[ATau]

I took my ES10 to work today and was so happy with them! (It has been at least 4 months since the last time I gave them a listen...)

 

[Vesperaudio]

http://www.head-fi.org/t/372713/limited-wooden-portable-ath-esw10jpn-arrives-with-pics/1695#post_13007906

 

[JHern]

I'm listening to Tool Undertow right now on my back-up pair of ES10s, plugged into a Marantz HD-DAC1 coupled with Audirvana+ on MBP.
 
Simply awesome...

I took my ES10 to work today and was so happy with them! (It has been at least 4 months since the last time I gave them a listen...)

 
Yes! I'm listening to Tool Undertow right now on my back-up pair of ES10s in the office, plugged into a Marantz HD-DAC1 coupled with Audirvana+ running on a MBP.
 
Simply awesome! I had previously wondered whether these would see a great deal of improvement after moving up to a higher end DAC/Amp and there is absolutely no question.

 

[Roger Gu]

Still looking for a dac/amp recommendation. I have ibasso D10, but not sure it is good enough.

 

[vincik]

try astell kern junior... i liked this combo much more, than es10+fiio x5 2nd gen... i also heared astell kern ak70 and it sounded quite the same, so you can save your money and go with junior. but be aware, that junior won't work as USB DAC with your pc if you have windows 10 and USB 3.0 ports. another great partner for es10 is Studio 3rd anniversary edition. i remember i was very pleased with it's sound and prefered it over fiio x3, sony a10 and pc soundcard. very revealing and detailed sound and amazing battery life.
 
or you can wait for new daps.. fiio x5 3rd gen is coming soon. i will do a little review. paired up with es10 of course. hope later this month already

 

[Makiah S]

  I'll just post the measurements of it, @Bill-P will have to tell you exactly what he did :3
 

 

 

 

Lawrd, I don't know what happen but my bESP10 has some SERIOUS low mid ringing! That I don't recall it having. Could possibly be from the sub par SE output on my NFB10ES2 but my HD 25-1 II doesn't have an issue with low mid ring, so :/ I might have to reach out to Bill P an see what he thinks! Then Try these bad bois out with a different source 

 

[WoodyLuvr]

Seriously considering buying these cans along with ESW11 pads and do maybe the Bill P mod to replace my B&O H6s...

 

[Makiah S]

  Seriously considering buying these cans along with ESW11 pads and do maybe the Bill P mod to replace my B&O H6s...

I can speak for how my Modded ES10 differs from BillPs basic mods, I know he REALLY went all in with the mods I have on mine! Revised them a few times over the years that he had them before me, but of all my portable closed back cans, my ES 10 really does sound the best! getting ready to take it to a meet, and try it out with a couple of different sources 

 

[WoodyLuvr]

  I can speak for how my Modded ES10 differs from BillPs basic mods, I know he REALLY went all in with the mods I have on mine! Revised them a few times over the years that he had them before me, but of all my portable closed back cans, my ES 10 really does sound the best! getting ready to take it to a meet, and try it out with a couple of different sources

What mods did you make on yours?  How old are yours?  What can would you compare your modded ES10 sound signature too?  Have you every listened to B&O H6 by chance?
 
BTW: Do you still own those as they are not on your headphone list in your profile.

 

[Makiah S]

  What mods did you make on yours?  How old are yours?  What can would you compare your modded ES10s too?

I didn't mod mine at all, BillP modded them him self and I purchased them from him about a year ago
 
I'd imagine he did the mods he mentioned, but he did a lot more. You might want to ask him, overall though... it's really dark, intimate and has a LOT of detail, it has a sense of depth similar to my HE 4, but with a LOT less width... I've been playing Metallica's ...Shortest Straw for about an hour now, listening with a few different sources [my Audio GD NFB10ES2 single end out, my HM 601 Headphone out, I also did Line out of my hm601 into my PB2 and then I finally went to my HM 901 line out same amp] and out of my HM 901 [HD Filter] line out into my PB2... I find it to be really special. The long buried bass line really stands out on the ES10, almost more so than my HE 4 because it's got a very similar transient response, but it's a closed back. But it's hard to compare the two, as my HE 4 is an open back. So it really... out does the ES 10 in everything, with the exception of intimacy, but even then both headphones share a lot of simmilar qualities.
 
Lot's of attack, little decay, fast transients, amazing detail and a pretty linear bass response... while I ofc prefer my HE 4, it being an open back drives me wife nuts [I kid you not you can hear it in my kitchen which is like 3 walls a fridge away from my desk] but in all honestly, the ES 10 volume matched really sounds like a darker closed back portable version of my HE 4. Switching from one to the other the FIRST thing i notice in my HE 4 is it's REALLY hot treble, ofc after like 2 mins it doesn't bother me [as I've always preferred bright headphones over dark] but what the ES 10 loses in sound stage it gains in intimacy, the mids are a touch sweeter on the ES 10, but resonance is a big part of why. Although, the bass response is more tactile on the HE 4, though it's a larger driver overall... still 
 

 
Here's a side by side of the frequency response for the two, the scale is different but were just going to look at the curve, the ES10 does have a touch of a mid bass hump, but it's 20-200 hrz response is pretty impressive, the HE 4 though is almost linear. That... almost linear bass response on the HE 4 paired with an large open back driver results in some AMAZING sub bass tactility, and there is NOTHING that feels quite like that does!
 
Now both dip from 200-400, but the ES 10 does curve back up from 400-1.5k, this gives me the more forward or sweeter mids, and all those peaks and dips give it a darker top end, but it doesn't sound... veiled if your sourcing it correctly . The HE 4 doesn't have as many of those BIG dips and strong peaks, it's more even upper response gives it a overall brighter sound, and that's where the ES 10 can be picky, with it's source. From my understanding billP tuned this out of a tube, and I don't always have one, as I prefer Solid State, but still... to be able to compare the ES 10 to my HE 4 is something! As dark as it is, it does manage to pull out a lot of the same detail my HE 4 does... so it's... well it's a darker more intimate closed back portable version of the HE 4... in the sense that the mods really give it a lot of control in the bass, from 20-200 and some really amazing transients 
 
I really need to just bite the bullet and recable my ES 10 to 4pin XLR, it would really benefit from the... better output that both my Balanced amps have... on their balanced output. 
 
Moving from Metallica to Miles Davis So What, I notice how much cleaner the Bass on the HE 4 is, very clean very very CLEAR and well defined, where as the ES 10 does have that hump, though both of my amps have present a cleaner bass out of their  balanced outs, with the SE outs on each being alittle more bloated... 

 

[WoodyLuvr]

  I didn't mod mine at all, BillP modded them him self and I purchased them from him about a year ago
 
I'd imagine he did the mods he mentioned, but he did a lot more. You might want to ask him, overall though... it's really dark, intimate and has a LOT of detail, it has a sense of depth similar to my HE 4, but with a LOT less width... I've been playing Metallica's ...Shortest Straw for about an hour now, listening with a few different sources [my Audio GD NFB10ES2 single end out, my HM 601 Headphone out, I also did Line out of my hm601 into my PB2 and then I finally went to my HM 901 line out same amp] and out of my HM 901 [HD Filter] line out into my PB2... I find it to be really special. The long buried bass line really stands out on the ES10, almost more so than my HE 4 because it's got a very similar transient response, but it's a closed back. But it's hard to compare the two, as my HE 4 is an open back. So it really... out does the ES 10 in everything, with the exception of intimacy, but even then both headphones share a lot of simmilar qualities.

Appreciate the feedback; I will seriously consider the ATH-ES10 now.  Cheers.

 

[WoodyLuvr]

  I can speak for how my Modded ES10 differs from BillPs basic mods, I know he REALLY went all in with the mods I have on mine! Revised them a few times over the years that he had them before me, but of all my portable closed back cans, my ES 10 really does sound the best! getting ready to take it to a meet, and try it out with a couple of different sources 

Have you heard anything in portable closed-back that you think could beat your modded ES 10?  Price no object.

 

[Makiah S]

  Have you heard anything in portable closed-back that you think could beat your modded ES 10?  Price no object.

If I had to guess, maybe the Ultrasone Signature DJ Headphones, but those are right around a grand. An they've been out since I got started here 
 
sadly i've not heard enough portable closed backs to have a opinion. As most of what I own is full size, my HD 25-1 ii I use at the gym mostly, though I might have to check into other closed backs. I tried to get into the oppo PM 3 loaner, but it seems Jiffy wasn't around. An the PM3 is the portable I hear the most about 
 
still though, even if you get a stock pair, I'd imagine you'll like the bassy presentation! Plus it's a 53mm driver in a portable. Most portables including my HD 25-1 ii are 40mm, so Audio Technica has an edge there, and I'd imagine that larger driver is why Bill was able to mod these to the point where they are 

 

[WoodyLuvr]

  If I had to guess, maybe the Ultrasone Signature DJ Headphones, but those are right around a grand. An they've been out since I got started here 
 
sadly i've not heard enough portable closed backs to have a opinion. As most of what I own is full size, my HD 25-1 ii I use at the gym mostly, though I might have to check into other closed backs. I tried to get into the oppo PM 3 loaner, but it seems Jiffy wasn't around. An the PM3 is the portable I hear the most about 
 
still though, even if you get a stock pair, I'd imagine you'll like the bassy presentation! Plus it's a 53mm driver in a portable. Most portables including my HD 25-1 ii are 40mm, so Audio Technica has an edge there, and I'd imagine that larger driver is why Bill was able to mod these to the point where they are 

Appreciate the reply and insight.  I auditioned both a 5+ year old demo pair and new pair (speaking of ATH-ES10) yesterday in Bangkok and... it definitely was not the sound I was looking for and they were slightly uncomfortable.  I believe my H6s and old HD600s royally spoiled me in the comfort department.  I listened to a pair of Ultrasone Pro 900s the bass was amazing but the high end was harsh and the sound was fatiguing for me... plus they weren't very comfortable as well.

 

[Makiah S]

  Appreciate the reply and insight.  I auditioned both a 5+ year old demo pair and new pair yesterday in Bangkok and... it definitely was not the sound I was looking for and they were slightly uncomfortable.  I believe my H6s and old HD600s royally spoiled me in the comfort department.  I listened to a pair of Ultrasone Pro 900s the bass was amazing but the high end was harsh and the sound was fatiguing for me... plus they weren't very comfortable as well.

I've yet to hear an Ultrasone but a harsh high end is what they are known for. The Pro 900s used to be a staple around here! It's a shame they seem to have fallen away... but maybe for the better 
I used to hear about them a lot but people always had weird impressions of their headphones, 
 
The Audeze Sine's were another popular closed back portable, I'd check into those 
but I think if your handy with modding, the ES10 might be a great choice!