"So this review is going to consist mostly of me complaining [...] before telling you why I love it and there will be a brief interlude into kpop" I like that 😂
this serires is audio technica's best kept secret ... i have had headphones in the multiple thousands and i still come back to my ESW headphones for general listing and carying around. listen to anything .. good bad ugly fantastic. is all digestible and any song that i love to listen to .. these headphones always translate the thing im looking for
Really enjoyable video :) Would love to get a set of thinksound On2 over to you for review. Really nice on-ear with surprisingly good comfort and sound that bats well above it's price point. I'm thinking it would be right up your alley.
Hi i have a question for you. It is off topic but i think that is not a problem. What do you say about the SoundCloud struggle and that some people say it is about to die? Have a Nice day and greetings from Germany.
What is the difference between the ATH-ESW990 and the ATH-ESW990H? Because in Amazon Japan the price is quite different between the two. The ATH-ESW990H costs 61,756 yen, while the ATH-ESW990 costs 34,380 yen.
I'm not too sure, but I suspect that H stands for headset since smartphone mics are not too popular on headphones (so I've been told). Usually its considered rude to take calls in public places?
I did really enjoy them when I tried them at Minidisc, what really stood out to was not sound though, I was the lovely attention to detail on the headphone itself. However, I don't really like on-ear headphones, so it not something that I would ever recommend.
Thanks for the review! Could you say how they compare to the ES-700 you tested a few years ago? You said that although the ES-700 is lower speck (or so we'd think) compared to the ES10, they sounded more flat and punchy if I recall correctly. The thing is, I already have the ES-700 and because the rest of the models are only sold in japan I have to get them imported. This makes the prices very misleading. For example I purchased the ES-700 for £70 but: the ESW-950 goes for £290 the ESW-990 goes for £250 and the ESW11 goes for £220 So for the price, could you say for which out of the 3 would you go for? I'm very conflicted XD
Hmm, thats tough. It's been a very long time since I've heard the ES700. But I suspect the ES700 is not as bassy as the 990 and has more forward mids. I'm not sure, but i think the 950 and the 990 might be the same thing. Check if one is imported. The ESW11 should be much rarer - I have no idea how it sounds, but it should have been a limited edition. Would you be able to tell me where you can get the 11 for that price? I'm kind of interested!
I suspected as much so I purchased the ESW11 afraid of someone snatching it from me as it was the last pair sold. I searched on EBAY but as I said, it's really hard to find these models in England and from time to time I look online and happen to find some nice deals. The ES700 wasn't available for purchase in the UK when I bought them and when they came out they were retailing for £200 even though I bought them new form Japan for £70. So I can only really suggest to keep a lookout for the ESW11. I am also purchasing a Sony NW-A35 Walkman tomorrow as I can get it on a discount where I work (and if I recall correctly you had the same one as a daily) as my old player died... The ES700 were extremely punchy if I cranked the bass up with my portable amp to the point where they would rattle a bit uncomfortably on my ears but the bass was still nice, clear, separated and punchy! Which I really liked about them, but at times the treble was a bit harsh. So now that I'll have both of them and the Sony Walkman I'll try and give you a review for comparison. This is getting a bit long and out of topic but I'd like to mention that I tried the A&K Junior after my old and fairly low end PHILIPS SA060308SA which died and kind of struggled to get the 42hm ES700 to good volume. I paired it with a fairly overkill Fiio E12 portable amp and it sounded so much better to me than the A&K Junior for it's price. It was overall a pretty crap MP3 player as it was Touchscreen and 8 years old (so very slow, unresponsive and dim). I can now find them for around £10 XD! The thing is, I like to listen to jazz ,country and song that are primarily vocal with less instruments when I want to relax and the A&K kind of beats it at that. But most of the time I like to listen to Rock, Metal, Electronic, or some sort of mixture of those and the A&K sounded very distorted when there was punchy bass and actually was very uncomfortable to listen to (kind of a lacklustre), too flat if I may. So as weird as it sounds, if you can get a Philips Go Gear Touchscreen SA060308SA and pair it with a Fiio E12 and the ATH ES700 DO SO! XD The only thing I did was set the EQ on the Philips to Jazz as that made the sound smoother, the high and low end sound more separated. I'd be willing to pay people to try the combo out even though it has its also serious flaws. Maybe it'll make a good 1st of April video as the internet kind of knows you as a more high end reviewer. Anyway, thanks again for the review! :) I should get the headphones delivered in a bout a week and I'll give you my impressions of it!
Sure! Lemme know how it goes! You might also want to double check whether its genuine or not. I was interested after your comment so I had a read. There may be fake ESW11's floating around, so double check :3
You could be right, I'll open them up and see! Usually there should be a product code or something to indicate that it was made by ATH on the drivers. And I received the Sony Walkman today... What can I say, as expected it sounds better than the old player I have and better than the A&K Junior that scarred my hands for life :D Just waiting on some headphones now!
I'm finally getting back to you after a good month or so of listening to the ESW11's and to make it as short as possible to my ears they sound exactly the same as the es700's but I'm not very surprised as the 700's are a newer more refined model. That being said they don't sound bad at all, just not what you're paying for them. The cable is the same except the 3.5mm jack is straight and ergonomically they are very similar too except the cups are slightly larger because of the 53mm driver which makes them a lot more comfortable to wear though, I can actually go a while without noticing them. The wooden back I feel doesn't contribute that much to the sound and is there more for the aesthetics and noise cancelling is even worse if there even is any, I mean I literally can hear everyone but on the other hand no one can really hear what I'm listening to so I suppose in that sense they're kinda cool! In my experience I found that listening to them during a quiet night while I'm having a walk is where they shine. If I had to really compare the two headphones I'd say the bass of the ESW11's a touch more rolled off and the highs can still be sharp.
I realize that you don't test many wireless portable headphones. Will you consider o do more of those as Bluetooth technology is picking up and many manufactures start producing high end wireless headphones now? (B&W P5 and P7 Wireless, Master & Dynamic MW50 & MW60, B&O H9, etc)
Saw Audeze SINE at minidisc, it's also an on-ear and it's planar at around the same price range as that Audio Technica, maybe it's the better pick. Great build, impressive sound.
I think I mentioned this in my Oppo PM3 review, but I don't like the Audeze Sine. I've demoed it many times because it's such a sleek product, but I always come away with the opinion that the treble is too harsh. You can fix this a little by using the Cipher lightning cable which has a in-build 3dB bass boost and EQ functions, but the whole thing is too expensive and ties you down to your iPhone. I prefer the PM3, 990H and T51P over the Sine.
metring073 I've read iSine's description on how it sounds and its nowhere near how Lachlan described it, for people who care more for this specific kind of signature (like I am) this is quite interesting
How would it compare to the ES700 on sound (as far as you remember)? I have one of those, which I made wearable by replacing the pads with the leather ones from the ATH-ESW9. It would seem that the same issues apply, apart from the non-removable cable.
I really adore Audio Techincas wooden headphone lineup for their looks (also AT-HA5000 headphone amplifier), but all of them have some design choices that make them just show pieces because you don't want to use them. Like ATH-W5000's 3D wing "headband" that makes them too loose on your head which suck since those cans are not that cheap for design element use..
I was about to ask if you had listened the W3000ANV! Those are the most gorgeous wooden cups I've ever seen, and the sound can definitely be described as 'euphonic'. I love mine! :)
MA900, surprisingly that one is the most non fatiguing on some poorly mastered music while still sounding very natural on acoustic. It has forward mids but not too intimate as well.
This review got me a bit nostalgic with your old reviews of AT portables -- so-so in their physical aspect, but you end up being charmed by them with their sound. I still think the ES88 is a cool headphone despite never actually touching one. I'm surprised you still haven't gotten into 2D idol music. They're quite like how you describe K-pop, in which some singles/albums can have weird genre mood whiplash. Don't recommend it though, as it's delving into weebness levels of point of no return.
+lachlanlikesathing Sure. The OPs and EDs do contrast (like Utauyo!! MIRACLE and NO, Thank You!) but their main songs are still usually around the rock genre. It's not quite like a hop between a genki girl song to an edgy yandere song or switching from a Disney-esque to metal to ballad genre change within a single/album like some Love Live or iDOLM@STER stuff...
Cut your hair mate. For the Audiotecnica I have been a huge fan in the past living on/off Japan and the latest models starting from the msr7 peels off only after few months of use and not only the ear cups but the headband and that cannot be replaced. My headphones I have 3 audiotecnica look all 3 awful but they do sound good. For headphones over 300AUD this simply is not acceptable.
Lt. Nimitz The same happen to my M40x, I use a wool headband cover to cover it all up, changed the headband to Yaxi, I like it better now, feels more like its "mine"
![[UNCUT]"ทนายตั้ม" แฉยับ! ความลับสวรรค์ ใครคือ "บิ๊กเทวดา" ของบอสพอล l คนดังนั่งเคลียร์ l 15 ต.ค. 67](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/ru9fpSaUwdA/mqdefault.jpg)
"So this review is going to consist mostly of me complaining [...] before telling you why I love it and there will be a brief interlude into kpop" I like that 😂
Sounds like my girlfriend that i dont have.
lol "look ffffffffff-gorgeous" Lachlan 2017
another solid video champ
Just saw the album art for ghibli jazz 1 & 2 💕💕
Also great video!
I have the Thinksound On 2 portable wooden earcup headphones from Massdrop & for the price they are terrific.
this serires is audio technica's best kept secret ... i have had headphones in the multiple thousands and i still come back to my ESW headphones for general listing and carying around. listen to anything .. good bad ugly fantastic. is all digestible and any song that i love to listen to .. these headphones always translate the thing im looking for
Really enjoyable video :) Would love to get a set of thinksound On2 over to you for review. Really nice on-ear with surprisingly good comfort and sound that bats well above it's price point. I'm thinking it would be right up your alley.
Do you think that this pair is still worth 300 USD, now days?
Hi i have a question for you. It is off topic but i think that is not a problem.
What do you say about the SoundCloud struggle and that some people say it is about to die?
Have a Nice day and greetings from Germany.
What is the difference between the ATH-ESW990 and the ATH-ESW990H? Because in Amazon Japan the price is quite different between the two. The ATH-ESW990H costs 61,756 yen, while the ATH-ESW990 costs 34,380 yen.
I'm not too sure, but I suspect that H stands for headset since smartphone mics are not too popular on headphones (so I've been told). Usually its considered rude to take calls in public places?
I did really enjoy them when I tried them at Minidisc, what really stood out to was not sound though, I was the lovely attention to detail on the headphone itself. However, I don't really like on-ear headphones, so it not something that I would ever recommend.
Thanks for the review! Could you say how they compare to the ES-700 you tested a few years ago? You said that although the ES-700 is lower speck (or so we'd think) compared to the ES10, they sounded more flat and punchy if I recall correctly. The thing is, I already have the ES-700 and because the rest of the models are only sold in japan I have to get them imported. This makes the prices very misleading. For example I purchased the ES-700 for £70 but:
the ESW-950 goes for £290
the ESW-990 goes for £250 and
the ESW11 goes for £220
So for the price, could you say for which out of the 3 would you go for? I'm very conflicted XD
Hmm, thats tough. It's been a very long time since I've heard the ES700. But I suspect the ES700 is not as bassy as the 990 and has more forward mids. I'm not sure, but i think the 950 and the 990 might be the same thing. Check if one is imported. The ESW11 should be much rarer - I have no idea how it sounds, but it should have been a limited edition. Would you be able to tell me where you can get the 11 for that price? I'm kind of interested!
I suspected as much so I purchased the ESW11 afraid of someone snatching it from me as it was the last pair sold. I searched on EBAY but as I said, it's really hard to find these models in England and from time to time I look online and happen to find some nice deals. The ES700 wasn't available for purchase in the UK when I bought them and when they came out they were retailing for £200 even though I bought them new form Japan for £70. So I can only really suggest to keep a lookout for the ESW11. I am also purchasing a Sony NW-A35 Walkman tomorrow as I can get it on a discount where I work (and if I recall correctly you had the same one as a daily) as my old player died... The ES700 were extremely punchy if I cranked the bass up with my portable amp to the point where they would rattle a bit uncomfortably on my ears but the bass was still nice, clear, separated and punchy! Which I really liked about them, but at times the treble was a bit harsh. So now that I'll have both of them and the Sony Walkman I'll try and give you a review for comparison.
This is getting a bit long and out of topic but I'd like to mention that I tried the A&K Junior after my old and fairly low end PHILIPS SA060308SA which died and kind of struggled to get the 42hm ES700 to good volume. I paired it with a fairly overkill Fiio E12 portable amp and it sounded so much better to me than the A&K Junior for it's price. It was overall a pretty crap MP3 player as it was Touchscreen and 8 years old (so very slow, unresponsive and dim). I can now find them for around £10 XD! The thing is, I like to listen to jazz ,country and song that are primarily vocal with less instruments when I want to relax and the A&K kind of beats it at that. But most of the time I like to listen to Rock, Metal, Electronic, or some sort of mixture of those and the A&K sounded very distorted when there was punchy bass and actually was very uncomfortable to listen to (kind of a lacklustre), too flat if I may. So as weird as it sounds, if you can get a Philips Go Gear Touchscreen SA060308SA and pair it with a Fiio E12 and the ATH ES700 DO SO! XD The only thing I did was set the EQ on the Philips to Jazz as that made the sound smoother, the high and low end sound more separated. I'd be willing to pay people to try the combo out even though it has its also serious flaws. Maybe it'll make a good 1st of April video as the internet kind of knows you as a more high end reviewer.
Anyway, thanks again for the review! :) I should get the headphones delivered in a bout a week and I'll give you my impressions of it!
Sure! Lemme know how it goes! You might also want to double check whether its genuine or not. I was interested after your comment so I had a read. There may be fake ESW11's floating around, so double check :3
You could be right, I'll open them up and see! Usually there should be a product code or something to indicate that it was made by ATH on the drivers. And I received the Sony Walkman today... What can I say, as expected it sounds better than the old player I have and better than the A&K Junior that scarred my hands for life :D Just waiting on some headphones now!
I'm finally getting back to you after a good month or so of listening to the ESW11's and to make it as short as possible to my ears they sound exactly the same as the es700's but I'm not very surprised as the 700's are a newer more refined model. That being said they don't sound bad at all, just not what you're paying for them. The cable is the same except the 3.5mm jack is straight and ergonomically they are very similar too except the cups are slightly larger because of the 53mm driver which makes them a lot more comfortable to wear though, I can actually go a while without noticing them. The wooden back I feel doesn't contribute that much to the sound and is there more for the aesthetics and noise cancelling is even worse if there even is any, I mean I literally can hear everyone but on the other hand no one can really hear what I'm listening to so I suppose in that sense they're kinda cool! In my experience I found that listening to them during a quiet night while I'm having a walk is where they shine. If I had to really compare the two headphones I'd say the bass of the ESW11's a touch more rolled off and the highs can still be sharp.
For me, I think that less isolation is more ideal for a portable, unless you want to be a bowling pin on the road.
I realize that you don't test many wireless portable headphones. Will you consider o do more of those as Bluetooth technology is picking up and many manufactures start producing high end wireless headphones now? (B&W P5 and P7 Wireless, Master & Dynamic MW50 & MW60, B&O H9, etc)
+Clive Wong I would, but they are all fairly expensive!
i have around 300 australian $$. so stuck on what headphones i should buy.any recomendations
how does it compare to the M70X?
How do they compare to its predecessor: the ESW9?
Hopefully someone who owns both can chime in here...
Saw Audeze SINE at minidisc, it's also an on-ear and it's planar at around the same price range as that Audio Technica, maybe it's the better pick. Great build, impressive sound.
I think I mentioned this in my Oppo PM3 review, but I don't like the Audeze Sine. I've demoed it many times because it's such a sleek product, but I always come away with the opinion that the treble is too harsh. You can fix this a little by using the Cipher lightning cable which has a in-build 3dB bass boost and EQ functions, but the whole thing is too expensive and ties you down to your iPhone. I prefer the PM3, 990H and T51P over the Sine.
metring073 I've read iSine's description on how it sounds and its nowhere near how Lachlan described it, for people who care more for this specific kind of signature (like I am) this is quite interesting
Sound reminded me of dynamic 7506 which I have ( around 4X cheaper ) but just more resolving in every way.
Have you tried BeoPlay H8? Any idea how do they compare with these?
How would it compare to the ES700 on sound (as far as you remember)? I have one of those, which I made wearable by replacing the pads with the leather ones from the ATH-ESW9. It would seem that the same issues apply, apart from the non-removable cable.
+Eric de Redelijkheid I don't remember the ES700 being quite so bassy, but I could be wrong...
I really adore Audio Techincas wooden headphone lineup for their looks (also AT-HA5000 headphone amplifier), but all of them have some design choices that make them just show pieces because you don't want to use them. Like ATH-W5000's 3D wing "headband" that makes them too loose on your head which suck since those cans are not that cheap for design element use..
really miss your close up view of the headphone in this video... If the wood is as good as you say, share it with all of us!
I tried ESW9 long time ago....love it so much, everything expect it's not comfortable on ear
Hey Lachlan, what are some of your favorite wooden headphones?
I rather liked the W3000ANV when I heard it. The Fostex TH610 is rather wonderful. I've loved some of the JVC in-ear woodies that I've tried.
lachlanlikesathing Have you ever tried the Massdrop Fostex TH-XX series headphones?
lachlanlikesathing a good entry lvl woodies IEM (at least on the outside) will be Meze 12
I was about to ask if you had listened the W3000ANV! Those are the most gorgeous wooden cups I've ever seen, and the sound can definitely be described as 'euphonic'. I love mine! :)
How do they compare with the sennheiser momentum 2.0 none wireless ?
Have Yu listened to the audeze sine? I think the sound great but can't wear them for any longer than two songs very uncomfortable like most audeze..
+Mr2pint I don't really like the Sine, I find the treble too harsh. Had a few demos and always was interested since its such a sleek product.
Yes they need EQ and scale really well with the app provided - but the lack of comfort stopped me from buying..
If you're at it , any recommandation on over-ear headphones in the $250-$350 USD range "for kpop" ? Preferably without earpain
Targa Kim oppo pm3
Targa Kim since kpop especially female vocals have such high vocal range I recommend audio technica msr7
MA900, surprisingly that one is the most non fatiguing on some poorly mastered music while still sounding very natural on acoustic. It has forward mids but not too intimate as well.
lol since when does K Pop require special headphones??
Love those Discworld novels!
can i know that model no of that sony lcd tv on your background
I wanna buy it. When i tried this headphone i was moved. High quolity and lovely ear cup.
I have the Thinksound On 2 wooden earcup headphones from Massdrop and they are terrific.
So did you keep them?
Yes, I still have them!
Any comments how it sounds vs ES10?
Hi can you please do a review on the Audio Technica ATH-DSR9BT & the Bragi Dash Pro Thanks !
I'm waiting to hear a demo of the DSR9 before slapping the cash down, but I'm definitely keen.
cool waiting with bells on !
This review got me a bit nostalgic with your old reviews of AT portables -- so-so in their physical aspect, but you end up being charmed by them with their sound. I still think the ES88 is a cool headphone despite never actually touching one.
I'm surprised you still haven't gotten into 2D idol music. They're quite like how you describe K-pop, in which some singles/albums can have weird genre mood whiplash. Don't recommend it though, as it's delving into weebness levels of point of no return.
+Rohan Espada Does k-on count?
+lachlanlikesathing Sure. The OPs and EDs do contrast (like Utauyo!! MIRACLE and NO, Thank You!) but their main songs are still usually around the rock genre. It's not quite like a hop between a genki girl song to an edgy yandere song or switching from a Disney-esque to metal to ballad genre change within a single/album like some Love Live or iDOLM@STER stuff...
Once again I am reminded to watch Love Live.
You kinda don't have to, a good bulk of the songs are not in the anime. I got into it due to some mobile game...
Thinksound looks prettier
How do you manage to get your now extra long hair out of the way when putting headphones on? 😂
+Kit Hoong Tan a girl must have her secrets
Im a masochist though
Very mediocre review. Doesn’t even mention the type of detachable connection of the cable. Wastes time on stupid details we don’t care about.
Cut your hair mate. For the Audiotecnica I have been a huge fan in the past living on/off Japan and the latest models starting from the msr7 peels off only after few months of use and not only the ear cups but the headband and that cannot be replaced. My headphones I have 3 audiotecnica look all 3 awful but they do sound good. For headphones over 300AUD this simply is not acceptable.
Lt. Nimitz The same happen to my M40x, I use a wool headband cover to cover it all up, changed the headband to Yaxi, I like it better now, feels more like its "mine"
Kpop? Lol
second