Iron triangle ATH-EW9 headset evaluation report
In 2003, the Iron Triangle released the ATH-EW9 earphones with independent ear-hooks. In the era when the media was not developed and the earphone products were not particularly rich, the shape, wearing style and high price of the EW9 were all high. It looks very special. The red cherry wood shell, like the W1000, shows a unique wooden plot. The details of the ear hook and the overall workmanship are also significantly ahead of most headphones in the same period. The ear-hook style is even more named. Street", which was completely different from today's application scenario 10 years ago. Although the cherry blossom wood was banned in 2007, W1000 and EW9 and other related products were affected, but unlike the W1000, the W1000X was changed. The EW9 has been selling. The current online shopping price is around RMB 1,000.
The Iron Triangle EW9 also has a halo of cherry wood casings, which also makes it relatively expensive. Its compact size and weight is only 33g. It is not cumbersome to use the ear-hook style. Although the trend of “out of the street†headphones has gradually emerged since 2003, it is far less extensive than it is today. The Sennheiser PX100/200 can become a hot product after 2005. It also shows that the small size of EW9 and PX100 is the first choice. The user is light and easy to store as the first requirement, while the street is not at the same time. Hope is too arrogant, which is very different from the "jewelry" component of the headphones used today. In this restrained atmosphere, a warm red cherry wood EW9 looks better than the Sennheiser PX100 headphones, and it is reasonable. And with this headset, today, no one might think it would be better than a plastic Beats style headset. This is a big difference in appearance.
Regarding the EW9 cherry wood of the Iron Triangle, there is not much to introduce here, but the logo of the iron triangle on the wooden shell and the design of the three screws fixed outside the woodcut make the appearance of the EW9 look more flavorful than the W1000.
The EW9 uses a 28mm neodymium magnet magnet unit, 29 ohm impedance, and 105dB/mW sensitivity [at 1kHz], making it an easy-to-drive headset. Since the outer piece of wood material is used as the outer casing, it is almost a closed design, but there are two openings on the side of the earphone, but it is not a major one by judging the opening by hand. The design used for tuning, hand release and squatting have little effect on sound changes, and the EW9 is still considered a closed design.
The EW9 uses an ear-hook design. There aren't many such headphones. Even if the earbud-type ear-hook headphones are counted, there are only a handful of well-known models. Ear-hook wear has many advantages, especially when the headphones are light enough. Its bracket can be first opened at a certain angle, hung on the ear and then closed, which is convenient to wear. For the 33g overall weight of the EW9, even if you exercise, it will be very easy. The stability of the earhook is actually very good and can be used for outdoor sports.
However, the wearing method of the independent ear hooks such as the EW9 also has some shortcomings. First, the use of the ear root space by the glasses wearer seems to be slightly insufficient. Second, lack of security? In fact, the ear-hanging stability is very good, but always feel that there is no real thing to wear. Third, the inward pressure is too small. If the same unit design is changed to a head-mounted type, it will be more tightly attached to the ear, and the listening experience will be completely different.
Perhaps, the ear-hook type is a very good out-of-the-way solution in an unobtrusive age. It is more comfortable to wear than a headgear, has better stability during exercise, and is not as eye-catching as a head-mounted look.
This headset is also from the collection of the user "zhser" [W1000 is also his], because it is already a long-term use of headphones, so we simply shut down the headset for about 50 hours. The sound source we used during the test was mainly iPod Classic, vivo Xplay, iPhone 5, Colorful C4 Pro, Monitor 03 US, etc. as a simple reference.
Overall, the Iron Triangle EW9 is a very easy to drive headset, compared with the PX100 II, PX90 and so on, which are still on sale, it is easier to get a significantly better dynamic sound on mobile phones and portable players. On a player like the iPhone, when playing music with a higher recording level such as pop music, you probably only need to turn the volume up to 50-60%, which is almost the volume setting position used by a small earbud. On the Xplay or X1 phones, the warm sound style, better dynamics and control make the EW9 significantly better.
EW9 still shows a clear iron triangle style, sound neutral but more obvious mid-high frequency. In headphones with a diameter of about 30mm [including head-mounted], EW9 does not look like medium-high frequency like W1000 or AD1000. The trend is not so obvious, even in the mid-range part is still quite full. But its medium-high frequency quality is obviously better than the contemporary PX100, or the eagerly ugly rambler H500.
The EW9's high frequency shows very good resolution, but it looks too stiff on the iPod Classic and iPhone, and the sound is smoother under Xplay, and even has some flavor on the W1000. EW9 is easily over-fired by blunt sound sources. The high frequency of the EW9 has a good upward extension. The transient of the sound shows a distinct iron triangle style, which is fast and fierce, but it is still much worse than the W1000. EW9 on some of the sound sources we use, even under Xplay, its high-frequency mid-high frequency part will appear to have a certain high sign, this part of the sound shows excessive pursuit of sound density, but the sound seems a bit "squeezed", It seems to be blunt when it is slightly larger.
The highlight of the mid-high frequency part will be enlarged when the performance of some young female voices, or the saliva singing voices, the sound looks younger, and the image of the vocal position will appear in front of the eyes, which is related to the style of the Iron Triangle, but EW9 It seems that the performance is more radical. Perhaps related to its ear-hook style, because it avoids this looser wearing style that affects the dynamics of the sound. In the process of using EW9, I personally do not consciously want to constantly adjust the volume of the player, because in the big dynamics, its high-frequency abrupt sensation will bring you out of the music. This is especially noticeable on the iPhone and iPod Classic, and the use of better sound sources, including sound cards, will greatly improve the control of high frequencies.
The EW9's intermediate frequency performs equally well in headphones of the same size [], and does not feel that its intermediate frequency is significantly thinner, relatively neutral, and the sound is relatively solid. But the sound is definitely not the PX100 or the PX100 II's mid-range sound is thick. The EW9's IF still maintains good resolution and transients. Even when it comes to some big dynamic music, even the most dynamic percussion and dance music, EW9's sound level, resolution and transient performance reflect its better details than similar headphones, and a significantly cleaner sound. .
Due to the closed design, the low frequency of the EW9 is not slack, but it is not easy to make the low frequency of the headphones of the same size unit, not to mention the closed PX200 and PX200 II. So far, we still have a hard time understanding What is the significance of the closed structure making the sound PX200/II? The EW9 at least guarantees good low-resolution resolution and transient control, but in the middle and low frequency part, the sound is obviously dry and tight. For example, when the cello is displayed, the sound is very clean, and the dynamic and thickness are obviously insufficient.
Overall, the Iron Triangle ATH-EW9 as a product 10 years ago still has obvious features in terms of sound performance, and the quality of the entry-level headphones beyond 200-300 yuan. Similar to the W1000 we recently evaluated, the sound style of EW9 has obvious sound style of the iron triangle earphones, pursuing the resolution of medium and high frequency, pursuing the sound density and dynamics of the middle and high frequency parts, and this trend seems to be more on the EW9. Obviously some. On the general level of the player, you may feel that the high frequency of the EW9 is obviously abrupt. If the level of the player is worse, you may feel that the high frequency is sharp and noisy. Of course, on Xplay or sound card, its overall performance will be greatly improved. EW9 is more suitable for small compilation, softer and softer music, which will be more reflected in the exquisiteness of this kind of music on EW9. In the big dynamic music, EW9 is not as unsuitable as W1000 because of similar headphones. Performance under big dynamics is not necessarily better than EW9. EW9 can easily make the level of sound performance clear and clean, and the transient control is of a high standard. Although its style will be obviously lighter, the details will perform better.
As a headset that has been discontinued for many years, it is still on sale, and we are not aware of the reasons for the channel or manufacturer. However, as the price of around 1,000 yuan, it seems that there is still some obvious high, perhaps EW9 is still a more suitable headset for collection.