[heyalbert]

Quote:

New ATH-ESW9 owner here, I got them used and recabled with a Canare Starquad cable for a cool... 93 $! Obviously, this was a no-brainer and I pounced on this auction even though I didn't really need a portable. So far, I am very satisfied with their warm and euphonic sound, although I found that they sound better with the treble EQed up a little bit. I can definitely see myself using these headphones as my primary portable, well done Audio Technica.

Nice pickup! $93 is a steal! How would you rate the comfort level of the ESW9's?

 

[jupitreas]

Nice pickup! $93 is a steal! How would you rate the comfort level of the ESW9's?

I'd say that for a supra-aural headphone, they are not bad. Their clamp is about right, they feel very secure on the head but don't clamp to the point of being painful. I'd say that it takes about 2 hours for me to become really aware of their presence on my head, which is not a bad result for a headphone of this type. With this said, I can imagine their clamp being too strong for some people. The lambskin pads are rather nice and not very sweaty at all; however, I still want to try some velours with these since I expect the sound to be positively affected (velour pads often result in a less bassy, more sparkly sound).

 

[oshitomaha]

same here man I returned mine as well. Like you said they put too much pressure on my head. It was uncomfortable after about 40 minutes. The sound quality is pretty good but not enough volume for me. Compared to the ATHM50 they had less bass. I expected the more mids but with the same bass as the ATHM50.
 

 

[nehcrow]

Where's the best place to pickup a pair of ESW9's, I want to avoid fakes yet hopefully get it for a relatively cheap price
Thanks

 

[NNrun]

Where's the best place to pickup a pair of ESW9's, I want to avoid fakes yet hopefully get it for a relatively cheap price
Thanks

You should be able to find some good deals on eBay or Amazon.

One can tell the fake one immediately since the workmanship is too hard to be replicated.

 

[NNrun]

I find it uncomfortable because of the clamp as well. ES7 is even worst. But I am keeping the W9 because the sound quality is different and you cannot find something close to it.

 

[dosley01]

Quote:

Where's the best place to pickup a pair of ESW9's, I want to avoid fakes yet hopefully get it for a relatively cheap price
Thanks

 
Watch for open box one's on Amazon from Warehouse Deals.  Got mine for $152 and since this is the second pair I have owned, I knew they were legit when I got them.  Amazon also usually has them for around $200 new sold by Amazon.

 

[HeroicPenguin]

Quote:

 
Watch for open box one's on Amazon from Warehouse Deals.  Got mine for $152 and since this is the second pair I have owned, I knew they were legit when I got them.  Amazon also usually has them for around $200 new sold by Amazon.

 
Yeah, Warehouse Deals can be great. Got mine for $110 from Amazon... I kinda miss it. 

 

[Dylan Yamazaki]

I have the ESW9a and I'd like to do a small review on the design, along with a few other points. I have a semi-small head.
Awesome things:
- Soundstage, considering its size
- Looks! Not bulky, has wooden beauty
- Light
- Headband: gorgeous mahogany and smooth lambskin
- Portability, to some extent. They fold flat.
- Extending mechanism. Super durable.
Things that bother me significantly:
- I have to press them close to my ears (hard) to hear enough bass for hip-hop/r&b
- After 1 hr, the pads start to bite at my ears. I switch to my Beyers, usually xD
- The cable is extremely short.
- The connectors on both cups look fragile.
- I don't like Y-cabling.
- The 3.5 jack seems breakable
 
I am comparing with an ANC7 and a DT880. I listen to r&b, soul, funk, classical, hip-hop.

 

[monk3ym4jik]

I just got my set in the mail today. My first set of headphones.
 
Based on the reviews and threads about these headphones on this thread and others on head-fi, I figured these would be perfect for me. Since I listen to a lot of jazzy beats I figured these would be good (I lean more towards mids and highs) and I was right to choose these. 
 
Getting a Fiio E07K Amp probably later this week. Can't wait!
 
I've just got into living the life of an audiophile, I already feel sorry for my wallet... >.> Hate to see how it feels after I save up for some LCD-2s (dream set)

 

[dxanex]

Hi guys, sorry if this has been discussed before but can anyone tell me the differences between the ATH-ESW9 and the ESW9a?

 

[HeroicPenguin]

Quote:

Hi guys, sorry if this has been discussed before but can anyone tell me the differences between the ATH-ESW9 and the ESW9a?

 
Don't believe there is one sonically. I think the "A" model is the one for American retailers (uses African padauk wood I believe) and the ESW9 is for Japanese markets (uses cherry).

 

[dxanex]

Don't believe there is one sonically. I think the "A" model is the one for American retailers (uses African padauk wood I believe) and the ESW9 is for Japanese markets (uses cherry).

Perfect, thank you! That's all I needed to know.

 

[xinghui0711]

The ESW9 in Japan uses African Wood too. There is only one version of ESW9.
The ESW10JPN uses Cherry Wood and special paints as a limited edition.

 

[Dylan Yamazaki]

Quote:

The ESW9 in Japan uses African Wood too. There is only one version of ESW9.
The ESW10JPN uses Cherry Wood and special paints as a limited edition.

Mine says "ATH-ESW9A"