As a professional musician, composer, orchestrator, finding a great pair flat-response headphones have been critically important and quite a journey! Examining and comparing many models and their criteria, of both very expensive models and not-so much, has led me to the Audio-Technica ATH-M70X. Am totally blown away! The very smooth, even response, very low to very high, is simply amazing! Listening to John Williams conducting his sensitive theme from "Schindler's List," and hearing/feeling not only the emotions of violin solo, but the violin bow buzz-on-the-string nuance is rather incredible! As others have stated, these are NOT attenuated to add highs or lows, but a true picture of the uncolored, flat-response, pure sound. These are perfect for audio recording engineers and for mixing a clear unadulterated audio picture. Note: DO NOT expect to compare these to other headphones which are used for average, every day leisurely listening, there are tons of those around. ~~ Next, I just listened to a large symphony orchestra with a large pipe organ, VERY smooth and clear response over the entire frequency range of an astonishing 5 to 40,000 hertz! ~~ To try different musical styles, I tried a bit of LL Cool J - still a clear and an awesome pure sound! ~~ Then, a bit of Jacob Collier - such eclectic and a wide variety of sounds - everything clear and transparent! ~~ Then, some a Cappella vocals with Straight No Chaser - heard intricate nuances never heard before. ~~ Then, pure symphony orchestra of Cody Fry's "Eleanor Rigby" - am simply blown away at the transparency! ~~ Then, a bit of jazz with Harry Connick Jr - each and every note of his artistry shines through. (Lastly, comfort-wise they sit nicely and comfortably on both the ears and the head for long-term use.) HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!When I first got these headphones in, I was a little taken back in a confused way...A little back story; I've been a tracking and live musician for years, but have only recently (1-2 years) gotten into engineering and producing on my own. So I am familiar with accurate (flat) sounding speakers, in-ear monitors, etc.. That being said, I didn't have a ton of experience with studio headphones since I have always used studio monitors 100% of the time, unless I'm actually the one tracking, then I use my in-ears or Ultra-phones for sound isolation.Anyway, I put these on the immediately the day I got them and was almost unsure on how I felt about them. I played every genre of music through them from Miles Davis stuff to Underoath, and everything in between. The thing I immediately noticed about them, however, was how intricate they are. I could truly pick out the finest detail of the music, from very very light snare drum ghost notes on a D'Angelo record to extremely buried guitar or keys parts on an Underoath track. However, I was still thinking that I was missing some low end, and that they were possibly a little to crisp for me. Since these are being used for listening to music 80% of the time, with the occasional accuracy check on mixes, I thought I would want something a little warmer.So after reading and watching a ton of reviews (most I had already read before picking up the M70x) I ordered a pair or M50x's. I will say, first impression, I didn't like them any more or less than the M70x's. I immediately noticed that the M50x's had a SLIGHT boost in the low end, a little boost in the highs, and a little dip in the mids, but overall I didn't think they were EXTREMELY different. After about an hour of listening to the M50x's, I went back to the M70x's for A/B purposes. That's when I immediately realized that (In my opinion) the M70x's are so much more accurate and clear. They aren't bloated in any way and each frequency range from the low low's to the highest of highs (that the human ear can hear that is) are very accurately reproduced. I felt that the M50x's are a little to thin in the mid frequency range, the highs don't seem as clear, and the lows (while more pronounced than the M70x's) where not as clear either. I then started listening to the same tracks back to back on each pair, and realized that the subtle parts I could pick out on the M70x's either weren't as clear, or just plain non-existent. I kept going back and forth between headphones on the same tracks and realized that each track was being represented WAY more accurately on the M70x's.All-in-all, just to be truthful, if I had purchased the M50x's first, I probably wouldn't have the same opinion about them as I do now and the differences are very subtle AT FIRST. And even with all that being said, I still think the M50x's live up to their reputation (for the most part). But these M70x's have opened my ears to so much detail in the music that I have been listening to for quite a while that I just don't think I could go back. It happened so quickly that I returned the M50x's the same day... I'm not a true believer in "burning in" headphones, so I hevnt gotten 100+ hours of use out of them. And I will say that It probably took a few days of listening and some comparing for me to notice how much I liked these headphones, but now I absolutely love listening to everything through them. They have really made me realize how bloated the bass is and how much mids are missing from most headphones out there.Oh and the M70x's are super comfortable, where as the M50x's squeeze your head pretty tight and after a while, can actually start to hurt. Design wise, I'd say they're about the same. Both are pretty classy looking with a basic, straight forward studio design.Last thing, I purchased a headphone amp for this and wound up returning it too. Both models really don't need that much power to run the drivers. Even from an iPad or an iPhone. They sounded about the same through the headphone amp as they did directly from whichever source I plugged them into.There may be better or same quality headphones out there for the price. But I am extremely happy with these M70x's.Let me start off by saying that I am NOT an audiophile. I was trying to find a pair of quality headphones for my wife who is a talented musician. I read numerous headphone reviews and couldn’t understand any of the lingo used like “colorful, v-shaped, flat, rich, neutral,” etc. So for the purposes of this review I will be writing it for other non-audiophiles in plain English words that everyone can understand.First let me give you the conclusions up front:THE GOOD:1. Reasonable price2. Good (not great) construction3. Light weight4. Large earcups5. Good noise isolation6. Very neutral sound (more on this below)THE BAD:1. More plastic than metal2. Boring design3. Don’t fold4. Very neutral sound (read below)5. Low volume (see below)In comparison to the famed M50X, these are the more “premium” headphones. The earcups are larger that fit AROUND your ears for a better seal rather than OVER your ears like the M50x. You’d be forgiven for buying these thinking these are the more expensive and better sounding siblings. Rather, they’re more like cousins. The two are completely different products for completely different needs. You SHOULD NOT UPGRADE from the M50x to the M70x expecting to get better sounding headphones (you will be disappointed), rather you should buy these if you NEED studio headphones. I made the mistake of buying the M50x and then buying the M70x thinking they were better. I did a lot of testing between the two and found the sound they are indeed very different with different characteristics geared to the user with different needs.If you want nice everyday headphones for music listening and enjoyment, DON’T BUY THESE. These are NOT for everyday use at home, in the subway, etc. You would be disappointed with the sound. The M50x is geared for this purpose, it’s tuned with good (but not overbearing) bass, discernible highs and mids for a beautiful listening experience for a number of music types. The M70X is extremely flat and neutral. Other reviews I read state as much also but I didn’t understand what this meant this until I started comparing them. Compared to the M50x, the M70x lack bass, the treble and mids are not as crisp or clear, and the volume of the headphones are extremely low for the same given source volume.While these qualities made them sound like they’re bad headphones for the price, it helps to understand that they were built this way for the discerning professional who makes music. You don’t want extra strong bass hits or shrieking highs when recording or mixing music. Rather you want flat sounds that’s unmodified so you can be closer to the source material. Other consumer headphones like Bose Quietcomfort, Sony MDX, and the M50x are all consumer headphones that have been tuned at the factory to deliver a bassy, punchy, and poppy sound for enjoyment. They may sound better, but it’s not the source material, rather it's a modified and tuned sound.The M70x was designed to be studio headphones, they don’t fold for travel, they’re lighter weight than the M50x for long work sessions, and they’re not designed to be flashy. They’re for the working professional. Even the low sound volume is designed for use with a professional DAC and strong amplifiers so that they blow out the headphones. However for studio headphones, these are superb fro the price.So if you are looking for good headphones, be wary of what you intend to use them for. If you want to be bopping to beats on the subway or your commute, skip these for the M50x. If you’re an at home musician looking to record and mix music for professional work, then these are for you!Been using for a few weeks now and although I wasn't too impressed initially, I must admit they've subsequently grown a lot in my opinion. Sound quality is excellent and comfort very good. Haven't had any issues so far as some have with build quality; they seem okay to me. I have an eclectic taste in music so finding a one-fits-all solution would be difficult and, I imagine, fairly expensive.I bought these to replace my ATH-M50s phones which are now more than nine years old. They still sound good but they’re tatty and slightly uncomfortable nowadays. The M70x’s definitely sound better although they seem slightly quieter, have less bass and a bit more top end but reveal more musical detail in most frequencies. I’ve found them very good for classical and reasonably okay for rock music, although you will have to drive them a bit harder for the latter. Of course, a lot depends on the sound source. If you have a good CD player capable of playing Hi Res Audio you will appreciate the M70x’s even more than with standard Hi-Fi. If you listen to your music through a phone or laptop, save yourself at least a hundred pounds and go for M50s’s or equivalent model/brand in the £100 - £150 price bracket.Very accurate sound reproduction, if you are into bassy headphones, these may not be the ones for you since they do not seem to add any bass on top of what has been original recorded. They are perfect for my everyday use (many hours!) as they are comfortable and effective for FPS / MOBA or just listening to music. You may need to get used to closed back headphones as with any other of this type as your own voice will be muffled compared to using open-back ones, but that is the only downside so far.Edit as of May 2016: The band seems to have detached from the right cup, such that there are two cracks and this means the ear isn't covered properly. A crack is developing on the left side too unfortunately, see pics.So, i got these for my birthday just over a week ago now and i thought i would weigh in with my thoughts on them.If like me you've done the homeworkand watched the unboxing videos on youtube you will be well aware of what's in the box, let me tell you the carry case, pouch and cables are to my mind all of good quality as are my first impressions of the headphones themselves.Firstly i will talk about comfort. After wearing these headphones for about fourty minutes my jaw and ears became a little sore, which was not a good start but after trying them in different positions on my head i think i've found the most comfortable way of wearing them and i can now wear them for a lot longer than fourty minutes at a time.Secondly. The build quality appears to be good, these things seem very robust.Now to the sound. For the past two years i have been alternating between two sets of Bose in ear phones, the QC20s and the Soundtrue Ultras. I used to use an ipod but i've recently purchased a Sony Walkman NW ZX100 and a Sony PHA 1A portable amplifier, i think the sound is great with this set up but i felt i was missing out when i read some of the reviews on the M70X. Well, when i plugged in the M70X and pressed play for the 1st time i have to say i was a little disappointed, they seemed uncomfortable and thin sounding but when i made a slight adjustment to the settings on the amp these things came alive At this point i must stress the importance of an amplifier to really get the benefit of what these headphones are capable of.( I have tried these cans with the FIIO E17 Alpen 2 portable amplifier and although not quite as clear the FIIO is cheaper and a worthy alternative with much better battery life) I listened to Dare by The Human League in mp3 format and straight away became aware of the air around every sound, nothing was pronounced or recessed just crystal clear detailed sound. I then tried one of my all time favorite albums The Rise And Fall Of Ziggy... by David Bowie, on this occasion i listened in 16 bit Flac and 24 bit Hi Res format to the 2015 remasters and i was blown away,( although no matter how many times i switched between 24 bit Hi Res and 16 bit Flac i couldn't tell the difference) again everything was just crystal clear very spacious and with a good amount of bass that allowed the music to breathe. I then listened to Radioheads A Moon Shaped Pool and alt Js This Is All Yours, both in 24 bit Hi Res and one word came to mind. "Stunning".In conclusion, i am very pleased with my Audio Technica M70X and i am sure they are going to give me many years of pleasure.bought the headset 2017. thought for the money it will be a quality product. after one year the twist joint over the left earpiece broke from only taking it off. I have glued the plastic back together and it lastet for another year and half...ridiculous for that price tag...The m70x's are a perfectly flat, extremely detailed pair of headphones. There is NO midbass hump to help you FEEL the bass like a speaker. So much like the etymotics iem's i own you just HEAR the bass instead and the bass is actually very deep and extended. This can be unsettling at first but mental "burn in" will fix that.