Audio-Technica
Reviews | Audio-Technica ATH-M70x
100
T
he new flagship model of
Audio-Technica’s M series
builds on the ever popular
M50 (now M50x). The M70x
is aimed at a wide range of monitoring
uses, but with 90º swivelling
circumaural (over ear) ear pads, low
impedance, high power handling and
closed backed design, noisy
environments (eg DJ booth, studio floor
tracking) and ‘one-ear-off’ usage are a
primary focus. Though light, the M70x
are a robust design that feel like they
can take a beating. The ear cups feature
comfy soft leather type pads that just
about cover the ear, and the isolation
level is good enough for most uses,
except maybe Rock drumming. The
weight/comfort combination does make
the M70x suitable for lengthy periods of
immersion, but of course the sound will
dictate whether you’d want to.
My first aural impression of the
M70x is of a forward mid frequency
range. This focus appears across the
octaves flanking 3kHz, dipping down
towards 7kHz, which is good as that’s
an area I don’t want pushed up any
more than necessary. This mid
curvature could also be expressed as a
lighter low-end and un-hyped high-end.
Some headphones, especially
circumaural closed back types, suffer
from an overabundance of bass, which
sucks the life out of a sound field,
making it hard to zone in on any of the
important parts (ie the mids); in this
respect the mid focus of the M70x is a
good thing. My concern is that it is
easier to overcook the low-end without
noticing, though any distortion added to
low frequency components will quickly
be exposed in the upper harmonics. In
the DJ environment this is no bad thing
as there is plenty of bass in the room,
so there’s no point wasting power
pumping a load of bottom-end into the
cans. With 2W max input power (at
1kHz) there’s plenty of power handling
available, producing SPLs I can only
wince at. At full tilt on my studio
headphone amp distortion is barely
noticeable, though with full bandwidth
transducers the earliest component to
distort is the bass (larger diaphragmatic
excursions); so again, lighter bass
equals more ‘loudness’.
In the studio I would prefer the
M70x for performance over mixing
duties. The former use requires a good
balance of physical comfort, power,
durability, and sensitivity in the mid
frequencies, where most intelligibility
and rhythmic/transient information
resides. In this regard the M70x ticks
all the boxes, though a bass player may
want to stand close to their amp. On the
other side of the glass I’d tend to
undermix the mids, and thus over-
emphasise the LF and HF ranges,
creating a scooped inverse of the M70x
response. Unwanted mid range
components and artefacts do stick out a
mile through the M70x, so many
relative imbalances in this critical range
are easy to identify and work on, but I
find the low-end trickier to balance
without reference to main monitors. The
high-end is smooth despite it tapering
off more than I am used to, and with no
over-presence in the sibilant range any
ear fatigue will develop a lot slower than
under many other headphones. The
frequency response also appears to
produce a narrower stereo image than
I’d expect, and this may be due to a
reduced central anchoring effect from
the low frequency range, which rarely
pans out to the sides. As with all
listening-based judgments, subjectivity
is king and after some time with the
M70x my ears/brain adjusted,
normalising my perception in relation to
the main monitors I know intimately.
These are not cheap headphones
and face plenty of competition at this
price and below. Their build guarantees
they will last, and if you don’t use the
included carry case they can pack down
easily thanks to the swivelling ear cups.
For performance and DJ use I think
these are well worth considering, but I
have my reservations in the studio
tracking/mixing situation.
Audio-Technica
ATH-M70x | £239
New cans from Audio-Technica promise quality for studio and booth use.
Robbie Stamp finds out whether one pair can exist in two places at once
WHAT is iT?
Closed back circumaural
headphones
ConTACT
Who: Audio-Technica
Tel: +44 (0) 113 277 1441
Web: audio-technica.com
HiGHLiGHTs
1 Comfortable and
solid build
2 High power handling
3 Revealing mid
frequency focus
VERDiCT
BUILD
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VALUE
❚❚❚❚❚❚❚
EASE OF USE
❚❚❚❚❚❚❚❚
VERSATILITY
❚❚❚❚❚❚❚❚
RESULTS
❚❚❚❚❚❚❚
A comfortable design that has the
power and durability to meet the
demands of performers and DJs.
spECs
Type: Circumaural closed
back dynamic
Transducer: Neodymium
magnet, copper clad
aluminium wire coil
Driver diameter: 45mm
Frequency response:
5-40,000Hz
Sensitivity: 97dB
Impedance: 35Ω
Max input power: 2000mW
at 1kHz
Cables: 1.2m coiled, 1.2m
straight and 3m straight,
all lockable
Accessories: Carry case,
6.5mm adaptor
Weight:
280g without cable
FMU299.rev_audiotechnica.indd 100 11/5/15 10:28 AM