Vandal
500+ Head-Fier
- Joined
- Nov 5, 2007
- Posts
- 741
- Likes
- 22
A little history:
I’m a total newbie to the world of headphones and “audiophilia” as many would call it. But I’ve been a music lover for about as long as I can remember. ‘Music’ has been synonymous with my PC for the past three years simply because I’ve not had the funds (or very often the space) to indulge in a discrete music setup away from my hometown, as I work in a different city. My genre is mostly Rock (both fast and slow), Country, Easy Listening, Reggae, Pop and Instrumental (though not in any order of preference). My music setup has been an Altec Lansing MX5021 that’s served my ears – and done so reasonably well. I was looking at something a little less disturbing for others…you just can’t make a racket in crowded Mumbai! At the same time I wanted an upgrade sonically – something that I’d really like to listen to my colossal music collection on.
I wanted something comfortable, something that was typically ‘audiophile grade’ in nature, but excelled at gaming. I was looking at closed cans simply because I didn’t want any outside disturbance. Closed cans aren’t known for their sound quality (in general, Beyer Dynamic’s DT880 among a few others being an exception of course), and they're typically bass heavy (or boomy at the very least) due to cabinet resonance so this set had to be an exception! My budget was a maximum of 200 US$. I chose circumaural (comfort obviously) and came up with the Audio Technica ATH A900.
The Review:
Build Quality: 7/10
In a word…very good (OK that was two words). Audio Technica is known for their quality and these are built sturdily. The cable is sheathed in a heavy duty cloth shielding…very impressive - but it's not detachable. The material is quite grippy, so cable noise is at a minimum. The headband which consists of two plastic fibre rods is also very strong, and flexible enough to avoid breakage due to rough handling. It’s been 2 months now, and these cans haven't picked up any scratches etc...I've not been very gentle with them either - that bespeaks quality of materials used on the outer surfaces.
Comfort: 9/10
Damn comfortable…Instead of a headband that creates pressure the 2 auto-adjustable flaps that sit on your either side of your head, above the ears. These are for support and adhesion to your head. The two fibre rods mentioned above are the actual headband that keeps the left and right side of the headphone together. Rather unique design but its damn comfy…no pressure.
The earcups are huge, and very well padded. 5 hours of music and I forgot that I was wearing anything! The only minus is that your ears feel warm after awhile…normal for closed cans I guess. Take them off for 30 seconds and you’re good to go! For the record my ears felt warm after an hour or so.
Note: Some people feel that this system tends to pressurise one part of the head more unlike regular headbands, I disagree. Another thing – the cans are very light. I don’t like the cheap quality covering on the foam on the earcups – very sticky – particularly in hot regions like India. But still very comfortable despite that.
Test components:
Soundcard: EMU 0404 PCI
Sound Files: A mixture of High quality .FLAC files and MP3’s 320 kbps (CBR)
I used the A900 for at least 150 hours including a 48 hour low volume burn-in to get my impressions.
Soundtracks used:
1. Charlotte Church – Bridge over troubled waters
2. Dire Straits – Walk of Life / Sultans of Swing
3. The Doors – Riders on the Storm
4. UB40 – Red Red Wine / I’ve got you Baby / Many rivers to cross
5. Eagles – Hotel California / Take it easy
6. Van Morrison – Someone like you
7. Alan Jackson – Living on love
8. Glenn Frey - Lovers moon
9. Belinda Carlisle - Vision of you
10. Guns and Roses – November Rain
11. Bon Jovi – Always
12. Billy Ray Cyrus – Brown eyed girl
Music Performance in general:
The A900 handles slow music extremely well, not to say it can't handle faster rock! It is a little forward sounding and may be a bit aggressive around the higher and mid range including vocals especially female artists. Higher frequencies are slightly pronounced, and the A900 is unashamedly bright. Low range is good and well defined, tight and low but not pronounced.
In particular Alan Jackson’s voice sounds rich and deep and steely – the kind of voice country singers die for! – Just the way he’s supposed to sound! At higher I noticed the treble overpowering the bass. This doesn’t mean that bass isn’t there or not noticeable…In fact the bass that's present goes quite low, is defined (no resonance which is simply awesome considering these are closed cans!). I’d give them an 8/10 here.
Charlotte Church (Bridge over troubled water) has a lovely, rich voice and her vocal chords are capable of nothing short of sheer magic. This number allows you to enjoy her amazing voice like no other I've heard. In fact I prefer her version to the original (Simon and Garfunkel). The A900 manages to sneak out all the nuances – clear tenors, in fact these cans get a little sharp. I’ll give them 7.5/10
Riders on the Storm sounded amazing – right down to the raindrops and lightning crashes in the beginning of the track. You will hear the rain drops splattering on the ground – all this without amping! Everything in the track comes to life - even the subtle deep drum beats in the beginning seem to take a life of their own. Jim Morrison has a very unique voice – can’t describe it really, it seems like it cracks at times - gets hoarse so to speak. Fans of The Doors will nod here. The A900 nails this song right on the head…I haven’t heard better, the bass doesn't feel lacking at all in this track, its very, very indulging…8.5/10
Red Red Wine (UB 40) simply comes alive – clear, crisp well defined instruments, great vocals with excellent detailing throughout that captures the essence of this reggae classic. 8.5/10
Hotel California – When you’ve got Glenn Frey and Don Henley side by side you're in for a rockin time...Eagles style!! Thankfully the A900 keeps up with them very well. Once again the guitar strumming sounds so realistic you’ll feel you’re in front of the band. Soundstage is great for closed cans. You’ll hear the hum of each guitar chord…the drums feel well defined and bass remains tight – right on the spot for me, but bass whores will want more…8/10
Take it easy sounds just as good. A very good headphone for this kind of jazz-like number, I couldn't complain about anything in particular but still thought the track could somehow sound better. 8/10
Van Morrison - Someone like you – What can I say…If you’re looking to serenade your love by playing this number – make sure she’s wearing these cans! Van Morrison's voice sounds just like I remember on my Phase V12 floorstanders back home. Melodious, soul touching. Just to prove how good they are I've promised a special lady an audience with these cans...8/10
Dire Straits – Superb mids – though you can feel the “bright” factor. A little equaliser tampering in order – but if you get it right – you’ll notice little or no anomalies. Mark Knopfler's guitar will have you glued to the seat...another tribute to a great with these cans – the darn guitar came alive! I’ll go with a lower score due to the fact that I thought the vocals could be better. 7/10
Lovers Moon is former Eagles Glenn Frey at his soulful best. It’s a slow, melodious and soulful number that really needs to sound its best before you actually like the song. The A900 does a great job with his voice, and the slow guitar strums are reproduced with utter tonal accuracy. On these cans simply amazing. A900 - 9/10
If you haven't seen Belinda you've missed something! If you haven't heard her it’s an even bigger loss!! Vision of you is all about the voice - a clear tenor full of depth with an excellent background score. I've heard this particular number on a Grado SR60 too (used for more than 300 hours), but apart from the fact that the SR60 seems a little - in your face - while the A900 is slightly more laid back I couldn't discern much difference with the vocals – except the typically bright signature of the A900 – but that seems to suit the song. In fact I felt that the vocals sounded crisper on the A900, while the highs of the background organ in the song were beautiful. A900 - 8/10, SR60 - 7.5/10
Guns N Roses n November Rain is all about the instrumentation – I’ve got the original recording of a live version which I prefer – the A900s are noticeably bright with the piano tinkering – but I didn’t find this bad. The guitar lead guitar was immediately noticeable and still causes me to perk up. And the drum roll…Ahh! Then the vocals hit you – with that indiscernible timbre and I know these cans have got it right. However I did notice the mids other than the vocals seem a bit recessed – there was bass, there was guitar and vocals – but nothing much in between. I haven’t tried these cans amped so I cannot comment. The violin background score in noticeable – and seems very lively to my yet untrained ears. 8.5/10 till I come across something better.
Always (Bon Jovi) is one good number, and one of the only Bon Jovi tracks that I listen to regularly. The drum roll in the beginning brought a smile to my face. The vocals come across powerfully but not in your face, while the guitar makes its presence felt. While bass is reassuringly strong it won’t drown out the mids or what little highs the track has. 8.5/10
Brown eyed girl (Billy Ray Cyrus) is a fun track and now made even faster than the soulful original. There’s just something cheery about the way the A900 keeps up with the fast pace that is fun to listen to! I’d prefer a little more vocal separation otherwise nothing to complain about. Not a very discerning track I’m afraid – but what the hell I enjoyed it! 7.5/10
Closing thoughts:
I paid 190$ US in all for these cans (AudioCubes.com - Stylish Electronics, Gadgets, Toys, and More.) which seems like a lot of money. But considering the performance I’d say it was money well spent. Absolutely no regrets and I plan on keeping the A900 in my repertoire. I’m also about to make my second fray into the can world and buy an HD650. I’ve just bought (from right here on Head-Fi) a Little Dot Micro Tube for the new, yet-to-arrive cans. I’m also investing in a Headroom Total Bithead for my A900.
My very first review and while I can’t add much to the knowledge of senior Head-Fiers hopefully some newbie like me will have an easier time choosing between a set of budget cans. Comments, criticisms most welcome…I’ve got a lot to learn…
Thanks for reading!
I’m a total newbie to the world of headphones and “audiophilia” as many would call it. But I’ve been a music lover for about as long as I can remember. ‘Music’ has been synonymous with my PC for the past three years simply because I’ve not had the funds (or very often the space) to indulge in a discrete music setup away from my hometown, as I work in a different city. My genre is mostly Rock (both fast and slow), Country, Easy Listening, Reggae, Pop and Instrumental (though not in any order of preference). My music setup has been an Altec Lansing MX5021 that’s served my ears – and done so reasonably well. I was looking at something a little less disturbing for others…you just can’t make a racket in crowded Mumbai! At the same time I wanted an upgrade sonically – something that I’d really like to listen to my colossal music collection on.
I wanted something comfortable, something that was typically ‘audiophile grade’ in nature, but excelled at gaming. I was looking at closed cans simply because I didn’t want any outside disturbance. Closed cans aren’t known for their sound quality (in general, Beyer Dynamic’s DT880 among a few others being an exception of course), and they're typically bass heavy (or boomy at the very least) due to cabinet resonance so this set had to be an exception! My budget was a maximum of 200 US$. I chose circumaural (comfort obviously) and came up with the Audio Technica ATH A900.
The Review:
Build Quality: 7/10
In a word…very good (OK that was two words). Audio Technica is known for their quality and these are built sturdily. The cable is sheathed in a heavy duty cloth shielding…very impressive - but it's not detachable. The material is quite grippy, so cable noise is at a minimum. The headband which consists of two plastic fibre rods is also very strong, and flexible enough to avoid breakage due to rough handling. It’s been 2 months now, and these cans haven't picked up any scratches etc...I've not been very gentle with them either - that bespeaks quality of materials used on the outer surfaces.
Comfort: 9/10
Damn comfortable…Instead of a headband that creates pressure the 2 auto-adjustable flaps that sit on your either side of your head, above the ears. These are for support and adhesion to your head. The two fibre rods mentioned above are the actual headband that keeps the left and right side of the headphone together. Rather unique design but its damn comfy…no pressure.
The earcups are huge, and very well padded. 5 hours of music and I forgot that I was wearing anything! The only minus is that your ears feel warm after awhile…normal for closed cans I guess. Take them off for 30 seconds and you’re good to go! For the record my ears felt warm after an hour or so.
Note: Some people feel that this system tends to pressurise one part of the head more unlike regular headbands, I disagree. Another thing – the cans are very light. I don’t like the cheap quality covering on the foam on the earcups – very sticky – particularly in hot regions like India. But still very comfortable despite that.
Test components:
Soundcard: EMU 0404 PCI
Sound Files: A mixture of High quality .FLAC files and MP3’s 320 kbps (CBR)
I used the A900 for at least 150 hours including a 48 hour low volume burn-in to get my impressions.
Soundtracks used:
1. Charlotte Church – Bridge over troubled waters
2. Dire Straits – Walk of Life / Sultans of Swing
3. The Doors – Riders on the Storm
4. UB40 – Red Red Wine / I’ve got you Baby / Many rivers to cross
5. Eagles – Hotel California / Take it easy
6. Van Morrison – Someone like you
7. Alan Jackson – Living on love
8. Glenn Frey - Lovers moon
9. Belinda Carlisle - Vision of you
10. Guns and Roses – November Rain
11. Bon Jovi – Always
12. Billy Ray Cyrus – Brown eyed girl
Music Performance in general:
The A900 handles slow music extremely well, not to say it can't handle faster rock! It is a little forward sounding and may be a bit aggressive around the higher and mid range including vocals especially female artists. Higher frequencies are slightly pronounced, and the A900 is unashamedly bright. Low range is good and well defined, tight and low but not pronounced.
In particular Alan Jackson’s voice sounds rich and deep and steely – the kind of voice country singers die for! – Just the way he’s supposed to sound! At higher I noticed the treble overpowering the bass. This doesn’t mean that bass isn’t there or not noticeable…In fact the bass that's present goes quite low, is defined (no resonance which is simply awesome considering these are closed cans!). I’d give them an 8/10 here.
Charlotte Church (Bridge over troubled water) has a lovely, rich voice and her vocal chords are capable of nothing short of sheer magic. This number allows you to enjoy her amazing voice like no other I've heard. In fact I prefer her version to the original (Simon and Garfunkel). The A900 manages to sneak out all the nuances – clear tenors, in fact these cans get a little sharp. I’ll give them 7.5/10
Riders on the Storm sounded amazing – right down to the raindrops and lightning crashes in the beginning of the track. You will hear the rain drops splattering on the ground – all this without amping! Everything in the track comes to life - even the subtle deep drum beats in the beginning seem to take a life of their own. Jim Morrison has a very unique voice – can’t describe it really, it seems like it cracks at times - gets hoarse so to speak. Fans of The Doors will nod here. The A900 nails this song right on the head…I haven’t heard better, the bass doesn't feel lacking at all in this track, its very, very indulging…8.5/10
Red Red Wine (UB 40) simply comes alive – clear, crisp well defined instruments, great vocals with excellent detailing throughout that captures the essence of this reggae classic. 8.5/10
Hotel California – When you’ve got Glenn Frey and Don Henley side by side you're in for a rockin time...Eagles style!! Thankfully the A900 keeps up with them very well. Once again the guitar strumming sounds so realistic you’ll feel you’re in front of the band. Soundstage is great for closed cans. You’ll hear the hum of each guitar chord…the drums feel well defined and bass remains tight – right on the spot for me, but bass whores will want more…8/10
Take it easy sounds just as good. A very good headphone for this kind of jazz-like number, I couldn't complain about anything in particular but still thought the track could somehow sound better. 8/10
Van Morrison - Someone like you – What can I say…If you’re looking to serenade your love by playing this number – make sure she’s wearing these cans! Van Morrison's voice sounds just like I remember on my Phase V12 floorstanders back home. Melodious, soul touching. Just to prove how good they are I've promised a special lady an audience with these cans...8/10
Dire Straits – Superb mids – though you can feel the “bright” factor. A little equaliser tampering in order – but if you get it right – you’ll notice little or no anomalies. Mark Knopfler's guitar will have you glued to the seat...another tribute to a great with these cans – the darn guitar came alive! I’ll go with a lower score due to the fact that I thought the vocals could be better. 7/10
Lovers Moon is former Eagles Glenn Frey at his soulful best. It’s a slow, melodious and soulful number that really needs to sound its best before you actually like the song. The A900 does a great job with his voice, and the slow guitar strums are reproduced with utter tonal accuracy. On these cans simply amazing. A900 - 9/10
If you haven't seen Belinda you've missed something! If you haven't heard her it’s an even bigger loss!! Vision of you is all about the voice - a clear tenor full of depth with an excellent background score. I've heard this particular number on a Grado SR60 too (used for more than 300 hours), but apart from the fact that the SR60 seems a little - in your face - while the A900 is slightly more laid back I couldn't discern much difference with the vocals – except the typically bright signature of the A900 – but that seems to suit the song. In fact I felt that the vocals sounded crisper on the A900, while the highs of the background organ in the song were beautiful. A900 - 8/10, SR60 - 7.5/10
Guns N Roses n November Rain is all about the instrumentation – I’ve got the original recording of a live version which I prefer – the A900s are noticeably bright with the piano tinkering – but I didn’t find this bad. The guitar lead guitar was immediately noticeable and still causes me to perk up. And the drum roll…Ahh! Then the vocals hit you – with that indiscernible timbre and I know these cans have got it right. However I did notice the mids other than the vocals seem a bit recessed – there was bass, there was guitar and vocals – but nothing much in between. I haven’t tried these cans amped so I cannot comment. The violin background score in noticeable – and seems very lively to my yet untrained ears. 8.5/10 till I come across something better.
Always (Bon Jovi) is one good number, and one of the only Bon Jovi tracks that I listen to regularly. The drum roll in the beginning brought a smile to my face. The vocals come across powerfully but not in your face, while the guitar makes its presence felt. While bass is reassuringly strong it won’t drown out the mids or what little highs the track has. 8.5/10
Brown eyed girl (Billy Ray Cyrus) is a fun track and now made even faster than the soulful original. There’s just something cheery about the way the A900 keeps up with the fast pace that is fun to listen to! I’d prefer a little more vocal separation otherwise nothing to complain about. Not a very discerning track I’m afraid – but what the hell I enjoyed it! 7.5/10
Closing thoughts:
I paid 190$ US in all for these cans (AudioCubes.com - Stylish Electronics, Gadgets, Toys, and More.) which seems like a lot of money. But considering the performance I’d say it was money well spent. Absolutely no regrets and I plan on keeping the A900 in my repertoire. I’m also about to make my second fray into the can world and buy an HD650. I’ve just bought (from right here on Head-Fi) a Little Dot Micro Tube for the new, yet-to-arrive cans. I’m also investing in a Headroom Total Bithead for my A900.
My very first review and while I can’t add much to the knowledge of senior Head-Fiers hopefully some newbie like me will have an easier time choosing between a set of budget cans. Comments, criticisms most welcome…I’ve got a lot to learn…
Thanks for reading!
