The Audio-Technica ATH-AD500X ranks #122 out of 134 total Over-Ear Headphones for sound quality. See all Headphones rankings for every top pick.
Brand: Audio-Technica
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#122 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.
| 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 |
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