Audio Technica ATH- ES 10 Appreciation Thread!! - Page 6

Originally Posted by Szadzik

 

Taken out of context and completely not what I said. JH sounding better than T1, buhahahha, good one.

 

Beyerdynamic said the T5p has 32 ohm for "ultimate phase fidelity", that and the fact that it's closed-back, what designates it as a portable headphone?  There is someone which has put T5p drivers in a a T1 housing as well.

I should have said better -in certain ways-, there is a reason why custom IEM's are popular and people pay over $1000 for them, and it's for using at home, at your desk, just as much as outside.

Have you demoed any?  I am mostly an IEM person, but after listening to several flagship headphones I went with the T5p, prior to that I had A2000X and SA-5000.

I have a friend that sold his $2000 STAX rig and happily uses a custom IEM now instead, actually.

Originally Posted by Szadzik

 

Not a fake. I listened to them when I had T5ps at the same time and they were not worth my time. T5p is not good for long sessions because of the brightness and perceived clarity is derived from that brightness.

That makes sense.  For the portability (I don't consider T5p portable), looks, and price difference I honestly think I prefer the ES10 overall.  I have the T5p right here but haven't A/B'd them, not yet anyway.

Originally Posted by Szadzik

 

Like with everything, tastes.

ES10 is in no way a flagship for AT, check their other headphones.

Regarding caviar; please check my equipment inventory:
Audiophilleo2>Metrum Octave DAC> Woo Audio WA2> T1, Sony SA5000 and JVC DX1000. Not to mention all the gear I had before that.

The ATH-ES10 is a flagship for Audio Technica, in that lineup, isn't it?  I know the AD2000, A2000X and 3000ANV are other flagships.

It's clear Audio Technica paid a lot of attention to the sound of the ES10, it's not just a random failure like you posted, I didn't really like the A1000X and W5000 that much though and seem to prefer the sound of the metallic ones.

I think it's quite possible the LCD-2, LCD-3 and K1000 all sound better than my T5p but they are open-air models.  You can include Koss ESP950 and STAX as well if you like.  Anyway I don't use full-size very often they just gather dust so I think I'll sell them.

I am really liking music on the ATH-ES10 either way.

These. Things. Sound. Amazing. Just got it in the mail today. Bass is really nice.

Quote:

Originally Posted by kiteki 

 

Beyerdynamic said the T5p has 32 ohm for "ultimate phase fidelity", that and the fact that it's closed-back, what designates it as a portable headphone?  There is someone which has put T5p drivers in a a T1 housing as well.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

T5ps have been targeted as portable version of T1s since the very beginning. 32Ohm to be compatible with portable players. Closed, isolating, short cable with mini-jack, etc., etc.

I switched from T5ps to IEMs. Do the IEMs sound better? Hell NO! I switched because of portability issues. I travel too much with only a backpack and there is no space in it for large phones like T5ps. That does not prove anything when it comes to custom IEMs.

It is a flagship in the portable/ bass-heavy department, but not flagship per se.

You should be happy that you found the phones you like. Do not try to say that ES10s are top tier portables, as they are not, will never be. They represent a line of bass heavy phones and score high in that line, nowhere else. 

T5ps are a different story. Tehy are top tier portables, but still do not offer the universality of other top tier full size phones like the ones you mentioned. I thought T5ps where the best when I had them, but when I got a proper desktop rig, I changed my mind. Even a few times cheaper SA5000s are at least as good as T5ps. 

Quote:

Originally Posted by Szadzik 

I used to travel with my T5ps a lot and had no problem with that. When you buy a good smartphone, do you also leave it at home so it does not get scratched?

I don't use smartphones. Dumbphones are much more up my alley. I've got a bunch of DAP's, some of them somewhat unusual, such as the old Kenwood and Victor MP3-players. Also old vintage Sony and Aiwa earbuds that I'm very careful with since they are very difficult to come by. Still I see a $1300 investment as something I don't readily want to take with me when I'm out and about.

Also, I would definitely like to say that the ES10 it ATH's flagship portable headphone. Here are the portable headphones on ATH's Japanese homepage: http://www.audio-technica.co.jp/atj/list_model.php?categoryId=1010102

Can you think of any over ear headphones that cost around $400 that beat the ES10? You are comparing the ES10 to a pair of headphones that cost three times as much. How about portable headphones that cost $400 or less? Anything better than the ES10? How about the DT1350?

Quote:

Originally Posted by Danneq 

 

 

I don't use smartphones. Dumbphones are much more up my alley. I've got a bunch of DAP's, some of them somewhat unusual, such as the old Kenwood and Victor MP3-players. Also old vintage Sony and Aiwa earbuds that I'm very careful with since they are very difficult to come by. Still I see a $1300 investment as something I don't readily want to take with me when I'm out and about.

 

Also, I would definitely like to say that the ES10 it ATH's flagship portable headphone. Here are the portable headphones on ATH's Japanese homepage: http://www.audio-technica.co.jp/atj/list_model.php?categoryId=1010102

 

Can you think of any over ear headphones that cost around $400 that beat the ES10? You are comparing the ES10 to a pair of headphones that cost three times as much. How about portable headphones that cost $400 or less? Anything better than the ES10? How about the DT1350?

Flagship portable sounds like a reasonable denomination, not a flagship per se, not by a long shot. 

It all depends, I always carry a tablet, smartphone, DAP, and some more gear and all of it is worth a lot of money, but I buy it to use it so leaving it at home would be pointless. 

Over ear or on ear? DT1350 is a great cnadidate, ESW10JPN another one. Quite a few more out there I bet. ES10 has never been the only good portable phone in this price range and still is not the only and not even the first choice.

I actually took the DT150 over the ES10. That was after a few hours or extended auditions. The ES10 just have a bit over the top bass for me, gets a bit uncomfortable after 40 minutes.

If I have to pick a flagship on the Audio Technica portable line, it would be ESW10Jpn over the ES10. DT150 offers more details and dynamic overall when it is properly amped, but at a cost of massive size, SRH940 are also at least very comparable to the ES10, a bit bright but detail is excellent. It is not as picky on amping. I won't put DT1350 at the same level on the ES10 however, so if you don't mind bigger headphones there are more choices out there.

But the ESW10JPN was only limited edition and has been discontinued for some time. I might have picked the ESW10JPN instead of the ES10 if it was still for sale, but it was nowhere to be found when I lived in Japan during 2010 or when I went there last year in October/November. I have tried the DT1350 at Yodobashi in Japan. It had a more neutral sound signature compared to the ES10. When you're on the subway the lower frequencies are the first to be drowned by outside noise, so then you will need to EQ bass up. In the ES10, that's already already taken care of.

You could get something that isolates better, but I don't want to be completely isolated. I want to be able to hear when there's an announcement so that I can remove my headphones.

The ES10 fold up nicely and when put in a case like this one (picture borrowed from the first page of this thread) they do not take up very much space:

Quote:

Originally Posted by roma101 

Can anyone compare the MDR-Z1000 to the ES10? Also I'm a huge fan of my Panasonic HJE900s and sounds like the ES10 has a similar signature. If anyone has heard any of these to compare to the ES10 I would really appreciate your input.

Another rival to this headphone is a new kid on the block, the PSB M4U 2.

I wasn't keen on the presentation of the Z1000. It is overly bright for portable use IMO, and giving me a silly headache with less well recorded pop songs. I own and love quite a few bright headphones, but Z1000 wasn't doing it for me.

Z1000 have a more spacious stage than the ES10, and the earpads on the Z1000 is excellent on comfort and seal. ES10 have a more dynamic sound sig and it is rather exciting to listen to, the build is well done but not built for abuse.

Quote:

Originally Posted by roma101 

Thank you so much for the response and your impressions. While the I find the Z1000 on the warm side and slightly less bright than the HD25 for example, there are times where I can sense some peakiness here and there so I think I know what you mean. The ES10 is a headphone I've always wanted to try so I'm happy to hear they are more dynamic sounding. I also wish the Z1000 had some more punch/impact on the low end - I've got a feeling the ES10 would deliver this in spades.

From my time with the HD25-II, the HD25-II doesn't spike as much as the Z1000 and I do find the HD25-II warmer somehow. ES10 is certainly warmer than any of them, the bass hits like a train compare to them both.

Originally Posted by Szadzik 

 

You should be happy that you found the phones you like. Do not try to say that ES10s are top tier portables, as they are not, will never be. They represent a line of bass heavy phones and score high in that line, nowhere else. 

 

T5ps are a different story. Tehy are top tier portables, but still do not offer the universality of other top tier full size phones like the ones you mentioned. I thought T5ps where the best when I had them, but when I got a proper desktop rig, I changed my mind. Even a few times cheaper SA5000s are at least as good as T5ps. 

The ES10 is really not overly bass heavy, I think you just couldn't get past the cloudy sound and the bass, compared them to the T5p, and quickly called it a day.  That doesn't mean you should say it's very weak.

The ES10 has traits of the A2000X in it which I've been missing in the T5p all this time!

It doesn't matter if the T5p has a short cord and Bavarian case, there is nothing which designates it as a portable headphone, I think that's just marketing and you want to say the T1 is clearly better.

I may as well say spending $2000 on the LCD-3 is pointless and you should invest that into speakers.

I don't think custom IEM's are better than the T5p or T1 overall, only in specific aspects like intimacy and imaging, full-size wins in others, like speakers will always win in realism and epic tales.

Anyway this is the end of my T5p trip, passing the flame to the next person.

Originally Posted by Szadzik 

Even a few times cheaper SA5000s are at least as good as T5ps. 

SA-5000 was my first headphone (after the Koss PortaPro), I should never have signed up on head-fi to look for something better, I was happy with my collection of $20 Sony earbuds too.

By the way after you comment on the SA-5000 versus T5p I now know what you mean by "detail".  The SA-5000 is more detailed than the T5p in the way you are referencing it, such as fine detail or hyperdetail, and the presentation puts it right inside your nose.

Aside from that the magnet is nowhere near as powerful as the T5p which is on a whole other level, the T5p makes headphones like the SA-5000 and A2000X sound decidedly thin, the T5p has so much energy it's almost alive, in that that sense.

Your quick comparisons and saying Audio Technica flagships suck is a little abrasive.

I think the JH16's 'suck' but I don't write about it on head-fi.

Holy $--- listening to Utada Hikaru - Prisoner of Love right now (24 bit / 48 khz ripped from blu-ray) sounds completely sublime on the ES10.

Classical music sounds much better than expected too.

http://grooveshark.com/#!/search?q=utada+hikaru+prisoner+of+love

I suppose the bass-line and the vocals are unusually captivating / involving but the violins in the background and Titanium voicing of this headphone is so good.  It really is a tiny T5p with A2000X tones and PRO 900 bass-line I <3 this.