Frankly, They Rock
The AD900 were my first set of real cans. Frankly, I think they sound great. They are the most detailed pair of cans I own (also the most expensive, so people reading for truly high hi-falutin' audiophool reviews should go elsewhere, I'm all mid-fi). Truly they do nothing wrong; every aspect of the spectrum is fairly dry. The bass is lean, but well defined -- bass heads should apply elsewhere... maybe Beyer-Dynamic? The coloration on these cans is on the bright side. In fact, they don't sound too much unlike my roommate's Grado SR-125, though they generally go down much smoother and aren't all 'in your face'. They're very open and have some good sound stage in my opinion. The velour (ish?) pads and weird wing support system make them very comfortable and un-sweat inducing. They feel very open, too. I would say there aren't too many genres these cans can't do right. I find orchestral stuff a little boring through the AD900, but I think it shines with most rock, acousticky stuff, and jazz. Having a bit of weight up at the top end of the spectrum, they are not the most forgiving headphones. If the engineer flubbed the recording, you're gonna hear it (which means unwanted distortion, etc. in a lot of my favorite rock. I thought they were defective at first till I realized what was really going on).
These headphones are very durable and very handsome. Obviously they are only meant for at-home use, but I've never managed to scratch them. They are also pretty easy to drive without a dedicated amp. Even my mp3 player and PCDP get nearly the most out of them. If you want a detailed and thoughtful set of headphones for not a whole lot, the AD900 is a good choice. If bass is your main thing, though, you might consider something else.
