Audio-Technica ATH-M70X Closed-Back Dynamic Professional Studio Monitor Headphones

As noted in my review of the ATH-MSR7, I expect a lot from headphones. As a kid, my family didn't share my affinity for classical music and film scores, so I got used to listening with headphones–first my Dad's Soundesigns, then eventually my own brand new Koss Pro4x. In the 32 years since, headphones have remained my preferred way to listen to music when I'm not socializing. I've simply grown to love the detail and intimacy headphones provide, which I've not experienced with speakers and amps costing tens of thousands of dollars. Since 2009, I've gotten progressively more interested in getting the best possible sound from both my home and portable gear. At home, I listen through the headphone jack of an Onkyo A/V Receiver (can't remember the model, sorry) that plays remarkably well with my favorite open back headphones, the Oppo PM-1, bringing just the right amount of high frequency presence and articulation to otherwise fairly lush cans. I love the sound, and have managed to set the EQ on my Astell & Kern AK100II to yield virtually the same sound, so I can enjoy it on the road, if need be.But it's rare when I take the PM-1 out of the house, despite being easily driven by portable devices–its open-back design simply isn't practical for noisy environments or hushed ones where others might not want to hear my music. So, I've been searching the past two years, fairly intensively, for the right closed back portable headphones. Many have been tried and rejected, more often than not because of poor build quality (creaking and microphonics drive me nuts, especially in expensive cans made with luxury materials, such as the B&W P7!) or unbalanced sound. I'm not a fan of bloated bass or sibilant or artificial-sounding treble. With Momentum (original, 2.0 and Wireless), HP50, M4U1, P7, AH-D600, MDR-1R, SRH1540, Crossfade M100, PM-3 and even Audio-Technica's own MSR7 having failed to strike the right balance, I was prepared to be disappointed by the ATH-M70x.Imagine my surprise, then, to find they are supremely comfortable with creak-free build quality! Period. I can wear them for hours and almost forget they're on my head. Don't get me wrong, they don't LOOK as premium or appear as well-finished as do the MSR7s, but in practice, they are far superior.Okay, so kudos to Audio-Technica on getting the build right! But have they, then, compromised on sound to keep the price down below $300 street? Not at all! Simply put, these are the flattest-sounding headphones I've used since my old Sony MDR-V6–deep, tight bass that's punchy when it's supposed to be, light and nimble when it's supposed to be; energetic mids in perfect balance between the bass and fast, detailed, non-fatiguing treble. Great soundstage, too! Almost as wide and deep as my admittedly not-so-well-imaged-for-open-backs PM-1s. Wow! I love the detailed, balanced sound these deliver. I'm sure I could EQ them to be a bit warmer, to match my PM-1s, but why when that's clearly not their intended purpose. I'll keep my Oppo PM-3 portable planars for when I need/want warmth on the go. But I have a feeling I won't be choosing them over these fantastic M70x very often.

When I first got these headphones in, I was a little taken back in a confused way...A little back story; I've been a tracking and live musician for years, but have only recently (1-2 years) gotten into engineering and producing on my own. So I am familiar with accurate (flat) sounding speakers, in-ear monitors, etc.. That being said, I didn't have a ton of experience with studio headphones since I have always used studio monitors 100% of the time, unless I'm actually the one tracking, then I use my in-ears or Ultra-phones for sound isolation.Anyway, I put these on the immediately the day I got them and was almost unsure on how I felt about them. I played every genre of music through them from Miles Davis stuff to Underoath, and everything in between. The thing I immediately noticed about them, however, was how intricate they are. I could truly pick out the finest detail of the music, from very very light snare drum ghost notes on a D'Angelo record to extremely buried guitar or keys parts on an Underoath track. However, I was still thinking that I was missing some low end, and that they were possibly a little to crisp for me. Since these are being used for listening to music 80% of the time, with the occasional accuracy check on mixes, I thought I would want something a little warmer.So after reading and watching a ton of reviews (most I had already read before picking up the M70x) I ordered a pair or M50x's. I will say, first impression, I didn't like them any more or less than the M70x's. I immediately noticed that the M50x's had a SLIGHT boost in the low end, a little boost in the highs, and a little dip in the mids, but overall I didn't think they were EXTREMELY different. After about an hour of listening to the M50x's, I went back to the M70x's for A/B purposes. That's when I immediately realized that (In my opinion) the M70x's are so much more accurate and clear. They aren't bloated in any way and each frequency range from the low low's to the highest of highs (that the human ear can hear that is) are very accurately reproduced. I felt that the M50x's are a little to thin in the mid frequency range, the highs don't seem as clear, and the lows (while more pronounced than the M70x's) where not as clear either. I then started listening to the same tracks back to back on each pair, and realized that the subtle parts I could pick out on the M70x's either weren't as clear, or just plain non-existent. I kept going back and forth between headphones on the same tracks and realized that each track was being represented WAY more accurately on the M70x's.All-in-all, just to be truthful, if I had purchased the M50x's first, I probably wouldn't have the same opinion about them as I do now and the differences are very subtle AT FIRST. And even with all that being said, I still think the M50x's live up to their reputation (for the most part). But these M70x's have opened my ears to so much detail in the music that I have been listening to for quite a while that I just don't think I could go back. It happened so quickly that I returned the M50x's the same day... I'm not a true believer in "burning in" headphones, so I hevnt gotten 100+ hours of use out of them. And I will say that It probably took a few days of listening and some comparing for me to notice how much I liked these headphones, but now I absolutely love listening to everything through them. They have really made me realize how bloated the bass is and how much mids are missing from most headphones out there.Oh and the M70x's are super comfortable, where as the M50x's squeeze your head pretty tight and after a while, can actually start to hurt. Design wise, I'd say they're about the same. Both are pretty classy looking with a basic, straight forward studio design.Last thing, I purchased a headphone amp for this and wound up returning it too. Both models really don't need that much power to run the drivers. Even from an iPad or an iPhone. They sounded about the same through the headphone amp as they did directly from whichever source I plugged them into.There may be better or same quality headphones out there for the price. But I am extremely happy with these M70x's.

Best sounding headphones I've ever owned (both pairs compared favorably with each other). I appreciate the flat frequency response because it's easy for me to customize my sound to my taste with an EQ, and the huge frequency response means they have very tight and detailed bass (my pairs of M50x's sound like a muddy mess is comparison), great mids, and crystal-clear highs. I personally noticed audio improvements for these when using audio sample rates above 48khz. Recommend at least 96khz to get the most out of them. They do have some build quality issues, but I've purchased them multiple times over more than a decade even at the high price because I can't go back to other headphones after using them. They are not made for rough handling, but I highly recommended for audio enthusiasts.

I'll get right to it:Pros: excellent, fairly balanced sound without the damn bass thumps - its a bit more accurate in the bass than most headphones. Cords and accessories provided are excellent for most consumer products, maybe some professional equipment too. Hardy case that, while not compact, does a good job in protecting the headphones and included accessories.Cons: Its monitoring headphones, so its going to be very flat. Again, bass-heads should steer away from this. Get some Beats or something else if you want more bass. Build quality for a product of this cost tier is extremely poor - some folks had theirs break in 2 months, mine in 4 years after a weak tug by the cord - yes, this is poor handling, but it shows that the m70x uses plastic and not other materials for the joints and swivels. I doubt I'll be buying AT in the future unless if they use fiberglass or metal in their designs.Not recommended.