[Anouk]

Hello everyone,
I am looking for new headphones open or closed (i need a pair of closed cans for on the road and it would be nice to also use them at home). I have owned a lot of headphones in the past but I am totally new to audio technica. Because they are not so widely available I am not that familiar with their lineup. Could someone tell me a bit more about it, are all their headphones a linear step up from each others or do different headphones in the lineup have different sound signatures or comfort levels? Their webpage doesnt seem to be that clear either.
Any help would be appreciated.
Greetings, Anouk,

 

[scytheavatar]

The AD open back series can be describe as having a mid-centric, bright, bass light, colored, airy, forward presentation. They are one of the best phones when it comes to vocals. Their great speed makes them good heavy metal phones to those that don't mind less bass. The AD700 is very highly recommended for a headphone n00b, I like them more than the MS1. The best thing about them is that unlike many other full size headphones they are very easy to drive and can be driven easily off your mp3 player. And they are some of the most comfortable headphones to wear. But some will complain about them not having enough bass, or having too colored a presentation.

Out of the closed back, the A900 is very well-rounded, great bass, mids a bit recessed but nothing serious and ranks with the D2000 as being one of the best <$200 phones. The ES7 is a great portable phone that like the Denon is bassy but still contain great mids, it's another common recommendation for entry-level phone. It is brighter than the D1001, which may or may not be a good thing depending on your preference. The ESW9 is a Senn'd ES7, a lot darker. I am not a big fan of it but many are. I don't like the A700, rather lacking for the price. I have never tried their other headphones.

Their earphones kindna suck, I think the etys offer a lot more for a bass light presentation.

 

[Rednamalas1]

^ adding to that, I had experience with AD1000 and AD2000.
AD1000, in my experience, was closer to AD900/700 sibling than AD2000.

AD2000s, on the other hand, are completely different beasts than its siblings. Bass has excellent attack and decay as well as having more amount of it. I would say it has slightly dark signature.

newly released ESW10s retain most of ESW9's signiture, but has tighter bass, as well as having much better impact and that sweet midrange.

 

[Zadok]

Are the ESW9's the next logical step from the A900's? As in, is the ES line basically just a continuation of the A series into a higher end?
Edit: Didn't realize that the ES were more portable....Could not tell very well from the Audiocubes pictures

 

[jenneth]

Out of all the AT headphones I only have experience with the W5000 & AD2000 (although somewhat brief).

SQ: The W5000 is fast and transparent. The sound quality is superb. It could be overly bright when matched with the wrong source/amp. It is because of this, I think it’d go better with a tubed amp, since you have the option of trying out different tubes. When it is paired with an appropriate system, however, it sounds amazingly good. It’s airy, detailed; it has excellent instrument separation and great soundstage. And it is because of these characteristics it does female vocals extremely well (as well as Trance). One thing to watch for is the honky mid-range. This doesn’t bother me, but you might not like it.

Bass: the W5000 has more than enough bass for me, that’s assuming you get a good fit of course. Bass is refined, accurate and fast, albeit a little punchy. It won’t give you that ‘Slam’ sensation, so if you’re looking for that trait in a pair of headphone, you should probably look at somewhere else.

Fit: One thing about the W5000 is that a good fit is mandatory, a lot more so than any other headphones I’ve listened to. Its fitment problem is well documented here, so I won’t go into it. If you do get a good fit, it’s very comfortable. They feel as though they’re floating on my head (it’s not the best metaphor I know, but it’s the best I can do...). It’s not as light and ‘transparent’ as the Grados, but then again, not many are.

AD2000 vs W5000: The AD2000 is a bit more forward in its presentation than the W5000. Its details, imaging, and speed are just a tad below the W5000 (but it’s still quite good). The W5000 also have a more bigger/realistic soundstage to me. It also has a more prominent upper frequency extension.

--If you’re a basshead, then these two headphones are probably not for you, but if you want a pair of fast, transparent headphone with good-to-great refinement and soundstage, then you definitely need to give these a try.

I hope this helps..

j.

 

[scytheavatar]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Zadok /img/forum/go_quote.gif Are the ESW9's the next logical step from the A900's? As in, is the ES line basically just a continuation of the A series into a higher end? Edit: Didn't realize that the ES were more portable....Could not tell very well from the Audiocubes pictures

IMHO, no they are not. The ESW9 as I said is a Senn'd ATH and sounds smoother, more refined and less lively. The A900 is pretty much a one-of-the-kind closed back, and sounds remarkably like an open back. So if you are looking for a continuation of the A series you should wait a while for the A1000 and A2000.

 

[Anouk]

Hey thanks for those descriptions, they really helped, senn is not really my thing so probbably no esw9 for me, lol, can someone compare the isolation of the a900 and the esw9/10? the a1000 and 2000 seem really good, when will they be released?
thanks,
Greetings, Anouk

 

[hawat]

The a1000x and a2000x are going to be released in the first week of december

 

[Anouk]

Hello, I suppose the ad700 is 'better then the a900? I mean this seems likely since the a900 is closed and this mostly is not so good for sq, or do they both have a totally different sq?
Thanks, Greetings, Anouk,

 

[MoodySteve]

I don't think any heuristic exists about the SQ of open vs closed headphones. In the case of Audio Technica, it's arguably the opposite, as all of their high-end phones (L3000, W2002, W11JPN, etc) are closed.

 

[lara veronin]

I agree. I did not like any of their open ones I listened to (AD2000 and AD700)