Audio Technica ATH-A700 Headphones Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)SUMMARY
With excellent sound fidelity and a wide sound stage these are a great pair of headphones for the price (current street around $120 US). My only quibbles come from the mechanical design of the headset which leads to unwanted sounds when listening at low volume levels. If subtle extraneous sounds don't bother you, then they may be perfect for you.
PROS
Excellent sound quality - Extremely wide soundstage, clear instrument separation and strong, but clean bass.
Extremely comfortable - Very little pressure around the ear and the headband system doesn't have any hot spots.
Great cord - Long cord allows for some mobility and the woven fabric sheath doesn't transmit sound when bumped.
CONS
Mid-range lacking - May sound like equalizer is on "U" shape. Not as "smooth" as the Sennheiser HD-280.
Noisy headband - Creaking sound transmits through headband system into the ear cups. Fine if you keep still, but when you move around you may hear creaking sounds.
Poor insulating pads - Foam ear pads with thin covering don't insulate outside sounds well and actually create sound when you move.
FULL REPORT
I wanted a pair of headphones to use while at the office to help block out outside sound while listening to music. At first I considered noise cancelling headsets but after trying the highly rated Bose QuietComfort 3, I decided I didn't want to sacrifice sound quality that much. While the noise cancellation was phenomenal (I couldn't believe how much they filtered out standard office noises), their actual music reproduction was disappointing. At over $300 US for the Bose QC3, their sound quality was equal to a pair of $40 headphones. But if you're really looking to block out outside noise, the sound isolation may be worth the loss of fidelity.
After removing noise cancelling headsets from my list I then focused on closed-back headphones. Through much research I narrowed my choices down to the Audio Technica ATH-A700 and the Sennheiser HD-280. I was able to try the HD-280 but not the ATH-A700. But after reading so many positive reviews I decided to go with the ATH-700, even though I hadn't listened to a pair.
Being my first pair of high-end headphones, I was immediately impressed with their sound quality. The sound stage is incredible! While some headphones make it sound like the music is "in your head", the ATH-A700s mimic a more realistic listening experience, like you're in the midst of the music. On some pieces the effect was so great that a song that previously sounded like it was recorded in a sound-proof studio, now sounded like it was in a small concert hall. Amazing!
With classical music, I can't believe how much detail I can now hear. I can hear the separation of all the instruments as well as performance-related sounds that I never heard before. Like the sound of the keys clicking on the harpsichord or the valves on a French horn. I can now even hear the musicians turning their pages and shifting in their chairs!
Without comparing to even higher-end headphones it's hard to say how "accurate" these are. But my best description is that they're very efficient, with good base and a clear high-end. With my previous, cheaper headphones, I'd always adjust the equalizer to increase treble and bass and de-emphasize mid-range (U shape curve). But with these headphones, there's no need for that; I now listen to all my music with the equalizer off or "flat".
The biggest and really only problem with these headphones has to do with their construction; in particular, the ear pads and head band. The earpads have a very thin covering and the foam is noisy--when you hold it near your ear and press the pad, you can hear a scrunching sound. This coupled with the thin covering allows more outside noise to seep in than other closed-back headphones I've tried. It also causes noise when I move slightly causing the hair around my ear (I have short hair) to bristle against the pad and then transmits that sound.
At this price point I would have expected real leather and better sound insulating foam. I contacted Audio-Technica to see if the replacement ear pads from their higher-end ATH-W1000 would fit the ATH-A700 and the answer was that they would not. I was disappointed because the ATH-W1000 seems to have better pads with thicker covering (possibly real leather) and better foam.
The second "mechanical" issue is the headband design. While the "3D Wing Support Housing vibration-proof mechanism" looks cool and is probably the reason why the headset is so comfortable, all those hinges tend to creak when you move, and those creaking sounds are transmitted through the frame into the plastic ear cups which seem to amplify the sounds. Now I'm not talking about rocking out and jumping all around, but rather subtle movements like turning my head, will be enough to cause the hinges of the floating pads to creak.
Both of these problems are alleviated by turning the volume up, but since I like keeping my volume level as low as possible for my given environment, it's a problem for me. BTW, I did try lubricating the hinges with oil but it didn't help. I may still try a graphite lubricant. I do have to admit I'm a very distractible person and move around a lot while I work. So while the noisy ear pads and creaky headband really bug me, they may not be an issue for you. As always, your mileage may vary, so I highly recommend trying a pair in person before making your final decision.
HD-280 COMPARISON
In case you're in deciding between these and the Sennheiser HD -280, here's my take on the differences (I did a comparison with my coworker's after my ATH-700s were broken in):
1) ATH-700 has a wider soundstage, sharper high-end and more bass than the HD-280.
2) ATH-700 is more comfortable and thus can be worn longer.
3) HD-280 has a stronger mid-range and just sounds "smoother" (I don't know how else to describe it).
4) HD-280 ear cups insulates outside sounds much better, though at the expense of comfort. They're kind of tight and uncomfortable for more than an hour at a time.
5) HD-280 cord is standard coiled type, which isn't necessarily a bad thing but it does transmit sound when it bump against things (like the desk).
CONCLUSION
As with everything in life, the choice of what headphones to buy is a series of trade-offs. You need to think about your listening environment, the type of music you listen to and how much you want to spend. The ATH-700 is a great sounding headphone and if you can live with some extraneous noises, you'll love them.

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Garmin nüvi 370 3.5-Inch Bluetooth Portable GPS Navigator Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)SEE UPDATE BELOW ORIGINAL REVIEW
I have just returned from a trip to Europe (London, Paris, Rome, and Florence) where I used the Nuvi 370 extensively and it worked great. First of all, I put a lot of the places I would be going to in the "Favorites" list before I left. The great thing about Nuvi is that it sorts this list based on distance from wherever you happen to be. So I didn't have to scroll through points for Paris or Rome when I was in England and vice versa. Very useful. I also found that the points of interest had all the sightseeing landmarks that I was going to visit and nearly every restaurant that I had earmarked for meals. I also got the translation guide which came in very useful (especially to explain "tap water" at European restaurants, they really want to sell you bottled water and pretend to not understand what tap water means, but showing them in their own language on Nuvi always got the point across). Now here is a report of actual real world use as a pedestrian in Europe.
Pros - It had every street that I walked on without exception. It knew that I could walk the wrong way on one-way streets as a pedestrian (in pedestrian mode). Usually very fast lock on of satellites. Currency converter very useful. Language guide easy to use and very helpful with menus. Learned a few phrases by imitating the voice on the language guide which led to a lot of goodwill in France and Italy. Used it to show addresses to cab drivers which was always helpful. Tracked the taxi rides and could tell when cabbies were way off route and a little protesting got them back on track. Used it to make easy decisions between walking, metro, or cab by routing a destination and seeing how far the walk would be. Nuvi lets you scroll through the route and is pretty accurate as to how long it will take to walk.
Cons - 1. In pedestrian mode, I almost always started walking the wrong way because Nuvi isn't sure which way it is pointed when you are standing still. This is fixed by walking a few feet until you see if you are going the right way, rarely more than 10 feet. 2. It doesn't automatically reroute in pedestrian mode if you get off the selected route, you need to hit "detour" which sometimes leads to a much longer path. 3. Sometimes satellite signal would get lost in the narrow older streets, especially in Italy. Sometimes the display would suddenly indicate that I was walking the exact opposite way that I had been going due to lost or confused signal. But these are all nits and were easily handled.
Overall - The Nuvi 370 worked exactly the way I was hoping it would. If you live in America and plan travel in Europe, I highly recommend the Nuvi 370 and Language Guide.
UPDATE 2ND TRIP TO EUROPE
I recently spent two weeks in Spain where I used the Nuvi in pedestrian mode and drove throughout Southern and Western Spain. The Nuvi worked perfectly except where maps were somewhat out of date. The scariest words in my life now are "Enter roundabout and take second exit to roundabout". At one point we did three consecutive roundabouts! If you are not used to driving in a foreign country, I highly recommend Nuvi 370. The POI's pointed out gas and food when we needed it, and in both pedestrian and driving mode, it got us through many medieval streets with no problems. I again used the language guide(very useful) and was able to figure out what was what on local menus. I find the estimated arrival times in both pedestrian mode and driving mode to be pretty accurate and helpful in decision making. I even used it on the AVE high speed train between Madrid and Cordoba to see how fast we were going (180+ mph). I have now had this for a couple of years and can't live without it.
One of most useful features is the ability to find metro stations nearby when you are in pedestrian mode. Very helpful in Madrid and Barcelona.


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Now you can go from North America to Europe without loading any more maps with the Garmin's transatlantic nuvi 370 Personal Travel Assistant. This pocket-sized personal travel assistant comes with built-in street maps for both continents, making traveling abroad as easy as getting off the plane. The nuvi 370 is loaded with convenience features such as a travel kit and hands-free calling, on top of which it provides you with even more maps and an integrated traffic receiver.
Despite being loaded with features, the nuvi 370 still allows you to navigate with ease. This unit comes ready to go right out of the box with preloaded NavTeq City Navigator NT street maps for both North America and Europe, and includes a hefty points of interest (POIs) database with hotels, restaurants, fuel stops, ATMs and more. Simply touch the super-bright, sunlight-readable color screen to enter a destination, and the 370 takes you there with either 2D or 3D maps and turn-by-turn voice directions. This navigator voice even announces the name of exits and streets so you never have to take your eyes off the road, and can concentrate on your driving to keep yourself and your loved ones safe. In addition, the 370 accepts custom points of interest (POIs), such as school zones and safety cameras, and lets you set proximity alerts to warn you of upcoming POIs that require your special consideration such as speed zones and safety cameras.
Speaking of keeping you safe, the nuvi 370 lets you make hands-free calls so you can talk freely during your worry-free driving. By integrating Bluetooth wireless technology with a built-in microphone and speaker, you can pair your nuvi with any compatible Bluetooth phone and talk hands-free while staying focused on the road. You no longer have to fumble with your phone's handset to answer a call or dial a number, just tap the 370's screen and you're instantly connected. And with 1-touch dialing for your POIs, you can quickly and conveniently call ahead to make reservations or get needed information.
You can also avoid tie-ups and steer clear of traffic with the nuvi 370's integrated FM TMC traffic receiver. This unit allows you to receive alerts about road construction and traffic problems that lie ahead on your route. Simply touch the nuvi's screen to view traffic details or change your route so you can detour around the problem area. All of which can be customized with configurable vehicle icons that let you choose individual car-shaped icons in a variety of colors that show your position on the map.
In additional to all this functionality, the nuvi 370 includes many must-have entertainment and travel tools such as an MP3 player, an audio book player (subscription to Audible.com required), and a JPEG picture viewer so you can take your favorite music and pictures with you wherever you go. This unit also features a world travel clock with time zones, a currency converter, a measurement converter, and a calculator so that wherever you travel it will be easy to know what you are getting and keep track of your costs. The MP3 player lets you browse music by artist, album, and/or song, while the optional audio books may be purchased from Audible.com which features over 70,000 hours of audio programs. What's more, the nuvi 370 allows further customization via optional software such as travel guide, savings programs and language translation on plug-and-play SD cards for all your travel needs.
The Garmin nuvi 370 comes with a built-in, high-sensitivity, WAAS-enabled GPS receiver, and lets you view and operate it via its bright, LCD TFT touch-screen display that measures 2.8 x 2.1 inches (W x H) and has a resolution of 320 x 240 pixels with 64,000 colors and a white backlight. As a whole, the nuvi 370 measures 3.87 x 2.91 x 0.87 inches (W x H x D), and weighs only 5.1 ounces for easy portability. This unit provides you with from four to eight hours of battery life (depending on use) via its rechargeable lithium-ion battery, and comes with Garmin Lock, which is an anti-theft feature to protect your investment. While you can add software via the SD card slot, the Garmin nuvi 370 also lets you interface via high-speed USB for loading data, though users should note that, like most USB mass storage devices, this unit is not compatible with Windows 95, Windows 98 or Windows Me.
What's in the Box Garmin nuvi 370, City Navigator NT maps for North America and Europe (preloaded, full coverage), FM traffic receiver, vehicle suction cup mount, AC charger, vehicle power cable, dashboard disk, USB cable, carrying case, quick reference guide and, owner's manual.

Which nuvi is Best for You?Note: All nuvis come with detailed NAVTEQ maps containing more than 6 million pre-loaded point of interest locations.
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