Audio-Technica ATH-R70x Professional Open-Back Reference Studio Headphones - High-Fidelity Sound, Lightweight Design for Mixing, Mastering & Critical Listening - Perfect for Music Producers & Audiophiles (Black)

The Audio Technica ATH-R70X are exceptional headphones unlike any other in my collection. The design is very eye-catching and appealing with the honeycomb-patterned grills, exposed drivers, and patterned headband. The 3D-wing headband is more comfortable than any other headband I've tried to date, including the AKG K700 series, because it distributes the feather-light weight of the headphones on contact points on the upper sides of your head instead of on the top middle of your scalp. The sound profile is truly stellar, and may even surpass my Sennheiser HD650/HD6XX headphones. The ATH-R70X's are slightly more neutral and revealing than the HD650's with a touch of warmth and a wider soundstage, making it very pleasant for music enjoyment and analytical listening. Sub-bass is somewhat lacking, but I have grown accustomed to this in open-back headphones. Lack of lower bass can easily be fixed with EQ, but most of the time I don't even think EQ is that necessary, considering just how neutral the sound profile is already. Male and female vocals really shine on these cans. Because of their slight warmth and neutral frequency response, the ATH-R70X's excel at most every genre of music I have thrown at them (classical, jazz, pop, rock, electronic). I'd say these outclass many Beyerdynamic, Sennheiser, and AKG headphones I have tried. Perhaps the only annoyance is the extra-long cable, but that can be easily fixed with a twist tie to hold the extra length of the cable together similar to how it is folded out of the box. The dual-sided detachable Y cable is pretty neat. The headphones themselves do feel a bit delicate partially due to their very light weight, so caution is advised when moving them in a bag. The pads are very comfortable, and are angled slightly to ensure the optimal placement on the ears. Why these headphones are not more popular, I'm not sure, but they deserve recognition among the Hifi greats. Do note that you need a properly powerful amplifier to get the best out of these cans. I use the JDS Labs Atom DAC & Amp stack, which powers the 470ohm ATH-R70X's wonderfully for only $200. These might just be the best-sounding and most comfortable headphones Audio Technica has ever made, at a fairly reasonable price point. I wholeheartedly recommend the ATH-R70X's for their exceptional comfort and sound quality.