Audio-Technica ATH-R70xa receives TEC Award Recognition at NAMM 2026

30 January 2026
|In News, Partner News
|By Audio Media International

Audio-Technica’s ATH-R70xa open-back reference headphones have been honoured with a Technical Excellence and Creativity Award in the Headphone and Earpiece Technology category at the 41st Annual TEC Awards, presented during the 2026 NAMM Show in Anaheim, California.

The TEC Awards are widely regarded as one of the professional audio industry’s most respected accolades, celebrating innovation and achievement across recording, live sound, broadcast, film, gaming and emerging audio technologies. Winners are selected by a panel of industry professionals drawn from leading audio organisations, trade bodies and specialist media.

Presented on Thursday 22 January, the award recognises the ATH-R70xa as a flagship reference headphone designed for critical listening applications, including mixing, mastering and immersive audio production. Judges cited the model’s accuracy, clarity and overall engineering quality as defining factors in its selection.

Audio-Technica described the ATH-R70xa as the result of a company-wide development effort focused on delivering transparent, reliable monitoring for audio professionals. The headphones are intended to provide an uncoloured listening experience that supports confident decision-making in demanding production environments.

Kurt Van Scoy, Vice President of Products, Business Alliances and Marketing at Audio-Technica, said the award reflected the dedication of the company’s engineering and design teams. He noted that the ATH-R70xa was developed with direct input from professional users and that industry response since launch had been overwhelmingly positive.

Building on the legacy of the original ATH-R70x, the ATH-R70xa introduces a fully open-back design intended to improve airflow and reduce acoustic interference. By eliminating internal cavities, the design allows the driver diaphragm to perform more directly, contributing to lower distortion and improved transient response.

The headphones offer a wide frequency response from 5 Hz to 40 kHz, supporting detailed reproduction of both low-level information and high-frequency content. This makes them suitable for modern production workflows that demand accuracy across stereo, surround and immersive formats.

Audio-Technica has positioned the ATH-R70xa as a reference tool rather than a character headphone, with particular emphasis on imaging, balance and spatial detail. These qualities are increasingly important as immersive audio and high-resolution delivery formats become more widely adopted across music, broadcast and post-production.

Comfort was also a key consideration during development. The ATH-R70xa incorporates lightweight materials and an ergonomic headband system designed to reduce fatigue during extended listening sessions, a critical factor for engineers and producers working long hours in studio or broadcast settings.

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