Question about the Audio Technica ATH-ESW9A's
May 16, 2012 at 12:27 AM Post #2 of 7
hmm... I think they are actually on the ear headphone.. they are quite nice headphones, but very colored (like every other AT..) for impression... there are lots of threads dealing with it..
 
May 16, 2012 at 12:36 AM Post #3 of 7
Beautiful-looking.  Okay-sounding.  What are ya lookin' for, specifically?  Just that particular headphone?
 
May 16, 2012 at 12:49 AM Post #4 of 7
kingofthewild said:
Hello fellow head-fiers, these headphones are full size over the ears right? Also, are these nice headphones? Would you reccomend them to somebody?
Click to expand...


They sit on the ear, they're about the same size as SR-60s or SR-80s (I did not have Grados to compare with them, the Grados might be bigger). They're very light, like the Bose headphones (they are smaller than the Bose AE2 if that helps any; haven't ever seen/tried the Bose On-Ears). The pads have a weird shape to them that tries to make them sit "flat" on your ears. You can rotate the pads to make them angle (and improve the soundstage), but it makes them less comfortable imo.

On to the other part of your question:

- They're one of the most faked headphones in the world.

- The real ones are neat but the cachet wears off fairly quickly imo. (They're "luxury" not "hi-fi" if that means anything).

- The sound is alright but they're very closed and very dark (borderline boomy).

- Sound-staging is about what you'd expect from a small on-ear.

- They are very fragile.

Would I recommend them? Perhaps. If you want something that's compact, relatively light, don't mind on-ear, want a bit of cachet, and like a relatively mellow, dark, and intimate presentation they should do alright (but realize they could just as easily be called slow, rolled-off, and congested depending on who you asked). I wouldn't count on being able to take them out on the town, and I'd use kid gloves when handling them (mine developed a rattle in both cups within a week, and during that week they spent more time on a headphone stand than on my head, and I only used them at home).

I personally didn't find them Earth-shattering, but they weren't terrible. I'd probably take the AE2 over them; they're more comfortable and have a much better soundstage. Cost a bit less too.

There's the Germania mod for them that promises to make them into real skull-crushers on the low end; I wasn't brave enough to try it (stock they were a bit bassy for me) but I see no reason why it shouldn't work - big driver, small enclosure, lots of power handling...
 
May 16, 2012 at 1:00 AM Post #5 of 7
kingofthewild said:
Hello fellow head-fiers, these headphones are full size over the ears right? Also, are these nice headphones? Would you reccomend them to somebody?
Click to expand...


They are on ear, and IMHO can get very uncomfortable, in a mad hurry.

They have a very smooth, syrupy sound, with very warm vocals, full bodied bass, and very smooth treble with very little sparkle.

I personally hated them in every way. Just too warm. $229 I spent that I regretted. I much prefer the cheaper, more aggressive ES7, though they are also uncomfortable to a fault.

Also thought they looked better in photos than in person.
 
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