You just gotta know the right member with a prime sub that doesn't mind proxying.
Or the right member that doesn't mind letting others borrow his gear he doesn't use much. Like these sr225i that I might sell, but would definitely let people borrow.
I was actually considering those a couple months back instead of these M50's but the open ear design makes it undesirable as it'll leak sound at my work place, which isn't appropriate. How different are these to the M50's? I've heard they are pretty much built for instrumental music.
Open cans and closed cans aren't even comparable in my opinion. With closed you naturally get those closed off and confined sounds, what I think is a muddier bass, and you can feel somewhat feel the sound bouncing off the walls, giving a sort of resonance. They also don't normally require heavy amping as the closed design helps to concentrate the sound directly into your ears. Open cans on the other hand are a whole other entity. If I could compare them in an analogy it would be this. Imagine an orchestra, with all the bells and whistles, your strings, brass, etc. Now listening to an orchestra through closed headphones is enjoyable, you can hear the melody, and everything mixes quite well, but that in itself is a problem. It feels more like everything is bundled together, and creating just one sound, and not an assortment of sounds. Open headphones on the other hand have a broader sound stage, meaning you can differentiate those different sections, and in return, pick up on those more subtle instruments, and overall give you a more enjoyable experience. Then again, all of this is my own personal thoughts, and results may vary. But generally, you get a much larger sound stage, without the resonance that comes with closed headphones.
About the Audio Technica ATH-AD700s. My main question would be, what type of games do you play? When I think AD700s, I immediately think of FPS. They are simply the FPS king. Footsteps are clear, and the open sound stage helps you pinpoint where exactly they are coming from.