eervig
New Head-Fier
- Joined
- Dec 31, 2010
- Posts
- 49
- Likes
- 0
So I returned the Grado SR60i and got myself a pair of AD-700 in my quest for a first pair of good phones. I wasn't impressed by the Grados at all, mostly because I found them uncomfortable - but I could not get into the sound signature either. Just too forward and abrasive for jazz and classical, IMO, but as everybody says they do great things with rock guitar.
So having been burned right out of the gate, I was cautious with these. My impressions:
Comfort ---
Surprisingly, these things clamp me. Seems unheard of from what I've read, and not so bad I couldn't get used to it over time, I suspect. I must have a freakish skull.
A bigger comfort issue is the proximity to the drivers. My ears (which don't stick out much, mind you) tend to graze them, and on certain albums I would get a periodic shocking sensation! Cartilage would get slightly numb after just a few tracks.
Thankfully, I was able to resolve this by cutting up the thin foam found in the package, and lightly distributing it under the earpads. I googled a bit and got back to this forum, seeing that there's a nice mod involving rubber tubing that could help with this as well - the foam works, but too much dampens the soundstage considerably.
It's true that these things are so light you think the box is empty right off, but I definitely found them lacking in comfort un-modded. Having rounded corners on the pads and a tad more foam in there from the factory seems like a no-brainer if they ever revise this model.
Sound ---
Oh, I've got plenty of burn-in to do, I guess. I already noticed things getting warmer and more natural after about six hours, and right now they are just gorgeous. Classical music sounds best, the soundstage sucking me in, and I love the up-front upper-mids that never get harsh to my ears, as the Grados did. Jazz is trickier on them, since so much classic stuff is recorded (or mastered) horribly, and the defects are so obvious on these.
Pop sounds okay. When I first tried it out, I was blown away by the booming bass. Aren't these supposed to be bass-light? Well...yeah, turns out I had the EQ in Foobar on. But I'm impressed by how strong and yet still clean the bass can get when you tweak it, and even if you don't...it is there. Maybe it's the low expectations, but I think the bass is just fine on these things. Then again, I get a good seal on the ears and I know others have trouble with that.
Overall ---
I'm happy with these. The weak link for me is those earpads, which are just kind of unpleasant in texture, shape and size. The wing design is kind of neat, but it does make them tricky to fit. I don't know how gamers do it, because sitting at my computer they're a pain. Laying on a couch concentrating on music, they're just fine, the immersive sound distracting me from those little annoyances.
Of course, I do get the awful feeling I've joined a club, and the next spare change that enters my pocket is in serious danger...hope that sensation passes.
So having been burned right out of the gate, I was cautious with these. My impressions:
Comfort ---
Surprisingly, these things clamp me. Seems unheard of from what I've read, and not so bad I couldn't get used to it over time, I suspect. I must have a freakish skull.
A bigger comfort issue is the proximity to the drivers. My ears (which don't stick out much, mind you) tend to graze them, and on certain albums I would get a periodic shocking sensation! Cartilage would get slightly numb after just a few tracks.
Thankfully, I was able to resolve this by cutting up the thin foam found in the package, and lightly distributing it under the earpads. I googled a bit and got back to this forum, seeing that there's a nice mod involving rubber tubing that could help with this as well - the foam works, but too much dampens the soundstage considerably.
It's true that these things are so light you think the box is empty right off, but I definitely found them lacking in comfort un-modded. Having rounded corners on the pads and a tad more foam in there from the factory seems like a no-brainer if they ever revise this model.
Sound ---
Oh, I've got plenty of burn-in to do, I guess. I already noticed things getting warmer and more natural after about six hours, and right now they are just gorgeous. Classical music sounds best, the soundstage sucking me in, and I love the up-front upper-mids that never get harsh to my ears, as the Grados did. Jazz is trickier on them, since so much classic stuff is recorded (or mastered) horribly, and the defects are so obvious on these.
Pop sounds okay. When I first tried it out, I was blown away by the booming bass. Aren't these supposed to be bass-light? Well...yeah, turns out I had the EQ in Foobar on. But I'm impressed by how strong and yet still clean the bass can get when you tweak it, and even if you don't...it is there. Maybe it's the low expectations, but I think the bass is just fine on these things. Then again, I get a good seal on the ears and I know others have trouble with that.
Overall ---
I'm happy with these. The weak link for me is those earpads, which are just kind of unpleasant in texture, shape and size. The wing design is kind of neat, but it does make them tricky to fit. I don't know how gamers do it, because sitting at my computer they're a pain. Laying on a couch concentrating on music, they're just fine, the immersive sound distracting me from those little annoyances.
Of course, I do get the awful feeling I've joined a club, and the next spare change that enters my pocket is in serious danger...hope that sensation passes.
