ATH-ES5 vs ATH-FC7: convince me
Mar 21, 2006 at 9:03 AM Thread Starter Post #1 of 55
deejayshakur

deejayshakur

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i've exhausted the forum as far as individual reviews regarding both of these cans, but i'm still undecided on which one to choose.

does anybody have experience with both and could lay out the differences? i pretty much just need something that will be portable for mobile use, driven out of a creative zen (pop, hiphop), and provide some level of isolation. i currently use sharp md33s and senn 212pro's (yeah, i know) so any comparisions to those are welcome.

advice on where to buy is welcome as well.

thanks in advance
 
Mar 21, 2006 at 9:29 AM Post #2 of 55
get both.

buy from audiocubes.

problem solved.
orphsmile.gif
 
Mar 21, 2006 at 6:24 PM Post #4 of 55
I stood before the same decision! I got myself the ES5s in black from bluetin.com (excellent service/prices) for the reason of portabilitiy... They look great and are smaller and more 'low-profile' than the whole chrome thing (IMO). Wearing comfort is good, they are well built and sound great (haven't heard the FC7s though). They became my portable alternative when i do not use my iems.
 
Mar 21, 2006 at 8:37 PM Post #5 of 55
I have the ATH-ES5 but I'm going to sell it off after the National Meet in April. The sound is fine, but not detailed enough for my tastes. And the way it folds up is really annoying IMO. But the real reason I don't like it is because after 1+ hour of wearing it, I get an awful pain on my ears from the pressure. Everyone would tell me to "take breaks then!" but I'd prefer something that didn't sore up my ears.
 
Mar 21, 2006 at 8:40 PM Post #6 of 55
if you're going to be buying Audio Technica products, i highly recommend http://www.bluetin.com they have the best prices for AT products and they have great service as well

edit: just saw Asr's post. I've only tried the ES7's from AT, but looking at some of their portables, they do seem quite painful at first, i can definately vouche for that. The ES7's killed my ears when i first had them on described by many as "the vise-gripe of death". If you do plan on getting any of those mentioned, i'd suggest you stretch them out before wearing them in, or you're ears will really start to kill. I've stretched mine out on a stand, so now it's pretty good, though they are still new i'm still stretching them out. A huge difference in feel.

edit2: just seen the ES5's. IMO they don't look too portable, unless you're going to be carrying a knapsack with you. compared to the FC7's which fold up pretty nicely. Anyways the price of the es5's are $61 while the FC7 is $36.
 
Mar 21, 2006 at 8:46 PM Post #7 of 55
Bump, as I am in the same situation. Just bought the PX200 and was a little disappointed by the bass extension for my style of music (hip hop, jungle). I love these phones for eveything else though, hopefully there will be burn-in. Perhaps someone can link reviews of the good portable-device closed small to medium-sized cans with headbands (non-ear buds) that are foldable: As of now FC7?? > AHT-ES5 > K81DJ (too big?) > PX200 > AKG K27i > Eggos

Focus being on bass and small size.
BTW, the reason I don't wear earbuds anymore is b/c I have a tragus piercing...
 
Mar 21, 2006 at 11:54 PM Post #8 of 55
Mar 22, 2006 at 1:00 AM Post #9 of 55
thanks for the replies.

i will problably go with bluetin as i've heard good stuff about them. however, they seem to be on national holiday until the 26th, which gives me some time to think about if i really want the FC7s.

teamdigital has the ES5's for around $65 (audiocubes is $100) i believe. anybody have experience with them? do they ship to the US?

i guess i'm still hoping somebody has used both cans and can break it down for us...
 
Mar 22, 2006 at 1:03 AM Post #10 of 55
between the two, my preference goes to the es5. the fc7 sounded too wooly to me. boomy bass, rolled off highs...not my cup of tea. the es5 on the other hand had better controlled bass and what seemed to be a better sound stage and highs that were clear. i can't comment on the portability of the es5 as i mainly used them in the office. since they don't quite rely on the headband to stay on your head, i'm not sure how well they'd stay put. in the end, i sold the fc7 and kept the es5. now that is gone too and i've the es7. the folding mechanism of either is not great but the fc7 is a little bit easier to unfold.
 
Mar 22, 2006 at 3:07 AM Post #12 of 55
Quote:

Originally Posted by dbintoro
fureshi, how's the sound quality of the ES-7 compared to the rest. Do you think it worth paying 150+usd for it? I love the modle but I heard its not that comfy.


you gotta stretch out the ES7's, they will hurt at first. i noticed mine feel comfortable now after hurting my ears at first.

i can't compare the ES7's to any of the above since i haven't tried them, but they got a nice hallow sound and clear. The bass is not bad, but i wish it was a little stronger. I've only used them for less than 10 hours so far so i'm hoping they may change after the burn in.
 
Mar 22, 2006 at 4:00 AM Post #13 of 55
If you can buy from Amazon, get the Philips HP460 instead. It's a lot cheaper and IMO, looks better too. The problem with these is that it feels squeaky.
frown.gif


I prefer the HP460's over my PX100's and MDR-710SL, so what can I say?
 
Mar 22, 2006 at 4:25 AM Post #15 of 55
Quote:

Originally Posted by nsjong
If you can buy from Amazon, get the Philips HP460 instead. It's a lot cheaper and IMO, looks better too. The problem with these is that it feels squeaky.
frown.gif


I prefer the HP460's over my PX100's and MDR-710SL, so what can I say?


wow, something like under $30 shipped for the HP460.

having done zero research on it, could you tell me how they compare with the MD33s (i see you have those). what about vs. the FC7 and ES5, if you've tried them.
 
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