Audio-Technica ATH-ADX3000

The Audio-Technica ADX3000 is a refresh of the ADX5000 that was launched in 2017. Audio-Technica has more premium closed-back models than open-backs, so the ADX3000 is a rare insight into Audio-Technica’s open-air tuning. Also, Audio-Technica’s premium headphones are laboured creations by the audio engineers who adjust the sound signature, design the transducers, and handcrafted the components in Japan. I feel privileged to experience some of the amazing products produced in limited quantities, like the WB2022 Wireless Headphones and the Narukami amplifier.


The plain brown external package of the ADX3000 reveals the elaborate silver hardshell casing, but what’s even more surprising is how light the actual headphones feel. They are the lightest over-ear headphones I have worn, and the only reason I can feel them on my head is the clamping force. The headband design is reused from other A-T premium headphones like the ATH-AWKT and ATH-AWKG, but instead of leather wrapping, it uses Velour fabric that matches with the earpads.


The reason why the ADX3000 is so light is that besides the use of lightweight magnesium alloy as the frame, there isn’t any need of any additional materials to hold the drivers. The Core Mount Technology directly integrates the 58mm dynamic drivers into the baffle to reduce unwanted vibration, improve airflow and achieve full-range audio reproduction. Surrounding the drivers are nothing thick or solid, designed to minimise any resonance, relying purely on the speaker diaphragms and natural airflow to drive the soundwaves into the ears.


One of the biggest technical differences from the ADX5000 is that the ADX3000 has a lower impedance of 50 ohms compared to 420 ohms on the former. It also means the ADX3000 is more consumer friendly and easier to drive on most audio players. Included in the package is two sets of cables, one on 3.5mm single-ended connection in three-metre length, another on 4.4mm balanced connection in 1.5m length. All Audio-Technica premium headphones employ A2DC (Audio Designed Detachable Coaxial) connector that Audio-Technica developed, which has the advantage of ensuring more secure connection and reduce connector rotation.

Audio Quality​

The ADX3000 is the headphones tuned to deliver sparkling sound to your ears. If you love to hear instrumental clarity, vocal sizzles, and airy reverbs, this is the headphones that you will love. The transparency is quite bearable partly due to the open-back design which prevents lurking resonances. That is the advantage of open-back headphones.

Conversely, while the bass is not as heavy as close-back models, it sounds less forced and more musical. Heavy-bass tracks like Daft Punk “Get Lucky” still get the kicks yet the vocals and other instruments are still clear and detailed. When listening to Jazz, Classical and other instrumental genres, the ADX3000 brings out the intricacies. The sound staging is more excessively wide, but the instruments have adequate layering.

The clarity is also the result of a tamer midrange that takes away the harmonic distractions, but with a little help from the upper bass and lower midrange, the headphones still offer some fullness and so the overall presentation is not as cold. As a result, the ADX3000 somewhat offers the best of both worlds: an expressive low registers, elevating highs, clear snappy instrumentations. If you pair it with a neutral-warm DAC, you will achieve magic.


The tuning reminds me of the Sennheiser IE200/300/600/900 series, so I connected the IE200 and indeed, they possess similar brightness. But the ADX3000 has the upper hand due to the larger drivers and is open-back. The IE200 delivers clarity but the tiny driver pushing sound through sealed ear canals can cause some discomfort. The ADX3000 achieves the frequency response while sounding more open, less cramp.

Comparing to the Sennheiser HD800S, the ADX3000 is more revealing, bass more kick, instruments are more pushy. The HD800S has wider staging, vocals are fuller and warmer. They have such different audio character that it really boils down to what type of frequency response you prefer. If you listen to more instrumentals, then ADX3000 will sound more impressive. The HD800S is better for vocal music.

Comparing to the Audio-Technica ATH-M50xBT2, the ADX3000 is once again superior in clarity, but comparatively, the M50xBT2 has fuller-sounding midrange although it costs the headphones its transparency. Relatively-speaking, the ADX3000 could possibly turn listeners off due to its almost-excessive clarity. Or it could make M50xBT2 sound more bloated in the midrange and less glossy at the treble.

Verdict​

It is very easy to love the ATH-ADX3000. It enhances the clarity of music, delivers instrumental details that brings sparkles to the listeners’ ears. The brightness is balanced with an open-sounding full bass and controlled warmth. These headphones can make instrumental genres sound spectacular, but they also can offer new listening insights to music in general when listening at moderate levels.

A part of me is asking what is so unique about the ADX3000 other than the astoundingly light frame. With a retail price of S$1499 in Singapore, they are actually not that expensive compared to other premium headphones at this range, given the components are handcrafted in Japan. I don’t think Audio-Technica is developing the ADX3000 to compete against any competitors in mind. Rather, it is a dedication of a passionate audio maker to create a sound signature that they are proud to call their own. In that respect, the ADX3000 is quite a joy to listen to, and will appeal to A-T fans and supporters all around the world.

Audio Technica ATH-ADX3000 Review: Lower Price, Better Sound​

Audio Technica is a staple in the audiophile and studio markets. They have decades of experience producing high-quality hardware, much of which has earned widespread and well-deserved acclaim (see: ATH-M50x). The ADX5000, Audio Technica’s flagship studio monitor, is extraordinary, but pricey. Today we’re looking at the ADX3000, Audio Technica’s midrange studio monitor that inherits much of its tech from the ADX5000. How does the AT flagship’s younger sibling hold up? Let’s find out!

You can find the ADX3000 for sale here, on Audio Technica’s website, for $999.

About My Preferences: This review is a subjective assessment and is therefore tinged by my personal preferences. While I try to mitigate this as much as possible during my review process, I’d be lying if I said my biases are completely erased. So for you, my readers, keep this in mind:

• My ideal sound signature would be one with competent sub-bass, a textured mid-bass, a slightly warm midrange, and an extended treble.
• I have mild treble sensitivity.

Testing equipment and standards can be found here.

The Big Picture​

Pros:

• Intense clarity and wide soundstage
• Natural tone
• Lightweight secure fit
• Long stock cable
• Easy to drive

Cons:

• Included carry case is mostly plastic
• Only one pair of earpads included
• Proprietary cable standard
• Best used with pure silence

Tech Specs​

• Driver Diameter: 58 mm
• Frequency Response: 5 -45,000 Hz
• Maximum Input Power: 700 mW
• Sensitivity: 98 dB/mW
• Impedance: 50 ohms
• Weight: Approx. 257 g (9.1 oz), without cable
• Connector: A2DC connector jack

Sound Signature​

Sonic Overview:​

The ADX3000 targets a life-like, north-of-neutral sound signature that prioritizes natural timbre and full-range resolution. Treble and bass are both highly extended, between which lies a well-tuned midrange. Upper midrange is extraordinarily expressive, while the lower midrange has a drop of warmth that makes the ADX3000 more forgiving than your average professional studio headphone. Sound-staging and layering is impressive; the ADX3000 delivers true flagship-level spacial queues.

Sonic Breakdown:​

Treble: Songs used: In One Ear, Midnight City, Outlands, Satisfy, Little One, Show Me How To Live (Live at the Quart Festival), Bittersweet Symphony

Treble is bright, but not sharp. The ADX3000’s willingness to reveal treble texture is phenomenal, especially when you consider that many of its peers can only do so with sibilance. Pushing the ADX3000’s tonal limits is a rewarding experience — it resolves a wide breadth of treble applications consistently and organically. The echoing synths of Midnight City scream across the black background of the ADX3000’s stage with an addicting texture.

Background speculars in Little One float and dance across the ADX3000’s drivers with integrity, never experiencing blurring or smudging. This attention-to-detail carries over into the ADX3000’s presentation of percussion instrumentation. The array of high-hats and cymbals scattered throughout In One Ear resolve with a lifelike attack and decay, closely simulating what you might hear in a live performance.

Midrange: Songs used: Flagpole Sitta, Jacked Up, I Am The Highway, Dreams, Too Close, Little Black Submarines, Bohemian Rhapsody, Cash Machine, Chasm

The ADX3000’s emphasis on midrange presentation gives it the space to maximize texture reproduction. You can really dig in to the particulars of how a specific instrument was mastered and recorded. The neutral and quiet style of Harvey Danger’s Flagpole Sitta is well-respected by the ADX3000’s drivers. The contrasting textures of the acoustic and electric guitars play nicely, lending the song a satisfyingly-diverse presentation.

The ADX3000 does a wonderful job reproducing both male and female vocals. The high-strung vocals of Chasm are clear and naturally-toned, with the ADX3000 even capturing textural details on the vocalist’s inhalations. Filtered vocals, such as those in Cash Machine are presented similarly-well. The ADX3000’s propensity to capture midrange texture, mixed with its vocal-centric upper-midrange, means you get maximum expression from Oliver Tree’s cynical lyrics.

Bass: Songs used: Moth, Gold Dust, In For The Kill (Skream Remix), War Pigs (Celldweller Remix)

Like many studio headphones, the ADX3000’s bass is meant to be heard, but not felt. Resolution is the name of the game with these headphones, and a bass-boost would interfere with that goal. Electronic music is highly-intelligible, but ultimately not punchy or rumble-filled. You can try to EQ the ADX3000, but its open-backed design doesn’t leave it with a lot of headroom to move the that volume of air.

Bass articulation, outside of punch and rumble, is top-notch. It is responsive, well-shaped, and tight. Deep bass guitar or drop-D-tuned chugs are expressed with weight and body (though I’d appreciate a little more mid-bass intensity). War Pigs was a nice listen, with the ADX3000 picking up tons of lower-register detail between its bass guitars and electronic bass line.

Gaming Performance​

Class-leading sound-staging and extraordinary detail resolution make the ADX3000 an excellent choice for competitive gaming. Titles with important sound queues such as Call of Duty, Rainbow Six: Siege, and Apex Legends almost feel unfair when using the ADX3000. I have noticeably-better spacial awareness when tracking footsteps in Black Ops 6 compared to my usual gaming headphones. Unlike many warmer and bassier headphones, the ADX3000’s clinical approach to bass allows it resolve lower-register details from gunshots without blurring other important auditory information.

Amping​

Driving the ADX3000 is not exactly trivial, but not difficult either. Every single device I have paired it with can drive it, including retro gear such as an 80s Pioneer stereo deck. I settled on using my Burson Fun, though my Schiit Magni AIO worked too. In general, any amp is rated to deliver 100–300mW @50ohms will driver the ADX3000 nicely. That’s pretty forgiving, especially considering the monstrous performance you get from the ADX3000.

Build​

Construction Quality​

Like pretty much everything AT makes, the ADX3000 is dripping with Japanese craftsmanship. It is totally open-backed with virtually zero obstruction between open-air and the driver’s diaphragm. The driver’s housing is a combination of plastic and metal, with the back being one solid piece of honey-comb-patterned aluminum.



Nestled below the back grill of the ADX3000 is a neat little Easter-egg: A subtle Audio Technica logo.



The headband is likewise a mix of plastic and metal. If you zoom in on the photo, you can see that the plastic is not actually solid black or grey, but is actually a subtly-speckled pure black. The headband is single-way adjustable, as is tradition with studio headphones. The sliding mechanism is firm, simple, and predictable.



The headband is a two-stripe floating band. It is covered in a soft black felt. Padding is sparse, but it didn’t end up impacting my comfort much.



The bottom of the driver housing has the cable connectors. The ADX3000 (and all of its siblings) use the A2DC cable standard — a proprietary connector invented by Audio Technica. The connector works well and secures cables nicely. My only gripe with it is that its, well, proprietary. This means that finding an affordable, reliable replacement cable is not as easy as it would be if AT went with an open standard.


Speaking of the cable, the included one is quite long (3m/9.8ft) and very sturdy since it’s coated in a thick, plain rubber. This is a utilitarian cable designed for a studio, or studio-adjacent, audience. It features a 1/4in termination housed in a semi-matte black-painted metal shell. The A2DC connectors are likewise housed in a metal shell.

Comfort​

Disclaimer: comfort is a highly individual metric — no two people will have the same experience.

Audio Technica’s emphasis on using light-weight materials makes the ADX3000 very, very comfortable. Its earpads are soft, but sturdy enough to alleviate some of the load from the headband. The open-backed nature of the drivers mean that ADX3000 ventilates heat very well. Multiple consecutive hours of listening produced zero discomfort on my ears, head, or skin.

Accessories​

The ADX3000 doesn’t really have “accessories”, but it does have a carrying case that acts as its primary packaging. The exterior of the case is a multi-texture silver plastic. It is light-weight, but sturdy. The corners are reinforced with metal, which should give the case some added resistance to bumps or drops. the interior of the case is lined with a thick pre-cut foam with a cutout for the cable. I have no doubt that this foam will insulate the ADX3000 from damage while in transit.



The latches are likewise made out of metal. The handle, however, its plastic. Considering you’ll spend most of your time touching the case by holding its handle, it seems odd to me that it is the only touch-point made from plastic. I’d like to see Audio Technica revise this case to use a more premium-feeling material for the handle.

Summary​

The ADX3000 sets out to bring flagship-grade studio-headphone performance to a wider audience at a more affordable price-point — and I’d say it’s largely successful. Segment-leading sound-staging, incredible detail retrieval, organic timbre, and high-levels of comfort make the ADX3000 an appealing choice to those who want an analytical, but still engaging open-backed headphone. While it won’t appeal to those seeking out a warm/bassy headphone, it does so much right that I can heartily recommend it to almost anyone else. Great job Audio Technica!

As always, happy listening!