[killeraxemannic]

Got some AD700's last weekend and originally loved the way they sounded. They had rich sound and were clean and sparkly up top. Now after about 75 hrs of burn in I think they sound dull and have harsh highs. Not sure what to think at this point. Should I send them back and get something else? Or maybe I got a bad pair? 

 

[deadlylover]

Burn in lowering the sound quality of a headphone? That's impossible.
 
I think you've finally gotten a grasp of the AD700's sound signature and eventually discovering that it's not your cup of tea. It happens all the time, perhaps you should try something else?
 
The AD700 was one of my first headphones, and they were great at the time, but yeah, they give me headaches now when I try to listen to them =P.

 

[killeraxemannic]

What would you recomend trying instead?

 

[Roller]

It's hard to recommend headphones without knowing what music genres you listen to, sources being used, etc.
 
But I do find it strange for someone to get AD700 as first pair of headphones, they don't seem to be the most gentle pair.

 

[deadlylover]

Quote:

It's hard to recommend headphones without knowing what music genres you listen to, sources being used, etc.
 
But I do find it strange for someone to get AD700 as first pair of headphones, they don't seem to be the most gentle pair.

Yep.
 
Heh, about the AD700.......I blame them being FOTM at the time and being the 'go to' recommendation on computer forums I used to frequent.
 

 

[MohawkUS]

Yeah, I had the same expiriance with the AD900s, fun at first, but as I got used to them I realized they were hollow and congested. What music do you listen to?
I'm currently going through an Ultrasone craze, but if your listening to classical, jazz, or rock there are better options out there. Great for metal and electonica though.

 

[killeraxemannic]

Well music wise I listen to a lot of 90's alt rock, some 80's stuff too. I also like Eric Clapton and Santana. Don't listen to electronica much. Used to listen to metal but not super often anymore. Really the only source I have to play from right now is my Soundblaster Xfi so I would need a pair that's easy to drive. I do really like the AD700's for gaming so I could keep em just for that and attach a mic to them. 

 

[wdahm519]

Quote:

Burn in lowering the sound quality of a headphone? That's impossible.
 
I think you've finally gotten a grasp of the AD700's sound signature and eventually discovering that it's not your cup of tea. It happens all the time, perhaps you should try something else?
 

This.  This is what happened when I listened to my Alessandro/Grado MS1i's for a while.  I realized I really hated how they sounded.  Whenever I get a new pair of headphones, at first they're "meh" almost every time, but then as my ears get used to their sound signature, I either (usually) go "Wow I really love these" or "Oh god... *sell on Head-Fi*..."

 

[Almighty]

It's hard to believe with the AD700's. The sound-stage and signature tailored towards INSANE highs can be damn near piercing. Before burn in everything is a little recessed.
 
It was because of the piercing highs that I went the A700 route that has a tight base response and closed back. It really helps with the piercing highs. Granted the A700 still has it's moments where you feel like it's going to break your ear-drum  


However it's nothing a little EQ can't help. No headphone is perfect and balanced. Everyone has different tastes. If you don't like one aspect, change it.


Regards,
 
iMatt

 

[FearSC549]

The AD700's sound signature is not for everyone. They're mainly recommended on computer forums due to having excellent soundstage for gaming. However, every time when someone asks for recommendation, AD700 gets thrown in without the consideration of what the OP is going to use it for. 
 
Those that say it's impossible for a headphone to get worse after burn-in, it's very possible, however it's not that often. I had an experience that burn-in made the headphone not to my liking(I'm not saying it made it sound worse). My Phiaton MS400 sounded decent before burn-in, however after, it had too much bass compared to the highs.   

 

[stockpimp007]

I have found that the longer you listen to a headphone, the more obvious the imperfections are