[Rakukojin]

So I got my A700 on Friday and I've been loving them ever since but there's a slight problem with mine. The front headband (the part that doesn't touch your head) is loose and makes a creaky noise when I move around a lot. I unscrewed the headphones just to make sure if it was loose or not and sure enough it was. The back headband is very secure but the front is definitely loose and don't stay in place.

Is there any fix I can do?

 

[r1n7r4h]

I don't think its something you should worry about because my A900s do the same thing however I didn't recognize it until I tried after reading your post.

 

[Ahriman4891]

my a900s also creak occasionally. Guess it's just a feature of plastic AT headbands.

 

[Rakukojin]

Okay, it seems that this is common for Ax00 headphones but just for good measures I contacted Audio-Technica's repair service and this is what they had to say:

Quote:

The noise you hear is a consequence of the compression of the tensioning grommet on the headband assembly. I checked several of the ATH-A700 and they all have the same sound. Although I did not try it out of concern for loosening the tension, a little silicone grease might lessen the sound. If you would like to return the headphones for service we will be glad to check them for correct operation. To return product for repair...

Now I don't want to send in them in for repairs if it occurs with all Ax00 headphones, so I was wondering has anyone tried using silicone grease to reduce the creaking noise before?

 

[tedtropy]

Yeah, my A700s do this as well with any moderate movement and it makes them less than idea for use while you're eating or otherwise moving around abit. It's not a big deal, as I'm typically listening to them while laying down or playing a game and my love for how they sound kinda outweighs it. Just a quirk of the design really, although there may be some ways to decrease it. Should it really get on my nerves, I'll swap back to the HD580s.

 

[dulath]

Yeah, the noise is there whenever I move around, but it's not a problem when I'm just sitting at my PC playing games or working.

 

[Bones13]

Same with my W5000. It got a lot better with time. (or did I learn to move my head less quickly?)

 

[technetium]

Jep every ath can does it, they are just fine. Teflon spray helps

 

[Rakukojin]

Well, now I know that the noise is universal for all Ax00 headphones, but I'm still uncertain whether my front headband is looser than normal. The back one doesn't move around as much, probably because there's a wire that goes through it. Can anyone confirm for me that the front headband is supposed to be looser than the back one?

 

[Rakukojin]

After opening up my A700 again I finally figured out why mine was so creaky. The headband covering (that wraps around the metal piece inside) was too far low, which caused the metal to rub against the top of the covering. Raising the headband cover by simply pulling them up and then screwing it back in place greatly reduced my creaking problem. Also, screwing it in too tightly adds to the creaking so I loosened it a little bit and now there's no creaking anymore (unless I jerk my heading quickly).

Now I can enjoy these cans to the fullest

 

[Ahriman4891]

nice that you solved the problem. enjoy the music!