[TMRaven]

I put on my AD700 to listen to music a couple hours ago, but sense then I've lost it and don't know where to find it!  I looked all over my room and in every corner, but still can't find them...oh wait, they're still on my head.
 
Seriously, I've never had something that quite disappeared on my head quite like these.  Even though their actual fit is far from ideal, their comfort is off the charts.  No clamping force, oversized cups and the 3d wing system exerts no pressure at all on the top of my head.
 
As for bass, AD700 has plenty of bass, but no sub-bass at all.  You WILL lose some basslines in certain songs simply because the AD700 can't extend that low with competence.
 
When I listen to them from time to time I use this equalizer in iTunes sometimes, appropriately named 'AD700 Basshead.'
 
http://i26.photobucket.com/albums/c104/twisted_metal_2/Screenshot2011-04-09at100228PM.png
 
It brings that bass quantity up, but the bass is already so light and tight, then it never gets to the point of being bloated.  It makes drums in properly recorded songs a bit punchy, but won't give you that ghetto-tastic car rumble that one might look for.  There's always the DT770 80ohm and XB700 for that.
 

 

[Mad Max]

Quite nice how they float on your head.
A KICAS Caliente should fill out the bass a bit very nicely, I imagine.
 

 

[SunnyDaze]

Well, I picked up a set of almost new ATH-AD700's along with a set of Sony MDR-V6's for a whopping $60. 
 
My noggin is fairly large, as I'm 6'4" and weigh 310 lbs. I noticed that when I had them on, there was a 1/2 inch gap between the top of the ear pads and my head. I pushed them flush against my ears, and noticed a world of difference. 
 
After unsuccessfully attempting to gently bend the two bars that hold the cans together, I became frustrated and attempted the brute-force method. Following the gorillaesque bending process, the metal bars formed a slight peak at the top, and the two head supports now touch one another while the headphones are "resting". The sound is MUCH improved. The soundstage is slightly compromised, but the midrange and bass improvements are significant enough to negate the slight loss of staging. 
 
I'm not guaranteeing yours won't break if you attempt this, but, mine didn't. For the $60 some odd dollars that I had into these cans, $30 if you count the V6's, it was well worth it for me to take that risk. 
 
Good luck, and happy listening! 

 

[yepimonfire]

hahaha i did the same thing! yes, it was unsuccessful. it brings out the mids when you push em in doesn't it? better advice......push the entire headphone up and they will seal around your ear better.

 

[SunnyDaze]

I'm sorry you didn't have the same luck that I did. Mine fit perfectly now, and are flush and as you'd call it, "up" against my ears at all times. 
 
I bent pretty hard, I was 99% sure that the bars that make up the headband were going to snap. 

 

[yepimonfire]

i've noticed strange issue with this as well. seems like one side or the other randomly sounds different very slightly then the other, it changes between which side decides to sound slightly louder from one day to the next. have no idea what causes it. already exchanged them once. i also find the soundstage to be slightly incoherent at times, for example a cymbal mixed into the left will shift the entire soundstage left, of course this is all psychoacoustic in nature and is probably due to the brightness of these headphones but it can be irritating at times.
 
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OK, these phones are starting to drive me nuts.  Earlier this week, I listened to a couple of hours of music, and was very happy with what I heard.  The next day, I watched a Blu-Ray movie (Saving Private Ryan) and was highly impressed with sound quality/sound-stage/surround effect, but did notice that my old channel imbalance problem seemed to be creeping back (right was slightly, but noticeably, quieter than left).  Last night, I listened to a concert Blu-Ray (Tom Petty), and the soundstage seemed constricted and the perception of channel imbalance was very noticeable.  Finally, I played some Halo: Reach through them, and they sounded pretty much right again (but perhaps SLIGHTLY channel imbalanced).
 
I realize I've jumped quite a bit between sources here, both in terms of content and equipment.  I can easily believe that the particular concert I watched was just recorded in such a way that the soundstage feels closed-in.  What I have a harder time understanding is why the perception of a channel imbalance seems to come and go!  It seems least noticeable when playing 2-channel music directly from my CD player or from an A/V receiver.  Occasionally a bit noticeable when gaming with an XBox 360 thru an Astro MixAmp wireless.  Just short of bothersome when watching a movie (DTS-HD MA soundtrack) with my Blu-Ray player into the Astro MixAmp.  And downright annoying when watching a concert (also DTS-HD MA) with the same Blu-Ray player/MixAmp chain.
 
I did A/B between the AD700s and a cheapo pair of earbuds to see if the channel imbalance appeared to be caused by the source content or equipment, and it seemed that the channel imbalance went away with the earbuds (of course, sound quality was another matter).  I'm starting to wonder if I need to return the pair I have and get a replacement...

 

 

 

[CupCak3]

Quote:

Well, I picked up a set of almost new ATH-AD700's along with a set of Sony MDR-V6's for a whopping $60. 
 
My noggin is fairly large, as I'm 6'4" and weigh 310 lbs. I noticed that when I had them on, there was a 1/2 inch gap between the top of the ear pads and my head. I pushed them flush against my ears, and noticed a world of difference. 
 
After unsuccessfully attempting to gently bend the two bars that hold the cans together, I became frustrated and attempted the brute-force method. Following the gorillaesque bending process, the metal bars formed a slight peak at the top, and the two head supports now touch one another while the headphones are "resting". The sound is MUCH improved. The soundstage is slightly compromised, but the midrange and bass improvements are significant enough to negate the slight loss of staging. 
 
I'm not guaranteeing yours won't break if you attempt this, but, mine didn't. For the $60 some odd dollars that I had into these cans, $30 if you count the V6's, it was well worth it for me to take that risk. 
 
Good luck, and happy listening! 

What are your thoughts on the AD700 vs the V6?  The V6s were my first set that I bought for using at work to drown out the background noise.  I am decently happy with them.  A couple weeks ago I bought a set of AD700s for use at home (music and gaming).  I just cannot get used to the bottom end.

 

[cam94z28]

Has anyone tried alternate pads for these? Preferably ones that will both fill the 1/2" gap between the top of the pads and the head. I don't like the idea of bending the frame. With my luck I'll probably bend it the wrong way

Is there a detailed video out there?
 
It's a shame these have so much bass potential (especially out of the digizoid ZO), but that doesn't do any good if there's a 1/2" gap on both sides

 

[catsndogs]

I added a pair to my collection recently, and I simply love them. I have heard stronger bass (though not deeper), but in all other respects they are the equal of anything else I have ever had the opportunity to try.
 
They are also an astonishing deal. MSRP was originally $280 when they were new, and I think they were a good deal at that price. I paid $90 shipped for mine, and they are an absolute steal!

 

[catsndogs]

My enthusiasm for these has actually waned a bit. They are great with certain types of music, but the lack of bass slam makes them poor all-arounders.
 
That wouldn't be a problem if I liked switching headphones frequently, but I don't. I prefer to hook up one pair and leave them hooked up so that I can focus on the music, which makes it a requirement for me that any headphone I use must be a good all-arounder.

 

[BloodyHell]

I'm bummed I'm so late to the party!!! I picked up my AD700s a couple years ago, before my son was born. I figured, I won't have any money to spend on myself after he's born so, I might as well splurge now.
 
All I can say is, I'm incredibly impressed with these cans, even 2+ years later. Like a fine wine, age has only made these beauties that much better. I got them mostly for movies and gaming, and they've more than exceeded my expectations. If there are any other gamers on this thread, I HIGHLY recommend pairing the AD700s with Dead Space, either the first or second. The spacious sound, coupled with the eerie soundtrack of the game made for some horrific gaming sessions, at least for me. The cans do a phenomenal job of detailing close-by sounds vs. far-off sounds vs. sounds that are coming from the room you're about to enter. I can't count on two hands how many times I looked left or right, expecting to see something about to attack me. They're THAT articulate. 
 
I'm not a basshead, so I am more than happy with the amount of bass these cans put out. Still, to this day, I just can't get over how BIG the overall sound is. HUGE difference between my HD 448s, which are still burning in, but are slowly getting to where I like them. IMHO, and I haven't tried many cans, but I can't see too many headphones beating the AD700s for gaming.

 

[thecos00]

I am a new owner and so far I'm very impressed.  I have the Grado SR60i's and I definitely prefer these.  What's more, they don't need an amp.  I tried using these with a DAC with headphone output, tube headphone amp, straight from a laptop and Sansa Clip+ and they all drove these cans pretty well.  I didn't notice much difference.

 

[Deed]

After about three years of to-and-froing between "I don't need headphones," "I want some headphones, but I'm waiting to see a good price" and "I might get some for my birthday/Christmas," I finally have a pair of these.  I'm in love.  I know that I could've done better if I were to stretch my budget, but as a first pair of circumaurals, my AD700s are simply fantastic.  They appear to have the perfect sound signature for me, as they sound very transparent and the bass doesn't get in the way at all.
 
Running them through speakers connected directly to my Inspiron 1520, I tested them with Aphex Twin's '54 Cymru Beats'.  Not the best setup or choice of track, but immediately, the clarity and separation that I heard from this track blew my mind.  The best part is that, if I want an artificially high amount of bass, the headphones respond extremely well to EQing.  Seriously; there's enough there that any track can be enjoyed, as many tracks have an overabundance of bass anyway.
 
I can see what some people mean about the recessed mids in these things, but as we hear midrange frequencies more easily, this isn't a problem for me.  There is definitely enough treble without it being overbearing.  Again, if a track has too much treble, then it can be EQed out/the producers are fools.  What's important is that everything is there and it works quite harmoniously.
 
My only real issues are that the headphones were bought used and creak a fair amount.  They're also pretty large on my head and I tend to shift them around a lot in order to get the best sound out of them.  Having said that, they're incredibly comfortable and I've even slept in them.  I doubt that wearing them around my neck would be a problem either, so I could even take these things with me, so that I can wear them when doing production.
 
I remember trying out 555s years ago, thinking that they were nice, but the sound felt overly dampened and, after being impressed initially, I didn't find them to be too engaging.  Having listened to 558s the other week, they sounded much better, but I didn't feel like spending an extra £30.  Besides, the unusual design of the AD700s were far too appealing for me to pass them up.  If I get sick of these, then I'd go for 558s.  However, I'm very happy for the time being.
 
To close, I feel that this is a great pair of headphones for their price and for somebody who hasn't owned as much as a midrange pair.  Even their appearance has grown on me.  The grills are much shinier than I thought.

 

[FuzzyD]

I still use my AD700s for gaming but finally got sick and tired enough of the squeaking sounds they would make when I move my head and decided to do something about it. It's very easy to fix and only takes a few minutes. Just grab a toothbrush and some white lithium grease. Dab a small amount on the brush and work the grease into all of the little cracks and crevices and moving parts you can find. Wipe off the excess with a paper towel, and voila! Silent headphones! An added benefit is since you no longer hear them squeak, they get even more comfortable because you're not thinking about them sitting on your head as much anymore.

 

[SwtVengeance]

Hey sry for bringing up this old thread, I see many veteran ad700 users here so~ heres my part. I bought a 2nd hand fully working mint conditioned ad700 for about $SGD110 ($USD90), everything works well and I used for 2 months until yesterday while I was playing BF3, my left side just went off. There wasnt any tugging at the wire or pressure on any part of the wire. Even if there was a slight pressure, im sure the thick wire has enough protection to prevent damage. Anyone know what could be the possibility of what went wrong? Im guessing its a short... if theres a way to repair please give suggestions, I often tinker things so im quite confident of opening it up. I was using Asus Xonar DG with settings 6 Channels, Sample rate: PCM 96KHz, Analog out: Headphone(Pro-gaming mode 32-64ohms), 7.1 Virtual speaker shifter and Dolby headphones. Please help me!! I used up quite a lot(Im still schooling) of my savings to get this beast!