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Audio-Technica AD 700

Audio-Technica AD 700
  • Manufacturer: Audio-Technica (http://www.atheadphones.com)
  • Pros: Very good sound quality, impressive frequency range and attractive ‘open’ sound
  • Cons: Heavy and somewhat cumbersome design
  • Price: £99.95
  • Star rating: 4

The AD700 headphones from Audio-Technica look a bit odd, and we found the fit a little uncomfortable, too. However, the sound quality is outstanding for headphones at this price.

Their sheer size is the most obvious feature. The AD700 is a set of ‘circumaural’ headphones that don’t simply go over your ears - they go all around the ears with a bit of room to spare. And, instead of an adjustable headband they have a set of ‘wings’ that are supposed to automatically adjust themselves to the size and shape of your head.

It’s true that the headphones don’t put too much pressure on your ears _ despite the rather hefty 280g weight - but the weight doesn’t feel very well balanced and we suspect they’d come flying off at the first hint of headbanging. A conventional adjustable headband would have allowed us to adjust the fit for ourselves.

Even so, the sound quality makes it worth persevering. The AD700 has the widest frequency range of any set of headphones reviewed here, ranging from 5Hz right up to 30KHz, and the detail and clarity of the sound reflects this.

The ‘open’ design of the headphones also helps - unlike the ‘closed’ design of most of these earphones, which creates a seal around the ear to prevent sound entering from outside, the outer panel of the AD700 earpieces is perforated, allowing sound to enter quite freely.

This means they’re not much use for blocking out background noise in noisy environments such as a plane. However, it does allow the sound to breathe and gives your music a more expansive feel - it’s more like hearing in the real world.

The ‘open’ design also means that sound leaks out too, and will annoy the hell out of anyone nearby, so the AD700 headphones are really most suitable for use in the privacy of your own front room or bedroom. The design is a bit cumbersome and reeks of trying too hard to reinvent the wheel, but the sound quality is hard to beat if you just want a set of headphones for listening to music at home.

This product is part of our Over-ear headphones reviewed group product review. Other products in this group are:

 

Aurvana Live!

  • Star rating: 4

Creative's Aurvana Live! are a very good set of headphones with an emphasis on natural sound

 

c-Jays

  • Editors ChoiceStar rating: 5

An excellent set of lightweight over-ear headphones from Jays

 

Nokia BH-604

  • Star rating: 3

The BH-604 is a wireless set of headphones for use with your music phone

 

QuietComfort 3

  • Star rating: 4

A luxurious set of headphones, ideal for the frequent flyer

 

Sennheiser HD 212 Pro

  • Star rating: 4

The Sennheiser HD 212 Pro are great headphones at a great price

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