PLEASE HELP me find replacement cans for my AD700s! $200 and below

[ashxcore]

I've had my AD700s for about two years now, but now I seem to be having wiring issues so that I have to constantly fiddle with the cable in order to get sound to come out of the right ear. While they still work, this is very annoying and it's time to upgrade/get something new. I've always had a weird relationship with those 'phones, as I initially found them boring and lacking in bass, but as they are on their last leg and my only 'phones to speak of at current, I have fallen in love with their sound signature a little bit. Anyhow, the only other pair of decent cans I owned before that were their closed cousin, the A700s, which I disliked and sold relatively quickly. I generally prefer earphones, but there's something to be said for lush velour pads on the ear and a painless canal! 
 
Anyhow, I am a basshead and listen to a lot of different music. Mostly rock, from anything like indie to death metal. I am also a huge fan of dubstep, so I need some deep, boomy bass. Hip hop too. On the other hand, I enjoy classical, jazz, and other genres where detail is important. I guess I can't win, can I?? 
 
I imagine I prefer open cans. I know for sure I like velour pads rather than the sweat-inducing leather/pleather buggers. What else might be relevant info? I just ordered the Fischer Audio Eternas to replace the darling Denon C551s I lost over the summer (which replaced their beloved big brother C700s that I killed, which replaced the boring Super-Fi 3s that I killed, which replaced Shure e2cs that I returned, which replaced a few Creative EP 630s). I think this should give a good idea of the sound signature I prefer, seeing as I lack the adequate vocabulary to describe it. 

Just a reminder, I do not want to spend a penny over $200. I'm a cheapskate and I've just had to replace my earphones... 
 
Oh yes. I will be listening to these primarily unamped from my Zune 120, occasionally from my phone (Nokia e71), maybe from my desktop or netbook. I do have a Minibox D somewhere, though. 

 

[jschristian44]

few quick questions.  would you want an in-ear IEM?  i can suggest the perfect headphone for you if you like the ad700's signature.  if not, then i would suggest the Audio Technica M-50's.  There was just a sale on Amazon for them, but I think they will fit your needs perfectly.  They are around 100 so that will fit your needs perfect as well.  if you want me to mod your ad700's so they can have replaceable cables, i can do that, i think that would be your cheapest bet instead of getting a new headphone.  it sounds just like a wire is loose some place and i could make the cables detachable and make it dual entry.

 

[ashxcore]

Quote:

few quick questions.  would you want an in-ear IEM?  i can suggest the perfect headphone for you if you like the ad700's signature.  if not, then i would suggest the Audio Technica M-50's.  There was just a sale on Amazon for them, but I think they will fit your needs perfectly.  They are around 100 so that will fit your needs perfect as well.  if you want me to mod your ad700's so they can have replaceable cables, i can do that, i think that would be your cheapest bet instead of getting a new headphone.  it sounds just like a wire is loose some place and i could make the cables detachable and make it dual entry.

Huh? I just bought a pair of IEMs. 
Out of curiosity, what would that headphone, be?
Funny, I was looking at the M50s today. Too bad I missed the $11 offer... Anyhow, a closed phone? Really? 

How much would the cable replacement service be? Apparently I need to replace a $300 phone I just bought last year, so that may be my best bet. Sigh. 

 

[jschristian44]

the iem i was talking about is the re-zero's.  they are simply amazing in detail and clarity i really like them.  as for the m50's, yes they are a closed headphone.  i am like you and really like the open ear style for the sweat proof and more air through and stuff but to be honest, the m50's look really comfortable and they dont look as bad as other closed headphones from the reviews i've read.  i would really suggest trying them out if you want a full sized headphone.  if you want iem's, the re-zero's are the ones you want to get, trust me you won't be disappointed if your coming from ad700s.

 

[ashxcore]

I just bought a pair of IEMs today so i don't quite fancy buying another pair. I was reading a review on them today and they sound too analytical for my liking, I really liked the Denon IEM sound signature most. 
 
I love the price point of the M50s. 

Is there a mod somewhere for velour pads?

 

[VulgarDisplay]

The m50's have a closed in soundstage which definitely doesn't sound anything like the ad700's.  If the open and airy sound is what you liked about the ad700's I would suggest looking for something else.  

 

[ashxcore]

Yeah, I would prefer open 'phones, preferably with velour pads, but I'm keeping all my options open, especially at the pricepoint.
 
I fell in love with my AD700s again today listening to some strings in a song by The Good Life. Beautiful! I have underestimated the clarity and the soundstage... Or maybe I was just extra attentive as I was doing mundane work and now I'm hunting for new cans. 

 

[jschristian44]

yeah but he said he likes bass.  so its kindof a trade off.  the only other solution i can think of is the dt880 or dt990 in the 32 ohm version.  sometimes they go pretty cheap on amazon as used, so check there or the classifieds here.

 

[Jarrod]

Even the 32ohm DT880/990 suffer when not amped.I wouldn't get the Beyers without an amp.

 

[ashxcore]

I love bass, but that doesn't have to be the be all and end all. 
 
32 ohms doesn't sound like too high of an impedance to need amping. My AD700s are also 32 ohms, yes? I almost never amped them. Or is it something about the Beyers in particular that makes them suffer from an un-amped source?
 
I happen to be female, btw. Just sayin'. 

 

[jschristian44]

they made a 32 ohm for people without amps.  the 600 versions and such do much better with bass and sound when amped, thats why they made them.  honestly, i would just keep the ad700's because they are a very nice headphone and im having a hard time finding something that competes with them.  if the ad700's had the m50's bass they would be the perfect headphone.

 

[KuKuBuKu]

Denon D2000? Heard it's very bassy. I think you need an amp for it though.
 
Rather than a 200 dollar headphone, it's better to get a cheap set of phones and an amp.

 

[Mad Lust Envy]

The DT990 will be the easiest transition from the AD700 to a bassy (yet open) headphone. They DO need an amp, regardless of ohm rating. You won't be sacrificing a large amount of soundstage like you would with a closed headphone, and the treble peak is similar. As for a true upgrade to the AD700, the K701/K702 does what the AD700s does but better, IMHO. Amp is also necessary though.
 
edit: Dunno how I missed the big "$200 AND BELOW". NVM.

 

[Proglover]

Go for Beyers, not all of them need amp, certainly not
 
(depends on how demanding you are on those 'few last %'s in SQ', but if you were that extremely demanding, you would spend more on cans, cables, amps, I guess.)
 
Beyers can sound very fine unamped

 

[jschristian44]

ive been told the 32 ohm versions of the Beyer's don't need an amp.  some people say they do.  i'm sure they would help with an amp like any headphone, but it just isn't required to get decent sound from them as say the 600 ohm version would need.