[Maxx134]

I agree overall with your impression. The ESW11LTD is not a superior headphone. Could I care?

But it is a superior headphone because its the best portable I have tried lol.

 

[ExpatinJapan]

Its a lovely portable for sure.
I do miss my recently sold es10, they were a fun sounding commute headphone, they balanced out the train noise well.

 

[Maxx134]

Its a lovely portable for sure.
I do miss my recently sold es10, they were a fun sounding commute headphone, they balanced out the train noise well.

Exactly..
The stock es10 had an impressive lively sound that I found similar in mids with the es700,
and yet with this esw11 I am finding an amazingly more full bodied and beautiful mids without being dark..
actually riding the fine line of both chocolate and vanilla in tonality , for lack of a better description.
I also am finding an amazing realism in the mids more so than any before and a clarity too.
I will post soon my result of how and why it may or may not surprise you

 

[ExpatinJapan]

Interesting.i await your findings.

 

[Maxx134]

Ok after some time of listening to my recently aquired esw11, I feel time for update.

With that, the issue of "pad rolling" finally arrives.
Here are some pics of the esw9 and original stock esw11.
I say "original stock" because I am told by member "ExpatinJapan" that there is yet another slight and "better sounding" update to the esw11 pads!

Ok back to the pads:
Looking at the differences in these two pads we can see there will be sonic differences.
Look at differences in:
Hole size,
Felt cover density,
Leather area covering driver,
Cushion,
Pad height,
Thickness
They all actually make a rather HUGE difference (!)
Esw9 hole size bigger on left:

And
Esw11 more leather covering hole on right:

And
Esw9 pad can see driver more clearly on right:

And
Esw9 more height in pad thickness on right:


And so what is the difference?
Most of the descriptions of the esw11 subdued treble and pronounced or elevated lower mid to bass, is actually attributed to, THE PADS(!)..

In actuality the esw11 drivers are even more balanced than we are led to believe!

Putting on the esw9 pads, I have been enjoying more clarity(!) and treble extension with a less prominent and more detailed lower mids & upperbass, but the major difference is how the mids just come even more alive!!
I have to say these are the most delicate, nuanced & beautiful mids to trebles I have ever herd on a portable yet!

It has an amazing way it conveys air and image and separation, like the same life you would get from a tube setup..superior layered/textured mids(!).

Not only subdued trebles gone but now more gradual extension and just more noticalble buttery smoothness & delicacy like a butterfly in motion. I notice cues and timbres and vocal harmonies with greater "euphoric" sense.
Although it had these qualities, yet subdued before the pad swap, it is much more noticeable now.
There is an inherent sweetness to the music.

So these are, hands down, the best sounding cans I have herd from a portable (yet)

I have tried to duplicate the majic of my w3000anv with my "Germania" modded esw9.. (Wich was really good & an improvent in every area over stock(!)...
but lacked image placement of bigger cans).
The cans proved to be a little too laid back for me in long run.
less involving for me compared to a top can like the w3000anv.
Amping certainly helped but I wanted to have that w3000anv musical enjoyment of it's mids in a portable solution..

And so I then tried again with my own modded esw700 (esw9 with es700drivers), wich have incredible image placement and huge space, my best portables at the time..
So fun but with slightly exaggerated details, wich made super impressive sound,
Yet it was still not feeling correct as it has an unnatural or spooky sound as 'you are there" too much, and so it detracted from musical enjoyment of actual song by keeping every song in same spooky studio-hall soundstage and always "being there" with the musicians.

But with the esw11 I feel it has, with just a pad swap to esw9, a perfection of presentation and musicality that is needs nothing else and nothing else can touch it (!).
You hear everything musically and with a sweetness presented large and not slightly too far (esw9) and not slightly too close (esw700 & es700).
It presents nuance & details as a whole over the whole spectrum, not just "certain aspects" of sound.

So it is just highly satisfyingly musically, and you forget the cans strength&weaknesses and just enjoy the the music..
What weaknesses you say?
Yes every can has & in this case it is not the most sound isolating but definitely better than previous esw9 Woodie.

Why the h*ll do they make limited production of their best sounds?
Like in the w3000anv & esw10, and now this ??

Hope to one day compare it to an ed8 & also Bill-p es10woodie mod.
But I am no longer restless in a search for a portable solution anymore

 

[ExpatinJapan]

I am going to try this tomorrow when the house is quiet
 
I will add my `two cents` then.
 
I think I am heading in the other direction, trying to get less highs and more lows. Fun times.

 

[ExpatinJapan]

Ok after some time of listening to my recently aquired esw11, I feel time for update.

With that, the issue of "pad rolling" finally arrives.
Here are some pics of the esw9 and original stock esw11.
I say "original stock" because I am told by member "ExpatinJapan" that there is yet another slight and "better sounding" update to the esw11 pads!


But I am no longer restless in a search for a portable solution anymore

Blabblahblahblahblah LOL

I hate you.
 
Yes, they sound awesome with the ATH-ESW9 pads on the ESW11.
 
Forwards mids, lush, nice treble-sweet, not harsh, a good level of bass response.
ESW11 with ESW9 pads = ESW11 on steroids.
 
Head nodding greatness.
 
*My only regrets is they are really not the intended fit of course and also I need pads on my ESW9. So maybe not permanent.
 
__________________________________________________________________
 
The ESW9 pads beat my replacement HP-ESW11 pads. The HP-ESW11 sound a little `hollow`-(hollow compared to ESW9 pads).
HP-ESW11 pads sound a bit smoother than the stock due to the bass comes up more and the treble is rolled off a bit.
__________________________________________________________________
 
The stock ESW11 have a little too much treble extension to my ears, mids are slightly muffled and bass is receded.
__________________________________________________________________
 
I also tried the ESW11 and HP-ESW11 pads on the ESW9 and they dont sound as good on the ESW9 as the stock pads.
 
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
Here is what I messaged to Max134 a few days ago.
 
Well i will try the ESW9 pads on the weekend when its quiet around here.

Buuutttt....

I bought some replacement pads for the ES10 a while back, ESW11 leather pads because the stock pleather are terrible.
The HP-ESW11 T4961310119713

I thought my es10 were quite bassy but didnt like the treble. So i sold them.

I assumed the replacement ESW11 pads were the same as my ESW11 stock pads...but no!

The replacement pads are thinner and the bass is improved, much deeper and fuller. Mids have become more lush. Very happy. The ESW11 sound even more stellar imho.
With stock pads the sound is clear, spacious but a bit confined at the same time and seems too light in tone.

All because you suggested the ESW9 and i was lazy and checked out my replacement pads. Thanks.
 
_________________________________________________________________________________

 

[ExpatinJapan]

Pads (from left) stock ESW11, replacement HP-ESW11, ESW9.

 

[Maxx134]

Haha esw9 pads!

 

[cky8]

@ExpatinJapan
 

 *My only regrets is they are really not the intended fit of course and also I need pads on my ESW9.

 
Do you mean the ESW9 pads don't fit well on the ESW11LTD?

Thanks again for your impressions. Surely I want to try this as well. Where could I easily buy the HP-ESW9 and HP-ESW11 pads?

 

[JohannLiebert]

40€ for pads only. Fcking hell.

 

[ExpatinJapan]

  @ExpatinJapan
 
 
Do you mean the ESW9 pads don't fit well on the ESW11LTD?

Thanks again for your impressions. Surely I want to try this as well. Where could I easily buy the HP-ESW9 and HP-ESW11 pads?

 
The ESW11 are larger than The ESW9, so I had to stretch the ESW9 pads to fit. Difficult but doable.
 
I bought my HP-ESW11 pads from e-earphone in Tokyo.
The ESW9 pads I just took off my ATH-ESW9.
 
here is a link for e-earphone HP-ESW9 pads, I dont know If they ship internationally
http://www.e-earphone.jp/shop/shopbrand.html?search=ath-esw9&prize1=ath-esw9&sort=brandname&window=top
 
!!! NOTE !!!: The stock ATH-ESW11 pads and the replacement pads differ slightly in size, but drastically in sonics(see picture).
I do NOT know If the replacement ESW9 pads differ from the stock, so the sonic changes may not be the same as what Max and myself are getting.

 

[Maxx134]

I use my finger from the inside of the esw9 pad to stretch over the edge of the headphone cup.
I have purchase the pads and they are same as stock. Only the very early production units were slightly thicker in pads so should be all same for esw9. I had one stock and two sets purchased after from different sources (japan& US) and both were same.
Yes they were expensive but totally worth it for me in sound for the es700 & es10 & now esw11.

 

[JohannLiebert]

So isolation is worse with the esw9 pads?

 

[Maxx134]

I dunno havent noticed a difference & dont want to take off as tight edge fit.
I assume any difference at all would be negligible as I haven't noticed.