Audio Technica’s open back AD range has been upgraded to X status with “superior, natural sound”. The large over ear capsules are built with honeycomb construction “making the whole experience feel perfectly natural – rather than enclosed and fatiguing, as with other headphone designs. “
The AD-X models have fabric ear pads, lightweight honeycomb aluminium casing and a magnesium frame structure. A self-adjusting 3D wing support housing on the headband automatically adjusts to your head size and the large aperture 53mm drivers with neodymium magnet systems and bobbin wound CCAW voice coils form the speaker units.
Prices start at £150 for the ATH-AD500X (25kHz/500mW/100dB) and work their way up through four more models increasing treble extension, input power and sometimes sensitivity with each step:
ATH-AD700X (£195) 30kHz/700mW/100dB
ATH-AD900X (£315) 35kHz/1000mW/100dB
ATH-AD1000X (£570) 40kHz/2000mW/102dB
ATH-AD2000X (£925) 45kHz/2000mW/103dB (pictured)
All five have 3 metre single side cables and gold plated mini plugs with a quarter inch adaptor. Impedances vary from 38 to 48 Ohms.