Audio-Technica ATH-M70x Professional Monitor Headphones

So this is my review of the Audio Technica ATH-M70x I have had these for a week now so I have started to get a feel for them after using them for about 8hours each day.
Comming from the Beyerdynamic T70s I just had to try these as I found the T70s to be a bit too bright for me here is the result.
 
Build Quality:
 
These are...well they are mostly made of plastic and don't really feel like they are worth their price but overall I have found them to be sturdy and solid I have already managed to drop them quite a few times and have stepped on them but they have taken no damage at all
 
Design:
 
Well I have no words I don't really care much for the design of something as long as I enjoy using them and they feel comfortable which leads me to the comfort
 
Comfort:
 
I find these to be very comfortable, the 2nd day i had them I woke up put them on and didn't take them off until the next morning(wednesday) I havn't really studied what kind of material the pads are made of(mostly because I am lazy) same goes for the headband. But what I can say is I feel I can wear them all day with no problems and don't feel uncomfortable at all. Which is a good thing for monitoring headphones like these.
 
Sound:
 
The sound of the M70x is a neutral, bright/analytical sound with a high level of detail retrieval.
In the low en it has a great extension and is good at capturing the details of the sub bass with a snappy and hollow mid-bass punch. This however is not a basshead headphone, you will not feel the bass at all but will hear almost all of the little details of the music(no wonder when it's monitoring Headphones. The separation from the mids works really well as there is no leakage or spillage.
That said the lower mids can be cold to some(depending on the Amp you are using) Upper midt are also thin, bright and detailed. Some people may feel like it lakes body but that said it is precise and analytical. Treble is bright and crisp with a great extension and I didn't hear any sibilance at all. That said the treble peak in these headphones can be annoying to the ears of some and also has another issue when it comes to portabillity but I'll go in detail with that in a sec.
On to the soundstage I found it to be decent and has a good depth but the width isn't the best at all separation could be a bit better but all in all it made for a very good listening experience.
 
Poratability:
 
This part is usually one of the most important for me since I use my closed back headphones on the go aswell. I have had these for a week now and can honestly say they work great for on the go use because of their low impedance almost anything I have tried can run them however I am usually driving them with my portable Sound Blaster E3. Anyways these headphones fold flat for easy storage in their carrying case(but I am not the one to ask for how well this works since I am basicly always wearing them around my neck). As I am usually always wearing them either for listening or around my neck when I am not listening I have got a good insight in portability with these. They have been outside and used in rain with no issues they don't let any water in anywhere so there is nothing to worry about. That said you can definetly hear the wind unless you turn them up really high(well if you are one of those people that don't want to listen to the traffic, I wouldn't know why you want to do that though)that isn't an issue, or is it? The fact is even though they sound good at the average(my average) listening volume you definetly shouldn't turn these up too loud as the treble peak might damage your ears I definetly feel like I am getting cut by the sound when I turn them up too far so that is the one thing you should be aware of if you are planning on using them for on the go use.
About sound leakage, they don't really leak alot of noise so you can use them on your work if that is what you are planning to use them for
 
Conclusion:
 
These headphones are definetly not for everyone the treble peak and the lack of warmth and punch of these headphones may turn alot of people away from them. That said they are made for monitoring use so one shouldn't asume that they are made for a enjoyable relaxing mellow listening experience, but more of a analytical experience and are mainly meant to be used for monitoring.
They are easily portable and you can take them with you everywhere without problems, yet should not be used in noisy enviroments as turning up the volume may damage your ears.
Even though these are monitoring headphones and are bright headphones I have found them to be my daily headphones for use on the go(mainly because, as i said earlier I like a bright sound signature)which is what i prefer. That said if you just want a warm mellow and relaxing listening experience then these are not for you and you should look for something else.
 
Last but not least, these should not be considered as an upgrade from the M50x as they are alot brighter and more analytical where as the M50x are warmer and alot punchyer.
Compared to the T70s though these could to some degree be considered better for some of you. The T70s are brighter than these and can at times feel really really cold even boring at times
that said if you are turned of by the T70s but still like a bright signature then these might be for you as they are a bit warmer than the T70s are they. The M70xs don't have as wide a soundstage as the T70s but still make for a better all around listening experience.

Before I start my review, I would like to Thank AT US for providing me with a review sample in exchange for my honest opinion.
 
You have to be living under a rock not to be familiar with ATH-M50 headphones and their latest M50x model which introduced detachable cables.  With thousands of 5-star reviews on Amazon and still crowned as #1 Best Seller, you don’t have to take my word about their popularity.  After my recent review of ATH-MSR7 where I discovered it being a more reference quality upscale version, it still wasn’t clear to me if these going to be an upgrade to M50x.  Now with introduction of M70x model, I was very intrigued to find out how these new headphones going to sound, and perhaps wishfully thinking it’s going to be an upgrade to M50x.  To my surprise it looks like Audio-Technica decided to completely rewrite the book with these headphones, to the point where everything from a design to a sound signature has been changed in this new M-series flagship model.  Here is what I found.
 
Starting with a packaging, it’s nearly identical to M50x and has the same redesigned (in comparison to the original M50) large rectangular carton box.  The graphics and the entire layout of the front and the back of the box is nearly the same between M50x and M70x, with an only exception of the updated Spec and Accessories.  Don’t expect to see intimate design details like those found with IM-series or CKR-series or the latest MSR7 model.  Something tells me it’s not an accident those are omitted, considering M-series is geared more toward studio musicians rather than headphone listening enthusiasts.  But either way, you get a great overview of the design, accessories, and the spec, and will also pick up a few hints of what to expect.  Audio-Technica is usually accurate with a sound description without marketing hype, so I took it seriously when I read “M-Series flagship model, tuned for extremely accurate reproduction…”
 
Unboxing pictures.
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 
 
After opening the box you would expect to see a familiar look with 90deg flipped earcups and a flat storage view of M70x (similar to M50x display), but instead you are faced with a hard shell case.  Yes, finally Audio-Technica included a hard shell storage case!  Unlike M50x, M70x doesn’t fold inward of the headband so your storage is limited to a flat placement with rotated earcups thus making a storage case a bit bulky.  But nevertheless, I was very pleased to see a rather nice storage case instead of a typical draw string storage pouch.  Another surprise was to see a molded spot inside of the case with a zippered storage bag containing replacement cables and ¼” adapter.  3 replacement cables were included, a studio 1.2m-3.0m coiled expandable cable, 3.0m straight studio cable, and 1.2m straight portable cable (my favorite).  Both studio cables have a threaded 3.5mm connector to use with ¼” adapter, and all 3 cables have the headphone side with 2.5mm connector and interlocking twist mechanism.  The good news, these are identical to M50x cables, the same thicker quality cables with a good durable build.  No cable with a smartphone control was included, Audio-Technica made it very clear these are for professional studio use rather than everyday on-the-go use with a smartphone.
 
Accessory pictures.
 

 

 

 

 
 
The new design of M70x was another big surprise with a number of improvements and a few steps back.  Obviously, we all have different head anatomy so opinions will vary.  The first thing that stood out for me was a headband.  It's about 2/3 of the original M50x width and has padding only on inside of the headband while outside is plastic.  It looks a lot cleaner and slimmer, and inner foam padding is actually thicker and softer - a slightly improved comfort level but using padding only in the middle top while covering the rest of the inner band with plastic.  I don't mind this change, and as a matter of fact it makes M70x look more professional versus M50x looking more like a DJ headphones, but I can see how the edge between plastic and pleather (or protein leather) can catch some hair.
 
As soon as you proceed to height adjustment, you can feel a nice click action and appreciate aluminum parts of the extended piece - build quality in here is solid, no creaks or wobbling.  The joint connection between y-fork and headband has been completely redesigned, allowing only 90deg rotation one way and a little bit in the opposite direction, but no longer will you be able to fold earcups inside of the headband.  The only disadvantage of this is not being able to use some of the smaller storage cases, but keep in mind - M70x already comes with a nice case, so it’s not a showstopper.  Also, less complicated joint mechanism means a more reliable physical design.  In addition to aluminum y-fork, the back of earcups is also made out of aluminum alloy with an etched logo.  M70x earpads felt identical to M50x and also have the same size, shape, and opening.  Also similar to M50x, the cable attaches to the Left earcup and uses the same twist-lock mechanism and identical 2.5mm plug.  One overall difference I found, and it could be a matter of personal opinion, was that M50x had a more snugly fit around my head.  Upon closer examination, I found that M50x earcups in comparison to M70x have a greater degree of pivoting angle around x-axis which results in a better “hug” around my head.  This could be only subjective relative to my head shape/anatomy, but I consider M50x to be more comfortable for extended period of use.
 
Design detail pictures.
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 
 
I mentioned in the intro of my review that AT decided to rewrite the book on these headphones, and sound signature was not an exception.  Beside the obvious recommendation for 50-60hrs of burn in before making you final decision about their sound signature, I really advice everybody to approach M70x with an open mind and understanding these are not intended to have an upgraded M50x sound, but rather a brand new neutral analytical sound signature tuned specifically for a professional monitoring.  These are not fun listening headphones with a smooth warm sound and deep bass response - it's all about accuracy!!!  The sound does extends pretty low and relatively high to capture a wide frequency range according to the spec of 5Hz-40kHz, but it's all about quality rather than quantity.
 
To summarize, M70x has a neutral bright analytical sound sig with a high level of detail retrieval.  Starting with a low end, it has a great extension to capture details of deep sub-bass rumble with a snappy and somewhat hollow mid-bass punch, but you will NOT feel the bass - you will hear it rather than feel it.  The separation from mids is surgically clean because there is no leakage or spillage.  As a matter of fact, lower mids are very lean and a bit cold.  Upper mids are also thin, bright, detailed - they lack body, but very precise and analytical.  Treble is bright and crisp, with a great extension, and absolutely no sibilance.  To my surprise even the most offending sibilant test track in my collection was at tolerable borderline.
 
When it comes to soundstage, I found it to be just average in width and depth, actually with more depth than width.  This created an intimate listening atmosphere that helps keep a focus on the music, important for professional audio monitoring.  Also, I found separation and layering to be quite good, but positioning and imaging was just average, limited by their average soundstage.  I guess that was expected.
 
I have to be honest, this is my first neutral analytical pair of full size headphones, even HP150 was more balanced, warmer, and with slightly enhanced low end.  Therefore, I don't have anything to use in direct comparison to M70x.  But I have a feeling a lot of people will be trying to make sense of MSR7 vs M70x vs M50x, trying to decide which one going to suite their needs better.
 

 
 
Luckily, it's a very easy decision because there is not much of overlap between these models.  If you are not looking for a critical analytical listening, and just want to enjoy a warm smooth balanced sound with some bass enhancement - M50x is a perfect choice, especially for a comfortable extended listening.  If deeper sub-bass boost is not your highest priority, and you would prefer a more balanced reference signature with a nice full body sound and enhanced details - that's where MSR7 comes into a picture.  But if you don't want to be distracted by a bass or artifacts of wider soundstage and actually prefer to analyze sounds or need to work on mixing/mastering of the music where it's critical to have headphones with neutral signature and close to flat frequency response - M70x will be a great choice.
 
Overall, as much as I was missing my healthy dose of bass while listening to M70x, I suddenly realized that my focus has shifted into analytical mode where I was paying a closer attention to hidden details of the recording, little nuances of singer taking a breath, number of echo repetitions, and so on.  Now looking back at a comparison between M50x, MSR7, and M70x, I can say with a certainty that MSR7 is more of an upgrade to M50x rather than M70x.  It has a solid design, a great selection of accessories including 3 detachable cables, an excellent headphone storage case, and a very unique sound signature.  Now I feel like these could definitely be called a true M-Series flagship headphones, while some might argue that M50x signature wasn't exactly fitted for pro monitoring purpose.  I wouldn't recommend M70x for a general listening purpose, but for studio mixing/mastering and any other professional monitoring work requiring critical attention to details - these definitely deserve a serious consideration!