Initial AD700 gaming and music impressions.

[kool bubba ice]

Comfort wise, it fits pretty well. Little loose, but nothing to write home about.

Music

Pros
good clarity, especially in the higher frequencies.
Remarkable front to back depth.
Sound stage as a whole is big.
Nice imaging.

Cons
recessed mids. Not bad, but noticeable.
Bass is delicate and lacks authority.
Sound seems un natural to me.
Sound stage is not very coherent.
A lot of smearing.
Lacks good detail retrieval

Grade C plus.

The AD700 are just OK for music..But if you can find them for under 100 they are a steal. I would recommend to starting audiophiles, or casual listeners that just want one quality can to hold them over their entire life span.

Gaming

Pros
Wide and engulfing sound stage.
Special effects have a nice flavor to them.
Nice weight to the guns and characters in the game. Fleshes them out so to speak.
3D imaging is good.
Good at localizing audio cues.

Cons
Detail is too superficial.
Clarity is good, but falls behind other noted headphones for gaming.
Left to right depth isn't as deep as front to back, to the point that it feels a little unbalanced.
Bass is ho hum for explosives and intense fire fights.
Seperation is hit or miss at times.

This was a polar opposite compared to listening to music..Much better sounding to me. Going off memory, I prefer the AD700 for gaming over the 701s even though the 701s sound stage is 3d swirling in your head, with better clarity and detail. The AD700 just felt right to me.

Going off memory, I feel the AD700 is a downgrade to the 880s, which are my reference gaming cans..The 880s can really throw a forward 3d image, and out of head experience, which I never heard before, similar to my MDR F1s but in a different way. The 700s do better the 880s sound stage in F/B depth, but feel the 880s deliver a more accurate picture albeit leaner, but more well rounded. Audio positioning and seperation are more clean cute, even though they might be a tad harder to detect at further distance, but onced 'locked' in, it will give you the better defined and more accurate audio location. Add in the superior clarity and detail, and the 880s are a clear winner..But is this fair? Take this as you will, since I cannot A/B them at the moment. I will buy the 880s again..Hopefully the 03 version, this yr.

Grade
SOLID B

These can change over time. These are just 1 hr inintial impressions. Will compare the AD700 to the MDR F1 and the 48a

 

[what?]

looking at your sig your comparing $100 cans to some very expensive ones?

c+ is quite a good result.

if your best cans are an A.

 

[kool bubba ice]

Quote:

Originally Posted by what? /img/forum/go_quote.gif looking at your sig your comparing $100 cans to some very expensive ones? c+ is quite a good result. if your best cans are an A.

My reference is my 48a..I now compare all other headphones to them. Technical wise, they are better then any other headphone I have had or heard, minus the K1000, although does SOME things a bit better...But still prefer the K1000..Its kills the 48s in imaging and sound stage width and depth.

 

[Acix]

So, you can say that they are the ultimate game headphones under $100??

 

[scytheavatar]

The mids of the AD700 is certainly not recessed, they are almost as forward as the MS1. At least the DT880 has far more recessed mids.

 

[fraseyboy]

Quote:

Originally Posted by scytheavatar /img/forum/go_quote.gif The mids of the AD700 is certainly not recessed, they are almost as forward as the MS1. At least the DT880 has far more recessed mids.

I agree.

Could be burn in though. I initially did consider the AD700's to have recessed mids but now they seem very up-front.

Can't say I agree with your review though.

 

[donunus]

i'm getting the ad700 in a few days too. i'll post pre-burn in and post burn impressions also

 

[mbd2884]

Hmm have to say this is one of the few reviews I did not like reading. Something is wrong when someone says the AD700 smears and the mids are recessed. I'd say get your ears checked and rush to the doctor fast.

Can understand if you don't like the AD700s, not for everyone, but your review is almost polar opposite of what the AD700s are, aside from subjective preferences.

 

[n3rdling]

The 'recessed mids' thing caught my eye, too. I never thought I'd see the AD700s described that way; to me its almost entirely mids with really rolled off highs and lows. Oh well, I guess that's why we all have different ears.

 

[Maxvla]

Keep in mind he is comparing these phones against perhaps one of the most analytical dynamic phones in existence. Comparatively they may be smeared.

 

[scytheavatar]

Quote:

Originally Posted by n3rdling /img/forum/go_quote.gif The 'recessed mids' thing caught my eye, too. I never thought I'd see the AD700s described that way; to me its almost entirely mids with really rolled off highs and lows. Oh well, I guess that's why we all have different ears.

That's what I was thinking too... a mid centric phone with recessed mids? What's next, a bassy phone that's cold? So while I can agree that the AD700's bass is delicate and lacks authority, and that there are phones with better soundstage, I think it's ridiculous to say that the AD700 has recessed mids, it's almost like saying that the HD650 is bright.

 

[donunus]

anyone notice big changes with burn in with these cans? maybe thats the culprit?

 

[n3rdling]

Quote:

Originally Posted by donunus /img/forum/go_quote.gif anyone notice big changes with burn in with these cans?

no

 

[genclaymore]

Quote:

Originally Posted by donunus /img/forum/go_quote.gif anyone notice big changes with burn in with these cans? maybe thats the culprit?

I did after the long long long long long time of useage when I used to have them. I dont even want to try to remember the ammount of hours I spent with them.

All I remember that I used them every day all day.

 

[glac1er]

No need to flame the op so quickly.

These are just impressions. He was comparing these to headphones couple times its price, some of them are very midcentric with superb separation. From my experience, the AD700 mids is focused more on the upper mids, and the low mids a bit back.

I do hope these impressions will be updated if any changes is noticed after more listening sessions. And comparing with headphones by memory is often inaccurate.