Specifications:
Driver type: Closed Dynamic
Driver unit: 53mm, Bobbin winding OFC voice coil
Magnet: Neodymium
Frequency response: 5~40000 Hz
Impedance: 40 Ohms
Sensitivity: 101 dB
Cord Length: 3 metres
The product:
A little history:
Now I’ve been a music lover for about as long as I can remember. My genre is mostly rock (both fast and slow), country, easy listening, reggae and instrumental. Since I’ve been away from home these last 3 years it’s been mostly an MX5021 that’s served my ears (and done so well). I was looking at something a little less disturbing for others…you just can’t make a racket in crowded Mumbai!
I wanted something comfortable, something that was typically audiophile in nature, but excelled at gaming. A year ago I could’ve been labelled a bass whore…not any more but I was looking at closed cans simply because I didn’t want any outside disturbance. Now closed cans aren’t known for their sound quality (in general), and they're typically bass heavy (or boomy at the very least) so this had to be an exception! My budget was a maximum of 200 US$. I chose circumaural (comfort obviously) and came up with the Audio Technica ATH A900.
Throughout you’ll see me draw cross references between these and the Creative EP630. This is so that more of you will understand how these cans will sound. Not really a fair comparison but since so many guys have picked up those excellent in-ears, and I happen to own one myself - that has clocked some 60+ hours of listening. Note that I haven't marked the A900's with respect to the EP630's. I have rated the A900 out of 10, and the EP630's with respect to them. I've also taken into consideration the limitations of the tiny drivers on the EP630.
Build Quality: 4.25/5
In a word…excellent! AT is known for their quality and these are built sturdily. The outer enclosure is aluminium – and this set doesn’t have the regular head band. The cable is sheathed in a heavy duty cloth shielding…very impressive - but it's not detachable. The material is quite grippy, so cable noise is at a minimum. The headband which consists of two plastic fibre rods is also very strong, and flexible enough to avoid breakage due to rough handling. Its been 2 months now, and these cans haven't picked up any scratches etc...I've not been very gentle with them either - that bespeaks quality of materials used on the outer surfaces.
Comfort: 4.75/5
Damn comfortable…Instead of a headband (that creates pressure at times) it has 2 auto-adjustable flaps that sit on your either side of your head, above the ears. These are for support and adhesion to your head. The two fibre rods mentioned above are the actual headband that keeps the left and right side of the headphone together. Rather unique design but its damn comfy…no pressure.
The earcups are huge, and very well padded. 5 hours of music and I forgot that I was wearing anything! The only minus is that your ears feel warm after awhile…normal for closed cans I guess. Take them off for 30 seconds and you’re good to go! For the record my ears felt warm after an hour or so.
Test stuff:
Soundcard: Creative X-Fi Platinum
Sound Files: .FLAC files (high quality) and MP3’s 320 kbps (CBR)
Soundtracks used:
1. Charlotte Church – Bridge over troubled waters
2. Dire Straits – Walk of Life / Sultans of Swing
3. The Doors – Riders on the Storm
4. UB40 – Red Red Wine
5. Eagles – Hotel California / Take it easy
6. Van Morrison – Someone like you
7. Alan Jackson – Livin on Love
8. Glenn Frey - Lovers Moon
9. Belinda Carlisle - Vision of you
Games Used:
1. Warcraft 3
2. BioShock
It’s important to remember that the choice of music isn’t the most important factor – you should choose a number that belongs to your favourite genre and something that you have spent a number of hours listening to. There’s no sense in picking a really good test track but one which you’ve never heard before. Incidentally I own original CD’s (mastered in the US) of all these tracks and have made both FLAC and MP3 files in order to carry my music with me.
Music Performance:
The A900 handles slow music extremely well, not to say it can't handle faster rock! It is a little forward sounding and may be a bit aggressive around mid-range including vocals for some people. Higher frequencies are a slightly pronounced, and the A900 is unashamedly bright. Low range is good and well defined, tight and low but not pronounced - as in there's less emphasis on lower frequencies as compared to the highs and mids. This is not a shortcoming - just a sound signature to suit a particular audience. With high-end headphones its all about matching the correct headset with your favorite genres and aural preferences.
In particular Alan Jackson’s voice sounds rich and deep and steely (the kind country singers die for!) – just the way he’s supposed to sound! At higher volumes the treble will overpower the bass. This doesn’t mean that bass isn’t there or not noticeable…In fact the bass that's present goes quite low, is defined (no resonance which is simply awesome considering these are closed cans!). What simply happens is that mid and high ranges are more pronounced – which is why these cans are classed as being ~slightly bright~. I’d give them a 9/10 here. The EP630 gets a 6/10.
Charlotte Church (bridge over troubled water) has a lovely, rich voice and her vocal chords are capable of nothing short of sheer magic...This number allows you to enjoy her amazing voice like no other I've heard. In fact I prefer her version to the original (Simon and Garfunkel). The A900 manages to sneak out all the nuances – clear tenors, in fact these cans get a little sharp here – and I had to fiddle with the equaliser a bit to prevent getting an earbleed…A900 – 7.5/10, EP630 – 5/10
Riders on the Storm sounded amazing – right down to the raindrops and lightning crashes in the beginning of the track. You will hear the rain drops splattering on the ground! Everything in the track comes to life - even the subtle deep drum beats in the beginning seem to take a life of their own. If you've been using regular cans this difference is immediately noticeable. Jim Morrison has a very unique voice – can’t describe it really, it seems like it cracks at times - gets hoarse so to speak. Fans of the Doors will nod here. The A900 nails this song right on the head…I haven’t heard better, the bass doesn't feel lacking at all in this track, its very, very indulging…A900 – 9.5/10, EP630 – 6.5/10
Red Red Wine (UB 40) simply comes alive – clear, crisp well defined instruments, great vocals with excellent detailing throughout that captures the essence of this reggae classic. A900 – 9/10, EP630 – 6.5/10
Hotel California – When you’ve got Glenn Frey and Don Henley side by side you're in for a rockin time...Eagles style!! Thankfully the A900 keeps up with them very well. Once again the guitar strumming sounds so realistic you’ll feel you’re in front of the band. Soundstage is great for closed cans. You’ll hear the hum of each guitar chord…the drums feel well defined and bass remains tight – right on the spot for me, but bass whores will want more…A900 – 8/10, EP630 – 6/10
Take it easy sounds just as good. Very good headphone for this kind of jazz-like number, I couldn't complain about anything in particular but still thought the track could somehow sound better. Else I'd have gone with a 9/10. As it is Take it easy gets the same score as Hotel California
Van Morrison - Someone like you – What can I say…If you’re looking to serenade your love by playing this number – make sure she’s wearing these very cans! Van Morrison's voice sounds just like I remember on my old valve amp at home. Melodious, soul touching. Just to prove how good they are I've promised a special lady an audience with these cans...A900 – 9/10, EP630 – 5/10
Dire Straits – Superb mids, crystal highs – though you can feel the “bright†factor. A little equaliser tampering in order – but if you get it right – you’ll notice no anomalies. Mark Knopfler's guitar will have you glued to the seat...another tribute to a great with these cans, absolutely superb in the mid-range, pick up all the nuances of the guitar rather well! A900 – 8/10, EP630 – 6/10
Lovers Moon is Glenn Frey (former Eagle) at his soulful best. Lovers moon is a slow, melodious and soulful number that really needs to sound its best before you actually like the song. The A900 does a great job with his voice, and the slow guitar strums are reproduced with utter tonal accuracy. On these cans simply amazing. A900 - 9/10 (not checked with the EP630 as of now)
If you haven't seen Belinda you've missed something! If you haven't heard her its an even bigger loss!! Vision of you is all about the voice - a clear tenor full of depth with an excellent background score. I've heard this particular number on a Grado SR60 too, but apart from the fact that the SR60 seems a little - in your face - while the A900 is slightly more laid back I couldn't discern much difference. In fact I felt that the vocals sounded crisper on the A900, while the highs of the background organ in the song were beautiful...though a little bright, to some people's liking (not mine) A900 - 8.5/10, SR60 - 7.5/10, EP630 - 5/10
I did mention game testing as well didn’t I!!!
Up front the A900 makes an excellent gaming headphone! In Warcraft 3 I could hear the thud of every hammer on flesh, the ringing of every sword on armour. I’m totally serious!! You can find a battle simple by following the distant sounds of it. You’ll even hear the sound of enemies when they’re crossing water bodies…A900 – 9.5/10
Didn’t use the EP630 for Warcraft 3 during this test, but past experience would make me give them a 5/10, no more...
BioShock??? Well you’ll get shocked alright! This game has an amazing ambient sound system and with the A900 you can be assured of missing out on virtually nothing. A900 – 9/10, EP630 – 5.5/10
Closing thoughts:
I paid 190$ US for these cans which seems like a lot of money. But considering the performance I’d say it was money well spent. Absolutely no regrets, and I plan on keeping the A900 in my repertoire. I’m also on the lookout for a set of open cans and a good amp, and possibly a better soundcard so I can really do a proper comparison. I didn’t do any RMAA tests because of time…moreover I wanted something real world, something tangible not just benchmark scores which are so very immeasurable. I feel headphones are a very personal product something like cell phones and MP3 players and so skipped all the synthetic's for something real world.
I bought these from AudioCubes.com - Stylish Electronics, Gadgets, Toys, and More. and had a friend bring them across from the States. Unfortunately AT isn’t available here, or at least I’ve not come across their stuff in India. Here’s a product link - AudioCubes.com - Audio-Technica ATH-A900 Art Headphones - ATH-A900 -
Note: I haven't uploaded images for this review - just 2 pics from the net that'll get the basic shape across. This is simply because I have already posted these images in our show-off section. If anyone wants photos of specific parts (drivers, headbands etc) I could consider talking a few shots this weekend.
Driver type: Closed Dynamic
Driver unit: 53mm, Bobbin winding OFC voice coil
Magnet: Neodymium
Frequency response: 5~40000 Hz
Impedance: 40 Ohms
Sensitivity: 101 dB
Cord Length: 3 metres
The product:
A little history:
Now I’ve been a music lover for about as long as I can remember. My genre is mostly rock (both fast and slow), country, easy listening, reggae and instrumental. Since I’ve been away from home these last 3 years it’s been mostly an MX5021 that’s served my ears (and done so well). I was looking at something a little less disturbing for others…you just can’t make a racket in crowded Mumbai!
I wanted something comfortable, something that was typically audiophile in nature, but excelled at gaming. A year ago I could’ve been labelled a bass whore…not any more but I was looking at closed cans simply because I didn’t want any outside disturbance. Now closed cans aren’t known for their sound quality (in general), and they're typically bass heavy (or boomy at the very least) so this had to be an exception! My budget was a maximum of 200 US$. I chose circumaural (comfort obviously) and came up with the Audio Technica ATH A900.
Throughout you’ll see me draw cross references between these and the Creative EP630. This is so that more of you will understand how these cans will sound. Not really a fair comparison but since so many guys have picked up those excellent in-ears, and I happen to own one myself - that has clocked some 60+ hours of listening. Note that I haven't marked the A900's with respect to the EP630's. I have rated the A900 out of 10, and the EP630's with respect to them. I've also taken into consideration the limitations of the tiny drivers on the EP630.
Build Quality: 4.25/5
In a word…excellent! AT is known for their quality and these are built sturdily. The outer enclosure is aluminium – and this set doesn’t have the regular head band. The cable is sheathed in a heavy duty cloth shielding…very impressive - but it's not detachable. The material is quite grippy, so cable noise is at a minimum. The headband which consists of two plastic fibre rods is also very strong, and flexible enough to avoid breakage due to rough handling. Its been 2 months now, and these cans haven't picked up any scratches etc...I've not been very gentle with them either - that bespeaks quality of materials used on the outer surfaces.
Comfort: 4.75/5
Damn comfortable…Instead of a headband (that creates pressure at times) it has 2 auto-adjustable flaps that sit on your either side of your head, above the ears. These are for support and adhesion to your head. The two fibre rods mentioned above are the actual headband that keeps the left and right side of the headphone together. Rather unique design but its damn comfy…no pressure.
The earcups are huge, and very well padded. 5 hours of music and I forgot that I was wearing anything! The only minus is that your ears feel warm after awhile…normal for closed cans I guess. Take them off for 30 seconds and you’re good to go! For the record my ears felt warm after an hour or so.
Test stuff:
Soundcard: Creative X-Fi Platinum
Sound Files: .FLAC files (high quality) and MP3’s 320 kbps (CBR)
Soundtracks used:
1. Charlotte Church – Bridge over troubled waters
2. Dire Straits – Walk of Life / Sultans of Swing
3. The Doors – Riders on the Storm
4. UB40 – Red Red Wine
5. Eagles – Hotel California / Take it easy
6. Van Morrison – Someone like you
7. Alan Jackson – Livin on Love
8. Glenn Frey - Lovers Moon
9. Belinda Carlisle - Vision of you
Games Used:
1. Warcraft 3
2. BioShock
It’s important to remember that the choice of music isn’t the most important factor – you should choose a number that belongs to your favourite genre and something that you have spent a number of hours listening to. There’s no sense in picking a really good test track but one which you’ve never heard before. Incidentally I own original CD’s (mastered in the US) of all these tracks and have made both FLAC and MP3 files in order to carry my music with me.
Music Performance:
The A900 handles slow music extremely well, not to say it can't handle faster rock! It is a little forward sounding and may be a bit aggressive around mid-range including vocals for some people. Higher frequencies are a slightly pronounced, and the A900 is unashamedly bright. Low range is good and well defined, tight and low but not pronounced - as in there's less emphasis on lower frequencies as compared to the highs and mids. This is not a shortcoming - just a sound signature to suit a particular audience. With high-end headphones its all about matching the correct headset with your favorite genres and aural preferences.
In particular Alan Jackson’s voice sounds rich and deep and steely (the kind country singers die for!) – just the way he’s supposed to sound! At higher volumes the treble will overpower the bass. This doesn’t mean that bass isn’t there or not noticeable…In fact the bass that's present goes quite low, is defined (no resonance which is simply awesome considering these are closed cans!). What simply happens is that mid and high ranges are more pronounced – which is why these cans are classed as being ~slightly bright~. I’d give them a 9/10 here. The EP630 gets a 6/10.
Charlotte Church (bridge over troubled water) has a lovely, rich voice and her vocal chords are capable of nothing short of sheer magic...This number allows you to enjoy her amazing voice like no other I've heard. In fact I prefer her version to the original (Simon and Garfunkel). The A900 manages to sneak out all the nuances – clear tenors, in fact these cans get a little sharp here – and I had to fiddle with the equaliser a bit to prevent getting an earbleed…A900 – 7.5/10, EP630 – 5/10
Riders on the Storm sounded amazing – right down to the raindrops and lightning crashes in the beginning of the track. You will hear the rain drops splattering on the ground! Everything in the track comes to life - even the subtle deep drum beats in the beginning seem to take a life of their own. If you've been using regular cans this difference is immediately noticeable. Jim Morrison has a very unique voice – can’t describe it really, it seems like it cracks at times - gets hoarse so to speak. Fans of the Doors will nod here. The A900 nails this song right on the head…I haven’t heard better, the bass doesn't feel lacking at all in this track, its very, very indulging…A900 – 9.5/10, EP630 – 6.5/10
Red Red Wine (UB 40) simply comes alive – clear, crisp well defined instruments, great vocals with excellent detailing throughout that captures the essence of this reggae classic. A900 – 9/10, EP630 – 6.5/10
Hotel California – When you’ve got Glenn Frey and Don Henley side by side you're in for a rockin time...Eagles style!! Thankfully the A900 keeps up with them very well. Once again the guitar strumming sounds so realistic you’ll feel you’re in front of the band. Soundstage is great for closed cans. You’ll hear the hum of each guitar chord…the drums feel well defined and bass remains tight – right on the spot for me, but bass whores will want more…A900 – 8/10, EP630 – 6/10
Take it easy sounds just as good. Very good headphone for this kind of jazz-like number, I couldn't complain about anything in particular but still thought the track could somehow sound better. Else I'd have gone with a 9/10. As it is Take it easy gets the same score as Hotel California
Van Morrison - Someone like you – What can I say…If you’re looking to serenade your love by playing this number – make sure she’s wearing these very cans! Van Morrison's voice sounds just like I remember on my old valve amp at home. Melodious, soul touching. Just to prove how good they are I've promised a special lady an audience with these cans...A900 – 9/10, EP630 – 5/10
Dire Straits – Superb mids, crystal highs – though you can feel the “bright†factor. A little equaliser tampering in order – but if you get it right – you’ll notice no anomalies. Mark Knopfler's guitar will have you glued to the seat...another tribute to a great with these cans, absolutely superb in the mid-range, pick up all the nuances of the guitar rather well! A900 – 8/10, EP630 – 6/10
Lovers Moon is Glenn Frey (former Eagle) at his soulful best. Lovers moon is a slow, melodious and soulful number that really needs to sound its best before you actually like the song. The A900 does a great job with his voice, and the slow guitar strums are reproduced with utter tonal accuracy. On these cans simply amazing. A900 - 9/10 (not checked with the EP630 as of now)
If you haven't seen Belinda you've missed something! If you haven't heard her its an even bigger loss!! Vision of you is all about the voice - a clear tenor full of depth with an excellent background score. I've heard this particular number on a Grado SR60 too, but apart from the fact that the SR60 seems a little - in your face - while the A900 is slightly more laid back I couldn't discern much difference. In fact I felt that the vocals sounded crisper on the A900, while the highs of the background organ in the song were beautiful...though a little bright, to some people's liking (not mine) A900 - 8.5/10, SR60 - 7.5/10, EP630 - 5/10
I did mention game testing as well didn’t I!!!
Up front the A900 makes an excellent gaming headphone! In Warcraft 3 I could hear the thud of every hammer on flesh, the ringing of every sword on armour. I’m totally serious!! You can find a battle simple by following the distant sounds of it. You’ll even hear the sound of enemies when they’re crossing water bodies…A900 – 9.5/10
Didn’t use the EP630 for Warcraft 3 during this test, but past experience would make me give them a 5/10, no more...
BioShock??? Well you’ll get shocked alright! This game has an amazing ambient sound system and with the A900 you can be assured of missing out on virtually nothing. A900 – 9/10, EP630 – 5.5/10
Closing thoughts:
I paid 190$ US for these cans which seems like a lot of money. But considering the performance I’d say it was money well spent. Absolutely no regrets, and I plan on keeping the A900 in my repertoire. I’m also on the lookout for a set of open cans and a good amp, and possibly a better soundcard so I can really do a proper comparison. I didn’t do any RMAA tests because of time…moreover I wanted something real world, something tangible not just benchmark scores which are so very immeasurable. I feel headphones are a very personal product something like cell phones and MP3 players and so skipped all the synthetic's for something real world.
I bought these from AudioCubes.com - Stylish Electronics, Gadgets, Toys, and More. and had a friend bring them across from the States. Unfortunately AT isn’t available here, or at least I’ve not come across their stuff in India. Here’s a product link - AudioCubes.com - Audio-Technica ATH-A900 Art Headphones - ATH-A900 -
Note: I haven't uploaded images for this review - just 2 pics from the net that'll get the basic shape across. This is simply because I have already posted these images in our show-off section. If anyone wants photos of specific parts (drivers, headbands etc) I could consider talking a few shots this weekend.
hyeah:
rather rudely. I paid nothing since my friend brought them with him. So it was 179+16 US$. Do the math and conversion. Like I said a superb deal. In fact I have been harassing Chaos for help with another open can. Also worried him for advice on an amp + better sound source (card) combination. I think this is one of the best (if not the best) closed cans around for under 300 US$.