A New Flagship from Audio-Technica: ATH-ADX7000 Evaluate

Audio-Technica has lengthy been recognized to provide studio headphones in each worth vary. The M50x is a traditional for monitoring and studio recording, whereas the R70x is a good companion for engineers who want a great open-back for mixing. Taking issues into the audiophile sphere, there are just a few completely different fashions that Audio-Technica has produced to provide individuals the very best high quality of sound. 

The ADX5000 has lengthy reigned as the highest open-back flagship from the corporate, however now they’ve launched the ATH-ADX7000. This headphone retails for $3,499 and affords some technological upgrades to reinforce the listening expertise. May this take the highest spot in Audio-Technica’s headphone lineup? Or does the ADX5000 nonetheless supply the most effective worth? We’ll dive into all the small print on this evaluate. 

Audio-Technica makes certain the ADX7000 is a step above the ADX5000 with elevated expertise within the driver system. They implement HXDT molding to make sure rounding within the 58m diaphragm. Whereas the ADX5000 and ADX3000 have the identical Core Mounting Know-how, the HXDT diaphragm means that you can line up the facilities of the baffle plate and voice coil with extra precision than the others. Sonically, you may see this translate to specific element within the instrument replica. The ADX7000 has extra pure sound replica that shall be extra precisely positioned within the stereo discipline to provide a extra detailed and practical image of observe components. 

• ADX7000 Worth: $3,499.00
• Weight: 275g
• Driver Kind: Dynamic HXDT
• HXDT: Sure
• Driver Dimension: 58mm
• Magnet Circuit: Non-directional Electromagnetic Metal
• Core Mount Know-how: Sure
• Sensitivity: 100dB/mW
• Headpad Materials: Velvet + Alcantara
• Earpad Materials: 2 units; Velvet and Alcantara
• Arm Materials: Magnesium alloy
• Body: Magnesium alloy
• Housing Materials: Aluminum
• Frequency Response: 5Hz to 50kHz
• Impedance: 490 Ω

SOUNDSTAGE & IMAGING

The very first thing you discover with the ADX7000 is the impressively large soundstage. You get glorious horizontal area that has distinct separation of devices. Vertically, the headphones do not offer you an excessive amount of peak, however you do get a sensible sense of depth to make you immersed in your listening. The sound replica stays pure and practical to be the reference headphone Audio-Technica advertises this to be. Dynamics are sharp and detailed, sustaining readability throughout the sound signature. I appreciated the distinct placement for devices throughout the stereo discipline, increasing in depth and peak, so you can also make an correct image out of all the weather.

The sound signature as an entire is pretty balanced. As talked about beforehand, it lies flat and impartial, and devices have pure timbres that make them good for reference sound. At instances, some frequencies can bounce out to assault greater than others, but it surely is not overwhelming to make the sound signature overly intense. One factor to notice in regards to the ADX7000 is that it takes fairly a little bit of energy to drive and get the complete extent of the sound signature. I paired it with just a few completely different amplifiers for my check listening; my favorites included the Chord HUGO 2 and the FiiO K13 R2R. Their clean signatures paired effectively with the precision of the ADX7000 to steadiness all the pieces to be a impartial discipline for any engineer to begin engaged on. 

BASS FREQUENCIES

The bass frequencies within the ADX7000 had been punchy and powerful. This vary had a stronger response than I might count on from an open-back like this, the place I might count on the low finish to lose energy and fade into the background. Even with an intense quantity of element coming from the treble, I used to be excited to listen to the bass are available with depth and physique to take up area in that low finish. It was a pleasant basis for all the pieces to construct up from, all of the whereas staying separate from different ranges. The assault and punch from the low finish come by means of excellently in driving genres like EDM or rock. In additional mellow genres, like jazz or R&B, the bass matches vitality and turns into a clean factor to assist with the move of the observe. I used to be impressed with the element that got here throughout in each observe; no washiness or muddiness appeared in any of my listening. Even with some bass boosting filters turned on, I used to be in a position to get extra element and power from the low finish as a substitute of overpowering sound. 

MIDRANGE FREQUENCIES

What I discovered actually unimaginable within the ADX7000 is how clear the midrange is. You get excessive quantities of element that make the vary really feel nearly invisible, however there’s nonetheless spectacular element that comes ahead in each observe. Every particular person instrument is heard with the utmost readability, they usually every have excellently reproduced pure sound. Vocals had been the spotlight of any observe with the best way they got here up from and heart. It was like they had been lifeless heart and had been singing proper in entrance of you, whereas all the pieces else filtered behind. This placement made the depth of the soundstage come out extra noticeably, and the separation of devices was extra current as effectively. 

I discovered that ensuring you had the proper amplifier with the ADX7000 made all of the distinction, and you’ll inform if the amplifier is an effective pairing by the best way the midrange sounds. In my testing, amplifiers that had been constructed for simple portability didn’t drive the ADX7000 in addition to it may, so the midrange sounded hole and paper-thin. In additional highly effective, desktop amplifiers, you get a full sound with extra rounded out element that brings higher steadiness to the signature. 

TREBLE FREQUENCIES

Rounding out the ADX7000’s signature are the treble frequencies. I used to be nervous that this vary could be very sharp and overly detailed to a fault, attempting to emphasise the readability of a reference headphone an excessive amount of. I used to be pleasantly shocked to search out out that this was not the case. The treble has a number of exact element and sweeping readability, but it surely additionally leaves area to ensure you hear these frequencies ring out. I used to be a fan of how open the highest finish sounded, which is an ideal high quality to have in an ‘open-air’ headphone. The ADX7000 leaves loads of area for reverbs and room tones to stay, which additional emphasizes the immersive high quality of this headphone. I used to be undoubtedly a fan of how this vary was in a position to sweep by means of the signature as an entire, bringing a formidable quantity of element to the bass and midrange simply as a lot as on the high. This area within the high finish was a wonderful steadiness to the bass response, the place it was very current however not overpowering to be the whole thing of the sound signature. 

The true query everyone seems to be asking is that this: how does the ADX7000 evaluate to earlier fashions? It is simple to suppose there is not a lot distinction due to their aesthetic similarities, however really, there are fairly just a few variations in these headphones. Taking a look at specs on paper, you may see that the ADX7000 has the very best impedance at 490 Ω in comparison with the opposite two. All of them have the identical frequency responses and sensitivities. Moreover, the ADX7000 is provided with an elevated model of the dynamic driver, the HXDT Dynamic, which we had mentioned earlier. 

Sonically, I discovered there to be probably the most similarities between the ADX7000 and the ADX5000. As a result of they each took a higher quantity of energy to drive, it was simple to listen to how their midranges benefited from extra energy. They’d related element and accuracy of their soundstages, however the ADX7000 had barely higher placement to make it sound extra practical. The ADX5000, and the ADX3000 for that matter, didn’t have the identical highly effective bass because the ADX7000. It was extra delicate and fell into the background of the sound signature, whereas the ADX7000 offered an equally highly effective low finish because the highs. 

In comparison with different non-Audio-Technica headphones, I can see this headphone impressing in bass response greater than others. If you happen to’re a fan of the element within the Sennheiser HD 800 S however want there was extra bass, the ADX7000 is a good way to search out what you might be lacking. Different headphones just like the Meze Elite or the Audeze LCD-4z have related highly effective low ends, however they do not have the identical frontal readability coming from the midrange. They sit as extra enjoyable headphones for leisure, greater than the studio function that Audio-Technica had in thoughts for the ADX7000.