Audio-Technica ATH-D40fs Professional Studio Monitor Precision Enhanced Bass Headphones

Audio-Technica ATH-D40fs Professional Studio Monitor Precision Enhanced Bass Headphones
Customer Ratings: 4.5 stars
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Sale Price: $79.00
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  • Operation: Closed-back^Element: Dynamic ^Driver Diameter: 40 mm^Frequency Response: 20 - 28,000 Hz ^Sensitivity (1 mW): 102 dB

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I have a of hobby collecting headphones, and I've recently began reviewing the ones in my collection. I constructed a simple six-song test and rating system, where a score of 0 2 is abysmal, 2.1 4 is poor, 4.1 6 is mediocre, 6.1 8 is above average, and 8.1 10 is excellent.

I selected songs from a variety of genres. The songs were "The Chain" by Fleetwood Mac, "Every Planet We Reach is Dead" by Gorillaz, "Concerto Grosso no. 26 in D Major" by Handel, "I Know You Are, But What Am I?" by Mogwai, "Afro Blue" by Triplexity, and "The Patient" by Tool. All songs were encoded in Ogg Vorbis at 192 kbps or higher, and I listened to them on an iAudio 7 with all sound effects turned off and the equalizer set to flat.

Sound Quality(9.2/10)

The Chain(9/10) bass, mid tones, and treble are all flat and evenly reproduced. The bass is crisp and punchy, but not exaggerated. The sound stage is good, although not incredible. Instrument separation is clear and vivid.

Every Planet(10/10) lows in this song are deep and responsive, but smooth and even at the same time. Mids and highs are also impressively vivid. The sound stage is moderately large, and instrument separation is fantastic.

Concerto(10/10) the sound in this song is very flat and smooth over all frequencies(which I like, especially for classical). Instrument separation is crisp and clear. The sound stage is not huge, but pleasantly broad.

I Know You Are(9/10) lows are nice and deep. Mids are rich and vivid. Highs are crisp and clear. The instrument separation is also very clear. Sound stage is definitely good, but not as amazing as other headphones in this price range.

Afro Blue(9/10) the bass in this song is impressively low and punchy, but again, not exaggerated. Mids and highs are clean and even. Instrument separation is fantastic. The sound stage on this song wasn't as broad as I would like, but not bad.

The Patient(8/10) music was evenly reproduced over all frequencies. Bass and mid tones were vivid, and highs were clean and clear. Instrument separation is also good. The sound stage, as before, is decent but not overly great. While this song sounded very good over the Audio Technicas, it was somewhat lacking in aggressiveness and intensity.

Overall Sound(9.2/10) the Audio Technica ATH-D40fs sounded very smooth and balanced overall with clean, deep bass, vivid mid tones, and clear highs. Instrument separation was fantastic. The only complaint I have regarding sound quality was the sound stage, which was somewhat lackluster at times.

Design(3/10) these headphones were comfortable to wear, if a bit heavy. I could listen to them for hours on end with little fatigue. While not particularly stylish, they exuded a sense a professionalism that is missing in most headphones. I give them such a low rating in design because they broke shortly after I bought them. I take good care of my headphones, but not long after I began listening to them, the left speaker would stop playing music intermittently, which leads me to believe there was a short somewhere in the internal assembly(I never actually found one in the headphone cable).

Noise Isolation(7/10) while not the best noise isolation I've ever experienced from a pair of headphone(that award would go to one of the various IEMs I've listened to), these were quite good. I estimate they blocked around 10 12 DB of ambient noise along the entire range of audible frequencies.

Bottom Line(6/10) I would like to give these headphones an 8 or 9. The sound quality was fantastic for sealed headphones at this price range, and almost everything else about them was good. Sadly, as I previously mentioned, the left speaker began behaving erratically shorty after I purchased them, and they had to be returned.

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I've listened on $600 studio reference headphones (in an actual studio) and have a keen appreciation for great quality.

These headphones have been a great joy to use. Their sonic quality is excellent, mid-tones are clear and the high's are articulate. The cups are comfortable and by themselves do a wonderful job of blocking exterior noise. The only thing I can't figure out is their claim that the cord is "field-replacable", but there is no documentation or any indication that this is the case.

Other than that, it's an outstanding pair of comfortable full-cup headphones. Has a really long cord as well, which is much appreciated.

-David & Rachel

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I've been extremely satisfied w/ these headphones comfortable, & sound great. I use them mostly to record w/ GargaeBand & to learn songs on bass, w/ my bass signal & a cd going thru' a mixing board. I've had them for several months now, & they've been durable. A good product; I'd rate them "Semi-Professional Quality".

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These are great. I use them everyday at a top recording facility in Bogota, Colombia, where headphones gets lots of abuse, they are good and loud enough for the deafest drummers. Replacemente drivers and earcushions are cheap, and you can get these directly from audio-technica. As long as you dont break the rotating joints, these will last you a very long time.

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Looking for something to replace my ipod headphones. I almost got the ath-m40fs, due to the great reviews until someone mentioned that d40fs has enhanced bass so I cancelled my order and got this instead. I was hesitant, because very few reviews were done on this model, but went ahead anyways. If you intend to use this with your portable player, like an ipod, you will need to purchase an adapter to go over the 1/4 plug. What I did was replace the whole cable with an old headset and re-wire. Pretty easy, just remove padding and 4 screws. I got mine for $57 from samedaymusic with free shipping. Don't forget they will price match on their website.

You won't be un-happy when you hear clean/clear not so boomy sound you never heard before.

Ben

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