Audio-Technica ATH-AD500X vs Jabra Evolve 40

Short answer: the Audio-Technica ATH-AD500X, if you are buying new, though neither ranks well in its class. The Jabra Evolve 40 measures as well as it (#123 vs #122 of 134 over-ear headphones, 2.6/5 vs 2.6/5) but is discontinued, so only consider it used; the Audio-Technica ATH-AD500X is still sold new at $119. Both are rated below 3.0/5 among the 134 over-ear headphones, so if sound quality matters, consider the HIFIMAN HE400se instead, ranked #15 at $109.

What the Audio-Technica ATH-AD500X does well: The open-back design gives a spacious, airy presentation, and the 48 ohm impedance with 100 dB sensitivity works directly from a phone or laptop. The catch: Treble from 6 to 10 kHz is about 9 dB below target and a 16 dB dip near 7.2 kHz removes cymbal and sibilance detail, so the sound is dark and veiled.

The case for the Jabra Evolve 40: Closed-back, 0.2 lbs (113 g) and a built-in microphone make this a light office headset that also works for calls. The catch: Sub-bass below 60 Hz sits about 20 dB under the target, so kick drums and bass synths have almost no rumble.

Buy the Audio-Technica ATH-AD500X if you want one new; the Jabra Evolve 40 is discontinued, so only look for it used.

Want more options? Browse the full Headphones rankings.

Specifications Side By Side

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The Two Headphones In Full

Audio-Technica ATH-AD500X: $119.00 Amazon eBay

Pros: The open-back design gives a spacious, airy presentation, and the 48 ohm impedance with 100 dB sensitivity works directly from a phone or laptop. At 235 g it is light for a full-size headphone. The lower midrange is within half a dB of target, so the body of voices and guitars sounds natural.

Cons: Treble from 6 to 10 kHz is about 9 dB below target and a 16 dB dip near 7.2 kHz removes cymbal and sibilance detail, so the sound is dark and veiled. Sub-bass is about 9 dB low under 60 Hz, so deep bass lacks rumble. Open backs leak sound and give no isolation. The Anker Soundcore Space One has a higher rating at a lower price.

Full Audio-Technica ATH-AD500X review and specifications →

Released	2012 (14 years ago)
Back	Open
Connection	Wired
Deviation From Target	3.75 dB standard deviation
Driver Type	Dynamic
Drivers	1 x 53mm dynamic
Form Factor	Over-ear
Frequency Response	5Hz - 25kHz (Manufacturer specified)
Harman Preference Score	50 (measured by oratory1990, via AutoEQ)
Impedance	48 ohms
Sensitivity	100 dB/mW
Tonal Tilt	-1.10 (negative is warmer, positive brighter)
Weight	0.5 lbs (235 g)

EQ preset to match the Harman target

Set a preamp of -6.5 dB, then add these filters in any parametric equalizer (Wavelet, Equalizer APO, Peace, or a player with parametric EQ). Calculated by AutoEQ from its measured frequency response.

Filter	Frequency	Gain	Q
Low shelf	105 Hz	+7.0 dB	0.70
Peak	132 Hz	-4.4 dB	0.44
Peak	8,349 Hz	+6.5 dB	1.37
Peak	1,295 Hz	-3.9 dB	1.00
Peak	2,506 Hz	+4.7 dB	1.39
High shelf	10,000 Hz	-2.0 dB	0.70
Peak	4,177 Hz	-3.9 dB	5.95
Peak	3,282 Hz	+3.3 dB	5.84
Peak	2,773 Hz	-1.6 dB	6.00
Peak	4,931 Hz	+1.7 dB	6.00

• Reviews, Comparisons and Sound Samples
  • AutoEQ results for the Audio-Technica ATH-AD500X (oratory1990 measurement)
• Head-to-Head Comparisons
  • Audio-Technica ATH-AD500X vs Razer BlackShark V2 Pro

Jabra Evolve 40: $142.73 Discontinued Amazon eBay

Pros: Closed-back, 113 g and a built-in microphone make this a light office headset that also works for calls. A 32 ohm impedance runs fine straight from a laptop or phone. Midrange and treble sit within about 2 dB of the Harman target from 1 kHz to 10 kHz, so voices are reasonably natural, and it suits neutral or bright tastes.

Cons: Sub-bass below 60 Hz sits about 20 dB under the target, so kick drums and bass synths have almost no rumble. A 9 dB dip near 11 kHz and air that is about 6 dB low make cymbals dull. Its preference score of 50 is middling for the class, and the Bowers & Wilkins Px7 S2 is rated higher at a similar price. Discontinued.

Full Jabra Evolve 40 review and specifications →

Released	Nov 2014 (11 years ago)
Back	Closed
Built-in Microphone	Yes
Connection	Wired
Deviation From Target	4.29 dB standard deviation
Drivers	1 x 28mm
Form Factor	Over-ear
Frequency Response	20Hz - 20kHz (Manufacturer specified)
Harman Preference Score	50 (measured by oratory1990, via AutoEQ)
Impedance	32 ohms
Sensitivity	93.6 dB
Tonal Tilt	+0.69 (negative is warmer, positive brighter)
Weight	0.2 lbs (113 g)

EQ preset to match the Harman target

Set a preamp of -6.2 dB, then add these filters in any parametric equalizer (Wavelet, Equalizer APO, Peace, or a player with parametric EQ). Calculated by AutoEQ from its measured frequency response.

Filter	Frequency	Gain	Q
Low shelf	105 Hz	+6.1 dB	0.70
Peak	200 Hz	-4.1 dB	0.76
Peak	90 Hz	+3.4 dB	1.81
Peak	1,208 Hz	+4.4 dB	2.15
Peak	703 Hz	-2.5 dB	1.74
High shelf	10,000 Hz	+2.7 dB	0.70
Peak	2,662 Hz	+2.7 dB	1.26
Peak	1,969 Hz	-3.8 dB	3.23
Peak	9,699 Hz	+3.6 dB	2.55
Peak	2,750 Hz	+0.8 dB	4.49

• Reviews, Comparisons and Sound Samples
  • AutoEQ results for the Jabra Evolve 40 (oratory1990 measurement)
• Head-to-Head Comparisons
  • Jabra Evolve 40 vs AKG K271 MKII
  • Jabra Evolve 40 vs Sennheiser Momentum 4 Wireless