Let me start off by saying that I am NOT an audiophile. I was trying to find a pair of quality headphones for my wife who is a talented musician. I read numerous headphone reviews and couldn’t understand any of the lingo used like “colorful, v-shaped, flat, rich, neutral,” etc. So for the purposes of this review I will be writing it for other non-audiophiles in plain English words that everyone can understand.
First let me give you the conclusions up front:
THE GOOD:
1. Reasonable price
2. Good (not great) construction
3. Light weight
4. Large earcups
5. Good noise isolation
6. Very neutral sound (more on this below)
THE BAD:
1. More plastic than metal
2. Boring design
3. Don’t fold
4. Very neutral sound (read below)
5. Low volume (see below)
In comparison to the famed M50X, these are the more “premium” headphones. The earcups are larger that fit AROUND your ears for a better seal rather than OVER your ears like the M50x. You’d be forgiven for buying these thinking these are the more expensive and better sounding siblings. Rather, they’re more like cousins. The two are completely different products for completely different needs. You SHOULD NOT UPGRADE from the M50x to the M70x expecting to get better sounding headphones (you will be disappointed), rather you should buy these if you NEED studio headphones. I made the mistake of buying the M50x and then buying the M70x thinking they were better. I did a lot of testing between the two and found the sound they are indeed very different with different characteristics geared to the user with different needs.
If you want nice everyday headphones for music listening and enjoyment, DON’T BUY THESE. These are NOT for everyday use at home, in the subway, etc. You would be disappointed with the sound. The M50x is geared for this purpose, it’s tuned with good (but not overbearing) bass, discernible highs and mids for a beautiful listening experience for a number of music types. The M70X is extremely flat and neutral. Other reviews I read state as much also but I didn’t understand what this meant this until I started comparing them. Compared to the M50x, the M70x lack bass, the treble and mids are not as crisp or clear, and the volume of the headphones are extremely low for the same given source volume.
While these qualities made them sound like they’re bad headphones for the price, it helps to understand that they were built this way for the discerning professional who makes music. You don’t want extra strong bass hits or shrieking highs when recording or mixing music. Rather you want flat sounds that’s unmodified so you can be closer to the source material. Other consumer headphones like Bose Quietcomfort, Sony MDX, and the M50x are all consumer headphones that have been tuned at the factory to deliver a bassy, punchy, and poppy sound for enjoyment. They may sound better, but it’s not the source material, rather it's a modified and tuned sound.
The M70x was designed to be studio headphones, they don’t fold for travel, they’re lighter weight than the M50x for long work sessions, and they’re not designed to be flashy. They’re for the working professional. Even the low sound volume is designed for use with a professional DAC and strong amplifiers so that they blow out the headphones. However for studio headphones, these are superb fro the price.
So if you are looking for good headphones, be wary of what you intend to use them for. If you want to be bopping to beats on the subway or your commute, skip these for the M50x. If you’re an at home musician looking to record and mix music for professional work, then these are for you!
| 商品尺寸 | 10.41 x 28.96 x 25.4 cm; 280 克 |
|---|---|
| 产品颜色 | 黑色 |
| 制造商 | オーディオテクニカ |
| 型号 | AUD ATHM70X |
| 商品重量 | 280 g |
