ATH-A990z

Reviewer: Srajan Ebaen
Financial interests: click here
Main system: Sources: Retina 5K 27" iMac (i5, 256GB SSD, 40GB RAM, Sonoma 14), 4TB external SSD with Thunderbolt 3, Audirvana Studio, Qobuz Sublime, Singxer SU-6 USB bridge, LHY Audio SW-8 & SW-6 switch, Laiv Audio Harmony; Active filter: Lifesaver Audio Gradient Box 2; Power amplifiers: Kinki Studio EX-B7 monos & Gold Note monos on subwoofer; Headamp: Enleum AMP-23R; Phones: Raal 1995 Immanis, HifiMan Susvara; Loudspeakers: Qualio IQ [on loan] Cables: Kinki Studio Earth, Furutech; Power delivery: Vibex Granada/Alhambra on all source components, Vibex One 11R on amps, Furutech DPS-4.1 between wall and conditioners; Equipment rack: Artesanía Audio Exoteryc double-wide 3-tier with optional glass shelves, Exoteryc amp stands; Sundry accessories: Acoustic System resonators, LessLoss Firewall for loudspeakers, Furutech NCF Signal Boosters; Room: 6 x 8m with open door behind listening seat; Room treatment: 2 x PSI Audio AVAA C214 active bass traps
2nd system: Source: FiiO R7 into Soundaware D300Ref SD transport to Cen.Grand DSDAC 1.0 Deluxe; Preamp/filter: Lifesaver Audio Gradient Box 2; Amplifier: Kinki Studio EX-M7; Headamp: Cen.Grand Silver Fox; Loudspeakers: MonAcoustic SuperMon Mini + Dynaudio S18 sub; Power delivery: Furutech GTO 2D NCF, Akiko Audio Corelli; Equipment rack: Hifistay Mythology Transform X-Frame [on extended loan]; Sundry accessories: Audioquest Fog Lifters; Furutech NFC Clear Lines; Room: ~3.5 x 8m
Desktop system: Source: HP Z230 work station Win10/64; USB bridge: Singxer SU-2; DAC: Sonnet Pasithea; Headamp: Kinki Studio THR-1; Speaker amp: Crayon CFA-1.2; Speakers: Acelec Model One Headphones: Final D-8000 & Sonorous X, Audeze LCD-XC, Raal-Requisite SR1a on Schiit Jotunheim R
Upstairs headfi system: FiiO R7, COS Engineering D1, Cen.Grand Silver Fox; Headphones: Raal 1995 Magna, Meze 109 Pro, Fiio FT3
2-channel video system: Source: Oppo BDP-105; All-in-One: Gold Note IS-1000 Deluxe; Loudspeakers: Zu Soul VI; Subwoofer: Zu Submission; Power delivery: Furutech eTP-8, Room: ~6x4m
Review component retail: ~€260

Joe Sixpack. Sometimes this reviewer doesn't eat in at the Outer Space café. Sometimes he eats out at McDonald's. Recently greasy-spoon need surfaced. John Darko told me that during our podcasts, my open-backed Final D-8000 leak sound. My Blue microphone dutifully picks that up to cause an unwanted echo effect. Didn't I have sealed cans? I do; super-heavy uncomfortable Audeze. It was time to let my fingers shop. Buying points were price, comfort, being sealed and having a left-channel single-entry non-microphonic cable. An absence of abundant plastic was another consideration. I view hifi kit as tools. I like mine to be sharp, clean and of quality. Now I remembered a long-ago Audio-Technica with luxurious wooden cups that I'd acquired from a Japan-direct portal. Its signature wing system had been terrifically comfortable, the build quality ace, the tuning smiley-faced. What might they have a decade later? At €260 from Amazon with next-day (!) delivery, the ATH-A990z wasn't the cheapest of the lot but looked well made to meet my tool criteria. It has the familiar split headband I wanted to avoid that predictable sore spot on the crown of the skull. With pre/post chitchat, my Darko sessions can take 2½ hours; enough to feel pressure. The AT-A900z uses solid aluminium not plastic end caps to tone down the cheap plastic feel. It has that single-entry left-channel cloth-covered long cable my layout wants to not cross the desk but drape behind the gear then sneak up on my chair from below. Its faint green colouring echoes my love of British Racing Green. And, my purpose was pure dialogue. For once I wasn't really that concerned about sound quality for music. There I'm already set thrice over. Comfort, no sound leakage nor costing a big bundle were my three main deciders; in that sequence.

I'm pleased to report that this headphone meets my mark all around. Unlike my mug, even the tuning is the smiley face I remember from my first far dearer AT. It's not what I fancy for music where this presence region would be a tad hot, the low end clearly too bombastic for my tastes. For dialogue meanwhile, it should be quite perfect; especially if John turns up his upper harmonics. The cable is truly non-microphonic and being single not split, hangs off to the side rather than rubbing across the chest. And for my core decider, comfort is a mega whopper; with extra cheese. If the top of your noggin too is the emo sort to get sore quickly, do check out Audio-Technica's wing system. It works a treat; and this model is light to boot. That's all I've got for this sorry excuse of a review. If you're watching one of our future podcasts, at least you won't have to ask John in the comment's section about what headphones I'm wearing. Nor can you complain that it took me nine pages to say my piece. Perhaps I ought to eat at McDonald's more often and order big heaping nothingburgers?