[Aftersh0k]

Hi! First time posting here, long time lurker. I've owned and loved a pair of M50's for a while now, but am looking for a pair of open cans to use at home. I've been looking around, and the two that have caught my attention the most are the AD700's and HD518's. Unfortunately, I've yet to see many threads directly comparing the two, though in terms of price the two seem very comparable. 
 
Ever since they came out, it seems that everyone loves the HD518's, but I'm somewhat afraid the imaging/soundstage might not be as strong as the AD700's are reported to have. I'm mainly looking to buy some open cans for a better sound stage/detail, so that's an important point. However, it seems that nearly every review I read mentions that the AD700 has lackluster bass response. I'm not exactly a basshead, but a balanced, punchy bass is still important to me, and is one of the things I like the best about my M50's. 
 
So, basically, are the HD518's worth the $30-40 premium? Is the (supposed) lack of bass in the AD700 a real issue? Are there other open headphones in this price range that have strong imaging and fairly neutral response that I've overlooked? Thanks!

 

[TwinQY]

Quote:

Hi! First time posting here, long time lurker. I've owned and loved a pair of M50's for a while now, but am looking for a pair of open cans to use at home. I've been looking around, and the two that have caught my attention the most are the AD700's and HD518's. Unfortunately, I've yet to see many threads directly comparing the two, though in terms of price the two seem very comparable. 
 
Ever since they came out, it seems that everyone loves the HD518's, but I'm somewhat afraid the imaging/soundstage might not be as strong as the AD700's are reported to have. I'm mainly looking to buy some open cans for a better sound stage/detail, so that's an important point. However, it seems that nearly every review I read mentions that the AD700 has lackluster bass response. I'm not exactly a basshead, but a balanced, punchy bass is still important to me, and is one of the things I like the best about my M50's. 
 
So, basically, are the HD518's worth the $30-40 premium? Is the (supposed) lack of bass in the AD700 a real issue? Are there other open headphones in this price range that have strong imaging and fairly neutral response that I've overlooked? Thanks!

I thought the AD700s were very anemic in the bass, so much that I really couldn't enjoy the music. Good soundstage/positioning for gaming though. If the HD518s sound anything like the HD558s, they should be a good all-rounder, good for gaming as well. What exactly is your budget?

 

[Aftersh0k]

I'm not looking to spend much more than $130 to $140, really. I would go a bit above that if the headphone in question is just absolutely bang-up fantastic for the money, but I'd say the HD518 is about as pricey as I'm willing to go. So I'm guessing you're saying that the bass in the AD700 is weak as to be a major failing point of the headphone? I don't really play games that require too-precise audio, really.

 

[TwinQY]

Quote:

I'm not looking to spend much more than $130 to $140, really. I would go a bit above that if the headphone in question is just absolutely bang-up fantastic for the money, but I'd say the HD518 is about as pricey as I'm willing to go. So I'm guessing you're saying that the bass in the AD700 is weak as to be a major failing point of the headphone? I don't really play games that require too-precise audio, really.

I actually enjoy the closed variants of the AD700/900 better. At this price range, you could also go for closed cans, as there's more choice there, and they can be just as good/open as the closed (e.g AD900x, FA-003). The HD518 reportedly has more bass than the HD558, so take from that what you will.