[PCHU]

I wouldn't know better SQ as these are the best and pretty much only headphones I have aside from my German Maestro GMP 8.35s that I don't want anymore.
Plus, I didn't do a side-by-side A and B from stock pads since it's tedious and I'm lazy, so you're probably way ahead of me on this, not to mention my rigs consist of a laptop and Sansa Clip + with flacs...
My income and parents won't allow very much to be spent on decent things.

 

[yeahman68]

Has anyone else perceived a slight channel imbalance on their A900X?  When it comes to bass response, it sometimes seems to be stronger on the left ear cup or perhaps the left ear cup is slightly louder than the right ear cup.  

 

[genclaymore]

Mine don't have that channel imbalanced issue, The only thing I have which i cause is that Crack around the Y shape part which hold the cups in place. I would try to fix it right with glue instead of tape, but i prolly in up having to tape it on the band after not getting it back together.  If only audio technica made headphones with metal around those places on the headphone.
 
 
Look like my thick rim glasses would not get along with those mad dog pads, like how they don't get along with the A900X stock pads.  I was going for longer lasting glasses, i should had picked thin frame.

 

[Smugsie]

Quote:

Has anyone else perceived a slight channel imbalance on their A900X?  When it comes to bass response, it sometimes seems to be stronger on the left ear cup or perhaps the left ear cup is slightly louder than the right ear cup.  

Try listening to a mono channel recording and listen if there will be the same channel imbalance.
I don't have the same issue as you do, but mine is a bit different.
When pushing the bass too hard with an amplifier to the point where the drivers really rumble, the a900x's left driver will start to rattle. Usually it occurs 2 db before the drivers itself start to distort.

I know most of you will recommend me to get bassier headphones if I want bass (like the beyerdynamics), but I just don't have the budget for it.

 

[muad]

I just got a new pair today and they sound awesome, weird thing though was when I first started to play music through them they sounded funny. Almost like some frequencies were more elevated than others. Some instruments sounded odd like they were hald there. Anyways a few hours of continuous playing and they sound much more balanced. Im thinking these headphones are not QC'd at the factory? Its like the drivers were being used for the first time ever... No it wasn't brain burn in, I just left and came back and they were better. Either way another satisfied customer

 

[Makiah S]

Quote:

I just got a new pair today and they sound awesome, weird thing though was when I first started to play music through them they sounded funny. Almost like some frequencies were more elevated than others. Some instruments sounded odd like they were hald there. Anyways a few hours of continuous playing and they sound much more balanced. Im thinking these headphones are not QC'd at the factory? Its like the drivers were being used for the first time ever... No it wasn't brain burn in, I just left and came back and they were better. Either way another satisfied customer

yea headphones are like that, and  honestly. I think of Burn like a supersiticious pesudo sceince ritual, is there objective proof... maybe maybe not, does it work. For me and for this guy it sure does
 
the final opinion. NEVER assume a head phone will sound the same after the first day of use. My Beyer Dt 880 and 990s both took about a week to get a solid ground on their sound sigs. And after about 6 months each finished their final tightening of sound.
 
I will say as for the Ath a900x, honestly the mids are a touch recessed for me, but in all honesty the sound signiture is still very balanced, And the mids have actually a nice attack to them, something some cans don't always have. Meaning if you pair these with a nice Hybrid Tube, they will sound amazing. My Hybrid Tube is still in transit so I only have my solid state to try, but for $300 any AudioPhile newb can get 
 
$100 Can Ath A900x
Schiit Magni-Dac $100
Little Dot 1+ [used] Around $100
 
Giving you an awesome start into this hobby! These cans have a nice treble to them [a little better than my Akg K550 to be honest] A good balanced bass, a good mix of Tightness, depth and full body. Nice sound stage, and those nice high energy mids. 
 
So again for $100 these can's really work well with an intro  budget! And as for Hybrid Tubes, you can get something other than the Little Dot 1+, just so long as the Tube has a Low Gain! [under 10, around 5 or 0 for the best effect] 

 

[chili dude96]

I think burn in depends on the amount of quality control they do at the factory. I just got my E212s yesterday and when I first listen to them they sounded horrible. The sound was hollow and empty. I blasted music for 10 minutes through them at a high volume level and after that they sound great. I had never believed in the burn-in before this. But the difference 10 minutes made was unreal!
 
I still think some of the after 100 or 500 hours some aspect gets better is more your brain burning in than the actually headphone changing...

 

[Makiah S]

Quote:

I think burn in depends on the amount of quality control they do at the factory. I just got my E212s yesterday and when I first listen to them they sounded horrible. The sound was hollow and empty. I blasted music for 10 minutes through them at a high volume level and after that they sound great. I had never believed in the burn-in before this. But the difference 10 minutes made was unreal!
 
I still think some of the after 100 or 500 hours some aspect gets better is more your brain burning in than the actually headphone changing...

Indeed, and I'd be willing to call the Ath a900x a more balanced closed can simmilar to the Dt 990, 
 
I'll be happy to see how my buyer enjoys them over time! 

 

[iDJ Jesus]

Hey, I recently bought these, and I have a problem with the wing support. They don't really support anything, when I wear them, the wings dont stop at any point, they just go up and up until my head is touching the headband, does anyone know how to fix this?

 

[InspectrButters]

Quote:

Hey, I recently bought these, and I have a problem with the wing support. They don't really support anything, when I wear them, the wings dont stop at any point, they just go up and up until my head is touching the headband, does anyone know how to fix this?

 
Many people have had an issue with the fit of these cans. I believe I saw it earlier in this thread, but I used a rubber band hooked on both sides at the junction of the arm and pad to create a better fit. It took me a few tries to find a rubber band that was the correct size, but it has worked for me so far.

 

[iDJ Jesus]

can you show me what you did with the rubber bands, i dont quite understand what u did

 

[Smugsie]

Quote:

can you show me what you did with the rubber bands, i dont quite understand what u did

This is what he means with the rubber band mod.

Somewhere on the headfi forums, a user explains how to mod the wings permanently by taking it apart. However there's a chance the wings could be damaged in the process without proper tools. I've also done it as well, since the looks of the rubber band on the a900x bothers me. As a brief visualization of what the mod does; the wings are constantly (lightly) pressing on top of the earcups. The mod isn't as tough as using an elastic, but it doesn't fall when I shake my head.

 

[khomanie]

For those who have heads that are too small or too big and cause fit issues
 
 
 
I used to have these phones.  The wires on top are bendable, so you can adjust and readjust as needed until they fit.  They won't break, it's actual wires inside not plastic. 

 

[JHern]

I was shopping at a LABI store in Tokyo and found they had a great Audio-Technica spread, and I also got to listen to many of their models on display. What amazed me about the ATH-A900X is that you can hear a vast improvement from any of the cheaper phones, they are definitely in a higher class at a price that puts them above the muddy bass riff-raff down below. Superb mids and punchy bass, nice treble, the 900X has all the earmarks of the higher-end. Yet going up the echelon further, the 2X, 3X, 4X higher prices of the more expensive sets was only rewarded by very slight and incremental improvements in sound quality. The 900X, at less than $200 new, are a great value, and they're already over the hump and into the asymptotic quality-price regime. I would recommend them to anybody, a great value.
 
Listening to MP3s on a MacBook Pro with no DAC (trying both iTunes and Audirvana) I noticed occasional rough fizz in the very highest frequencies, although the Audirvana signal processing helps greatly to mitigate this and give high-end distortion where it was intended (although it depends on the quality of the file, I have some poor quality ones that are simply junk, you can't turn them into shinola by any means).
 
Anyways, part of my motivation for picking up these phones is because I had come across this thread awhile ago, and when I heard them for myself I was truly impressed by the accuracy of the reviews given here, and the useful recommendation to buy a pair based on their excellent value. So...thanks to all who contributed to this thread!

 

[joshwalnut]

I'm looking to pick up a pair of these... how well do they pair with EDM? Are they considered a fun sounding headphone?