Audio Technica ATH-E70 Review

While we touched upon the merits of the ATH-E50 last week, the E70 has been waiting in the wings for a review.  Now, with my attention fully undivided, I can check these headphones out with the attention they deserve.  They’re priced at $399 and include three balanced armatures.  But are they any good?

Audio Technica ATH-E70 Review

The E70 comes in a box.  In the box, there’s also a case, a 1/4” stereo adapter plug, and a bunch of eartips.

The earphones themselves are of tangible quality.  You can tell this much just by looking at them, but holding them only confirms it.  With a 6 ft (1.8 m) removable cable that loops around the back of the ears, and a contour-conforming design on the earpieces, these things are super-comfortable.  My giant elephant ears have never felt so at-home with a pair of earphones, so this is something new to me.

Audio Technica gives the frequency range of these bad boys at 20-19000 hertz, with a nominal impedance of just 39 ohms.

During my listening session, I was particularly pleased with the rolled off high end, which, when paired with the fairly deep low end, resulted in a slightly warm-sounding headphone.  Good for lots of things, especially anything with bass, but nowhere near bright.  Of course, the mids are there, too, present in all of their glory.  And this kicks things up a notch, delivering a sound not far from even and balanced if a little bassy.

Clarity and separation are other hallmarks of this earphone.  Everything gets a shade more detailed and songs almost pop-out at me as I listen to them.  Ever drop acid?  Yeah, it’s like that but with your music.

Is it good enough to deserve your hard-earned cheddar?  Yes.  Compared to other competitors at the same price point, the E70 is more than just a strong performer.  The level of detail, combined with deep and articulate bass and that slightly relaxed high end offer a phenomenal sound well-suited for most listening tastes.  Of course, if you prefer a brighter sound, look elsewhere.  And if you’re looking for tons of detail and a moderately-flat sound, there may be other options available to you.  But for everything else, look no further than the Audio Technica ATH-E70.