Audio-Technica ATH-R70x - In-Depth Review & Impressions

[Duy Le]

Aftermarket cable for R70X. I hope it is more reliable than noname cables:
http://www.hivemindcables.com/collections/audio-technica

 

[PETEREK]

Aftermarket cable for R70X. I hope it is more reliable than DYI cables:
http://www.hivemindcables.com/collections/audio-technica

Those cables are "DIY cables", they are hand made, not made by machines.

 

[Soundsgoodtome]

I've been procrastinating but I received my [@]Peterek [/@] nucleotide balanced cable earlier this week and not only does it fit/locks perfectly, it sounds absolutely fantastic.

Here's a quick shot, I'll take better pics this weekend. Very happy with my purchase!

 

[Duy Le]

Those cables are "DIY cables", they are hand made, not made by machines.

Edited. I mean noname cable. Hivemind made these cables for R70X and they must work fine. If they don't, you can ask for refund, that's the different.

 

[Duy Le]

I've been procrastinating but I received my Peterek nucleotide balanced cable earlier this week and not only does it fit/locks perfectly, it sounds absolutely fantastic.

Here's a quick shot, I'll take better pics this weekend. Very happy with my purchase!

Amazing. I want the one too. How much is it?

 

[Soundsgoodtome]

Can't find the etsy ad now but for the current build or a custom build specs price, he's easily reached. PETEREK?

The cable while not covered like most, feels very good to the touch. It's nice and thin enough that using it with a portable, it will move about nicely. There's also 0 microphonics on the cable. The nucleotide cable used feels very much quality made as is, if you're rough on cables or get a long cable and work around an office chair, you should probably ask for some kind of protective cover. It looks very durable with the cover but not sure how well it would stand getting jammed into the wheels of an office chair (the ultimate villain of headphone cables). I use mine in the living room which pretty much exposes the cable to an open area rather than a tight space.

 

[Mark Up]

 

I've just ordered that cable at 6'. I look forward to hearing it once it's done and arrives. Can you describe the sound?

 

[Soundsgoodtome]

The Nucleotide cable seems to have cleaner mids (less of that 4k extension), slightly better instrument placement/separation and a slight increase in soundstage. However keep in mind that's going from single ended to balanced and I'm currently using a Cavalli Liquid Carbon amp which has more power in the balanced out than SE. The treble seems to have less tizz/energy as well. The treble is still able to extend but it seems more resolving and tighter.

 

[Blarzor]

OK, since I'm a noob when it comes to headphones, I just realized after some research that knowing the unbalanced output of your DAC is extremely important when picking the correct gain for my future Objective2.
 
This is my Focusrite Scarlett 2i4 interface's DAC output:
 
Analogue Output Performance
 
                                  0dBFS = +10dBu, balanced
Nominal Output Level    0dBFS = +5.5bBu, unbalanced  (I'm gonna use unbalanced)
 
5.5dBu translates to 1.46 volts I believe.
 
So considering this, what gain should I go with on my Objective2, to get absolutely best sound possible out of R70x?

 

[ustinj]

 
They're perfect! They fixed the problem I had with the HD600 -- there's actually an appreciable amount of bass. Has anyone tried other pads on them? They're really awesome, but slightly increased comfort might make me love em even more.

 

[Soundsgoodtome]

 

I must say I really like the odd styling of the R70X; I find myself admiring the look of the overall headphone and the seemingly unique styling that supports the driver inside the cups. Made in Taiwan would make me think that the quality control is very good and the majority should have great quality build. While the headphones seem fragile being so light and uniquely designed, I would say it can stand use very well.

 

[ustinj]

  I must say I really like the odd styling of the R70X; I find myself admiring the look of the overall headphone and the seemingly unique styling that supports the driver inside the cups. Made in Taiwan would make me think that the quality control is very good and the majority should have great quality build. While the headphones seem fragile being so light and uniquely designed, I would say it can stand use very well.

I'd say many of Audio-Technica's headphones have a very unique character that only they carry. It's one of the things that make me really like AT as a company (apart from the fact that the AD700 was my first headphone love)

 

[Soundsgoodtome]

  I'd say many of Audio-Technica's headphones have a very unique character that only they carry. It's one of the things that make me really like AT as a company (apart from the fact that the AD700 was my first headphone love)

I like it, whoever is designing these have mastered the cool factor on top of functionality.

 

[ustinj]

  I love the Lyr2. It is very versatile if you buy the version with both the SS and Tubes. It can power pretty much any full sized headphone, and it sounds even better when you have a decent DAC. The best thing about it is if you don't like the synergy with the stock tubes, you can always try your headphones with a variety of other tubes. 
 
I personally really like the sound of the r70x and the Lyr2. I think the Lyr2 does a great job at providing the power to really make the r70x shine. I might also be a bit biased though because I think the r70x is the best headphone at its price point. I've tried the Lyr2 with the Phillips X2, K7xx, 99 classics (don't really need an amp like the Lyr2 though), and I greatly prefer the sound of the r70x.
 
Hope that helps. 

Did you ever have the chance to sit down the the HM5 hybrids on the R70? I've been searching high and low for a good pad replacement for the R70x, without compromising this near perfect signature

 

[klove4252]

Did you ever have the chance to sit down the the HM5 hybrids on the R70? I've been searching high and low for a good pad replacement for the R70x, without compromising this near perfect signature

I did, and they really help improve the comfort level. I haven't noticed much of a difference in the sound signature.

I also just recieved a custom cable from HiveMind cables. I would really recommend it if you were looking for a custom for these. The cable just really enhanced everything about these.