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January 24, 2007 ../ TestDrive: Audio-Technica ATH-PRO700 DJ HeadphonesLong Term Evaluation Reveals The Good, The Bad, And The Ugly When Audio-Technica, the esteemed Japanese manufacturer of microphones and headphones, decided to enter the professional DJ headphone market several months ago, our expectations were quite high. Audio-Technica has developed a number of outstanding transducer products over the years and we were hoping their new ATH-PRO700 headphones would live up to their reputation. Many of us expected Audio-Technica to decimate the DJ headphone playing field, and in one product introduction, own the high-end DJ market with their new PRO700's.
"Import Series"The ATH-PRO700's are part of Audio-Technica's "Import Series" line-up, and feature high-power, neodymium magnets and large 53mm drivers. Nothing innovative went into the ergonomic design; they simply present the same attributes as every other DJ-oriented headphone on the market with rotating earpieces for one-ear monitoring, a one-sided coiled cable, compact folding design, and included 1/4" to Mini Jack adaptor.
Circumaural IsolationEvery DJ who tested the PRO700's adored the headphone's sound quality and comfort. The roomy cans offer a large "circumaural isolation" area for most listeners, save the ones with overly large ears who's top lobes got pinched by the closed-back, foam pads. Audio-Technica leveraged its long history in headphone development and every listener thought that the PRO700 "sounded great" throughout the claimed 5-33,000 Hz frequency range. Particular kudos were given to the bottom end "punch" and the "clear top end." This clarity can be attributed to the large-aperture drivers with CCAW voice coils and oxygen-free copper cabling that can handle high SPLs.
Not Made For The Rigors Of The RoadHowever, it all went downhill from here. The biggest problem for the PRO700's was their build quality. By simply rehashing the Sony 700's, Audio-Technica missed a great opportunity to leap-frog the industry by introducing a pair of DJ cans that could actually go the distance.One of our review unit's plastic swivel points, the Achilles Heel of the Sony MDRV-700's, cracked within 60 days of use, and the too thin, foam driver covers tore and peeled away after only a handful of sweaty sessions behind the 1's and 2's. The slide mechanism for adjusting the size of the headphones lost their friction and had to be adjusted every single time you put them on. After an hour, this got to be more than annoying - and was touted as a major negative for many of the DJs. Beware, the PRO700's are not a pair of headphones that will hold up on the road, or even after robust local gig usage.
For $279 - You Expect More, A Lot MoreThe retail price of the Audio-Technica's is $279 beans - $130 more than the Sony MDRV-700's. That's a lot of coin, and in the end you're basically paying just for the audio quality, and some what some DJ testers stated: "the Audio-Technica name." If you're going to use the PRO700's in your bedroom or for monitoring, then the construction will not be a major issue. But, if you're looking for a pair of cans that won't let you down from club to club, look elsewhere.
The Future: Audio-Technica missed a huge opportunity with the PRO700's. If they did a little R&D, and listened to even a handful of working DJs, they would have never dropped this model. But all is not lost. Audio-Technica simply needs to do an intelligent and complete redesign of the entire headband. Leave the sound quality alone. First replace the plastic swivel-point mechanism with a sturdy all aluminum version that won't crack under pressure. Second, create a band-adjustment that can lock into position and won't lose its grip. Third, allow the coiled cord to attach to one of the cans with a push in and twist mechanism. That way, you have a secure connection that can easily be removed when you need to drop into the one record bag that's always too far away. Lastly, replace the thin foam covering the drivers with an acoustic fabric that will not wear out and tear. For $279, DJs expect more, a lot more. Give it to them!
Copyright © 2006 Futuremusic® All Rights Reserved. |
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   The Audio-Technica PRO700's score only a 60% Power Rating. Only their outstanding sound quality saved the headphones from scoring much lower. Audio-Technica just faxed in this pair of cans, too bad, we know they can deliver much, much better.
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