Review on Audio-Technica ATH-AD700X: 🎧 Top-Quality, Open-Air Black Audiophile Headphones by Justin Puranik

First of all: These cans NEED replacement pads. I seriously considered selling them before changing pads because I wasn't happy with the comfort of the stock pads. With standard ear pads, the inside of the cups (the driver cover) pressed against my ears (an uncomfortable feeling), the headphones pressed against my upper jaw (not nice either), the headphones felt too low on my head. YMMV, but many reviews of these headphones say the same about comfort. Bad bad bad. I decided to try the Brainwavz XL Velor memory foam pads available from Revain for $28.50 and I highly recommend them. Brainwav's velor pads range in comfort from very poor to very good (but still not perfect since the headband isn't adjustable in width). Do it. They are very light. There's no "head hammer" feeling here. The cups, drivers, headband and fender mounts are lightweight, and that lightness goes hand-in-hand with their sound. There are very open headphones. As advertised on the Audio Technica AD1000x webpage they have an open sound. I would also use the word "air". The soundstage is quite wide, not as big as the HD800 I once owned briefly (people say the AD900x is even wider, although I haven't tried them), but it's definitely still wide. from these headphones. It's so nice to be able to listen to a Pink Floyd Division Bell (or any other Pink Floyd) album and just appreciate the placement of different instruments on the soundstage. There's a good reason why people call these headphones the "Gaming King". Strings and vocals sound majestic in it. Voices are crisp and clear, not drowned out by other details. You can make out those slight sighs and salivate sounds the singers make before they deliver their words (pretty rude I know, but awesome too!). The stringed instruments are alive and I can just immerse myself in them. I like it. For me, these are headphones with normal bass. Other people call these low-bass headphones, but I think that's probably because there are so many bass-emphasizing headphones out there that it's easy to think they lack bass, especially if you're used to closed-back headphones are. But after listening to them for a while, my ears got used to the bright, open, and airy sound signature, and I found there was enough bass even for hip-hop and electronic music. Well, I should probably point out that I don't like dark headphones, and if you do, you might not like that sound signature. On the other hand, maybe your hearing will adapt and you will appreciate it. You never know! WHY, WHY IS THE CABLE NOT DISCONNECTED? It's also 10 feet long and straight. I've ridden a chair bike over it 7 times. Easy to drive 40 ohm, 102 dB/mW sensitivity. A powerful amplifier is not required. TOTAL: If visuals, vocals, strings and lightness are the keywords for your next set of headphones, look no further. Fans of punchy bass look elsewhere.