I'm totally psyched about my new Audio Technica ESW10JPN. These are the advanced versions of ESW9s, which are more common... the 10JPNs are limited to 1000 units in Japan, and 500 elsewhere in the world, but curiously, none in the U.S... got my pair from an excellent ebay seller from Japan. From what I understand, big web stores still have these, but smaller shops are selling out fast on these...

These are intended for portable listening, but I find these to be a joy to listen to in a great home rig, too. The sound is very lush and vibrant, a bit more forward in presentation than circumaural phones. Mine are still being broken in but already, the bass is gaining more definition. Great instrument separation and first-rate imaging, strange considering that the depth of the soundstage is limited. But more important than that, these cans hook you into the music. Got that intangible quality... some cans can sound impressive, hit all those audiophile notes, but still fail to involve you. The ESW10JPN captures the ebb & flow of the musical line as well as any cans that I've heard.

Anyway, for me, these are the cans to love for years and years. On the road or in the office, there aren't many others that better these. I have Sennheiser PXC450 and the ESW10JPN puts it to shame... PXC450 sounds coagulated in comparison, with muddy bass... but the PXC450 isolate outside noise WAY better than the ESW10JPN.

ESW10JPN won't top cans like the coveted L3000 (I think forum member mikeymad has these) but I've heard more than a few experienced head-fi guys putting the ESW10JPN in the ranks of the classic Audio Technicas, like W11JPN. I use them during my commute, with an iMod, and at the office... at home, I've also been loving these w/ WA2 and Leben CS600. I like the fact that they're so versatile & I can take them on the road, and call me vain but the fact that they're so bloody gorgeous helps, too, with urushi lacquer.

Not my pics, btw., the bottom is from head-fi and the top pic is from a UK forum called 'overclockers' or something.

I find Audio Technica headphones to be too bright for my tastes. They're not shrill like Grados, but they're up there. If you like a warm, laid back presentation, you may want to look elsewhere.

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Want to try out this brand! Any happy users in here?

I've got a set of w5000s that I'll sell.

Compared to the exceptional AKG K701s the ATs are etched on the top end and not as deep in the bass. They're very fine, BUT the AKGs are finer, even at a lower cost.

BTW, I've got an excellent front end and power my cans with a Woo Audio WA6 with upgraded rectifier, so I think that I'm listening in a clean, revealing system.

Still, ymmv, so send me an email if you're interested in the AT. (BTW, my brutal honesty keeps me out of the sales profession).

Dave

K701s are great, of course. I love mine when listening at home. Very different presentation as AlexO & dcstep say. ESW10JPNs are also portable cans, so you can't get close to the open, airiness and big soundstage of the K701s. Still, these are not bright or etched up top. I'll see as they break in further, but they sound pretty smooth and evenly balanced, although there's an emphasis on the midrange (I heard that with ESW9s, this midrange emphasis is stronger).

It'd be interesting to see mikeymad chime in here, as he has the Audio Technica L3000, which are probably among the most desired headphones in the headphone-land, along with Sony MDR-R10 as far as dynamic headphones are concerned.

dcstep - way to sell your W5000!

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...which are probably among the most desired headphones in the headphone-land, along with Sony MDR-R10 as far as dynamic headphones are concerned.

dcstep - way to sell your W5000!

I heard the R10, and I thought they were pretty good, but not enough to justify the price. I thought they had the same sound signature as Sennheiser HD-600. They were more detailed, but I didn't the differences were all that great to justify the price delta.

That R10 price is more for collector's item status than for SQ, as we all know. I'll reserve any judgment until I've had time to listen to them at length, but seriously for $5-6K? You can get some sick sick speakers... I love listening to headphones, but I still haven't heard cans that can substitute listening through a properly set-up 2-channel rig. Gotta say, though, Strutsie's LA2000 came mighty close...

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That R10 price is more for collector's item status than for SQ, as we all know. I'll reserve any judgment until I've had time to listen to them at length, but seriously for $5-6K? You can get some sick sick speakers... I love listening to headphones, but I still haven't heard cans that can substitute listening through a properly set-up 2-channel rig. Gotta say, though, Strutsie's LA2000 came mighty close...

Sennheiser Orpheus was orgasmicly good. At the time, I seriously considered dropped the $11k for the Orpheus.

Somebody call....???

I had a pair of W5000 for a while. And I think that they sounded really good if you can be one of the lucky ones that it fits your head. I could never get them to seal right for me.... I bent the poor headband within a inch of it's life, and still could not get it to work right. I think that they are a great headphone (if they fit).

Once I tried the L3000's at a meet, I put it in my very short list of headphones to keep and eye out for. And soon after I got a chance to spend all my money on one.

I have to say that the L3000's are one of the finest dynamic headphone available. Bass impact and depth are very good, soundstage is detailed and deep. This is all from the 300B pushed Wooaudio WA5. the ATs also has one of the important things that I was looking for at the time, and that they are enclosed. I needed a bit of isolation along with the awesome sound. Does it do everything right? No, I have not found a Dynamic that does yet... The closest that I have heard was a Balanced R10. I would like to try the moded Denon range (almost got the d5000 the other day) at some point as well to see if my L3000's are in danger. But I have found that Electrostatics are the best headphones that I have heard. Whenever I want to hear how things are suppose to sound I grab my STAX O2's every time.

With that said I am not really comparing these to the Senn's (600/650/800) or other Sony's (qualia 010) because they are open (not sealed). In my current situation I need a little isolation. The O2's are my best sounding headphone rig, but they are also open, so they don't do everything that I need. If my situation changed I would have no problem getting rid of the rest on my gear and be very happy with the STAX. I thought that the enclosed ES headphones 4070 from STAX might fit everything that I need, but as they offer isolation, and detail goes through the moon, but the soundstage closes down as well.

Cheers,

Quote:
I'm totally psyched about my new Audio Technica ESW10JPN. These are the advanced versions of ESW9s, which are more common... the 10JPNs are limited to 1000 units in Japan, and 500 elsewhere in the world, but curiously, none in the U.S... got my pair from an excellent ebay seller from Japan. From what I understand, big web stores still have these, but smaller shops are selling out fast on these...

These are intended for portable listening, but I find these to be a joy to listen to in a great home rig, too. The sound is very lush and vibrant, a bit more forward in presentation than circumaural phones. Mine are still being broken in but already, the bass is gaining more definition. Great instrument separation and first-rate imaging, strange considering that the depth of the soundstage is limited. But more important than that, these cans hook you into the music. Got that intangible quality... some cans can sound impressive, hit all those audiophile notes, but still fail to involve you. The ESW10JPN captures the ebb & flow of the musical line as well as any cans that I've heard.

Anyway, for me, these are the cans to love for years and years. On the road or in the office, there aren't many others that better these. I have Sennheiser PXC450 and the ESW10JPN puts it to shame... PXC450 sounds coagulated in comparison, with muddy bass... but the PXC450 isolate outside noise WAY better than the ESW10JPN.

ESW10JPN won't top cans like the coveted L3000 (I think forum member mikeymad has these) but I've heard more than a few experienced head-fi guys putting the ESW10JPN in the ranks of the classic Audio Technicas, like W11JPN. I use them during my commute, with an iMod, and at the office... at home, I've also been loving these w/ WA2 and Leben CS600. I like the fact that they're so versatile & I can take them on the road, and call me vain but the fact that they're so bloody gorgeous helps, too, with urushi lacquer.

Not my pics, btw., the bottom is from head-fi and the top pic is from a UK forum called 'overclockers' or something.

Back in my deejay days, i used Audio technica cartridges and mics, on a regular basis. To find out that they make headphones for serious listening, is a shocker. You learn something new everyday.