[keanex]

 
 
Pros: Sturdy build, secure/light, clean and balanced sound, accurate and wide soundstage.
Cons: The pads aren’t very comfortable.
Tonal Balance: Slightly warm leaning neutral
Style: Open circumaural
Cost at Time of Review: $350
 

Reviewing Process

The R70x have been solely listened to at home through a Schiit Magni 2 Uber/Modi 2 Uber and a Matrix HPA-3u with high-quality FLAC files. I have used these for a mixture of gaming, passive listening, and active listening. I have spent enough time with them to feel comfortable sharing my opinion, but my experiences may differ from yours. It’s always best to demo a headphone before purchasing, but if you’re unable to I recommend at least reading other views in conjunction with this review.
 
Thanks to Audio Technica for the review sample.
 

Build & Fit

Build
The R70x feel light, flexible, and sturdy when held in hand, I can not find a reason to be worried about the longevity of them when handled. Not a squeak or a creek, a solidly built headphone from top to bottom. In addition to the solid construction, the cables are removable which allows for one of the most damage prone parts to be easily replaced. Oddly though, the cables can be inserted into either earcup without orienting the signal wrongly. I’ve switched the cables a few times and the left earcup always plays the left signal and the right earcup always plays the right signal. That’s pretty neat.
 
Fit
The Audio Technica wing design has undergone a heap of changes throughout its tenure. Due to this it’s impossible to compare the R70x to past designs without making the review excruciatingly lengthy. I’ll gladly compare the fit to any other Audio Technica wing design in the comments, but as for now I’m going to judge it solely as it’s own entity.
 
Without going into excruciating detail, the R70x have their issues with comfort. The headphones are super light so that there is little in the way of downwards force, and the clamping force makes for a tight and secure fit. Unfortunately the pads aren’t comfortable enough to stand up to the clamping force for extended listening sessions. I felt an immediate upgrade in comfort when wearing the HD600 after taking off the R70x, for instance.
 
The Audio Technica wing design has always been polarizing for comfort and while the R70x solve many past issues, it still lacks as a whole.
 

Sound Quality

Bass
As always I test the bass with the Bass Shaker test located here as my first means of seeing the driver capability for bass extension, presence, and linearity. The R70x respond from the press of the play button with a gradual volume increase towards the midbass. In comparison to the HD600, they react very similarly with the R70x seemingly having a stronger midbass presence than the HD600. Neither are bass heavy though, but I’d put the bass quantity of the R70x slightly above the HD600 based on this.
 
With music played the bass responds nicely with a variety of genres, providing a warm and full low-end that’s unobtrusive to the midrange. The texture of the bass leans soft and fuzzy which has me favoring the likes of Portishead, Steely Dan, and West Montgomery. The sub-bass is quick and extended, as evidenced by listening to James Blake’s Limit to Your Love, but it lacks the visceral slam of the ZMF Vibro that I look for when listening to the likes of Above & Beyond, Flight Facilities, or Disclosure.
 
Overlooking the texture of the bass, the R70x driver does a great job of being quick and controlled regardless of whether I’m listening to Rage Against the Machine or James Blake.
 
I do find something euphoric about the bass of the R70x, in the same way that I find the midrange to be within the Ad2000 - there’s something that puts me at ease which I can’t put my finger on.
 
Mids & Highs
The midrange of the R70x is clean, quick, detailed, and nearly linear across the spectrum. At times vocals lean a touch forward, but overall the sound is presented clearly, sharply, and accurately. When comparing it to the Sennheiser HD600 the R70x performs admirably next to it, sounding sharper and quicker with slightly better detail retrieval. The HD600 sounds more linear in comparison, while having a touch of warmth that’s lacking in the R70x midrange. The R70x is not sterile despite lacking warmth, but it lacks the euphoric midrange that drew me to the Audio Technica sound to begin with. The midrange is an honest to the recording though, and I respect that.
 
The treble is extended nicely, cleanly, and with a good level of detail retrieval. There’s a hint of air throughout, moreso than I find in the HD600, which gives the feeling of a more spacious sound.
 
Presentation
The R70x have an exceptional soundstage in every aspect that I can think of. The R70x has an above average left and right range, music extending fully around the perceived head space. Instrument separation is top notch, I can’t find a song that sounds congested in the least. Sense of air is here, modestly, but giving the music a sense of soft dissipation into the space around it. The weak spot would be soundstage depth, but even then I feel that it performs almost as well as the HD600. Lastly I find the soundstage to be accurate in positioning, making pinpointing audio cues within games a breeze.
 

Conclusion

The R70x is a fantastic first effort reference quality headphone that rivals the fierce competition that it faces - Sennheiser HD600, Beyerdynamic DT880, and AKG K7xx. Despite costing as much as, if not more, than all of those options, I find myself easily recommending the R70x for those wanting a balanced, detailed, and clear sound at an affordable price.

 

[fiddler]

Nice review, thanks.

 

[piaudio]

Does it rival DT1770 as well?

 


Pros:
Sturdy build, secure/light, clean and balanced sound, accurate and wide soundstage.



Cons:
The pads aren’t very comfortable.



Tonal Balance:
Slightly warm leaning neutral



Style:
Open circumaural



Cost at Time of Review:
$350

Reviewing Process

The R70x have been solely listened to at home through a Schiit Magni 2 Uber/Modi 2 Uber and a Matrix HPA-3u with high-quality FLAC files. I have used these for a mixture of gaming, passive listening, and active listening. I have spent enough time with them to feel comfortable sharing my opinion, but my experiences may differ from yours. It’s always best to demo a headphone before purchasing, but if you’re unable to I recommend at least reading other views in conjunction with this review.




Thanks to Audio Technica for the review sample.

Build & Fit

Build



The R70x feel light, flexible, and sturdy when held in hand, I can not find a reason to be worried about the longevity of them when handled. Not a squeak or a creek, a solidly built headphone from top to bottom. In addition to the solid construction, the cables are removable which allows for one of the most damage prone parts to be easily replaced. Oddly though, the cables can be inserted into either earcup without orienting the signal wrongly. I’ve switched the cables a few times and the left earcup always plays the left signal and the right earcup always plays the right signal. That’s pretty neat.




Fit



The Audio Technica wing design has undergone a heap of changes throughout its tenure. Due to this it’s impossible to compare the R70x to past designs without making the review excruciatingly lengthy. I’ll gladly compare the fit to any other Audio Technica wing design in the comments, but as for now I’m going to judge it solely as it’s own entity.




Without going into excruciating detail, the R70x have their issues with comfort. The headphones are super light so that there is little in the way of downwards force, and the clamping force makes for a tight and secure fit. Unfortunately the pads aren’t comfortable enough to stand up to the clamping force for extended listening sessions. I felt an immediate upgrade in comfort when wearing the HD600 after taking off the R70x, for instance.




The Audio Technica wing design has always been polarizing for comfort and while the R70x solve many past issues, it still lacks as a whole.

Sound Quality

Bass



As always I test the bass with the Bass Shaker test located
here
as my first means of seeing the driver capability for bass extension, presence, and linearity. The R70x respond from the press of the play button with a gradual volume increase towards the midbass. In comparison to the HD600, they react very similarly with the R70x seemingly having a stronger midbass presence than the HD600. Neither are bass heavy though, but I’d put the bass quantity of the R70x slightly above the HD600 based on this.




With music played the bass responds nicely with a variety of genres, providing a warm and full low-end that’s unobtrusive to the midrange. The texture of the bass leans soft and fuzzy which has me favoring the likes of Portishead, Steely Dan, and West Montgomery. The sub-bass is quick and extended, as evidenced by listening to James Blake’s
Limit to Your Love
, but it lacks the visceral slam of the ZMF Vibro that I look for when listening to the likes of Above & Beyond, Flight Facilities, or Disclosure.




Overlooking the texture of the bass, the R70x driver does a great job of being quick and controlled regardless of whether I’m listening to Rage Against the Machine or James Blake.




I do find something euphoric about the bass of the R70x, in the same way that I find the midrange to be within the Ad2000 - there’s something that puts me at ease which I can’t put my finger on.




Mids & Highs



The midrange of the R70x is clean, quick, detailed, and nearly linear across the spectrum. At times vocals lean a touch forward, but overall the sound is presented clearly, sharply, and accurately. When comparing it to the Sennheiser HD600 the R70x performs admirably next to it, sounding sharper and quicker with slightly better detail retrieval. The HD600 sounds more linear in comparison, while having a touch of warmth that’s lacking in the R70x midrange. The R70x is not sterile despite lacking warmth, but it lacks the euphoric midrange that drew me to the Audio Technica sound to begin with. The midrange is an honest to the recording though, and I respect that.




The treble is extended nicely, cleanly, and with a good level of detail retrieval. There’s a hint of air throughout, moreso than I find in the HD600, which gives the feeling of a more spacious sound.




Presentation



The R70x have an exceptional soundstage in every aspect that I can think of. The R70x has an above average left and right range, music extending fully around the perceived head space. Instrument separation is top notch, I can’t find a song that sounds congested in the least. Sense of air is here, modestly, but giving the music a sense of soft dissipation into the space around it. The weak spot would be soundstage depth, but even then I feel that it performs almost as well as the HD600. Lastly I find the soundstage to be accurate in positioning, making pinpointing audio cues within games a breeze.

Conclusion

The R70x is a fantastic first effort reference quality headphone that rivals the fierce competition that it faces - Sennheiser HD600, Beyerdynamic DT880, and AKG K7xx. Despite costing as much as, if not more, than all of those options, I find myself easily recommending the R70x for those wanting a balanced, detailed, and clear sound at an affordable price.

 

[keanex]

I haven't heard the new DT1770, but I have read reviews of it. They don't seem be comparable headphones. The DT1770 being closed and v-shaped and the R70x being open and neutral.