If your Audio Technica's break, don't throw them out

I've had a set of ATH-AD700's for years now. Purchased from our very own Snufkin of headphones.com.au.

No complaints, perfect set of cans for gaming.

Fast forward a bajillion years, and the left can is dead. No sound, no scratching when faffing with the plug etc.

To cut a long story short, I love these cans, so I couldn't bear with just chucking them away. I've been using my set of MS Pros in the meantime, but really want my long termers back in working order.

I spoke to TAG Australia. They have hooked me up with a replacement driver for dollars and cents ($18+postage), and in a super quick timeframe. I had a response from a sunday night email within 7 hours.

So yeah, if you have busted cans, and you're handy with a jewellers phillips head and a soldering iron, do yourself a favour and email the guys in the Australian section of Audio Technica's website. They're awesome.

 

mm interesting

what did you actually replace?

 

literally the driver inside the left.

copy and pasted from the parts order:

ATH-AD700 Driver (HD81B Diaphragm)

something broke in it. Ohms tested both left and right and the cable, right is sitting at 36.4ohms, left was open circuit, so something has let go inside the driver itself. Cable continuity tested fine all the way to the plug

 

good to see they deliver reasonably priced spare parts

 

interesting... is it actually an Audio Technica OEM part? or generic replacement part

surprisingly cheap

 

Soon as it arrives I'll let you know.

 

Part arrived, its oem. Ohms tested 34.1.

 

nice, and sound signature is the same as before?

 

Hard to say, I haven't heard them in well over a year. (yes, procrastination is terrible)

But left sounds same as right, as well as I can tell.

 

good outcome.......I'm hearing you about the love affair with the AT's I have the ATH A900 and love em. It's like orgasms for the ears..........

One thing a mate suggest was to replace the pads (quite cheap) with some better one and they do make a big difference for long sessions.

 

TAG did a warranty job on my AT gaming headset, no complaints/good service

 

Wouldn't you replace both, left and right, so they are the same?

 

Whilst I like quality audio gear, I'm not audiophile enough to go past the "if it ain't broke, don't fix it" mantra. 1 driver broken, 1 driver replaced.

Not to mention, I had no idea if the replacement from TAG would be any good either, or oem etc etc.

 

I am bringing this to the fore to thank the OP for the source to replace the driver. TAG still have a few in their warehouse.

Got a set of purple originals to fix. The foam inside behind the drivers themselves exploded so a good excuse to replace all that too.

 

Good as new. Ear pads were a bit tricky to get on.
Am glad this worked because I read the new version of these AD700X are a clumsy fit.

 

Ive had a set of both 700's and 900's both broke and lost in the either after moving around a bunch :'(

but excellent news to hear

 

Thanks for this! My 2000X left driver cuts out. I reckon the solder connection maybe has gone bad I was planning to ask my brother in law to give it a go and solder it as again for me or even order a replacement driver great to see people are repairing theirs. Love my headphones just haven't used them since the issue started.

I think it's the bad connection because if i loop the left cable around so it keeps it tight it won't cut out unless I move my head too much.

 

i retired my 700's, stuck in a box somewhere, for the 900's which i still have here.
but yeh spare parts are a good thing.