[Yazen]

Alright everyone, I just purchased a set of factory refurbished ath-a900x's for $99.  So far I'm really pleased with them because they look completely new! 

 
I currently own the hm5's and ath-ad700's.  For $20 more I can return the a900x's and purchase the ad900's.  I've been using my a900x's for about 5 hours and they seem to sound pretty good.
 
I really don't care for the pads, they really hurt my ears !!  What should I do:  Keep the a900x's, trade them for the ad900's, or go ahead and refund my purchase (again I own the ad700's and hm5's)?  I'm not a bass head but at the same time I really would like to hear an appropriate amount of impact, the ad-700's just don't cut it.

 

[redrich2000]

A900 is closed AD900 is open. I would keep the A900X, that way you have a closed headphone for when you need more isolation. If you want to try the AD900, I'd suggest selling your AD700 to fund it, since those two are more similar and there is less need to have both.

 

[youra6]

Lucky dog, you must have been awake at 2-4AM to get the refurbs. They were gone by 7AM... Anyways:
 
It's interesting that there is virtually no information on the internet comparing the two. I was under the impression that closed/open design aside, the A900X is supposedly a "upgraded" model. The open model equivalent is the AD900X which sells for more right now.
 
I like the looks of the AD900 and the pads look more comfortable too. I just bought the A900X, but I'm a little disappointed that the pads look super pleathery. The AD900 pads appear to be higher quality velour pads.

 

[Yazen]

Quote:

A900 is closed AD900 is open. I would keep the A900X, that way you have a closed headphone for when you need more isolation. If you want to try the AD900, I'd suggest selling your AD700 to fund it, since those two are more similar and there is less need to have both.

Yeah I would definitely sell off the ad700 if I got the ad900.  I guess what I really want to know is how much better is the ad900 vs a900x?  If the gap isn't significant I might aim higher, I do have ~$500 budget remaining.
Quote:

Lucky dog, you must have been awake at 2-4AM to get the refurbs. They were gone by 7AM... Anyways:
 
It's interesting that there is virtually no information on the internet comparing the two. I was under the impression that closed/open design aside, the A900X is supposedly a "upgraded" model. The open model equivalent is the AD900X which sells for more right now.
 
I like the looks of the AD900 and the pads look more comfortable too. I just bought the A900X, but I'm a little disappointed that the pads look super pleathery. The AD900 pads appear to be higher quality velour pads.

 
 
That's strange, I ordered them off buydig at around 11:00AM EST  (I did see them at 2:00AM, did a bit of reseach before going to bed).
 
I've let the a900x's burn in for about 20 hours now, and I'm still feeling VERY mixed about them  (I'd assume they would have some usage time on them prior to my purchase anyways). It feels as if the A900X was meant to be open back, I don't know how to explain it but the congested sound really affects the signature.  The HM5 sounds congested too but doesn't have this issue, not to mention the pads on the HM5 are just amazing!
 
I think the round cups on the ath models are what hurt my ears, however the velour on the ad700 makes the difference.  I'll continue under the assumption that my pair are new and continue to let them burn in.
 
There really is no real comparision between the two models online, and the ad900 looks sexy .  I really want to know how much better sounding the ad900 might have been.
 
I'm playing audio through my PC using a Xonar DG card (amp built-in, set to 32-64 ohms mode), I have no idea if this is affecting the a900x's performance.

 

[Yazen]

I just ordered a pair of ATH-AD900X's, I'm hoping they are a worthy upgrade to my current lineup after all this hassle lol

 

[youra6]

Quote:

I just ordered a pair of ATH-AD900X's, I'm hoping they are a worthy upgrade to my current lineup after all this hassle lol

 
Let us know!

 

[kobetastic]

I have the ath-ad900x and just received my ath-a900x today. I'll try to do a little comparison after I use the a900x some more. I definitely prefer ATH-AD900x so far, but they were $187 compared to the $99 that I got the ath-a900x

 

[kobetastic]

Well I finally had a chance to use these two headphones for a while.
 
ATH-AD900X vs ATH-A900x
 
Comfort and build - The ATH-AD900x are an extremely comfortable set of headphones. I used a rubber band on the wings to have a little more clamping effect and it worked like a charm. The pads are very soft and I could wear these for hours without any discomfort. In addition, these headphones are super light which means that the headphones don't fall off my head.
 
The biggest difference between the build of the ATH-A900X and the ATH-AD900x are the wings,pad material, and the weight. The wings on the ATH-A900x are a lot more flimsy and loose compared to the ATH-AD900x wings which also use a cloth like material on the wings unlike the foam on the A900X. Another problem with the wings being so loose is that the ATH-A900x is significantly heavier than the ath-ad900x. This means that the headphones will drop from your ears unless you have a very good seal(This is somewhat solved with a rubberband on the wings). The pads for the A900x are made of pleather in contrast to the cloth/fabric material of the ATH-AD900X.
 
The ATH-AD900x are noticeably superior in build and comfort, they are probably the most comfortable set of headphones I have ever used. The ATH-A900x ATH-A900x causes my neck to get tired after a few hours of use which gets quite annoying.
 
Sound - I'm not very good at analyzing sound, but both these headphones sound very good and I didn't find very big weaknesses for either. It's going to be pretty obvious that the ATH-AD900x excels in acoustical and classical genre, while the ATH-A900x excels in the more electronic and bass driven genres. I also love to listen to shoegaze, ambient, jazz and atmospheric songs on the ATH-AD900x as the larger soundstage allows the song to sound much more dreamy and vast.
 
The biggest problem I did have with the ATH-AD900x is that there is noticeable siblance for the headphones. The highs and hisses were at times piercing, but I help alleviate this problem by lowering all the 7hz frequency and higher by 3db. Another issue with the ATH-AD900x is the lack of impact on the bass, but it is an open over-ear headphone so its to be expected.
 
ATH-A900x sounds great with electronic, rap, and hip hop. The ATH-A900x definitely shines when I want to listen to something little more upbeat and fun like Bag Raiders. The impact on the bass is very tight and controlled unlike the ATH-AD900x where the lack of impact makes me feel like something is missing from the song. 
 
I would have to say that the ATH-A900x is better all-around headphone and more fun to listen to than the ATH-AD900x which is much more genre specific. My favorite songs to listen to the A900x is:

 
For ATH-AD900X:

 
 
Overall, if I were to choose to keep set of headphones I would probably choose the ATH-AD900x. I value the comfort of my headphones over having an all around headphone However, on a value standpoint ($99 for A900x, $187 for the AD900X) the ATH-A900x is definitely the much better bargain. I bought the A900x refurbished from buydig and got the AD900x new from JAPAN. 

 

[Oxide36]

Just to clarify, the AD900 is not the same as the AD900X.  The AD900X is not available in the US yet (only in Japan).
 
I recently purchased both the A900X and AD900X brand new (from Japan).  I received the A900X first and loved them when I got them.  They are well rounded imo.  Nice bass extension, good mids, good highs, the soundstage was decent being a closed headphone.  While wearing them, they didn't leak much sound at all.
 
A few days later I received the AD900X and basically never went back.  The AD900X is so much more open, the soundstage is huge, and has much better separation.  The mids and highs are more forward and more detailed, making them much more enjoyable.  The best way to describe the change was going from listening to music, to being in the music.  Obviously, the bass is not as extensive, but I couldn't give up everything else the AD900X had for a bit more bass.  Being an open headphone though, they do leak sound, so anybody in the same room will hear your music.
 
As for comfort, the AD900X is extremely comfortable.  They are very light and cool and I can wear them for hours without discomfort.  The A900X is quite heavy and the wings seemed weaker too, so they were constantly sliding down my head to the point where they were hurting my ears as they were just resting on them.  After an hour or so wearing them, my ears got quite warm and sweaty too.

 

[Yazen]

Well I finally had a chance to use these two headphones for a while.

ATH-AD900X vs ATH-A900x


Comfort and build - The ATH-AD900x are an extremely comfortable set of headphones. I used a rubber band on the wings to have a little more clamping effect and it worked like a charm. The pads are very soft and I could wear these for hours without any discomfort. In addition, these headphones are super light which means that the headphones don't fall off my head.

The biggest difference between the build of the ATH-A900X and the ATH-AD900x are the wings,pad material, and the weight. The wings on the ATH-A900x are a lot more flimsy and loose compared to the ATH-AD900x wings which also use a cloth like material on the wings unlike the foam on the A900X. Another problem with the wings being so loose is that the ATH-A900x is significantly heavier than the ath-ad900x. This means that the headphones will drop from your ears unless you have a very good seal(This is somewhat solved with a rubberband on the wings). The pads for the A900x are made of pleather in contrast to the cloth/fabric material of the ATH-AD900X.


The ATH-AD900x are noticeably superior in build and comfort, they are probably the most comfortable set of headphones I have ever used. The ATH-A900x 
ATH-A900x causes my neck to get tired after a few hours of use which gets quite annoying.


Sound - I'm not very good at analyzing sound, but both these headphones sound very good and I didn't find very big weaknesses for either. It's going to be pretty obvious that the ATH-AD900x excels in acoustical and classical genre, while the ATH-A900x excels in the more electronic and bass driven genres. I also love to listen to shoegaze, ambient, jazz and atmospheric songs on the ATH-AD900x as the larger soundstage allows the song to sound much more dreamy and vast.


The biggest problem I did have with the ATH-AD900x is that there is noticeable siblance for the headphones. The highs and hisses were at times piercing, but I help alleviate this problem by lowering all the 7hz frequency and higher by 3db. Another issue with the ATH-AD900x is the lack of impact on the bass, but it is an open over-ear headphone so its to be expected.


ATH-A900x sounds great with electronic, rap, and hip hop. The ATH-A900x definitely shines when I want to listen to something little more upbeat and fun like Bag Raiders. The impact on the bass is very tight and controlled unlike the ATH-AD900x where the lack of impact makes me feel like something is missing from the song. 


I would have to say that the ATH-A900x is better all-around headphone and more fun to listen to than the ATH-AD900x which is much more genre specific. My favorite songs to listen to the A900x is:



For ATH-AD900X:




Overall, if I were to choose to keep set of headphones I would probably choose the ATH-AD900x. I value the comfort of my headphones over having an all around headphone However, on a value standpoint ($99 for A900x, $187 for the AD900X) the ATH-A900x is definitely the much better bargain. I bought the A900x refurbished from buydig and got the AD900x new from JAPAN. 

Just to clarify, the AD900 is not the same as the AD900X.  The AD900X is not available in the US yet (only in Japan).

I recently purchased both the A900X and AD900X brand new (from Japan).  I received the A900X first and loved them when I got them.  They are well rounded imo.  Nice bass extension, good mids, good highs, the soundstage was decent being a closed headphone.  While wearing them, they didn't leak much sound at all.

A few days later I received the AD900X and basically never went back.  The AD900X is so much more open, the soundstage is huge, and has much better separation.  The mids and highs are more forward and more detailed, making them much more enjoyable.  The best way to describe the change was going from listening to music, to being in the music.  Obviously, the bass is not as extensive, but I couldn't give up everything else the AD900X had for a bit more bass.  Being an open headphone though, they do leak sound, so anybody in the same room will hear your music.

As for comfort, the AD900X is extremely comfortable.  They are very light and cool and I can wear them for hours without discomfort.  The A900X is quite heavy and the wings seemed weaker too, so they were constantly sliding down my head to the point where they were hurting my ears as they were just resting on them.  After an hour or so wearing them, my ears got quite warm and sweaty too.

I read your opinions on both, and I figured responses would be made like the ones you both posted (though I was in denial, $99 vs $189 lol). When I was comparing the AD700 and A900X side by side, I found there were a lot of things I missed from the AD700. The velour pads and that airy sound is something I really loved about the AD700, the sibilance not so much. The stiff pads on the A900X are bothersome.

I wound up buying the MDR-MA900 instead of the AD900X after reading a_recording's review. They are comfortable, however they don't seem that "open". While they don't seem to have any fatiguing treble, they can make a lot of tracks dull sounding.

UGGGGGHHHHHH, I'm so tempted to buy a pair of ATH-AD900X's! I want that airy music I've been so accustomed to.

 

[pngwn]

For anyone wanting more bass with the AD900x, I find they respond quite well to eq'ing and/or a warm amp. I sometimes use both :x For more acoustic and instrumental/classical music, I just listen to everything stock, but for more bass-heavy genres, I either turn on the bass boost on my E12 ($130) or go into the foobar eq and boost the low end about 5db or so. The pads can really rumble on your head depending on the track.
 
Also, I really recommend waiting until after the 30 or so hour mark for the sound to really settle. When I first got mine in January, I was excited but at the same time disappointed in the sound. It felt congested and lacking in general, but now, after a few hundred hours, I'm really satisfied with my pair.

 

[youra6]

Quote:

Just to clarify, the AD900 is not the same as the AD900X.  The AD900X is not available in the US yet (only in Japan).
 

 
http://www.amazon.com/Audio-Technica-ATH-AD900X-Audiophile-Open-Air-Headphones/dp/B009S331VU
 
This has been available for some time now.

 

[pngwn]

The only thing about using Amazon US is that the AD900x costs about $80 or so more than ordering from Amazon JP through Tenso. I think they get it from Japan, too, anyway, do you're just paying more for them to import it for you

 

[Povell42]

I just bought the AD900x off of amazon US early this morning for $210.  I am a prime member so I got the $4 one day delivery.  So I will get them tomorrow! 
 
Update: I just looked on amazon and I guess from when I bought it this morning till now the price increased back up to $280. I think I lucked out there.  I am not sure how often the price fluctuates on amazon but, I think the price had just dropped right before I bought it too.

 

[Yazen]

Quote:

I just bought the AD900x off of amazon US early this morning for $210.  I am a prime member so I got the $4 one day delivery.  So I will get them tomorrow! 
 
Update: I just looked on amazon and I guess from when I bought it this morning till now the price increased back up to $280. I think I lucked out there.  I am not sure how often the price fluctuates on amazon but, I think the price had just dropped right before I bought it too.

 
You lucked out on Amazon's automatic price matching system, all the best.  I got mine for roughly $180 from Amazon.co.jp.  Still $210 is a great price considering less risk, easier (and cheaper) return process if needed.