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A few months ago I acquired a pair of Beyerdynamics DT770 headphones. Since then I used them everyday at work to isolate myself into my little private bubble of serenity. Sure, I missed many episodes of office entertainment. People who wear headphones with less isolation remove then when people start screaming at each other so then can enjoy the show; with the DT770, I don't even notice that something is going on.

After a few months of using high quality headphones, I started to wonder how much of an upgrade I would get by switching to a more expensive pair. There is virtually no limit to the amount of money that one can spend on a pair of headphones. Either there is something to gain at every price bracket or it's just a status symbol. Considering that Skull Candy produces headphones that are a lot more sexy and a lot more affordable than DT-48, it seems safe to assume that the status symbol is not that important, though I will not pretend that it's not what many are looking for.

After asking for recommendations on my favorite headphones forum, ended up ordering a pair of Audio-Technica ATH-ESW9, which features features wooden closed cups. When they arrived, I was surprised by their small size. Somehow I was expecting something bigger. How could anything that small sound any good? Oh man, as soon as I put them on, I knew that I had reached a completely new level. Most of my collection is OGG and MP3; it was pure luck that the first thing that I listened to was a flac: Money by Pink Floyd. The sound was so clean, the bass was extremely deep and present but not over powering, the cymbals that are usually faded in the background were perfectly sharp, just a bit farther on my right, and the sax had this incredibly metallic tone like I had never heard before.

Compared to the DT770, the ATH-ESW9 is not as efficient at isolating: they properly filter some of the ambient noise but they would not be enough to prevent me from noticing that people are screaming at each other just a few desks away from me. They are also not as comfortable; after a three hour listening session, my ears were getting sore. The DT-770 sit on the head, not on the ears, which is one of the reason why they are so comfortable. However, the ATH-ESW9 are a lot more portable and they don't require amplification; they are perfect for walking around or for the metro. And when it comes to the sound, the ATH-ESW9 are much better. What exactly is better? Well, I need to learn more audiophile jargon and I will probably need a weekend of intense listening with both pairs to be able to describe it properly. This is the subject of another post. In the mean time, don't hold your breath, just go and get expensive headphones from a recommendable brand, you won't regret it.