First off a special thanks to Gautam from Pristine Note for loaning me two models of Audio Technicas studio monitor line up the M20 and the M35.
This review is of the smaller sibling the Audio Technica M20.
Now in the entry level segment my favourite was always the Koss Portapros and no other headphone in the entry level range had ever manage to capture my heart as they did. Of course there were reservations about them. First off the build quality is hardly reassuring. Also their isolation was something best left unsaid. That said their forward midrange and generally neutral sound stole my heart ! :ashamed:
So franly I wasnt very enthusiastic when I agreed to review these two cans considering how much I liked the Portapros which retail somewhere between these two headphones (in India at least).
This is the first of the two headphones on review.
These are priced at around 2100 (Thats a special TE only price. They retail for Rs 2200 on his website) and at that price point there are a plethora of headphones like the Koss Portapros, Sennheiser HD202, HD201, Philips SPH8500 etc.
Build quality and comfort
Build quality is very reassuring and far better than my beloved Portapros. I can see them lasting for many years.
The 10 ft cable is coiled and measures approximately 3 ft when not stretched.
It comes with a standard 3.5mm jack and has a 6.5 snap in adapter.
The headphones are light and have a weak clamping force. This leads to a less than stellar isolation but on the bright side they are very comfortable. Not as comfortable as their own open headphones like the AD700 but not bad by any means. I have worn them for many hours at a stretch without discomfort.
Some Photos
Sound
They were burned in for about 10 hours before reviewing and I found very little (if any) changes in the sound during that time so they do not require any significant burn-in time to sound their best.
My test setup was either my BlackBerry phone and my Music Streamer II DAC (connected directly w/o any amping). Both sources were loud enough for most people but some might require more volume (*cough* Faheem *cough*)
hyeah:Bass - Bass has got decent punch and impact but no where as good as their bigger brother the M50s. Speed is decent and it has a slight bass hump which gives them a warm sound. Bass is quite tight and they are never boomy or uncontrolled. The portapros have a bigger bass hump to pass off for bass but sounds shallow compared to the M20s.
Mids - Mids are slightly recessed. That said the mids have a good amount of detail and are a bit warm in nature. This is the biggest difference between the Portapros and the M20s as the Portapros have an in your face sound with forward mids. The slightly recessed mids adds to the neutral dark character of these cans.
Treble - Treble is a bit recessed compared to the bass and mids. A little sparkle is there but by and large they are very smooth, grain free but lacks that energy to offer a very engaging sound. However a little EQ in that region can help a lot. The advantage of having a smooth treble like this is zero harshness and fatigue. Detailing is very good for the M20s price point.
Soundstage - Very good for a closed can. Width is pretty good along with depth. Height is a bit off due to the recessed treble but adding an EQ fixes that. Imaging and Positioning is above average and for its price point amazing !
The overall sound is rather laid back and fatigue free. They sound good with a variety of genres and with a little EQ I could enjoy almost all genres.
Compared to my favourite Portapros I must say its a very close fight. The M20s have better soundstage and bass. However the Portapros have better mids and highs along with instrument separation. So its still a toss up between the two. The build quality and isolation of the M20s is however far better than the Portapros though.
There was not much improvement going from my BlackBerry phone to the Music Streamer II so these should sound great from even an onboard sound card.
Conclusion
Who should avoid these cans ?
Bassheads and people looking for a very engaging sound should look elsewhere.
Vocal lovers might not like these cans due to the slightly recessed midrange.
Treble heads too will not be too pleased with these cans.
Who should go for these cans ?
Those who want a more or less neutral sound with decent tight bass.
People looking for a rugged light weight headphone that will run fine on a portable or onboard sound card.
Considering the nice sound and rugged build I can safely recommend them to anyone looking for nice VFM headphones.
