[Lamenthe]

After my last thread I've been debating between the Audio Technica ESW9/ESW10 and Denon D2000/D5000 respectively.

However, information seems to be lacking on the ATH ESW9/10's (other than how great the latter looks) so the big question is:

What are the sonic differences between ESW9 and ESW10?

Do the improvements (or lack thereof) warrant the extra 200 dollars the ESW10 costs?

 

[tintin47]

Haven't heard either but I've read lots of threads on both using the search function.

 

[Lamenthe]

Someone suggested them to me so I've been trying to research them. I searched google / head-fi and 90% of the threads I found were about the ESW10's looks and barely anything about the upgrades.

If you found a review please link, I would greatly appreciate it.

 

[jonathanjong]

Go read the RedNamalas1 thread on the EWS10s. He talks about the 9s a bit there.

 

[slwiser]

I have both and appreciate both the ESW9 and the ESW10JPNs. The ESW9 were a surprise to me and shows that Audio-Technica is definitely developing new methods for sound presentation. The ESW10JPN takes this much further up the ladder. I think that AT and Ultrasone are two headphone manufacturers that are working hard to move the quality bar beyond the status quo that exist today in the single ended arena. DIYer's have move the bar with other manufacturers equipment using different methods but it seems that most manufacturers are satisfied with the sound quality achieved or don't even think it necessary to keep what they have.

The ESW9 is more mellow, warmer all across the sound frequency. The ESW10JPNs are much more detailed and one word that comes to me is "pure" compared with the ESW9. They are "very Electrostatic" sounding in comparison, fast, precise and evolving. I thought the ESW9 was musical until I got the ESW10JPN.

The ESW9 is musical but not in the same way and does not present the music with the same clarity. Another thing about the ESW9, I have owned two of them. My first one was very early in their production run. I thought it's bass was muddy on fast music but the second one, a much later production run, is much better in this respect. It still has all the other sound qualities of the early ESW9 but it's bass is simply better.

The bass of the ESW10JPN is faster, tighter and just as powerful. The mids of the ESW10JPN are better as well. The only issue that I have found with the ESW10JPN is that with some tracks the high frequencies are just a little to pronounced. Using it with my tube amp maximizes the ESW10JPN sound much more than when the ESW9 is plugged in to it and also minimizes the issue that I noted before.

To me the ESW10JPN is a player in the high end of single ended dynamic headphones and can stand up to almost any other manufacturer's dynamic headphone in production today.

 

[Rednamalas1]

Quote:

Originally Posted by slwiser /img/forum/go_quote.gif To me the ESW10JPN is a player in the high end of single ended dynamic headphones and can stand up to almost any other manufacturer's dynamic headphone in production today.

Agreed 100%. I'm thinking about picking up a second pair...

 

[kugino]

now you guys are making me regret not picking up a pair while i was in japan!

no, i took a listen to them at a couple of different stores and they sounded fine and looked fantastic...i like my esw9 and hardly listen to them so couldn't justify the $500 for the esw10...interested to hear them out of my home setup, though...

 

[padam]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lamenthe /img/forum/go_quote.gif After my last thread I've been debating between the Audio Technica ESW9/ESW10 and Denon D2000/D5000 respectively. However, information seems to be lacking on the ATH ESW9/10's (other than how great the latter looks) so the big question is: What are the sonic differences between ESW9 and ESW10? Do the improvements (or lack thereof) warrant the extra 200 dollars the ESW10 costs?

I used to own the D2000. The ESW10 is less airy and has a softer bass, but otherwise it is much more musical. The soundstage is more precise and the whole sound is just much more involving. After almost a week its sound signature grew on me so I might withdraw selling it. Although for me it is still not very comfortable (better than it was at first time). And I should mention that Denon was used with an amp, the ESW10 is used unamped so it might be even better with amplification.

 

[Blackmore]

Just wonder how many people have tried ESW9 with Zana Deux to say the final word about them, however they are portables and why the hell they must be paired with Zana...
Maybe if I were looking for an ultimate portable rig, ESW10jpn would be there as one of the first canditates, I guess. Other than that, why bother...

 

[Rednamalas1]

blackmore, I might be picking a ZD within next couple of months, as I should put my electrostatic rig on hold. I'll let you know on the progress.

 

[hawat]

Some guy made the graph of both if you want

Red:ATH-ESW10JPN
Blue:ATH-ESW9

And here is the auto translation of his brief review. Sorry about the weird language

.
Quote:

ATH-ESW10JPN｡ The shade of the lacquer paint of the housing is very beautiful. (However, because a functional necessity seems, cannot you so good consent by this respect?) ･ Additionally, I do not think externals and the installation feeling to be a so changeable. (The lambskin of an unpleasant pad was thought to be firm somewhat though might the individual specificity compared with my ESW9. ) As a tone quality difference with ESW9: ･ ESW10JPN shifts, and a low region shifts and some center of gravity shifts to the high region side thinly. ･ Solution image feeling UP of high region. This is feeling whose difference is greater than a prior imagination. Generally..portable..overhead..considerable..tone quality..side..excellent. ････ However, I think it is vulnerable when thinking about the case used outside from the following points. ･ Point where sound insulating properties and sound Mole are usual. (Probably because of the lateral pressure ..it is not very strong but too good the adhesion of an unpleasant pad... ) ･ The bass (especially, low-end) is ESW9 and the bass tends to be buried from ESW9 in the noise in some thinning hatchets and vehicles such as trains. Use place become limited for a moment though it thinks the sound to be good (At the time of the ESW9 though so as well)?

 

[milkpowder]

The ESW10 is almost 10dB from 5-6kHz?! That's a huge difference. The compressed Y-axis really disguises the differences between the two FRs.

 

[Blackmore]

Cool, but I do not see ESW9 in your sig, hope you can try them as well, cos ESW10 jpn may sound way different, which I believe will be the case...

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rednamalas1 /img/forum/go_quote.gif blackmore, I might be picking a ZD within next couple of months, as I should put my electrostatic rig on hold. I'll let you know on the progress.

 

[Rednamalas1]

^ well my gf has the ESW9 (which was originally mine until she jacked it) so I'll let you know when I have funds ready to actually order one.

 

[mrarroyo]

I had an opportunity to compare the ESW9 w/ the ESW10jpn at the Tampa Meet on 11/15. I used an iPod 160 gB Classic filled w/ Apple Lossless files. For line out I used two from ALO: Six Shooter and the SXC. For amps I used: SR71, SR71A, iBasso D3, Reference, MiniBox-E+, iQube, etc.

To me and my gear/ears/music the ESW9 was the clear winner. I found the top end on the ESW10jpn too fatiguing. I just did not care for all the treble energy they project. BTW there were two ESW10jpn at the meet and both sounded the same to me.