Audio Technica ATH-R70xa review: Light on build, big on sound

If you’ve got $349 to spare and you want a pair of the best audiophile headphones, you’re spoiled for choice. Do you want some of Sennheiser’s excellent cans, with all the pedigree that comes with them? Or do you perhaps want one of Audeze’s slightly lower-specced models, so you can hear all the low end?

For a little while, audio staple Audio Technica hasn’t really been part of the list, but that’s all about to change with the release of the ATH-R70xa open-backed headphones.

With some of the best audio tuning around and a sound that belies their lightweight and build, the ATH-R70xa look to be your next pair of listening headphones. There are a couple of trip-up points, such as their build, but the core sound is so good you likely won’t mind too much. Let’s dive into Audio Technica’s latest over-ears.

Audio Technica ATH-R70xa: Cheat Sheet

• What is it? Extrmely light headphones aimed at audiophiles and music professionals
• Who is it for? Music mixers and audiophiles
• What does it cost? £349/$349/AU$499
• What we like: Great, mid-weighted sound
• What we don’t like: The build feels flimsy, and the headband doesn’t feel particularly well engineered.

Audio Technica ATH-R70xa review: Price and Availability

I was chatting to one of my colleagues recently. He’s a big fan of wireless headphones — their convenience, their ease of use, their extra features. “Why would I pay $349 for a pair of wired headphones, when my Sony WH-1000XM5 cost only $50 more and feature Bluetooth?”

I see his point, and it does demonstrate that despite their lower cost compared to other, wired audiophile headphones, the ATH-R70xa are not a cheap pair of cans.

They’ll set you back $349. In audiophile terms that puts them up against some of the most well-renowned models of all time, like the venerable Sennheiser HD600, Meze’s 105 AER, and some of Audeze’s lower-priced models.

To stand out at this price the Audio Technica’s aren’t just going to have to sound good, but they need to match the competition when it comes to build, package, and style.

Unfortunately, while they more than match the competition in sound, they don’t quite manage the latter part of their mission directive.

Thankfully it’s very easy to get hold of a pair. They’re available from all good audio outlets, and if you want them delivered the next day, they’re on Amazon. That’s a bonus compared to some of the trickier-to-track-down audiophile models.

Audio Technica ATH-R70xa review: Design and Build

• They look flimsy…
• …and they feel it too
• The headband doesn’t… headband properly

There’s one great thing about the build of the ATH-R70xa — and that’s their extremely light weight. You barely notice they’re sat atop your head while listening to music. They only tip the scales at 7 ounces, making them some of the lightest headphones around.

The earcups are soft, if slightly shallow, and it all adds up into a very comfortable pair of headphones that I could happily wear for hours and hours on end. I did, in fact — it was only when I went to finish my work that I realized I need to take them off after wearing them all day.

Even better? I hadn’t been listening to music for the last half an hour of wear.

The issue arises in the build quality compromises that AT has had to make in order to keep that weight down. When you look at them you can already see the issue. They’re made out of very thin metal, and it makes them feel flimsy.

They creak and rattle whenever they move around, and they don’t give me the best peace of mind when it comes to their longevity.

The swivel doesn’t swivel enough to help the sound like it should, leaving an imperfect seal around your ears. The swivel feels weak too, and it accounts for some of the biggest rattles you’ll find in the headphones.

The earcup height adjustment feels uncomfortably clicky, and adjusting them on the head sends a nasty ‘ping’ through the cans to your ears.

The headband itself is strange. Ostensibly, it is adjustable — but it doesn’t really work. There’s a thin, leatherette pad that sits between the metal structure of the headphones and the top of your head. This is actually supposed to float, but I wasn’t able to make it work properly throughout my testing.

There are two magnets at the bottom of the padding that is supposed to keep it floating under the headband. The moment you put them on, though, the magnets let go and the padding just becomes padding for the metal bit.

All in all, build-wise, the headphones don’t feel up to par. Considering the excellent build of the alternatives from Meze and Sennheiser, the trade-off for weight doesn’t quite feel worth it.

The Meze’s and their ingenious floating headband continue to be the reference here, and despite their heavier frames, you could also wear those all day. Despite other gains for the Audio Technica, the build leaves something to be desired.

Audio Technica ATH-R70xa review: Features

• Detachable cable
• Included 6.35 adapter
• L+R cable connection can be either cup

As you might expect from a pair of wired headphones, there isn’t much to write home about in the features department — but there are some fun extras. For one, the left and right channels don’t matter when you’re plugging in the cables.

Thanks to what I can only assume is black magic, either side can become left or right, and send the correct signal to the headphones. That’s cool.

Also cool is the long cable, making it much easier to plug them into a HiFi system that might be across your room. Given that you’re not likely to be wearing these on the bus, you likely won’t be too worried about trying to stuff it into your pocket. Desktop users might not like the extra cable length, however.

It’s also worth nothing that they’re open backed, and with that comes all the requisite pros and cons. Your music will sound more airy, and the soundstage will be extended over their closed back cousins. You’ll give up some low-end grunt, however, and everyone around you will be able to hear your music.

Audio Technica ATH-R70xa review: Sound Quality

• Clear highs
• Wide, mids-weighted profile
• Plenty of bass extension

Despite some hiccups in the build and design section, the AT really make up for it in their sound quality. They’re a light, airy headphone thanks to a mid-high range weighting, with an extended soundstage. They’re not overly analytical, but there’s some lovely detail across the frequency range should you want to get into some critical listening territory.

The bass is nicely extended, but it doesn’t quite hit the same as with some of the competition. If you’re after a warmer affair, then you’ll want the slightly more expensive Meze 105 AER.

They’re a more pleasing experience for what I think would be a greater number of people than the far more analytical and cold sounding Sennheiser HD600. They’re somewhere in between the two — and that could garner them some fans amongst the audiophile community.

Testing wise, I gave them a go with a range of different devices. They played over my Activo P1 player, a Chord Mojo 2 DAC hooked up to my MacBook Pro, and my Google Pixel 9 Pro fold with an iFi Go Link Max DAC dongle.

The soft clarinet line at the opening of The Rite of Spring is effervescent and clear, giving way to the part II crescendo of orchestra. Despite their mid-sound weighting, the timpani are present.

They’re not boomy — true fanatics will want for a little kick. The low oboe though is immaculate. Spatially they manage a great job of bringing the full weight of the orchestra to bear — they’re wide, and well spaced. Instrument separation is good too, with nothing blending together.

Wolves in the Throne Room’s Astral Blood shows how thick those mids can sound, while retaining that open and airy soundstage. The kick drum suffers slightly from a lack of kick drum, but you’ll soon forgive their transgressions the moment the rest of the ensemble layers. The wall of sound is as wide as it is tall, and as you’d hope from the Olympian Black Metal crew, utterly impenetrable.

Finally, the tight, controlled kick drum of Led Zeppelin’s Immigrant Song shows that the mid-bass is plenty strong enough for classic rock. While there is perhaps a little drive missing the further down the frequency bands you go, the pummeling guitar riff and pulsing bass line hook you in quicker than a hungry fisherman.

The vocal line is crisp, clear, and expertly placed amongst the mixed. While the rest of the package might leave something on the table, the sonic performance is expertly tuned and provides a slick sonic base.

Audio Technica ATH-R70xa review: Verdict

Purely from an audio perspective, the ATH-R70xa are at top of the class, alongside similarly priced competition.

They carve out a sonic niche for themselves that makes them a compelling choice should you want something that gives the best of both worlds — excellent mid-bass, and clear highs. They sound, without hyperbole, excellent.

But the rest of the package doesn’t hold up. The build just isn’t up to scratch when you put them up against similarly priced examples from other brands. If they were to be judged on their sound alone, they’d easily be some of the best audiophile headphones that money can buy.

But, unfortunately for these Audio Technicas, I must take into account the whole package. And it’s a package that brings only some of the goods.

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