I’m definitely an audiophile, so you know I have to check out any pair of headphones that claims (in its name, no less) that they’re designed specifically for audiophiles. I’ve had experience using previous headphone designs from ATH (including the R70X), so I had to give the ATH-AD1000x headphones a try to see how they compare.
The Look
As with the R70X, the AD1000X headphones has an open-ear design that (in addition to making them very lightweight) allows you to see the drivers inside, which is pretty cool. Upon first glance, the headphones look incredibly similar – in fact, it took a bit of examining to start noticing the differences. The 1000X has a black driver, and there’s a silver Audio-Technica logo emblazoned on the exterior of the headphone cover. The frame of the headphones is constructed of plastic-covered magnesium and features rubber-coated suspension bars. There’s nothing particularly striking about these headphones, but they’re good-looking, overall.
The Feel
While the ear cups on the 1000X design are larger, they don’t fit over my ears the way the R70X phones do. The opening is a bit smaller, causing the ear pad to sit just on my ears rather than cupping over it. This wasn’t a problem – just a difference I noticed.
The ear pads are really firm, but they didn’t create discomfort when I wore them over a long period of time.
The coolest thing about the way the 1000Xs fit is that they utilize Audio-Technica’s signature 3D Wing system to keep them on your head. Two wings underneath the headphone band work to keep the phones in place on your head. I don’t wear glasses, but my friends who do swear by this in comparison to other headphone styles.
The Sound
In my opinion, the sound is where the ATH-AD1000X headphones really shine. In particular, I love the way the vocals of any track truly stand out and pop. If you love listening to music through headphones that make a track sound lifelike – as though the performer is right in the room with you – these are the headphones to choose.
High and mid sounds are absolutely amazing through these headphones, from the vocals to the acoustics. The only minor downside is that the bass isn’t particularly heavy, so these probably wouldn’t be the right headphones for those who are lovers of incredibly bass-heavy music. They do produce really tight, solid base, however, so I’m definitely not listing this as a huge downside for most music-lovers.
Are the Audio-Technica AD1000x Any Good?
I found that the open-air ear cup design, the unique 3D-wing headband system, their lightweight feel, and excellent sound quality definitely make the AD1000X headphones worth their price and put them right in line with other quality offerings from Audio-Technica. Some brands release new designs to a lot of hoopla, but the listening experience doesn’t live up to the hype. With what I’ve seen from the 1000X’s, I definitely can’t wait to try out other headphones from this brand.
For Classical music – simply recorded (in real stereo) they are excellent!
There’s even a bit of 3D depth, most of the time, and with real stereo (simple minimal miking) I can hear why I record that way.
I can hear what I could have done better, too!
I agree, been listening to more classical lately and really enjoying them.