63% of 27 verified owners recommend the ATH-R70xa, based on real owner verdicts aggregated from Reddit, enthusiast forums, and YouTube.
The headline score reflects owners (Reddit, enthusiast forums), independent lab tests, blogs with no affiliate links, and YouTube owner-comments when they line up with owners. is shown for perspective but kept out here — hover the i for why.
“it has this really arfticial, unnatural sound to it that's neither analytic nor is it a smooth, rich entertaining sound”
“I can't stand it for regular YouTube talking head videos, I think the vocal timbre is thin/weird. But for music, it does have some sort of magic to it.”
“I got the r70xa as well, but had to get a new amp to give it more juice to make it sing. But man, being so light i hardly reach for my other cans now and using these as daily drivers.”
“ATH terrible. They don't listen to user feedback. Many people are experiencing this problem.”
“I listened to a bunch of highly rated headphones at the last CanJam in NYC and none of them made me want to upgrade from the R70xa.”
“The comfort is a letdown (I have the headband on the tightest setting and the earcups as small as they go, and they still seem too big/don't adjust how I want. I don't have a small head). They sound great though.”
“They seem to have a bit more low end compared to the hd600 and they are more comfortable for long sessions (for me at least).”
“Been using a pair of t50rp mk4s and have been enjoying them more, no need for these anymore.”
“They were by absolute favorite. So light and sound great. But the left side quit working.”
“Really a case where I genuinely wondered if I should sell all of my headphones and just use the R70xa.”
“I like my r70xa but recently upgraded to Hedd D1”
“The r70xa especially, punches way above its weight, and you hardly notice you're wearing it.”
“Insanely comfortable. Weird sound signature.”
“Those are great. So light, it's easy to listen for hours, also great imaging.”
“I'd dare say these are the best headphones for imaging in their price range”
“definitely a really good pairing to a 6XX”
“I enjoy it more than my HD58X, HD6XX, and HD660S2 for reference.”
“Side-grade for sure.”
“I'm still testing mine out, but like them a lot so far.”
“The R70xa definitely has better bass than the Sennys.”
“I have the ATH-R70x headphones, and they're amazing.”
“My R70x punches nice and hard hooked up to my V281.”
“They sound great with the brainwavez hybrid pads.”
“Congrats though, I have the R70xa and love them.”
Practical notes owners raise — setup, quirks, and issues to watch for. They don't say whether the person likes the product, so they're not counted in the score, but they inform the pros, cons, and who it's for.
“Yeah they are. I just replaced the stock pads with the ones on the Refine and it's a much better experience. My ears no longer touch the drivers and it feels softer/more comfy.”
“If the stock straps are too thin, try the Capra audio comfort strap. They did wonders for me comfort wise and dont have to deal with the finicky magnetic clasp.”
“That's right, but in contrast to closed headphones, in my experience the difference in sound with open headphones is rather negligible. At least I don't hear significant changes (without swapping pads).”
“I want to see the measurements for these. The R50x is advertised on the site as having a strong sub-bass response. I'm down to grab those if that's the case.”
“I’m curious about the whole line. R70x was a phenomenal headphone for its price. So the R70XA has peaked my interest. I didn’t even realize that these were a thing, but not I’m curious about these as well.”
“I can’t compare with the original, but the clamp force is really light, just like the weight. I’d guess it is comparable with the k612/701 series from alg. However those cushions are much stiffer than the r70xa ones.”
“Mine are coming in Wednesday. Gonna swap in my ZMF Ori pads and then give my R70x Refines to my wife. Or maybe I’ll sell them who knows”
“At least ATH-R70x and it’s revisions (most recently ATH-R70xa) are generally considered competitive with anything in their price range”
“I love the R70x, but my only issue with it is that it lacks high-end and this causes my issues when mixing since it doesn't portray the amount of high end accurately. If the R70xa have more high end, this could be fixed for me.”
“Not true - not sealing them affects the way the driver is loaded (the air between your ear and the driver acts as a load on the driver) that's why there's a change in sound when you swap from non perforated pads to perforated pads”
“Yeah, I can see the treble on the R70xa being a bit divisive, though I don’t find it too bright myself. Feels like Ananda-level of treble, with a bit less air and sizzle. Could be a great fit for those who find the HD650/6XX too dark.”
“Yeah, this is my experience as well, although it is with the r70x - if not for tracking and monitoring in a studio/live environment, I'd never wear closed backs, and even then it's that one headphone on ear, other off kind of situation.”
“They don't get hot at all, they are particularly light. I live in the tropics, it's 28C-30C indoors where I use them.”
“If you're looking for bigger soundstage and bass I would say the Nano has it beat, although the R70xa isn't far off.”
“I'm gonna have to audition these first. Everything you say is improved from the old ones is what I like about 'em. 😂”
“Yes, thank you! I think i'll go for r70xa and aim for Arya Stealth in the future as my "end game" headphones :-)”
“they seem just as thin as the original, sad the Apos Refine was a limited run. Wish they'd sell those pads.”
“I overlaid the R70xa, R50x and compared it to a relatively known quantity that they had available, the HD 600. https://imgur.com/a/toMwIxE Looks like the R70xa has a bit of a dip around 300 and 400 hz where the R50x has a bit more even response overall.”
“I believe they're using a flat plate/DIY measurement rig, so it really needs to be taken with a grain of salt. That dip in the upper mids on the R70xa could be caused by angled drivers and might not exist with an ear simulator (or real ears for that matter).”
“Why would you not consider the R70x's an upgrade to the 6xx? Just curious on your reasoning.”
“They are, but the pads are just hard to change, period. Didn't love the Ori pads, personally. Not so much a sound thing, but the Refine pads are more comfortable. The Ori pads compress too much even with the modest clamp of the Refine, and press against my head as a result.”
“However i always take a step backwards when people compare them to Senn's 6XX/650/600 because those are to me incredibly unenjoyable headphones that are way way far from what i consider enjoyable. Maybe ill try to find a place to try them first, but damnit i want these so bad”
“Okay, let's not all pretend stupid here (yes, it's budget king for OP if you look what's on his table and calling those cans "mid-tier" or some "entry-level" is bs too, they're for a professional use, at least the ATH-R70x been a workhorse to be wished for (at least for me),…”
“It seems less mid-bassy and less veiled which is what I was hoping for. Although the treble looks brighter than I was hoping for. Here are some comparisons: R70xa vs tilted DF and pref. boundaries vs R70X vs HD600 vs HD58X vs R50X vs Hadenys vs X2HR vs PC38X vs HD668B vs Radiance”