sacrifice13
100+ Head-Fier
- Joined
- Feb 29, 2012
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Hey guys, I just got a pair of Audio Technica ATH A500X headphones for Christmas, and seeing as how there is not much info out there at all on these cans I thought I would post some impressions.
* Don't judge too harshly on this review, I still consider myself pretty 'noob-y'.
I have been too lazy to take my own photos so here is a stock one:
Right off the bat, these things look ALMOST the same as it's big bro the A900X (which is to say, they look incredibly sexy). Considering the A900X get lots of attention I thought it was only fair these got some too.
Note: I am using an iPod classic (unamped) as my only source. For reference, my other cans I own include the Ultrasone HFI-580, Shure SRH-440, ATH-WS55 and the CAL!
They have at least 50 hours on them by now so I'm pretty confident these impressions won't change too much, considering I didn't notice that much of a difference between opening them, and now.
Build: The build on these is pretty good quality. It's noticeably plastic, but definitely a high quality plastic, and the pads are very good quality pleather, better than anything I currently own. I wouldn't throw these around for fear of snapping one of the rings on the top, but they are pretty sturdy. The cord is fabric-covered which I think is a really nice touch.
Comfort: When I first put these on, I was definitely confused as to how they were meant to sit, and how they were possibly going to stay on my head. I think AT designs these things with bigger heads in mind LOL. It took me a couple of days but I am pretty used to the loose fit now. Coming from the tight clamp of the HFI-580 to these was very strange, but I can now say the comfort is absolutely top notch. The only thing I own that beats it is the Sony XB-500. The ear cups are extremely well-padded and quite deep. The driver is angled, but I never feel like my ear is touching it.
Isolation: Because of the *somewhat* loose fit, I don't feel the A500X have the best isolation. Definitely better than the CAL! but not as good as the HFI-580.
Sound: Now the fun bit! I have to say, these cans took me a while to get used to, for the plain and simple reason that I'm not used to such balanced cans (well, balanced to my ears anyway). I went from the SRH-440 (which I found cold and harsh) to the HFI-580 (which are the opposite of balanced) to the A500X. So overall, I would say the sound is a good mix of 'fun' and 'balanced'. They are amazing all-rounders.
Bass: The bass on these is crazy controlled. Maybe a bit flabby before break-in, but now it's very tight and (to my ears) the quanity is just right. When a song doesn't have heavy bass, these cans won't enhance the bass at all. You will know it's there, but it definitely won't hit you in the face. However, I threw on some house music, and BAM! bass in the face. I was really impressed that these cans could produce such tight, deep bass at so many different quantities (but always great quality). Definitely nowhere near as bassy as the HFI-580, but I would say that's a good thing.
Mids: The reason I bought more Audio Technica headphones is because of the great mids they seem to have, and these are no exception. These are the best mids I have ever heard. I would say the mids are probably the selling point of these headphones. Word of the day : natural. Right now I'm listening to 'Iris' by the Goo Goo Dolls, and I can pick up the strumming sounds better than I ever have been able to before. Vocal reproduction on these is just sublime. Very intimate and rich. So yeah, great mids.
Treble: The treble on the A500X is very inoffensive (for lack of a better word). By this I mean it's definitely present, with great levels of detail, but they are VERY unlikely for anyone to find them fatiguing. I've only detected the smallest hints of sibilance ina few tracks, but that's it. I would say the highs take a back seat to make room for more sweet mids, and I don't have a problem with that at all. Smooth highs make me happy
Conclusion: To sum up, I would say these are a really great value. People who are in the entry/mid-fi market should consider these. Definitely trump the HFI-580 in all aspects except bass quanity. I would wager that these also beat the M50 in a few areas as well. Very balanced sound and very easy to listen to, with good levels of detail and extremely natural vocals, I would recommend these to anyone.
* Don't judge too harshly on this review, I still consider myself pretty 'noob-y'.
I have been too lazy to take my own photos so here is a stock one:
Right off the bat, these things look ALMOST the same as it's big bro the A900X (which is to say, they look incredibly sexy). Considering the A900X get lots of attention I thought it was only fair these got some too.
Note: I am using an iPod classic (unamped) as my only source. For reference, my other cans I own include the Ultrasone HFI-580, Shure SRH-440, ATH-WS55 and the CAL!
They have at least 50 hours on them by now so I'm pretty confident these impressions won't change too much, considering I didn't notice that much of a difference between opening them, and now.
Build: The build on these is pretty good quality. It's noticeably plastic, but definitely a high quality plastic, and the pads are very good quality pleather, better than anything I currently own. I wouldn't throw these around for fear of snapping one of the rings on the top, but they are pretty sturdy. The cord is fabric-covered which I think is a really nice touch.
Comfort: When I first put these on, I was definitely confused as to how they were meant to sit, and how they were possibly going to stay on my head. I think AT designs these things with bigger heads in mind LOL. It took me a couple of days but I am pretty used to the loose fit now. Coming from the tight clamp of the HFI-580 to these was very strange, but I can now say the comfort is absolutely top notch. The only thing I own that beats it is the Sony XB-500. The ear cups are extremely well-padded and quite deep. The driver is angled, but I never feel like my ear is touching it.
Isolation: Because of the *somewhat* loose fit, I don't feel the A500X have the best isolation. Definitely better than the CAL! but not as good as the HFI-580.
Sound: Now the fun bit! I have to say, these cans took me a while to get used to, for the plain and simple reason that I'm not used to such balanced cans (well, balanced to my ears anyway). I went from the SRH-440 (which I found cold and harsh) to the HFI-580 (which are the opposite of balanced) to the A500X. So overall, I would say the sound is a good mix of 'fun' and 'balanced'. They are amazing all-rounders.
Bass: The bass on these is crazy controlled. Maybe a bit flabby before break-in, but now it's very tight and (to my ears) the quanity is just right. When a song doesn't have heavy bass, these cans won't enhance the bass at all. You will know it's there, but it definitely won't hit you in the face. However, I threw on some house music, and BAM! bass in the face. I was really impressed that these cans could produce such tight, deep bass at so many different quantities (but always great quality). Definitely nowhere near as bassy as the HFI-580, but I would say that's a good thing.
Mids: The reason I bought more Audio Technica headphones is because of the great mids they seem to have, and these are no exception. These are the best mids I have ever heard. I would say the mids are probably the selling point of these headphones. Word of the day : natural. Right now I'm listening to 'Iris' by the Goo Goo Dolls, and I can pick up the strumming sounds better than I ever have been able to before. Vocal reproduction on these is just sublime. Very intimate and rich. So yeah, great mids.
Treble: The treble on the A500X is very inoffensive (for lack of a better word). By this I mean it's definitely present, with great levels of detail, but they are VERY unlikely for anyone to find them fatiguing. I've only detected the smallest hints of sibilance ina few tracks, but that's it. I would say the highs take a back seat to make room for more sweet mids, and I don't have a problem with that at all. Smooth highs make me happy
Conclusion: To sum up, I would say these are a really great value. People who are in the entry/mid-fi market should consider these. Definitely trump the HFI-580 in all aspects except bass quanity. I would wager that these also beat the M50 in a few areas as well. Very balanced sound and very easy to listen to, with good levels of detail and extremely natural vocals, I would recommend these to anyone.
