Audio-Technica ATH-A990Z Wired Headphones User Reviews and Ratings

Absolutely love these headphones, i tend to use these for extended amounts of time when at my desk or even laying in my bed with my phone, i probably use them at least 8-11 hours a day and they are soo comfortable. Also they esily tune out the rest of the airplane when watching a movie mid flight.

the high quality and balance you want from studio headphone

I bought these to replace my ART moniter ATH-A500X which lasted 8 years before I stood on them, so i kind of knew what to expect. I find them blissfully comfortable to wear, the wing design working really well. The sound quality is excellent, slightly more bass than the ones they replaced.I paid �120 pounds for mine which is excellant value for money.

Excellent sound quality

Perfect Headphone. I love it. Very Light, High Quality Sound, Big enough for Large Ears

I didn't know how to rate the gaming as I don't use it for that. Due to a gunshot, I have ear damage and tinnitus. I need equipment that has very low distortion in order to enjoy my music. As a former professional musician, classically trained at the University of Kansas, who used to have perfect pitch, it was imperative that the sound be as clear as possible. I've tried others, but steered clear of Bluetooth, which may have been more convenient, but, being forewarned about the fidelity of that medium, I opted for the wired version. I am not disappointed and would highly recommend them for those who love music as I do.

I'll start by saying this, I have an XXL head and wanted a nice set of headphones for office use. My prior pair were Denon AH-D600 headphones for office use. Using these they have a little bit more balance to the sound. The bass is close but a little bit more controlled and the treble has a bit more lift. For the most part the sound is good quality for my taste and a fair balance. As for comfort, Audio Technica has always been a bit of a favorite for those with large heads since the 700 series. They are relatively easy to form to shape, and these were no different. I slowly increased the spread to reduce the clamping force and have a nice light fit. If you have a big head there isn't much out there for comfort + sound quality + closed, these are the best balance I have found thus far.

Amazing for music production, the sound is crisp, the frequency range is amazing. overall 10/10

These are excellent for the price. I purchased these to listen to music and play some games. Music sounds excellent. Bass is present, but not overpowering, mids are good and treble is pushed back just enough to not be harsh. These are great for acoustic music, but i had no problem listening to heavier music with them. I downloaded an equalizer and added a touch of bass for when I'm playing games. Games sound really good, but I also have a pair of Monolith M1060 open backs and those are absolutely amazing for positional audio in FPS games as well as providing enough bass for explosions in games. These do positional audio decently. They are also closed back so the sound stage is narrow compared to an open back variant. Overall I have no complaints for the price I paid. I had no issues with comfort aside from the pads being a tad bit too small for my ears. I ordered a pair of replacement Brainwavz pads and also plan on modifying the attached wire. Just too long for my use and gets annoying. The 3d wing system works well with my head, but be aware that it may not work for everyone.

muy buen sonido, ajuste fatal, son muy grandes

El sonido es buen�simo, eso s�, para moverlos hace falta ampli, el m�vil solo se queda muy flojo.

These really allow you to hear every note the way the audio was intended to be enjoyed! Frequency range is beyond the similar ranged Beyerdynamic, Sennheiser, Grado, and most of the other closed back audiophile grade headphones. Plus these got that bass for my my Hip-Hop joints where low end rumbles and smacks and the highs are still perfect! The sound stage is off the charts for closed headphones! I definitely recommend.

I changed with MST7 NC and the difference is noticeable. They are calmer and more musical and more tolerant of recordings. There is no shortage of scope. You can even listen nicely for hours. Very comfortable, practically so light on the head that you do not feel it.

Appearance - A little bit ridiculous looking with the big Audio Technica wing support and otherwise very simple in looking, all black plastic, rubber and pleather with understated branding on the cups.Build Quality - They do feel cheap when holding them, definitely a lot plastic involved. Bu seem solidly enough put together, I wouldn't worry much about durability, there's just nothing premium about the build. The cable is fixed (which is disappointing, not sure why Audio Technica is still so intent on making fixed cable headphones) and as mentioned very long.Comfort - The A550Zs are very comfortable fit (I do have a large head so lack of clamp force may be an issue for people with smaller heads). They are quite light, I find the clamp force absolutely perfect (secure but I don't feel any squeezing) and the stock ear pads are quite comfortable for several hours continuous. I'd prefer a cloth earpad to leather or pleather but these are quite comfortable regardless. They seem a bit smaller than the older models using the wing support, which will be good for most people.Sound quality - They generally sound wonderful, especially if you are looking for detailed, vivid sound without over the top bass. Very detailed, excellent for gaming or complex music. Even the little flaws in recordings pop out from time to time. Decent soundstage, though not huge (My old AD900s have a substantially larger soundstage, but those are higher end an d open back) but better than expected fro a closed back headphone in this price range. The big thing with the A550Zs is exquisite upper mid range and treble. Vocals are beautifully lifelike and strings are an absolute pleasure. The bass is very typical of AT headphones, crisp, tight, precise if a little reserved. The bass is definitely more prominent when using a decent DAC than just plugging into a computer or phone, but they are easy enough to drive. Sound isolation good, but not great. All around a great sounding pair of headphones.Value - Excellent. The A550z are probably the best sounding closed back headphones under $250 that I have put on (sound quality/signature is very similar to the A990Z, although the A990Z feels much better put together and has maybe a smidge more bass) and nothing else at its price point seems particularly close. If you need a ton of bass or really want a premium feel then you'll want to look elsewhere, otherwise if you're looking for something closed back its hard to find much not to like.

I did a lot of research to find my "perfect" headphones for listening at work. I wanted something wired that would sound great, didn't leak much sound and was comfortable. This was IT!

Very good balanced sound. Really crisp and clear. Love how it handles the bass without rattling or feeling uncomfortable. Super happy I got these. I tried beats and a couple other headphones but these ones are so comfortable and SOUND perfect. I love listening to them and every time I put them on it makes me happy

TOP KLANG DER HAMMER

I've owned a lot of "mid/high-end" headphones (Sennheiser, AKG, etc.). I've never heard a better sounding headphone. Incredible, especially at $250.Noise cancelling: it cancels about as much as I would want a closed-back headphone too; I like being able to gauge how loud I'm speaking when I have them on, and these headphones just barely allows for that.Sound quality: sound is separated, they seem fairly balanced across the spectrum (with excellent, punchy bass), and they recreate the sound of instruments in a way that I have never heard before. Drums have significantly more shape, electronic sounds have more "depth"Build quality: Solidly constructed. The plastic used on the outside is sturdy, well constructed, and looks great. The earpads are pretty good, albeit I wouldn't mind a slightly wider opening to fit my large ears better.Headband: My only slight gripe is the headband. It's pretty comfortable, and I like for it doesn't cause any pressure points. However, I feel that there could be a bit more tension on the headband flaps, as I find that the weight of the drivers occasionally slides the headphones onto a non-optimal position on my head.

Primero decir que son grandes, tanto en tama�o como en sonido. La calidad de los acabados muy buena. Se adaptan perfectamente a la cabeza sin moverse y sin tener que andar ajustandolos.El cable es recto y enfundado en tela. Todo un acierto es mas rigido y no se hacen lios.La carcasa exterior de aluminio ligero que aisla muy bien del exterior.Sonido lleno de matices, neutro, con bajos naturales sin amplificaciones.Aun estoy rodando los mios y cada dia van mejor.

I've tried a series of audio and gaming headsets for my long PC video gaming adventures and never been truly happy. Every pair I used put just too much pressure on my head and after 30-45 minutes became decidedly uncomfortable. At CES this year I stopped by the Audio Technica booth (looking for microphones) and happened to notice the unconventional design of the ATH-A550Z headphones. Rather than a tight band that rides along the top of your head and clamps against your ears the ATH-A550Z (and other AT headphones) has a gentler, higher arching band that applies less overall pressure, helped along by small "wing pads" that rest lightly against your head but apply a little additional stabilizing force. The end result is a very pleasant and much more gentle feeling that nonetheless holds the headphones very securely in position. These headphones are super comfortable even for several hours of gaming (and obviously would be for listening to music too). No more "c-clamp of anguish" experience from traditional headphone designs! And I realize headphone comfort and fit is a personal thing, so perhaps it's just the shape of my head, but if you find your headphones painfully uncomfortable after a while I highly recommend giving this Audio Technical design a try.Naturally the audio quality of headphones is as important as comfortable fit and I can say the sound of the ATH-A550Z is excellent. Clarity and separation for gaming is outstanding, and music sounds wonderful in them too. I opted for a closed-back design to help isolate my listening experience from an occasionally noisy surrounding environment, but saw this same design available in open-back headphones from AT as well.

Sehr Guter klang, und Hohe qualit�t.

Produit vraiment super, j'avais pas mal fait de casque audio de chez Bose, et celui-ci est encore mieux point de vue sonorit� de profondeur des basse etc... apr�s pas mal de recherche tout le temps on ne parle que Audio-Technica comme les meilleur casque audiophile au monde, et je n'en suis vraiment pas d��u de cette qualit� sur tout ses angleset ne peut que vous le recommander les yeux ferm�

I've owned a pair of ATH-ES9 for nearly 9 years and I wanted something more comfortable for office/home listening.Given my love for my ES9s I was only buying Audio Technica and I was looking for over-ear and closed-back for comfort and isolation. Personally noise cancelling makes me feel sick (similar to sea sickness) and I'm really not keen on charging a pair of headphone for bluetooth listening. These headpohones offer neither of these gimmicks.Sure these headphone aren't the top of the range audiophile phones but also they're not break the bank expensive. I can use them all day and it's genuinely a pleasure to throw them on in the morning for a day at my computer and know I'm going to be in a bubble.It was a bit of an adjustment coming from my ATH-ES9 of over 9 years but that's to be expected. I've always liked a kick in at the bass end which my ES9 gave me. These are more balanced and more crisp across the full range. They're super comfortable and easy to put on because of the auto adjusting fit from the paddles on top of you your head. If you're used to a smaller set of phones these are big, you're going to look like a try-hard in the office but also you probably won't be able to hear what they're saying about you so why care.All in all super comfortable, a great balance across the range, affordable and the subtle metal green finish looks great.

Out of the box: the stock pads are trash. They aren't comfortable and are very shallow. Also, they make the sound very bad. You will want to swap them out for the brainwavz XL round pads (either leather or the cooling gel) and the sound and comfort go up. The sound brings back the highs (compared to the stock pads that made the highs seem underwhelming) and the comfort is less hard on your head. Soundstage for gaming is amazing.Also you'll need to break these in for a few hours as they will seem a bit harsh to the ears (you'll feel it). After that it goes away.

Comfort, sound is excellent with Amazon music HD. Long lead. Love them

Son Loved it.

Amazing sound, bass, guitars, vocals, excellent.

Needed headphones with noise cancelling technology and that were also comfortable to wear. I don't blast anything on these, but I do find that they work well to muffle out the surrounding noise, even when listening at low volume.I primarily got these for use when meditating, but I like them so much I'm using them for my e-books and music too.

Suenan de cine, bajos secos, medios buenos, agudos con detalle.

Having looked at many headphones to find a high quality well made & comfortable product for the home that does not rely on electronic gimmickry of noise cancelling. I also wanted to use it to listen to Hi resolution streaming ( Qobuz).I discovered this by searching across many reviews but most mass-market headphones these days are designed with Bluetooth & noise cancelling and has apps etc to determine the sound signature. This does none of that but produces a rich, well-integrated sound best listened with a DAC ( not essential as impedance is not so high it requires a DAC or Headphone Amp) Also, I did not want to spend hundreds of pounds as audiophile headsets with this sound capability often cost a lot more. (At least double) Let me begin by saying what this headphone is not. Unless you are used to wearing 53 mm domes, outside this is not the outdoor headphone. It also avoids high tech electronic noise suppression ( for that Sony WH - 1000XM3 or 2 range is fabulous). What this does well, is deal well with a wide range of music from rock, jazz, classical for home listening. Use with a DAC and it will be even better. I have used this with different range of DACS (Chord, Arcam, Marantz) and these have performed as well as my rather old but very expensive T5p These are closed headphones so you won't scare the cat or the neighbours. To keep the weight down the metal covering uses aluminium so you get some leakage but unless you are playing at very high volumes ( not recommended) you won't get any sound leakage. I found listening for a long period was not a challenge as the "headband" gave great support The overall feel of this headphone is that it is very well engineered with a good thick cable with two jacks. The size of the drivers at 53 mm gives this a spacious feel so the constricted sound that you get from closed-back headphones are not as evident in these headphones. In terms of value, this is a fabulous buy at �179 as the other headphones with this sort of capability are at least double the price. The sound signature is very similar to the now discontinued Bowers & Wilkins P7 but this one can play high res files. I would not say this matches the Beyerdynamic which is nearly eight times more expensive than this. Finally, the sound needs to settle down, so use this headphone for about 2-3 days and the quality of the headset becomes obvious. For the price/value/ quality equation home listening phones, I have yet to find one that matches these headphones. For that, it deserves 5 stars