[Mad Max]

A2000X and don't look back, buddy.  That's the transition I made within ATH.
The soundstage won't be as large, but it will be a far less colored soundstage compared to AD700, and even more accurate.
Or AD900X may be the end of the line for you.  AD2000/AD1000 are a different set of beasts from the rest of the AD line as far as people say.
 
Another possibility is T90, even more treble than AD700 and more bass than AKGs, but far more refined and far less colored than AD700.  You'll need a hefty amp for T90 though.

 

[roguegeek]

  Alright, so several months back, I attempted to shorten the headband on my AD700 because I just wasn't happy with the fit (or really any of AT's wing band fit). It required cutting the wire on one of the drivers because a single wire does run through the headband. It seems just reattaching it doesn't work. I'm going to provide pics tonight, but if anyone has any idea until then, let me know.

 

[Mad Max]

The wires must be tinned first so you can solder them.

 

[roguegeek]

The wires must be tinned first so you can solder them.

Shouldn't I be able to test the driver if I just hold the wires together, though? Im not hearing any sound through that side when I do that.

 

[Mad Max]

The very, very tips of the wires are exposed for such a thing.  This is "in theory", though, I've never succeeded in pulling it off myself without tinning the wires first.  The reason why is because of the enamel coating of each strand of each wire.
 
And when I tin the wires, I crank up my solder iron to max heat and create a sizeable blob of solder on the iron's tip to imitate a solder pot and tin the wires with that.  Works perfectly with a bit of practice, but I assume that you don't have a solder iron?

 

[roguegeek]

  The very, very tips of the wires are exposed for such a thing.  This is "in theory", though, I've never succeeded in pulling it off myself without tinning the wires first.  The reason why is because of the enamel coating of each strand of each wire.
 
And when I tin the wires, I crank up my solder iron to max heat and create a sizeable blob of solder on the iron's tip to imitate a solder pot and tin the wires with that.  Works perfectly with a bit of practice, but I assume that you don't have a solder iron?

I do. Just not much experience with DYI. I did successfully complete the Crack with Speedball last year, so I should be ok. I'm also not familiar with the terminology. Tin?
 
Edit: Yeah, I did that all the time. Just didn't remember the name. Alright, will try right now and see if that driver comes back to life. Update coming.

 

[roguegeek]

Something I started in March 2013. It should have only taken a couple hours, but I never got around to finishing it until today...
 
Quote:

  Alright, after picking up a couple other headphones to fill in my critical voids, I feel better about going back to the AD700 and attempting to make it fit right. I have a small head and am having the same problem most people have with these cans which is they don't really create a comfortable seal. I've seen a lot of the mods out there and I really have no want to perform a lot of them due to how intrusive and unclassy they generally are. Rubber bands around the top and bent bands in the shape of a cone head aren't going to cut it for me.
 
After spending some time with them, I'm wondering if anyone has tried to shorten and reshape the two bands on top. I'm thinking I could cut a half inch from both sides and reshape the metal so it's pleasant looking again.
 
Can anyone point me in the right direction to where this may have been attempted already or should I just start hacking away at it myself?

Screw it. I'm trying it and none of you are gonna stop me!

So I fully disassembled the cans turns out you don't need to remove anything dealing with the actual drivers or cups. You can get to everything dealing with the bands if you just disassemble the adjustment assembly that's held together with the two visible screws. I've taken just one of the wire bands out (the one without the additional wiring). These wire bands are extremely strong and somewhat difficult to cut and make harder edged bends in it. What I think I'm going to do is take the wire band and the rubber covering over to a hardware store and get some new wire that I can shorten and reshape to my needs.
 
Still wondering if anyone has done this before or not. If not, I may make a new thread with visuals on everything I'm doing. Let me know if anyone is actually interested in this or if I'm simply doing it all for myself. Whatever the case, if this works, I'm going to be super happy to have a pair of perfectly fitting AD700s.

I've pulled the top wire band out and have visited Home Depot and Osh trying to find the exact same wire, but it hasn't been working out. The wire is about 14 gauge and extremely stiff. I can find 14 gauge wire, but it's all a lot more soft and pliable than the wire found in the AD700. I've attached a picture of the wire and rubber tubbing that covers it. Can anyone point me in the right direction?
 

Figured it out. It has to do with the temper process. Most common steal wire is soft tempered which makes it very pliable. The wire in the AD700 is steal, but is spring tempered which makes it a butt load less pliable and generally "springs" back to its shaped state. Just bought a bunch of it.

  Alright, so several months back, I attempted to shorten the headband on my AD700 because I just wasn't happy with the fit (or really any of AT's wing band fit). It required cutting the wire on one of the drivers because a single wire does run through the headband. It seems just reattaching it doesn't work. I'm going to provide pics tonight, but if anyone has any idea until then, let me know.

 
Final assembled everything back together.
 

 
I've always had problems with AT's wing design. I have bought and returned so many AT cans with hope it would be different, but never was. Returning the ATH-W1000X was particularly heartbreaking. With my AD700, the risk was so low that it was worth playing around. 
 
I took about 3/4" off both sides and reshaped the wire slightly. You can see how close the wings are now. It's a perfect fit on my head now and I get a good seal all the way around my ears. The pressure is a little nicer than before and I don't have to worry about them falling off.
 
This has also been the first time I've listened to the AD700 in about two years now and I'm in love all over again. I seriously have no idea how they were able to get this much sound out of so little money. I'm a happy camper today.

 

[TheGiantHogweed]

I feel like I will struggle to find headphones with a soundstage as good as these without paying a lot more. I also would miss the treble if my next pair didn't have the amount these have. The only thing I am after is just a little more bass. It looks like the AD700X ad AD900X pretty much sound the same as the old models but are let down in almost all the other areas. On the AD700X, it looks like the cable is thin and has a cheap plastic plug at the end. The frame also looks cheaper and more flimsy. I really wish that that the build quality would stay the same. The cable is one of the best things about my AD700s. It it very solid, yet very flexible and it never manages to get tangled. Also, the plug at the end is metal and very solid again. When using the 6.3mm adaptor, it doesn't even look like you are using one.
I got my AD700s for £87 and a few months before I got them, they were available for about £69 which I can hardly believe. Out of all the audio equipment I have ever heard, these easily have the most wide and spacious sound. The AD700X are much more expensive, and from what I have seen, many of people who have had both do say that other than the sound, they are quite a big let down in comparison with the AD700s.
 
Mine still feel like they will last quite a bit longer and I still have a spare pair of replacement ear pads which is good. The original AD900s also look nice and from what I have seed, they have an even better build that my AD700s do.
I think I have had my AD700s for over 3 years now and they still sound as good as they used to. I feel like it is going to be very hard to find a new pair of headphones in the Audio Technica ATH-AD range that is a similar price and build as my AD700s are. I feel quite Lucky to have a pair of these now they are quite hard to get hold of.

 

[roguegeek]

  I feel like I will struggle to find headphones with a soundstage as good as these without paying a lot more. I also would miss the treble if my next pair didn't have the amount these have. The only thing I am after is just a little more bass. It looks like the AD700X ad AD900X pretty much sound the same as the old models but are let down in almost all the other areas. On the AD700X, it looks like the cable is thin and has a cheap plastic plug at the end. The frame also looks cheaper and more flimsy. I really wish that that the build quality would stay the same. The cable is one of the best things about my AD700s. It it very solid, yet very flexible and it never manages to get tangled. Also, the plug at the end is metal and very solid again. When using the 6.3mm adaptor, it doesn't even look like you are using one.
I got my AD700s for £87 and a few months before I got them, they were available for about £69 which I can hardly believe. Out of all the audio equipment I have ever heard, these easily have the most wide and spacious sound. The AD700X are much more expensive, and from what I have seen, many of people who have had both do say that other than the sound, they are quite a big let down in comparison with the AD700s.
 
Mine still feel like they will last quite a bit longer and I still have a spare pair of replacement ear pads which is good. The original AD900s also look nice and from what I have seed, they have an even better build that my AD700s do.
I think I have had my AD700s for over 3 years now and they still sound as good as they used to. I feel like it is going to be very hard to find a new pair of headphones in the Audio Technica ATH-AD range that is a similar price and build as my AD700s are. I feel quite Lucky to have a pair of these now they are quite hard to get hold of.

Man, I know what you mean. The AD700 was one of my first real headphone purchases and it's almost a shame it was because I was spoiled early and have been in search of that soundstage and detail retrieval ever since. I'm definitely a soundstage and detail whore at this point. The K702 (not the K702 65th or K712) was a step in the right direction, but that thing is so uncomfortable for long session. I'm finally back where I belong with the HD 800, but it took a $1500 headphone to get there again.

 

[TheGiantHogweed]

 
Man, I know what you mean. The AD700 was one of my first real headphone purchases and it's almost a shame it was because I was spoiled early and have been in search of that soundstage and detail retrieval ever since. I'm definitely a soundstage and detail whore at this point. The K702 (not the K702 65th or K712) was a step in the right direction, but that thing is so uncomfortable for long session. I'm finally back where I belong with the HD 800, but it took a $1500 headphone to get there again.

I was thinking that the K702s could be my next pair of open backed headphones but I did not realize that they were uncomfortable. From the sound of it, I think the K702 has more bass but slightly less treble and that may take me a bit of time to get used to. I just love the amount of treble the AD700s have The bass would be nice to have more of though. I am so used to the 3D wings of the AD700s that I may not like anything different to that. I am just amazed by the detail on these. Nothing I have ever heard sound as good as these in terms of soundstage, openness and detail. I have heard plenty of headphones and speakers with better bass but not any that match the soundstage of the AD700s. I have not heard a huge amount of expensive speakers though. But I have heard lots that are way more expensive than the AD700s are but they still don't sound as good other than the bass. I just can't understand the price they were selling for at the time I got them. It is disappointing that the AD700X looks to be let down by the build quality and is also much more expensive. I just am so pleased that mine are still working well. They still feel like they will last a long time

 

[CaveManta]

   The AD700 was the first headphone to amaze me, and it continues to do so! But hoping to get more sub-bass, I moved up to the Q701 a few months ago. Its fit is really not as nice as Audio Technica's 3D wing design, instead supplying torturous headband bumps and extremely stiff earpads. They aren't terribly uncomfortable, they just don't "disappear" on my head.
   The Q701 seems to have slightly less treble than the AD700, mostly because it's at less of a peak. Its treble is more broad and smooth. I actually find the AD700's treble to sound a little grainy because it has such a sharp spike. So overall, I find the Q701's bass and treble to be much more neutral(or should I say natural.)

  
   RogueGeek, I'm actually not surprised that you still love your AD700. Is the HD800's soundstage as "expansive/airy" as the AD700's? I feel worried that the AD700 might stand alone with the sense of space it presents. Almost as if it's more of a defect than something Audio Technica intended. Because after all, as you go up higher in the AD line, you get less soundstage size.
  The soundstage of the Q701 definitely doesn't have the "airiness" of the AD700. It actually sounds more like listening to speakers in nearfield positioning. It's like there's a wall that no sound can get past. I seem to perceive more soundstage/air from the AD700 than I do from actual speakers!

 

[Mad Max]

That's pretty much right on about Q701.
 
Also, AD700 doesn't show you the soundstage that the music itself "intends", while Q701 does to a greater extent.  A2000X even more, their soundstages are much less "colored" than AD700's that way.

 

[roguegeek]

 
I was thinking that the K702s could be my next pair of open backed headphones but I did not realize that they were uncomfortable. From the sound of it, I think the K702 has more bass but slightly less treble and that may take me a bit of time to get used to. I just love the amount of treble the AD700s have The bass would be nice to have more of though. I am so used to the 3D wings of the AD700s that I may not like anything different to that. I am just amazed by the detail on these. Nothing I have ever heard sound as good as these in terms of soundstage, openness and detail. I have heard plenty of headphones and speakers with better bass but not any that match the soundstage of the AD700s. I have not heard a huge amount of expensive speakers though. But I have heard lots that are way more expensive than the AD700s are but they still don't sound as good other than the bass. I just can't understand the price they were selling for at the time I got them. It is disappointing that the AD700X looks to be let down by the build quality and is also much more expensive. I just am so pleased that mine are still working well. They still feel like they will last a long time

The K702 with the bump headband is widely reported to be uncomfortable. Starting with the K702 65th Anniversary Edition, they removed the bumps and made it flat. A lot of people love it now, but I still find it very uncomfortable for long periods of time. The K702 (and particularly the K702.65th and K712) definitely have more bass extension and impact over the AD700. It's not light on treble either. Not as much as the AD700, but enough that people still call them bright cans. The soundstage is also not as expansive as the AD700, but it's not far off. That being said, the K702 and beyond has a ton more treble, soundstage, detail retrieval, and separation than a vast majority of cans out there. You may be in the same boat as me where the AD700 has just spoiled you too much in those aspects.

 

[roguegeek]

     The AD700 was the first headphone to amaze me, and it continues to do so! But hoping to get more sub-bass, I moved up to the Q701 a few months ago. Its fit is really not as nice as Audio Technica's 3D wing design, instead supplying torturous headband bumps and extremely stiff earpads. They aren't terribly uncomfortable, they just don't "disappear" on my head.
   The Q701 seems to have slightly less treble than the AD700, mostly because it's at less of a peak. Its treble is more broad and smooth. I actually find the AD700's treble to sound a little grainy because it has such a sharp spike. So overall, I find the Q701's bass and treble to be much more neutral(or should I say natural.)

  
   RogueGeek, I'm actually not surprised that you still love your AD700. Is the HD800's soundstage as "expansive/airy" as the AD700's? I feel worried that the AD700 might stand alone with the sense of space it presents. Almost as if it's more of a defect than something Audio Technica intended. Because after all, as you go up higher in the AD line, you get less soundstage size.
  The soundstage of the Q701 definitely doesn't have the "airiness" of the AD700. It actually sounds more like listening to speakers in nearfield positioning. It's like there's a wall that no sound can get past. I seem to perceive more soundstage/air from the AD700 than I do from actual speakers!

The AD700, IMO, does stand alone in those aspects until you hit the $1500 mark with the HD 800 which absolutely slays it. If you want to do better than that with soundstage, get ready to fork over $4500 for some Stax. The Q701/K702 is a happy medium and definitely has the largest soundstage in the mid-fi realm.

 

[roguegeek]

  That's pretty much right on about Q701.
 
Also, AD700 doesn't show you the soundstage that the music itself "intends", while Q701 does to a greater extent.  A2000X even more, their soundstages are much less "colored" than AD700's that way.

Yeah, that's a point I forgot to make. The AD700 is definitely very very open, but is it natural? I don't think so. The reason I'm just such a huge fan is because of competitive gaming reasons where audio cues and positioning are key. So much of a fan that I just purchased an ATH-ADG1 which is just a headset version of the AD700.