1 week Ago
Audio-Technica ATH-R30x are available now for $99 / £85 / AU$219 Open-back headphones promising reference quality sound Made for content creators and home audio producers Audio-Technica's latest open-back headphones come with a price so low I had to check it wasn’t a misprint: the ATH-R30x headphones are just $99 / £85 / AU$219. That's a very low price for a set of headphones with this kind of specification. The ATH-R30x promise to deliver reference-quality audio, so they're targeted primarily at content creators and home-based music producers.
That's me! And according to Audio-Technica, the new model delivers pro-level performance without the pro-level price tag of many of the best wired headphones . Audio-Technica ATH-R30x: key features The ATH-R30x are one of three pairs of reference headphones launched by the brand: they're launching alongside the ATH-R50x and the flagship ATH-R70xa, both of which attracted rave reviews. These new cheap ANC headphones from a reliable brand look like wildly good value – 90 hours of battery, Hi-Res Audio, spatial sound.
.. all for $50 Sennheiser's new affordable HD 505 headphones are here, and I compared them to the HD 600 Like those headphones the ATH-R30x offer a natural, neutral open-back listening experience – which can be just as attractive to audiophiles on a budget as creators.
The driver here is 40mm, which is very slightly smaller than the one in the R30x's siblings, and unlike the other models the cable isn't removable. Audio-Technica says that the "meticulous" transducer design "translates every diaphragm movement directly into sound" to deliver a spacious soundstage with natural clarity. Frequency response is 15Hz to 25kHz, impedance is 36 ohms and the sensitivity is 92dB.
I haven't heard these headphones yet but the hi-fi and music production blogs have, and they've said that these are very credible studio headphones: for example, Recording Magazine says they are "highly enjoyable" and "deliver outstanding sound at an incredible price." The ATH-R30x are available from today, 8 April 2025. Get daily insight, inspiration and deals in your inbox Sign up for breaking news, reviews, opinion, top tech deals, and more.
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