Audio Technica ATHM40FS Precision StudioPhones
ATH-M40fs Precision studiophones - flat response
Audio Technica ATHM40FS Precision StudioPhones Accessories
 ARISTA 16-098 6.3mm (1/4") to 3.5mm (Mini) Headphone Adapter
Maxell HP20 Headphone Extension Cord with Adapters
1/4" Stereo Headphone Extension 25 ft. Coiled
Audio-Technica ATH-ANC7 QuietPoint Active Noise-Cancelling Headphones
Sennheiser HD 202 Headphones
On-Stage Stands Tripod Mic Stand with Boom
CAD EPF-15A 6-Inch Flexible Pop Filter
XLR male to XLR female Microphone Cable - 15 feet
Shure SM57LC Shure SM57 Cardioid Dynamic Microphone
Cables To Go 7 Port USB 2.0 Hub
Audio Technica ATHM40FS Precision StudioPhones Reviews
These Audio Technica's are one of the last on my list. Don't have a lot of money or don't trust Sony for some reason I would get these. In that sense these are the best headphones in the upper end of the lower price range. They are a best buy. The bass is deep without being overpowering.
The imaging in the midrange and treble is only second to the Sony's. Not even considering the price they are better than the Sennheiser HD-280's and only "lose" to the Behringer 3000's because they aren't as inexpensive, but in both cases the Audio Technica's are superior in sound. Disclaimer: They only come with a large jack. The sound is very flat and not colored. I bought these on Amazon and the price I paid was severely discounted from the listed price according to them. Maybe it's redundant to say so, but the whole frequency range if flat and nothing is over powering. If you need a great pair of headphones.
I am reviewing and going through them quickly. I have more than a half dozen headphones which I have just aquired. They come with a single cord, but it seems somewhat cheap and short and is not coiled. I would almost say that these are monitor or reference headphones without having tried models on Amazon for more than $100.00. . While the sound isn't as good as the Sony V700's or 7506's nor are they are as efficient right now they seem to be of a pretty high standard.
If you want to plug it into a 1/8" mini phone jack like what typical walkman type headphones plug into, then buy a cheap ¼" to 1/8" male adapter from Radio Shack before your headset arrives. The M40 seems to clamp my head a bit more but I think that I will be able to lessen the pressure by bending the metal in the headband. The bass is "true" and clear with no distortion and is not accentuated like so many headphones and speakers are these days. It is so good that I'm planning to buy another set before Amazon stops selling them.
In fact, my first impression is that the M40 may have slightly better high frequency response and sounds a hair crisper. It has a ¼ inch male phone plug on the end which is what professional equipment uses. Therefore each earpiece can sit squarely on your head, unlike cheaper headphones that hinge but do not rotate. The sound quality of the ATH-M40FS headphones is superb. I can hear high frequencies that I didn't hear with similar or lower priced headphones.
I hate listening to headphones with accentuated bass that overwhelms the true sound. The M40 seems to be a tiny tad louder than the 7506 when I swap plugs without touching the volume so don't worry about its sensitivity. This is better quality cable than the small cables usually found on cheaper headphones. While the Sony MDR-7506 headphones are more comfortable, this is the best bang for the buck headphones that I've found.
I've been using the 7506 headphones professionally for about 9 years. Didn't want to overdo that all at once now. This is not to say that the M40 is uncomfortable. I would rate the sound quality 5 stars and the comfort 4 stars. I will be using my M40 headphones to listen to TV and the sound quality is so good that I know I will use them more than the TV speakers.
Each earpiece on the M40 is hinged and rotates. Looking at the photo you can see how it hinges on the forks but it's not obvious that each earpiece can rotate 180 degrees also. The 7506 is more comfortable than the M40 since it has better quality padding and soft material where it touches the head. The M40 is slightly heavier at 10 ounces verses the 7506 at 8 ounces (headphones only, not including the cables). The cord is about 5/32 inch in diameter and 11.5 feet long. Both have superb sound quality and sound almost the same.
I compared this headphone with my Sony MDR-7506 headphones which is a professional industry standard.
Most music sounds clear and balanced, though a tinge of muddy bass seems to creep in every now and then which may actually be from the source (some of my CDs just don't sound that well mixed compared with some albums). After a quarter century, my trusty Koss headphones were literally starting to fall apart, so I began my quest for a new set of headphones. Time will tell, of course, how well constructed this set of headphones is, but short-term, they look and feel solid. After a few months of listening, I think Audio Technica headphones are in the sweet spot of meeting, to a large degree, those original criteria.
For the most part, these headphones are quite comfortablethey are not too tight but feel a bit warm after an hour or so. They are reasonably priced, especially for someone like me who listens to music on mostly mid-fi vintage components (e.g., Sansui AU-717 amp, Thorens turntable, Sansui reel to reel, newer Marantz CD player). It's easy to adjust their fit and tilt. Clearly, these headphones are a recommended best buy for those looking for affordable, solid performing headphones. I like the way the cord connects to the large-size plug and am happy these are not terminated with that puny plug found on so many headphones these days. For the most part, I'm pleased with the sound reproduction offered. Rather than spending more on headphones, I would rather save my money for music.
I wish the cord was about two or three feet longer to make it a bit easier to move around my music area while wearing these headphones. That quest led me to purchase a set of Audio Technica ATHM40FS Precision StudioPhones. I had a few criteria in mind: moderate price, comfortable to wear, decent construction, and clear, accurate sound.
If you travel a lot I'd say hold out for a pair that folds up, as these are kind of a pain to deal with, but otherwise go for it. I have owned and used these headphones for almost a year and can honestly recommend them; in fact I just did last week. I work in a data center occasionally (if you don't know what that is, think about a giant room with literally 10,000+ computers all whirring their noisy fans), and although these headphones tout no noise-canceling technology I've had no problem listening to everything from Bach to Cannibal Corpse on them. I also travel for work sometimes, and these things double as decent earplugs when you forget yours, and music is easy to listen to while sitting over the wings (read: engines). They sound nice, are super light, and the price is really reasonable. - The ability to fold them up smaller for travel. - A volume control on the headset or wire, at least a mute button for when you switch from speakers to headset and accidentally blast your head apart. I have two minor features I wish were included:.
The longer I listen the better music sounds through these headphones. When they're on the head the hinges and earpieces look like they're all one piece. If you didn't know the seam was there, you'd probably miss it. Sound and audio stores should have them as well as electronics stores, I think even Wally World has them.
I really enjoy the music I hear through these headphones just playing MP3s on my computer without a fancy sound card on my computer. There is nothing sticking out, and it's very aesthetic. Now that is customer service. But it's easy to find an adpater, and not much hassle. The padding that touches the skin is flattened to fit against the head better, giving these headphones excellent sound squelching qualities. DVD movies sound very good also.
They're nice and thick, and the part that attaches the earpieces to the headband meets the headband smoothly. They look well made and able to take a lot of use. Someone put a lot of thought and effort into designing these. The cord terminates in a 1/4 stereo plug, and is reinforced at the back end of the plug with a flexible metal spring that's approximately an inch long. They do not look cheaply made and the matte black coloring and shape of these headphones is pleasing to the eye. Isolation:. Meditation music sounds great also.
The soundtracks sound great. One allows the earpieces to be rotated out when they're being worn, so outside noises or conversation can be heard without taking them completely off. Mozart sounds great too. I believe they provide enough isolation, and outside sound dampening, to satisfy most music afficianados. It's not flimsy at all. I can hear everything the way it was meant to be heard. If you're going to use these headphones for your: computer, tv, portable CD player or whatever. Audio Technica ATHM40FS Precision StudioPhones.
The bass is there, but it is NOT very pronounced and isn't the focus. All the sounds are separated and discernible but not so sharply delineated that it picks the music to pieces with one drowning out the other. I hope that gives you some idea about the range of music that sounds great with these headphones. They're made of matte black high density plastic also.
From the top down:. This review is for:. First of all right out of the package they look expensive. Pink Floyd sounds divine, and so does John Denver. The inside wells that hold the speakers are covered with some type of soft fabric as well. I always look at the details, and if someone paid attention to those I know they care about their product. The music accompanies the singer rather than drowning them out. The frequency response of headphones means nothing if the amplitude is way out of whack.
The cord is very long and has a nice thickness to it. The shape is sort of an elongated oval. There is an adapter kit with four different sizes of adapters, right here on Amazon for 5.00 or so. I can still hear everything very well with no interference from outside noise. The hinges are nice and thick.
The holes under the fabric where the speakers are located are shifted slightly toward the back side of the ear pieces. The inside of each earpiece is oval in shape and the inside depth is between 1/2 and inch and 3/4 of an inch. The plug itself is textured for easy gripping.
If you don't need the length, I suggest tying it up with a zip it, or something similar, to keep it out of the way. The hinges where the earpieces meet the body are made from some type of heavy duty, hard plastic(I don't know the technical name for it). I don't know who designed them, but whoever it is they're smart, LOL. I'm enjoying my music on these very same headphones while I'm typing away. On a sidenote: The customer service people are very nice.
The lyrics are very easy to understand,and the voice of the singer is perfectly presented. Nothing is muddy sounding to me. The earpieces:. Alrighty then, that's all I can think of at the moment. Move smoothly and easily. I don't hear any distortion at a higher volume, but then again I can't stand very loud music, it hurts my ears. The thickness of the padding is approximately 3/4 of an inch thick.
Just make sure you get a stereo to stereo adapter, not stereo to mono adapter. I emailed the customer service department for the amplitude range on another set I was eyeballing which are also made by audio Technica. There are two sets of them. The two sets were: Audio Technica ATH-A700 Closed-Back Dynamic Headphones With Double Air Damping and Audio Technica ATH-AD700 Open-air Dynamic Headphones. The outside housing is a some type of matte black high density plastic, and the R and L on each one is molded into the plastic rather than being painted on so that it won't rub off eventually. Minnie Ripperton's "Loving You" Sounds good too.
Radio Shack has a kit that's a little different from the one here on Amazon, but it still has four different sized adapters. Each earpiece can be rotated out to the front approximately 180 degrees, and to the back considerably less. The sound:. The underside of the headband is very well padded and the padding extends almost down to the hinge where the earpieces are connected to the headpiece.
You can buy adapter kits. It took about a week for them to answer but he very nice fellow who answered sent me JPGs of the amplitude graphs for the set I asked about, and another set. The hinges:. Rammstein - Blade Theme (Techno Remix) sounds as good as all the rest. If you're like me and you forget you're wearing these headphones and get out of your chair to get something it doesn't pull everything off the shelf:D. The price and the quality make this set of headphones an excellent buy.
If you're interested the amplitude range on the ATH-AD700 was much more flat than the ATH-A700, with less variation overall. When I'm listening to music I don't hear anything else unless the sound is extremely loud. The other set of hinges are the same color and material, and they fit sleekly against the earpieces in their own grooves, giving the earpieces a smooth appearance when on the head. The padding is nice and squishy, but not so much that you can feel the hardness underneath. And that was before the sale. Pantera sounds good, and so do the Heavy Metal soundtracks( 1 and 2). I like the length personally. Everything is nicely balanced and flows together like music should.
I haven't listened to anything jazzier. These headphones are light and comfortable on the head, and about the ears. You don't have to turn these all the way up to hear decently. You're going to need to buy a 3.5 mm adapter because these headphones don't come with one in the box, like some of the other Audio Tecnica headphones.
They are lined all the way around by padding that is approximately 3/4 of an inch thick, and one inch wide, and they're covered by the same velvety soft material as the headband padding. This padding feels wonderful against the skin. They can be worn comfortably for extended periods of time without causing a headache. These really do a good job.
All in all I'm very pleased with these headphones, and I would buy them again. If you're looking for very pronounced bass, don't buy these unless you want to adjust the the bass to your satisfaction on your music source. Roberta Flack is as close to blues as I've gotten yet, and she sounds amazing. Kudos to Audio Technica for their customer service. I'm sure he probably had to hunt the graphs down and then make a file to attach it to the email he sent me.
The Cord:. The tension of the headband is enough to hold the earphones on my head, but they rest comfortably without pressure around my ears. It sounds like I'm hearing a live performance. If you enjoy the lyrics, like me, as much as the music, then these headphones are fantastic. I'm listening to Illumination by Hemi- Sync right now and I've got my system volume turned up to 3/4 and Winamp volume is at 9%, and that's quite enough to enjoy the music.
The sound of music through these is excellent. Nothing added or taken away. These earphones are very light, I've been wearing them all day with no neck fatigue, or headache from too much pressure around the ears. Runs from the left earpiece, and is not reinforced at the point it meets the earpiece.
PussyCat Dolls "Don'tcha" sounds just as good to me. These are excellent quality headphones for the price. Summation:. The highs aren't sharp and grating, and the mid range is there, the lows are smooth and present. The headband is approximately two inches wide and covered even on the top with some type of soft to the touch material.
Meatloaf "Life is a Lemon" sounds heavenly through these, and so does Garth Brooks "Friends in Low Places". But listening pleasure is subjective.
|
