( 7 reviews )
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Posted: 06-02-2009
I have a of hobby collecting headphones, and I've recently began reviewing the ones in my collection. I constructed a simple six-song test and rating system, where a score of 0 - 2 is abysmal, 2.1 - 4 is poor, 4.1 - 6 is mediocre, 6.1 - 8 is above average, and 8.1 - 10 is excellent. I selected songs from a variety of genres. The songs were "The Chain" by Fleetwood Mac, "Every Planet We Reach is Dead" by Gorillaz, "Concerto Grosso no. 26 in D Major" by Handel, "I Know You Are, But What Am I?" by Mogwai, "Afro Blue" by Triplexity, and "The Patient" by Tool. All songs were encoded in Ogg Vorbis at 192 kbps or higher, and I listened to them on an iAudio 7 with all sound effects turned off and the equalizer set to flat. Sound Quality(9.2/10) The Chain(9/10) - bass, mid tones, and treble are all flat and evenly reproduced. The bass is crisp and punchy, but not exaggerated. The sound stage is good, although not incredible. Instrument separation is clear and vivid. Every Planet(10/10) - lows in this song are deep and responsive, but smooth and even at the same time. Mids and highs are also impressively vivid. The sound stage is moderately large, and instrument separation is fantastic. Concerto(10/10) - the sound in this song is very flat and smooth over all frequencies(which I like, especially for classical). Instrument separation is crisp and clear. The sound stage is not huge, but pleasantly broad. I Know You Are(9/10) - lows are nice and deep. Mids are rich and vivid. Highs are crisp and clear. The instrument separation is also very clear. Sound stage is definitely good, but not as amazing as other headphones in this price range. Afro Blue(9/10) - the bass in this song is impressively low and punchy, but again, not exaggerated. Mids and highs are clean and even. Instrument separation is fantastic. The sound stage on this song wasn't as broad as I would like, but not bad. The Patient(8/10) - music was evenly reproduced over all frequencies. Bass and mid tones were vivid, and highs were clean and clear. Instrument separation is also good. The sound stage, as before, is decent but not overly great. While this song sounded very good over the Audio Technicas, it was somewhat lacking in aggressiveness and intensity. Overall Sound(9.2/10) - the Audio Technica ATH-D40fs sounded very smooth and balanced overall with clean, deep bass, vivid mid tones, and clear highs. Instrument separation was fantastic. The only complaint I have regarding sound quality was the sound stage, which was somewhat lackluster at times. Design(3/10) - these headphones were comfortable to wear, if a bit heavy. I could listen to them for hours on end with little fatigue. While not particularly stylish, they exuded a sense a professionalism that is missing in most headphones. I give them such a low rating in design because they broke shortly after I bought them. I take good care of my headphones, but not long after I began listening to them, the left speaker would stop playing music intermittently, which leads me to believe there was a short somewhere in the internal assembly(I never actually found one in the headphone cable). Noise Isolation(7/10) - while not the best noise isolation I've ever experienced from a pair of headphone(that award would go to one of the various IEMs I've listened to), these were quite good. I estimate they blocked around 10 - 12 DB of ambient noise along the entire range of audible frequencies. Bottom Line(6/10) - I would like to give these headphones an 8 or 9. The sound quality was fantastic for sealed headphones at this price range, and almost everything else about them was good. Sadly, as I previously mentioned, the left speaker began behaving erratically shorty after I purchased them, and they had to be returned.
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Posted: 07-28-2008
The sound is very flat. i thought these headphones were for enhanced bass. Iwanted bass, these didn't supply. Pros: Very comfortable fit. 11 foot long cable Great for "studio" stylish light for its size single sided cable soft and comfortable padding everything is flat which might be good if you wanted Cons: Very bulky 11 foot long cable 1/4 inch plug Bass is not there, very flat not recommended/ideal for portable players Isn't very loud. Overall: If youre looking for STUDIO headphones, which give a true sound which is flat, this is the headphones for you. If youre looking for enhanced bass, look elsewhere.As studio headphones and listening to music, 5 stars. As headphones that is for enjoying music with great bass 2 stars.
