Apos x Audio Technica ATH-R70x Refine Headphone Review

I owned the Elex and Clear in the past and loved them both while I had them.

In the case of Elex vs. R70X I would choose the Elex 9 out of 10 times for pure excitement. That headphone would rock you regardless of what you were listening too, while the R70X is more neutral and tame. The Elex build quality also feels a few levels better, heavier for sure, but do not feel like they are going to break easily. The R70X does dissapear on your head because they are that light, so if that is a consideration...

Cost of pads for the Elex is going to be higher, but the swapping mechanism is just better on the Focals. Cup connectors for the cable is a standard 3.5 for Elex and some strange proprietary one for the R70X, so cable rolling is easier.

 

Thanks for the detailed reply -- super helpful. I do like to swap pads and cables, and I already have a couple 3.5mm cables due to my Stockholm Syndrome-adjacent attachment to Hifiman headphones for the last decade. I think I'd prefer the Elex.

 

As always, thank you to those that make this loaner possible. I really enjoy SBAF's loaner program.


GEAR USED

Yggdrasil+ OG/A2 | iFi Zen One Signature --> Magni Piety | SW51+ --> Apos R70x
iFi micro iDSD Signature Finale --> Apos R70x
Apple Dongle --> Apos R70x


FIT AND FINISH

These are insanely light. I've never worn headphones that have felt this light on my head and I really enjoyed it. Honestly, I think these are the most comfortable headphones that I've ever used. I barely noticed that they were there. Looks are subjective, but I thought they looked relatively nice, and they seemed sturdy enough.

I didn't like that they have a unique wiring, so you can't use aftermarket cables, and you can't use them with balanced gear. I also didn't like the cable locking mechanism, it didn't feel intuitive to me.


SOUND

The first thing that struck me was that these sounded somewhat ethereal, a little like electrostatic headphones. The macrodynamics were relatively tame, especially for a dynamic driver headphone. At the same time, the transient response was nice and crisp, which made the headphones expressive, but gentle. The initial attack, while being crisp and articulate, wasn't sharp sounding. I really liked the balance that they struck here.

Perhaps this is just another manifestation of macrodynamics, but I thought that there wasn't a lot of weight to notes. It's almost the opposite style relative to something like the ZMF Atrium. Notes sounded delicate. I think this helped to highlight some of the finer details a bit, because I wasn't getting distracting by large dynamic shifts, so microdynamics were highlighted somewhat. Speaking of microdynamics, I think the R70x has good microdynamics and plankton, especially for the price. I don't like headphones if they lack microdynamics and plankton, and these were above my threshold for enjoyment.

The tuning was neutral-bright and I found that most instruments sounded mostly correct to my ears. There weren't any glaring peaks, but I did find that the balance of lower mids to lower treble wasn't quite to my preference. I like more lower mids than the Apos R70x and less lower treble, but this isn't to say that they sounded wonky, just that it wasn't to my preference. I think I noticed this most with electric guitars, where I wanted them to have more lower mids to sound fuller, but they sounded a little whiny instead. I also thought that the lower treble sounded slightly grainy and unrefined, which perhaps added to the perception of slightly excessive lower treble.

Overall, I loved the Apos R70x for certain genres of music, especially solo piano music, which I've been listening to a lot lately. However, the lack of macrodynamics was a bit of a problem with more intense rock and metal and even some indie/alternative music, depending on the intensity.


COMPARISON TO HD6XX/650

I have a JAR6XX currently, but I owned an HD650 for many years, and then I had my HD6XX for a while before I had it modded, so this is from memory to some degree.

The HD6XX/650 has more macrodynamics and slam
The HD6XX/650 has more microdynamics/plankton and scales better
The HD6XX/650 has more mid-bass, but less deep bass
The HD6XX/650 has more rounded transients
The HD6XX/650 has more decay and note weight
The Apos R70x has crisper transients, and a faster transient response
The Apos R70x has a larger and more well defined soundstage
The Apos R70x have a greater sense of clarity and separation
The Apos R70x is more comfortable and feels lighter on the head (in my experience)


CONCLUSION

Overall, these are good headphones, and great headphones for the price ($300). For my preferences, I would still choose the HD6XX/650 over these, but I could definitely see some people preferring the Apos R70x. It has a nice neutral-bright tuning and a wonderful transient response that is crisp and articulate without being the least bit sharp or fatiguing. It has good staging and clarity and separation, and it is insanely lightweight and comfortable (for my head anyway). It has a light touch with its sound presentation that works very well with certain music and it wasn't very picky with the sources that I tried it with. In conclusion, good work Apos and Audio-Technica!

Edit: In retrospect, I think what I was calling the upper mids was more likely the lower treble.

 

Thanks as always to everyone organizing this tour. As boilerplate as these acknowledgements can seem, I greatly appreciate the opportunity and I don't take it for granted.

My chain Is USB into my OG Bifrost2 into either a Jotunheim 2 or my OG Pendant, both of which sounded great.

If I strip away all of the attempts to describe the sound I can sum it up by saying I really enjoyed listening to the AT/Apos collab, more than I thought I would. My preference is usually for more bass yet the R70x Refine still satisfied me and drew me in.

Build quality seemed sturdy enough, but it still felt kinda cheap. It might be just because it is so damn light and there is a generous amount of plastic here, though the headband is metal. Then there's those wings. They are a novel solution, and very comfortable IME, but as @Vtory mentioned larger heads might have an issue. They'd also be my guess for the1st piece to break, but I imagine AT wouldn't be still using this design if it was that bad.

I'm also a not a fan of the proprietary locking mechanism on the cables which makes swapping more challenging. I didn't have any real issues with their cable per se, but it would be nice to have a choice. If I wanted a balanced cable I'd be S-O-L.

Sound wise I found these to be really interesting. I could be off in my description here, but they struck me as being both snappy and smooth. Transients are definitely faster than any biodynamic driver I've heard but maybe because there's no real slam to speak of, the light touch mentioned, it strikes me as smooth. I definitely didn't find them fatiguing.

Even if there's not a lot of weight to the bass, there is decent reach with plenty of texture and nuance. As I hinted this was the biggest surprise for me since I usually gravitate toward headphones with a bit of slam but I had few complaints here, even on some bass heavy tracks.

The mids were fine for my tastes. I never stood up and said 'wow', but I never felt that things were lacking either. Competent with nothing standing out or distracting. I could definitely see this being bothersome for those who crave forward mids, but it was no issue for me.

Treble not being my strong suit, I found the AT/Apos to be well extended and airy (as far as I could tell) with a delicate touch. The non-fatiguing theme continues here. I have a preference for a little more emphasis on cymbals and the like, but these were fine enough in that regard.

Quality detail retrieval and a fairly wide & deep headstage. I'd liken it to a small theater, definitely not constricted nor 3 blob to my ears but not overly expansive either. There wasn't a lot of wow factor at all for me, but I found myself engaged nonetheless.

The Apos/Audio Technica ATH-R70x were a pleasant surprise. Despite my preferences I found myself really enjoying the
A/AT R70x. I doubt I could live with these as my only headphone, but I could definitely see myself having a set for a different sonic flavor. At the current $300 (USD) asking price these bring a lot to the table and are worth checking out IMO.

 

FYI @darmok mentioned in his earlier post in this thread that there are these adapters available to make cable swaps easier. Though, I’m sure they weren’t included with the loaner

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BNBFPGHN

 

Just a heads up everyone, I just checked the apos website and the R70x Refine is sold out

 

Unfortunately these came at a bad time for me so I only got to use them for about 30 minutes. This was enough time for me, though. I will briefly explain. I used them with an AKM Unison Schiit Modius and very old Schiit Jotunheim 1. My headphone system has devolved into being very entry level.

Bottom line, I liked how this setup sounded and cannot find anything worth complaining about regarding the sound. My low-end DAC and amp combo seemed like a great match for these headphones. The bass was always there but it's neutral. Not thunderous, but never lacking in bass. Vocals were very clear and articulate with good timbre. Soundstage width was nice, depth could be better but there was still a pleasing sound stage presentation. Really nothing to complain about for all aspects of how these headphones present the music.

What I did not like is the build quality, design, fit-finish, and comfort. These should be no more than $199. As far as I could tell the connectors that would connect to the ear cups are not labeled Left or Right. Maybe it doesn't matter? I also did not like the proprietary cable and the way it latches into the ear cups. The ear pads barely fit onto the ear cups and they look stretched out and mangled. I could not get the headphone to seal on my head at all. The bottom of the ear cups never sealed onto my head. The materials just feel incredibly cheap and poorly made. I absolutely hated handling and wearing these which is why I did not care to spend any more time using them than I did.

So very good sound presentation, terrible design and build. Absolutely not a fan unless they were $200 or less.

 

Interesting. I've basically come to the opposite conclusion. The build, while plastic, is very lightweight, which makes it possibly the most comfortable headphone in my collection. However, I just can't seem to get along with the timbre. Something just sounds... off, like it's coming from a cheap set of PC speakers.

For what it's worth, the stock cable isn't labeled L or R because it doesn't matter. I don't care for the latching mechanism either, but it's not the worst I've dealt with - glares at the HD 800 S

 

Thanks for reminding me, they actually are marked just very poorly.

This is a big pet peeve for me. There are tiny raised "L" and "R" markings embedded in the plastic on the inside of the cup/headband connection. Would it kill them to at least color the damn letters??

 

This is a rare occasion where I own the Loaner. I think I said this earlier in the thread, but I heard these at Canjam and they just sounded 'right' to me. Wide open in the sense of them disappearing on my head, still a little clamp-tight but these are fully open, and remind me of speaker-style cans like the Jecklin Float, Stax Sigma or AKG K1K. At Canjam, I listened them over 2 sessions - one on a Topping amp and the other on their little Gremlin OTL amp [edit: the Gremlin is not an OTL]. Tubes kicked the ass, so I bought one as soon as I got home so I can hear it across my own tube amps. Got this on Monday and have been listening to it all week, comparing mainly to my Atrium Opens.

Since I'm not on the loaner tour, I feel like I can indulge myself in a little subjective 'noise'. Stage is smaller than the Atrium (which honestly is a mindfuck when the Atrium doesn't feel as open as I describe this above) but the tone is just right for me. I've listened on a Glenn OTL, Stratus v3, and as I type this, a Cayin HA-300b. It still sounds just so 'right' to me. A very minor drop in detail and micro dynamics compared to the Atrium, but the bass has this high-quality, wooly quality. Not in the sub-bass, but the mid-bass is just so warmly pleasing. I bought this because $300, why not, I could sell it for same or similar. But it scales with system - it hits the ceiling prior to the Atrium or JAR800S - but I keep finding myself for reaching for this. It sounds like an idealized teenage listening session, if you know what I mean. You probably don't, but it just sounds like that perfect late afternoon listening to Soundgarden on my Discman. Against the Atrium (and the Autuer OG) there's a little more congestion in the middle - I lose the separation the deeper I get.

The Atrium is better, the JAR800S is better, but I keep grabbing this thing. And for $300, I shall never sell.

Other Awesomeness: Lightest headphones evar, they don't feel cheap, they just feel light and untrustworthy. The headband is metal and solid, but they cut out so much of it, it's quite delicate feeling. I wish I felt confident enough to bend em like ZMF's, but I don't, and they clamp me head so bad.

What sucks: the pads, which are supposedly the only change from the original model and which make such a massive, massive difference (the Apos guy at Canjam said to me it feels like there's some other change at play, but they dunno), are too small. Almost uncomfortable, but not there.
Sometimes, the treble peeks through (or, it peaks), but just. I have a big head - more long than wide, but so far these are quite clampish but they've loosened through the week.
The L/R labeling is offensive to the f'ing core. I don't want to explain how much time I spent reading the plastic tea leaves that are A) the cables and b) the cans. Why? Really, why? I feel like this was the practical joke part. Thankfully, Hart has provided some sanity for me, and I plan to get a balanced cable for these: https://hartaudiocables.com/pages/a...Njnxn3MSXnvXSeQGTeVtd6WPMzfomdVAcnUtA3AjqmR1n.

I compared these to the Atriums a little above - the biggest difference to me was the stage and the positioning, To me, these compare to my Auteur OGs most directly - stage is more in, impact feels direct, tone is beautiful. Compared to the OG Auteurs, it actually has a larger stage and feels more open, speaker like, but with the Antrum it both feels more open and smaller, stage-wise.

These things are ultralight, super-open headphones with a warm, bloomy yet mid-centric signature and a very, very reasonable price. At least on my tubey, warm chain. I think that is the crux - they can do what you want them to, and scale quite nicely at their price point. Grab a pair, brothers. I don't see how you can be disappointed with them, but if you are - sell em.

 

Great writeup, thanks! I finally got mine just a few days ago, and I'm liking them so far, they are more capable than I expected and do sound tonally right to me as well.

I also have an Atrium (AO), I think the drop in detail and micro dynamics is more than very minor, but certainly acceptable and hey, they're $300! They still sound quite good, and unless you compare them directly you soon forget about the differences. They punch way above their price, and are far more enjoyable and/or comfortable than some of its competition. I find them less clampy than say HD650/6xx. And they definitely scale. They sound very good with a Pietus Maximus, and I can hear additional detail retrieval/resolution on my Violectric V590.

I wondered if you got additional pads for yours? I got the Ori pads with mine, but haven't tried them yet. I wanted to try stock first, but pad rolling the Ori gives them a bit of additional bass while generally keeping the tuning very similar supposedly.

The bad news is they are sold out! I hope Apos can get another run of them, it seems like a win-win for all involved.

 

As far as I can tell, the Gremlin isn't OTL. It's a hybrid amp ala Vali. They call it a "tube amp", but in their description they're very clear about it having a solid state buffer. I'm also skeptical about their "class A" claim. If I had to guess, this thing is built by xDuoo (take a look at the volume knob), and they love to describe their amps as class A despite them running nowhere near warm enough to be pure class A. That said, it could still be a really nice amp, but I wish vendors would be a little more precise in describing their products.

 

That's funny, because they definitely told me it was an OTL at the Canjam booth, and the cans sounded great with that Gremlin, so I wanted to see how they'd scale up on my Glenn OTL. They do sound particularly good on the Glenn, but maybe it's just general tube synergy. I'll revise my post above.

 

It doesn’t have an output transformer, so I guess that’s OTL? Anyway, I’ve used mine on the TA-66 and it was a pretty decent match. The peak impedance of the ATH-R70x is over 1kohms, so you won’t get quite as much of an effect from most OTL amps as you will with 250-300 ohm drivers.

All in all, I’d still take the DT 1990 Pro (1st gen) over the Refine on either a solid state or OTL amp, but I’m well aware that this is likely not a widespread preference.

 

Mine came today, but I haven't had a chance to hook it up yet.

And yes I also thought it looks like it's built by Xduoo if I had to bet on it.

I also kind of thought it is a hybrid, simply based on the claimed power output and the ability to handle such a wide range of impedences, 1250mW@32 ohms and 8-600 ohm impedance.

But what do I know?

 

Some good news, if you're like me and haven't heard these yet. From an Apos email this morning:

"The reception to the Apos x Audio-Technica R70x Refine blew us away. Not only was the response from Apos customers and professional reviewers overwhelmingly positive, but we sold out way faster than we ever expected. Thanks to your love of this product, we’re in talks with Audio-Technica to see if we can create an evergreen version that even more people can enjoy."​

 

Good read. These are on my list if I feel an upgrade is justified.

Thanks.

 

Thank you for the opportunity to try out the loaner on these. When I first heard these were announced, I thought they presented an interesting budget option to add to the rotation. The time with the loaner was enlightening and proved that these headphones do have a place/purpose but are not necessarily some transformative world-beater like the typical FOTM hype cycle seemed to perpetuate.

Background:

I want to caveat my impressions of these with an update for folks that I have pretty much moved on from the headphone side of the hobby. I climbed to the summit (that my budget allowed) of headphone listening, and when I got there, I saw a bigger mountain to climb in speaker/2-channel listening on the horizon and my lifestyle changes meant no longer finding time for headphone listening. When I was on my headphone climb, I went to ZMF land for a while; then, I primarily moved to Sennheiser/JAR land with tube amps and found my sweet spot. Well, investments in 2-channel gear meant saying goodbye to some great tube amps, and eventually, I just moved all my Sennheisers as they did not have great synergy with the Enleum AMP-23r I use in my 2-channel setup. I have not really listened to a set of proper cans in over 6 months before this loaner, as when I need headphones I rely on Airpod Pro 2s or my beloved Porta Pros with Yaxi Pads. So, really, much of my thought of these Refine could be tainted by not having a recent audio baseline for audiophile headphone listening.

So why did I want to hear these? Well, I do have a righteous headphone amp in the Enleum AMP-23r, and I have been interested in finding a budget set of cans that I could occasionally use with it for late-night listening when necessary. I bought the Enleum to use with horn speakers, and for that purpose I have loved it and not missed tubes, but I have never heard a set of headphones that synergy 100% clicks with it. None of them sound bad, but Sennheiser, for example, just was not nearly as special as they were from tubes. So, on a whim, I jumped on this loaner, and I am glad I did! While I did not think these were incredible, if they were still in stock I would consider snagging a pair until I find a better solution I want to invest in.

Gear:

I used two wildly different setups/approaches to listening to this, and my impressions largely were formed by the chasm between these setups and how the cans reacted to the gap.

• iBasso DC03pro Dongle from Windows Laptop
• Reference Chain: Puritan 156 w/ Groundmaster -> Holo Audio Red with GentooPlayer fed by Diretta+Sonore OpticalModule Deluxe w/ LPS -> APS modded Signature Series Plus PS Audio Directstream MK1 -> Enleum AMP-23R. All connected with full loom of Triode Wire Lab cables.

Impressions:

Due to time constraints, and no longer having any proper headphone gear setups outside of my reference rig, I first decided to give these a whirl straight out of the iBasso dongle I use at work for Porta Pros. I am not an idiot; I knew this would not be the best choice synergy-wise, but hey, these are budget cans, and I at least then could do some A-B vs Porta Pros and get some listening in with the limited time I have available.

I despised cans when I heard them under these conditions, like I couldn't keep them on my head after 30 minutes of level bad. They sounded like cheap cans, technical performance akin to some of the modern Sennheiser 500 series stuff but not nearly as musical. They sounded thin, brittle, and gratingly bright and shouty. I had started by listening to some tracks from "Bright Future" by Adrianne Lenker, and the cans completely butchered the recording. If I had to dig out some pros, it would be that they sounded decently spacious and detailed. That did not save them, though, as things sounded so artificial, vocals inaccurate, and there was a lack of any meat on the bones on anything...it was brutal. I remarked to a friend from around here that I hated these cans, which is not usually a conclusion I so quickly jump to.

I almost packed them up then and there, but I figured I deserved to give them a fair shake out of a proper setup before I discounted them. Could the overwhelming praise for these really be some elaborate conspiracy? So, from a $60 dongle to a five-figure rig, I went.

At first when I hooked these up to the Enleum and again fired up Adrianne Lenker and a few other tracks I had tried previously, I was still left somewhat underwhelmed. Was it better? Absolutely it certainly showed an ability to scale with better gear. Better separation, not nearly as shouty or bright just way better composure like a proper set of audiophile cans. BUT, I still felt they just sounded cheap and had an annoying brittle tonality and lack of flesh to the sound that made them quite unremarkable to listen to. Revealing enough to hear the chain, but in a way where you could hear the cans were the weak link. Artificial impact, lack of tangibility to vocals/notes/percussion/etc. Not something worth spending time with, but what can you expect for the price? Well, I guess you can get an HD 600 for the price, so it made these a no go for me still.

I wasn't quite done yet, though, as when chatting with @CEE TEE a while back about these cans he had mentioned they like power/control. So here is the twist in my impressions: I usually don't use high gain on my Enleum much as it is really a mode for things like the Susvara and doesn't have much headroom with most cans, but I made the switch with these, and they were completely transformed. Give these cans the juice they need, and you will be handsomely rewarded. The brittle/artificial timbre vanished, and everything snapped together into a proper presentation with an absolutely cavernous stage. Vocals sounded accurate (a critical component of an audio component for me), and things were just very well sorted overall in a way that makes these closer to being a peer to the Sennheiser 6X0 series. I want to be clear they did not become some sort of giant beating world killer, but it turned them into a very listenable prospect that I found myself settling in with into the wee hours on my last evening with these.

I was impressed that even orchestral stuff sounded acceptable. I listened to the track "Adagio for Strings" from Appassionato which has been a favorite lately, and it was well presented. The cans don't quite deftly navigate the full dynamics you want for orchestral works, and strings, while natural sounding, lacked the flesh and air you want in their reproduction for full immersion, but it was still captivating, nonetheless.

Overall, even with the dongle, I found the bass presentation on these to be pleasant. Just there enough, not pushed, not overwhelming, but generally steps up when called upon. It's not a basshead set of cans, though; ultimately, the best thing I could say about it is you forget about it as it doesn't draw attention, good or bad. Not super rolled off, not wooly or bloated. I did do the stereotypical James Blake "Limit to your Love" test, and they didn't quite step up to the task. They try their best, and they paint the lines of it well enough, but overall, they end up sounding just a tad too weak in their reproduction. It was an admirable effort, though, and not some sort of embarrassing deal-breaking bad level of performance.

Conclusion:

Would I grab these over the HD580/600/650? In most cases, probably not unless I have the right DAC/amp conditions to bring out the best possible performance of these or if I don't have a rig with proper synergy with Sennheisers. That being said, as my personal audio gear conditions have changed these actually might be a bit of a better budget option set of cans for some occasional listening with the Enleum. Properly driven, they have very few sins of commission and are a pleasant listening experience that doesn't draw unwanted attention. I just think folks need to be careful to keep their expectations in check. These are not cans that you can offload your summit-fi cans in favor of and feel superior in your audiophile thriftiness. I know there are some budget rigs that would provide the appropriate synergy to get these sounding right, and that makes them an attractive prospect in their price range.

 

I really enjoyed these and found them to be a solid headphone for the price range.

DC04 Pro = Meh, even with more power than the DC03 Pro it didn't sound like it was worth a mouse's fart
Yggdrasil GS--> MJ3= Alright, but nothing jaw dropping
Yggdrasil GS--> Cinemag magic box--> Piety= Hmmmm, not bad, but not good either
Yggdrasil GS--> Cinemag magic box--> SW51= Ok now we're talking, let the music flow and enjoy

I was intrigued by the headband design but it doesn't quite work for me. My head is only 7 1/4" but it's wide. The ear pads were pinched at the top and almost loose at the bottom. Even with odd fit they were light, very comfortable, and easy to wear for long periods of time.

Solid alternative to the HD650 or HD600, especially if you already have a tube amp that plays well with high impedance headphones. It has a larger and more spacious sound with a different tonal flavor than both the above Sennheiser products.

Thanks for getting this out there on the loaner program!!

 

I have had multiple things going including a family medical emergency so forgive me for being brief here.

When properly powered the APOS r70x's are a very clean sounding set of cans with a lot of detail and blackground and low veil, perhaps like a less fatiguing LTS v3? Maybe a bit drier, but still some thinness there in common, as well as I think both are too bright for heavy metal or those who are treble sensitive. Very clean mids, bass also fairly good quality but not winning any awards for slam, I think they're perhaps a bit light in the trousers there.

I did take these to TSAV in Torrance and they let me plug them into a few things but I think I screwed up because I never tried them with an OTL and I should have. The power hungriness is real and they jived best with the most beastly overpowered amps like the WA33 and the Ifi iCAN Pro which can dump 18W out the balanced HP jack (I used SE so 4.8W) and it was a good pairing, better than with Ferrum Orr. MJ3 is OK, but there's nothing interesting happening, it runs them, but I'd rather Senns. Thicc MJ3 + thinner r70x should be bae but yaknow, kinda meh, they sound evened out but not special together.

Weight and comfort seemed really good but I didn't do long sessions.

Anyway, I regret not trying them on an OTL given their ridiculous impendence.