Scored on 27 verified owner verdicts, from 952 comments read across 1 community
TL;DR
Owners of the ATH-R70xa are consistently won over by how light and comfortable it is for marathon sessions, paired with imaging and detail that many rank ahead of pricier rivals and Sennheiser staples like the HD600, HD6XX, and HD660S2. A vocal contingent treats it as their new daily driver, saying they keep going back to it after trying other cans. The main friction is tonal: a meaningful minority finds the treble and vocal timbre thin or artificial-sounding and points to recessed mids in the 300-400 Hz range on measurements. Comfort has an asterisk too, since the thin stock pads push many owners to swap in aftermarket R70X Refine pads to stop their ears from touching the drivers.
63% of 27 verified owners recommend the ATH-R70xa, based on real owner verdicts aggregated from Reddit, enthusiast forums, and YouTube.
What 27 owners say
952 comments reviewed · scored on the 27 clearest verdicts
63%
Recommend
17 owners
30%
Neutral
8 owners
7%
Don't recommend
2 owners
Last 6 months:33% recommend(6 recent verdicts)↓ trending down 38pts vs older reviews
Source
Breakdown
Score
N
Counted in the score
Reddit
63%
27
Reviewed, but not counted — and why
No clear verdictiGood-to-know notes — setup, tips, and things to watch for. We use them for the pros, cons, and who it's for, but they don't reflect a definitive opinion on the product, so they're never counted in the score. See the 'Good to know' section below the quotes.Setup, tips & quirks
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32
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.
What owners like
Exceptionally light and comfortable for long listening sessions, staying cool even after hours of wear · 9 · 33%
Standout imaging and detail retrieval that owners call incredible or best-in-class for the price · 6 · 22%
Preferred over Sennheiser rivals like the HD600, HD6XX, and HD660S2, with more bass and dynamism · 6 · 22%
Inspires strong loyalty, with owners calling it their daily driver and describing the sound as borderline perfect · 6 · 22%
What owners flag
Stock earpads run thin and can feel tight or press against the head, pushing many owners to swap in aftermarket R70X Refine pads for comfort · 6 · 22%
Treble and vocal timbre can sound artificial, thin, or divisive, especially on spoken content like YouTube videos · 5 · 19%
Mids sound recessed or pulled back, with measurements showing a dip around 300-400 Hz compared to headphones like the HD600 · 4 · 15%
Who it's for
A great fit if
Long listening sessions where light weight and all-day comfort matter most
Gamers and daily drivers wanting sharp imaging and a fun, dynamic sound
HD600/6XX owners wanting more treble energy, bass, and less recessed mids
Warm-climate or long-session users who need cans that never run hot
Look elsewhere if
Listeners wanting a neutral, analytical reference sound over a brighter V-shaped tuning
Mixing engineers relying on accurate high-end for critical studio work
Synthesized from what ATH-R70xa owners say — not a spec sheet.
Top quotes, sourced
952 reviewed · 27 shown
Sentiment
Sort
Reddit▼ don’t recommend
“it has this really arfticial, unnatural sound to it that's neither analytic nor is it a smooth, rich entertaining sound”
Reddit— neutral
“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.”
Reddit▲ recommend
“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.”
Reddit▼ don’t recommend
“ATH terrible. They don't listen to user feedback. Many people are experiencing this problem.”
Reddit▲ recommend
“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.”
Reddit— neutral
“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.”
Reddit▲ recommend
“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).”
Reddit— neutral
“Been using a pair of t50rp mk4s and have been enjoying them more, no need for these anymore.”
Reddit— neutral
“They were by absolute favorite. So light and sound great. But the left side quit working.”
Reddit▲ recommend
“Really a case where I genuinely wondered if I should sell all of my headphones and just use the R70xa.”
Reddit— neutral
“I like my r70xa but recently upgraded to Hedd D1”
Reddit▲ recommend
“The r70xa especially, punches way above its weight, and you hardly notice you're wearing it.”
Reddit— neutral
“Insanely comfortable. Weird sound signature.”
Reddit▲ recommend
“Those are great. So light, it's easy to listen for hours, also great imaging.”
Reddit▲ recommend
“I'd dare say these are the best headphones for imaging in their price range”
Reddit— neutral
“definitely a really good pairing to a 6XX”
Reddit▲ recommend
“I enjoy it more than my HD58X, HD6XX, and HD660S2 for reference.”
Reddit— neutral
“Side-grade for sure.”
Reddit▲ recommend
“I'm still testing mine out, but like them a lot so far.”
Reddit▲ recommend
“The R70xa definitely has better bass than the Sennys.”
Reddit▲ recommend
“I have the ATH-R70x headphones, and they're amazing.”
Reddit▲ recommend
“My R70x punches nice and hard hooked up to my V281.”
Reddit▲ recommend
“They sound great with the brainwavez hybrid pads.”
Reddit▲ recommend
“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.
Redditⓘ good to know
“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.”
Redditⓘ good to know
“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.”
Redditⓘ good to know
“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.”
Redditⓘ good to know
“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.”
Redditⓘ good to know
“they seem just as thin as the original, sad the Apos Refine was a limited run. Wish they'd sell those pads.”
Redditⓘ good to know
“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.”
Redditⓘ good to know
“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.”
