Kayito-san
100+ Head-Fier
- Joined
- Feb 27, 2009
- Posts
- 286
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- 10
Hi guys!
Recently, I attended a small-ish Hi-Fi meet. There was much to see and hear. A good time was had by all. However, during this event, I encountered headphone. An Audio-Technica ATH-ESW9. Coming from Grados and a pair of Sennheiser CX300Bs (both in poor repair-- And Grados aren't quite portable), these headphones struck a chord with me. Now, before I say anything further. My current two ear/headphones are likely the polar opposites of one another, as has been said about Grado vs Sennheiser, in general. En plus, we're talking about Sennheiser IN-EARs, with ADDED BASS, as if the existing gap between these two accessories weren't great enough. I had been in need for some portable headphones that were more natural-sounding than the "=793]slightly bass heavy" CX300s that I'd been using thus far. I'm hoping that these Headphones offer some of what I enjoy from both of my current headphones. Ideally, to offer some noise isolation as did the Sennheisers, but with a good sound quality, as with the Grados. From what I experienced at the Hi-Fi meet, they meet both of those expectations, to an extent, but my source material may have affected the sound of the headphones. (As a stubborn metalhead, I insisted on using the headphones from my iPod, from which I played only my favorite album by my favorite band-- With a bitrate of 192.) And so onward I trekked, over to HeadRoom to compare graphs... Without much knowledge of what to look for in a graph.
Fig. 1: Frequency response of my current two headphones.
Fig. 1.5: And the Audio-Technicas;
Notice how a line of best fit would be almost neutral. However, keep in mind the lumps.
Fig. 2: Sound isolation of my current two headphones.
Fig. 2.5: And that of the ESW9s. The middle ground.
You can see, from the above graphs, that while the Grados offer a better overall balance (Grados, Ballance!? ROFL. But wait! Just look at that Senn bass response!), the Sennheisers offer VASTLY SUPERIOR sound isolation. I realize that the two graphs above to not accurately represent the sound characteristics of the two headphones. My point is that the $250 Grados obviously outmatch the $70 Senns in terms of sound quality, but the in-ears obviously outmatch the Grados in terms of isolation (John Grado: "Isolation? Is that a country?")
(Upon viewing other graphs on HeadRoom, however, I'm beginning to question my Grados' sound reproduction. Don't =373&graphID[1]=793&graphID[2]=&graphID[3]=&graphType=1&buttonSelection=Compare+Headphones]believe me? )
Now, I'm not an expert on sound. I'm not even a trainee. I'm like... the metaphorical tag-along that people avoid touching. I can't easily interpret the data that's being fed to me through these graphs. But I did notice the one-sided argument of these graphs:
Fig. 3: Fantastic. My $250 Grados are out-done by some $70 Senns. Thank you, John. But wait, there's more!
Fig 3.5: According to this thing, the ATH-ESW9 is the best at keeping differing frequency components in line. That is, best sound separation at 500Hz. Which means what, exactly?
Well, it means that, theoretically, the ESW9s should have a better sound stage, and better distinction between instruments. Some soundstage and immersion might be nice for a change.
This is all fine and nice; I'm too tired to write any more... so let's see what HeadRoom has to say about these cans:
Quote:
WHAT DO I DO, YOU GUYS!?
*Yes it's true. Why else would I be writing this thread with such enthusiasm?
Recently, I attended a small-ish Hi-Fi meet. There was much to see and hear. A good time was had by all. However, during this event, I encountered headphone. An Audio-Technica ATH-ESW9. Coming from Grados and a pair of Sennheiser CX300Bs (both in poor repair-- And Grados aren't quite portable), these headphones struck a chord with me. Now, before I say anything further. My current two ear/headphones are likely the polar opposites of one another, as has been said about Grado vs Sennheiser, in general. En plus, we're talking about Sennheiser IN-EARs, with ADDED BASS, as if the existing gap between these two accessories weren't great enough. I had been in need for some portable headphones that were more natural-sounding than the "=793]slightly bass heavy" CX300s that I'd been using thus far. I'm hoping that these Headphones offer some of what I enjoy from both of my current headphones. Ideally, to offer some noise isolation as did the Sennheisers, but with a good sound quality, as with the Grados. From what I experienced at the Hi-Fi meet, they meet both of those expectations, to an extent, but my source material may have affected the sound of the headphones. (As a stubborn metalhead, I insisted on using the headphones from my iPod, from which I played only my favorite album by my favorite band-- With a bitrate of 192.) And so onward I trekked, over to HeadRoom to compare graphs... Without much knowledge of what to look for in a graph.
Fig. 1: Frequency response of my current two headphones.
Fig. 1.5: And the Audio-Technicas;
Notice how a line of best fit would be almost neutral. However, keep in mind the lumps.
Fig. 2: Sound isolation of my current two headphones.
Fig. 2.5: And that of the ESW9s. The middle ground.
You can see, from the above graphs, that while the Grados offer a better overall balance (Grados, Ballance!? ROFL. But wait! Just look at that Senn bass response!), the Sennheisers offer VASTLY SUPERIOR sound isolation. I realize that the two graphs above to not accurately represent the sound characteristics of the two headphones. My point is that the $250 Grados obviously outmatch the $70 Senns in terms of sound quality, but the in-ears obviously outmatch the Grados in terms of isolation (John Grado: "Isolation? Is that a country?")
(Upon viewing other graphs on HeadRoom, however, I'm beginning to question my Grados' sound reproduction. Don't =373&graphID[1]=793&graphID[2]=&graphID[3]=&graphType=1&buttonSelection=Compare+Headphones]believe me? )
Now, I'm not an expert on sound. I'm not even a trainee. I'm like... the metaphorical tag-along that people avoid touching. I can't easily interpret the data that's being fed to me through these graphs. But I did notice the one-sided argument of these graphs:
Fig. 3: Fantastic. My $250 Grados are out-done by some $70 Senns. Thank you, John. But wait, there's more!
Fig 3.5: According to this thing, the ATH-ESW9 is the best at keeping differing frequency components in line. That is, best sound separation at 500Hz. Which means what, exactly?
Well, it means that, theoretically, the ESW9s should have a better sound stage, and better distinction between instruments. Some soundstage and immersion might be nice for a change.
This is all fine and nice; I'm too tired to write any more... so let's see what HeadRoom has to say about these cans:
Quote:
| Audio-Technica ATH-ESW9A Form or function? Beauty or performance? The Audio Technica ATH-ESW9A nearly eliminates the difference. Not only is this perhaps the best-looking portable headphone on the market but, fortunately, its excellent sound matches the striking cosmetics. The ESW9A's overall tonal signature is velvety smooth featuring a terrifically punchy low-end texture alongside a cleanly measured upper treble extension. The sole minor detraction to our analytical HeadRoom ears is the mid-range focus which may appear a bit overly-recessed with certain vocals, principally on unforgiving reference recordings. In this flagship ESW9A 'earpad'-sized model, AT has integrated their newly-engineered 42mm drivers within a high-rigidity glass fiber baffle system said to significantly improve the resolution of subtle low-level sonic nuances; it's certainly a pleasingly lively and engaging soundscape for listeners seeking precise audio detail and warm musical coherence wrapped in a singularly swanky package. The ESW9A's extremely comfortable supra-aural tonewood-backed earcups provide a good degree of ambient noise attenuation and also serve to prevent headphone 'leakage' from potentially disturbing others nearby. Pair this headphone with a quality portable headphone amp & high-bitrate 'Lossless' or uncompressed audio files and prepare thy noggin for one truly sumptuous mobile audiophile listening experience. The ATH-ESW9A earpiece housings are made of a lovely (non-endangered!) 100% African Paddock wood often used for keyboard percussion instruments such as the marimba or xylophone due to its excellent strength and wonderful acoustic characteristics. The mid-sized supra-aural ESW9A earcups will handily collapse down nearly flat thus making them perfectly easy to store & schlep into a carry-on bag or backpack. Luxurious lambskin earpad coverings are durable and extra-gentle on the lobes while adding an upscale air to the opulent AT design. The headband padding is an equally nifty deep-glove leather... boy, did we say this is a very comfortable headphone?! The non-detachable headphone cord measures only about 4ft long -- which is nice to avoid dreaded cable tangling while on the move -- but some listeners may wish to consider adding a quality headphone extension cord if listening to a home/office audio source that's further than a few feet away. A storage/travel soft-pouch is included along with a 1 year Audio Technica manufacturers' warranty (WHEN PURCHASED VIA AUTHORIZED DEALERS LIKE HEADROOM!). 100% designed, engineered, & manufactured exclusively in Japan. *Also, this headphone is 50% off. |
WHAT DO I DO, YOU GUYS!?
*Yes it's true. Why else would I be writing this thread with such enthusiasm?
