Audio-Technica ATH-ESW9

Frequency Response (2.88)

The frequency response here wasn’t great. It started out fine, with an even response. At about 3kHz, however, the graph falls off a bit. This wasn’t too bad, but the left channel’s plummet at about 10kHz was what really hurt the ATH-ESW9s’ score. It was especially troubling because the left and right channels were playing at such different decibel levels. This little blip is really too bad, because otherwise the headphones performed okay. The main problem you’ll run into is any instrument that uses the 10kHz range might sound dull.

Despite a low-ish score, the ATH-ESW9 actually manged to fall in the top half of the below sample of comparison headphones. It managed to do better than the Denon AH-NC732s, which also had a big downward spike in the same areas. They also beat out their brothers, the ATH-A700s. The Bose QC3s are pretty bad in terms of frequency response, so we’re really not surprised to see the ATH-ESW9s snatch a victory here.

The Grado SR60s had a similar de-emphasis towards the high end, but not quite as extreme as the ATH-ESW9s. The DT 990 Pros were flat the whole way, and got just about the best score we give. The ATH-A700s had a really inconsistent frequency response. Hopefully the ATH-ESW9s’ superior frequency response won’t cause a sibling rivalry between them and the ATH-A700s.

Headphones	Score	Frequency Response
Audio-Technica ATH-ESW9	2.88
Denon AH-NC732	2.28
Bose QuietComfort 3	1.66
Grado Labs SR60	5.37
Beyerdynamic DT 990 PRO	8.33

Distortion (13.30)

The ATH-ESW9s did exceptionally well on this test, showing almost no distortion. It never rose above 0.5%, which is remarkably good. These headphones are definitely a good pick for audiophiles who are looking for pristine sound quality.

We put the ATH-ESW9s in good company here, which is why they might not seem as stellar as they actually are. Really, anything that scores above a 10 is going to sound equally distortion-free to just about everyone. To everyone but a particularly finicky audiophile, the ATH-ESW9s, AH-NC732s, QC3s, DT 990 PROs, and ATH-A700s will all sound great.

Headphones	Score	Distortion
Audio-Technica ATH-ESW9	13.3
Denon AH-NC732	15.9
Bose QuietComfort 3	10.0
Grado Labs SR60	5.59
Beyerdynamic DT 990 PRO	15.0

Tracking (6.85)

The ATH-ESW9s had good tracking overall. They start out slightly loud in the left channel, but 2 decibels isn’t a noticeable amount. After that it dips down to favor the right channel by 2 decibels, making a 4-decibel shift that also won’t be noticed by the average user. After this it levels out a bit, before getting a little wonky towards the high end. This is typical, so it’s nothing to worry about. Overall, the ATH-ESW9s did a great job here.

The ATH-ESW9s clinch victory in the field of tracking, besting all oncomers. If you’ll look at the graphs below, it might not always be obvious to see why the ATH-ESW9s got a better score, so allow us to clear that up for you. One thing to keep in mind: we don’t score the extreme high and low ends, since the testing procedure isn’t 100% accurate for those frequencies.

The Grado SR60s look like they have a flatter line overall, but that part towards the end where they get a little scribbly happens at a lower frequency than the ATH-ESW9s’ does. While its not a huge dip, it is a steep one, meaning an instrument that uses frequencies in that range might seem like it’s dodging slightly towards the right every time it plays. The DT 990 PRO also looks flatter overall, but that bump towards the higher end is very steep and more severe than the ATH-ESW9s’ performance.

Headphones	Score	Tracking
Audio-Technica ATH-ESW9	6.85
Denon AH-NC732	3.22
Bose QuietComfort 3	2.49
Grado Labs SR60	7.14
Beyerdynamic DT 990 PRO	5.95

Maximum Usable Volume (9.37)

The ATH-ESW9s were capable of 117.37 decibels, which is really close to the 120dB cap we put on this section. Anything above 120dB is going to seriously hurt your ears, so something like the ATH-ESW9s should be fine. If you’re feeling dangerous, check out something like the Grado SR60s, which were capable of a dangerous 123.13dB. We trust you’ll only listen to them at safe decibel levels.

Isolation (2.34)

The ATH-ESW9s did about average for a pair of closed-back on-ear headphones, which is to say they didn’t isolate much noise at all. Like all passive-cancellers, they mainly block out high-frequency sound and don’t do anything to lower frequencies. Really, these headphones aren’t the best option if you’re looking to leave your house, since the outside noise will make you bump your volume, which could result in damage to your poor ear drums. While they’re more portable than a giant set of over-ears, if you’re going anywhere then in-ears are your best bet, with active noise cancellers being a distant second.

The ATH-ESW9s did better than open-backed headphones, like the DT 990 PRO, and on-ears with foam padding, like the Grado SR60s. They didn’t perform better than either active noise canceller (not a surprise), and also didn’t perform as well as a set of over-ears that were also closed-backed. We’re guessing that, since the over-ears totally encompass the entire ear, they’re capable of creating a better seal. Since on-ears simply smush your ear, the cups are still a crumpled ear’s width away from totally blocking off your ear canal.

Headphones	Score	Isolation
Audio-Technica ATH-ESW9	2.34
Denon AH-NC732	7.14
Bose QuietComfort 3	6.28
Grado Labs SR60	0.07
Beyerdynamic DT 990 PRO	1.38

Leakage (3.38)

The ATH-ESW9s didn’t perform all that well on this test. It did better than the DT 990 PROs and Grado SR60s, both of which are open-backed headphones. It did the worst out of all the closed-back headphones, however. We’re not sure if the ATH-ESW9s’ sub-par leakage control can be attributed to the wood paneling, the on-ear design, or a weak seal with the ear, but we’re guessing it’s mainly due to the first two factors. Overall, nothing soundly bested the ATH-ESW9 in terms of leakage control, although the Denons has the largest lead with a score of 5.88.

Overall, we wouldn’t recommend using the ATH-ESW9s in a public, quiet place, like a museum or library. For in-home use, however, they should be just fine.