Customer Reviews

Audio Technica ATH-AD700 Open-air Dynamic Audiophile Headphones

5 star:		(160)
4 star:		(38)
3 star:		(12)
2 star:		(10)
1 star:		(10)

 

 

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.

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-

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."

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.

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.

There is no negative to this product. The only thing you could possibly say is that they're not as good as the more expensive ATH-AD900. But they both have a completely different sound-stage so even that is arguable.

Bottom line is these headsets look, feel, and sound incredible. Couldn't really be sure from the picture but you really can tell these are high end by just looking at them. The build quality is first class and the wing design distributes the weight very well and results in the most comfortable headphones I've ever worn. Very light and the huge velvet ear-cups will fit around the biggest of ears.

Audio-Technica's AD line may have very well been the reason Sennheiser dropped the prices on their HD models. And still many owners prefer these over other brand name headphones that cost twice as much.

There is one review here that says these headphones are too big. Well, they are indeed large but I find that it adds to the comfort. They don't clamp onto your head like some other brands. They rest very lightly around your head but I'm sure most people won't have any problems with them falling off.

If you've got a good soundcard in your PC and you're looking for high quality, comfortable headphones, look no further.

I have read many reviews and discussion on these headphones turning away from them several times due to information that in the end was off the mark for me.

The reason I almost never bought these was the argument that they don't have bass. Liking bass in my music I decided against buying the phones. When I finally changed my mind I was in for a shock! These phones do have bass and it's plenty deep, it's just not boomy and bloated with mid-bass like so many cheap HP's these days.

I have tried Sennheiser HD555, HD595, and a couple of other high end cans all ranging from $199-$329 in price. In the end the AD700 was better than them all in my opinion. Compared to both HD models I tried the AD700 has tighter more accurate bass, an unveiled midrange, and crazy highs that are detailed but never sibilant.

What makes these phones really stand out though is the sound stage which is simply immense and a joy to hear in my music which ranges from 60-80's rock, hard rock, electronic rock such as Gary Numan, classical music, New Age/Jazz, some folk music and everything in between. I have only had the occasional song that suffered from to big a sound stage and these songs were generally poorly recorded or engineered.

The phones work great with an unamped Ipod or nicer amped source like a high end sound card with a high impedance headphone amp. They also work well with 192kbs or higher MP3 files and VERY nice with lossless encoded files like FLAC or Apple Lossless.

I can honestly say I have NEVER enjoyed listening to my music collection this much, they simply have added new life to everything I listen to.

If I could give them a 6 out of 5 I would, especially when you consider how reasonably priced these headphones are.

Don't buy into any negative hype you may have read about these can's the only genre I could see not working well with these is bass heavy hiphop and even that might work well (I can't say since I do not listen to that genre at all).

OH, one last point they are wobbly on smaller heads (like mine) but they do stay on once you get used to their system, or you can opt to take a simple small elastic band and loop it over their wings which will tighten the phones on your head slightly making them less likely to fall of if you bend forward.

I have Audio-Technica ATH-AD700 for about a month and quite happy with its sound quality. But it is not worth to have it with mp3 player or PC
with cheap soundcard, they will not make wonders with bad sound source.
With decent CD player (I tested and use them with JVC and Sony DVD players
amplified by Kenwood or Sony stereo receivers) good quality CD's sound great, just as they should: close to a quite good speaker system. With better source the result could possibly be even better. Overall, very good cans, worth the money. They sound better than Bose Triport, though heavier. They are pretty comfortable (though not extremely light and quite large). They are not adjustable, which is an only drawback I see). So, I would rate them by 4+.

I'm writing tonight from the viewpoint of a completely new experience with the Audio Technica ATH AD700's, and I mean N E W! I got them today, and they are just incredible sounding headphones! They are all of that, and then some, look at the ratings I gave them! I wanted to write something *current* for the non-audiophiles out there, struggling with the vast quantity, branding, and techno-jingle that goes with the many choices in headphones that are available in late 2009. I'll do my best to educate those of you who are new, like myself...new to headphones, that is. What, exactly do we mean by "sound stage", and other terms that the more experienced reviewers are flinging around like a normal vocabulary...Hah! It's not normal to me, readers, so let's dispense with all that and describe how the ATH AD700's perform, how they sound with various types of music playing through them, and what you might expect as an owner, if you, too, are new to headphones.

First, I want to describe the sound itself: I am listening to Diana Krall's "Girl in the Other Room" album right now, and it is vivid, and intense! I may have to re-import all of my records into iTunes just like this album sounds, Holy Cripes! I imported this album at 320kps and it you can tell! The headphones are honest to goodness sound enhancers, and with a frequency response curve of 5-30,000Hz there is no technical "intervention" to enhance the bass with xtra decibels to make the sound be "more full", ie "padded and fake" bass boost, as it can be with lesser headphones (Koss for one, it seems is like that..or so I've read)...the AD700's give you the real deal. Sound is crisp, bright, with crazy clear highs and mid-range timbre that sounds very, very real. The phones hide nothing, give nothing false, and they render a really clean voice a-capela (like Diana's voice in "Other Room") without a trace of distortion or over boost. The mids are full, but don't overwhelm you and hide the rest of the melody in a tune like "Almost Blue", where the singer goes from high to low tenor, then into alto and soprano with the jazz lines flowing. The bass comes through very strong, without any big punch but it's full and thumping where it needs to be. It's heavy enough to sound real, and gives one a sense of being there feeling the contra-bass's notes from maybe 25-feet away, close enough to get personal with the bass player for sure! It's a full sound across the spectrum of notes and possibilities, how the phones render a melody...but make no mistake you're hearing what the artist put down and no more, it's not false, padded, or recompense by any means. I like it! It's very, very nice, extra-melodic if I can be so bold, so we can render one vote for the AD700 headphones and their realism, their ultra-realism, extra pronounced and concise, (cymbals are doing their "ting' 'ting' ting" behind the back of my ears as I describe all of this to you faithfully!) because I think we want this in a headphone don't we? Yes, we do! I love this sound!

Back in a minute to the sound, but when I first saw the headphones in their purple/silver and blue on black display box, I was struck with the construction straight away! At first I thought, "No way those are metal...that HAS to be plastic"...as I looked at the headphones "Wing Effect" suspension design, surely very different from others here, but unique to Audio Technica apparently. These wings work! They are really handsome in all their complexity, you know that? And such a brilliant finish to the headphones, with silver/buff finished aluminum and magnesium framing, and a light purple alloy mesh cover over the ear piece ("Open Air" defined!)...and they look very sturdy too, ie there is nothing that is going to break here, don't think that they are fragile by any means. And the wings...the wings do their job well...I can see how someone with a larger head than mine would be accommodated by the suspension as they touch on the top of one's head in a higher place if you are "normal sized" like myself (7 even hat size), where if your head IS larger the pads would rest more on the top/sides of the head. Interesting! They really are quite a sight and then something strikes home, "Where are the wires?" Hmmm, the engineers have cleverly hidden any wiring in the frame so there is nothing exposed, it seems! Fantastic idea, I thought!! There's just one more thing that won't go wrong, as one wonders about headphones and exposed wires, and there's none of that here.

There's nothing to go haywire from what I can see...with the headphone wires embedded in the top construction of the frame, the loop that goes from side to side, so there will be no broken wires with this set! And the ear cups, like WOW! It seems that they "pivot" only about 20-30-degrees or so in the frame, they move just enough on each side so that they conform to one's head shape and size, and they are large too! The alloy frame structure has no fasteners or contraptions to make it all fit together, it's modular and fits together like a complex puzzle, each piece with its mission fitting into the next, forming the headphone completely. The ear cups are soft, soft soft...like a nice nappy suede, or light velour the material is...and there is no way they are going to impede listening in any way, they encompass the ear completely, cradling the ear very lightly at the sides, top and bottom of the circular pads (slightly so anyway...they are slightly larger than even the largest ears that I can imagine being beneath them). I think that they will accommodate virtually any size ear except perhaps Dumbo's! Well, without a comparison where would I be anyway? The power cable enters the left ear piece at the bottom and it's got a heavy-duty feel to it, so that won't be twisting and breaking during use, and the cable itself has just the right "flex" to it...it being 2 meters long, plenty long enough for normal use at the stereo console or PC work place.

Overall I have to give the engineers at Audio Technica a big old fashioned hug of affection for making these so well, so original and unique. They are sublime in fact, and I want everybody reading this to know that you have been thought of in this design in terms of the size and fit! Somehow, someway, you're going to fit just fine in these phones...they are that well designed! Headphones are a "one size fits all deal", right? And those engineers have done their homework well in that regard, as the ATH AD700's should fit almost any head size, and any ear size, but for someone perhaps with Dumbo ears and head! As for the things that hold this deal together, the only screws or fittings of any type I could discern were two per side that affix the top suspension brace to the magnesium ear piece frame! Even those are hidden, embedded deep in the metal where you would have to use a purpose-built long, narrow Phillips screw driver to get to them. The overall impression is that they are sturdy beyond compare. I wouldn't go throwing them off of a building to test for tensile strength, nothing like that with these fine phones, but the construction is first Class all the way, unique, and very effectively thought out!

Magnesium and aluminum alloy through and through, there's no plastic here to speak of, just the covering of the arch itself is coated, but the rest? It's all super-lightweight space-age metals of one sort or another, and the constructors mean these to last as long as you want to keep them. I think that, and when I say they are built like two tanks, lightweight tanks though, not an extra gram or two anywhere...they are LIGHT and LIGHT WEIGHT! Let me go weigh them, just for posterity's sake, since everybody who has reviewed these has not weighed them--from all of the reviews I read...let's see...I have a gram and pound scale here in one of the PC notebooks in my studio (I weigh packages, jewelry, and anything I feel like up to 8 pounds or so with this scale) and the grand total is: 10.3 ounces! WOW! That is LIGHT, and that is the entire weight that is gonna be resting on your head! I knew they would tally a low total weight, but I was unprepared for them weighing just over 1/2 a pound!

So we can list extremely light weight as an attribute of the ATH AD700's now, officially weighed here on my digital scale. So no wonder they feel fantastic to wear. I have in fact been wearing them, but for my dinner break tonight, for some 8 straight hours and I have no fatigue, nada, zilch, nothing at all negative to report. There is no tension on the ears, on the head at all with these fantastic frames made of lightweight alloy, with the Wing Effect suspension doing its level best to make certain that we are comfortable to the max. I am impressed!

You know what, it wouldn't be fair to rate these without an 'iPod "YES" or 'iPod' "NO" vote, so let's do that straight away. I just happen to have my iPhone 3G sitting here at the ready, so let's see how she fares plugged into the iDevice! You know that all iPhones and iPod Touch's made past the 2nd generation, that would be my iPhone 3G share a common amplifier system? Well, it's true they do...the same amp is in my iPhone as is in an iPod Touch Gen. 2 or higher, so this is representative of that comparison. I am hooking up the ATH AD700's to my iPhone 3G and turning on my iPod within the beast, so let's play something groovy like a DJ Shadow album, called "Preemptive Strike"!

Hmmm, let's crank up the bass boost just for fun, and see how she sounds: yes, the headphones are driven by the iPhone/iPod just fine, no problems with 32 Ohms of impedance and BAM! We are into the "A" Side with Strike 2 on the dish, and how does she sound...?...this is clarity again! I love the sound of these headphones...plenty of bass for an iPod's output (this is NOT boosted in any way, there is no amp plugged into the iPhone 3G), I've got it on "Bass Booster" frequency in the graphic equalizer which is built into all iPhones and iPod Touch's...so yes, this will do nicely! Guitar is not piercing by any means, clear, clean and sharp but not toooo sharp...and plenty of mid range for a voice to peek through all that heavy rocking stuff from the Shadow Man as DJ...I like this! Don't let anybody tell you this setup can't work straight outta Comptom! Because the AD700's work perfect with my iPhone/iPod! The spectrum of sound is nice and clear, and clean just like it is with my PC sound card doing the triple-duty, which is what I was listening to when I started writing this review (to be specific, my sound card is a Creative Sound Blaster X-Fi Titanium Fatal1ty Professional...the best there is on the PC side of things, for sound, games, and everything a PC can do better than a Mac!). I have to give the Audio Technica ATH AD700's a resounding heads UP on iPhone/iPod performance!

So there you go, it's all a working fine! Whether on a portable device like an iPod/iPhone, or the PC sound card, these headphones are fantastic! I love the design, the construction of the headphones, too! They are light and airy to wear at only 10.3 ounces total weight exclusive of the cord. They fit without problems for virtually anybody's head size, and the ear cups completely encompass and surround one's ear with the finest of soft fabric, so as to not be a drag wearing for a long time span, proved by the fact that I have been wearing the phones for more than 8 hours from this afternoon through the evening. These are fantastic head phones, and Wavey Davey gives them a solid 5-star performance for everything across the rating spectrum from ease of use, solid quality construction, and comfort and appearance is waaay over 1st Class! The sound, what we all came to this movie theater for, it is nothing short of fantastic...highs, lows, mid range, it's all defined, literally crisp, clean, and clear with not too much bass to distort and hide any inadequacies in the music or the device itself. The AD700's are clearly one of the best headphones that $249 discounted the Amazon.com way to just less than $100 buys. I just love the way they render sound be it jazz, rock, vocals and voice, whatever...these just ROCK!

If you came to this party in late 2009 searching for a high quality light weight, easy to wear headphone look no further, the Audio Technica ATH AD700 will fit the bill! Even the packaging is beautiful, and the extra features like the Titanium-shielded cabling and gold plated connectors for 1/8" and 1/4" fittings just go to show you how thoroughly the engineers thought out this build, its performance, and the result is we have an extremely high quality constructed headphone system. I am not comparing them to anything in particular tonight... I wanted to give everyone a different view of the headphones from somebody new to the genre, and I am--I do not have a dozen sets of phones in my history to compare with...that is a given. But what you just read was a very much in-depth view of the headphones to own at or about the "$100 price point." There really is no point in looking further if you want the best headphones at or about $100 or so-- it's the Audio Technica ATH AD700! There is no substitute for this sort of quality, sound, construction, and attention to the little details that make this product a winner.

Wavey Davey - Dec 1, 2009

Coming from my prized Astro A40 audio system (tried my friend's Siberia V2; exchanged the Sennheiser HD555; etc), I'd like to think I had sampled the best that "gaming sound" has to offer, if that is even possible for obnoxiously loud gunshot .wavs. And if there is one thing I've learned, it's that the folks at Astro sure put out a mean mixamp, but their wonky, flimsy, and largely insubstantial plastic headphones aren't worth the molded case you're meant carry to them in. The more important thing I've learned (and the reason you probably care to even read this) is that Audio-Technica understand headphones, period. And strangely enough, they have even understood gamers with the AD700s. Do not let that detract or distract you from the quality of music that these put out. From jazz, to metal, to orchestral arrangements, the AD700 always lends credence to each and every individual musical nuance available on the recording. It almost sounds like being in an opera house with the band of your choice, but without the swarm of conservative elderly. The greatest part about the AD700s for me as an avid FPS gamer is the immensity and pinpoint accuracy of the 3D sound stage. Once you begin to get used to the size of the sound stage, there is really little separating your every day perception of sound from the virtual experience of the all consuming in-game 3D sound stage. Read: BOOM! Headshot! It means getting banned from every server you frequent because eventually it's just "obvious" or "blatant" from your kill style that you toggle wall hacks. Once people realize you have the uncanny ability to have your crosshairs aimed at them before they even turn the corner, they will undoubtedly grow suspicious, fire a few expletives your way, and end up speccing you, already convinced you are using wall hacks, and looking for one more quick affirmation. Since the pub nerdlets prefer to use onboard audio or outdated sound cards, or prefer to output sound in substandard quality, or prefer to use speakers so they can keep watching Naruto between deaths, or prefer to use inferior headphones because there is "liek totaly sku11s on teh sides", or prefer to not use a preamplifier, or prefer to keep their sound low as to not wake mommy or daddy, yet ironically too low for audio to make a difference for them. If you don't already recognize the pivotal roll that 3D sound plays in deciding the top fragger, then perhaps Radio Shack has some nice $40 earbuds that will suit your purposes (sku11s, br0!). Otherwise, continue on. :)

With the ATH-AD700s, and hopefully a decent mixamp to boot (still, mostly unnecessary for the AD700s in particular), you will have the whole map on a crystal clear 3D Dolby Digital virtual surround sound stage. Simply put, the AD700 appears to be the working man's bread winner of sound stage, and as such, is definitely the most affordable option for the highest quality set of 'phones needed to topfrag that deathmatch tonight. And more simply put, there is a little piece of magic you experience by slipping on these open air dynamic (aka open-back) headphones. Not only will your wife and pet(s) know when you score a multi-kill from across the room, but you too might just hear every ingredient to that stew Rachel Ray is putting together in the background. That is, granted you aren't already drowning yourself with in-game soundstage goodiness... It still strikes me as odd to place the AD700s on my head mid-conversation without suffering any real-life loss of hearing. For this reason, please know that these headphones may not be for you, as there is quite literally NO noise cancellation whatsoever; neither in nor out. While I seldom award brownie points for marketing ploys, the AD700 is in many ways what it claims to be: a unique open air dynamic sound experience. While I admittedly lack experience with open-back headphones, I can attest that my A40s ($200+ for headset alone) with their covers on or off (preferred by some) certainly do not hold a candle to this $80-90 pair of headphones.

Sadly, the A40 sound system I bought just over a year ago is only half with us today. Within months of owning the A40s headset, a single very tiny screw on the frame somehow loosened itself and went missing, leading to the snapping of the right earphone brace upon picking it up, which disconnected the right earphone cable (visibly fraying it), and consequently shorting the microphone as well. Without digressing about the A40s too much... Or the disappointment that was the Astro headset... (It was just unacceptable, I can admit today) Save yourself the time, and save yourself a whole lot of money, and just invest in products by people who work to perfect the true instrument of the *audio*phile. I'd go as far as AVOIDING investing in audio solutions by companies with largely gaming backgrounds, when you could spend only a fraction of what you would have spent on gamer-targeted advertising gimmicks, yet receive that truly superior quality and service. Please, heed my words! This knowledge has come at a cost! (Hint: almost $300 wasted on headphones). Not worth it to gamble on a product that falls apart, especially considering that the AD700s have been sat on a handful of times already, and are completely unscathed (something that would have probably snapped, crackled, or popped the A40s, bent the shoddy plastic into releasing a screw or two, then split the unprotected wiring to boot).

Luckily, there are no visible screws to come lose on the AD700s, or any I can see that it relies on for the earcups (only a few for the comfort strap). The earphones are suspended in a sturdy semi-rotating cylinder. This is dissimilar to how some headphones have the earphones almost "dangling", moving inwards and outwards. The AD700s have earphones that rotate roughly 30 degrees on the proverbial "y-axis," left and right just slightly. At first I wasn't too sure if this design was for increased comfort or to support the odd-shaped head or two out there, but I noticed that this rotating action allows for the headset to be worn any which way as comfortably as normal, such as when wearing just one earphone or just having it around your neck. I find this design to be superior to other headphones I've used, in comfort, sturdiness, and weight. I really like the minimalistic frame and the padded foam-like cushions which make wearing this headset almost unnoticable. But I cannot give the AD700 sleek or style points, simply because of the (questionable at best) toxic pink honeycomb ear covers. But alas, we are paying them for the quality of their audio, not for their sense of color. For those considering the AD900s for their structural superiority to the AD700s, I would strongly recommend you save your $100+ and just by the AD700s. These are built to last. While I haven't had any experience with the AD900s, many Google searches and perhaps your own research will confirm that the AD700s are even considered to have superior sound to the AD900s.

Choosing these over the Steelseries Siberia V2 was completely worth it for me (AND I'm a CS nerd, AND a metal head), and this being the only Amazon review I've ever written should hold some testament to my pleasurable experience with this product. As a 700th side note: I just reached for them one last time, but they were on my head. They are seriously that comfortable that you will forget they are even on your head, as well as being able to hear just fine with them on, too. That, combined with the ungodly long cable, and you might as well just leave these puppies on for good. ***Be ware though!*** These are definitely for big heads. Luckily, my head is quite large, and I can wear these all day without even thinking about it. I know that other headsets made my head or ears red and sore. Sometimes I could even feel the blood pulsing through my ear after just a couple hours in a regular sized closed-back headset. These are very large and very comfy (La-Z-Boy style), even down to the earcups themselves, which appear abnormally large at first but law right over your entire ear like a silken pillow (really, that is as accurate I can get it, and I've just spent over 30 seconds deliberating it while I finished my drink).

One paragraph dedicated to how the honeycomb earphone covers are REALLY PINK. Maybe ATH knew these 'phones were just too good for the public at mass, so they colored 'em pink to keep the repressed baddies away.

Final thoughts: Audio-Technica wins. Using my AD700s in combination with the Astro A40 mixamp allows me to run games in true 5.1 DD, which means the AD700s produce one trip of a maxed out virtual sound stage. Once you've found the AD700s, you been brought to water. Sure, you could pass it up for something that costs hundreds more, or continue chasing after gaming gimmicks, falling for business tricks, marketing ploys, 5.1/7.1 headset shenanigans, etc. All I have to say to that is... BRB Getting banned for "wall hacking" before you do. :)

Disclaimer: This review was originally intended to be much longer, much more informative, and even bullet pointed.
But this will just have to suffice. Do it. Buy it. They're the bee's knees! Just don't be afraid to crank them up!