Over-Ear
Audio-Technica A990z
68Good
Price n/a
Full review dataAudio-Technica A990z vs Sennheiser HE-1: which should you buy?
On aggregated review scores the Sennheiser HE-1 comes out ahead with an HearWiki score of 95. The full breakdown - sub-scores, specs and what reviewers actually said - is below.
Our pick: Sennheiser HE-1 - Outstanding overall at around $50000.
Over-Ear
Sennheiser HE-1
95Outstanding
$50,000
Full review dataScore breakdown
Each axis is a 0–10 blend of what reviewers scored, not a lab measurement.
Audio-Technica A990z
Sound7.0
Value6.0
Sennheiser HE-1
Sound10.0
Value1.0
Specifications
| Spec | Audio-Technica A990z | Sennheiser HE-1 |
|---|---|---|
| Type | Over-Ear | Over-Ear |
| Price (USD) | - | $50,000 |
| HearWiki score | 68 / 100 · Good | 95 / 100 · Outstanding |
| Released | - | 2016 |
| Audio | ||
| Driver | dynamic | Electrostatic |
| Driver size | 53 mm | 2.4 mm |
| Drivers per side | 1 | 2 |
| Frequency response | 5Hz-42kHz | 8Hz-80kHz (-3dB), 4Hz-100kHz (-10dB) |
| Sound signature | - | Harman neutral |
| Impedance | 44 Ω | - |
| Sensitivity | 100 dB/mW | 114 dB/mW |
| Wireless | ||
| Multipoint pairing | No | - |
| Features | ||
| Active noise cancelling | No | - |
| ANC type | - | none |
| Controls | buttons | - |
| Design | ||
| Weight | 330 g | 550 g |
| USB-C | No | Yes |
What reviewers said
Audio-Technica A990z
The Audio-Technica A990Z is a closed-back, over-ear headphone that prioritizes home listening and light mixing over portability, offering a spacious and detailed sound with low fatigue. Its tuning is polarizing, however, with some praising its clarity while others find it too bright and bass-heavy, and it's best suited for stationary use given its wired design and lack of travel-friendly features.
- Pro:Spacious, detailed soundstage for a closed-back design
- Pro:Very comfortable for long listening sessions
- Pro:Strong passive isolation from ambient noise
- Con:Bright and bass-heavy tuning that may not suit all music genres
- Con:Not portable or travel-friendly due to wired-only design
- Con:Imaging can be imprecise in some listening scenarios
Sennheiser HE-1
The Sennheiser HE-1 is an ultra-premium electrostatic headphone system that delivers an exceptionally transparent and balanced sound, closely matching the Harman target curve. It combines a featherweight electrostatic driver design with a massive frequency extension, offering a level of detail and airiness that is virtually unmatched in the realm of personal audio. While its astronomical price places it in a category of its own, its technical performance sets a benchmark for neutrality and resolution.
- Pro:Reference-grade tonal accuracy with near-perfect Harman neutrality
- Pro:Exceptional transient speed and micro-detail retrieval
- Pro:Impressively wide frequency response extending beyond human hearing
- Con:Extremely high cost limits accessibility
- Con:Requires dedicated amplifier and DAC, adding setup complexity
- Con:Heavier than average at 550g, potentially affecting long-term comfort
Summaries are AI-condensed and paraphrased from published reviews and specs - not original hands-on testing. More on our method.
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