For anyone wondering, the R70x is a HIGH IMPEDANCE headphone and it is something you'll need a headphone amplifier to run.

Spot on review of a forgotten headphone, one of the best headphone purchases I've ever made and one of my most reached for, its not leaving my collection, its so easy to listen to and so well balanced it makes any music enjoyable and one of the few i can listen to for hours. You can always tell when a reviewer likes a headphone when his smiling when reviewing it, glad you reviewed this headphone now the cats out of the bag !!!!!

If natural tonality is an important sound quality for you, then the R70x definitely deserves a listen. I don't mean natural as in neutral, they have more warmth than that. Not the last say in detail, but they make up for it by being easy to enjoy.

I just bought these and the HD6XX's as my first foray into nicer headphones, with the plan being to keep just one. I've been A/B testing them with my also new S.M.S.L M500 and I agree with some of this review however I don't think I value the same things in a headphone so have come to a somewhat different conclusion. I can't say if the detail is slightly better on the 6XX because it's very close and the build of the 6XX feels much more robust, I can say that for me the R70X wins out on all other fronts. Comfort, dynamics, overall accurate tonality, sound stage and "air" are all much better on the R70X. I admit to enjoying and having a much better speaker set up and the R70Xs have enough soundstage width and air, while also being ultra light, to imagine instrument placement in a room not unlike listening to speakers. The 6XX just sound like good headphones. It's actually a fantastic and unique experience with the R70X. With the vocals and the midbass boosted on the 6XX they are very pleasant to listen too and I actually prefer them when listening to this KZfaq video or a podcast but for music hands down the R70X. The R70X has a more natural, bigger more lively and more engaging sound while the 6XX has some nice midrange detail but the overall sound is dull and closed in in comparison. Definitely an exceptional addition to my music enjoyment and worth every penny.

I absolutely love the R70x, had em for a few years now, great workhorse. I found the instruments are well layered, and with some small eq adjustments it can definitely add a better sense of detail retrieval.

The R70x and the Hifiman Sundara are the two headphone bargains in the world today.....they can compete with big boys for a fraction of the cost.

I pulled the plug and ordered it yesterday @2024. Currently using HD58x. Looks like a good upgrade.

Man this reviewer has become the king of reviewers. Everything is perfect: tone of voice, speed, content…

r70x one of the most underrated headphones ever. The 3D wing system works so well in my head. By far the most comfortable headphones i own.. AD2000x is also one of the best headphones i've ever listened too (but change the pad to a brainwavz XL hyrid or XL velour, if you do buy one). Audio technica are just so bad at promoting their high end products. For the same price my AD2000x > my Ananda any day.

Owned them for almost 2 years now. I do notice the slight lack of detail as well, but what's interesting to me is that while the resulting "muddiness" is usually unpleasant with most other headphones, it's not the case with the R70x. The details are definitely there, but just not overly sharp/pronounced. They're a great pair for everyday tasks and casual music enjoyment, and I can listen to them for a whole day without feeling any ear fatigue (which I get very quickly on the WP900 that I absolutely love). Side note, the headphone output on the new MacBook Pro 14 and 16, though definitely not ideal, seems to have plenty of power to drive my pair of R70x. Pleasant surprise :3

If Sennheiser made the R70x as a new headphones in the HD600 series, people would have no problem saying they're an improvement and a true successor.

Thank you for this long awaited review, Resolve

I was waiting for this review from you for the longest time! As an auteur fan, this might be a great more cost saving alternative so I've been dying for this review.

I was looking into this headphone just yesterday, great timing! :D

man, everyone misses this, i need to know the earcup depth. nobody covers this.

this review gives me hope for k712 pro review one day

I changed the default earpads with BRAINWAVZ Hybrid memory foam, and they became way more confortable to use. The 2 main things i love about these cans, is the airness and the bass; is awesome punchy, precise and with a good extension.

I found these good unpicky easy listening headphones when I owned them, I dedicated them to VR duty at one point because they sounded the same off the dangling AUX as the big boy gear and the wings system let them easily fit over the VR headband without creating a pressure point.

Wow, I'm hearing things very differently. I have both the HD650 and the R70x. I don't hear any significant difference in soundstage width between the two. I hear the R70x as having better extended bass and slightly better dynamic punch than the HD650. Detail I'm not too confident in assessing (I think it needs a more trained ear than mine), but I can see how some give the edge to the HD650.

used these for years. build could be a little more solid and the 'wall of sound' quality is something I agree with but I love the soundstage and natural tonal response, and they're sensitive enough to be driven by a phone, iPod and some laptops with decent DACs if necessary. subjectively they're the least fatiguing headphone I've used so I always gravitate towards them

Bought these, they turned out deffective replaced them with hd650's and they were so uncomfortable I had to change the headphone position every 30 min because it was hurting the top of my head, returned them and got a new pair of the r70x's because they are so damn comfortable, good review tho :)

I found that replacing the factory pads with some large ones greatly improves the bass while also adding a little more soundstage and made them even more comfortable. This change made the headphones perfect for me. I used the BRAINWAVZ XL Micro Suede Memory Foam Earpads. For the amp I'm using Schitt's Asgard in high gain mode.

I use these to compose and mix my music on and the mixes translate very well onto other systems. You have me wanting to try the Sundara for the same purpose now.

with this rate of beard growth you'll be santa by christmas

Great review. I absolutely love these but your subjective criticisms were well rationalized and fair. I might have to finally check out the Sundara now though =)

If you go by Crinacle’s headphone ranking, these score the exact same A- with two stars as the HD600. The fact that the Sundara, for me a more pleasing sounding headphone scores B+ with two stars, is proof of how subjective rankings can be.

I got it for 170 USD used with a custom cable to boot and it has been quite the experience using it everyday; it was really the headphone for me! I am a tad sensitive to treble and I do appreciate how well balanced this headphone is that I am willing to sacrifice some detail I would have otherwise gotten from stuff like the Sundara (I did not jive with those headphones unfortunately) or the Senny's offerings (some feel spicier than others to my ears). What really sold me was the comfort of the headphone, as it feels really light to wear and is really nice to use if you have a smaller head (much less clamp than other headphones thanks to its design). Thanks for the video!

Anyone considering buying this headphone should run it balanced and in high gain. Doing this will yield significant improvements

Your impressions on these are exactly what I found too! They just sounded a bit undefined and not dynamic compared to many other headphones. I prefer the HD58X.

A "wall of sound" is what I get when I go to a concert and it's a really, really good night.

A match made in heaven with my Schiit Valhalla

I've never understood why some people don't like the sound of planar magnetics? The Sundara is so beautiful to listen to. I have it and I don't find the timbre that different from DD headphones.

Amazing headphones but no way to find replacement earpads directly from ATH. 🙃Anything else changes how they sound...

It all depends on your ears if you have no sensitive ears than any headphones will not suite you I am just bought ath m50 x bt2 and they are good for mixing I can even use blu tooth for mixing and walk around and they are accurate when I compared to speakers.

r70x is a lot more popular in Asian audiophile community (Audio Technica is a Japan company so "big surprise") After weeks of struggle, I pull the plug and bought it over HD600 And tbh, I love it very much. To the point I don't really look forward for any new update, it just might be my end game. It is a very "FLAT" sounding headphone, which might not be for everyone but the sound is easy to listen, the big sound stage and the lightness creating an immersion, and the vocal feels very "real" not pleasant, but "real" Music sounds like what the musician was aiming for, and I really love this kind of rawness. Its not an expensive headphone afterall, so I don't think anyone buying it will "regret" it It might not be your favorite like I do, but it is an objectively "good headphone" like a slight upgraded version of Hd560s, or an alternative of HD600 in my mind

Used these with yamaha pc2002 power amp through selector. Sounds good. Compared to 1990 and 1770 it has same qantity in bass as those, so Ive sold them in the end. Also I would not say they are not detailed. Also compared to modded hd800 they have same tonality, but hd 800 got more stage. So the downsides of r70x for me is trebble a bit sharp and soundstage is "medium". They are close to hd 650, but without "veiled" sound and it it plays music straight into head, without some "space" like hd 650 and hd800 have.

Hi Andrew, I want the chest hair 😍

Can confirm these are extremely comfortable to wear, but I do have a smaller head size with a finger in between the top and the wings. I wonder if anyone thinks I made a mistake for buying the r70x for mixing and audio production work (vs the Sennheiser HD 650 or 600).

Looking at it, seems the main reason you'd buy this over HD600/50/xx is a different fit. HD600 has this annoying habit of not quite sealing at the back of my jaw.

Hello and thanks for all your great work, I thoroughly enjoy wathing your reviews and value your opinion greatly and so I have a question, purches reccomandation if you will. I’m looking for an open sounding, wide, relaxing, a tad warm but not bassy headphone that is comfortable to wear. Not being comfortable would be a deal breaker since I want this headphone to serves as therapy after a long day of work :) I have mojo and I’m not willing to change that part of my setup. I’m not obsessed with details, too many times “too good headphone” revealed to me what I didn’t want to hear in a song I liked and made my exprience worse… I don’t want to judge recording, I want to enjoy music. I listen to electronic music, orchestral, enjoy chansones and some jazz and blues, but modern music also… I can find something in any genre that I like… one thing I noticed is I like vocals in general but prefer male opera and I have a special place in my heart for songs that have piano in them. This review of 70x sounded like a move to a right direction but I wanted to know if there is something that fits my description better, price not being a limiting factor before we start approachinh 1000$. As a reference point, and although its IEM, I enjoy FR of etymotic er2sr but would enjoy just a touch more low end, althoug etymotic er2xr is too much low end for me and gives me headaches… I would appreciate your help and sorry for a long post 🤗

Great, detailed review.

Crinacle describes the r70x with "excellent imaging", and that the hd650 are "pretty terrible at imaging", which is completely contradictory to what you've mentioned... help me out here please

Great review !!! Under 500 $ the Ollo s4x and Shure srh1840 are also good competitors.

THANK YOU LORD CRINACLE

I’m so torn between the Hifiman Sundara and the R70x. The Sundara definitely has an FR that I would prefer, but I’ve heard the R70x has slightly wider sound staging and imaging.

Criminally underrated headphone in my opinion.

Wouldn't the harmonic dyne zeus be a better option if you were looking for the soundstage the R70X has, but without compromising imaging and detail? The FR on it is much more fun-oriented but with EQ i think that would be a better value than this

Just curious why you'd wear a hat under the phones? Good info/vid

Can you please review the Shure 1540 and Neumann NDH20? Why? Because your reviews are trusted, informative and enjoyable to comprehend.

A few years ago I made a few tracks using these headphones, not knowing about headphone impedance, needing an amplifier. In spite of just producing them just via Macbook headphone jack, I made some really good music. Now I'm rebuying them, and I'm getting a Mojo 2. I wanna know what they can really do. Cause they were good just through a headphone jack, I can't even imagine what they would be like properly amplified.

This vs DT900 pro x, which would be the best for competitive pc gaming? I need the best footstep monitoring in games and low gunshot volume which doesnt hurt my ears (because almost all the headsets i have used have very loud gunshots and footsteps gets overshadowed by gunshots)

Are these worth buying if i can get them for 240$? Because after watching this video it seems like these aren't too great huh...

Why it's seems so hard to make a headphone with a frequency response that matches as close as possible the Fletcher and Munson curve? I'm no expert in audio engineering to this levels but Considered that each of us actually hears the sound in a unique way i would analyze a reasonable sample of people's hearing frequency response, calculate an average and then build an headphone that matches that average, adapted to the fletcher and munson curve. Is it possible? Why even 6000 bucks headphones lack in something?

Did he just say they don't feel premium? Bro they're an all metal construction with velour pads and yet still just 210g. What are you talking about?????

I would appreciate a review of the Philips Fidelio X2. If you even go to that budget range.

Sivga 023 has better imaging , separation, detailing?.. maybe not as wide?.. Maybe so 023 might be better if you want that.. ?

Hey a bit unrelated to the video but wondering if you have more updated thoughts on adx5000 vs 800s? Thoughts on the whole fiasco of low sn 800/high sn 800/800 sdrs/800s?

Hey @Resolve great review. If the HD800 are a 10 out of 10 in soundstage (they are), what score would you give these?

I tried them and had to return them right away because they don't fit my huge head, unfortunately. The bottom of the earpads always end up not touching my head completely or equally as the other part of the earpads.

I only wish R70x had better earpads, it's so close to greatness.

birds fighting and chest hair? sign me up! I love the sense of humor!

Has anyone found earpads that don't change the sound character for these? Can't find official Audio Technica replacements earpads for them anywhere!

Lmao I didn't expect your silly joke after the intro

Great breakdown, love separating objective from objective. The EV RE20 mic kind of clues me in on your opinion of what makes a “balanced sound” as well. Thank you

00:35 Totally unexpected from you...and totally hilarious! 😄

Those guys never used the studio equipment, what they say is really not accurate. it is like a musician talking with the musicians and sometimes their idea about music so narrow. those sound targets are very relevant. R70x is a great studio headphone, many ways better than hd600

I tune in for the chest hair!

Use these every day while working.

i like superlux hd668b but its very fragile n broken now after 4 years used.. the R70x is similliar sound signature? or any option to change my 668b.. thx for help🙏

Is this headphone a good choice if you have a large head. 7 3/4 hat size fyi. If not this one what about some other suggestions

Just asking: will this support any 3.5mm to 4.4mm balanced replacement cable?

I think its a better can than the HD6 series tbh

so are audio interfaces good enough AMPS for these headphones? I have the Zoom UAC-2

R70 vs dt 900 pro x?

I’m here for the chest hair

I think most people purchasing headphones in the sub $350 range for regular listening (music amateurs) can not discern fine differences in detail retrieval and instrument separation. So that's not important to them. What's more important is looks, tonality, comfort, and soundstage. But i agree that after eqing a larger bass shelf then Sundara > r70x

All I have is Asus Tuf 5790 plus onboard sound and an old Asus Xonar U3 USB card....what should I get for my ATH-R70x? It will mainly be used for gaming.

Great review

really enjoyed this one 👍

The wings are in their history.

Andrew please share your Arya Eq profile

Guess the honeymoon period is off for me. Initially i loved the r70x. Better bass and treble extension than my 6xx. But as i listened to it more and more it wasnt just on the same field as 6xx fidelity wise. Bass is honeslty flabby. Midrange is ok. Less warm than 6xx. But the treble is just rough, untextured and grainy as hell. Tonality is spot on but ultimately for me its a dissapointing set of cans. I also have tge dt 880 600 ohm which is absolutely fabulous as far as grain free, clean sound goes. But its tonality is just too sharp for some, me included.

R70x is far better than HD 650...

Hey resolve please review the k702

it's cost around $200 here in indonesia, no brainer!

Really chest hair joke LOL andrew !!!

How is this compared to the HarmonicDyne Zeus? From what I heard that headphone is also wide and detailed and quite punchy, though it is mid bass focused.

I'm looking for something with wide soundstage, which none of my current headphones really have. Which would be the better option, the R70x or the AKG K712? Any suggestion is highly appreciated.

I can get this new for around 200$ here. Do you think it has better value than around 300$ used hd650? Have you tried running both from portable amps like Topping NX7?

I just realised the ananda was removed from the recommended list, what were the reasons? Is it bad/worse than the Sundara? Thank you

Please Review new Apos caspian ❤️

What does it mean by scales ? And is it a good thing ?

You can consider going bald and having some of that Walter White vibe. Should look really cool.

Would these be a viable upgrade from my ATH900X? I love these things had em for years and struggle to find good replacements this doesn't seem that different.

Does it have a removable cord? Does it have Bluetooth? Thanks

What would be a good pick for blues(-rock), classic rock, acoustic, bossa nova, and some jazzy tunes? r70x, 650, or... ?

I can't get my head around this notion that dynamic drivers sound more natural than planars. Completely the opposite of my experience. With planars and a good recording voices sound like real voices. Even the best dynamic headphones only ever sound like a recording of a voice.

I own a pair of Samsung Galaxy Buds Pros. I know these 2 are almost completely different products, but how much better would these sound listening to J-pop and Rock?

can this be run balanced?

could anyone recommend me a good amp for those nice headphones?