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Audio-Technica ATH-ESW9 Comparison |
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 • The ATH-ESW9 will probably better match the decor in your Victorian-inspired study.
• Very similar audio quality.
• The ATH-ESW9, while expensive, is less expensive than the ATH-W5000s.
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Usability |
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Beyerdynamic DT 990 PRO Comparison |
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Design
Both of these headphones feature similar design elements, but they have vastly different looks. Despite their prices, we actually think the ATH-ESW9s do a better job of capturing the sophisticated look.
In terms of durability, the two sets are about the same.
Sound Quality
These two headphones have very similar frequency responses. It isn't that unusual for different headphones by the same company to have similar sounds. The ATH-W5000s actually have a slightly worse response, but not by a significant amount. Given the range of uncertainty that can value from test to test, consider the two headphones equally matched on this battleground.
Here the ATH-ESW9 has a slight advantage because they don't have any weirdness towards the high end. Both have very low overall distortion levels, however, and the average listener wouldn't notice the difference.
The ATH-ESW9s again avoid wonkiness towards their high end, which hurts the ATH-W5000s here. Overall, however, they have very similar tracking.
Isolation
Again, the differences below are likely due to a fit issue. The ATH-ESW9s form a much better seal with their user's head, which allows them to isolate users a bit better. If you're considering either, however, isolation shouldn't be a determining factor.
Comfort
The ATH-W5000s win this match-up handily, because they're comfortable and the ATH-ESW9s are super tight. If one were to look only at this match-up, it might be easy to jump to the conclusion that Audio-Technica headphones often have fit issues. This is not the case, however, and these two are the only ones we've reviewed so far from Audio-Technica that have such issues.
Verdict
With super-high-end headphones like the W-5000, the only thing we can recommend is to try them out for yourselves. When such a large sum of money comes into play, chances are you aren't going to leave your final decision to some internet review, even when that review is as highly scientific and rigorous and handsome as this one.
In terms of cash and quality, the ATH-ESW9s will give you more for each dollar spent. Really, however, if you're going for a bargain, neither are the best bet. Objectively, in the realm of this match-up, however, the ATH-ESW9s win.
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ATH-W5000
ATH-W5000
ATH-W5000
