[austinfett]

I'll be using these mainly at school, so portability is nice, although i wouldn't mind lugging around the a900x's assuming they don't become too fatiguing. I don't have the option of trying out either pair before I buy, although i can return them if I must. Sound leakage should be minimal which is why i found these two decent closed back cans. I know the esw9a's will have more portability. I mainly listen to techno trance and dubstep, but occasional rock and softer anime osts are something i also listen to. I was planning on buying the fiio e3 portable amp because it was cheap. Anyone have suggestions for either or better headphones? My budget is about 250-275$

 

[Cheesebaron]

I haven't tried the a900x, but I am a happy owner of a pair of esw9. One thing you should notice is that the hinges on the esw9 are a bit fragile, which happened with mine and were epoxy glued back together.

Soundwise I am really happy about them, however they might sound dark to some people, but they go really well with DnB and genres alike. Mine were also Germania modded (previous Head-Fi member) with some dampening in the cups. They are really bassy, however controlled.

Portability wise, they are good. They fold flat, and they are very light. This also means they can be worn for very long time! They sit very well on my ears for longer periods.

So only downsides are a bit fragile hinges and another thing is that the ear pads can make your ears black of you sweat wearing them as the due comes off.

 

[PurpleAngel]

Quote:

I'll be using these mainly at school, so portability is nice, although i wouldn't mind lugging around the a900x's assuming they don't become too fatiguing. I don't have the option of trying out either pair before I buy, although i can return them if I must. Sound leakage should be minimal which is why i found these two decent closed back cans. I know the esw9a's will have more portability. I mainly listen to techno trance and dubstep, but occasional rock and softer anime osts are something i also listen to. I was planning on buying the fiio e3 portable amp because it was cheap. Anyone have suggestions for either or better headphones? My budget is about 250-275$

I really like the sound of my ATH-A900X.
They are not the best choice for use with receivers (high impedance), portable players would be the preferred source (or portable amplifiers).
Best to buy the A900X used (under $200), I paid $256 for mine, but I've seen used ones in good shape for $180.