AD900X
So now lets talk about the open backed AD900X. This is another model I was really curious about since I once owned and loved the older model, the AD900. Not to be confused with the closed back A900, the open air AD900 is the model that I felt to be the sweet spot in Audio Technica’s Air series’ older lineup of headphones. Among the Air series AT cans I have owned are the AD900, along with the AD700, and the AD2000. I don’t have the AD900 here with me anymore to compare side by side against the newer AD900X but I can say by memory that they are quite similar sounding to each other but not exactly the same. I did have a different source and amp at the time I had the ad900s so I can’t really be sure if the slight differences in sound are due to the different source components used or if they are a difference in the headphone’s sound signature in itself.
Anyway, lets start talking sound and how they compare with the A700X that I have here right now instead of the AD900 that I no longer have. Now this is better! The attack of instruments are more pronounced and cleaner than that of the more pedestrian A700X. Instrumental timbres are now more realistic sounding and it is especially noticeable in classical music when compared with the closed AT. The AD900X still aren’t totally neutral and there is still a fakeness to the sound due to the extra presence in the upper mids and treble but the extra presence here is more even than that of the A700X. What about the bass? The upper bass on the AD900X is punchy and makes even electronic music sound engaging even though they lack the deep bass that is more present on the A700X. Overall the midbass could use a little more volume but to me it is not as much of a deal breaker as having too much highs.
Talking about upper frequencies again, although the upper mids aggressiveness can be a weakness in these cans, they can also be a plus. Acoustic guitars for instance have a realistic presence that sounds spooky and cannot be reproduced with many other cans. Even great cans like the hd600 cannot reproduce acoustic guitar with the vibrancy and tone that the AD900X can. The AD900X do have a slightly hollow sound similar to the A700X but to a much lesser degree. Overall, I still find Audio Technica’s own M50LE more neutral and match more with my taste but the AD900X are definitely some interesting sounding cans worthy of the $200 price tag if you jive with their unique and vibrant sound. I can only imagine with different sources and amps that a synergy can be struck to make the AD900X sound like gold. Even with my current system though, music like Miles Davis sounds engaging enough to make you forget the colorations in the frequency response and just enjoy the flow of the music. To some people, it is this unique coloration exclusive to Audio Technica Open cans that make them quite special. These cans are also easy to drive out of anything but since they are more transparent sounding in nature compared to the closed A700X, they will surely appreciate it when connected to higher caliber components.
Additional note on comfort
The 3D wings on these newer model AT cans have become very loose in their design and don’t really work for me as well as the old wings did. The new wings feel more like a decoration than something that actually has a function. Basically the headphones would rely on the support of my ears so that they don’t slide down. It’s a good thing these cans aren’t very heavy because if they were, they would be quite painful and would fall off with one quick turn of the head.
