[ronrad]

I just picked up a pair of ESW10jpns and I'm pretty suspicious that they are fake. (Unfortunately, I did my investigating around the web and discovered all the fake ESW9 info after I had already purchased)

Having looked around the web a little more after buying, I found this site:

Wholesale - Free shipping 5pcs Audio Technica ATH-ESW10 ESW10 Earphone Headphone Headset

So I'm guessing that fakes are definitely out there!

At any rate, I'd really like to try to compare them side by side with someone who has real ones to be certain, as I'm definitely within my PayPal dispute window.

 

[tamahome77]

Wow Yeah they're so cheap, must be fake. Take some pictures of your Esw10 and post it here to compare. Hard to tell if they're real or fake from the link you've provided. The price is fake for sure as it's too good to be true.

Here's a link to the photos of mine:

ImageShack Gallery

 

[ronrad]

I've been looking really hard at the phones and I looked at uglyrains thread, and from a visual standpoint they seem really close, however, the wood seems a lot more like plastic by feel than wood, and they seem awfully light.

Sound quality so far didn't overwhelm me which was what I was hoping for with esw10s, although to be honest, they aren't bad either.

One visual difference I've noticed with these and the rest of the pictures that I've seen ... The heaband appears "wrinkled" in yours and most of the true pictures I've seen, whereas on mine the headband is smooth.





[IMG=http://img16.imageshack.us/img16/7893/img2235f.th.jpg][/IMG]
Have to work on some better image hosting!

 

[ronrad]

I need to figure this out pretty quickly as I will need to start the dispute process if they are indeed fake. I'm going to try weighing them on Post Office scales today.

The claimed weight on a few websites is 170g, so we'll see where they come in at.

 

[padam]

I had an original one, and this one definitely seems fake to me (wood tone seems different on the 3rd picture), but at that price it is not that surprising.
Maybe a picture of the 'left' or 'right' markings could help.

 

[ronrad]

Quote:

Originally Posted by padam /img/forum/go_quote.gif I had an original one, and this one definitely seems fake to me (wood tone seems different on the 3rd picture), but at that price it is not that surprising. Maybe a picture of the 'left' or 'right' markings could help.

Just to be clear, I paid a heck of a lot more than what was quoted in the above link! I bought mine "used" through another source and I won't disclose the details just yet until I actually confirm that they are fake. But, rest assured I paid more like $400. If I'd seen the above link before I bought (or as the price when I bought) I would definitely have assumed they were fake.

At any rate, after receving them and being suspicious that they aren't real, I went and started looking around more, and had seen all sorts of posts saying that there weren't any fake ESW10s out yet. Then I found the China link above, which leads me to believe that there obviously are fake ones out. And mine look a heck of a lot like the picure inthat China trading link, including the fact that the headband seems smooth instead of wrinkled. One of the first things I looked at was the left / right logo, and it actually looks pretty good. Also, the post swivel at least looks like copper. I think that these are the "good copy" fakes!

Here's the link to the left / right logo:

 

[YtseJamer]

They are fake.

Take a look at the pictures of my pair here.

 

[padam]

It seems that the oval part with the 'left' writing with the is a bit deeper in than the rest of it so I would say it is a fake, although it is not that easy to detect (maybe with pictures made without flash it is easier).
I have been thinking of getting an ESW10JPN again, but now I am not so sure about that..

 

[.coco]

Those are fake, the wood is not at all the wood AT uses.

 

[ronrad]

Quote:

Originally Posted by pfillion /img/forum/go_quote.gif They are fake. Take a look at the pictures of my pair here.

Thanks for the link on that. In particular, what are you seeing in the compare that is jumping out? BTW - I was already pretty suspicious of the wood, as it seems a lot more like plastic than wood, and the overall build quality seems a lot more like a $50 pair of headphones than a $600 pair.

Again, thanks for all the help. I'm trying to figure out my next steps here. I'm trying to decide whether to start the process and inform the seller but I'd like to have absolutely certainty that what I have is a fake. Has anyone opened the cups on one of these? I suspect if I open it up, I will see that the inside of the cups is not wood. But, I didn't see an obivous way to go in. It looks like there are screws under the felt on the top of the ear cups, but I would need to remove the felt.

I think I'm going to buy a pair from a reputable source (If I can figure out what that is!) And get them here quickly to compare. Pfillion, I'd do yours, but shipping from Canada unfortunately will probably take too long

 

[ronrad]

Quote:

Originally Posted by padam /img/forum/go_quote.gif It seems that the oval part with the 'left' writing with the is a bit deeper in than the rest of it so I would say it is a fake, although it is not that easy to detect (maybe with pictures made without flash it is easier). I have been thinking of getting an ESW10JPN again, but now I am not so sure about that..

Can you elaborate on this for me please? What is it supposed to be like? On the ones that I have, the oval is inset from the surrounding frame, and the left apears to be about flush with the surrounding frame or slightly raised.

Oh, I also just weighed them at the post office, and they come in at 6.4 ozs or 180g with cord. So that unfortunately doesn't tell me much. Claimed mfg weight from what I've seen is 170g, but unless I had a real pair to measure for actual weight, I probably won't be able to konw for sure from that.

 

[YtseJamer]

Quote:

Originally Posted by ronrad /img/forum/go_quote.gif Thanks for the link on that. In particular, what are you seeing in the compare that is jumping out?

The color of the wood is not exactly like the pair that I have. The wood is more brownish/cherry on my pair of ESW10JPN and also the grain of the wood seems to be different. They should look exactly like in the picture below.

 

[.coco]

It also looks like the pads are different shaped and use different material.

 

[ronrad]

Quote:

Originally Posted by .coco /img/forum/go_quote.gif It also looks like the pads are different shaped and use different material.

Thanks for the hints! Your guys eyes are definitely better than mine from pictures. I have a second pair on order now from a member of this forum that is sellign a used pair that I trust. It's going to be very intreresting to compare them side by side, but I want something solid as evidence when i dispute them.

 

[uglyrain]

Ronrad

i have just issued a refund to you.

be honest,personlly i tried all of em,i hearing them. they do sound good,that why i told you it is not fake. after reading this whole post,i still dont think they are fake,just because smoother headband and different padwood. i was told thery were shipped from japan, and im getting some new sealed boxes ath-fw5 coming next week.and more,(i change the ebay id to start a small biz.)

i was told you can take it to authorised dealer let them compare it.