Audio-Technica ATH-IEX1 review: Bliss, but with wires

The flute is divine. The ghatam offers the right base along with the mridangam. All finding their place and blending into a superb medley as flaut J A Jayant’s rendition of Entharo Mahanubavulu hits a crescendo. Getting this right for purs is something not all earphones can do and that’s why many will turn to trusted brands like Audio-Technica when it comes to more serious music. The ATH-IEX1 is meant just for discerning audiophiles.
The moment you hold the ATH-IEX1 in-ear headphones in your hand you know these are different. They are way heavier than earphones this size usually are. There is also a lot more metal here. From the chassis of the earphones to the audio connectors,  this is one solid piece of work.
There is also a lot more metal in the Audio Technica ATH-IEX1, which also makes these earphones heavy. (Image Source: The Indian Express/ Nandagopal Rajan)
The design is not out of the box. The earphones comes around your ears with a loop and stay in place. But I doubt anyone will wear these to the gym, that is not the intention. At most you will wear it on a long haul flight or maybe on the metro, but then these are wired headphones which are a bit out of place these days since not many phones offer a 3.5mm jack.
But then the sort of people who will buy these maybe still carry an old iPod with FLAC files loaded in them or have their own portable Hi-Fi music player. These are perfect for lounge sessions at home and even after a few playls these won’t tire you out.

For me, the struggle was to find a source to play the music from. I finally settled on the MacBook Pro. Settling down for early morning work with a cup of stiff black coffee in my corner of the sofa, the ATH-IEX1 became the perfect music companion for a few days. But the wires keep reminding you of the convenience we are so used to with TWS in recent times. I suppose that is a cost to pay for the pleasure of lossless music.
Even as the wires hold you back from taking the ATH-IEX1 everywhere, Shawn Mendes will rather have you lening to There’s nothing holding me back on these than on any other wireless equipment. Lening to the opening notes of Tears in heaven, you can almost see Eric Clapton’s fingers on the strings. And as he sings you realise how balanced these earphones are. There is no need to look for an equaliser. Everything is where it should be, no heavy bass, no extra sharp swings in the middle of a song. Everything is so balanced.

The ATH-IEX1 achieves this natural sound signature thanks to its dual phase drivers — the 9.8 mm is a full-range driver while the 8.8 mm is more of a passive radiator for boosting the lower frequencies. These two working in tandem offer a balanced sound profile that is unique in many ways.
The ATH-IEX1 achieves a balanced, natural sound signature thanks to its dual phase drivers. (Image Source: The Indian Express/ Nandagopal Rajan)
And when Mark Knopfler sings What a wonderful world mixing his baritone with that English accent, you know this has been a good investment. And as your mind wanders to what you paid for this musical bliss, Chris Botti’s trumpet kicks in as if to soothe your nerves and reassure you this has been well worth it.
At Rs 1,83,195, the ATH-IEX1 are not earphones that you will pick up at the airport, or order online. These will be a thought through investment for those who are really passionate about their music. And gradually, song after song, they will realise it has been worth it.