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Audio-Technica ATH-ADX7000 review: two minute review
The ATH-ADX7000 are Audio-Technica’s flagship open-back headphones, with a lightweight design that’s strong but just 270g. They deliver exceptional low-end power and a wide, precise sound stage, with a confidence and clarity no matter what kind of music you throw at them. They’re astonishingly expensive, but if you can afford a pair you’ll be very pleased with your purchase. Some of the best wired headphones around then? Oh, emphatically.
These are very high impedance headphones — 490 ohms — and that means you’ll need an appropriately powerful amp to drive them. But get that right and they’ll reward you no end.
Audio-Technica ATH-ADX7000 review: price and release date
- $3,499 / £3,000 / AU$4,999
- Launched October 2025
The Audio-Technica ATH-ADX7000 headphones were announced in October 2025 and went on sale that same month with a price tag of $3,499 / £3,000 / AU$4,999.
That pricing means these are very much in audiophile territory; this is a flagship set of serious headphones made for people who want the very best of everything and can afford to pay for it.
Audio-Technica ATH-ADX7000 review: specs
|
Type |
Open air dynamic |
|
Driver diameter |
58mm |
|
Frequency range |
5 to 50,000 Hz |
|
Sensitivity |
100 dB/mW |
|
Impedance |
490 ohms |
Audio-Technica ATH-ADX7000 review: features
- New 58mm HDXT driver with aligned circular components
- 490 ohm high impedance voice coil
- 1/4-inch stereo and 4-pin XLRM cables, both 3m
The Audio-Technica ATH-ADX7000 headphones feature HDXT drivers, which are precision-molded to deliver a perfectly round diaphragm. The main driver is 58mm with aligned circular driver components (the baffle plate, magnet, voice coil and diaphragm) for what Audio-Technica says is a more accurate, dynamic and detailed sonic performance. It’s teamed with a 490-ohm high-impedance voice coil that promises fast transients and defined low end.
The ATX-ADX7000s come with two detachable nylon-wound 3m (9.8′) cables, one balanced with a 4-pin XLRM connector (but not a 4.4mm balanced connector; the expectation is that you’ll be using a desktop or hi-fi amp here) and one with an unbalanced 6.3mm (1/4″) gold-plated stereo plug. Both cables connect to the headphones with gold-tipped A2DC connectors.
Audio-Technica ATH-ADX7000 review: sound quality
- Exceptional clarity and precision
- Superbly punchy bass without losing detail
- Excellent in all kinds of genres
With a frequency response of 5Hz to 50kHz, the ATH-ADX7000 have a very impressive low end and airy highs, delivering a neutral overall sound with a little bit of warmth. Irrespective of genre or format I didn’t need to reach for an EQ on any of my vinyl, CDs or files; even fairly cluttered, complex sounds like Mojo from Mike Patton’s Peeping Tom project, which drops massive squelching sub-bass in the chorus with distorted guitars on top and which has defeated many headphones, didn’t stress the Audio-Technicas at all.
These are very high-impedance headphones and on the Mac my SSL2 interface struggled to drive them; while it happily drives most demanding headphones it wasn’t strong enough for these, and it felt like I was getting six out of ten when I needed eight or nine. Swapping it for my iFi Zen 2 DAC improved things dramatically, not just because of the extra power but because the ATH-ADX7000s could really breathe. What was already entertaining became an absolute hoot.
I laughed out loud when the bass dropped in SOPHIE’s Reasons Why, and Beastie Boys’ Root Down moved so much air it felt like I’d strapped big speakers to my head. Little Simz’ Point and Kill was beautifully detailed, its snaking bassline, intertwining vocals and bursts of brass perfectly positioned. Radiohead’s Reckoner had incredible presence, the Audio-Technicas giving the layered vocals great separation as guitars chimed in the left channel and the ride cymbal splashed in the right. Led Zeppelin’s When The Levee Breaks was the best I’ve ever heard it, every part of John Paul Jones’ bass distinct from John Bonham’s thunderous drums and Jimmy Page’s slide guitar.
Bass was something of a recurring theme in my testing because the ATH-ADX7000 headphones deliver it so well, whether it’s the thumb-slaps and slides in The Blue Nile’s Tinseltown in the Rain; the arpeggiated synth in Robyn’s Dopamine; the dubstep thump in BLACKPINK’s Go; Adam Clayton’s grinding bass in U2’s Vertigo; or Tony Levin’s percussive, metronomic bass pulse and melodic walks in the live version of Peter Gabriel’s Digging in the Dirt. Listening to and feeling Horace Pace’s glorious Precision bass in The Specials’ Ghost Town was close to a religious experience.
Audio-Technica ATH-ADX7000 review: design
- Exceptionally lightweight honeycomb grille
- Choice of velvet and alcantara ear cups
- Lightweight but strong magnesium frame
- Functional rather than flashy
The Audio-Technica ATH-ADX7000 headphones are very visibly open-back thanks to a handmade honeycomb-punched aluminum grille that looks as if it’s barely there when you’re looking straight at it — although it is very strong and does also block unwanted side ventilation.
The large ear pads come with a choice of velvet and Alcantara cushions that promise to subtly alter the sound — velvet for “well-balanced” audio and Alcantara for more warmth — and the headphones use a lightweight magnesium frame with a wide, open headband. I found the headphones to be exceptionally comfortable even during long listening sessions. And unlike on-ear designs they stayed put when I was at my desk working in front of a big display.
Each pair of ATH-ADX7000 is laser-etched with its serial number and comes in a hard aluminium carrying case.
Audio-Technica ATH-ADX7000 review: value
- Undeniably expensive
- Exceptionally good bass
- Wonderfully comfortable
These are the best over-ear headphones I’ve ever tested, delivering the incredible clarity and realism of open-back headphones with the kind of low-end punch you’d normally need closed-backs for. Their light weight, wide headband and comfortable ear cups make them a real pleasure to wear for long listening sessions, and the sound they produce means that every listening session will become a long one.
Unfortunately they’re also very expensive: $3,499 / £3,000 / AU$4,999 is twice what you’d pay for a Grado Signature pair, about three times the price of the equivalent Sennheisers and about seven times more than I’ve ever been able to spend on a pair of headphones. That price tag means they’re simply out of reach for many of us.
For many musical products the difference between budget and mid-range models is much more dramatic than the difference between high end and super high end – so for example a $1,000 guitar will be much better than a $250 one, but as you move up the price range the differences start to become much more subtle. I think that’s the case here. If you can easily afford these headphones you’ll love them, but many headphones costing half as much are hardly horrific.
Should I buy the ATH-ADX7000?
|
Attributes |
Notes |
Rating |
|---|---|---|
|
Features |
New driver design for exceptional clarity and responsiveness |
4.5/5 |
|
Sound quality |
Super clarity and jaw-dropping low end. Exceptional in all kinds of genres. |
5/5 |
|
Design |
Functional rather than flashy: solidly made and super lightweight |
4.5/5 |
|
Value |
Incredible headphones, but incredibly expensive |
4/5 |
Buy them if…
Don’t buy them if…
Audio-Technica ATH-ADX7000 review: also consider
The Sennheiser HD 800’s revoiced, more bassy successor the HD 800 S is among the very best wired headphones, and retails for roughly one-third of the price of the Audio-Technicas. And while the fit wasn’t right for me, when I reviewed the Grado Signature S750 open-backs I really loved their sound quality and clarity. Our current favorite among the best high-end headphones, the Meze Audio 105 Silva, are even cheaper while delivering a superb sonic experience.
How I tested the Audio-Technica ATH-ADX7000 headphones
- Tested for two weeks
- Used with stereo amp, audio interface and headphone DAC/amp
- Vinyl, CD, streaming, and hi-res audio files
I tested the Audio-Technica ATH-ADX7000 for two weeks across a range of sources and genres: vinyl records via an Audio-Technica turntable and an Onkyo A-910 stereo amplifier; CDs with the same amp and a Marantz CD6007 CD player; and streaming, lossless and hi-res audio on a Mac mini via an SSL2 audio interface and an iFi Zen 2 DAC.
I’ve detailed some of the music I used in the main review but I tested across a range of artists and genres including acoustic and hyperpop, electronica and EDM, classic rock, alternative rock and chart pop.
Read the full article here
