[Butler]

I have been listening to the ESW9's for about 4 days now and I must say I didn't expect them to be this good. For the size of the drivers they sure can pack a punch and deliver sound that is both pleasing and engaging enough without sounding too laid back. Yes the sound is heavily colored but that is what makes these headphones special in my opinion, the majestic mids and cozy sound sig really puts a smile on my face. Considering this headphone is for portable use (which I feel guilty about taking them outside) they convey a sound that is very well rounded and suited to many genres, also they look gorgeous and are decently comfortable. For 200 bucks they are worth every penny and the best praise I can give this little headphone is that they make my K701's sound anemic and desolate in comparison...

Highly recommended!

Couldn't have said it better myself! If you are worried about taking them out check out the case I use, it's in my profile. They're so great for nearly all genres and are really fun cans.
I wanted to trade them for some grados but I was so close to them I just couldn't.

Get this, I had some extra invisible shields laying around and I cut them and fit them to the wooden cups, so that they're industrially scratch proof!

 

[MikePio]

 
Quote:

Couldn't have said it better myself! If you are worried about taking them out check out the case I use, it's in my profile. They're so great for nearly all genres and are really fun cans.
I wanted to trade them for some grados but I was so close to them I just couldn't.

Get this, I had some extra invisible shields laying around and I cut them and fit them to the wooden cups, so that they're industrially scratch proof!

That is one awesome case, I definitely will have to purchase one soon since they don't seem to be the most durable headphones. That is a good way to keep that beautiful wood from scratching, I am equally paranoid with my W5000 but they don't leave my house so I just use a violin wood care kit to keep them in top shape. Also I find that the ESW9 does benefit from amping, not as much as my K701 or by far the W5000's but still the improvement is quite noticeable.
 
 

 

[Mad Max]

 
Quote:

 
... Also I find that the ESW9 does benefit from amping, not as much as my K701 or by far the W5000's but still the improvement is quite noticeable.

And when someone makes that kind of comment, later on, someone else will instead start saying, "they need amping." 

 

[Butler]

A violin care kit for your W5000's? Interesting. I've heard of people waxing them and such. What does that consist of? I'm curious. To keep it relevant to the topic- this could be applied to the ESW9's. I'd like to baby my W5K cups as well, understandably. Of course, my W5K's don't leave the house either.

An amped ESW9 is very powerful, very moving. It's great, very noticeable.
And I think the benefit of amping the 5k's is considerable- perhaps not as much as the ESW9's which are a hair more tougher to drive, but again neither here no there.

 

[Mercuttio]

Quote:

 

And when someone makes that kind of comment, later on, someone else will instead start saying, "they need amping." 

THEY NEED AMPING
 
(They totally don't!)

 

[ExpatinJapan]

I am still enjoying my ESW9

 

[dallan]

Well, i do like them better amp'ed but the don't specifically "need" amping.

 

[Skoobs]

i just purchased a pair of these from the head-fi user Blaak. Super excited for them to get here.
 
as far as the amping debate goes, i cannot speak about the esw9 (yet) but i had the es7 for a long time, and they quickly became my favorite headphone. For the first, heck, 4 months that i used them, i felt that they absolutely needed an amp. the bass was, although tight and controlled, almost nonexistant during this period. I purchased a CMOYBB which i used for a looong time with my iPod touch through a line-out device, and they sounded blissful. However, after 4-6 months of use, i began to find that i was turning off all of the equalizing effects and bass boost effects on my ipod and CMOY. Eventually i found that they sounded fantastic straight out of the iPod, and even better when amped, but i eventually started using it just as much without the amp as with. Either way they sounded better than anything else i had found to date. Mmmm mmm those vocals.
 
anyway, eagerly awaiting my esw9a

 

[Skoobs]

Quote:

I must admit that I've barely used my ESW9. On the rare occasions that I have, I'd plug it directly into my ipod or laptop. It's meant to be a portable headphone and so easy to drive that I never considered amping it.

then let me have them

 

[alleggerita]

I do notice a difference on my 2yo ESW9 after amping. Even with a cheap FiiO E6 amp. But I see a lot of people saying it's better with recabling? Especially with silver coated copper wire or pure silver cables. Anybody with ESW9 here recabled it? Care to share your experience? Very tempted to recable mine. Haha

 

[Mad Max]

Silver-coated/plated copper wire should color the sound a bit more, pure silver will be too fragile, so go stranded copper of some sort instead.  This recable looks badass, and the yellow makes a lovely contrast with the red cups.

 

[dosley01]

New ESW9 owner and just wanted to say, if Audio-Technica wanted celebrity endorsements, they should make a Diana Krall version.  I pretty much bought these just for female jazz vocalists and they don't disappoint!  I find the ES7 more "fun" for pop/rock/electronic but they have they somewhat of a nasal quality with female vocals.  IMHO, they sound much, much better out of my Fiio E10 than my iPhone.  My only small complaint is the soundstage is a bit more intimate than I would like but I'm just looking for something to nitpik.
 
I've been obsessed with these for months now and I'm so happy I finally took the plunge!
 
 

 

[AnAnalogSpirit]

Quote:

A violin care kit for your W5000's? Interesting. I've heard of people waxing them and such. What does that consist of? I'm curious. To keep it relevant to the topic- this could be applied to the ESW9's. I'd like to baby my W5K cups as well, understandably. Of course, my W5K's don't leave the house either.
An amped ESW9 is very powerful, very moving. It's great, very noticeable.
And I think the benefit of amping the 5k's is considerable- perhaps not as much as the ESW9's which are a hair more tougher to drive, but again neither here no there.

Um, I'm quite curious what "violin care" is for woodie headphones too. I'm very gentle with my cups. Unfortunately after having them recabled, and fooling around with internal damping, I clamped (and accidentally nicked) one of the signal wires inside the cup, and now I have a dead channel until I get them fixed. Sigh. Such is life and the Audio Pilgrimage.
 
Have Fun Listening!!!
 
P.S. It's great to see this thread still going. The ATH-ESW9A are by far my most emotionally involving set of cans, and most beautiful. Although, I do have a thing for Vintage cans like my Pioneer SE-L40, and Yamaha HP-3 Orthodynamic, whose drivers I plan on yanking and implanting into an ATH-RE70 housing (white with brown leather strap & pads). That housing is a remake of the venerable orthodynamic from Audio-Technica, the ATH-2.
 
Back the the ESW9A, does anyone also have a pair of ESW10JPN? Care to elaborate on the differences between them?
 
Enjoy your day folks!

 

[AnAnalogSpirit]

Oh I forgot to mention,
 
One of the big "drawbacks" about this model of headphone is the so-called "breakable rotating joint". However, even though I fell asleep listening to mine and woke up sleeping on top of them, with an earcup detached, by way of busting the cup off the joint (Yes, I was passed out with all my weigh on the poor things), the Service Department at Audio Technica was very kind and helpful, and simply mailed me the part. I disassembled and reassembled the hinge at home myself in about 15 minutes. Cake. Too bad they didn't make that plate out of metal though... Nothing's perfect, but these sound close!

 

[dallan]

Just above the swivels i have superglued both sides.  That was years ago and I just don't pull down on the cups anymore and they are fine.