Audio Technica came out with a new line of entry level headphones that offer superb sound quality, great design, and not that bad in price. The most affordable is the SJ11 followed by the SJ33 and finally the SJ55. For this entry we’ll focus more on the Audio Technica SJ55. I was able to audition this myself in Astrovision and I must say that it’s one of the best headphones I’ve ever tried under Php5,000. In fact, I actually prefer this one to the Marshall Majors that I bought last month.
The SJ55 has a deeper and punchy bass (but not as powerful as other higher end cans) combined with good treble. If your into jazz, pop, and even rock these cans would be perfect especially if you’re budget is just around the Php3,500 level. The highs and mids are crispy though so that’s definitely a huge bonus. This is actually what sets it apart from the SJ33. Anyway, it’s pretty hard to explain sound with text so don’t just take my word for it. SJ55’s are on display in most Astrovision stores so I urge you guys to compare the sound quality you get from it compared to your earphones. You will notice the difference and you probably will find it really hard to settle for your Apple earbuds again, hehe.
In terms of portability, the SJ55 is definitely not as easy to store as the SJ11 but personally I’d rather go for this one (over the SJ11) because of the difference in sound quality. Let me also just say that the SJ55’s are very comfortable to wear and you can last a couple of hours with them on before your ears get fatigued.
The Audio Technica SJ55 SRP is Php3,499. Comes in either black or white.
If you want more information about the SJ line, check out this review from Headfonia.