The Updated Audio Technica R-Series Line-up: R70xa, R50x, and R30x Review

On January 23, 2025, Audio Technica announced three new headphones to their R-Series line-up of headphones. The original R70x will be replaced with the new R70xa ($350), while the R50x ($200) and R30x ($100) will be added as new entry-level options.

Fc-Construct gives us his thoughts of these three headphones in two reviews over at  The Headphone Show along with measurements and other comparisons. A brief bullet-point form summary of these reviews is provided below. 

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Audio Technica R70xa and R50x Intro

• The R70xa costs $350 while the R50x costs $200.

• The R70xa is fully made in Japan while the R50x is designed in North America and made in Taiwan. The final tunings for both were done by Audio Technica Japan.

• Both the R70xa and R50x use the 45 mm drivers found in the original R70x.

• The new R70xa suspension strap headband is unfortunately not very good. There's an uneven seal where the bottom has a bit of a gap. The clamp force is quite weak.

• The R50x rigid headband in contrast is quite good. I wish they used this design for the R70xa.

• The pads of these headphones are the same size as the original R70x. Meaning if you had fit issues with that, you'll have it here. But R70xa is not 100% identical to the R70x. There's minor differences for the tuning. The R50x uses different pads altogether, with a velour feel and really nice foam density.

• These headphones are very light. About 200g for the R70xa and 210g for the R50x.

R70xa Sound:

• There's a stereotype with Japanese headphones that they're tuned weird but really well for vocal performance. That is the R70xa.

• There's a sweetness to the vocals where it feels like it floats above the instruments. It's forward, but in a way that highlights rather than being shouty.

• The treble works extremely well for me. It’s a little on the bright side, but it shimmers with a tasteful amount of brilliance and sparkle. It’s lightly crisp and never overly sharp.

• The bass is punchy, though like many open-backs, it does roll-off in the subbass. There's enough quantity that it doesn't feel bass light, but it's certainly not a bass focused headphone by any means.

• There is a lower mids dip of around 200 Hz that contrasts the bass elevation. Because of this dip, vocals can sound thin in dialogue. I don't hear this much in music.

• Overall, I really quite like the R70xa. It's got its flaws, but it's one of those headphones you put on and there's something special about it.

R50x Sound:

• This is a bright headphone. The R70xa is neutral leaning bright, the R50x is just bright.

• Tuning wise, it's quite straight forward. It's a mild V-shape with plenty of upper mids clarity.

• There's more bass quantity and extension than the R70xa believe it or not. For a $200 open back, that is quite impressive.

• Bass quality is very similar to the R70xa in that it's punchy. There's more low end oomph because of the increased volume, but there isn't too much depth or physicality.

• The treble will likely be a dealbreaker. Cymbals can become overly splashy. The good news is that it's a broadband elevation so it's not one or two major peaks that really hurt. It's just lots of treble. I think if you can handle HiFiMan or Beyerdynamic, you can handle the R50x.

• The mid forward nature can come off as a bit shouty, and the mild V-shape can make it thin.

• For $200, I think if you're comfortable with EQ or can handle your treble, the R50x is a reasonable choice. Not many headphones have the openness the ATH R-series headphones have, nor the bass extension the R50x delivers. I can see it being particularly good for gamers given how light it is for comfort, and how forward it is in the sound.

R30x Intro:

• The R30x was released a couple of months after on Mar 26, 2025 for $100.

• It uses 40 mm drivers instead of the 45 mm drivers of the R70xa and R50x.

• The comfort is a cross between the R70xa and R50x. While it uses a similar suspension strap headband to the R70xa, the clamp force and fit is more like the R50x.

• The pads are the same size, though the fabric isn’t quite as nice. It’s light at 210 g.

R30x Sound:

• I find the R30x bass light, and leaning bright. Though not as bright as the R50x. However, on the frequency response graph, it’s the opposite - there’s a respectable bass hump and clear elevation in the treble, including a large 11 kHz peak.

• As such, this is a headphone that is likely to have quite a bit of head-to-head variation (HpTF variation). Your mileage might vary.

• Because it is bass light, I needed to turn up the volume a little more than usual to get the bass quantity I wanted, though still maintaining a comfortable loud.

• The midrange is good. It’s well-balanced with a little lift of energy for vocal clarity and presence.

• The treble is generally controlled, though there can be occasional harshness that appears on notes unexpectedly to throw off the timbre. However, it doesn’t ever become painful for me.

• Perceived technical performance is decent. Soundstage and imaging isn’t quite as good as the R70xa and R50x, but still sufficient. The biggest complaint is the fact that notes seem to lose a bit of focus on the R30x. In other words, it doesn’t sound as “hi-fi” as other more premium options.

• For $100, the R30x is a very competitive addition. It sounds good and there aren’t any major dealbreakers. The most important consideration is that there simply aren’t many other options at that price. However, I would not pay much more than that.