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We've recently released our Test Bench 1.6 update for Headphones! Read the Latency R&D Article to learn more.

Audio-Technica ATH-AD700X 2013 Headphones Review

Tested using Methodology v1.3.1
Reviewed Sep 12, 2016 at 12:36 pm
Latest change: Writing modified Sep 21, 2023 at 02:50 pm
Audio-Technica ATH-AD700X 2013 Picture
5.2
Mixed Usage
7.0
Neutral Sound
4.4
Commute/Travel
5.3
Sports/Fitness
4.9
Office
4.4
Wireless Gaming
6.2
Wired Gaming
1.6
Phone Call

The Audio-Technica ATH-AD700X 2013 are budget open-back headphones that deliver an above-average sound for critical listening. They're comfortable and decently well built. However, they're not casual headphones. They won't be versatile enough to use outside or in noisy environments.

Our Verdict

5.2 Mixed Usage

These headphones are not designed for everyday, casual use.

Pros
  • Above-average and open sound quality.
  • Comfortable design.
Cons
  • Very sensitive to ambient noise, by design.
  • Open-back design, so they leak a lot.
  • Big and bulky headphones.
7.0 Neutral Sound

The ATH-AD700X are built to deliver a comfortable listening experience. They slightly overemphasize the mids, and they're not as well-balanced as some of the higher-end open-back headphones, but they reproduce tracks with above-average fidelity. They also create a satisfactory soundstage for neutral listening.

4.4 Commute/Travel

Not made for commuting. They don't block any ambient noise.

5.3 Sports/Fitness

Too bulky and unstable for sports. They will slip off your ears if used while running or doing physical activity.

4.9 Office

Not intended for office use. Unless you work in an isolated environment, these headphones will leak and be distracting.

6.2 Wired Gaming
  • 5.2 Mixed Usage
  • 7.0 Neutral Sound
  • 4.4 Commute/Travel
  • 5.3 Sports/Fitness
  • 4.9 Office
  • 4.4 Wireless Gaming
  • 6.2 Wired Gaming
  • 1.6 Phone Call
  1. Updated Sep 21, 2023: We've updated the name of these headphones to reflect their model variant.
  2. Updated Nov 21, 2019: Converted to Test Bench 1.3.1.
  3. Updated Nov 21, 2019: Converted to Test Bench 1.3.
  4. Updated Feb 16, 2018: Converted to Test Bench 1.2.
  5. Updated Aug 10, 2017: Converted to Test Bench 1.1.
  6. Updated Mar 01, 2017: Converted to Test Bench 1.0.
  7. Updated Sep 12, 2016: Review published.
  8. Updated Sep 10, 2016: Our testers have started testing this product.
  9. Updated Aug 09, 2016: We've purchased the product and are waiting for it to arrive in our lab.

Differences Between Sizes And Variants

The Audio-Technica ATH-AD700X 2013 come only in a 'Black' variant. However, there has been a user report of an updated stealth variant; this newer model has a different color scheme on the ear cups. There may also be changes to sound quality, but as we haven't tested them, we can't confirm this.

If you encounter another variant of these headphones, please let us know in the forums, and we'll update our review.

Compared To Other Headphones

Philips SHP9500

The Philips SHP9500 are better audiophile headphones than the Audio-Technica ATH-AD700X 2013. The Philips reproduce audio much more accurately, with more bass and a more present and detailed treble. They're also better built and are more comfortable. Their passive soundstage is more immersive, too.

Sennheiser HD 599

The Sennheiser HD 599 are better audiophile headphones for most people than the Audio-Technica ATH-AD700X 2013. The Sennheiser have less low-bass roll-off, less intense presence across the mid-range, and a much better-balanced treble response. They should also be more comfortable for most, although the Audio-Technica are more lightweight and the unique headband design can help relieve pressure during long listening sessions.

Sennheiser HD 58X Jubilee

The Sennheiser HD 58X Jubilee are better headphones than the Audio-Technica ATH-AD700X 2013 if you prefer a neutral sound profile. The Sennheiser have an impressively well-balanced sound signature that's not too sharp or piercing. The Audio-Technica, unfortunately, don't have a very accurate treble response - sibilants sound sharp and piercing, but instruments and vocals lack detail and brightness. They also feel quite cheaply made, although they're more comfortable than the Sennheiser.

Test Results

Design
Design
Style
Type Over-ear
Enclosure Open-Back
Wireless No
Transducer Dynamic

The ATH-AD700X are average looking over-ear headphones with a unique headband mechanism. They're big and have large circular ear cups that have an almost entirely open-back design. The cups are covered with thin metal grill, and they're padded with a soft cushion that feels good on the skin but looks a bit cheap. The headband has self-adjusting paddles that replace the typical leather strap that you would find on these types of headphones. They're a bit dull and bulky to wear in public, and nothing except the unusual headband is really eye-catching.

7.5
Design
Comfort
Weight 0.57 lbs
Clamping Force
0.8 lbs

The ATH-AD700X have a unique headband that's comfortable and exerts the right amount of pressure on your head. They're not heavy despite their size. The ear cups are large and well-padded with a soft cushion that feels good on the skin but also makes the ear cup opening a little small for larger ears.

0
Design
Controls
OS Compatibility
Not OS specific
Ease Of Use N/A
Feedback N/A
Call/Music Control No
Volume Control No
Microphone Control N/A
Channel Mixing
N/A
Noise Cancelling Control N/A
Talk-Through
N/A
Additional Buttons N/A
7.9
Design
Breathability
Avg.Temp.Difference 2.3 °C
5.0
Design
Portability
L 9.5"
W 7.38"
H 4.38"
Volume 307 in³
Transmitter Required N/A

The AD700X are bulky headphones that don't fold up into a more compact format. The ear cups don't lay flat to take less space and the headband design also makes them quite large and cumbersome to carry around. They will fit in a backpack but are too big for anything else. There's also no case or pouch, to carry them around.

0
Design
Case
Type No case
L N/A
W N/A
H N/A
Volume N/A
6.5
Design
Build Quality

These headphones are moderately well-built but have a lot of moving parts. The ear cups feel sufficiently dense, and they're lightweight enough, to not get damaged from a few falls. However, the unique headband design has a lot of joints and moving parts that will wear through regular use. Their build quality also feels a bit cheap.

6.0
Design
Stability

The AD700X are not built to provide a stable fit during physical activity. They are not sports headphones and will quickly fall off if used while running, jogging or exercising. They will maintain a stable fit during casual listening sessions, but the cable is not detachable so if it gets hooked on something, it will pull the headphones off your head.

Design
Headshots 1
Design
Headshots 2
Design
Top
Design
In The Box

  •  Audio-Technica ATH-AD700X Headphones
  • 1/8" to 1/4" Adapter
  • Manual

Sound
Sound
Sound Profile
Bass Amount
-5.52 dB
Treble Amount
-2.13 dB
6.7
Sound
Frequency Response Consistency
Avg. Std. Deviation
0.7 dB
Sound
Raw Frequency Response
7.6
Sound
Bass Accuracy
Std. Err.
3.06 dB
Low-Frequency Extension
64.42 Hz
Low-Bass
-5.69 dB
Mid-Bass
-0.86 dB
High-Bass
2.37 dB
7.4
Sound
Mid Accuracy
Std. Err.
3.41 dB
Low-Mid
3.06 dB
Mid-Mid
3.17 dB
High-Mid
3.88 dB
6.7
Sound
Treble Accuracy
Std. Err.
4.54 dB
Low-Treble
-1.62 dB
Mid-Treble
-1.52 dB
High-Treble
1.1 dB
6.7
Sound
Peaks/Dips
Peaks
2.15 dB
Dips
1.91 dB
8.4
Sound
Imaging
Weighted Group Delay
0.21
Weighted Amplitude Mismatch
0.76
Weighted Frequency Mismatch
1.99
Weighted Phase Mismatch
7.75
5.5
Sound
Soundstage
PRTF Accuracy (Std. Dev.)
4.11 dB
PRTF Size (Avg.)
-2.11 dB
PRTF Distance
5.23 dB
Openness
9.7
Acoustic Space Excitation
8.5
8.8
Sound
Weighted Harmonic Distortion
WHD @ 90
0.101
WHD @ 100
0.071
Isolation
1.5
Isolation
Noise Isolation
Isolation Audio
Overall Attenuation
-2.88 dB
Noise Cancelling No
Bass
0.17 dB
Mid
2.01 dB
Treble
-10.42 dB

Poor isolation. These headphones don't isolate any sound below 2KHz, which is expected and typical of open-back headphones. Above 2KHz, they fail to achieve more than 12dB of overall attenuation in the Treble Range.

1.7
Isolation
Leakage
Leakage Audio
Overall Leakage @ 1ft
63.2 dB

Poor leakage. These open headphones leak a lot of sound mostly in the Treble and upper Mid Range frequencies. The leakage starts to become noticeable around 800Hz and remains so up to 12KHz.

Microphone
Microphone
Microphone Style
Integrated
N/A
In-line
N/A
Boom
N/A
Detachable Boom
N/A
Mic No
0
Microphone
Recording Quality
Recorded Speech
N/A
LFE
N/A
FR Std. Dev.
N/A
HFE
N/A
Weighted THD
N/A
Gain
N/A
0
Microphone
Noise Handling
Speech + Pink Noise N/A
Speech + Subway Noise N/A
SpNR
N/A
Active Features
not tested
Active Features
Battery
Battery Type
N/A
Continuous Battery Life
N/A
Additional Charges
N/A
Total Battery Life
N/A
Charge Time
N/A
Power Saving Feature
N/A
Audio While Charging
N/A
Passive Playback
N/A
Charging Port N/A
0
Active Features
App Support
App Name N/A
iOS N/A
Android N/A
macOS N/A
Windows N/A
Equalizer
N/A
ANC Control
N/A
Mic Control N/A
Room effects
N/A
Playback Control
N/A
Button Mapping N/A
Surround Sound N/A

No compatible app.

Connectivity
0
Connectivity
Bluetooth
Bluetooth Version
N/A
Multi-Device Pairing
N/A
NFC Pairing
N/A
Line of Sight Range
N/A
Default Latency
N/A
aptX Latency
N/A
aptX(LL) Latency
N/A
0
Connectivity
Non-Bluetooth Wireless
Non-BT Line of Sight Range
N/A
Non-BT Latency
N/A
9.0
Connectivity
Wired
Analog Audio
Yes
USB Audio
No
Detachable No
Length 9.84 ft
Connection 1/8" TRS
Wired Latency
0 ms
Connectivity
PC / PS4 Compatibility
PC / PS4 Analog
Audio Only
PC / PS4 Wired USB
No
PC / PS4 Non-BT Wireless
No
Connectivity
Xbox One Compatibility
Xbox One Analog
Audio Only
Xbox One Wired USB
No
Xbox One Wireless
No
0
Connectivity
Base/Dock
Type
N/A
USB Input
N/A
Line In
N/A
Line Out
N/A
Optical Input
N/A
RCA Input
N/A
Dock Charging
N/A
Power Supply
N/A