[azynneo]

Quote:

Third post spam (on iphone srry).

Quick burn in question.

What changes did people notice on their ATH-ESW11 after a period of burn in?

The sound really overall gets much less muffled after burn-in. Also, the way you wear them is quite tricky as well, I tend to like to tilt the cups more in-ward towards the front and it opens up the sound stage quite a bit and sounds much more clean.

 

[asko]

Comparison of the ATH-ES700, ATH-ES88, ATH-ESW9***, ATH-ESW10JPN, ATH-ES10 and the ATH-ESW11LTD.
 

​	ATH-ES700​	ATH-ES88​	ATH-ESW9***​	ATH-ESW10JPN ​	ATH-ES10​	ATH-ESW11LTD​
Bass relative to midrange​	=​	emphasized​	=​	slightly recessed*​	emphasized​	=​
400-800 Hz relative to midrange​	recessed​	recessed​	=mids slightly emphasized ​	recessed ​	recessed​	=​
Treble relative to midrange​	=​	recessed​	=​	emphasized or comparable​	emphasized or comparable​	recessed​
Bass​	...tight​	...tight​	tight and clean​	a little bit more tight​	...average​	smooth​
Overall sound​	good balance, smooth​	dark, harsh, warm​	good balance, smooth​	bright** harsh ​	V, smooth​	dark, warm, mellow, smooth ​
Transparency​	​	​	clear and clean​	I think they about the same: high-pitched sounds are more distinguishable here due to brightness, that's all ​	​	I'm not sure, but for me the ATH-ESW11LTD have a little bit less transparency. The ATH-ES88 have average transparency (due to recessed treble). ​

 
* Perhaps each of these columns is not meaningful separately, e.g. I'm not sure that the bass is really lower than the mid-range, but when I switch between these headphones, it seems that this is so.
** I feel now that the ATH-ESW10JPN is even brighter than the ATH-W3000ANV.
*** Comparison by ExpatinJapan (he can compare with at least to the ATH-ES10 and ATH-ESW11LTD). Thank him.

 

[K_19]

I personally don't think the ESW10JPN is bright at all from most portable sources (what they're designed to be used from).  What they are is very clean throughout, and also very forward in midrange, so if that's what's bright to someone, then perhaps that can be thought of as bright.  But in terms of treble on its own, IMO it's not emphasized at all. Emphasized bright/harsh treble to me is something like a Grado/Beyer Treble, and IMO ESW10JPN is nowhere close to that, even when compared to the others in the ES range (I've tried all but the new 11 and the ES88 on that table).

 

[asko]

For me 'overall sound is bright' means that the treble is emphasized compared to bass, mid or both (of course excluding any cases when bass or mid is louder than treble). + see the first notice. If you think that the word 'bright' isn't correct in this case, just suggest another words to describe the overall sound. You can see that the ATH-ESW10JPN is the only headphone that is called bright, and it means that the ATH-ESW10JPN is just a brightest of these headphones.
 
I can agree that the treble isn't emphasized compared to mids but it's obviously emphasized compared to bass, so I feel for myself a glut of high frequencies =).

 

[K_19]

Quote:

For me 'overall sound is bright' means that the treble is emphasized compared to bass, mid or both (of course excluding any cases when bass or mid is louder than treble). + see the first notice. If you think that the word 'bright' isn't correct in this case, just suggest another words to describe the overall sound. You can see that the ATH-ESW10JPN is the only headphone that is called bright, and it means that the ATH-ESW10JPN is just a brightest of these headphones.
 
I can agree that the treble isn't emphasized compared to mids but it's obviously emphasized compared to bass, so I feel for myself a glut of high frequencies =).

 
Within terms of just those 6 headphones listed, I can agree that they will sound relatively brighter than the rest.  

 Nothing against that comparison chart in general, which definitely looks helpful.  In the broad spectrum of things, taking into account all the other headphones out there in general though, I personally didn't think they're what people here typically classify as bright.  I just didn't want people to get the idea that ESW10JPN are Grado/Beyer type of emphasized treble "bright", for example, that's all 

. For what it's worth, to my ears they're neutral in balance overall except for that emphasized pushed-forward midrange which definitely deviates from neutral.  

 

[countolaf]

I really feel I would like the ESW10. Unfortunately it's not possible to get a hold of this anymore.

 

[ExpatinJapan]

I really feel I would like the ESW10. Unfortunately it's not possible to get a hold of this anymore.

e-earphone Osaka branch in Japan has a pair for sale

 

[JohannLiebert]

After having audition and owned almost every portable in the +/- 300Dollar price range, I can confidently say, that I love my ESW11 and they were worth penny I paid
Fun sounding but not fatiguating.
 
Mini Comparisons
ATH-ES10: Soundstage is kinda similiar, Female Vocals a bit more upfront but Male very recessed. More Subbass Emphasize and overall more bass. Harsh treble. I have a pfe232, which has a very similiar signature. So couldn't justify a purchase. also liking my ESW11 better
V-Moda M100: Kinda artificial sounding, I am sure the sound would have annoyed me over time. Huge Soundstage, recessed mids and more bass and treble than the esw11
Sennheiser Momentum Over-Ear: Too dark for my tastes, the esw11 hits my sweetspot. Bass is very loose and boomy compared to every other 300-400USD can.
Amperior: I liked them quite a lot back then, but my preferences changed. V-Shaped Signature and most sibiliant phone of the bunch..
The punchy bass is unmatched, makes up for the weaknesses
DT1350: Midrange can be very fatiguating, depending on the fit. Soundstage feels very congested and the comfort was a problem for me.

 

[ExpatinJapan]

I like my ESW11 but love them after having them on listening to music for a period of time.
 
I liked my ES10 (with esw11 pads) a lot but after a period of listening would start to dislike them.
 
Thats how my decision was made on which one to keep.

 

[xplosive]

ESW11 really grows on you right? The more i hear it the more i love it. Last week I got a chance in auditioning fostex th900, and I am so glad thatI still prefer my ESW11 for most of my favorite song (jazz, vocal and acoustics), I found that TH900 vocal is too thin (or maybe just my setup).  The best combination for the ESW11 i've tried is ak100 stock (fw2.2) + xduoo xd1 amp with optical cable interconnect.

 

[asko]

Quote:

 
Within terms of just those 6 headphones listed, I can agree that they will sound relatively brighter than the rest.  

 Nothing against that comparison chart in general, which definitely looks helpful.  In the broad spectrum of things, taking into account all the other headphones out there in general though, I personally didn't think they're what people here typically classify as bright.  I just didn't want people to get the idea that ESW10JPN are Grado/Beyer type of emphasized treble "bright", for example, that's all 

. For what it's worth, to my ears they're neutral in balance overall except for that emphasized pushed-forward midrange which definitely deviates from neutral.  

 
OK.

 

[dallan]

After having audition and owned almost every portable in the +/- 300Dollar price range, I can confidently say, that I love my ESW11 and they were worth penny I paid

I agree they are great and I would love a pair but they are not in the $300 range. In fact they cost more than twice that everywhere I have tried to find them. Cheapest was the mid six range. So I would hope they perform better than phones costing less than half what they do. Comparing them to my ed8s, wich can be had for under a thousand dollars now, the esw11 doesn't sound even in the same league to my ears, even if I like them a lot. So relatively speaking they are good for what they cost. They are better than the es10 that I have too and those are in the mid 4's or they were last I checked.

 

[Maxx134]

I just got these and just placed them on my head and initial impressions are an immediate superior smoothness and suppleness to the sound like a kiss to your ears and excellent classy mids being more forward than the esw9 wich was too laid back and on par with a similar soundstage to the es10 yet I am finding more texture and less not v-shaped actually seems like a lively mids combination of es700 & es10 & ws99 all mix together creating thus suppple smoothness without any vanilla or chocolate flavor, more like a caramel haha.
Overall just a very satisfying sound almost tube like and large and well coherent soundstage for this size can.
No dull or muddines here but my cans are not new they are already burned in..
I always luv the Honey moon phase of new ownership lol

 

[cky8]

I agree overall with your impression. The ESW11LTD is not a superior headphone. Could I care?
 
There is something with how this headphone does presentation. All components added together makes it a very nice sounding headphone. Especially the mids are butterly delicate with a nice subtle warmness to it. In fact I like my ESW11LTD much more than my W3000ANV. I guess the W3000ANV was too much drugs and eventually you need more to get satisfied. I thought I went crazy.

 

[Maxx134]

Haha funny U say that as much as I like tje w3000anv I have it just on diaplay in my bedroom while I have the esw11 on my head.
I have to agree with you on the w3000anv it has a unique alure to the mids if I listen.
Some call it "euphoric" mids.
The longer I listen the more I want to listen yet not actually satisfied more like an enjoyment without conclusion.
With the esw11 I am immediately impressed and satified like I am being immersed in utter satisfaction like they took the w3000anv mids and completed what they started but in a portable level.