[ChariotsOfFire]

   
Without a doubt the K702's are a definite step up from the AD700. Bass goes down way deeper and treble is a bit more relaxed and cleaner without compromising that AD700 style grand soundstage. May take some work to find the right synergy amp and source wise however, while AD700's have the advantage of running fine without a dedicated amp AKG's do need one.

 
I am running the AD700's without a dedicated amp. I use them onyl with my PC's mobo soundcard that is  Realtek ALC898 with High Quality 110dB SNR HD audio
 
 

1. I plan to get the K702's and get an amp a month or two later. Think they'll be ok? 

 

[K_19]

Volume wise you'll probably still be able to get the K702 loud enough even with your onboard. They won't sound horrendous or anything, but it probably won't sound visibly better than the AD700 until you get a dedicated amp for it I suspect.

 

[TheGiantHogweed]

   
Without a doubt the K702's are a definite step up from the AD700. Bass goes down way deeper and treble is a bit more relaxed and cleaner without compromising that AD700 style grand soundstage. May take some work to find the right synergy amp and source wise however, while AD700's have the advantage of running fine without a dedicated amp AKG's do need one.

Isn't the bass already deep on the AD700s? I can here right down to 25hz or so. Yes, it is very quiet but it is there and it does sound deep. The frequency response of the K702s doesn't exactly go any deeper that the AD700s.
 
I am also thinking of having the K702s as a replacement for my AD700s though. I love the treble and soundstage on the AD700s but I am just after that little more bass. I wouldn't want to loose much of that bright top end.

 

[TheGiantHogweed]

  Had these headphones for just over 3 years. First proper headphones I've owned I admit it took a little getting used to lack of bass now I think they're amazing.
 
Sadly after 3 years of abuse from dropping them, getting cable caught up in my chair they've finally had enough.  The cable is naff, if only if it were removable I could replace it easily. 
 
I paid about £70 for the AD700's hardly anywhere seems to sell them. The newer AD700X are £160 on Amazon.   Over twice what I paid for my AD700's.
 

 
I'm looking at getting AK702's now they're made in China and removed the bumpy headband they look great for the current price. A step up from the AD700's?

I find it a shame about the price. I got my AD700s for £87. They are still working fine and are in good condition and I think they are getting on for 4 years old now. From what I have read, the AD700x's are poorly built with a thinner flimsy cable with a plastic/rubber end. It also gets tangles more easily I think. They sound as good but other than that, they seem to be quite a lot worse in terms of build quality.

 

[Gamingmusiclove]

Are k712 a good este up too? Ive heard its an improvement from k702

 

[RedBull]

I said k712 is improvement in comfort (they remove the headband bumps) and bass (3 db more over k702).

 

[Draulius]

Anyone know where to get replacement pads for this?

 

[TheGiantHogweed]

  Anyone know where to get replacement pads for this?

I can't quite remember how I got my replacements but I still have  the details with me.
 
If you are from the UK, then this may be they best way for you to get them.
 
The Address where I ordered them from is
 
Audio Technica Ltd
Technica House
Unit 5
Millennium way
Leeds
 
You will need to ask for this Item number:
 
Item number                                               Description                               
 
135303030                                                    ATH-AD500/700 Earpad Left
135303040                                                    ATH-AD500/700 Earpad Right
 
The phone number is 0113 277 1441.
 
 
They are not the most simple things to order.
 
As I bought them well over a year ago, I'm not sure if they will still be available to buy, especially as the AD700s are not made any more.
 
It is worth giving it a try though if you live in the UK. If you live elsewhere, look up your the phone number for where AT are based in your country and try asking for the same. (I would have thought the item numbers will be the same as it is still the same product)

 

[fjrabon]

I still have my AD700 and I still like it in certain applications.  Like others have said, you really can't match its soundstage without spending a LOT more money.  The downside is that it has to pull some tricks to get there.  Its enhanced soundstage is partially a product of its non-neutral frequency response.  The midrange is a bit veiled, which happens to be the bass presence frequencies as well (ie twice the frequency of the midbass).  This is why drums and bass sound distant, which creates a lot of the depth in the soundstage.  Unfortunately it's a bit artificial, and depending on the instruments being used, it can collapse.  And you get this weird effect when a bass player sounds like they're walking towards you as they play higher frequencies.  Drum kits sound weirdly separated, where the snare sounds closer to you than the kick drum and the deep toms sound like they're down the street.  
 
At times though, I feel that I'm unfair to it, I usually am comparing it to the HD650 and Grado SR225.  Sure, I'd love if the AD700 had the full rich bass of the HD650, the quickness/articulation of the SR225, but both those headphones cost 2-6 times as much.  The AD700 is a cheap, easily powered way to experience soundstage, and for somebody like me that's not an ultra soundstage head, that's a pretty valuable thing.  I get can get that soundstage expierence pretty cheaply without having to build a $1000+ setup around it.
 
Sure, it gets congested in very dense passages, sure it's got weird spikes and dips in frequency response, and sure the soundstage is a little bit artificial.  But it cost me like $70 and if you want that sort of soundstage, you're probably looking at something like the HD600/K701 and a really good amp as your next cheapest option.  The AD700 gives you a pretty amazing soundstage out of an iPhone.  
 
Also, my AD700 is now 7 years old and has 0 issues.  Pads are still holding up fine (though I sorta regret never buying replacements just in case, since they seem to be hard to find now), no cable issues, no issues with any part of the assembly failing.  I haven't treated it poorly, but I haven't gone out of my way to take care of it.  Build quality is pretty incredible for a sub $100 headphone.  

 

[Draulius]

Are there any other headphones with as wide of a soundstage as this besides the 900 and certain AKG headphones?

 

[fjrabon]

I think the HD800, HD600, HD 580 and HD650 are as wide, if not wider.  I think all the top end open headphones, with the exception of Beyer and Grado, sound as wide.  I don't think there is much that is easily "wider" and anything that was "wider" would almost certainly sound unnaturally wide.  Like I said above, in some sense, the AD700 already sounds artificially wide, because it pulls a few tricks to sound as deep and wide as it does.  

 

[jfcarbel]

There are good sale on HD598 for $150 so wondering if this would make a nice upgrade from my AD700.   From reading I think they have same sound stage.  Will the 598 have more bass?
How do they differ?
 
I will be using these for movie watching on an A/V receiver from HP out in living room.

 

[TheGiantHogweed]

  There are good sale on HD598 for $150 so wondering if this would make a nice upgrade from my AD700.   From reading I think they have same sound stage.  Will the 598 have more bass?
How do they differ?
 
I will be using these for movie watching on an A/V receiver from HP out in living room.

Not that I know much about them but I am sure they will have a little more bass. However, I don't think many headphones have the same spacious soundstage that these do. It will probably be hard to upgrade without missing something that these have. I don't know what will be best for me next either. Maybe something like the AKG K702.

 

[CaveManta]

So I kinda went mad scientist on one of my AD700s..
       
   I decided to try out the plastic wrap mod from this thread:
http://www.head-fi.org/t/588703/audio-technica-ad700-bass-monster-in-disguise
 
   The results are just ridiculous. It doesn't just have more, deeper bass now..it also sounds loose and boomy!
Bass quantity is above that of the Q701, but not quite as high as the M50. However, it is much muddier than either can.
The bass goes down very deep now, so I can clearly hear extremely low notes in songs. Maybe "clearly" isn't the right word.
 
   If you have an AD700 and are annoyed by its lack of bass quantity, you have to give this mod a try. It's very easy to do!
   I just got a big square of plastic wrap, put it around the ear pad, wrapped a rubber band around it(which fell into the crevice under the ear pad), and carefully trimmed the excess as well as the plastic in front of the driver. Just don't cut your cans, okay?
   One could put the plastic wrap over the pad and draw a circle on the plastic around where the rubber band will hold it, and cut out the circle without risking damage to the cans.
Try it out!
 
   One last thought... Though the mod is really fun(ny,) it's also a bit annoying. Nothing is more uncomfortable than plastic against your face. It gets hot and you can hear it crinkling..
A better way to do it would be to just get the plastic around the outside perimeter of the ear pads...but then it would slip off. So I don't know! Leather would definitely beat plastic.

 

[TheGiantHogweed]

  So I kinda went mad scientist on one of my AD700s..
       
   I decided to try out the plastic wrap mod from this thread:
http://www.head-fi.org/t/588703/audio-technica-ad700-bass-monster-in-disguise
 
   The results are just ridiculous. It doesn't just have more, deeper bass now..it also sounds loose and boomy!
Bass quantity is above that of the Q701, but not quite as high as the M50. However, it is much muddier than either can.
The bass goes down very deep now, so I can clearly hear extremely low notes in songs. Maybe "clearly" isn't the right word.
 
   If you have an AD700 and are annoyed by its lack of bass quantity, you have to give this mod a try. It's very easy to do!
   I just got a big square of plastic wrap, put it around the ear pad, wrapped a rubber band around it(which fell into the crevice under the ear pad), and carefully trimmed the excess as well as the plastic in front of the driver. Just don't cut your cans, okay?
   One could put the plastic wrap over the pad and draw a circle on the plastic around where the rubber band will hold it, and cut out the circle without risking damage to the cans.
Try it out!
 
   One last thought... Though the mod is really fun(ny,) it's also a bit annoying. Nothing is more uncomfortable than plastic against your face. It gets hot and you can hear it crinkling..
A better way to do it would be to just get the plastic around the outside perimeter of the ear pads...but then it would slip off. So I don't know! Leather would definitely beat plastic.

I have always thought that the AD700s have really deep bass but just really really quiet. I tried out these headphones with the AKG K550 ear pads and got pretty much the same sound results as you. Much more noticeable, but boomy and muddy bass! It also messed up the midrange (which I find to be pretty much perfect in the first place). The treble is reduced my too much too so these headphones really do need ear pads that leak sound pretty much. They need that to sound as open and spacious as they do.
 
I still find one of the best ways of getting better bass out of these is by using the FiiO E11 on bass boost 2. This amplifier boost the really deep bass unlike a lot of other amplifiers I have come across that seem to boost a slightly higher frequencies. With the E11, I am actually really enjoying certain reggae bands on these headphones. To me, all the bass notes are pretty noticeable and deep. Some of the mid bass notes on these headphones sometimes sound like they are trying too hard with the E11's bass boost but most of the time, it suits them very well.
 
As the E11 isn't a DAC, it to me only sounds good if you plug it into a good source. Most of the time, I plug it into the back of my FiiO E10 and that actually sounds better to me that the E10 its self. The treble is a little cleaner and the bass boost is both deeper and more powerful on the E11.
I also plug the E11 into the line out of my X3 with my AD700s and that sounds great too.
 
BTW, this was just one of your AD700s? I could do with some spares too for when (or if) mine ever decide to give up!