Audio-Technica ATH-R70x | R Series Professional Open Back Dynamic Reference Headphone

See the full article here: https://jamesfiorucci.wordpress.com/2023/12/26/simple-audio-review-audio-technica-ath-r70x/

I’ve been in the audiophile space for a number of years now, and become all the more aware of the inconsistencies prevalent in this hobby. The “objectivist vs. subjectivist” argument will rage on beyond the end of time itself, for example.

I for one am not a big fan of the Harman target, with it’s emphasised mid-bass and treble frequencies. Everyone has their own preferences, and it’s been a long and admittedly costly journey to find my preferred sound.

With a few minor caveats, the Audio-Technica ATH-R70x is EXACTLY what I want in a headphone.

This pair is kindly on loan from a fellow local collector, and I’m dreading the day I have to return these back to them, such is the profound impact they have had on me.

If I had to describe the R70x simply, it’s a HD600 on steroids. Let’s explore some of the reasons why in this Simple Audio Review.

Comfort and Build
Can’t talk about the build of the R70x without mentioning it’s so-called “3D wing support” headband system.

In essence it’s just like a regular elasticated suspension strap but with the middle part missing. It makes up for this with a stiffer elastic and decent clamp force to keep the headphones in place. Despite having a small skull, the R70x don’t move around on my head at all, even during a particularly passionate head-banging tirade!

Since there’s no headband in contact with the top of the scalp, I find these headphones very comfortable for long listening sessions. Add to that their vanishingly low weight (210g exc. cable), this is of the few cans that don’t give me any sort of fatigue beyond a couple of hours of use.

It’s not all good news though. My ears are smaller than average, but the inner diameter of the earpad are so small that my lower lobe and upper helix touch the pad. While there’s no pain, this minor gripe prevents the R70x from truly disappearing on my head.

Furthermore, some vertical articulation of the earcups would have been nice, as this would make it slightly easier to get a proper seal. I do manage it after a bit of fiddling and minor positional adjustment, it’s just a bit frustrating sometimes.

In terms of build quality, I think the R70x is a no-nonsense, sturdy piece of kit. Nothing fancy, just clever use of metal and high-quality plastics that assures you they won’t break from a fall from your desk. Which can’t be said for all headphones!

I’m not a fan of the almost-proprietary, twist-lock, dual-2.5mm connectors though. You have limited options to change out the cable, and the 3-metre length isn’t really practical for the majority of use cases either.

Sound
At around the $300 price category, the Audio-Technica pits itself up against the legendary benchmark, the Sennheiser HD600. And the similarities don’t stop there by any means.

The HD600 is revered by the headphone community as a reference point and default recommendation for those looking for a neutral sound signature at a relatively affordable price point. Well, the R70x has a very similar frequency response, with a few tiny differences here and there.

But, in my opinion, the R70x one-ups the HD600 is several key departments, so much so that I consider it an upgrade with a few small caveats. I know not everyone agrees with that sentiment, however I rarely find myself reaching for the HD600 since I got my hands on the R70x. As I said earlier, I’m not looking forward to the day I have to give them back to my friend.

Let’s look into the sound in more detail, starting with bass.

Bass
I’ll be making various comparisons with the HD600 in this review, as I think many will want to know how the R70x stacks up against it. When it comes to bass, it’s not much of a stretch to say that the R70x simply beats the HD600.

First of all, it extends a fair bit deeper than the Sennheiser. While there is a bit of roll-off in the deep subbass, the lower frequencies pack a pleasant level of authority that, despite demanding attention, don’t bleed into the mids whatsoever.

Good macrodynamics certainly aids in giving the bass ample amount of impact as well as texture. It’s no bass monster, but the lower frequencies are the star of the show from my personal listening experience.

Mids
The midrange of the R70x takes a very slight step back in the mix compared to the HD600, but it’s still certainly what one would call a “mid-forward” tuning.

I find that certain instruments and vocals in particular are a touch less smooth, but in no way intrusive. It’s something you’d only notice when really analysing certain tracks and swapping between it and the HD600, which is what I was doing when I made this observation.

At the end of the day, it’s a matter of preference. Want the singer’s voice and guitar riffs to tickle your ears and take centre stage? Perhaps the HD600 is better for you. But I think the R70x is the better all-rounder, and will work harmoniously with the vast majority of genres thanks to its comparatively pulled back midrange tuning.

Treble
Treble fanatics may want to brush the R70x aside. Not that it’s bad, it’s a little dark in terms of it’s frequency response.

The mid-treble is noticeably recessed, albeit not overly so. It’s a non-issue apart from in songs that are heavy in cymbals, where the harmony can sound blunted and lacking in outright volume.

The treble picks up in its upper reaches, giving tracks plenty of air and brilliance. But once again, the treble is not quite as silky smooth as it is on the HD600, which can actually be either a blessing or a curse depending on how intense you want your music to be.

Imaging and Soundstage
OK, so this is where the Audio-Technica really amazed me. Used to the “three-blob” imaging capabilities of the venerable HD600, the R70x precise localisation of sound was a truly eye-opening moment in my audiophile journey.

Not only does it fill out the soundscape between your ears, it also pinpoints sounds up and down the ear, which admittedly was a new sensation for me.

Unfortunately the soundstage doesn’t extend far out beyond the ears. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing however, as it leads to what I like to call a “cohesive” image where every bit of space within the head stage is filled out and there are no dead zones.

As an explanatory comparison, the AKG K702, while having an impressively wide soundstage, lacked a coherent image between the dead centre and the widest reaches. This almost made it sound like different instruments were playing in different rooms, which soured the overall experience.

The R70x avoids this, and despite being not much wider-sounding than the average closed-back headphone, has precise imaging which not only makes for an immersive musical experience, but also makes the headphone perfect for gaming applications.

More Notes
With an impedance of 470 ohms, a dedicated amplifier is recommended for the Audio-Technica R70x.

I found I could get more than ample volume plugging straight into my phone and laptop, but imaging and layering abilities were hampered and soundstage was squashed in even more than it already was. Not that it’s suddenly bad, but to unlock that final 10% or so you do require an amp with adequate power.

Moving up to the Fiio E10K Olympus 2, things improved somewhat but the budget amp/DAC introduced a bit of treble peakiness that wasn’t to my liking.

Only when I plugged the R70x into my Topping DX3 Pro/A30 Pro desktop stack did the headphones truly open up to their full potential. So while these Audio-Technica cans sound great through almost any source, bear in mind they scale tremendously well with higher power amplification.

Overall Verdict
The Audio-Technica ATH-R70x has got to be one of the most underrated dynamic open-back headphones on the market. With crystal clear imaging and a near-perfect neutral sound signature, these headphones need to be in the same conversation as the Sennheiser HD600 as a benchmark in the $300 price category. A versatile all-rounder which is ideal for long listening sessions, the R70x is an easy recommendation from me, as long as you don’t have large ears and have some sort of dedicated amplification solution.

Rating: 9/10

R70x is Audio-Technica’s first open back headphones those are marketed towards professionals. They have an MSRP of 350$. There are a lot of properties that make R70x an appealing choice, but also competition is very stiff in its price range. Lately I’ve been seeing them resurface and decided to take them on myself.

You can also read the full review at mobileaudiophile
Open Heart Cable

Disclaimers​

Without boring you too much, I don’t necessarily have a sound preference. I tend to enjoy different sound profiles as long as they do well at what they intend to do. I’m not very sensitive to treble so I can enjoy the most notoriously bright headphones, however I’m somewhat sensitive to the upper mids area. I try to be critic in my reviews but I might be somewhat biased one way or another (Recency bias, buyer’s bias etc.). Please keep these in mind. Also, I bought Audio-Technica ATH-70x as well as other headphones mentioned here with my own money. If a unit I reviewed is given or loaned to me in the future, I will say so here.

Build, Comfort and Trivia​

Audio-Technica has a lot of popular closed back headphones among professionals as well as music enthusiasts alike. R70x was released in 2015 if memory serves right and still going strong.

R70x has a very good built with metal and plastic materials. Headband is steel and feels very durable. They also use Audio-Technica’s proprietary 3D wing system so there is no adjustment mechanism. To be honest they are a hit or miss in the sense of comfort but in my case, they are very comfortable. In fact, R70x is one of the most comfortable headphones I’ve ever put on my head. It can also be contributed their extremely light weight, which is 210 g. The only gripe I have is that the inner diameters of the pads are kind of small. It is not that big of an issue since I have kind of small ears but I can see it becoming a problem for others.

R70x has 2.5 mm connection on both cups. Connectors are proprietary and so the cabling. Not every dual 2.5 mm after market cables work with these. Cable is symmetric, channels are separated in the cups. Stock cable is decent, still not the best. They are fairly hard to drive, pretty much the same as HD600. A nice velvet carrying pouch is also included in the box.

The Box, The Cable and The Headphones

Technical Specifications​

Driver Diameter: 45 mm

Frequency Response: 5 – 40,000 Hz

Maximum Input Power: 1,000 mW at 1 kHz

Sensitivity: 99 dB

Impedance: 470 ohms

Weight: 210g

Sound​

I’m not going to separate this part into different part of the frequency response because they are pretty much the same as Sennheiser’s HD6** series headphones with their warm-neutral tonality. Bass is rolled off, Mids are forward, treble is relaxed. Instead, a thorough comparison with my HD600 makes more sense. You can check out our HD600 review here.

Japan

Comparison with HD600​

I would call R70x an inferior HD600 because, although they have similar frequency response, HD600 is better in their highlighted feature, which is midrange.

R70x is fuller and warmer than HD600. HD600 is clearer in the mids. On the other hand, R70x is less shouty. Although neither is particularly sibilant, at high volumes HD600 is more prone to sibilance. Male vocals are more enjoyable on R70x, females sound livelier on HD600. Neither is bright but treble has a little more bite on HD600. R70x is smoother and more relaxed. Bass quantity is higher on R70x but HD600 punches slightly harder. Subbass extension is slightly better on R70x. Soundstage noticeably wider and deeper and imaging is significantly better on R70x. Transience sounded faster on R70x, so although HD600 sounded clearer and more detailed I think R70x can overcome complex passages better. They are very close though. Timbre is more natural on HD600. R70x sounded thicker and maybe less refined.

I also tried both with Truebass on my iFi Zen Dac V2 and it emphasized their respective qualities in the bass. HD600 punched harder, R70x went deeper. In the end I found dropping bass sensation on R70x more satisfying.

ATH-R70x vs. HD600

Conclusion​

I like R70x a lot. I know they are not the perfect headphones. They are mid-centric and don’t even do that as good as HD600. In that sense they are inferior. However, they have much better soundstage and imaging. I used them for gaming a lot for the last couple of weeks. Even once I had them on my head backwards and all of the sounds are coming from the opposite side. Then I understood better how well these did the imaging. Other differences with the HD600 are so miniscule that I might be wrong in some of them. So, for me they are as good as HD600 but for the comfort alone, I prefer to use R70x more. If the HD6** series are not doing it for you for some reason, or you are looking for a less in-your-face type of sound, you might want to these.

Introduction​

Audio-technica has always had their fingers in a lot of price-point pies so to speak. Everything from cheap, dinky earbuds to their super high end reference dynamic line. So it’s surprising that this headphone sits at the point that it does.

If you're only here for the TLDR here it is: Only get the R70X if it's massively on sale. I got mine $160 AUD off the MSRP. The price I paid for, I would consider is a reasonable price. Not what they are actually selling it for. With that out of the way let's actually move on to the review, starting with the…

Packaging​

The box that the R70X’s come in is pretty standard. Cardboard sleeve revealing a cardboard box with foam padding, the actual headphones and the accessories. This is by no means a bad thing, less plastic is good, but the box does seem a little more cumbersome than is required. Overall, a perfectly serviceable unboxing experience.

Accessories​

The accessories for the R70X are a little barren in comparison to others at this price point, with the box including a large silk carrying bag, the headphone cable and a 6.3mm adapter. Starting with the bag, it’s quite a nice feeling but I’ve never seen the appeal of a bag in a travelling context. It would do almost nothing to actually protect the headphone apart from stopping it from snagging inside another bag, which makes it just feel redundant. Overall, again, serviceable. This cable however, is definitely a let down. The cable itself is quite long, which I like, but it has a bit too much shape memory for the price, not to mention it appears to terminate, at the headphone end, in 2.5mm to each cup. Why? Not to mention it has this weird, proprietary, locking mechanism. If you’ve ever used the cable in the old Sennheiser HD350BT, it’s like that. Annoying and just makes replacing it a hassle. To add insult to injury. The 3.5mm termination comes with a screw on 6.3mm adapter, which doesn’t work with the normal push-and-click adapters. For the cable side of things, it’s pretty disappointing.

Build quality​

The overall build quality of the headphone is sturdy. Certainly doesn’t feel cheap (and I’d hope not). The construction is mostly plastic with the headband and outward driver covers being metal. The wings that cushion the head feel a bit flimsy but are otherwise comfortable. I’ll get more into the fit and feel later on but I would just be weary that they feel like they could definitely snap if they are pushed or pulled in the wrong way. I did notice on my unit that there were very obvious moulding lines visible near the terminations. Not a huge concern, but a point nonetheless.

Fit and feel​

Overall, the headphone is quite small, much smaller than you’d expect. It lands in this grey area between an on-ear and an over-ear. I found that my ears would slip in between the padding and the driver cover. Certainly I’ve never had a headphone fit like this, but it doesn’t seem to be much of a concern at the moment. If I find after further testing this becomes fatiguing or painful, I'll update this post. The headphone is light and seals quite nicely, probably it’s strongest point so far.

Sound​

Okay, now onto the actually important stuff. Before we delve into the breakdown I do want to mention one thing that might be a deal breaker for some. These are, so far, the most closed in open-backs I’ve tried. They sound super close and they don’t have a lot of sound stage. If you're looking for a big, wide open sound, look elsewhere. I’ve split this up into four categories, going over lows, mids, highs and the overall sound signature below:

Bass

The R70X has very clear bass extension. Certainly more bassy than some other reference ‘phones but not overpowering at all. The bass here sounds like a cross between a HD650 and a SHP9500. So while not pronounced, you can very much feel that the bass extends further than the above models.

Mids

The mids on the R70X are nice and clear, as would be expected, however they are presented a little further back than some others that compete with it. I was mainly ABing them with a wire HifiMan Deva Pro for some dynamic vs planar action, and found that the vocals on the R70X sit just a tad further back than the Deva’s. Overall not a con but something to consider.

Treble

The R70X does nothing special here. It does sound like there is a 7k Hz or so spike that might become fatiguing over long sessions. Again nothing super amazing, but also nothing deal breaking.

Overall sound signature

In terms of imaging and detail retrieval, the R70X is in a league of its own in this price point. The small details are represented perfectly in both very dynamic tracks and the more laid back bangers. However, the sound stage is lacking heavily. They feel extremely closed and almost booming at times. In saying that, I feel like this headphone would be a great jumping off point for gamers who want to enter into the open back scene. With a sound in between open and closed backs, combined with a hefty serving of bass extension, it feels like the R70X would be a pretty good fit for an audiophile gamer.