Review: Audio Technica ATH-A900X - Page 8

thinking about getting this but im unsure about how the amp works.the cowon player i have my eyes on have an output of 29ohms left and 29ohms right does that mean it can handle these headphones well with a combined output of 58 ohms? if so then id gladly buy these i dont really want to get a portable amp and media player

I've been using the A900x with a Cowon J3 and no amp. The sound is still wonderful. Unfortunately, financial times are hard for me so I have mine up for sale at Amazon. Breaks my heart, but when things get better I will definitely get another pair of these cans.

Please advise me, which headphones is th successor of A900X, but better quality at all? Maybe A1000X or A2000X? 

My ATH-A900X have arrived. No AMP and DAC yet so I am plugging the phones directly into the PC & netbook for the time being. They sound good already with the onboard soundcards but I have heard them with dedicated DAC/AMP and that did sound noticeably better though.    Impressions after 60 hours burn in:    Sound:  Sound is good with electronic like Vangelis, Daft Punk and Kitaro. Also light rock and Jazz sound fine. Metal is hit or miss per band/recording. Wolves in the Throne Room and latest Burzum sound good but Dio and Drudkh do not.    Build:  They are sturdy build, have aluminum caps and look like they will last for years.    Fit:  No complaints about the wings here. They fit my head and also my wifes head without problems.    I bought them from a Japanese seller called babymoti-1st (Samurai shop) on Ebay. There are lots of Japanese sellers but the extra gift, personalized letter and overall friendliness earned him a fair recommendation.   Will update when the AMP and DAC have arrived!

 

Edited by Kurios - 7/29/12 at 11:28am

 

The more expensive phones from Audio Technica have wooden cups that look better. From these woodies I've only heard the ATH-W3000ANV though so no idea how much better the ATH-W1000X and ATH-W2000X would be over the ATH-A900X.

And I believe that both ATH-W1000X and ATH-W2000X are OLDER than the A900x... (I think...)

Just wanted to pop in and say that this thread has really helped me during the past couple of weeks.  I am hearing varying opinions of whether or not these cans need an amp to drive them or not.  I guess the question is, is it worth it to buy a portable amp or am I better off not wasting my money for something that might not help that often.  My reasoning for getting an amp is that generally the volume levels on my laptop are low and I would like something to increase sound quality and volume for the most part.

An amp will always contribute and help A BIT no matter if the headphone doesn't really need it (such as the A900X...). Still, since you are using the laptop, I would definitely recommend a DAC/AMP combo (be it from FiiO, Ibasso, etc.) to aid you in your journey!

 

The difficult part might be now selecting an amp! lol

BUT, from my little experience, unless you really pass a certain limit ($$$) most of them will be close sounding... just look for a specific signature (i.e. Nuforce amps are bright, JDSLabs are quite neutral, provide highs and have Bass Boosts, etc. etc. ) For an "overall" experience, I guess you could go with FiiO first, experiment and if YOU LIKE WHAT YOU HEAR, then stop looking for upgrades or higher-priced amps for now.

 

Good luck and Enjoy!

 

Thanks for the info!  I was planning on getting either the FiiO E11 or the E7 but I am leaning towards the E7 as of now that I know that my soundcard isn't the best in the world.

Just wanted to say thanks for the review, i ended up buying 1 for myself and they sound great, im not a audiophile so i not truly able to hear the difference in music between my older audio-technica ath-ahc7 but once i played battlefield 3 it was night and day difference, i felt like i could actually get a good average of distance from shots fired, helicopters and incoming tanks/ buggy's even if they were not in my line of sight. Honestly felt like i was cheating Lolz....  and that is exactly why i picked up theses headphones was to use them for gaming and maybe get my feet wet in this crazy high-end audio scene =]

 

I live in Trinidad (a small island in the caribbean). I don't have the option to go by a store and try out good quality headphones and see what i like, so i must just rely on reviews from other people and i'm happy to say, i'm satisfied with my choice to pick theses headphones up. So once again Thank you so much for the review and comments in this thread

I'm also Englishman like above and want to add my 2 cents.
A900X was my first headphone. Now I have HD800 and LCD-2 and Im also like A900X's sounding. It slightly seems to HD800, maybe 2 levels below, but sound is amazing for this price. Detailing and soundstage is great especially for closed cans. Bass is great. Think is more balanced sounding than HD800 and inducing to listen a music...

Does anyone have a A2000X and how do they compare to the A900X?

 

As I've read about them, they have a "metallic" sounding, especially on trebles. And it is not A900X upgrade, unfotunately.