Pioneer SE-A1000

Pioneer A1000

Very happy with the product, my left ear is not as good as the right. With this pair, beats are matched up alot easier than before. Thanks for puting that smile back on my face!!

Primo sound reproduction

I am not an audiophile. The sound reproduction of these phones is extremely colorful and lively. I am using this unit far more than my AKG
K240 Studio phones. With the AKGs the bass is more evident than with
this unit but as one professional reviewer stated online this unit is more
"fun". These phones really sing and love music.
On the downside this unit is really goofy large and does not wear like most headphones. Googleing 'head-fi- pioneer se a1000-pichu' and
scrolling past the brief review will give photo instructions for easily
adjusting the fit. (This reviewer compares this unit very favorably to
$400 Sennheisers.) Also the cord is 20 ft.(!) long and is not detachable.
All in all I am really very happy with this purchase.

Good Entry-Level Audiophile Headphone

The Se-A1000 is a pretty good entry-level audiophile headphone, especially considering the relatively low price tag.

Bass on these headphones is impressive. I can't understand how people think these lack bass. These have less bass than Somic MH463, less mid bass than Takstar HI2050 but are signicantly bassier than basslight headphones such as AKG K501 and Renkforce cd-340. Bass control and impact with kickdrums and such is not out of this world but lowest of lows are very good. Bass extends really low and rumble is really nice for a open backed headphone. I'm not saying these are suitable for bassheads because these definately are not. What I mean is that these have sub bass extension that all neutral headphones should have but unfortunately most fail in this regard. On pioneers website it says that these were designed for home theater use. Bass is definately capable of producing those low end rumbles required to make action scenes involving. Cups are built with care so there are no resonances even with the most extreme bass notes playing. These are however quite easy to drive to the point of distortion. With normal use that is not a problem even with bass heavy music but if you really like to put your headphones to the limit with bass test tracks some caution is recommended. Once you pop the voice coil, game is over.

Mids are a pleasure to listen to. There is a hint of warmth but overall coloration is not that noticeable. If you pay really close attention and have higher end headphones for comparison it can be heard that Pioneers lack some clarity and resolution. For me personally it is only a minor issue and clearly audible only with some very high quality aqoustic music recordings. Seperate guitar notes are not always perfectly distinct and stuff like that. Most of the time the live like sound and organic tone is just perfect. These are simply beatifull headphones for listening live recordings. These have the important ability to really connect the listener to the music. These sound excellent with all kind of music. Definately one of the best allrounders around.

Highs are polite and detailed. Not as much emphasis on highs as with Takstar HI2050 or Somic MH463. Highs sound about the same as on Digitech(Jaycar) Pro Monitors. I really like how the highs sound. I'm a big hater of sibilance and I was happy to notice Pioneers are excellent in that regard. There is a peak somewhere in the upper frequences but most headphones have it and most headphones have it way worse than pioneers. I also like how polite highs leave more room for the finer details in music. As much as I enjoy the smooth highs little more attack would be good with some music. I decided to do a little experiment and removed the cloth and foam covering the driver. Results were disappointing. It brought up the highs more but it also revealed that the drivers are covered for a reason. With fully exposed driver the highs sound very thin, unnatural and kind of tizzy. Also some bass bloat appeared from somewhere. Propably because two holes covered with paper were also hidden behind the cloth. Now bass reverbs have clear passage back to the ear. Needles to say I glued the cloth and foam back on.

Many people have complimented Pioneers for it's soundstage. I think it's ok, good at best but not excellent. Most cheap headphones have limited soundstage debth and unfortunately Pioneers are one of those headphones. That also makes imaging less accurate.

Only big issue I would say this headphone has is design (it's pretty big and might be too large for some), and of course, out of this price range (~150) there will be better sounding headphones.

they are not a very good value

They don't have very much bass the cord is way to long it distorts the music a lot would not recommend them to any one

Extream Value

I was going to get another set of Sennhiesers and saw these,and thought ok i'll try them.What a shock i got,these are as good or better than 400 dollar Sennhiesers,I use them in my studio and anyone that says they don't do bass don't know how to set your settings.They are very easy to over modulate on the bass,i run them thru a pro sound board and have them right now running thru a Beats control panel,as anything in studio work you run it thru passive,that gives you the true sound at recording.I wear them for up to 10 hours a day and don't even know they are there,very comfy and not hot on the ears they are rapidly becoming my favorite set.And oh,i have not even tried them on a tv surround yet,too busy in the studio.The price is just icing on the cake for me.I have been in recording studios since 1965,i think i know sound,my opinion i think they are excellent.

Great sound but not adjustable

This head-set is comfortable, but I wish it was adjustable, which would add even more comfort. Plus it has a super long fabric cord, and does look dope. And the sound is amazing with a healthy dose of extra bass built in. But ironically, the biggest downside is my ears get really hot wearing the head-set. Perhaps that's true of all over-the-ear headsets though...