Audio Technica ATH-A700 Headphones Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)SUMMARY
With excellent sound fidelity and a wide sound stage these are a great pair of headphones for the price (current street around $120 US). My only quibbles come from the mechanical design of the headset which leads to unwanted sounds when listening at low volume levels. If subtle extraneous sounds don't bother you, then they may be perfect for you.

PROS
Excellent sound quality - Extremely wide soundstage, clear instrument separation and strong, but clean bass.
Extremely comfortable - Very little pressure around the ear and the headband system doesn't have any hot spots.
Great cord - Long cord allows for some mobility and the woven fabric sheath doesn't transmit sound when bumped.

CONS
Mid-range lacking - May sound like equalizer is on "U" shape. Not as "smooth" as the Sennheiser HD-280.
Noisy headband - Creaking sound transmits through headband system into the ear cups. Fine if you keep still, but when you move around you may hear creaking sounds.
Poor insulating pads - Foam ear pads with thin covering don't insulate outside sounds well and actually create sound when you move.

FULL REPORT
I wanted a pair of headphones to use while at the office to help block out outside sound while listening to music. At first I considered noise cancelling headsets but after trying the highly rated Bose QuietComfort 3, I decided I didn't want to sacrifice sound quality that much. While the noise cancellation was phenomenal (I couldn't believe how much they filtered out standard office noises), their actual music reproduction was disappointing. At over $300 US for the Bose QC3, their sound quality was equal to a pair of $40 headphones. But if you're really looking to block out outside noise, the sound isolation may be worth the loss of fidelity.

After removing noise cancelling headsets from my list I then focused on closed-back headphones. Through much research I narrowed my choices down to the Audio Technica ATH-A700 and the Sennheiser HD-280. I was able to try the HD-280 but not the ATH-A700. But after reading so many positive reviews I decided to go with the ATH-700, even though I hadn't listened to a pair.

Being my first pair of high-end headphones, I was immediately impressed with their sound quality. The sound stage is incredible! While some headphones make it sound like the music is "in your head", the ATH-A700s mimic a more realistic listening experience, like you're in the midst of the music. On some pieces the effect was so great that a song that previously sounded like it was recorded in a sound-proof studio, now sounded like it was in a small concert hall. Amazing!

With classical music, I can't believe how much detail I can now hear. I can hear the separation of all the instruments as well as performance-related sounds that I never heard before. Like the sound of the keys clicking on the harpsichord or the valves on a French horn. I can now even hear the musicians turning their pages and shifting in their chairs!

Without comparing to even higher-end headphones it's hard to say how "accurate" these are. But my best description is that they're very efficient, with good base and a clear high-end. With my previous, cheaper headphones, I'd always adjust the equalizer to increase treble and bass and de-emphasize mid-range (U shape curve). But with these headphones, there's no need for that; I now listen to all my music with the equalizer off or "flat".

The biggest and really only problem with these headphones has to do with their construction; in particular, the ear pads and head band. The earpads have a very thin covering and the foam is noisy--when you hold it near your ear and press the pad, you can hear a scrunching sound. This coupled with the thin covering allows more outside noise to seep in than other closed-back headphones I've tried. It also causes noise when I move slightly causing the hair around my ear (I have short hair) to bristle against the pad and then transmits that sound.

At this price point I would have expected real leather and better sound insulating foam. I contacted Audio-Technica to see if the replacement ear pads from their higher-end ATH-W1000 would fit the ATH-A700 and the answer was that they would not. I was disappointed because the ATH-W1000 seems to have better pads with thicker covering (possibly real leather) and better foam.

The second "mechanical" issue is the headband design. While the "3D Wing Support Housing vibration-proof mechanism" looks cool and is probably the reason why the headset is so comfortable, all those hinges tend to creak when you move, and those creaking sounds are transmitted through the frame into the plastic ear cups which seem to amplify the sounds. Now I'm not talking about rocking out and jumping all around, but rather subtle movements like turning my head, will be enough to cause the hinges of the floating pads to creak.

Both of these problems are alleviated by turning the volume up, but since I like keeping my volume level as low as possible for my given environment, it's a problem for me. BTW, I did try lubricating the hinges with oil but it didn't help. I may still try a graphite lubricant. I do have to admit I'm a very distractible person and move around a lot while I work. So while the noisy ear pads and creaky headband really bug me, they may not be an issue for you. As always, your mileage may vary, so I highly recommend trying a pair in person before making your final decision.

HD-280 COMPARISON
In case you're in deciding between these and the Sennheiser HD -280, here's my take on the differences (I did a comparison with my coworker's after my ATH-700s were broken in):
1) ATH-700 has a wider soundstage, sharper high-end and more bass than the HD-280.
2) ATH-700 is more comfortable and thus can be worn longer.
3) HD-280 has a stronger mid-range and just sounds "smoother" (I don't know how else to describe it).
4) HD-280 ear cups insulates outside sounds much better, though at the expense of comfort. They're kind of tight and uncomfortable for more than an hour at a time.
5) HD-280 cord is standard coiled type, which isn't necessarily a bad thing but it does transmit sound when it bump against things (like the desk).

CONCLUSION
As with everything in life, the choice of what headphones to buy is a series of trade-offs. You need to think about your listening environment, the type of music you listen to and how much you want to spend. The ATH-700 is a great sounding headphone and if you can live with some extraneous noises, you'll love them.

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Product Description:
Audio-Technica's ATH-A700 closed-back dynamic headphones deliver audiophile-quality acoustic performance with full, rich balanced bass. The headphones feature proprietary large-aperture 53 mm drivers with neodymium magnet systems and CCAW voice coils. Equipped with A-T's innovative self-adjusting wing support mechanism, the headphones offer long hours of remarkably comfortable listening.

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