Audio-Technica ATH-ADX3000 Headphones Review

The Audio-Technica ADX3000 have a bright sound profile. It's closer to the SoundGuys.com Studio Curve target than our own, largely because that curve favors a controlled, fairly subdued bass, which audio engineers sometimes prefer. Regardless, the mid-range is well-balanced, meaning these headphones accurately reproduce a wide variety of audio content. In general, the sound profile suits listeners who prefer a bright, airy sound profile.

The Audio-Technica ADX3000 have great frequency response consistency. The bass response varies a little with the size of your head and whether or not you have long hair or wear glasses, but the variation is low. As long as you take time to seat these correctly each time you put them on, you'll get a consistent sound with each wear.

These headphones offer good compliance with our bass target. Their open-back design means sounds like 808s are robbed of some thump, and kick drums lack just a touch of punch in the mid-bass. Still, their high bass is well-balanced, so basslines in songs like Dua Lipa's Don't Start Now have just the right amount of warmth without muddying up mid-range sounds like voices.

These headphones have outstanding mid-range target compliance. The whole region is remarkably even and flat, ensuring voices and instruments alike are reproduced accurately. Acoustic instruments in songs like Toumani Diabate's Si Naani sound natural and life-like.

The treble compliance is impressive. A big peak in the low-treble means the upper harmonics of vocals can sometimes sound harsh. Similarly, a couple of small dips and a larger peak in the mid-treble means sibilants can sound piercing, depending on their pitch. In general, these headphones have an airy, sparkly quality.

These headphones offer a decent peaks and dips performance. They don't deviate much from the bright sound profile through the bass and mid-range. But a big peak in the low-treble can make voices sound a touch harsh, while a dip and a peak in the mid-treble mean sibilants can sound alternately dull or piercing, depending on their pitch.

These headphones have very well-matched left and right drivers. To obtain our final graph, we averaged the results from three passes (here, here, and here). When averaged, the phase response mismatch graph falls within the audibility threshold. There are still some small deviations in amplitude response across the high-mids and low-treble regions, but we don't expect you to notice any issues with real-world audio content.

These headphones have decent group delay performance. While there is almost no group delay through the mid-range and treble regions, ensuring well-defined transient reproduction, the group delay in the bass region skirts the audibility threshold, making sounds like 808 kick drums feel a little loose.

The Audio-Technica ATH-ADX3000 offer some interaction with your outer ear, which makes sense as they're over-ear, open-back headphones designed to sit around your ear cups. However, the audio they produce doesn't sound very much like a pair of angled reference monitors. If you're in search of headphones that do a better job on that front, consider the Sennheiser HD 800 S.

These headphones have remarkably low harmonic distortion, even when playing back audio at high levels. You can expect clean and pure audio reproduction.

These headphones don't require an amp to drive them during wired use.

These are the settings used to test these headphones. Our results are only valid when used in this configuration.

These over-ear headphones have a sleek, modern look. Their lightweight magnesium alloy frame means these headphones weigh notably less than comparable offerings from rival brands, such as the Beyerdynamic DT 1990 PRO MKII. The ear cups and headband are adorned with soft velour padding. Their open-back design showcases the large 58 mm driver components in each ear cup., which are located behind the honeycombed housing.

The Audio-Technica ATH-ADX3000 are ultra-light, and most people will find them comfortable. They have well-padded, large ear cups that are easy to adjust on your head. However, the headband lacks plush padding, using only a velour wrap, which may cause fatigue over time, especially for people with larger heads. The ear cups swivel, which helps you find the right fit. But, while the headband offers a good range of sizes with distinct notches for easy adjustment, the notches are spaced about 3.5 mm apart, making precise adjustments harder for some users. Headphones like the AKG K361 offer much more precise fits.

The Audio-Technica ADX3000 aren't designed with portability in mind. They don’t fold into a compact shape, so they're too bulky to carry around easily.

The Audio-Technica ADX3000 come with a massive carrying case that is designed more for protection than convenience. It features foam cutouts that securely hold the headphones and cable in place, preventing damage from drops or falls. Its hard exterior shell locks tightly shut with a clamp closure, making it excellent for transporting your headphones safely, but it's not something you'd want to use every day.

The Audio-Technica ADX3000 have a great build quality, so long as they're used for their intended purpose of indoor listening. They're made from durable-feeling materials like aluminum, plastic, velvet, and cloth, and their thick cable seems like it will resist fraying. The plastic hinges do seem a little fragile, but they're smooth and quiet with a good range of motion.

That said, while the yokes feature decent notches for adjustment, they can be tricky to adjust, and the proprietary cable connectors seem fragile and could be damaged if mishandled. The headphones also lack an IP rating for water or dust resistance, so use them outdoors at your peril.

These open-back headphones offer decent stability, with enough clamping force to stay in place during gentle head movements. However, they might not stay on for more intense movements like vigorously headbanging to your favorite Haken tunes.

• Audio-Technica ATH-ADX3000
• 1x detachable 6.35 mm (1/4") TRS to A2DC cable (3 m/9.84 ft)
• Hard case
• Manuals

These open-back headphones aren't built for noise isolation. In fact, you'll likely hear any nearby sounds almost as well with these on as with them off. Car horns, pedestrian chatter, and coworkers tapping on keyboards come through loud and clear, with the headphones blocking out just a little of the very highest audible frequencies.

These headphones have terrible leakage performance, but that's by design. Their open-back design leaks audio into the room around you, so anyone nearby will hear a thin-sounding version of your audio.

These headphones connect to your audio source via a 1/4" jack. The cable itself is stiffer, making it resistant to kinks and tangling. Some listeners might prefer a more malleable cable, but firmer cables are less likely to get tangled.

It's worth noting that the cable connects to each ear cup via Audio-Technica's custom A2DC connector. Since it's a custom piece, it might be harder to find replacements than standard connectors.

If you have a 1/4-inch port on your PC's audio interface, you can plug these in and receive audio, but you'll need an external microphone for audio input.

These headphones aren't a good option for console gaming because they only come with a 1/4" jack, and you'll need an external microphone for voice input.