AKG K3003

[sherwino]

Alright, for those who are planning to drop by later at Megamall, I'll be there by around 6:30 to audition these AKG's then! Has anyone loved them enough to actually jump on these already??

[marcusd]

Alright, for those who are planning to drop by later at Megamall, I'll be there by around 6:30 to audition these AKG's then! Has anyone loved them enough to actually jump on these already??

i am told one headphiler has bought them but remains low profile according to Marvin.

[dogears]

Definitely not me

[sherwino]

Got it! At least one has loved them enough to buy them so that's quite promising! 5 orders gets us a bigger discount right?? 

[sherwino]

A few things... (Thanks to Harman Master for the accommodation!)

1. This thing sounds proper flagship material. Sound is beautifully balanced albeit would prefer a slight bump on the lows as this one is too tight despite having a dynamic driver. Using the bass filters is however leaning too much on the darker side.
2. Using the "Reference Tips", it is even more balanced than my Ed8 and the AD100.
3. Slightly leaning on the analytical side rather than visceral side bu just slight. It still breathes air, detail, lush mids, kicks on the lows and imaging is really good for an IEM.
4. Yes, you still know you're listening to an IEM but again, the best for sound quality comparing to all the IEM's I've heard including a ton of headphones I've auditioned.
5. It manages to sound great at least if not excellent on a lot of genres.
6. Changing filter tips really changes the sound a lot like listening with or without amp kind of big.
7. Weight is beautiful and I think they got it perfect. On your palm, you know they are quality stuff but on your ear, they are solid and light.
8. The stock tips are excellent already. Seal is not that great but they stick to your ear.
9. Get an amp with this. The SQ difference is big without an amp. I used the TTVJ Slim to audition. Beautiful pairing.
10. Overall conclusion, they really sound wonderful! Almost close to superlatives of some of the top tier headphones but not having to sacrifice on other aspects.
11. What I will say is this; I think AKG really set out to create the best sounding UIEM they could with all their engineering skills and know-how. They did not hold back on anything and that makes it truly special. Nothing was compromised nor held back. For me, it is a feat to get it sounding this good.
12. Is it worth their asking price of $1,300?? No. Very no. But.. its the best. 

[dogears]

Congrats chief!

[Peorth]

A few things... (Thanks to Harman Master for the accommodation!)

...12. Is it worth their asking price of $1,300?? No. Very no. But.. its the best. 

If only it were more affordable, right? 

[Racio]

i am told one headphiler has bought them but remains low profile according to Marvin.

I was supposed to bro, but on this second listen, the sound sig is just not right up my alley, unfortunately. I don't think I'll have the patience to burn it in. I listened to them for a good 8 mins, and I simply could take anymore of its aggressiveness, and I was listening to the bass biased tips the whole session.

[dogears]

PFE232 or this...

[daj523]

I've had my K3003s for more than a month now with about 100 hours or so. Initially the highs were a bit too raw and thin for my taste but now the highs are airy, with enough body and extension but never shrill unless the recording has it. Mids from the beginning were spot on while the bass was simply deep, tight, fast and phenomenal from the get go. For me, the K3003's sound signature is exactly what I was looking for in a portable setup. As a disclaimer, I prefer a neutral yet balanced sound signature with impressive top to bottom dynamics. In terms of speaker house sound I prefer Wilson or Focal Utopia III vs. Sonus Faber as an example.

I initially was planning to go the custom route with either a Westone ES5 or the UERM. But given the price tag I was not prepared to buy them blind plus the possible hassles of not getting the right fit the first time. After hearing the K3003, I knew this was exactly the sound I was looking for....neutral, balanced, impressive dynamics, instrument separation was phenomenal for an IEM not to mention oodles of detail. Given the great price I was able to get plus AKG's full 2 year warranty it was a no brainer for me. I read some K3003 impressions at heafi.org saying that they prefer the K3003 vs. the UERM because of better dynamics, soundstage and low level listening among other things. So I felt vindicated somehow with choosing the K3003 vs. the UERM. 

My favorite setup for now is iPod/iTouch > Fostex HP-P1 > ALO Continental > ADL Cruise >K3003. The iPod/iTouch > Fostex HP-P1 > ALO RxII >K3003 comes in at second.

[eargo]

^nice! I was wondering who bought the first K3003.

I really loved the K3003 when I first heard it. Unfortunately, I am saving for something else, so I decided to go in a different direction. The K3003 is one of the most balanced IEM I have heard. The good thing about it is it already sounds great out of a normal iPod jack. Too bad I wasn't able to pair it with an amp to hear the best it has to offer. Add to that the great design and very solid build, and you have a UIEM that can rival a custom.

[daj523]

You're right straight from an iPod, iTouch or iPhone the K3003 sounds great already.

An "IEM that could rival a CIEM" is exactly how I would describe the K3003 as well without the CIEM's high maintenance cost. The 2 year full warranty is a major advantage for me vs. CIEMs.

[edsamac]

I was able to audition these last Sunday, and I must say these things sure are shocking.

First was that I never expected to hear something as vividly detailed as that from an IEM - perhaps because I've never tried the merlins or TF10 or anything around that level of "sophistication" for an IEM - otherwise, yeah... the sound rivaled that of some headphones I've tried in the past.  Quite the shocker.

Mids were the first thing I noticed.  Clean and lush, leaning a bit towards crisp and dry, but still quite tasty.   The lows were surprisingly tight and punchy.  I didn't bother to try the bass tips on them (I honestly found the bass on the reference tips quite plenty), but they really had a lot of presence and weight to them.  The highs were really sparkling - something I have yet to find in some of the better headphones I've tried out there.

I don't know if it's because I've got a lot of earwax in my ears or something, but the highs are just right for me.  Not too piercing or overly bright.  I handed over the K3003 to my dad (old audiophile-hear it comes), and he said he wasn't impressed... lulz.  I think it's because he's somewhat biased to full blown audio, but meh.

Lastly, the soundstage was "okay" I guess.  Imaging is clear and things are quite palpable, especially on live tracks - but I can't seem to get out of my head that it's an IEM I'm listening to.  I guess I really am not an IEM kinda guy, so my mind is telling me one thing while my ears are telling me another.  The sound, in the end, felt lateralized and compressed as a result of that - not necessarily because it really is, take note.  A lot of mind games going on, you could say.

In the end, I put them down knowing that I couldn't appreciate them as much as I believe they should be appreciated.  It was an awesome experience trying them out, definitely, but in the end - I guess it's not something for me.  

[Peorth]

You're right straight from an iPod, iTouch or iPhone the K3003 sounds great already.

An "IEM that could rival a CIEM" is exactly how I would describe the K3003 as well without the CIEM's high maintenance cost. The 2 year full warranty is a major advantage for me vs. CIEMs.

What do you exactly mean by "maintenance cost?" It makes me think that you need a sort of constant upkeep (like maybe maintenance servicing of cars, e.g. tune-ups, oil change, etc.) which I've never associated with IEMs, or headphones for that matter.

Regarding the warranty, I don't think the 2-year warranty is as great as you put it. First of all, all the earphones/IEMs/HPs I've ever owned have NEVER died from driver failure. It's always the cables that break first, from the constant flexing at stress points. Also, I've never had them die before the two-year mark. The cable problems usually arise after two or three years of usage, though this figure is obviously influenced by how well someone takes care of his gears. Given the build quality of the K3003, I don't think anything (driver, housing, cable, etc.) will break within two years. The question is, what will break after the warranty period is over?

I find the permanent cables of the K3003's as decidedly inferior to the removable cables of CIEMs (as well as some other IEMs like the TF10 or IE8) simply because if removable cables break then they're very easy to replace. Even if you take extreme care of an IEM the cable WILL eventually break --  it's not a matter of if but rather when. Given the high cost of both the K3003 and CIEMs, anyone owning these will be concerned regarding the long-term outlook of these items, and permanent cables just don't cut it.

[Dyaems]

What do you exactly mean by "maintenance cost?" It makes me think that you need a sort of constant upkeep (like maybe maintenance servicing of cars, e.g. tune-ups, oil change, etc.) which I've never associated with IEMs, or headphones for that matter.

Regarding the warranty, I don't think the 2-year warranty is as great as you put it. First of all, all the earphones/IEMs/HPs I've ever owned have NEVER died from driver failure. It's always the cables that break first, from the constant flexing at stress points. Also, I've never had them die before the two-year mark. The cable problems usually arise after two or three years of usage, though this figure is obviously influenced by how well someone takes care of his gears. Given the build quality of the K3003, I don't think anything (driver, housing, cable, etc.) will break within two years. The question is, what will break after the warranty period is over?

I find the permanent cables of the K3003's as decidedly inferior to the removable cables of CIEMs (as well as some other IEMs like the TF10 or IE8) simply because if removable cables break then they're very easy to replace. Even if you take extreme care of an IEM the cable WILL eventually break --  it's not a matter of if but rather when. Given the high cost of both the K3003 and CIEMs, anyone owning these will be concerned regarding the long-term outlook of these items, and permanent cables just don't cut it.

pardon me if i did not read everything but.. one question... have you already tried the k3003?