Audio-Technica ATH-AD700X vs Hifiman Sundara

The Audio-Technica ATH-AD700X 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

This is a planar magnetic over-ear open back headphone that comes in right at around $350. So let's take a look. This review unit was sourced through ...

If you can't decide because there are two many choices on the market, I recommend looking at 3 or 4 'Top 10' lists on google for the listening experience you want, then finding a brand on those lists that you already trust and matching it with your price range. Audiophilia is a deep, deep rabbit hole of subjectivity. I found myself spending too much time doing research, so I just decided to pull the trigger on something mid-budget (these) with a brand I trusted (Audio Technica), and I am not at all disappointed.

Seriously? For me, however, the dealbreaker was comfort. The housings on these things are very large and the clamping force is substantial. No matter how much I adjusted them, the pads on the housings pressed hard on the back of my ears and the bottom rear of my jaw, and I found that I could wear them for much more than thirty minutes before I have to take them off. This may have to do with the fact that the ear cup housings do not rotate at all, they are fixed perpendicular to the headband, and thus there's no compensation for pressure differences from the front to the back of the ear cups against your head/ears

The phones are comfortable to wear, and have no ear fatigue. The Harmon Kardons have vinyl which sticks to your ears and when you remove them, it's more peeling them off than anything else. Many have been critical of the 2 paddles on the X series here, that keep them propped up on your head. I have a narrow head, and they don't seem to slip, shaking the head side to side doesn't dislodge them

Also these are some of the most open headphones ever. If you can hear your music someone 10 feet away can as well. As far as comfort goes they aren't the worst for me. Their pads are scratchy and slightly small, while the headband is just fine

Lastly if you game or listen to music in a room where there is noise or constant hustle and bustle than having any open back headphones is not ideal since those sounds will bleed into your experience. When compared to a closed back headset like my astro a40's, the sound on he ad700x is substantially better. Again, I am speaking from a gamers perspective. If you are the type of person who enjoys good deep punchy base and feeling like the sound is enclosed and tight than closed back headphones are the way to go

I’ve had no issues with “build quality” at all. Nothing has loosened and there are no “glued on” parts falling off. The non-swiveling cans are a non-issue to me. I’m using these to listen to music without waking someone down the hall or next door, not to be a DJ in a club somewhere