Audio-Technica ATH-ES770H Review

The Earsuit series has always been Audio-Technica’s higher end poratble on ear series. From going through a few different line-up changes and modifications over the years the current premium on-ears are the ES770H and ES990H. While the differences are more cosmetic than engineering the ES990H has wooden ear cups while the ES770H has a sleek blue mirrored finish.

Audio-Technica ATH-ES770H Review

Design

Following the Earsuit mantra to heart the ES770H’s design is sleek and attractive. The ES770H features a stainless steel housings with a blue mirrored finish. The ear cups are a medium size for an on-ear headphone, so they end up sitting on the rim of your ear. The ear pads could offer a little more cushioning or comfort and the clamping force is on the tighter side adding some pressure and started to feel a little uncomfortable after a couple hours, also to be noted I ware glasses. A plus side to the clamping force is that the headphone sits firmly on your head and don’t wiggle around. Another huge plus in my book is that the headphone uses two removable coax connectors for the left and right channels.

Sound Quality

The headphones have an above average sound quality for an on-ear headphone. They fall into being a warmer headphones having a boosted low end. The headphone follows a more consumer based sound response making it good to listen to things like pop, electronic, and rap.

Low End

There is a good amount of energy in bass content which gives the headphones a warmer sound characteristic. With the headphones’s emphasis on bass content it loses some clarity which makes it come off a little muddy. Low end driven music still has enough kick from the headphone’s sub-bass content to make up for it.

Mid Range

Mid Range content has a good amount of presence to it, coming off forward. The lower mid range comes off a little softer than the rest of the mid range. This makes male vocals sound a little thin. This also causes some of the upper mid range to come off a little sharp by comparison.

High End

Upper end frequency is extended pretty far but it doesn’t have a solid base. This makes cymbals and some higher register strings come off a little brittle and airy. Some sibilance is exaggerated by this in female vocals. Reverb and other effects have room to breath and fully extend their sound.

Soundstage

The soundstage in the headphones is more of an intimate soundstage than expansive. It has a moderate amount of precision in sound imaging. While keeping more things within an intimate sphere it offers an average amount of separation for additional detail.

Overall Impressions

For an on-ear headphone the ES770H does offer an above average sound quality, while offering a pleasing aesthetic. While it could be a little more on the comfy end it makes up for it with it’s sound response. While I’m not too keen about on-ear headphones because I ware glasses it does work better for me than most other on-ears. And again the removeable coax connectors are a great addition to the headphone.

Recommendations

For some people comfort is more important than sound quality so some other great sounding on ears with more comfort are the u-JAYS and the T 51 from Beyerdynamic, all gravitating around the same price point.

If interested, grab Audio Technica ATH-ES770H