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The biggest headphones on test, the ATH-AD500s don't immediately lend themselves to portable use. Not least because the open design leaks a ridiculous amount of noise, even if the circumaural design will insulate you a little from, say, the mutterings of your fellow passengers on the 8.15 to Waterloo. However, the design has positive implications for long-term listening in the home.

Despite their size, the aluminium honeycomb casings around the drivers are extremely light, and the combination of a lightweight aluminium frame and AT's '3D Wing' support minimises any pressure on your ears or on your head. In fact, the feel of the velvet ear pads is quite luxurious. The headphones automatically resize to fit you as you adjust them on your head, and you can comfortably wear the ATH-AD500s for hours at a time, should you wish.

These aren't cheap headphones, and they don't feel like cheap headphones. While some of the plastics tell you that we're in entry-level territory, the actual construction feels very rugged and potential trouble spots, like the point at which the thick 3m cable joins the left can, are well protected from abuse. Bundled accessories are limited to a push-on 1/4in plug adaptor, but that's to be expected for a pair of full-sized headphones at this price point.

The really good news is that the combination of the design and the 53mm Neodymium drivers sounds great, and that the sound produced is as comfortable as the headphones themselves. There's a spaciousness and scale to music emanating from these cans that makes it easy to listen to over long periods, yet there's nothing airy-fairy about the output.

Listen to well-produced pop or mainstream rock and you're hit by how wide and well defined the sound stage is, and how good and accurate the AD500s are at positioning different instruments in the stereo mix. It's an analytical sound, enabling you to pick out different layers of vocals or instruments with ease, yet it's not a clinical sound; there's a real warmth and body to the bass and mid-range that brings tracks from the eighties-styled synth pop of Ladyhawke to the more organic, acoustic sound of Alison Krauss and Union Station to life.

If there's a weakness, it's that top-end clarity isn't quite as impressive as it is with the Grado or Sennheiser 'phones, and that the more open sound of the AD500s isn't so ideally suited to rock. Put on Jet's Are you Gonna be My Girl and the raucous guitars fall slightly flat, while the pounding bass and creamy guitars of The Smashing Pumpkins are more in-your-face with the Sennheiser and Grado 'phones.

One final note: the AD500s have a tendency to accentuate the hiss of older analogue recordings, so if you listen to a lot of classic jazz, rock or classical, these might not be the best 'phones for you. Personally speaking, if I had to choose one set of headphones from this test I'd be torn between these and the Grados, which to my ears sound marginally better but aren't quite so extraordinarily comfortable. If you're interests veer more towards acoustic or classical music and you like to give that music room to breathe, then the AD500s are well worth getting hold of.

Verdict:

Light, comfortable, warm and precise, these are headphones you'll be happen to listen to on a daily basis. The Grado SR60s have the edge on overall sound quality, but if you like a more spacious sound then the AD500s are well worth investigating

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