Audio Technica ATH-AD700 Open-air Dynamic Audiophile Headphones

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Yup, it's purple, and beige. It also has wings! Well those are for comfort; and homie, they are comfortable. However, if you do have a "smaller" head, your ears may touch the inner part where the driver is located. This can cause pain similar to a papercut after some time (maybe an hour). If you check my Head-Fi profile, there is a way that you can mod the phones so that the ears don't touch the driver offering the ultimate in comfort. It essentially takes a half-piece of earpad material and is applied to the upper sphere of the stock AD700 pads. This is a matter of simple physics in that it reduces the angle of the phones when worn. This also alleviates the lower-jaw pressure build that some may experience as well.

Nonetheless, when I received the Audio Technica AD700's, I chuckled a bit when I plugged it into my receiver for a movies/games test. I was thinking...these couldn't sound better than my Beyerdynamic DT770 pros, could they? LOL, yeah right.

The colorful alien from Japan just took a dump on my Beyers. Sold the Beyers.

Don't get me wrong, the Beyers are great phones, but the sound signature of the AD700's was EXACTLY what I was looking for. I'll explain how...

Highs The high notes have a perfect tone along with a high-definition accuracy that is only rivaled by my other favorites: the Audio Technica M50. They both are pristine and never harsh or grating to the delicate eardrum. The open-air design of the AD700's seem to extend the high notes a little more than the M50s. They have just a small extra dose of sparkle that is attached to the sublime high notes. FANTASTIC.

Mids In many other headphones, the mids sit in the back of the class. Chillin'. Right behind the highs and lows. WHY'S IT BACK THERE?! Not in the AD700's. It's in the front, side-by-side with the other ranges, and being just as vocal. Man, do vocals shine on this phone. Human voices sound every bit as real as they did in the Beyers, but it excels the Beyers though because the other notes in the mid-range have that same sweet tone as the highs do. Liquid, buttery, and satisfyingly delicious the forward-presenting mids are on these cans. EXCELLENT.

Lows It is in the same realm as the M50's. Textured, solid, and tightly controlled like a high security prison. It isn't as bumpin' though as the M50's, lacking the quantity but not skimping on quality. No big deal. Let the EQ be touched for extra bass, and the low notes all of sudden have been magnified. To deliver punishment. To your skull. NICE.

Soundstage I thought the DT770 pros had the finest soundstage. Once again, the AD700 soundscape is slightly bigger. To not lose credibility though, the DT770 pros have a closed design as opposed to these having a open design. However, the AD700's are still more expansive and engaging. The sound, whether it be movies/games or music, will feel like you have a 7.1 setup of the finest quality speakers. The soundstage has layers like the earth's crust, and is about as deep as the Grand Canyon. Notes have positions as if they're in the military. Needless to say, movies and games are an absolute blast through these cans (Modern Warfare 3 can bring it). SICK.

Detail Retrieval The AD700's can retrieve notes better than your dog can fetch tennis balls. Nearly every last drop of sound from the greatest to the most minuscule is delivered to your inner ear in first class. Hi-Def audio has never sounded so exquisite. UNBELIEVABLE.

Value They're as comfortable as the DT770 pros, but sound better. Plus they are far less when it comes time to pullin' out the wallet. Snatch some up and you won't be let down. These are without a doubt, one of the best open air headphones out there.

Audio Technica AD700's = Bizarre looks, extraordinary sound.

Max Sound Level before distorting 109db

*After much research and personal experience with Audio Technica headphone products, all need at least 40hrs of burn-in time to reach full potential. This allows the drivers to vibrate more freely and broadens every range of the sound that comes through it. This is no lie, the headphones WILL sound more pristine the more you jam to them. Don't mean to sound corny, but I guarantee it.

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I am considering this to be a layman's review. I know this is long but I feel there are several things that are, quite frankly, scary about getting into the world of "hi-fi" headphones. I have never owned a pair of headphones that cost more than 20 bucks and have been quite content for my 21 years of life to do so. Someone who looks for the audiophile in their headphones won't get much from me because honestly I don't know enough. This is also not a gaming review, as I've heard many people look at these for playing Counter Strike or the like. More on that later but I'm making this review from a music listening standpoint. This review is for the person who thinks a 15 dollar pair of generic Sony's sounds just fine.

As I start writing this review, I've had these headphones on for about an hour. These were brand new out of the box. The very first thing I noticed when I actually opened the box and had them in my hands was "wow, besides the size and the fact that I just paid 90 bucks for something to wear on my head, these are impressively unimpressive." I read many, many review that held this on a pedestal and I was half expecting trumpets when I opened the box. It took a week and a half from the time I ordered them to when I got them today since I choose super saver shipping. I knew it would take a while to get here but the biggest problem was that during that time, I looked at every review I could find. I looked around for about 3 hours before I bought these and then bought them because they seemed pretty good and I'm not the type to stress over a purchase like this.

While I was waiting, I got honestly afraid that I had made a bad choice. It seemed like the good things could be great but if you hadn't already tried these out in person, if you didn't like something, they were no better than a paper weight. The lack of bass, will it move around or fall off, is my head several inches too small to be in the same room as these, do I need an amp, do these leak sound like water in a pasta strainer, and PURPLE. I even thought about canceling the order and just taking a trip to Wal-Mart. I'm glad I didn't. Here's why:

THE BAD (or so I've heard)

-The lack of bass. I think this was the most common issue I heard on any site. I've heard that there is no bass at all and I've heard that it is there but it is controlled. I am with the latter camp. The very first thing I did when I had them on was put on some dance music. I was worried that half the notes would get lost somewhere between my iPod and speakers. And then... there they were. My head was in no way being knocked around from the bass thump, but I could clearly hear the notes. That was the first big difference I noticed between these headphones and the apple ones that came with my last iPod. My iPod headphone had one bass note then another bass note and over and over without much change. With the 700's I can clearly hear each bass note for what it is and each note is given its turn to be in the spotlight short though it may be. If you want headphones that may fracture your skull, go elsewhere. These headphones play each bass note like a note, not a jackhammer. I've heard that using the bass booster in the EQ will add bass. Yep, it does. It also makes the music terrible. This could be because I just got them and they haven't been broken in yet, but it gave the song a really muddy sound. The bass seemed to just rattle and not actually make music while the anything higher than a bass drum retreated. The bass is fine as it is.

-The Size. These are big. This is the second biggest issue I saw. If you are still growing, these probably wont be a great fit. I can bop my head around a good bit without trouble and walking isn't a big deal. They do shift a bit and they do feel like they could slip off. They shift because they aren't clamped down on my head like a vice which makes them comfortable. The feeling that they could slip off is more mental. My ears fit quite nicely in the hole in the middle of the pads and so long as I don't whip my head from one side to the other, they stay on fine. They feel lighter than it seems they should for their size which doesn't help but so long as you don't go running with them, they should be fine. Their size also makes them not portable without some effort. They have a long cord and they don't fold up. If you are just going to use these at a desk, not a problem, but you will have to work around the headphones a bit to make them you primary pair for going from place to place. Not impossible but a challenge.

-The amp. "I've heard some headphones need an amp to sound good. Do I need to buy one for these?" No. These work just fine on their own. If you have an iPod, there's already one in there. It probably wouldn't hurt to buy an amp specifically to use with your headphones but mine sound fine out of my iPod.

-Sound leakage. These were not designed to block out noise of any sort. They are an open design and NOT noise canceling. I had a normal conversation with these on while a song was playing and I could hear both perfectly well. If you have the volume at a reasonable level, you can hear everything that goes on around you. I can hear the click of each key as I type this and I'm just slightly below half volume on my iPod. This works both ways. If you have this up in a quiet environment, other people can hear what you are listening too. If you keep it at a moderate level and there is some background noise, you could listen to these in a library.

PURPLE! Yes, they have purple mesh. Yes, you will look like you have part of a space helmet on your head. The purple really doesn't look all that bad. I think that it looks nice and classy and fits. It looks overwhelming in the pictures but unless someone has a deep hatred of purple, you might actually have people telling you they like it. Worse comes to worse, buy a sharpie of any color your little heart desires and go wild. That being said, prepare to have all respect for your fashion sense lost in the eyes of anyone who sees these on your head and to possibly be called some not so nice things. You will look like a goofball wearing these. As I said earlier, they are huge. They nearly double the size of my head. The cups are thick and the wings will mess up your hair. While the purple isn't really noticeable, everything else is. I don't really care because of all the good things I'm going to mention shortly make up for looking like a spaceman.

THE GOOD

Here's why you will want to buy these. Now.

-The Sound. Brilliant. The bass is clear and each note is present. The midrange and vocals ring and sound natural and the way they are meant to. The highs aren't a struggle for these headphones to reach. The entire range is clearly there and yet no one section is more important than any other. It sounds like you are in each instrument. In an orchestra, instead of the entire group being one giant collaboration of musicians, you can hear each section individually. On a high quality recording, you can almost hear every instrument being played. A lot of reviews say that you can hear subtle parts of song that you've never heard before in songs you memorized a hundred listens ago. This is true. Since the entire range is present you hear parts of the song that on other, lower quality headphones are covered up by either vocals or another section of the range. Each sound gets its own place instead of just blurring everything together. On the other side, it still retains the flow of the over all piece. Each part fits into a constantly building puzzle.

-Construction. Despite looking strange, they are built very solidly. Nothing feels flimsy or like it would break quickly from normal use. I haven't had these very long so I can't say how long they will last but I'm not worried they are going to snap in two if I set them down too hard. The cord is very nice and doesn't go anywhere near your face like some others do. It also doesn't feel like its going to pull out of the cup like some cheap earbuds do. The wire only goes into the left side and uses the spring on top to power the right cup.

Comfort. The highest quality thing about these. I'm not used to things this big being on my head for long periods so I'm having to do a bit of fidgeting with them to get then right but I've felt no pain since I first put them on. The cup and padding design angle the speaker so the face is pointed more towards your ear with an empty space for your ear to rest comfortably. The wings on top are barely noticeably unless you think about them but they keep the pads off the top of your ears. The pads themselves are very soft and don't hold heat. These are the least noticeable headphone I have ever worn so long as I don't think about them and just listen to the music which is the point .

Soundstage. Another biggie that people talk about. You can tell different noises a part. This is part of why the sound is so good. I'm not a big gamer so I can't mention anything there but on a capella track that have used multiple microphones for recording, I can hear where each person is standing. One of its best features without a doubt.

I highly recommend this for someone who wants to buy a set of quality headphones but doesn't have much interest in learning all the fancy jargon that comes with the audiophile community. There is a noticeable difference between some cheap earbuds and these fantastic pillows with speakers. If you can try a pair, do. They wont play a brand new song but what you do hear is improved.

Buy Audio Technica ATH-AD700 Open-air Dynamic Audiophile Headphones Now

I recently just recieved these pairs of headphones after a couple weeks of research. After truly starting to get into music and trying to get the most out of my cd's (without putting up a loan) I started looking within the 100-200 price range. I stumbled upon 3 major choices: ATH AD-700, Sennheiser HD-555 and Sennheiser HD-595.

First, price was a big issue for me....

I didnt want to spend too high on the headphones, and the HD-595's were quite expensive, but I went to my local audio store and really felt that the 595's put up an overall better sound than the 555's. The soundstage was also amazing for both, but again, the 595's were superior.

The Audio Technicas however, was compared first to the 555's and I already amazed by the difference. They achieved far better tone in each note, and was able to go much "higher" and "lower" than the 555's making the Sennheisers almost seem flat. When compared to the 595's, it was definitely more difficult to distinguish a difference, but the tones were still clearer in the ATH's, but the 595's seemed to have a slightly better soundstage, and a rich, ringy sound vs the clearness of the ATH's. Because I listen to classical, jazz, rock, and a moderate dash of techno once in a while, I thought that the 595's would probably sound better with the rich, full sounds of classical and jazz, but fare far worse against the 700's in rock.

After again looking at the price, I decided on the ATH's

The 595's howerver, did look slightly better and may have felt more comfortable. The ATH's didnt feel quite as secure, but it seems to be doing alright up till this point.

A highly reccomended buy.

-Kevin-

Read Best Reviews of Audio Technica ATH-AD700 Open-air Dynamic Audiophile Headphones Here

First thing's first: I Am Not an Audiophile. I thought I was, for a while. After all, I am extremely sensitive to muffled or muddy noise, lost frequencies, closed-in soundstages, and all that (lack of) jazz. So this time, after tugging the wires out of another mid-range gaming headset through sheer overuse, I thought, "Well, since I have the money this time, how about I buy a set of GOOD headphones?" I did an embarrassing amount of misguided research work and narrowed it down to two pairs in my comfort price range: the Sennheiser HD 555s or these. In the end I opted for the ATH-AD700s as they seemed to have a slight edge when it comes to gaming (spotted the trend yet?).

So, first thing's first: these are easily the best sounding headphones I have ever worn in my life, at least for music. This may be due to my relative inexperience, but there's simply a world of difference between these and "a pair of headphones." Or these and "a pair of high-end Sony headphones" for that matter. Simply put, it's the difference between listening to a recording and almost being in the studio. There's almost no comparison.

BUT and this is where the product gets two stars BUT, they can only sound that fantastic when they're actually on. And therein lies the problem: They do not. stay. on my head. No matter what I do.

This is something that a lot of other reviewers mention only in passing. The ATH-AD700s are "not for people with small heads." I'd like to take that a step further and say that they're ONLY for people with LARGE heads. My head is "merely" average sized and it simply does not have the girth to fill out this pair's massive volume. If I don't keep my head perfectly balanced they will inevitably shift and begin their trek over my ears and straight to the ground. After a few minutes of this, plus the bulky weight of the things, wonderful tingling feelings start to develop in my neck muscles. This is NOT comfortable, especially for someone who moves and squirms a lot with daily use.

I've tried a few of the remedies offered for this not-at-all isolated issue, such as attempting to permanently bend the wires holding the cans together into a more compatible shape, but it doesn't help. Thanks to the wing design, that just ends up pulling them UP and off my head, and they're still heavy and slippery. After draining my admittedly low reserves of patience I passed them on to a large-headed, hard-of-hearing music lover who greatly appreciated being able to blast them and still get all the details.

So let's get a few things straight. I don't think these are really "bad", per se. They sound every bit as good as They say, and They know what They are talking about... They say. But I have to write this review, and I can't in good conscience give more than two stars along with it, because I really DON'T like them. I get a little rancorous when I see people recommend these without qualification, because in my view you HAVE to meet two very strict prerequisites:

1) You MUST have a head big enough to fit into them. If you're not sure that you do, then you probably don't. I cannot overemphasize how absurdly oversized they are if there's a larger set of headphones in this world that aren't bass-cannons, then I never want to be made aware of them.

2) You must be an actual audiophile. Not a wannabe audiophile. I've learned this lesson the expensive way. You have to dig music first, above all other concerns, because if it's secondary to any other function of your sound system then you're barking up the wrong tree. As a gamer I want most of all to be able to pinpoint the exact location of a virtual footstep or gunshot, and that is not what these are for. The range is wide enough to cover most bass, but really centered for higher-pitched melodies, and there's no real concept of front-to-back separation. Nor are these headphones ideal for watching movies or listening to podcasts or chatting on Skype. Every pair of headphones or headset you buy will be built with a purpose in mind. These are built for listening to hi-fidelity music in stereo, and they are very, very good specifically at what they're built for.

In short: the ATH-AD700 headphones are not for me and they may very well not be for you. If they are, then consider this one more voice among thousands telling you to experience them for yourself. But if they're not, then I urge you to take a moment to drown out all the me-toos and ask yourself what YOU really want.

If this review convinces you of anything, it should convince you that you can't just trust reviews.

Want Audio Technica ATH-AD700 Open-air Dynamic Audiophile Headphones Discount?

These are very comfortable. The headphones are big. They fit completely over the ears rather than on the ears. They earpads are made of a soft fabric that feels like velour. The frame of the headphone is a magnesium alloy and the outside of the earcup is aluminum. The wires to the individual earcup appear to be hidden inside the frame of the headphones. I think it makes it less likely that they will somehow be pulled, stretched to cause a short. I mention this because I have read in a number of customer reviews that after a short period of time, one side of the headphones shorts out. Perhaps this will be less likely. These headphones like most of the Audio-Technica headphones currently being marketed have these "wings" that A-T designed to give you the feeling that the headphones float on your head. The phones fit very lightly and are very comfortable. What I cannot say is whether the "wings" will be fragile if dropped. They look as though they might be fragile. Only time will tell.

The sound of the headphones is excellent and probably closer to nuetral than many of the other headphones that I have. These phones provide for excellent separation and clarity of sound. It is not clinical sounding,but really very precise. I have the current top end models of headphones for practically all the major headphone manufacturors so that I can make some valid comparisons. The midrange is beautiful, the highs are very good, and the bass is clear and tight, but not really punchy. They are neutral sounding. For some, the bass might not be enough. Occasionally, I have thought the phones could use a little more bass which will be assisted by a headphone amplifier. The battery or AC driven Airhead amplifier is reasonably priced and small enough to fit in a large shirt pocket is perfect for adding a little bass to these headphones. It really steps up the bass in a clean, clear manner. (I have found that using a headphone amplifier--particularly at home where it is convenient is the best choice to ensure full, rich sound on all of the headphones that I have).

The headphones can be easily powered by an Ipod and they sound very good. These phones are on the efficient side when comparing impedence. You can get a lot of volume with a free-standing mp3 device. The headphones come with a 1/8" headphone jack with a 1/4" adaptor. While they sound even better with a headphone amplifier, it is not necessary like with the Sennheiser 600 or 650 which sounds anemic without the power provided by a separate headphone amplifier.

I think that the open-backed headphones sounds better than the closed-back headphones. If you want a headphone that is more punchy for rock and roll, consider the Grado SR-80 which is within approximately $10.00. The price for these headphones on Amazon Marketplace is approximately $100.00. The Grado's come in at approximately $95.00 at fair trade price (meaning no discount pricing). For many people the Audio-Technica will be more comfortable than the Grado. If you get the Grados which are really great, they are more comfortable with an insert called "comfort rings."