This is the official thread for the Audio-Technica ATH-AD2000x. This thread is for discussion and reviews.
- Over Ear
- No Amp needed
- Open Back
HifiGuides Amazon linkReviews…
Z Reviews
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Does anyone even remember these?
Man I wish they got more attention
They’re like the Mazda Miata of headphones, they’re super light
They’re not powerful but super nimble and controlled which makes the whole experience of listening to them more fun than giant planar cans at times
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Are they still the queen of female vocals with dynamic?
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They have very sweet vocals, but I don’t think they are the best out there (but the better ones are decently more expensive). Still great for sure 
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Hadnt managed to try more, but from HD600, 800S, and T1 among those i’ve tried, for female vocals, AD2000X is still the bst for me.
I dont know why but Audio Technica’s tuning of these is just spot on for me.
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Yeah, the tuning on the older ad series is great for that
I have an adx5000, and while it’s an improvement in technicalities, it doesn’t have the tuning like the older ad series
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Aye, it having the “AD” designation while actually is more of an attempt at perfecting over the R70X is a bit misleading IMO 
Yeah, the R70x is just at’s version of the 600 lol
I currently have the AD-700X and I love them for classical, baroque, ost music listening. I’m slowly buying better sounding headphones and I decided to buy the 700X because I was not sure if I would like how they sound. Now that I know I like their sound signature, should I upgrade to the AD2000X or AD1000X? Zeos said they were better sounding but will it be that much different?
There is no 3000x, I believe. Are you meaning to compare 1000/2000 or AD2000x/ADX5000?
The Air line really is great. My AD900x mids feel shouty at times and overal signature feels a bit tinny, but it really is a great lineup for female vocal emphasis. and treble sparkle.
Yes, I meant 1000x/2000x. I fixed my post. Thanks
Personally, I’m leaning towards the AD1000x from review impressions (Zeos, Lachlan, etc.) At least from writing, I get a sense that the 1000 is more restrained in comparison to the 2000 - that is, it doesn’t have the same brilliance, but it may be more balanced overall.
Ideally I would like to compare both, but whenever my 900 dies, I think I’ll pick up the 1000x (or z if that comes out) to replace it.
I know these are not the most popular headphones out there but what’s your experience with pad swapping?
Fortunately with my big head they fit nicely with stock pads but I’m open to suggestions if there is some known method to widen the soundstage and add some bass.
I’ve done the pad swap using “ebay pads” that Z suggested.
Thick Velour Ear Pads Cushion For ATH AD 1000 X 2000 X 900 X 700 X Headphones | eBay?
They improve the comfort but I’m not sure about soundstage.
As for the bass, I use the EQ app Wavelet that has a preset EQ for my AD700X and it makes them sound great for every type of music. Even bass heavy electronic music has a nice bass, maybe not thumping but very enjoyable for casual listening and not trying to dance.
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hey man thats really cool that it was not just me thinking that! i thought Nils live version of Keith Don’t Go was really good instrumentally on these.
Folk music is music integral to different countries if i’m not mistaken, not sure what genres these are
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Update 2021. For anyone looking to buy these headphones today. They’re absolutely amazing even in 2021. with one caveat. You need replace the original pads. I replaced mine with “Brainwavz Round XL Velour” pads.
I’m literally selling my Hifiman Ananda and Sundara, because this AD2000x obliterates them, after the pad changes.
The stock sound without pad replacement would be:
- Bass: Present, but very weak. this is indeed the weakest point for these headphones.
- Mid: Great, very clear, slightly forward but not as forward as in HD600.
- Treble: Excellent. this is the area where these headphones shines. Better resolution and than Hifiman Sundara and Ananda. I don’t find it harsh or sibilant. but it might be fatiguing or harsh for some people.
- Soundstage: Slightly bigger than Sundara, about the same as Hifiman Deva
- Imaging: Better than Hifiman Sundara or even Ananda. especially in the treble area.
As you can see, this such a flawed, unbalanced headphone with the stock pads. Even though it has great soundstage and imaging.
What the Brainwavz Round XL velour pad does is. shift some of those extra treble into the mid areas, and bump up the mid bass. which makes this headphones much more balanced. It literally solves all the problems these headphones stock config has, while also improving the comfort level.
After the Brainwavz pad replacement:
- Bass: Sub bass is slightly elevated, The mid bass bump is now at the perfect level for me.
- Mid: Now it becomes much more forward than the stock pads.
- Treble: Becomes less fatiguing.
- Imaging: Still better than Hifiman Ananda and Sundara.
- Soundstage: This is of the magic that the brainwavz pads do. It makes soundstaging significantly larger than Ananda, Sundara, and even my Hifiman Deva.
If only Audio technica had shipped these headphones with the proper pads. This would be the best headphones under $1000 on the market.
- the best thing of all, it does not require an amp.
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Very good info, thanks for the update.
I bought the ebay velour pad recommended by Zeos for my AD700X but now I’m thinking about trying the Brainwavz instead.
Have you ever tried the 700X? Still not sure if the upgrade is worth it.
Just came here to say, dont get the ebay pads, they look bad, feel bad, smell bad and sound bad (at least my pair). Zeos quickly replaced them for alpha dog pads.
While I personally preferred the sound of the ad2000x stock pads to brainwavz xl, the xl were the most comfortable.
For reference I now use the yaxi ad2000x comfort pads, which sound very close to stock but are just a little warmer sounding and a little more comfortable.
Ad2000x is an amazing upgrade to the 700x, but also consider the competition, as for their price there are a bunch of options available.
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Looks like i won’t upgrade the 700x i just picked up a used set of A990Z. So now I have a closed and an open pair of ATH headphones. 
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