Yes I am noticing that my best portables in music are both these esw10 and the esw11.
This choice of mine has nothing to do with the fact that they are limited or wooden (pic suggests different lol)
Both these cans exhibit a realism and clarity of nuances where I can easily distinguish every syllable in every song.
They also do not "cheat" like many other cans by boosting trebles.
In fact that is what is amazing about them. Excellent mids on both!
Yet both choose different avenues to show that realism and clarity.
The esw11 simply has great sublte detail ability in mids while these esw10 simply have that dynamic and tonal clarity..
The esw10 surprisingly also sounds larger and very much better than the esw9.
I also noticed differences in materials on the esw10 to the esw9:
When handling the esw10 & esw9 side by side:
The "sound" of touching the plastic is different.
While they both have the audio technica sparkle plastic, but it is definitely not the same composition.
Touching the esw10 feels less like plastic and more like a dry composite type materal.
Also the esw10 wood being not only different but very heavily coated is definitely a more solid enclosure.
Nocking (gently! Lol) on the wood sounds less hollow.
Also the esw10 coils do not have traditional blue tint.
I can see the copper voice coils shine thru the felt.
The headband clicks with a quality & sound of the esw11 and not like the ew9.
So I am now in your dilema of loving a can I am afraid of taking outside.
I have taken my esw11 out with no hesitation now with my plastic protectors, but I would never put anything on this incredible wood(!).
So far I havent herd a portable that has this punchy clear tonally realistic in mids and such clarity.
They must have eliminated all resonances in the housing to give such clarity.
Can't decide yet on why they are triggering memory of my w3000anv.
So far I believe it is because of the mids tonality very similar.
