Function, meet Style

Okay, I had written a pretty strong review about these headphones since I was impressed by them when I first used them at the club while DJing. However, I have subjected them to quite a few more tests since and must say that while they are quite good in some areas, they lack in others (as DJ headphones anyway), causing me to re-review them. Sorry to anyone who jumped as a result of my original 5-star rating.

Firstly, there is no denying that these are very well built. Excellent construction and materials, designed to last and look good. They are quite rugged and lightweight, featuring a thick, long, coiled cord (a must for DJs) with coiled-wire protection at the jack end to prevent kinking, and this ends in a gold stereo phone jack (1/8-inch with thread-on 1/4-inch adaptor). Nice.

Secondly, they look awesome. The camo pattern is unique and does not look cheap when you see these in "the flesh" so to speak. I really like the look and finish of the headphones. Audio-Technica did a great job here.

Third, they are very comfortable. I really like the way they fit and feel. However, for DJ work, they're not ideal since the earcups aren't large enough to surround the ears and therefore don't help in blocking out background noise. But for listening to your MP3s, stereo and doing home mixing, etc, they're excellent.

Fourth, audio range/quality. This is a tough one, but the main reason I am re-writing my review. I spent a lengthy session at the club, on my computer and my home stereo listening to various types of music (mainly house and trance) on three different headphones: these, the Stanton DJ Pro 300, and some inexpensive Koss UR-30s. It comes down to this: The ATH produce some really wicked highs but lack in the low end, probably because the earcup just doesn't seal well around the ear and you miss some of the lows. The Stantons just do not provide good mids at all, so wouldn't use them for mixing. The Koss surprisingly did the best job of all-around performance, with a noticeably richer low-end than the ATHs, and again I would say this is because the Koss completely enclose the ears. So for DJ work, I ultimately have to say that the ATH are not ideal for the simple fact that they do not envelop the ears, thereby not helping to block out background noise and also preventing the full sound from coming through when in a club environment. Of the three, the Koss do best in that department, but they still don't produce the sound range of better headphones.

So, overall, these are really great headphones outside a club DJ environment. Not recommended if you're a DJ or an audiophile but definitely recommended if you want some cool-looking, well-built, comfortable quality headphones for everyday use that will perform well and last a long time.