Looking for headphones (ATH-AD700), need some information

So I'm looking into a pair of ATH-AD700s for use in gaming mostly. Just wondering a couple things though:

- I've heard the bass on these things is terrible. Are there headphones in the same price range that have a similar soundstage but better bass? It'd be nice if I could use these for more than just online gaming.

- I already have a 2.1 speaker setup (some Sicuro speakers I got back in 2005). How much better would the ATH-AD700s be than that? Is it a significant upgrade?

Being a fully open back headphone the overall sound will be rather neutral, while this is ideal, its not always to everyone's taste. If you're looking for something with a bit more bass, you'll have to trade off some of the soundstage. The AKG K240 headphones are semi-open back and should be more to your liking in the bass department, while maintaining a decent sized soundstage.

When it comes to sound quality, these will be a nice step up over your current speakers.

If possible I would suggest you try to demo the headphones before you purchase them, for all you know the bass on the Audio Technicas will be to your liking, or maybe the AKGs won't have enough bass, at which point you might want to look towards a closed back headphone.

Research Grados. I've got a pair of Sennyhd600s, but was just given a pair of $100 Grados. I was really surprised by their quality. I can only imagine what the higher end Grados produce.

If you're looking for more emphasis on bass, try the Shure SRH750DJ Headphones or, if those are too pricey, something in the JVC HARX line. If you want to stick with something in the Audio Technica line, try the ATHM50S.

All of the aforementioned will give you substantially more bass response, and are generally well-regarded as quality headphones.

Good luck,

Boz

Well, I use my AD700s for gaming as well as music at my desktop. They don't sound quite right for a lot of music prior to equalization, but with some small adjustments the bass presence is actually pretty good. I listen to a lot of Electronica, too.. (AFX, Boards of Canada, Kettel) and they sound fantastic for that.