These Audiophile Headphones Harness 50 Years of Japanese Hi-Fi Heritage

The iconic hi-fi brand released its first headphones in 1974.

Published October 28, 2024

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The Japanese hi-fi manufacturer Audio-Technica has a history dating back to the 1960s. While it’s probably best known for its high-quality phono cartridges and direct-drive turntables, it’s also well-regarded for its headphones, which offer excellent sound at a great value.

The company released its first pair of headphones, the AT-700 series, in 1974. Now, 50 years later, Audio-Technica is releasing new audiophile wired headphones to celebrate its half-century in the headphone business.

Audio-Technica ATH-ADX3000

Specs

Type	Open-back dynamic wired headphones
Frequency Response	5 – 45,000 Hz
Impedance	50 ohms

$999 at Audio-Technica

50 years of headphone heritage

The Audio-Technica ATH-ADX3000 are open-back dynamic headphones that celebrate the company’s 50th headphone anniversary in a different way.

Rather than being similar to the 1974-released AT-700 series, the ATH-ADX3000 are a more affordable alternative of its 2017-released ATH-ADX5000 flagship headphones — which cost $1,999.

At $999, the ATH-ADX3000 costs $1,000 less — half as expensive — but still promises excellent hi-fi sound.

Flagship-grade driver technology

The new ATH-ADX3000 have similar 58mm dynamic drivers as the company’s flagship ATH-ADX5000 headphones. They also utilize the same Core Mount technology — positioning the diaphragm, voice coil, baffle and magnet in a single unit — that, according to the company, results in “improved airflow and full-range audio reproduction.”

Obviously, there are some key differences between the two headphones that justify the $1,000 price difference — and it mostly comes down to sound quality.

The ATH-ADX3000 are significantly easier to drive headphones, with an impedance of 50 ohms (vs the ATH-ADX5000’s 420 ohms), sensitivity of 98 dB/mW (vs the ATH-ADX5000’s 100 dB/mW) and max power of 700 mW (vs ATH-ADX5000’s 1,000 mW).

Handcrafted in Japan

Of course, both audiophile headphones share much in common — and look almost identical. They feature large earcups with honeycomb-punched metallic grilles and soft velour earpads.

Like the more expensive flagships, the new ATH-ADX3000 are manufactured and hand-assembled in the company’s Machida Tokyo-based factory.

Both headphones also come with a “robust aluminum” protective carrying case and come with a detachable cable with A2DC connectors.