NOTE : Review updated on April 13th, 2019.

Audio-Technica.

Nowadays mostly recognized for its studio headphones such as the widely known M-line, this Japanese manufacturer has long been one I’ve observed with a certain degree of perplexity… and mystique.

When diving into research about AT, one will quickly realize that they are prolific: a ton of models have come out of their factories over the years, many being obscure with scarce information in isolated corners of the Internet. With vintage orthodynamics, IEMs, ear clip models, budget on-ears, gaming headsets and a plethora of industrial and artisan-style open and closed full-sized cans, things get messy and saturated.

Another interesting aspect of AT is just how divisive their audiophile line is: some fans swear by their “musicality”, while critics fault them for their “weird tuning” and “poor technicalities”, especially when it comes to their top-of-the-line closed offerings (e.g. ATH-W5000). One may draw parallels with Grado in regards to that aspect.

While I have auditioned few headphones of this brand prior, the AD2000 is my first ownership experience of an Audio-Technica: admittedly a low-risk choice, as this model is one of the most preferred by the community.

History

Audio-Technica began working on their “Air Dynamic” open-back line in 1997, releasing the ATH-AD9 and AD10 in 1998, followed by the AD5 and AD7 in 2000. These four models were based on variations of the 53 mm dynamic driver first used in the closed ATH-A10 (1994) after approximately 5 years of development. Factoid: Audio-Technica claims that it was the largest dynamic driver ever produced at the time.

Credit: Audio-Technica Japan

For their second generation of “Air Dynamic” headphones, AT came out with 8 headphones – recall my comment on saturation: The ATH-AD300 and AD400 both used 40 mm drivers, while the AD500, AD700, AD900, AD1000, AD1000RPM and AD2000 used variations of a 53 mm driver (different magnets, diaphragms and metal covers).

The AD2000 was launched as an open flagship on November 21, 2004 with an MSRP of 80000 Japanese Yen – roughly 775 USD at the time. It has since been discontinued and replaced by the AD2000X, supposedly warmer though less warmly received by the community. Nowadays, typical used market value for an AD2K is roughly 300-400 USD, with the main hurdle for purchase being scarcity in non-Japanese markets.

Design, Ergonomics and Durability

The AD2000 sports a lightweight magnesium frame, achieving a low mass of 250 g excluding cable, with cups that only rotate in a single axis, potentially making seal difficult and restricting adjustment. Like most other “Air Dynamic” headphones (except for the T-Line and AVA-Line “Air Dynamic” models – again, saturation) this headphone uses a 3D wing suspension system that automatically adjusts to your head size. Some hate it, some love it: in my experience, it has proven to be highly comfortable, avoiding hot spots on the crown of my head, but YMMV.

The replaceable ear pads are made of a material named Ecsaine, a fairly breathable ultra-microfiber fabric trademarked by Japanese corporation Toray Industries. They are fairly soft and fully surround my smaller ears but are very shallow – combined with a strong clamping force, this causes them to touch the aluminum-encased driver, which can get quite uncomfortable over time.

The transducer is comprised of a 53 mm diaphragm (some transparent polymer) with a 40-ohm 7N OFC voice coil, an aluminum casing and a Permendur (cobalt-iron alloy) magnet. It’s highly efficient, at 102 dB/mW, requiring little power to be properly driven. The permanently attached 3.5 mm-terminated dual entry elastomer-sheathed 3 m 6N OFC cable is on the thicker side – I personally find it unwieldy and annoying.

Overall, it’s quite comfortable to me, though not as much as other models like the Sennheiser HD 590 partly due to my ears touching the driver. This Japanese can also feels light, but nicely built overall.

However, just like any headphone, it isn’t free of durability concerns. Obviously, a non-detachable cable prevents a hassle-free replacement in case of malfunction, though recables and detachable cable mods have been performed on these. Furthermore, some users have reported the metal arcs at the top detaching from the frame, so be aware of that.

Credit: Head-Fi user “MCC”

Sound

Disclaimer: This review is meant to represent my opinion and experience with this headphone and is not meant to be final word or truth as you may perceive things differently. I highly recommend auditioning the product in question and/or seeking other opinions and measurements before making a purchase decision.

In a nutshell, the Audio-Technica ATH-AD2000 is an unapologetically colored headphone with an original tuning, notably due to its very forward midrange. Many refer to it as a “weeb headphone” due to its pronounced upper midrange presence, supposed to make genres such as J-pop shine. As someone who generally doesn’t listen to these styles, I feel like this term understates this headphone’s abilities: it’s no one-trick pony.

Bass

The AD2K is on the lighter side when it comes to bass. It rolls off early, meaning that extension, not unlike many other dynamic mid-fi open backs, is mediocre. In fact, not only is sub-bass extension lacking, but very low frequencies cause the driver to rattle at higher volumes. This is due to increased excursion of the diaphragm, which hits its aluminum protective cover. Some users have modified the transducer by removing this grill, essentially fixing the problem. However, I do not recommend this modification as it increases risk of diaphragm damage, very likely affects sound and is probably irreversible.

Credit: Head-Fi user “Trae”

One rather curious characteristic of the AD2K is the perceived absence of a mid-bass hump, often recognized in open dynamic headphones. This, in turn, makes low end sound a little leaner, but allows for a very seamless transition into the upper bass and lower midrange. I also hear this headphone’s bass as fast, fairly low in distortion, and solid in texture. It doesn’t exhibit much bloom, another phenomenon often observed in models of its kind. While this headphone doesn’t kick, slam or rumble very hard, it sure manages to articulate nicely, making for an interestingly light and nimble presentation of bass guitar. However, I would absolutely not recommend the AD2000 if you’re in the market for a bass-oriented headphone and would mostly advise against it if you’re looking for a can that excels with hip-hop and bass-heavy electronic genres such as DnB.

Midrange

This is by far my favorite part of this headphone. To me, the midrange presentation of the AD2000 is, simply put, stellar. The tuning is really unlike any other headphone I’ve heard, which may cause some to find it “weird”, and others, “excellent”. First, it’s very forward relative to bass and treble, calling most of the attention to itself. Lower midrange is fairly linear, with fundamentals being portrayed without significant recession. Thus, the AD2000 is able to sing the smoother foundations of vocals and instruments aptly – in fact, it may even strike you as warm due to its prominent lower and middle midrange presence. In the upper midrange, however, a sizeable bump can sometimes be identified, and that’s where the charm lies. Two characteristics make it truly special: first, it’s located at a fairly high frequency, and it’s also narrow. This means that when it’s truly called for, (e.g. a singer hits a high note, or an electric guitar solo culminates), it simply jumps out at you.

This intense aspect of the mids is further supplemented by the elevated midrange macrodynamics of the AD2000, and its substantial intimacy. The result is beautifully energetic, though some may be turned off by its unorthodox coloration. Personally though, I’m quite impressed notably by the highly engaging and emotional showcase of crescendos. Another aspect of the AD2K’s midrange I admire is the sheer decay speed. The headphone has no problem handling fast piano passages and presents snare drum attack and decay with decent impact and transience. This, however, doesn’t mean that the AD2000 is weightless or lacking in body, as it still exhibits a nicely textured rendition of instruments such as plucked strings and brass, though not as weighty as some other headphones.

It isn’t without flaws, however. Those looking for a “realistic” tone will be turned off by this headphone’s presentation, simply finding that its rendition is wrong. Also, the intensity of the middle midrange with the upper midrange peak may get fatiguing after a while, though that is highly reliant on listening volume and music selection.

Treble

The AD2000 is a headphone I find non-fatiguing, though also noticeably colored in the treble. Lower treble is slightly elevated, giving good sense of bite to cymbal crashes, but coloring them with a slightly metallic aspect which some may be annoyed by. Nonetheless, this characteristic isn’t nearly as problematic as with other headphones I’ve owned such as the Sennheiser HD 800 and Fostex TH900, which greatly emphasize this region. They are, however, noticeably cleaner than the AD2000 in this area, which exhibits a slight amount of grain.

The old flagship, however, doesn’t particularly strike me as being very airy or sparkly, due to a subdued presence in the mid and upper treble. This may be due to the relative shift of the treble towards lower frequencies, combined with the attention-catching strengthened attack in that region.

Soundstage, Imaging and Resolution

As briefly mentioned previously, the AD2K is an intimate-sounding headphone with a fairly small soundstage, though not to a claustrophobic degree. While some may prefer a more diffuse presentation, this contributes to the intensity and “aggression” of this headphone: it simply strikes you with music without holding back. Its image is also audibly lateral, with the center portion being a little hazy and lacking the pinpoint accuracy of other staging champions such as the HD 800, though it’s still able to present a good sense of verticality: the stage is fairly narrow and pushed to the sides, but quite tall.

Furthermore, the Japanese open-back demonstrates a decent ability to discern low level detail, though its forward midrange and intimacy also seem to make certain passages sound busier than they should be – the headphone seems to trade away some resolving power for coloration. It may not reach summit-fi tier and isn’t quite as unforgiving of poorly mastered recordings but is certainly no slouch.

Conclusion

Even though it has become fairly rare for me to write lengthily about audio, I still chose to share my experience with the AD2000. That is simply due to the great satisfaction it has made me feel. No other headphone I’ve heard was tuned quite similarly, and while it definitely is “odd”, it works remarkably well. It may not be the most technical, resolving or wide open-back ever, but it’s easily one of my favorites. It has a way of conveying music with emotion and intensity that has left an overwhelmingly positive impression on me. As such, I applaud Audio-Technica for crafting this wonderfully colorful and lively sound.