The HD700, to my ears, is not "too bright." Others will disagree, of course. To my thinking, however, it's more accurate to call both the HD700 and 800 "energetic" or "detailed" or "lively." If you're sensitive to fully present treble, however, you may prefer the HD600 or HD650. Or, better yet, the LCD2. All these phones are known to "shelve" the treble, thus producing a sound some might be inclined to call “warm,” or “dark,” or even “analogue.” The HD700 and HD800 take a different approach. You’ll either love this or you won’t.
Regarding the HD800—here’s something you should keep in mind: they are incredibly detailed headphones. Yes, they are more detailed than the HD700, and by a good margin too. So if detail is your fetish, by all means, buy the HD800! But remember, your choice of amp will make or break the HD800, so choose wisely. Withthe right equipment, however, the HD800 produces very smooth treble, the type you can just forget about. What you’ll hear instead of treble is music—or rather, instruments in their respective environments. If you’re the type to listen to music in a dark room, then you’ll hear even more: the resonance of an acoustic guitar and its echo as it splashes off a studio wall, say, or the subtle inhalation of breath in what you once thought was a silent moment. Indeed, you will even hear unintentional background noises: a distant cough, a whispered curse, someone’s squeaky tennis shoes.
In my experience, only the HD800 can extract these kinds of details from my music. But this isn’t always a positive thing. I think in some ways the HD800 overshoots its mark. Sure, the HD800 is rightfully considered a window into your music, but it’s also a window into the production of that music. In this regard, the HD700, hits the bull’s-eye: it stops just shy of all those distracting “micro-details,” allowing you the opportunity to just relax and enjoy your music. If I’m in an “analytical” mood, I always reach for the HD800: really, nothing else will do. But if I need to unwind, I’ll reach for either the HD650 or the HE500, or even the HE400—a controversial headphone I still love. But mostly, nowadays, I just reach for the HD700—and I think that tells you a lot.
