Question on Audio-Technica ATH-AD700

I have the opportunity of buying these headphones with an out of pocket cost of $25. I wanted to know just how good these headphones are and if its possible to modify them into closed back headphones (so i wont disturb anyone) if thats not possible is it possible to modify them in anyway to make em sound better?

Also would just straight audio from my Xfi Titanium be good with these headphones or should i look into an external dac in the future (wont have the money for one at the moment)

I know these are recommended by alot of people for gaming but how well are they for music, movies and say off a psp?

 

I don't know how to mod them to be closed-back but for the price of $25, they are a steal! They are really good for gaming, since they have a better affinity for capturing sound direction for FPS gaming for instance.

Yet at the same time, they sound great even for normal use, they are essentially using the speaker drivers of a M40fs but in a open-back configuration.

 

For the love of all that is holy - do not mod them into sealed (closed-back) cans. You'll destroy the sound quality. It's pretty easy to hear the difference between open and closed - just cup your hands around the outside grille of the headphones.

They seem to be a pretty good all-around set for the price, especially at what you paid. Good find!

 

At $25, its a bargain! I had a pair of them for a year before letting them go (didn't use them enough), well worth the $100 I initially paid for them.

 

For 25 bucks its a no brainer. Even if you don't want them you can probably resell for more and then get the headphones you want. I'm not particularly keen on open back headphones either and it annoys the hell out of me when people use them on the bus.

I don't know about the AD700 specifically but I used to own A700s and they are, uhhh kind of huge. They don't sit on your ear - they engulf your ear. When you wear them you will look like a giant robot clam is eating your head and I was quite self conscious about it in public to be honest.

So yeah, keep them if you plan on listening at home alone. Resell them if you want a pair of phones you can walk around in public with. Even if its not what you want, its hard to turn them down for 25 bucks unless you are feeling charitable.

 

Yup the AD700 are just as big. When I had them, I never at any point considered wearing them outside. :laugh: Considering they are open cans too.

 

Whatever you do, do not ruin them by modding them into closed headphones.

 

lol you guys i know that making them closed back would decrease the sound quality (something to do with pressure right?) but i just dont like disturbing others (i dunno why i care now that i think about it) But even if i was to mod them i would do it in a way that it would be removable so i could go back to open whenever i want. So i guess my next question would be do i just have to cover up the little holes? If so i think i could make something using rubber seals and foam with a hard plastic back covering. id just have to figure out how to make it removable yet stay on real good. Would doing something like that damage them?

How much you think i could resell them for? (most likely wont but just wondering)

as for being in public with them i really dont care what others think or say since ive done and worn much weirder things in public before

 

To be honest, unless you're in a dead silent environment like a library, it's very unlikely that anyone will be able to hear your headphones at reasonable volume levels. In a more noisy environment like on a train/bus or out on the street, any sound leaking from your cans will be drowned out by ambient noise.

 

That's the issue, they have almost zero sound isolation. So you hear everything around you, and the people around you hear everything. Trust me, it is that bad.

 

Anything's possible, but ill advise since you would be modifying them to do the opposite of what they were designed for.

If you mean would it be advisable, then the answer is no.

Every speaker (even the tiny ones in headphones) has its sweet spot in sound. However, there no reason why you can't listen music since all sound is contained in a range of frequencies. That's what's important.

 

there is no point of spending even 1 dollar if your going to ruin the sound quality.

 

although this may be your opinion following that kind of logic there's not point in you posting it if your not going to help in anyway. just saying

besides the mod isnt going to be a permanent one anyway.

 

You could sell the AD700 and get the A700 (the closed version). And yeah, wearing either one outside isn't the best idea. My A900's (same size) were freaking huge.

 

I have a pair of modded AD-700's.

I got them modified with a Dual Entry cable mod with top of the line Silver wire and connections. 90 degree SwitchCraft plug and ViaBlue splitter. Everything was profesionally soldered and terminated. They sound amazing and the improvement over stock is extremely noticeable. There are a lot of mods you can do to the AD 700's, but do not ruin them by making them closed back. You can put a rubber band between the wings and that will make them clamp better to your head and less leaky, because the AD-700's are made for Sasquatch heads. lol

 

alright guys i received the headphones and sold them for $80 but in the time i had with them to the time the person i sold em to picked them up i grew kinda fond of them so i was wondering if a $90 price tag is a good deal for these. (wanna buy myself a pair and im clueless to the value of headphones )

I know i could have backed outta the deal but im a man of my word and sold them to the price i already agreed to.

Also thanks for all the help i received and will receive (helps an audio noob like me immensely)

 

$90 is the standard price on Amazon, I assume you could probably find them for less if you're willing to buy used or refurbed or something.