Audio-Technica ATH-ES7 Headphone Reviews

These come in two different models, white and black, filling the need for a closed portable at a moderate price.

- The pleather earpads are comfortable for perhaps an hour or two of listening, though hardly as plush as Sony's V6. But these have the advantage of folding flat - good for carrying in backpacks or small cases. You can achieve notable improvements in comfort by rolling rotating the earphone appropriately. Supra-aural, they're also a modest size.

- These boast a refined treble, pleasing (albeit light) mids, and a bass that's not under control with all tracks. The ES7 doesn't excel with monaural or badly produced material, by and large, which may end up sounding flat. They'rre a decent phone for monitoring, but show their class when they show off their high range.

- The mirror-like finish on the back of the phones is subject to wear. The best solution for most is to give it a plastic coating, which looks perfectly natural after a few days. I covered mine with a circle of Best Skins Ever.

- Although closed, this phone lacks noise-cancellation; your songs might find competition on commutes or busy coffee shops. However, denser tuneage can help make for easier listening. Fans of more reserved music like classical would best find a device with a tighter seal.

- Off the rack, the phones describe an almost halo-like outline around your head - widely spaced from your ears. Most listeners are fine with this. If your appearance-conscious, mold the flexible sides of the headphone to conform to the shape of your head.

Very good portable, especially for the price of around 90 USD. Soundstage and highs are strenghts, bass is what you usually get from AT phones, good quality but impact isnt there, but again, it's a matter of personal taste.