Featuring a hybrid multidriver system, the ATH-IEX1 in-ear headphones deliver smooth, natural sound reproduction across the entire frequency range, with the capacity for reproducing Hi-Res Audio. Contained within the headphones’ solid titanium housings are dual phase drivers of different diameters (9.8 mm and 8.8 mm) plus two balanced armature drivers, positioned on a coaxial line. The 9.8 mm works as a full-range driver, while the 8.8 mm functions as a passive radiator to strengthen the lower frequency. Those two units face each other, their diaphragm movements syncing to minimize distortion and provide audio that is true to the original sound. The balanced armature drivers act like super tweeters to contribute accurate, high-frequency reproduction.
The elegant, ergonomic housings are crafted through a five-step process: They are cut from solid titanium, forged, machined using a precise CNC machining process, carefully hand-polished, and given an anodized finish. The result is lightweight, rigid housings that greatly reduce unwanted resonance for the highest sonic purity, and that fit comfortably and securely in the ear. The two-position eartip post on each housing allows for customized positioning of the eartip for an even better fit.
The headphones are equipped with A2DC (Audio Designed Detachable Coaxial) jacks to accommodate the two included 1.2 m (3.9') detachable cables. One is a star-quad cable with a standard 3.5 mm, 3-pole stereo mini-plug. The signal and ground wires are stranded separately for the left and right channels to suppress cross talk and isolate the signal from external noise. The second cable is equipped with a 4.4 mm, 5-pole balanced plug for use with high-resolution digital audio players and balanced-compatible headphone amplifiers. Both cables include a titanium plug sleeve to reduce unwanted vibration, and are designed to loop comfortably and securely over the ears.
The ATH-IEX1 headphones come with four sizes of interchangeable silicone eartips (XS/S/M/L), three sizes of Comply™ foam eartips (S/M/L), a cleaning cloth, and a hard carrying case. Each pair is individually identified by a laser-etched serial number.
About High-Resolution Audio
While many listeners may believe that high-resolution audio came along with the introduction of the Compact Disc in 1982, constraints on the disc’s storage space always prevented CD audio (standardized at 44.1 kHz/16-bit) from fully and completely reproducing the original recorded sound. The advent and subsequent popularity of MP3s only made this problem more pronounced – the necessary compression of these files causes audio information to be lost, thus greatly reducing the audio quality. But with lossless audio file formats, faster Internet speeds, and storage space increasingly easy to come by (and in ever-smaller packages), the push is on to create audio equipment capable of capturing and reproducing true Hi-Res Audio, generally considered to be 96 kHz/24-bit or better. The Hi-Res Audio logo certifies that a product meets the Hi-Res Audio standards. Per these standards, headphones must have transducer frequency performance to at least 40 kHz. As a producer of these types of audiophile headphones since 1972, Audio-Technica is well-positioned to provide audio solutions that meet the demands of Hi-Res Audio media formats, allowing for the full reproduction of their extended sonic characteristics.
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