[DarthMarth]

I'm currently a happy owner of some Sennheiser HD555s for home listening, but after reading countless reviews on how the AD700s trounce them at just about everything, I'm looking into them. The only thing I'm worried about is the fit. I've heard they are a good fit for larger heads, which I have, but my head is kind of weird and V-shaped, so the earpads have to be able to tilt in order to fit snugly over my ears. One great thing about the 555s is that the earpads swivel enough to fit perfectly over my ears.

So before I buy, I just want some thoughts from AD-700 owners on how likely they are to fit.

 

[Shike]

They are crazy comfortable to me. I can wear them to bed and barely notice them overall. That's me though.

 

[dweaver]

If your head is V shaped with the peak at the bottom then the AD700 will fit very well for you especially if you have a larger sized head. They are very comfortable once you get used to their wing system.

A for the AD700 trouncing the HD555 I think they do but thats because of the clearer midrange and higher energy treble. You may may find them bass light in comparison if you like mid-bass because the HD555 has a large mid-bass hump. Personally I found the bass of the AD700 more precise and deeper but that may be my perception not yours.

 

[DarthMarth]

Really? Interesting; at the audiophile meet this summer the other guy brought some Audio Technicas and they didn't seem to fit my ears well, but that might have been because he'd adjusted them to fit his head. Is the metal framework connecting the earpads very adjustable?

 

[dweaver]

which headphone did you try on? Different models fit differently plus they can be bent to fit differently. I modded my AD700 to fit differently because I have a smaller head and I had to make them squeeze my noggin more. My mod would probably cause you fits

.

 

[resiroth]

They fit me perfectly and are shocklingly comfortable. They look very weird though so I couldn't go out in public with them ( and I don't really care very much about my appearance/fashion. Gold and purple though, you have to draw the line somewhere =p.)
I've noticed they have an absolutely amazing soundstage and great mids/treble but the bass is "lacking". It depends on what type of music you listen to and how much bass you like. The AD700 can deal with rock fine but I wouldn't use them for rap. I grabbed mine for 100 bucks and I honestly think they're worth 150 ( and I actually mean it haha.)

 

[DarthMarth]

According to the list of stuff people were bringing, these were the AT headphones there.

Audio-Technica W5000
Audio-Technica W11jpn
Audio-Technica ESW10jpn

I remember trying the W5000s and hearing they were top-notch headphones, but my enjoyment of them was hampered by how they didn't fit snugly over my ears. The wings were interesting, though. I think he'd adjusted the framework, though.

@resiroth: Don't worry, these might be my new laptop headphones, displacing the 555s to my desktop. I use some HD-201s for my iPod, and they are quite satisfactory. I mostly listen to rock, various kinds of metal, and Christian contemporary music, nothing I'd consider terribly bass-heavy. (I can't stand rap)

 

[resiroth]

I have never had issues with fit and they seem like they would fit a V-shaped head. They really distribute the weight very evenly and have absolutely 0 cancellation. They are completely open, I think on the outside it says "air". This means that they are not for public use of course, but if you're at home you can reap the benefits of open ear headphones. It comes with a longish cord and standard 3.5mm plug ( an adapter converts it to 1/4 inch nicely, it screws on top of the 3.5mm ). If you're not interested in a lot of bass these headphones are fantastic. On songs where one channel has vocals or something you honestly feel like someone is to the left of you. The first time I listened to them I was laughing because they do have amazing soundstage. I never used an amp so they perform fine w/o one.

 

[GALACTUS]

I also have a largish head, but slightly narrow. I found that after wearing them for an hour or so they would slowly slide down my head. They were very comfy overall, but just a bit loose. There is NO adjustments on these phones, unless you bend the main wires. I used my AD700's primarily for gaming. There soundstage and imaging were amazing. I did not like these headphones for rock music at all. The bass was too light and the highs had too much bite. I much prefered my HD595's for most music. I have not heard the 555's. For the price though, you should give them a try.......

 

[handover]

I've owned a pair of these headphones for just over a year.

The fitting was lose to begin with, for which they were well known long before I conducted my research on what headphones to buy.

They would frequently slip off my head (I listen lying down\sitting a lot and head is at funny angles).

But over time, I don't exactly how long, they definetly have become more snug, to the point that they barely slip off my head, if ever nowadays.

I definetly think they have "sculpted" to my head shape (the contour of the two metal bands) but maybe there is also an element of I subconsiously know what I can and cannot get away with re head angles (if this makes sense!)

They are also incredibily robust given how delicate and intricate they look.

Soundwise (and I'm not an audiophile by any means) they are fantastic. I still marvel in the clarity and detail of the soundstage when I play music in them.

 

[DarthMarth]

Thanks for the input. I think I'll check them out.

 

[resiroth]

It's hard to really talk about SQ ( everyone has different preferences of what something SHOULD be like.) I found mid-range and treble to be fantastic and it is true the bass could be considered lacking if you really like bass. It is going to be hard to replicate accurate bass with open-ear headphones and closed ear headphones have the bass but they lose the amazing treble and mid-range. IMO I'll take the open ones. I haven't heard the HD555 but the reason I chose to not buy them was
Customer Image Gallery for Sennheiser HD-555 Audiophile Headphones
Absolutely absurd looking. Another difference is price, the HD555 is 130 dollars from amazon while the AD700 is 85. That's quite significant. Don't buy from any retailer other than amazon, they probably are unauthorized dealers and may be refurbs. If you don't have a small head you should have no issues with fit.

 

[1Time]

I owned an AD700, and then sold it in part because of its improper and uncomfortable fit. Its glaring flaw is the ear pads don't swivel vertically. It's designed as if to properly fit someone with a large V-shaped head, like an alien. The key word there is "properly". FWIR, many adapt to the AD700 or mod it in an attempt to adapt it to them. Because of how you described the shape of your head, you seem more likely than most for the AD700 to fit properly and comfortably.

Edit: and I've owned the HD555 and found it very comfortable.

Quote:

Originally Posted by DarthMarth /img/forum/go_quote.gif I've heard they are a good fit for larger heads, which I have, but my head is kind of weird and V-shaped, so the earpads have to be able to tilt in order to fit snugly over my ears.

 

[i_love_hina]

Quote:

Originally Posted by 1Time /img/forum/go_quote.gif I owned an AD700, and then sold it in part because of its improper and uncomfortable fit. Its glaring flaw is the ear pads don't swivel vertically.

Interestingly, the A700/900's do swivel vertically, hence a much more snug fit. I'm not sure why they didn't have that for the AD series too; it's as if the designers flushed their brains down the toilet.

 

[KONAKONA]

The little bits at the top can be bent plenty. Mine were a bit loose so I made the bands into a bit more of a V shape. Helps a good bit.

They are still loose compared to other phones, but that makes them great for long listening sessions. I could have these on all day without problems. I also use mine as a substitute for a pillow while sleeping, but I wouldn't recommend that to everyone.