Audio Technica ATH-AD1000PRM

The Audio Technica ATH-AD1000PRM headphones look a little unusual due to the ‘self-adjusting 3D wings’ which are used to support the weight of the phones on the listener’s head. These two little paddles come out from just above the ear cups and conform individually to the shape of your head. Combined with the soft cloth finish of the padded cups, this made for excellent comfort.

But they did not always feel entirely secure, due in part to the low pressure with which they were pressed against my head, and in part because the ear cups pressed in more firmly at the bottom, less firmly at the top. They felt as though a sharp shake of the head might dislodge them. But this never actually happened.

They are fitted with a fixed three metre cable, a good thick one to deliver a clean signal. The end is terminated in a 3.5mm plug, with a screw-on 6.5mm adaptor provided.

The acoustic design of these headphones is ‘open’, so you can hear your environment reasonably clearly through the headphones.

These headphones were in the top class for sound, although with their own take on the music. Their bass was full and well extended, with a solid underpinning to kick drums, and clearly plenty of authority, but not quite as forward as what we found on the Sennheiser HD650. The upper frequencies were also excellent, with clean cymbal strikes and the full subtlety of fine percussive work properly delivered. These higher frequencies were a little forward in the mix.

These headphones were happy with the output of a standard iPod, capable of delivering frankly nutty volume levels. The low impedance (40 ohms) could result in reduced deep bass performance on some portable MP3 players.

So stick with suitable high quality electronics, which is really what these fine headphones are intended for.

 

Overall
Features
Value for money
Performance
Ease of Use
Reader Rating0 Votes
Superb no-compromise sound; Very comfortable to wear; Adequate sensitivity for iPod/MP3
Felt a little insecure on head
4.5