Presenting the Audio Technica AD500 headphones.

These are entry-level full-sized earphones from Audio Technica, a Japanese audio equipment maker. You can typically find them in Malaysia for about RM3xx to RM4xx.

AD500 and Xonar U1

Build and Comfort

First thing I can say when putting these on – these are extremely comfortable headphones. They are of a circumaural design, covering a large area of my head with those soft and smooth pads. The headband and the pads that rest on top of your head is also very cleverly designed. However it’s not adjustable for height nor width, so those whose heads are shaped a little more deviant than the normal might face a little difficulty fitting these onto their heads.

Overall build quality is excellent for a sub RM500 headphone. The fit and finish is also very well done, and design wise is much better than say the Sennheiser’s HD4xx series,  Beyerdynamics DT2xx series or the Alessandro MS1/Grado SR60. The wires are long – almost 3m, and are thick enough to handle frequent and rough use (not like I’m going to throw them around, but just saying).

There is virtually no isolation when you wear these because they are open-back headphones, and they allow outside sound to enter, as well as the music/audio to “leak” out. Therefore these are ideal for home usage where the environment is usually quieter than say travelling on a bus or train.

The headphones are heavier than the typical supra-aural headphones that you can find on the street, but are light enough for regular use. It’s 260g to be exact.

Sound Quality
Just as a background, I’ve never owned a full-sized headphone, but within the same price range, I’ve tried the Beyerdynamic DT231pro, Sennheiser HD448, Alessandro MS1 and Shure SR240 at Jaben Network Malaysia. I’ve also tried the Hifiman HE6 and Beyerdynamic T1 paired with the Hifiman EF5 amp for the mid-high end side of things.

I’m pairing the AD500 with my portable DAC, the Asus Xonar U1. It’s not the best DAC possible, but it’s the only one I have and I’m with a limited budget. At Jaben Network, I’ve tried it with much better DAC’s and amps and although they do make the AD500 sound a little better, I don’t really find it justifies another RM1500 to RM2000 for subtle improvements. I usually use the Soundmagic PL30′s with my laptop, and though I find it’s already leaps and bounds better than most generic earphones supplied by Apple or Creative or Samsung, you’ll find that headphones is the way to go for both value and sound quality.

That aside, I’ll try to describe how it sounds like through my own ears. Remember, music and sound quality is extremely subjective so what sounds nice to me might not to someone else.

Playlist
Why don’t we just dance, Josh Turner
Music for a found harmonium, Penguin Cafe Orchestra
Hotel California, Eagles
Beanfields, Penguin Cafe Orchestra
Bleed it out, Linkin Park
Black crow, Diana Krall
Something stupid, Nancy Sinatra ft. Frank Sinatra
Golden, Fall Out Boy

The first thing that hits me is the absurd amount of space and separation between instruments and sound sources. I’m used to listening to in-earphones and even when I tried good earphones such as the Fischer Audio DBA-02, although there is instrumental separation and some sort of soundstage, the soundstaging and imaging you can get from a headphone is in a different league altogether. Listening to Penguin Music Orchestra – Music for a Found Harmonium, the subtle knocks of percussions in the background suddenly becomes so apparent through the back/front of my head. The details are extremely clear, and I could even enjoy Fall Out Boy’s Golden in a different light – suddenly I realize the amount of detail and subtleties that is in that song, totally changing my mindset that pop-rock bands just mash instruments together.

In terms of frequency response, it’s pretty balanced, with a slight emphasis on the mid to treble sections. Female vocals and high-pitched instruments can sounded a little louder and perhaps shriller than I expected, since my PL30′s literally cuts off high-pitch frequencies, so I’m not used to listening to them. Bass sounds tight and punch enough for me, though it’s much leaner than many other headphones such as the Shure’s or Sennheisers.

In terms of mid-range vocals, it performs adequately but not spectacularly. The Shure SR240 I’ve tried is certainly much better when it comes to vocals, as it is warmer and smoother, and it presents it perceptually closer to the listener.

However, it’s potential is truly unlocked when paired with a decent DAC and amp. Trying it through the Lavry DA11 DAC and Graham Slee Solo SRGII amp, percussions, strings and congested and speedy tempo sections of songs really come alive. There is way more deep bass and impact, and the high end has a sparkle that is not as shrill and piercing as it originally sounds. There is a lot more clarity in terms of instrumental separation and imaging.

Conclusion

There was a few things going for the AD500 when I was choosing between the entry-level headphones. One was comfort, as it really fit well on my head and I seriously felt I could truly relax with it for hours. Two was the soundstaging – the other headphones were either closed-back headphones or they did not emphasize detail and separation enough. I had the idea that since I was going for a full-size headphone, I really liked the feeling of being able to listen to how the individual components of a song come together without being all mushed up. Three was the potential of making it even better if I have a better source, DAC or amp. Last but not least, it has seriously superior build quality and design compared to the other headphones.

P.S. There was also the AD300 I’ve tried, and by extension it enjoys many of the advantages of the AD500, but it sounded a little veiled and flat compared to the AD500 or AD700. Since it was only a small difference in price between the AD300 and AD500 and so I went for the AD500.