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

It's hard to describe what makes headphones sound "good". I've had a few, and while I'd like to be an audiophile, I don't think my ears are built to distinguish extremely small differences in sound between a pair of $1,000 and $1,500 headphones. However, I get a lot of sweet-spot pleasure with sub-$200 headphones. This is my second pair of Audio Technica headphones, the first being the ATX M50x. I've been using them almost exclusively on my computer for a few years now and they're great. I didn't really have a good reason to "upgrade" my headphones, but I like other headphones for other reasons. I have a pair of headphones in the same price range and they all sound different and I like them all for different reasons. I was ready to try something new and I remember seeing these headphones (along with the ad700x) for about double the price a few years ago. I love the idea of open back headphones and wanted to experience all the excitement so I gave these headphones a try. Back home I connected them to my Fiio Olympus 2 and started browsing my music library. The sound is really different. I don't think they sound any better or worse than my M50x, they just transport you to a different place when listening to music. As I write this, I'm listening to Phil Collins' Take Me Home. The snare drums are glued to the front left of me. There are 2 sets of toms, one slightly to the right of the snare and the other to the right. It sounds like I'm sitting between Phil and the drums and if I close my eyes I can almost see exactly how he set it up. The vocals move left to right as if Phil is walking around singing to different people in the room, turning his head to sing along to everyone. There is a spatial distance between me and the music, but I am in the room with it. I swear if I turn my head the music will envelop me like I'm in a studio. This is the best way to describe how open and airy these headphones are. When I hear people talking about "Soundstage" I always thought it meant an anemic sound, but that's not the case at all. The bass is there, I hear every note exactly where it's supposed to be. I'm not a bass player but I think the bass on them is really good. The fit is great too, they easily fit my medium sized head. There are no pressure points anywhere, and while there's almost no pressure, I don't feel like any parts of the ear cushions aren't gently covering my ears. These headphones are truly amazing. If you're looking for a good pair of open-back headphones, give these a try.