Headphones
Audio-Technica ATH-AD500
Audio Technica brings us a clear and amazingly comfortable full-sized open back headphone with the ATH-AD500. Tending towards a more up-front presentation with lightning quick and well resolved highs, and a balanced mid-range and low frequency response, these cans will delight folks looking for detail--doubly delightful for a headphone in this price range.
Product Features:
- A fast and hyper-articulate headphone for lovers of detail.
- A great value for lovers of sonic detail at this price.
- Extremely comfortable and light on the head.
- Sweet styling and good build quality from this fine maker.
Open-back audiophile headphones can excel at delivering the most airy musical detail and audio resolution possible. The Audio Technica ATH-AD500 full-size headphone presents a deeply layered, very open-sounding soundstage image and clearly distinct instrumental separation that belies its reasonable price. Well-defined, fully extended treble ranges mingle nicely with a smoothly present vocal mid-range, supported by a tightly focused bass response...all creating a cohesive sound capable of representing most music genres well. The AD500 is perhaps not the best candidate to satisfy big heavy bass lovers but we expect its clean, non-flabby bass to satisfy most acoustic, classical, and jazz/rock music listeners seeking lovely musical clarity at a fair price. Serious audiophiles may want to consider moving up to the pricier AT AD700 model if seeking slightly improved low-level detail and more accurate transparency in the mids/highs. One tip for fully maximizing the AD500's sonic performance: demanding listeners wanting the quickest dynamic range extension, most precise resolution, and 'punchiest' sonics should consider a dedicated headphone amp--like something from our excellent entry-level HeadRoom Mobile Line for example--to overcome its fairly stiff 66 ohm impedance and low 99dB sensitivity ratings--especially if using the AD500 with mobile sources like iPods & laptop computers.
The ATH-AD500 sports very comfortably-padded circumaural earcups typical for the full-size open-back Audio-Technica cans, a company long renown for offering amongst the most ergonomic headphone designs in the industry. The outer earcup grill is honeycombed in silver/chrome surrounded by black accents, making for an understated but cool fashionista headphone color scheme. The usual AT 'wing' rubberized plastic headband supports provide simple auto-fit adjustments although the AD500's oversize fit characteristics may prove to be too loose and comfy for some smaller-headed listeners. The 10ft single-sided oxygen-free copper [OFC] headphone cord terminates in 'mini-plug' 3.5mm (1/8") jack; the larger 1/4" plug adapter is handily provided in the AT package. The standard 1-year product warranty for all Audio Technica headphones is directly serviced by the manufacturer.
Specifications:
- Coupler Size: Large
- Cord Type: Straight Left-Side
- Manufacturer Warranty: 1 year
- Weight: 260 g
- Cord Length: 10 ft. (3 m)
- Driver Type: Dynamic
- Sensitivity: 99 dB/mW
- Detachable Cable: No
- Connector Type: 1/8" with 1/4" adaptor
- Noise Cancelling: No
- Wireless: No
- Microphone: No
- Impedance @ 1kHz: 66 ohms
- Ear Coupler Type: Full-Size
- Acoustic Seal: Open
- Headphone Type: Full Size
Average Rating
Posted by Zochoten from Anaheim,CA on 2010-01-16
Recommend Product: Yes
Pros: Good value,and Comfortable
Cons: looks little ugly
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