Customer Reviews

Audio-Technica ATH-D40fs Precision Enhanced Bass Headphones

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I have a of hobby collecting headphones, and I've recently began reviewing the ones in my collection. I constructed a simple six-song test and rating system, where a score of 0 - 2 is abysmal, 2.1 - 4 is poor, 4.1 - 6 is mediocre, 6.1 - 8 is above average, and 8.1 - 10 is excellent.

I selected songs from a variety of genres. The songs were "The Chain" by Fleetwood Mac, "Every Planet We Reach is Dead" by Gorillaz, "Concerto Grosso no. 26 in D Major" by Handel, "I Know You Are, But What Am I?" by Mogwai, "Afro Blue" by Triplexity, and "The Patient" by Tool. All songs were encoded in Ogg Vorbis at 192 kbps or higher, and I listened to them on an iAudio 7 with all sound effects turned off and the equalizer set to flat.

Sound Quality(9.2/10)

The Chain(9/10) - bass, mid tones, and treble are all flat and evenly reproduced. The bass is crisp and punchy, but not exaggerated. The sound stage is good, although not incredible. Instrument separation is clear and vivid.

Every Planet(10/10) - lows in this song are deep and responsive, but smooth and even at the same time. Mids and highs are also impressively vivid. The sound stage is moderately large, and instrument separation is fantastic.

Concerto(10/10) - the sound in this song is very flat and smooth over all frequencies(which I like, especially for classical). Instrument separation is crisp and clear. The sound stage is not huge, but pleasantly broad.

I Know You Are(9/10) - lows are nice and deep. Mids are rich and vivid. Highs are crisp and clear. The instrument separation is also very clear. Sound stage is definitely good, but not as amazing as other headphones in this price range.

Afro Blue(9/10) - the bass in this song is impressively low and punchy, but again, not exaggerated. Mids and highs are clean and even. Instrument separation is fantastic. The sound stage on this song wasn't as broad as I would like, but not bad.

The Patient(8/10) - music was evenly reproduced over all frequencies. Bass and mid tones were vivid, and highs were clean and clear. Instrument separation is also good. The sound stage, as before, is decent but not overly great. While this song sounded very good over the Audio Technicas, it was somewhat lacking in aggressiveness and intensity.

Overall Sound(9.2/10) - the Audio Technica ATH-D40fs sounded very smooth and balanced overall with clean, deep bass, vivid mid tones, and clear highs. Instrument separation was fantastic. The only complaint I have regarding sound quality was the sound stage, which was somewhat lackluster at times.


Design(3/10) - these headphones were comfortable to wear, if a bit heavy. I could listen to them for hours on end with little fatigue. While not particularly stylish, they exuded a sense a professionalism that is missing in most headphones. I give them such a low rating in design because they broke shortly after I bought them. I take good care of my headphones, but not long after I began listening to them, the left speaker would stop playing music intermittently, which leads me to believe there was a short somewhere in the internal assembly(I never actually found one in the headphone cable).


Noise Isolation(7/10) - while not the best noise isolation I've ever experienced from a pair of headphone(that award would go to one of the various IEMs I've listened to), these were quite good. I estimate they blocked around 10 - 12 DB of ambient noise along the entire range of audible frequencies.


Bottom Line(6/10) - I would like to give these headphones an 8 or 9. The sound quality was fantastic for sealed headphones at this price range, and almost everything else about them was good. Sadly, as I previously mentioned, the left speaker began behaving erratically shorty after I purchased them, and they had to be returned.

I've been extremely satisfied w/ these headphones - comfortable, & sound great. I use them mostly to record w/ GargaeBand & to learn songs on bass, w/ my bass signal & a cd going thru' a mixing board. I've had them for several months now, & they've been durable. A good product; I'd rate them "Semi-Professional Quality".

I've listened on $600 studio reference headphones (in an actual studio) and have a keen appreciation for great quality.

These headphones have been a great joy to use. Their sonic quality is excellent, mid-tones are clear and the high's are articulate. The cups are comfortable and by themselves do a wonderful job of blocking exterior noise. The only thing I can't figure out is their claim that the cord is "field-replacable", but there is no documentation or any indication that this is the case.

Other than that, it's an outstanding pair of comfortable full-cup headphones. Has a really long cord as well, which is much appreciated.

-David & Rachel

These are great. I use them everyday at a top recording facility in Bogota, Colombia, where headphones gets lots of abuse, they are good and loud enough for the deafest drummers. Replacemente drivers and earcushions are cheap, and you can get these directly from audio-technica. As long as you dont break the rotating joints, these will last you a very long time.

Looking for something to replace my ipod headphones. I almost got the ath-m40fs, due to the great reviews until someone mentioned that d40fs has enhanced bass so I cancelled my order and got this instead. I was hesitant, because very few reviews were done on this model, but went ahead anyways. If you intend to use this with your portable player, like an ipod, you will need to purchase an adapter to go over the 1/4 plug. What I did was replace the whole cable with an old headset and re-wire. Pretty easy, just remove padding and 4 screws. I got mine for $57 from samedaymusic with free shipping. Don't forget they will price match on their website.

You won't be un-happy when you hear clean/clear not so boomy sound you never heard before.

Ben

The sound is very flat. i thought these headphones were for enhanced bass. Iwanted bass, these didn't supply.

Pros:
Very comfortable fit.
11 foot long cable
Great for "studio"
stylish
light for its size
single sided cable
soft and comfortable padding
everything is flat which might be good if you wanted
Cons:
Very bulky
11 foot long cable
1/4 inch plug
Bass is not there, very flat
not recommended/ideal for portable players
Isn't very loud.

Overall:
If youre looking for STUDIO headphones, which give a true sound which is flat, this is the headphones for you. If youre looking for enhanced bass, look elsewhere.As studio headphones and listening to music, 5 stars. As headphones that is for enjoying music with great bass 2 stars.

Well I just picked these up since they were on sale ($58)
First off I will say they are incredible for the price.

What they are good for:
-At home use
-Equalizing music to your liking
-Music riddled with bass
-Amazing clarity

What they aren't good for:
-Using them on the go
-Not using an amp

Overall fantastic purchase.

The sound is clear and crisp, the bass is incredible, they fit comfortable, the cord is extra long. Overall, these headphones are worth it!

At first i was a little sketchy about these because there were 7 reviews on these headphones...but im glad i bought these. Im no audiophile but im a kid who is pretty picky about sound. The headphones just came in the mail about an hourrr ago and im listening to them through my computer now. So far so good!! The bass is great and punchy (at least to my ears) and the treble is great too. I was a little worried that these headphones would sound muddy with the bass but they defintely dontt!! I can hear some details in songs that i haven't heard on headphones ive had before. I own/owned skullcandy inkd earbuds, sony ex earbuds, sony mdr v150s, and probably others that i cant think of right now, and the ath-d40fs are definitely my most expensive headphones purchase and i LOVE them! I cant wait until they are fully burned in so i can experience the true potential of these headphones.

pros: detailed, comfyy, overall great sound with punchy basss ;)

cons: the only annoying thing with these headphones is that you have to go out and buy an adapter because it comes with a big plug that wont fit into my computer =/. I got mine at radioshack but if you can get a solid gold or silver one get it because itll make the connection better and more stable..but besides that these headphones are absolutely sickkk =P

P.S. THEY'RE BLACK HEADPHONES NOT WHITISH/GREYISH LIKE IN THE PICTURE BTW LOL



EDIT: after about a week of intense listening between me and my bro they sound more broken in now. The highs and lows are crisper, and the bass seems a little better. Idk maybe its just me but they sound better after using them for probably 5-6 hours a day between me and my brother for a week.

I bought these to use for practicing electric bass guitar. The bass response is definitely superior to my AKG K240 studio phones, but they don't quite match the solid mids and crisp highs of the AKGs. So what you gain in bass response, you give up in other areas.

If you're looking for an affordable pair of phones with thumping bass, these are worth a look. They're comfortable too.