Audio-Technica ATH-R70XA Open-Back Headphones

These headphones could honestly be end game for most people. And, the stand out feature is their light weight and gentle clamp force; but, make no mistake about it, the audio is sublime. These are a neutral bright leaning headphone. What does that mean? You'll hear small details in tracks you've never noticed before on lesser headphones, but nothing harsh, the treble is nicely rounded. If tracks are not well mastered, this headphone will reveal the track's flaws, but it doesn't "shine the spotlight on it", it simply reveals it. Vocals are clear and forward, I especially enjoy acoustic tracks on these cans, but they're great for lots of music. They have a musical tuning. Their only real sonic shortcoming is a gentle rolloff in the bass and sub-bass. Despite the rolloff, the bass that is there is fast and articulate, and reveals bass texture when it's in the track. I honestly don't feel like I'm missing out on anything. Back to fit and comfort. That 199g is not just a line on the spec sheet. These headphones are feather light! I cannot stress that enough. It's what turns a 1 hour session into an all day listening session. They're so comfortable that they just disappear and you forget you're wearing them. The clamp force is also light. Your noggin size will affect this, but mine is on the larger end of the spectrum and the clamp force is light, comfortable, but does not feel insecure. This also makes a huge difference to the comfort. Headphones like the HD600 have a much tighter clamp and I find I need to take more frequent breaks from them, not the case with the R70xa. My only small gripe with the fit is the front to back swivel and the impact it can have on seal. Your mileage will vary, but some adjustment can be made by torquing on the steel headband a bit. These headphones have a relatively high impedance. That means the source you use will need to be able to supply a decent amount of voltage to drive these properly. They will make sound from any source, but the voltage is what unlocks the tight start/stop control of the driver and prevents notes from getting smeared together. Also, a 4.4mm balanced cable helps you more easily get enough voltage into the headphones. I would say no less than 3.5Vrms, with 6 Vrms or more being ideal. I use the Fosi DS2 and the iFi Hip DAC 3, and both with 4.4mm. Lastly, I'll mention the build quality. They have acceptable build quality. Mostly steel construction. The only downside are the yokes. They connect to the headband with this plastic mechanism that allows them to slide for adjusting them to your head. The plastic could be tighter or a different construction. Despite this, my pair has held up just fine for the last several months I've owned them. In summary, just buy this pair. They sound fantastic, and they may just be the most comfortable headphone out there.

Highly recommend if you wear headphones for many hours a day. This is the first over the ear headphone I've owned (many dozen) that I forget I'm wearing because of how light they are with minimal clamping force. It's like a feather but still has enough grip where I can move my head around without them coming off. Great soundstage with nice accurate feeling imaging. Good treble tambre and not fatiguing like the R50x are. It still maintains great bass extension and impact for an open back. Mids are fairly neutral and don't add much color to anything. Overall a great headphone to listen to music, produce and edit music on.

First and foremost, the sound quality is superb. I had a chance to audition these cans before purchase. They are excellent! I've been listening to planar headphones for a while (HifiMan Sundara) and didn't know if I wanted to go back to dynamic. Now I find myself switching back and forth between the two. If I had to choose just one pair, it would probably be these. Why? The sonic quality is full, rich, and robust. Bass is solid, but not boosted. Mids are clean and earthy. Highs are a bit weak compared to planars, but I expected that. So why only 4 stars. As others have mentioned, the headband is wimpy and delicate. I have to be extra careful how I handle them. Plus, I think a premium set of headphones should include a 4.4mm cable in the box along with the standard 3.5mm.

These are wonderful. They have a nice length of cable which isn't too stiff. Soundstage and imaging is just perfect. The r70xa is very light on the head and isn't fatiguing whatosever.

I’ve been spending time with the Audio‑Technica R70xA across both solid‑state (Schiit Jotunheim 3) and OTL tube amplification (Schiit Valhalla 3), and it may just well be one of the most musically satisfying headphones I own. For context, my regular references include the Beyerdynamic T1.1 (EQ'd to fix its well-known quirks), Sennheiser HD660S2, Audeze LCD‑X (also EQ'd), Dan Clark Aeon Core, and Denon D9200. My main system is a Lumin D3 feeding a Burson Soloist GT (2023). I mention these only so readers know what my ears are calibrated to because impressions make more sense when you understand the baseline. With that in mind, the R70xA stands out for its coherence, naturalness, and musical honesty. MIDRANGE & TIMBRE The midrange is exceptional: smooth, tonally accurate, and free of grain. It has that classic Japanese tuning philosophy: nothing exaggerated, nothing recessed, nothing drawing attention to itself. Instruments and vocals sound truthful and unforced, with timbre that feels “right” in a way that’s surprisingly rare. OVERALL BALANCE The tonal balance is neutral in the best sense of the word. Not sterile, not clinical, not warm - simply.... balanced. It’s the kind of neutrality that lets you forget about the headphone and focus entirely on the music. STAGE & IMAGING The soundstage is more open than I expected, with a clean sense of space and well‑organized imaging. It doesn’t try to be artificially wide; instead, it presents a natural acoustic picture that feels coherent and believable. DYNAMICS & AMP PAIRING On the Jotunheim 3, the R70xA sounds tight, controlled, and effortlessly dynamic. On the Valhalla 3, it gains a touch of harmonic warmth and liquidity without losing its core neutrality. It’s a headphone that scales gracefully and never becomes picky or temperamental. THE INTANGIBLE QUALITY What surprised me most is the sense of musical rightness. The R70xA isn’t flashy. It doesn’t try to impress with huge bass or sparkling treble. Instead, it delivers music with confidence and a completeness that’s deeply satisfying. It’s the kind of headphone that makes you question why you’ve spent so much on more “statement” gear. FINAL THOUGHTS If you value neutrality, timbre accuracy, coherence, and long‑term listenability, the R70xA is outstanding. It’s one of those rare headphones that doesn’t need EQ, doesn’t need special treatment, and doesn’t need justification. It simply plays music beautifully. And it scales beautifully with better amplification. I bought it expecting something “nice.” What I got was something truly excellent. Unreservedly recommended.

Fantastic, super light, sound perfectly clear and accurate. Adjustment sucks though, there's a tilt limit stopper thing that makes it so the cups can't tilt enough to seat below my ears. Like, I can fit multiple fingers between the cup and my head. But I have a huge head. Not meant for big people.

Coming from the X2HR I was expecting these to disappoint and not live up to the hype. However, the second I started listening to these through the Fiio K11 R2R DAC that I bought to power them (you need a DAC that can support the ohm requirement) the difference was so clear. I went back to the X2HR's using the same DAC, to see if it was that, it was not, it was the headphones. They truly sound incredible and change how you listen to sound. The X2HR's started sounding muddy and uncomfortable in comparison to these. Genuinely I almost don't want to recommend these because they'll ruin any other pair of headphones. I'm picking out details in sound that I never thought I would, like hands moving on strings and breaths in between verses. But it does all this without an uncomfortable crispness, instead everything flows and transitions smoothly. Every sound is distinct and wide because of the sound stage, but you don't lose anything as a trade. I will also the bass is better than I thought it would be. As far as comfort, I have medium to large ears, and am not that bothered that they don't perfectly fit my ears because the clamp pressure is so light that they really barely feel like they're on my head. One thing is the cable is aesthetically kinda gross so I replaced it with something prettier. Anyways 11/10 these are crazy good, I'd pay twice as much for these. My wife tried them and almost came to tears because of how crazy good it made her music sound.

clamping force is quite weak, and the slider really doesnt suit bigger heads

Excelente fone de ouvido para mixagem e masterização. Resposta de frequência flat que fica melhor ainda com uma correção de EQ no SoundID Reference (preset de equalização do oratory1990). Sempre utilizei o ATH-M50X no meu dia a dia, que é um excelente fone também, mas esse o superou em alguns quesitos: palco sonoro, percepção de imagem stereo, graves e transientes bem definidos. Clareza espetacular. Já experimentei fones de mixagem muito mais caros (os Audeze, por exemplo), e este não perde em quase nada. Sem contar o conforto que ele proporciona, é muito leve e por ser um fone de ouvido aberto não "esmaga" seus ouvidos como o M50X. Vi avaliações dizendo que a força de fixação dele não é tão forte, mas é só questão de ajustar a banda em cima e a altura dos falantes que fica perfeito. Muito feliz com a compra, valeu cada centavo. Definitivamente recomendo!

These sounds phenominal, running them on a topping dx3 pro. very light weight but feel like quality material. the cups are small but probably not an issue unless you have quite large ears. the sound stage feels so big. I have some hifiman ananda's and these are even bigger sound stage. I've especially liked them for first person shooter games. I can hear foot steps and get a much more percise location.

Lightweight design & balance sounding, Ideal for mid-long listening sessions.

These sound like real hifi....are very light and very comfortable.

There is a point in life when after many tries and failures you can say to yourself this is it. This is exactly what I wanted. These headphones are indeed this moment. Audio Technica just delivers a lot with these headphones. They are super ligh and almost weightless, super comfortable, made in Japan. You can hear absolutely everything in it, all details, forward mids, deep base. It sounds so good. Just perfect.