Audio Technica ATH-AD700

These were one of my first tries to get in to the audiophile headphone world and they were not a good choice. When I first got them I enjoyed the sound but as I got further along I realized that just too much of music was missing with these. Anything in the lows and lower mids is not there. High detail is great but I just can't enjoy music if part of it is missing due to the headphone I am using. They do have a really wide open soundstage which makes them really good for gaming and positioning in games. They are also good for movies for the same reason. If you are looking for a music headphone look elsewhere. 

To start, this is my first set of audio-technicas, and I generally listen to towers. So some of my expectations may need to be tempered, but I have also used my other set of headphones (Bose QC 15's) as a frame of reference. Also note, this is all with my PC sound card as a source. No USB / no amp. And I generally use tidalhifi as my audio source.
 
The Good:
 
Sound - The mids are spot on here. Especially lower mids. Detail is great. I haven't owned a more technically accurate pair of headphones. (Very notable in wind instruments and live recordings for me). Highs and lows are decent.
 
Comfort - Very comfortable, but I think it's really hard to beat the qc 15's in this department. Well-cushioned and feel relatively light. Not too much clamping power.
 
Aesthetics - The cups on these things are pretty cool. Like seeing the driver through the open cups and the red bracket (in mine) looks kind of like the calipers on a sports car behind the rims.
 
Not So Good:
 
Sounds - Highs a little "ringy" (but improves somewhat with burn-in). Not enough depth and soundstage here - I was expecting a lot of openness / "airy" quality when I put these on from the reviews. Unfortunately these sound a little two dimensional to me, despite the high level of detail and accuracy. I expect a lot in this department because it's what brings music to life for me and makes me feel involved in the music. This was my biggest disappointment with these headphones for sure. Bass starts off weak but gets better with burn-in. However, it still doesn't give that omni-directional feel that I was looking for.
 
Comfort - for smaller heads, wings do not provide much support. Cups can tend to slide down with movement.
 
Aesthetics - the big arches that provide the clamping power for these headphones look pretty silly when worn... no getting around that. The wings also kind of make my hair look like a mohawk, so no good for the office.
 
Conclusion:
 
I think these are a solid buy in the under 200 category, but I think I had high expectations coming in from what I had read about these. Do not judge these until you've put at least 100 hours into them because I think burn-in is a disproportionately significant factor for these guys, and sound definitely gets better.

I bought these instead of the ATH M50, and i'm glad I did. I listened to the M50s and wasn't too impressed. After reading reviews I opted for the AD700s.
Look and build quality.
They look kinda dorky, no other way to say it. But good headphones aren't about looks. The purple/ pink outer mesh is an odd shade but distinctive, you'll never confuse these with another pair. The pads are comfy and very large, large enough to encompass my whole ear, which is good. The phones rest on the top of the head with two "Wings" that bend nicely, creating a very comfortable fit that can be worn for hours without hardly any breaking in. Seriously, very comfortable. The cable is a no tangle thick insulation grey, that isn't removable, ending in a 3.5mm with an included 1/4 inch screw on adapter.
Sound Quality.
My personal holy grail of audio is clarity and separation, and these are a good starting point for someone in the $100 range. They don't come close to my brand new, not burned in AKG K702's (sadly) but a big step up from my Ultrasone headphones, (don't ask.) Hi's are clear, Mid's and Bass can get a bit muddled at times, but still pleasing. Soundstage is good, I can hear the different placement of the piano, drums, and vocals listening to One Republic. I've been using a Maverick Audio Tubemagic D1, which produces very good up scaling. They're a great solution for easy listening for long periods of time. They're low impedance so they don't require an amp, and can be driven with your iPod, if you so desire.
The good: comfort, easy listening, sound stage. For this price range, a really good pair.