Uploaded March 2026 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago

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Thanks to Audio Technica for sending the R30x for review!

Buy from Audio46 (affiliate link): audio46.com/products/audio-technica-ath-r30x-professional-open-back-reference-headphones?ref=reviewsbywavetheory
Buy from Amazon (affiliate link - and $120 for some reason): amzn.to/46W17Jt

Test Gear…

All music would have been lossless or hi-rez FLAC or DSD files played locally, or in the case of some FLAC, streamed from Qobuz. In all desktop applications files were played through Roon. In DAP situations, files were played from microSD storage.

Chain 1...

Apple iPad (10th Gen) USB C into FiiO QX13 (youtu.be/1ji-g8gbqxY)

Chain 2...

FiiO SR11 (youtu.be/YuagbK8p0FA) USB output into Schiit Mimir (youtu.be/JnT_3HpAHt0) or FiiO Warmer R2R DAC (youtu.be/7gL2kCq2KyY) into both Asgard X (youtu.be/n8H8SN3Rdf4) & Jotunheim 3 (youtu.be/GhLNMFzcr74)

Chain 3…

Sonore opticalRendu USB into Berkeley Alpha USB DDC (youtu.be/94AvDeeRjHA); AES into Berkeley Alpha S2 DAC (youtu.be/JY3c4HEyH0s); XLR into LTA Z10e amp (youtu.be/Bft6HUsYDhE)

My FiiO JT3 Review: youtu.be/_6vqmE3rXcY
My FiiO JT7 Review: youtu.be/96oGMZt5ius

Timestamps...

00:00 Intro, Pricing, Disclaimer
01:06 Shameless Self Promotion
01:34 About the R30x
04:25 Sound
09:55 Comparisons with FiiO JT3 & JT7
11:40 Final Thoughts