July 2008

Audio-Technica ATH-A700 Headphones
Wings make these 'phones wonderful.
Review By A Colin Flood
Click here to e-mail reviewer

  "Loudspeakers are the only bargain in audio,” I claimed, in the The Best I've Ever Heard: Loudspeaker Round-Up. "They provide the most bang for the buck. Loudspeakers are the spokesmen, the voice of the audio chain.” Headphones are no exception. When you put two little speakers next to your ears, you get the most bang for your audio buck.Like motorcycles, you get half the cost, weight and wheels, but all of the horsepower of a full size automobile. Where else can you get a full size speaker system with an incredibly wide 5Hz to 35kHz frequency response and a high 102dB/W/m efficiency, for less than $150? Or even less than $150,000? You can't.

My current position holds me nine hours a day in a honeycomb of quiet, gray cubicles. I wanted the horsepower of full size speakers in a pair of over-the-ear, closed-back headphones. As a sometime reviewer for Enjoy the Music.com, I scour other magazines' monthly issues not only for scientific validation of my subjective findings but also because I hope there is some truly excellent piece of equipment that I can afford. From amplifiers to platforms, panels to speakers, so far the venerable magazine and I have no major disagreements.

Audio-Technica Corporation began making stereo phonograph cartridges for audio equipment manufacturers in Japan in 1962. They launched stereo headphones in 1974. As Telling said, Newegg.com did seem to have the best price, with tracking and quick delivery, at less than half the MSRP. Made mostly of black plastic, the ATH-A700 headphones resemble the large, inexpensive models of yesteryear. Including their specifications, there is not much to tell the ATH-A700s apart from $25 models. Except for a few unusual touches that let you know the ATH-A700 model might be something special:

First, Fit And Feel
The two wings are as long as a finger. They are padded. They rest on either side of your head. The wings swivel on bridges, also finger-length. The bridged wings form an arch on either side of your crown. The wings do not touch or meet in the middle. An arch they may be, but they do not have a keystone in the center. Round yokes hold fist-size speakers next to your ear. The wing bridges fit to the yokes with spring mounts, just above the ears. The two hoops join the base of the arches at the same point. The two hoops are on either side of the wing arches. They float up and over your head like a pair of round antennas from grandfather's TV. There is no height adjustment. The wings swivel to fit your head. The hoops hold the speakers over your ears.

Sounds complicated, but this is industrial design as smoothly elegant as architect Santiago Calatrava's wings and as classically solid as the cathedrals of Europe. Although missing the keystone at the pinnacle, the two half wings form a smaller arch inside the larger hoops. The wings buttress the hoops. The elegant and sturdy solution does not need any adjustment, ever. In fact, I did nothing to the A700s except to plug them into a Dell Dimension computer. The double-arched ATH-A700s are the most comfortable headphones I have tried. They are much more comfortable than headphones with a simple strap across your dome.

Second, Sound And Sonics
The ATH-A700 definition and detail may be "short of the very best” but they are indeed "excellent.” The deep and high range of the ATH-A700 frequency response range really shows. By virtue of their large (53mm, 2”), angled drivers, the A700s dig down to a very low 5-Hz. This is quite deep, even for headphones, and it is something that even the most powerful subwoofers have trouble doing. The bass sounds as powerful and deep as the close-backed Sennheiser headphones I heard years ago. It can seem overpowering at times, but this is not the fault of the phones. Most recordings, and many speakers too, tip up both the deep and the high end of the musical range to make music sound more powerful and snappy. The A700s rarely sound boomy and have plenty enough bass, even for bass loving me.

They are crisp, clear and can get very loud. The mid-range is very well balanced. Extending to an incredible 35kHz. The highs are extremely good, without seeming bright or harsh. The highs are not as sparklingly as my ancient but beloved Stax SR-40 Electret headphones. The Stax sound as quick and light as electrostatic speakers, especially when driven by tube amplifiers but they are clear, competent and charming nonetheless. The Stax come with a speaker switch box and require an amplifier to drive them, plus they are horribly uncomfortable after long periods of use. The pads and the strap press on your ears and scalp. The A700s are a Super-Guppy cargo jet compared to my classic Sony ear buds. I bought the ear buds because I thought they sounded better than other pocket change ear buds, presumably because of their wide frequency response and high efficiency.

The A700s cut outside noise better than ear buds, but not dramatically so. You will still hear the airplane engines, and possibly the pilot. They do a very good job of keeping internal sound in. Not only because of their half inch of soft, tufted padding, which would make a Lexus proud, but also because their high efficiency, even for headphones, makes loud listening such a pleasing experience. The left and right side of the headphones are clearly marked at the top of the speaker assembly. Inside the ATH-A700 cans, the large speaker drivers angle towards the front of your head. This means that wearing the right side of the headphone on the right side of your head makes a slight difference to the sound. Once you are used to wearing the ATH-A700s, wearing them the other way feels wrong. Music loses its uncrowded feel and instruments aren't as wide apart or as centered in the ear.

Worn properly, the winged wonders do indeed almost "pull off the impossible: they sound spacious.” The sounds seem to spread out, not in front of you like a soundstage, but out there nonetheless. While the notes don't feel as live as a full-size speaker does, they come a lot closer than the few headphones I have tried. Thus, ATH-A700 soundstage is excellent. It is like stepping up from a typical home stereo system into a jewel-box style music hall. You may not believe you are reading this from me, but even with 13 times higher price differential; the A700s are worth the extra investment. This is one of the few times I have ever said that!

The Final Grades
Those who read my previous reviews know I am the harshest grader in the schoolhouse. Only where the review equipment is "very good" – performing above average, do I confer four Blue Notes for Enjoy The Music.com categories. I think the ATH-A700s are exceptionally comfortable and capable performers, with no significant sonic weaknesses. In the categories of Mid-bass, Imaging, along with Fit and Finish (design), the ATH-A700s are above average. In my own personal category, Enjoyment, they also score a four, with a rare five Blue Notes for Value. I am thrilled at the quality of sound for the price.

Big cans and hoops that make you look like Gazoo may not be even a tweaking audiophile's choice of headwear, but as their Web site says, the ATH-A700 do provide very high efficiency dynamics with "full, rich balanced bass” for "long hours of remarkably comfortable listening.” Their sophisticated design, sound and price are solid as a cathedral. The ATH-A700s are an excellent value for sound and quality. For tweaking audiophiles looking for over-the-ear, closed-back headphones, this is a winning model at a great price point. Audio-Technica calls the headphones ART monitors. Believe me; with the craft of these cans, you do enjoy the music.

Specifications
Type: Stereo closed ear headphones with closed-back Double Air Damping system
Frequency Response: 5Hz to 35kHz 
Maximum Input: Power 500 mW
Sensitivity: 102 dB/mW at 1kHz
Impedance: 64 ohms
Driver: Propriety 53 mm drivers with neodymium magnet and CCAW voice coils 
Self-adjusting 3D Wing Support Housing 
Weight: 290 g 
Chord: 3 meter oxygen-free copper cloth-wrapped cable  
Connector: 1/8" (3.5 mm) mini stereo, gold-plated
Accessory Included: Detachable 1/4" (6.3 mm) adapter 
Ear Pads: Audio-Technica total ear fitting design 
Price: $299 ($150 street)

Company Information
Audio-Technica U.S., Inc. 
1221 Commerce Drive
Stow, Ohio 44224

Voice: (330) 686-2600
Website: www.audio-technica.com 
E-mail: sales@atus.com