[blackzarg56]

I had this dilemma as well, and went for the AD700 last minute (I actually had already placed an order for the Senns, and then cancelled it). I haven't gotten them in the mail yet, but should early next week. I was worried about them being too big, so I emailed AT support. Here's what they said:

Quote:

*****, You and I have about the same size head and I too have trouble with headphones fitting me properly. I own the ATH-A700 which is basically the closed back version of the AD700. It is, for the most part, too large for my head. What I did to compensate was take a couple of medium size black wire ties and go around the two tubular spanners that make up the headband just above the self-adjusting 3D wing supports. This restricts how high the supports can move upwards which provides a tighter fit on my head. I am quite happy with the fit in terms of comfort, isolation from outside noise and the seal provided which is necessary for the best low frequency reproduction. The A700 is more secure than my AKG 240DF's. These ARE large headphones. The 53 mm drivers are huge by headphone standards. The earcups are quite large and the headphones probably won't win any awards for being fashionable. Forget about sleeping in them too, they are just too bulky. If you want a great sounding headphone so you can enjoy your home hi-fi system without disturbing someone in the next room however, you will be hard pressed to beat them. Keep in mind that these are an open back design and there will be sound leakage from the headphones. People near you will be able to hear what you are listening to. I do not recommend the headphones for tracking in a recording session for this reason. A microphone will pick up the sound leakage. For tracking consider the ATH-M50 Studio Headphones. SCOTT SHAW Audio Solutions Specialist P 330.686.2600 ext. 2525 F 330.686.6298 Audio-Technica U.S., Inc. 1221 Commerce Drive, Stow, Ohio 44224

I found out I actually have a "large" head size according to hat charts, with a circumference of 23". But anyways, hope that info helps!

 

[bobran]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dk89 /img/forum/go_quote.gif What the Izotope Ozone plugin does?

The Izotope OzoneMP is a plugin DSP for enhancing audio. Analog modeled EQ, tube compressors and amplifiers, room simulators and more. A lot more. In short, if you use Winamp to listen on your computer this plug-in really works.

Here's a link: iZotope, Inc - Audio Processing Technology and Plug-Ins for Pro Tools, VST, MAS, Audio Unit, and DirectX

Costs $29, or do a search under the computer section for ozone.

 

[Kenix]

The clamp on the HD555s is a little tight at first, but opens up nicely.

Sound is tight to start with and gets tighter

Overall though, the majority of people tend to prefer the sound of the AD700s. I personally went with the Sennheiser because it looks way better, is more compact, and was slightly cheaper.

One annoying thing is that the HD555s terminate in a 1/4" plug, so you may want to invest in a converter.

 

[moush]

*Slight derail*

I've been reading about the ad700's recently, trying to research for my first set of decent headphones. It's making me anxious how many people complain about how large they are, since I believe I have a slightly below average head size. I'm just wondering if the fitting really detracts from them overall, or just makes for a slight looseness.

 

[JayB18]

If the AD700 fits too loose try bending the headband. It makes the clamping force greater.

 

[robby]

That's a really nice response that you received, blackzarg. Good story.

 

[Dk89]

Ok I will buy the AD700, 10x u guys.

P.s... someone can check for me how much costs the regular shipping to U.S (Philadelphia) and how much is the faster shipping? (and also how much time takes for all type of delivery to arrive)


Thanks a lot.

 

[Solodarn]

Quote:

Originally Posted by JayB18 /img/forum/go_quote.gif If the AD700 fits too loose try bending the headband. It makes the clamping force greater.

lol there is no need to go bending anything to make these phones fit on a head, at least not for the first attempt. When I first got my AD700s I was enjoying the sound but annoyed about them slipping on my head. However, the cheapest and most amazing of all mods was presented to me in another post here on head-fi about how to fix it, and the email earlier in this thread actually talked about it a bit as well. The solution for me was a rubber band, nothing special, nothing particularly strong just a simple rubber band. Bought a bag of what must be 1000 at my local grocery store for like 3 dollars.

Check out this link to another thread:

http://www.head-fi.org/forums/f4/ad7...nd-mod-432491/

Picture says a thousand words. Works perfectly in that you still don't really feel the phones up on your head much at all and they stay put without slipping.

Oh yes, as to female vocals I really rather enjoy them and certainly prefer AD700s vocals to a pair of senn 580s that I had, just imo though.

 

[koven]

Not really voting for HD555's but all I gotta say is, AD700's are garbage for anything needing bass. I found them to be highly sibilant too.

One of the worst headphones I've heard, my $33 RX700 sounds better hands down.

 

[Dk89]

so what would u take until 100$?

plz answer to my earlier question...

 

[1Time]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dk89 /img/forum/go_quote.gif so what would u take until 100$?

If I only had onboard sound from a PC, I would buy a decent sound card and the RX700 and mod it.

I've used the HD555 from a cheap sound card, with and without an amp. And I've used the AD700 from an XS71 sound card and cheap receiver. I would only buy the AD700 if willing to mod it extensively for a proper fit. If buying the HD555 again, I would mod it for better sound. And then I would amp either of them.

 

[Dk89]

I ordered the AD700 (hope to enjoy with 'em).
I'll try them first with my 7.1 onboard soundcard (motherboard:abit IB9) and if it will hear bad then I will buy a new sound (X-fi I think).

but my current soundcard isn't so bad, isn't it?

 

[dweaver]

Quote:

Originally Posted by moush /img/forum/go_quote.gif *Slight derail* I've been reading about the ad700's recently, trying to research for my first set of decent headphones. It's making me anxious how many people complain about how large they are, since I believe I have a slightly below average head size. I'm just wondering if the fitting really detracts from them overall, or just makes for a slight looseness.

My head is slightly smaller than normal and I also had this concern. In fact after testing the AD700 I took it back and tried a different avenue. In the end the SQ of the AD700 drew me back and ended up buying a pair. Now I love them and they are so comfortable I forget I have them on. BUT I also do not do any head jerking because they can fall off if I do. I have also tried a few trick to get them to fit better and they do help but I prefer the looseness because it just makes them more comfortable.

I have tried both the 555 and the AD700 btw and the AD700 is much better in my opinion especially for vocals and midrange support as it doesn't have the veil that the 555 has in this area.

 

[1Time]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dk89 /img/forum/go_quote.gif I ordered the AD700 (hope to enjoy with 'em). I'll try them first with my 7.1 onboard soundcard (motherboard:abit IB9) and if it will hear bad then I will buy a new sound (X-fi I think). but my current soundcard isn't so bad, isn't it?

Congrats on ordering the AD700. I hope you are prepared to bend and deform the shape of its over head bars to get it to fit properly.

You have on board sound, not a sound card. A sound card installs to a slot on your motherboard.

Identifying your motherboard does not identify whether it should sound good or bad. But identifying the codec or sound specifications that your on board sound uses would give some indication. It's like you said "I bought a Chevy. So how fast will it go?" Need to know more specifics about the car.

Most motherboards come with sound that would not be preferred by most to an X-Fi sound card. Even so, many headphones can be can be enjoyed from the on board sound of any computer. Whether you find it bad or not is a matter of preference. If you don't compare the on board sound to anything else, you're more likely to prefer and enjoy it. I suggest reading and posting in the computer audio forum for help with choosing a sound card.

 

[Palpatine]

Haven't heard the AD700, but I really enjoy my HD555. They are great for gaming and movies. They are very light and comfortable on my head. I have a larger sized head and they are comfy. I can listen to them with a good amplifier or just my ipod.