[audioKyle]

Beautiful photos, audioKyle!
I'm tempted to buy another one,

Spoiler: Warning: Spoilered for gruesomeness!

and stick SRH840 drivers in it.

Thanks Max, I try.

 

[wolfen68]

  Alternatively the pads are not angled properly, mine are angled slightly forward so that it follows the angle of my ears

This makes a big difference.  Everyone should definitely try.

 

[audioKyle]

So far I've been enjoying these. They sound excellent especially for a portable on ear headphone. One thing I find with the earsuit series is that they have a big sound for their size.

I never tried the hd6xx series before but I owned the hd598 previously and these sound somewhat like them. The bass is a bit more present and there is better extension of course. More of a lower bass kick rather than upper bass.

The mids are the best part of this headphone. They are natural and rich but not in a muddy way. There's a upper mids emphasis that makes for a audio technica house type sound.

The highs are great too. They are present but a bit soft. The only thing is I would of liked it maybe a bit sharper but it's good as is. It manages to be nicely present yet totally non-fatiguing.

As far as comfort I'm having some issues. Does anyone else find the pads uncomfortable? I'm pretty sure it's because of the bowl shape. Although I found a sweet spot in wearing them which is pretty comfortable.

 

[wolfen68]

As far as comfort I'm having some issues. Does anyone else find the pads uncomfortable? I'm pretty sure it's because of the bowl shape. Although I found a sweet spot in wearing them which is pretty comfortable.

I find the ESW9a's to be the least fatiguing of all of my headphones.
 
Even though just mentioned in this thread, don't forget to try angling the drivers slightly at the hinge...which really helps with comfort.

 

[Nirmalanow]

So I was adjusting the height of my headphones while they were on my head....and the right headphone broke off in my hand, just above the swivel. It did not seem like I was applying a lot of force, but I must have found just the right angle of pressure to break the elbow joint.
 
I contacted AT and they will fix it for about $50, but now I do not have confidence that it will not happen again, although I will be much more careful from now on.

 

[Ishcabible]

Last time I contacted AT, the replacement part cost $7, so ask them for the part first. It's an easy fix.

 

[wolfen68]

  Last time I contacted AT, the replacement part cost $7, so ask them for the part first. It's an easy fix.

x2...that is the way to go.

 

[Nirmalanow]

Too late, I sent it back to them. I am not that handy with this kind of stuff anyways.

 

[Smugsie]

What do you guys think of these as outdoor portable headphones? I'm not worried about isolation, since I've considered buying the ATH-EW9. Although I heard the EW9 despite the sexy look, don't perform efficiently due to the clip-on nature of them. I wanted wooden headphones that are portable, but still have a wooden sound signature and affordable. The result? The ESW9A (not ESW9 since I find the A versions to be cheaper).
So if you guys don't mind, I'm going to list my questions in order to make things easier if anyone feels like answering them

1. Will these survive 0 degrees celcius temperatures in outdoor conditions? (Excluding snow/rain/wind of course)
2. From a scale of 0 to 10 (0 being the worst), how's the sound isolation?
3. Are these on-ears or over ears? (Note my ears are small enough to consider the ATH-A900X's as over ears, which have 2" holes, and even the Panasonic HTX7's as over ears).
 

 

[soundeffect]

I think #1 be okay, #2 I haven't tried them in crowd enough to comment, only once, #3 they are on ear.

Get a hard case for them if you are going to take them on the go.

 

[wolfen68]

  What do you guys think of these as outdoor portable headphones? I'm not worried about isolation, since I've considered buying the ATH-EW9. Although I heard the EW9 despite the sexy look, don't perform efficiently due to the clip-on nature of them. I wanted wooden headphones that are portable, but still have a wooden sound signature and affordable. The result? The ESW9A (not ESW9 since I find the A versions to be cheaper).
So if you guys don't mind, I'm going to list my questions in order to make things easier if anyone feels like answering them

1. Will these survive 0 degrees celcius temperatures in outdoor conditions? (Excluding snow/rain/wind of course)
2. From a scale of 0 to 10 (0 being the worst), how's the sound isolation?
3. Are these on-ears or over ears? (Note my ears are small enough to consider the ATH-A900X's as over ears, which have 2" holes, and even the Panasonic HTX7's as over ears).
 

I only use mine portably...
 
1.  I've used mine well below 0 C.  If it is real cold I put up my hood over them.
2.  3 or 4.  They keep sound in very well, but they will only provide limited reduction to outside noise.
3.  On ears....no problems...very comfortable as long as eyeglasses aren't pinched behind the ears by the pads.

 

[Smugsie]

  I only use mine portably...
 
1.  I've used mine well below 0 C.  If it is real cold I put up my hood over them.
2.  3 or 4.  They keep sound in very well, but they will only provide limited reduction to outside noise.
3.  On ears....no problems...very comfortable as long as eyeglasses aren't pinched behind the ears by the pads.

=D Woo, that's awesome. I know what I'm going to order on my next paycheque/christmas!

How comfortable are they? More comfortable than the Sony MDR-ZX100 or Sony NC6? I'm going to begin searching the web for comfort ratings.
I've only had $40 on-ear headphones, and I'm paranoid if my ears will be sore if I have something pressing against my ears over an hour. Although I bet they'd make great earmuffs though...

 

[wolfen68]

 
=D Woo, that's awesome. I know what I'm going to order on my next paycheque/christmas!

How comfortable are they? More comfortable than the Sony MDR-ZX100 or Sony NC6? I'm going to begin searching the web for comfort ratings.
I've only had $40 on-ear headphones, and I'm paranoid if my ears will be sore if I have something pressing against my ears over an hour. Although I bet they'd make great earmuffs though...

They do make good ear muffs.  The ESW9 pads are very soft and pliable...I wish all headphones used the same leather.

 

[narticus]

+1 for earmuff use. I have worn mine the past few days here in NY where it's 30-35 degrees Fahrenheit. 

 

[Bostonears]

I haven't used my ESW9 outdoors, but indoors in loud environments, the isolation from ambient noise is poor to fair. I'd rate it 3.