I used to LOVE my w1000X balanced out of my NFB10ES2 an I gave it a listen today, and I was appalled. It sounded incredibly tinny and very sibilant, I did forget how picky it is with source, I also found that the cable I have for it is a big part of the issue. I think it's starting to decay, as it makes another pair of headphones I have sound really... rattly as the w1000X sounded with said cable,
welp, turns out it's not the cable, I hooked it up to my HE 4 an it sounded fine. My AH A100 is mid modding, so I really shouldn't use it as a point of reference for anything... maybe after 5 years I'm just NOT a fan of how Audio Technica headphones sound D:, as my HEAVY modded ES 10 also has a rattle to it... or some low mid decay I'm not crazy about