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Review: Audio-Technica ATH-AP2000Ti over-ear headphones

January 28, 2022
Review: Audio-Technica ATH-AP2000Ti over-ear headphones offers us with this model an option a little different from the usual in high ranges.

This article is a review of newly launched Audio-Technica ATH-AP2000Ti over-ear headphones.

Audio-Technica ATH-AP2000Ti: Introduction

We are back again with a new model from the Japanese classic giant. Audio-Technica has let us try another of its high-end headphones, although this time with a different concept.

The Audio-Technica ATH-AP2000Ti is a high-end, closed-back headphone, but small enough to be considered portable, yet flexible in amplification to allow use from virtually any source.

We have talked on several occasions about the conditions that any portable headphone should have, namely: small size, isolation, ease of amplification and versatile tonal character with any recording. This model meets all these requirements, but due to its construction quality and its technical capacity it is located in a higher market segment than usual. We could almost say that it is a top.

In general, when we talk about high-end headphones we have become accustomed to them being stationary. Over time, it is true, at least the aspect of the requirement with amplification has been changing, and we already know different models that, being top of the range technically, are easy to move from any source. Examples such as the AKG K812 , or the Focal Clear are a clear testimony of what we are talking about. For example, the ATH ADX-5000 , recently tested in this magazine, and being an absolute flagship , is also an example of how the most recent models are much less demanding with amplification than those of a couple of years ago.

In this case, in addition, there is the issue of insulation and size. Audio-Technica has found a very fine and subtle balance between all these aspects, and offers us a headphone with high-end technical capacity and a well-studied physical format to be able to respond to very different uses. The aficionado can find here an unexpected option in versatility and elegance, which I am not sure I have found in any other brand so far. I do know of some proposals from other brands that come close to this, but when they are of their size they do not reach their technical capacity, and vice versa. That is why I place special emphasis on that balance that is so difficult to achieve.

Let’s see together if this proposal also meets the elementary requirements of any self-respecting audio fan and, why not, be demanding.

Technical characteristics of Audio-Technica ATH-AP2000Ti

  • Closed Hi-Res Headphones
  • 53mm large-aperture transducers with permendur magnetic circuit
  • Core Mount technology with efficient airflow
  • Diamond Carbon Diaphragms for Full Range Sound
  • Rigid pure titanium housings reduce unwanted resonance
  • Soft, durable leather cushions for superior comfort
  • Individual identification via laser-engraved serial number
  • Type Dynamic, closed design
  • Transducer diameter 53 mm
  • Frequency Response 5-50,000 Hz
  • Sensitivity 100dB/MW
  • Impedance 44 ohms
  • Weight 300g
  • Cable Three detachable cables with Audio Designed Detachable Coaxial (A2DC) connectors included with the headphones in the following configuration: 1.2 m cable with a 3.5 mm 3-pole stereo mini plug; 3.0 m cable with a 3.5 mm 3-pole stereo mini plug; 1.2 m cable with a 4.4 mm 5-pole stereo mini plug
  • Included Accessories • 6.3mm stereo adapter and cleaning cloth
  • carrying case

Material quality of Audio-Technica ATH-AP2000Ti

We have received the headset for testing in a plain cardboard box for shipping packaging.  Inside we find the box of the headset itself, which is logically more careful. It is a rigid cardboard box, with a small and thin white cardboard that covers it externally and that acts as a poster of the model for a shop window. The box is of good quality, all in black once the outer cardboard has been removed, there are no exaggerated boasts, but it is rigidly constructed and will serve to store the headset with its case if it is not going to be used for a long period of time.

Inside we find the cover, which is made of a synthetic leather material, rigid and of a surprisingly small size. This gives us the first clue about the versatile character of the model. Nothing to do with the box of the top model, the ADX-5000 that we tested not long ago, with a huge case to store it. The headset and its accessories, consisting of three different sets of cables, 1.2 and 3 m, are conveniently protected in this case. with a 3.5mm stereo mini plug. and 3 poles and 1.2 m cable. with a 4.4mm balanced mini plug. and 5 poles

 

 

For the test we have only had the 3-meter cable, with a 6.35 mm adaptation jack. The cables are of good quality in the connections, being A2DC (Audio Designed Detachable Coaxial) type to the headphone cup, and they are flexible and light to use.

The headset shows exemplary material quality, a level to which the brand has accustomed us in its high-end models. All the design details are taken care of with care: shapes, textures and materials well chosen to equally fulfill their practical and aesthetic function. Other sections may or may not be to the taste of the fan of this brand, but in terms of construction quality I find it difficult to object.

The headset cups are titanium, no more, no less. It is a material that has been chosen for its rigidity and resistance rather than for its aesthetics. It is a choice, according to what the brand tells us, related to the reduction of internal resonances. In addition to the material, the headphone has a double air damping (DADS) patented by Audio-Technica, which makes it possible for the sound to maintain its naturalness despite being produced in a closed room, something always very problematic in headphone design.

The pads are made of natural leather, and have a very comfortable balance in their firmness, being soft in contact with the skin, but showing a good hold of the headset on the head. This is helped by the headband, made of plastic material and a metallic internal structure, all covered in natural leather as well. It is neither too thin nor too wide.

In all these design and construction details we constantly find that balance between quality, functionality and small size that makes this headset such a special model. 

Once placed they are very comfortable. The passive isolation is effective, and allows its use in varied environments. It isolates the outside sound and also manages to contain the sound it produces, so there will be no problem listening to it even in a library at a reasonable volume. It is circumaural in nature, but both the headband and the cups, as we have already explained, have a small and discreet size, which allows it to be used without problems as a portable headset.

The final result is, in terms of construction, that of a top-of-the-range headset that also allows its use as a portable. We will be able to use it without any problem at home as a high level stationary together with equipment at its height and at the same time have a multipurpose headset for any circumstance. It is true that the market has headphones specifically designed for portable use that are surely more appropriate (it is not always advisable to move a headphone of this price), but the truth is that this model allows a much broader use than the current models of its same technical level, and it is a very interesting option for those who prefer to have a single quality headset rather than several for different uses.

Sound of Audio

I have previously known different closed Audio-Technica models , with very different results, but with some common points. In most cases, the sound tended to be light in body, with good articulation and resolution and a particular timbre characteristic of the brand that focuses mainly on the mid and high range. In general, and with the exception of the ATH-W1000X , which has more body and a different profile (I especially liked it at the time), this is the sound style of the brand in its high-end closed models.

When faced with the analysis of a headset of a closed nature, we always have, from experience, a cautious attitude. We know how complicated it is to solve the problem of internal resonances in a closed enclosure, and we assume that these headphones should be considered in a separate category, avoiding comparisons with open models in their market sector, which generally achieve better results.

The Audio-Technica ATH-AP2000Ti naturally faces this same problem of resonances, and I think I can say that it has solved it differently than its predecessor models. I do not find the characteristic sound of the brand that I have referred to earlier. In this case, the sound is balanced as a whole, and it does not lack body in the bass, but neither does it change the profile radically as the W 1000X did at the time. It achieves a very balanced balance as a whole, with a well-present and punchy bass, a smooth and transparent mid-range and a good extension in the upper area without it being as preponderant as on other occasions. 

Curiously, it reminds me of the profile of the ATH-M50xBT , but with a tremendously superior technical capacity. It is something that has positively surprised me, since due to my personal tastes I tend to value more a sound profile with a touch of body and warmth. I can’t say that this model is warm as a whole, but within a natural and transparent set, the bass surprises with its natural presence and quality at all times.

 

The midrange, and especially the mid-bass, are presented more smoothly. This is where we have that transparency that is evident in the set, and the headset shows great resolution capacity, showing the music with a high level of detail, and making it clear that its technical capacity will always be present. It solves passages with a lot of information very well without any problem, and makes it possible to use it in a wide variety of musical styles as long as the recording supports it.

High frequencies are also present, and their resolution is adequate. We are not going to reach here the tremendous level of its older brother, the ATH ADX-5000, which really dissected any recording, but we will have the logical resolution of its range. I do not find it aggressive at any time, and the rather transparent result to which I refer is due more to the mid-range than to the high-end. This is important for those who suffer with analytical headphones: this ATH maintains a better balanced balance.

Regarding his tolerance with the recordings, I must say that he is demanding. It does not become intolerant with bad recordings, but it will leave them a bit in evidence. This seems somewhat contradictory with its font versatility and almost semi-portable design, but I think it’s unavoidable when you get to a certain technical level.

As for amplification, I have been able to test it on very different equipment. In all cases, the earphone has shown practically one hundred percent of its performance, so I do not find it necessary to recommend a specific amplification for its technical capacity. I do admit, however, that I liked the headphone more combined with amplifiers with a warm tonal profile, which provide a little more body to the mid-bass and bass. In this specific case, the one that has allowed me to enjoy it the most is the Musical Fidelity MX-HPA . It also seemed to me that it sounds round connected to an iPad , for example, although obviously we won’t find that extra body here that I liked so much with Musical Fidelity .

Audio-Technica has designed a very complete headphone in every way, and in the same way that it has sought a balance in its constructive design between a top-of-the-range headphone and a portable one, in the sound it has also sought that balance between technical capacity and the possibility of a varied use. And we find that both in its tonal balance and in its ease of being attacked from practically any source or amplification. 

Conclusion Audio-Technica ATH-AP2000Ti

Audio-Technica offers us with this model an option a little different from the usual in high ranges. The Audio-Technica ATH-AP2000Ti  is a model that, due to its technical capacity, easily competes with the most capable stationary headphones, but due to its design, it allows us a much more portable use than what we usually find in its sector.

Closed in nature, it solves any internal resonance problems remarkably well, and offers very efficient isolation. Its ease of movement with respect to amplification and a balanced sound profile allow us to enjoy it with simple sources such as laptops, tablets or mobile phones, offering them an extraordinary technical result. 

With a balanced tonal profile, with a certain tendency towards transparency, but without a lack of body in the bass, it is also versatile with different musical styles. I find it highly recommended, therefore, for the enthusiast who wants to have a high-quality headphone that can be used for practically any use: from the enjoyment of audiophile listening to light listening to music videos on YouTube. As I said at the beginning, a different proposal within the high range.

Audio-Technica ATH-AP2000Ti – €1,349