tk3
Headphoneus Supremus
- Joined
- Mar 6, 2007
- Posts
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You guys who got em, anyone gonna take some nice high res pictures and impressions for the rest of us to drool over?
I prefer the lacquer on the esw10jpn though...
So... how do they sound?
Initial impression is positive. Out of the box it sounds a bit muffled but after 10hours things start to balance out. Nothing sounds out of place nor lacking.
How is their mid compared to that of the esw10jpn? I once owned the esw10jpn in the past and it was their mid that I love(d) the most. Highs on the esw10jpn on the other hand, is not very refined though.
***What I am going to say may not be valid in the days to come since my ESW11LTD has only received ~20 hours of burn in:
The mids of the ESW10JPN and ESW11LTD are more similar than different. However, the ESW10JPN's mids is much better defined and is the focal point of the entire ESW10JPN sound sig. The mids of the ESW11LTD, while taking onto the character of its sibling ESW10JPN, is not as defined and instead sits in line with the rest of the music. Vocals do not come out and grab your attention like how the ESW10JPN does it.
The highs on the ESW10JPN is very sweet and refined when driven with the right amp. It is somewhat picky on amp. The ESW11LTD is darker sounding in comparison and its bass is somewhat boomy.
Those may be the signs and symptoms of my ESW11LTD still being in its raw stage. It may take a month or two for its sound to mature. Until then, we shall see~
It looks like the ESW10JPN is going to be hard to best here, especially in the looks.
The price still over $600, the reviews are...not glowing. I'm too impatient (upgradeitis) so I ordered the ATH-ES10 instead - already a well-established pair. I was excited, and I love woodies, but I am passing on the ATH-ESW11ltd. I'll definitely keep my eyes open for the replacement lambskin pads though.
I do not like the sound of the ES10 but the ESW11LTD is much better to my ears even at this stage. Like what I said earlier, my impression on the ESW11LTD is premature and I am pitting the young ESW11LTD going against the well burned in and arguably the best portable of ATH line-up.