
The phono pre-amp I use is the Onkyo PE-155, that matches my Intec 205 series Hi-Fi set-up, so I can't comment on its performance with potentially better phono pre-amps, but I'm perfectly happy with my set-up, the sound coming from my D-152E speakers satisfies me plentiful.
 
Very much worth the investment, this turntable I'm sure will last me a very long time and its qualities won't disappoint.
 
I recommend this turntable if you manage to get your hands on one.
 
I got mine used but in pristine condition, and for the fair price I noted. However, I ended up paying just as much in shipping costs and custom duties, so bear that in mind when trying to import one. With its size and weight, its not a simple headphone order.
 
Also since being a Japanese-only model, note that you will need a voltage converter power adapter, since it runs on 100V.

Good Recorder & Player, with excellent sound quality though quality hardware and PCM support. Unrestricted upload & download of track. Mac compatible. Standard Mini-USB for data transfer & Li-Ion battery charging, battery which is also easily removable and replaceable.
Wired remote control support, up till the RM-MC40ELK & 55ELK, the 40ELK providing the best UI. The 35ELK is already a worthwhile upgrade over the provided 38EL, which has poorer resolution and no Kanji support.
Line output through UI menu selection.
Easy Rec button; also neat integration with Simple Burner in Windows, with a CD in an optical drive, or a CD image mounted, hitting the Rec button on the main unit will trigger the dubbing of the CD to MD, in faster than real-time speed.
Very good audio quality performance with recordings done via a good microphone -better than the one provided with the M200 bundle, like at least the ECM-MS957-, since the Mic Pre-Amp is very clean. Analogue -use OFC shielded- & optical line in recs fare well too.
Software with Mac -Hi-MDTransferForMac- works well, very stable, & in Windows too, especially with Avrin's Ultimate SonicStage version, an improved version of Sony's audio manager. The Linux community has nearly completed full support for this recorder, with all features one could wish. Hi-MD upload in Linux is already possible with QHi-MDTransfer.
 
No track title display on the main unit, build construction not as good as with the Japanese-made Hi-MD Walkans that first came out, like the NH1.
 
Data transfers speeds from & to a computer aren't as fast as with a HDD of course & far from the speeds that SSD provide, so one has to be patient in that respect. The RH1 is however the MD Walkman with the fastest transfer rates of all NetMD capable MD Walkmans, period, since the only one that adopted the USB 2.0 standard.
 
1GB per Hi-MD MiniDisc is a bit limiting & pretty anachronistic in this second decade of the 21st century, but since the Hi-MD Walkmans are of the few devices that playback lossless audio with gap-less support and outstanding sound quality, it is worth the inconveniences.

Qualia design & price tag but poor quality cable, & SQ should be better at that price range.
 
Another explanation could be that I didn't receive the real thing, since I didn't get all the accessories, box & documentation with them, just the actual EXQ1 set of in-ear earphones. They would be very well imitated fakes since cosmetically they look the same, AFAIK.

My favourite choice for using with my Sony Hi-MD Walkman & remote combos.
 
Value rating is for my second purchased pair, which I got for about $56 in 2008 .
 
More detailed review when I find some more time to write here.
 
2012 Update: Well, lets say they sounded great for the price in the 2006-2008 period. There are certainly better options nowadays. Heck even the old ATH-CK7's have a higher resolution. Those would have been a nice alternative if their bass hadn't been too strong to my taste; the EX90's have a better tonal balance.

I ordered the Audio-Technica ATH-CK7(S) Titanium Earphones to replace my Sony MDR-EXQ1's in terms of a comfortable pair of earphones, with SQ hopefully at least as good as the EX90's.

First Impressions

It seems I may need to find something else with the SQ of the EX90's and the fit of the EXQ1, as so far I am a little disappointed by the CK7's... The mids of the EX90's sound better.
I've been thoroughly comparing the EX90's & CK7's with the Maria João Pires playing the Chopin Nocturnes album recording in PCM on my EH1, and the piano sounds not quite right in the mediums I feel... The tone seems a bit off.

Shame, for comfort-wise, I really am liking the CK7's. And definition-wise, I'm quite impressed too. Even more detail: the instrument separation is better.

Maybe I should have listened to the advice I was given in not getting them, but I really should allow more burn-in time, and only then if they don't improve will I be selling them.
 
 
Further impressions

Well, more burn-in time seems to address the mediums issue, since they have improved a lot. Maybe this will turn out to be a fully satisfactory purchase after all. Comfort-wise I am still very happy with them. Perfect for lying down with them, be it in a hammock, couch or in bed. No qualms with being turned on the side, rolling over; since they don't stick out, no pain whatsoever.
Listening to piano solo is getting to be a nice experience, they are nearing the EX90's tone balance now. I have to keep an ear out for the bass, since they seem a little bloated at times; I'll have to throw some Paul Chambers' Bass on Top to them, before commenting any further on that.
 
 
Even further impressions
 
Yep, these are a little too bass-heavy...
Listening to Flying Lotus with the CK7's gets fatiguing after a while, whereas I don't experience this with the EX90's.
I don't think I will keep them, which is a shame as I'm sure it will be hard to find a replacement that has both the looks, good sound & small footprint. Not too mention they weren't too expensive.
 
Time for a serious upgrade, CK10, CK100? Oh dear, my banker won't approve !
 
 
Conclusions
 
I've given them away; I really wanted to like these, but even though the definition was better than my EX90's, there just was too much bass for them to satisfy me.