Sennheiser HD 700 Headphone

KopaZ

100+ Head-Fier
Pros: wide soundstage, clarity, good separation of instruments, eye-candy design
Cons: somewhat genre specific, performs best with classical/opera musics. (isn't this a pro??), build quality
I picked these beautiful-looking babies on amazon few days ago when price dropped on amazon (used ones from amazon warehouse for $400), which was a bargain; compared to $300 price tag on HD650's. overall, the bass was less overwhelming than the HD650 but more forward than the HD598 (almost non-existent bass). HD700 has rather bright tone with wide soundstage, resulting in good separation of instruments (with E18 amp+dac), while giving immersed feeling.
 
build quality: for a original MSRP ($1000), HD700 has a lot of plastic parts; the outer chassis, headband, slider (although the slider is thick and gives sturdy feeling). I wouldn't drop these if I were someone else.
 
Design: I won't say much because we have different views on design. for me, the HD700 looks better than the beats studio (new/old).
 
Comfort: right out of the box, HD700 was VERY comfortable. though for some people, it may require some adjustment since their ear could touch back/side of the headphones.
(this possibly may be due to the headphones being used already)
 
Accessory: one 10ft cable with 6.5mm jack, there is no 3.5mm converter jack in the box (unlike HD598, which I believe, came with a 6.5mm to 3.5mm audio jack converter) though cable itself gives very durable feeling, possibly Kevlar. the cable has two 2.5mm jack for detachable purpose for HD700. I upgraded to other cable from amazon because of portability; having 10ft cable tied up looks pretty funny on public.
 
Sound: with the Fiio E18 amp+dac, hd700 gives bright sound with wide soundstage. I primarily listen to classics (Mozart's Piano Sonata, Requiem, Beethoven's symphony, violin sonata) and some soundtracks from movies to games. Mozart's requiem gave me very detailed and wide soundstage with clear vocals, compared to HD650, whereby HD650 giving me a narrow soundstage compared to HD700. Sound becomes more balanced with Schiit magni 2 amp; giving a more balanced overall tone (and less brighter).
 
Beethoven's Symphony (nos 9, choral, aka ode to joy) sounds calm and balanced (neutral) throughout the performance with magni 2 amp with e18 dac+amp, while without using the magni 2 amp, the HD700 gives more of it's characteristic (bright and spacious, wide) while providing larger separations between instrument. I was able to hear pretty much every texts from vocals while being separated from other instruments on background.
Overall, soundstage was wide, while giving bright sound (people say that HD700 is HD800 mixed with HD650).
In the HD650, vocals were forward than the instruments, however, the soundstage was not wide as HD700.
 
I would recommend these to classics listener if they had to choose between HD650 and 700. furthermore, I was convinced that HD700 is worth the upgrade from HD650.
jk47
jk47
i owned the hd700s for a while and agree that they are great for acoustic music: classical and jazz.
 
with the right amp the hd800 are a step up, [as they should be, given their price], the soundstage is just as wide but much deeper.  

mikebirm49

New Head-Fier
Pros: Superlative imaging, accuracy and transparency, generous sound stage, comfortable to wear
Cons: Expensive, its accurate sound is what some object to as the Sennheiser "veil"
[size=small]Designed to fill the gap between the HD 650s and the flagship HD 800s, the new HD 700s essentially share the status of flagship top-of-the-line headphones with the 800s. The open 800s are superb dynamic headphones featuring spatial accuracy and unparalleled imaging. Their innovative design uses a large "ring radiator" driver that is positioned a bit forward of the ears and then angled slightly backwards so that they deliver a more planar wave front. That modified acoustic wave front is the source of the 800s improved imaging as it more closely mimics the way we actually perceive sound. Listening to orchestral music, for example, produces an often uncanny sound stage of depth and breadth that enables you to position each instrument with impressive accuracy as to spatial location. The timbre of each instrument is likewise accurately reproduced, making the 800s the headphone of choice for recording purposes if accuracy is the major criterion. But all of this spatial and acoustic accuracy comes with a price. Some listeners find the 800s to be overly accurate, too acoustically detailed, too "analytical" in its approach. There is a slight increase in frequency response at 7khz during the otherwise nearly perfect treble roll-off, which may be the source of that perceived aggressive accuracy which some have found fatiguing. My listening experience has not found them problematic but nearly perfect in their ability to reproduce almost any given recording. The 800s are well engineered for reproducing instrumental and vocal music recorded with "passive" techniques, that is without the added distortion, compression, coloring, bass or brightness of many current popular music recordings. Headphones like the Audeze LCD-2, with their potent bass and fast response, may be more attuned to this variety of popular music.[/size][size=small][/size]
[size=small][/size]
[size=small]The reaction of some to the 800s may be why the new HD 700s were created. They have a slightly warmer, more gemutlich (congenial) sonic approach. Their spatial imaging is nearly as well focused as the 800s but with an acoustic signature that sounds less analytical, more "analog" in comparison to the 800's slightly more "digital" quality. What some perceive as the 800's incrementally brighter treble seems to have been modified a bit, creating a more rounded and even plumper (in a good way) upper range. To my ears the HD 700s sound less aggressively realistic and more "relaxed" in reproducing treble. Their musical accuracy remains excellent. Listening to Mozart, for example, their sonic quality matches the elegance of the music note for note. Mozart's transparent orchestration for the Piano Concerto No.17 is reproduced by the 700s with comparable transparency. The qualities that struck me while listening were their transparency, elegance and musical warmth. To my ears, they possess the best attributes of a cross between the older HD 600s, with their natural and relaxed presentation, and the HD 800s, with their superlative imaging and generous sound stage. My guess is that the slight rise in frequency response at 7 khz, found in the 800s, was significantly reduced while engineering the HD 700s.[/size][size=small][/size]
[size=small][/size]
[size=small]The bottom line is that the HD 700s boast nearly the same spatial accuracy and imaging capability as the flagship HD 800s. With good source material the 700s create a palpable sense of true-to-life acoustic presence. Bass reproduction is crisp and punchy. Mid-range is vibrant and clear. Treble is crystalline and sharp without a hint of auditory fatigue after hours of very comfortable listening. I noticed no obvious sibilance, though older mono recordings did manifest some distortion in the treble. These headphones are superbly musical. In my experience, only the much more expensive Audeze LCD-3's approach them (amongst non-electrostatic headphones) in reproducing the richness and life of the musical spectrum. As with all of Sennheiser's top of the line dynamic headphones, you'll need a headphone amplifier in order to realize their full potential. Without an amp to drive them the 700s sound slightly anemic and generic. With an amp they seem to bloom like the desert after a rain storm, coming alive and adding a sense of urgency to the music. Even if you already own a pair of the 800s, you may still want to audition the 700s. Their "relaxed" upper range mitigates what a small minority of listeners have occasionally found tiring in the HD 800s: their relentlessly accurate and analytical acoustic approach. The HD 700s reproduce music with a natural, burnished warmth and non-aggressive clarity. Their substantially lower price than the 800s make them a bit more enticing when considering value. The Sennheiser HD 700s are a solid choice amongst many available options. They are not better headphones than the HD 800s, just different with an appealingly natural approach to music. The two models make an interesting complementary pair at the peak of Sennheiser's price range. The HD 700s will definitely appeal to audiophiles.[/size]
 
[size=small][An addendum added July 7, 2012: Several weeks of further usage have yielded some additional observations. The HD 700s have a very broad dynamic range, a frequency response between 10Hz and 42kHz and a sound pressure level of 105 dB. Music can get loud very quickly. Your listening levels should be on the conservative side in order to safeguard your ears. Their impressive range and sound pressure level also means that they can literally "turn on a dime", supporting the HD 700's faster and more aggressive response to musical dynamics. They are an excellent headphone for Rock, especially impressive with music that features more complex mixes. Bands like Genesis, Tears for Fears and similar groups, whose music reflects countless studio hours, sound exceptionally vivid and exciting. Music that had previously been obscured by multiple layers of sound is suddenly audible and distinct, adding immeasurably to the pleasure that headphones uniquely provide. Sennheiser includes a 3 meter long Kevlar cord that arrives kinked, stiff and unwieldy when first removed from the box. Straighten the cord and leave it out for a day or two so that the kinks and knots disappear. Kevlar, used in bullet-proof vests, is intrinsically very thick and heavy. The cord is quite well behaved following this simple procedure and proves itself solid and robust. The relatively light clamping force of the HD 700s induces the wearer to shift the headband forward, which accentuates the sound stage produced by their angled transducers. The intention is to mimic the placing of front speakers. The depth and breadth of the resulting acoustic image is striking.][/size]
 
 
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JTK00
JTK00
One quick question though. Among HE500 HE 6 HD650 HD700 HD800 and probably T1 LCD2 which one is THE most comfortable headphone? Thx!
mikebirm49
mikebirm49
The HD700 is most comfortable for me. Light clamping force and a lot of padding. At least twice the padding of the 600/650/800s and more than either the T1 or LCD2. The one indisputable attribute of the 700s is their comfort. Easy to wear for 3 or more hours of listening.
JTK00
JTK00
thanks!

jk47

100+ Head-Fier
Pros: big soundstage, precise imaging, immersive sound, clear lines from individual instruments in, e.g. chamber music or jazz quartets
Cons: rare sibilance
my experience with headphones is very limited, as is this review, but i thought someone might benefit from these observations, someone who wants to listen to classical and jazz.
 
i started with the hd700 by listening to the melos quartet playing schubert's "death and the maiden," and then checked my impressions by playing segments on my fidelio x1.
 
wow!  the hd700 had what felt like a 220-240o soundstage- i was sitting in the center of the quartet. the tone was wonderful and i was surrounded by the music- the first violin to my left, the cello on the right and a bit behind me, the viola front left and the 2nd violin front right.  the last 2 were a little hard to separate, especially because they were often playing in unison, but then i could hear snatches of their playing that i had never noticed before, and which placed each of them clearly.
 
the x1 in comparison had about a 120o soundstage, with the instruments much less clearly demarcated. the x1 placed the instruments at a bit of a distance, in front of me, perhaps 10 feet in front of me, not around me.  also i had thought the x1 was incredibly comfortable; the hd700 is significantly more comfortable.
 
i tried some orchestral music with mendelssohn's midsummer night's dream [previn and the lso] and the contrast between the 2 headphones was the same.  i did think i caught a little bit of sibilance in the hd700 on some very high, bright, moments in the overture- cymbals? i'm not sure, but it was just a moment or two, and worth the price for the rest of what i heard.  then some chopin, some bach.  with solo instruments the contrast was less soundstage than air- the spaciousness of the hd700 and the richer tone it produced.
 
the x1 is a bit warmer, and i'd expected it would provide the better bass, but i was wrong.  it was warmer, but the bass on the hd700 was richer and clearer.
 
time for jazz:  i started with antonio carlos jobim and elis regina- i suddenly got confused about what set i was wearing- the fidelios felt a LOT more open than they had with the classical pieces.  i think that the recording had a lot more channel separation, which the x1 used to good effect.  nonetheless, the hd700 were in another class- richer, more immersive sound.
 
of course they SHOULD be in another class: they cost 3 times as much.
 
i stopped bothering to switch back and forth. i didn't need any more convincing.  art farmer; bud powell; branford marsalis; charlie hayden and pat metheny; chet baker and paul bley.; the clayton brothers [and that only got me to "c"]...   my head was bobbing and my feet tapping in a way they haven't for a long time.  
 
my "normal" sound system uses flac files streamed from a vortexbox to a squeezebox touch, then optical to a gungnir dac, then cable to a nad c375bee amp, then to kef iq9 floorstanding speakers.   i think i've got a pretty good system, not ultra-audiophile, but good. i was listening to the headphones from the phones outlet of the nad amp.
 

the hd700 is better than my "normal" sound system.  it was a bit of a shock to realize that, but my "normal"system can't hold a candle to listening with the hd700.  i can't imagine what i'd have to spend to get a speaker system that sounded as good, as rich, as immersive, as these headphones.  [not counting putting an addition on my house for the listening room.]
 
so i'm impressed and enormously pleased by the hd700.  for what i listen to - classical music and acoustic jazz- they are wonderful.  
 
 
edit: the hd700 is also relatively easy to drive.  it was louder than the x1 with volume set the same on my amp.  i just got a fiio x5 that i'm hoping will be able to drive the hd700.  i'll post the results here when i get around to actually checking.
Burtron5
Burtron5
It's been a year and a half since your review, now the price has gone down to the $ 500. range and I picked up a used pair for $ 420. that included a 4 pin DLR ! At those prices, these are really an attractive choice, especially if you listen to well recorded Classical and Jazz. They don't get alot of love online, and I think people were scared off by the initial high cost, but, no more. I highly recommend a try-out w/ these w/ a good amp/DAC set up. The transparency, speed, and tonal qualities are wonderful, some say easier to like than the HD800. Try it you'll like it.

SonyMDRer

New Head-Fier
Pros: Sound, build quality, price-to-performance ratio
Cons: Could be lighter
Introduction:
This is my 1st 5-Star Review.
I am a very picky reviewer and I am a true believer in 'every little bit counts' and honestly I have little to nothing to complaint about aside from the headphone being a little bit heavy.
 
Build quality:
The construction of the HD700 is very similar to the HD800. Just by looking at the headphone, you might mistake one from the other.
 
Sound quality:
The biggest difference in my opinion lies in the smaller earcup that houses a smaller 40mm driver, compared to the massive 56mm driver on the HD800. I think this affected the sound quite a bit. With the smaller driver, I found that it was less spacious and the soundstage was not as realistic as the HD800. However, what you do get is a very wide stereo effect. On to the sound signature of the HD700, I would say it is very similar to the HD800; especially the mid-range. I think the biggest difference for me about the HD700 compared to the HD800 is in the bass region. For me, I loved the HD800 and the low-end is beautiful. However, I could never feel the bass. With the HD700, you can both feel the bass and appreciate the beautiful qualities of the bass region. Another region I focused on was the treble region. I thought the HD700 did not have the 6khz spike that plagued a lot of the HD800. Instead, you are presented with a less detailed presentation, which could or could not be a bad thing, depending on what you are listening to.
 
Summary:
Overall, I loved the HD700 and it is one of my highest recommended headphones. For how much it does well, I would even recommend it over the HD800 in some instances. 
 
For a more in-depth review, please take a look at my video review =)
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BigBadBirdman

New Head-Fier
Pros: Fantastic soundstage and big orchestral sound
Cons: Sound changes with ear cup placement, high price
Introduction

The Sennheiser HD700 is a controversial headphone. It is the most expensive headphone I own and in many ways, it is my favorite. Others do not like it at all.

The main problem for me is the sound changes depending on how it is situated on my head. When I bought the HD700, it sounded muddy. After 3 weeks of trying to burn it in I was on verge of returning it for a refund. I decided to give it one last try and found that if I removed my glasses and moved the ear cups back and pressed them inward, the sound dramatically changed. Suddenly the sound became crystal clear and it had the best soundstage I have ever heard from a headphone.

There have been many reviews of the HD700 and nobody else has had the problems I have, so maybe there is a chance I got a defective unit since I bought it used.

I use the HD700 primarily for opera, choral and large orchestral. I have 5 other headphones and I use others when listening to small orchestral, chamber, or solo piano.

My Setup

I use CD, Blu-ray, and DVD as my sound source. I mostly use a Marantz CD6005 but sometimes use an Onkyo C-7030 as my CD player. I use a cheap Sony Blu-ray player for video.

I drive all my headphones with a Schiit Asgard 2 headphone amplifier. However, when I purchased the HD700 I was using the headphone jack from my CD player and it sounded fine.

The HD700 is designed for home use. I do not use any portable listening devices and do all my listening exclusively at home.

I primarily listen to opera and orchestral music. The other headphones I currently own are the Sennheiser HD600, Audio Technica ATH-MSR7, Beyerdynamic DT-990, Beyerdynamic T51i, and Philips Fidelio X2.

My speakers are the Apogee Centaurs driven by an old Carver solid state amp and a passive preamp. I live in a small condo, so I cannot play my music very loud without disturbing the neighbors. I do most of my music listening with headphones and use the speakers for movies and television.

Sound Quality

I would characterize the HD700 as a warm sounding headphone. It has more upper bass and lower midrange than my other headphones. This can be a problem on some recordings but it can make a big improvement on others.

The biggest flaw with the HD700 is that the sound changes with ear cup placement. With all my other headphones, you can just put them on your head and listen. With the HD700, I have to jiggle them around, push down on the ear cups, and move them around some more. Small adjustments to the ear cups make a huge difference in the sound quality. Since I wear glasses, this makes getting the best sound from the HD700 even more of a challenge. Sometimes it can take me a while to find the ideal position.

I notice that nobody else has remarked on having problems with ear cup placement being such an issue, so maybe it is a problem with my particular unit.

The Highs

I find the treble on the HD700 to be one of its best qualities. It is detailed and well extended. I have found a few recordings where the highs sound harsh but that is something I attribute to the recording, not the headphones. Some of the older reviews for the HD700 complained about the treble quality but I have not had any problems with it. I find the treble is well extended but not overly prominent. In fact, the treble volume is lower and less harsh than my Beyerdynamic DT-990, Audio Technica ATH-MSR7 and Philips X2.

The Midrange

The midrange is smooth and warm. On some recordings the midrange can sound muddy due to too much warmth. On other recordings, it sounds just right.

Most headphones I own have a big dip in the lower midrange and upper bass that accentuates the upper midrange. The HD700 does not have that dip. The warmth of the midrange can make some recordings that sound harsh on other headphones sound lush. On the other hand, some recordings with too much lower midrange can end up sounding a bit muddy.

On Stravinsky’s Pulcinella conducted by Pierre Boulez, the sound was real grainy on my HD600, DT-990, and X2. Changing to the HD700 completely transformed this recording to a lifelike concert experience.

The Bass

The bass if full, extended, and warm. It does not have the big impact of the X2 but it is more detailed and textured. When I listen to the video of Giulio Cesare conducted by William Christie, the lower strings sound fantastic. It sounds like sitting right in front of the orchestra pit.

On the Mozart Requiem conducted by William Christie, the bass was thin and anemic on the HD600. When I switched over to the HD700, it was big. It was like I was sitting in the front row of the concert hall. It entirely transformed the sound of this recording.

Soundstage

On some recordings, if you have the headphones just right and the volume set correctly, you can get the best soundstage I have ever heard from headphones. On the Giulio Cesare video, you can actually hear that the orchestra is in the pit and the singers are on the stage.

On the Ariodante recording conducted by Alan Curtis, you are surrounded by the orchestra as if you are on the podium and the singers are in front and above. You can hear every instrument in the orchestra and they sound like they are all coming from a separate location. You can hear the texture of the instruments, especially the lower strings.

Conclusion

The Sennheiser HD700 is the most expensive headphone I own. I purchased it for $400 “used” from Amazon Warehouse Deals in January of 2016 and there are many excellent headphones available at or below this price point.

At its best, it is the best sounding headphone I have heard but it is also the most frustrating. It can be very hard to get it to sound its best. I need to get the ear cups positioned just right and the volume setting needs to be precise. If the volume is too loud, the soundstage collapses.

The HD700 is pretty comfortable but I prefer the HD600 and DT-990 for comfort. The HD700 sounds best with a good seal and wearing glasses compromises the seal which makes it more difficult to get good sound. However, the HD700 is the headphone I use for the majority of my Blu-ray opera recordings, so it is work the effort as far as I’m concerned.

The Sennheiser HD700 is the fussiest headphone I own but under the right conditions it can be the most rewarding.

*********Addendum 4/30/19

I have come across a modification for the HD700 that addresses the problem I have when wearing eyeglasses. Simply replace the stock earpads with the Grado G Cushion (aka "salad bowls") or an aftermarket knockoff.

I find that this not only makes listening with eyeglasses more comfortable, but it also improves the sound stage and imaging. If you own the HD700 and have had some of the problems I have mentioned, you might give it a try.

Actually, I recommend replacing the stock pads with the G Cushion even if you don't wear glasses. It really opens up the soundstage and it makes the HD700 more comfortable. Be advised, you will lose a lot of sound pressure, so you will need to turn up the volume and you will need to have a powerful amp.

[

techboy

500+ Head-Fier
Pros: Absolute resolution and clarity; very clear, superb transients, awesomest comfort - extreme comfort; sound good out of everything; good vocals
Cons: slightly peaky treble; not ideal for extended listening sessions
Sennheiser was kind enough to lend me their HD 700 for a home demo. And as you know, I already own the HD 650 (silver drivers) to compare them to. And thankfully, Sennheiser has also agreed to lend me their HD 800 in a few days, for a more thorough side by side comparison. But that is best left to another review.

I'm not sure whether these HD 700 headphones have been burned in or not. But. Neither do I care. Because I'm not a big believer in burn in making a radical difference to the sound. At least in the majority of cases. Anyway, just mentioned this to explicitly state that I've no idea.

How much time have I spent with Sennheiser's HD 700 so far?

Not much. Less than 24 hrs in fact. But. I've already listened to a few songs I'm reasonably familiar with.

So. This isn't a review done after extensive testing. But. I've tried to be as accurate as possible.

How much time have I spent with the HD 650 and the rest of my setup?

At least over 2 years or so. Maybe longer. So that shouldn't hinder this review.

The Setup

Headphones: HD 700 (2012), HD 650 (silver drivers)

Headphone Amplifier: Project Ember v1.0 (just tried a single tube, Marconi 6dj8 is what I recall from memory)

DAC: Asus Essence One Muses Edition

Transport: Asus Essence STX SPDIF to the PC

The HD 650 was tested with and without Sonarworks. Sonarworks is a VST plugin that neutralises the tonality of supported headphones. Sonarworks doesn't support the HD 700 yet.

Music

Bollywood (Arijit Singh etc)

Mozart (very little)

I'd like to sum up the basic advantages of each headphone over the other, before I proceed to a more detailed review. So those in a hurry can still quickly get to know the overall gist in brief.

Advantages of the HD 700 over the HD 650
 
Way more comfortable. In fact, the HD 700 is so comfortable that that alone justifies twice the price over the HD 650 if you consider them equals otherwise.

More or less better all around when it comes to technical prowess.

Clearer, cleaner, more articulate, crisper transients and better speed.

The overall sound is very tight and coherent.

The bass is a lot tighter.

Much better resolution; more detailed.

Reasonably improved soundstage and imaging.

More open and slightly more speaker like.

More detailed and believable vocals.

Basically, the difference in going from a mid range to a high-end can. ​

Disadvantages of the HD 700 over the HD 650

Additional treble that makes it unnaturally bright (not ear piercing though).

Fatiguing and not as polite for extended listening sessions.

There is something that makes them sound less natural and less musical.

The tonality isn't as neutral; the vocals are a bit upfront as compared to the rest.

Advantages of the HD 650 over the HD 700 (Many of these advantages may be audible only if you have Sonarworks, as that takes the experience to another level.)

More musical, lush, smoother and sweet overall.

The bass isn't as tight but perhaps more natural and with greater punch.

The treble isn't as sharp; it is smoother.

More suitable for extended listening.

It has most of the pros of the HD 700 but not quite to the same level. In terms of technical prowess, it is what it is. An outdated flagship. 

Now.

You're probably waiting for a more in-depth comparison between the two. And that is exactly what I'm coming to now.

HD 700 v/s HD 650 (with Sonarworks) - One on one

Sound signature

HD 700

The HD 700 isn't as connect in tonality. But it is a very enjoyable sound signature nevertheless. The bass is super tight. The treble is lively and slightly Brit. The vocals are upfront. The sound is very tight overall. Everything is very tight.

HD 650

More neutral and balanced. Sounds smoother and sweeter, more musical. Nothing stands out even though the vocals are delicious.

Soundstage & Imaging

HD 700 > HD 650

The difference isn't huge. But is still significant. And easily audible. Can be a deal breaker for many once they get used to the HD 700.

I'm not too certain about the imaging. But. I think the HD 700 has an edge there as well.

Vocals

HD 700

More articulate and realistic. They have better resolution and are more detailed. Also more upfront. Crisper.

HD 650

More musical, rounded and smoother. But not quite of the same stature.

Bass

HD 700

A lot tighter. Perhaps artificially tight. Not sure though.

HD 650 

Far more hollow and rounded. But a tad more natural. Smoother. And with more punch.

Treble

HD 650 > HD 700

HD 650's treble is just right with Sonarworks. HD 700 is a bit peaky and that takes time to adjust to. Note, the HD 700 isn't very bright. But the 650 is just more natural and balanced.

Transients, speed, articulation

HD 700 > HD 650

Not even a contest. There are really far apart here. The HD 650 is very good in its own right. But not of the same pedigree.

Timbre and tonality

HD 650 is a bit better than the HD 700 here.

Comfort

Don't get me wrong. The HD 650 is pretty comfortable on its own. However, although its sound is suitable for extended listening, it's comfort isn't exemplary. It is just good.

The HD 700 is probably the most comfortable headphone ever. More comfortable than the HD 800 I think. (I have tried the HD 800 twice.)

It is like going from average to superlative in terms of comfort. That alone justifies 2x the price for the HD 700.

Finally. Is the HD 700 a true upgrade to the HD 650?

Technically, yes. Definitely.

However, since the sound signature isn't exactly the same, subjective preferences may differ. Some may take one over the other.

But as far as technical prowess is concerned, the 700 definitely has an edge. And a definite one at that. And combined with the much better comfort, its price is justified. Without doubt.

Yes. I recommend the HD 700 over the HD 650 even at twice the price. But only if you feel the need for something that the HD 650 is unable to deliver. And ideally, you should try to audition before you buy it.

Update to Sennheiser HD 700's review

I have had a chance to listen to the HD 700 with two more setups:

Asus Essence One Muses DAC/Amp

iPad Mini 2 -> FiiO E12

I also compared it to the HD 650 with both setups.

The Fiio E12 setup sounds pretty good. With both cans. But not quite at the level of my previous setup or even the Asus E1 Muses.

I didn't do an AB test or DBT, so I can't be sure. And being an objectivist, I'm not sure why or whether there should be this kind of difference. But for some reason, the Asus setup sounds cleaner, clearer and less muffled.

The FiiO E12 is very good in its own right. And even with low gain I'm at about 12 o clock to get reasonably loud volume with either headphone.

HD 700 vs HD 650

After some more listening, I have come to realise that the HD 700 is a clear and very significant step up. And not only in terms of comfort. 

The HD 700 is a lot cleaner, clearer, tighter, more articulate, faster and just gets the vocals a lot more right. 

The HD 650 is still better for extended listening as the HD 700 does fatigue you after a while. But I've become used to HD 700's treble in under 72 hrs (and less than 2 hrs of use). It is not really fatiguing. But definitely a bit for extended listening. Unlike the HD 650. 

Everything else goes in favour of the HD 700. You can hear a lot more detail. And the transients are a lot crisper as well.

The HD 650 does sound musical and lush. But vocals are relatively frighteningly real with the HD 700.

Honestly, I can't see much reason to choose the HD 650 over the HD 700 except for the smoother treble and better suitability for extended listening.

The HD 700 is difficult to use for over 20-40 minutes tops at a time. Unlike the HD 650. But that could be very personal. I couldn't listen to Soundmagic E80s for over 5 minutes tops. So maybe I'm just used to the less treble energetic HD 650.

Also, do note that most of these comparisons have been done while using the HD 650 with Sonarworks. So the HD 650 was dot neutral. In its stock form it is a bit too laid back for my tastes. And just can't compete with the HD 700.

Stuff like breath and air movements are something that really make the HD 700 shine. The HD 650 is okay here. But not in the same playing field.

The Fiio E12 does a good job with both the HD 700 and HD 650. But. I don't know why. I preferred the Asus Essence One Muses Edition with both the headphones.

Solid State vs Tube

For some reason, I always felt the HD 650 felt dead and cold with the Asus Essence One Muses edition. It felt lifeless. Like something was lacking.

However, the HD 700 also fares really well with this solid state amp. In fact, I preferred it with the Asus over my hybrid tube amp Project Ember, I think. I'm not sure though.

But. With the HD 650 I always chose Project Ember instead.

Now I'm really not sure why this is happening. I may have gone mad and maybe this is all placebo. But these are my findings so far...

P.S. Honestly, after listening to the HD 700 for a while, the HD 650 sounds like a distorted and muffled mess. The difference is at least as big if not bigger than moving from a HD 598 to a HD 650. The jump is probably a lot bigger in fact.

The HD 700 does better most of the stuff the HD 650 does well, and much better at that. But it is definitely a different presentation. And it is best to audition before you buy either!​
Barra
Barra
FYI, the SonarWorks HD800 plugin works wonderfully with the HD700 eliminating the treble issues. If you try it you are in for a real treat and there are is no comparison to the HD650, They are two very different signatures, but the HD650 as fun as it is only scales to mid-fi IMO while the HD700 with the SonarWorks plugin scales to TOTL. This comes for direct AB comparisons with most the TOTL HPs with the HD650 in the mix. The problem with the HD650 SonarWorks plugin is that there is nothing to correct with the HD650 as they got it right out of the box as is. The HD700 on the other hand has a treble veal that is very clear if you use the HD800 plugin and toggle it on and off. Not saying that there is anything wrong with the HD700 as is as it does sound great out of the box, but once you hear it corrected with the SonarWorks plugin, it is hard to go back.
techboy
techboy
I tried with Sonarworks. With that enabled a lot of HD 700's strengths' take a hit.
 
It is no more really detailed or as tight.
 
Sounds better without Sonarworks in this case I think. With the HD 650 it is the opposite.

Avean

100+ Head-Fier
Pros: Great soundstage
Great clarity
Extremely comfortable
Good for any situation may be it music, movies or games
Cons: Not really
I upgraded from HD650 and it took me weeks and weeks of reading reviews if i would hear any difference going from HD650. The price of HD700 is pretty high but after seeing Sennheiser claiming these were a major upgrade from the HD650 i went and bought a pair. I am in a different world right now, they are so much better sounding. I am using EqualizerAPO with custom presets from Head-Fi which transforms these sets from very good to simply musical nirvana.

I use them heavily for music and games and they are truly astonishing. Huge soundstage, amazing bass and a lot of details. I guess my next step is now HD800S but i honestly cant understand what set can beat these....

BasilFawlty

Head-Fier
Pros: Dynamics, clean sound, great bass, midrange transparent, extremely comfy,
Cons: Plasticky, mesh vulnerable,
Tries so many headphones,but just coming back to my 700. Decided to stay with them and my HiFi M8 simply because I love the portability and the sound is great to me.

stpope

New Head-Fier
Pros: Comfort, light weight, spectacular sound: response and imaging
Cons: Not cheap
I've used most of the old-school brands (Grado, AKG, Sennheiser, Sony, Koss, David Clark, ...) and have tried several of the Jonny-come-latelys, and the HD700s are simply the best for comfort and sound that I know.
 
I can wear them for hours and never get fatigued.
 
Most of the others that I've heard fail relative to the HD700 in terms of either wearability or audiophile sound.
 
I use an after-market cable that's shorter and lighter than the stock cable.
 
My other options are Etymotic fitted in-ear 'phones or Genelec active monitors.
 
I've never heard the HD800s with anything better than a computer (and a PC at that) driving them, so I can't really compare the two.
 
I listen mostly to computer audio (Apple Lossless or AAC@320kbps formats) through a TC Electronic Impact Twin FireWire DAC/Headphone amp, which I also highly recommend (esp. for the price of $250).
 
I've used lots of AKG 'phones over the years, and liked the sound, but the Q701 is noticeably heavier than the HD700 and flops around more when you move your head, the Senns are snugger and lighter, in addition to having a killer soundstage.
DefQon
DefQon
The Q701 is rubbish compared to the HD700.
DefQon
DefQon
The HD700 is nothing special either. OP paid $580 for these which is good.
headphones1999
headphones1999
thnaks!

DrSeven

100+ Head-Fier
Pros: overall sound quality, clarity, detail, mids, soundstage and separation, extreme comfort, good cable
Cons: little sibilant in the beginning, some fragile parts, maybe too bright for some people
Sennheiser HD 700
 
At the moment I unfortunately have no time to write a complete review. So my apologies for that but I'm going to finish this review as soon as I can
 
 
 
 
 
IMAG0084.jpg
 
 
 
 
 
Audio
 
Low pitch: 4/5
maybe not enough bass for the bass heads but for my taste just enough -and whats more important- HQ bass
 
Medium pitch: 5/5
absolutely stunning! near perfection IMO
 
High pitch: 4/5
a little harsh in the beginning but after some time (burning in or getting used to them) I really think the highs sound great
 
 
Design
 
Well I like it ...also they are not as big as for example the HD800 and LCD 2/3 what I think is good 
 
 
Comfort
 
Most comfy cans Ive ever had I can wear them for hours without any discomfort
 
 
Value
 
I think they are not that overpriced and you get pretty good cans for your money 
 
 
Conclusion
 
I compared them to some cans ( to name only some: Shure SHR1840, AKG K 701, Sennheiser HD 650, Denon AH-D 7100,..) and I always ended up with the HD700 as the for my taste most euphonic headphone (dunno why but esp. when paired with a colorfly c4 player)
So I can absolutely recommend them for most genres (except maybe Hip Hop) and I think they are great all-rounders

genclaymore

Headphoneus Supremus
Pros: very Comfortable,Very lite, Works very well, Great all over sound and sound stage, Good seperation.
Cons: It can be bright with certain Amp's, Op-amp or tubes, No 3rd party earpads.
HD700_2.jpg
 
 
                                               
 
 The Sennheiser HD 700 is the little brother of the HD 800, the design looks like it stolen from an art museum in the future, Or a futurist earmuff. The cups are in the shape of your ear, the ear pads can be removed by unsnapping them from the headphone’s themselves, and sadly I haven’t seen any 3rd party ear pads as Sennheiser HD 700 ear pads cost around 80-99 dollars. Maybe in the future (no pun intended) they will create different ear pads that are thicker for those whose ears touches the drivers or that stick out further from their heads.
 
The each ear has a plug for the headphone cable’s which are Dual mono, Also besides each cup has a connector on them, it makes it easier down the line to swap to balanced cables to use with a balanced Amp.
 
The headphone’s easily adjust to the size you need, You have to make sure you get both sides the right amount for your head, having visual numbers would have made it easier to do, cups moves forward and back, but they do not twist.
 
The HD 700’s are very light headphone’s other than my ear touching the driver a bit, the ear pads them self are very comfortable as so the headband pads. I just wish the ear pads was thicker.
 
Unlike my last pair of headphone’s the HE-500’s, the HD700 are easier to drive, they work great on both my Gustard H10 and my Burson Lycan the only thing that I have that they don’t work with on is the Fiio E7 which can’t drive them correctly, The HD700’s are 500mW @ 150ohms.
 
 
The Setup
 
For the review, I will be using my Gustard X12 Dac paired with my Burson Lycan amp which will have the Burson V5-OPA-D Op-amp installed.
 
HD700_1.jpg
 
 
The Results
 
Shazzka – Showtime
 
The first thing you notice in this song is how hard the bass hits while going deep, Its clean and not messy, It does not leak into the other freq’s either. The Snare’s and the drum’s sound really good, the snares have a type of snap to them.
 
The highs are detailed while clean, not too bright, Sound really nice to me. They have a good image as I can hear the location of the different instruments.
 
The Vocals are in the center, they have weight behind them, some of the vocal’s pan out towards the left and right, while still sounding nice. The sound stage to me is big and sounds like it’s 3Dish to me, the sound isn’t close to my head but surrounds it.
CloZee – Koto
 
The instrument and the snares in the first part of the song is spread out thru the sound stage, it’s very clean and heard. The sound imaging is really good in this song. The bass also hits hard but not as hard like the other song, but it still goes deep as well.
 
The vocals are in the center like the singer is in front of you on the stage in the back ground. While another sounds like is in the front of that one.  The 3rd is at the left of the center, All 3 of them are heard clearly and does not overlap each other.
 
 
Arkaik – Moving on (Original mix)
 
The song has a very airly feel to it, the drum kit is in the center directly in front of you, clearly heard and detailed. The location of the bass is in the left channel which is very deep. Both the drum kit and the bass is heard separately.
 
 The 2nd bass note feels like it surrounds you before it goes into an error, when it just the drums kit and the bass note playing. The sound stage feels like it very open. I enjoying this song.
 
 
Ben Soundscape, Superior Selectionz – Abbey (Original mix)
 
Like the last song, this one also have a airly feel to it, The drum kit and the snare is in the center of you in a such a way like the drummer is hitting the drums just for you. The Snare and the bass is separated from the drumming. The drums hit very deep and there some weight behind each fast hit.
 
The vocals are soft and the position of the singer is in front of the drummer, they don’t drown each other out.
 
The sound stage is also 3D while being large and it surrounds you like the other song, each person and instrument is easy heard all thru the sound stage as their separate thing.
 
 
Conclusion
 
Over all I enjoyed the way most of the songs sounded on the headphones, it worked really well with what I paired with them for this review. Prior I had the HE-500, Honestly I glad I move on to the HD700 as I prefer the way that these headphones sound over them. While the HE-500 did sound good, I just like the HD700 more so, since they like I said very light and you don’t feel them on your head unlike the HE-500.

Rob80b

Headphoneus Supremus
Pros: Very good imaging, staging is very speaker like, seamless tone from top to bottom, excellent clarity, midrange and tight tuneful bass.
Cons: Unruly cable
January 1st  2014

 
 
Initial impressions
http://www.headfonia.com/ls-take-on-the-sennheiser-hd700/
 
First off "Happy New Year"
Took awhile but my HD700s finally showed up yesterday, a cursory listen (5-6 hrs) mirrored more or less yours and Mike’s impressions.
As mentioned above I’m using a Bryston BCD-1 as source balanced to a BHA-1 for amplification, so no hiss, hum, you name it just a jet black back-round allowing every little nuance to come through unscathed.
What was great was that instead of jumping through numerous tidbits of audio nirvana and being swept into audiophile neurosis I actually got immersed and “almost” listened to each disc in its entirety.
Started off by burning the 700's in with Underworld's "Dark and Long" and then Kraftwerk's Live "Minimum-Maximum" and kept them on repeat until I closed my shop at the end of the day.
Finally getting a chance to chill out I sat down with Brian Eno's "Another Day on Earth", George Crumb "An Idyl for the Misbegotten", Leslie Fiest's "The Reminder" and Dave Hollands “Prime Directive”.
The Senn signature was there but different, the HD580/600 are great phones and have stood the test of time but the HD700s appear to have brought everything up to date. Clarity was one word that came to mind but what I was mostly impressed by and just to quote you, “I would even dare to say the HD700 is speaker like in a way, it’s a dangerous statement, I know, but they sound so open and clear it’s amazing. “
My biggest caveat with the Senn 600 series was that even though imaging layering was great, the central image quite often was produced larger than life and disproportionate to what I consider a proper sound stage, therefore more convex in nature, my AKG K701s do the opposite and produce a staging that is way too concave.
The HD700s IMHO nailed it, producing the best natural staging, width and depth that I’ve gotten out of a pair phones and somewhat reminiscing my Dynaudio Special 25s speakers, that also applies to tonality and voicing, therefore neutral.
But to sum up without sounding too pretentious I’d say the HD700 is very “audiophile like”, at least from what I have experienced so far, in that they do not overlay any specific sonic signature of their own to the recording unlike my AKGs, Grados and other Senns, so basically very chameleon in nature.
 
Follow Up
HD700s2.jpg
 
  Well my initial impressions and after a few days still stand and they have actually appeared to  improve on my original observations.
Listening to Kathleen Battle’s “Grace” album was a treat and just to quote the opening liner notes ” Kathleen Battle’s voice is like a diamond—pure, clear, radiant, and beautiful….” What more can I say.
Switching back to my HD580/600s confirmed my observations with regards to staging, with the 700s Kathleen Battle was centered with excellent depth and space around the accompanying instrumentation so that I perceived more of a 3 dimensional person, where as with the 580/600s it felt like the microphone was maybe 3 feet in front of her and the orchestra pushed back, which I know is not the case; again the HD700s giving me more of that speaker presentation for which I was looking for and less of what I’m accustomed to with headphones.
Next I concentrated on bass and percussion music as I listened through Bill Laswell’s “Hear no Evil”, “Percussion Music”(“Ionisation” (Edgar Varese) and “Fantasy Variations” (Michael Colgrass) conducted by Charles Wuorinen and then Massive Attack’s “Mezzanine”. From tympani to kettle drums to synthesized bass the HD700s out performed all my other phones producing the desired pressure and extension and with direct comparison to my Dynaudio Special 25s augmented with a Velodyne SPL1500R sub/SMS-1 there was IMHO little wanting.
For those wanting more bass, all I can say is that you’ve stopped listening to the music and are looking for something else but not the truth and a real re-production (at least as far as this hobby goes) of the performance.
Should also mention that Bill Laswell’s recording “Hear no Evil” had smoothness and liquid presentation with excellent layering.
Finishing off with the Borodin String Quartet playing “Debussy-String Quartet in G Minor & Ravel-String Quartet in F Major on EMI, one’s treated with a sense of depth and uniformity with superb interplay between the musicians.
Overall I was again impressed with the congruity of tone from top to bottom and once more the speaker-like presentation, well done.
smile.gif
 

Not to mention the HD700s appear very well made and nice form factor, too bad they didn't throw in the balanced cable.
wink.gif

 
Robert
 
Ps. Just a word about pricing, not too sure why but Sennheiser Canada has never followed suit with Senn US, those with short term memory may be surprised to know that the HD600 were priced here at $699 and the HD580s at $549.00
Working in the industry at the time I got my first HD580s ten years ago my dealer costs were still $349.00, needless to say I bought them on line from the US for a much reduced price and even still today that trend continues, the HD700 are still listed at their original offering $1000-$1199 along with most of their line up.
So the current price of $649 in the US for the HD700 in my eyes, retrospectively speaking, makes them quite the bargain.
IMHO the 700s are everything the 650’s should have been, the HD600 were/are very well balanced phones and I was expecting something special with the 650s, but in the end I felt it was really only Sennheiser’s answer to the boom of Home Theatre at the time, with the augmentation and proliferation of the use of sub-woofers.
We got bass but at a cost of losing what made the 600s special, congruity of tone.
 
Impressions after almost 8 months, August 24th
 
Well maybe it’s just me but the HD700s have proved themselves over and over again as one of the most satisfying phones I’ve owned with all types of genres.
I’ve now forfeited most of my headphone collection, Hd580/600s, Grado SR325is, AKG K701s, K501s and the 240DFs, the HD700s filling the gap. Along the way I also purchased a new pair of HD800s but after week even with all their technical superiority they failed to engage me musically so off they went back to the supplier.
I still needed a second set of phones so just took the plunge on the AKG K712s, hey I was AKG supporter for as long as I can remember, their sound signature has dramatically transformed compared to my original K701s, being darker, warmer, smaller sound stage and now come very close to my HD580/600s but with a lot more bass, ironically this is all due to the implementation of the thicker, deeper memory foam ear cushions, which I confirmed just by swapping out the pads on the K701s.
712.jpg
 
But again the HD700s proved themselves as a better phone, percussion having better attack and decay, superior focused imaging over the K712s allowing one to hear deeper into the mix, overall better clarity from top to bottom, both phones are very good but the HD700s just give you more. I’ve read the Annies ( again with slightly different pads) retain some of the previous AKG K7xx openess but with the bass and may be a better contender with the HD700s.
Eventually I”ll most likely get around to the Audezes and Hifimans but for me Sennheiser have indeed produced a wonderful head-set and am always at a loss to hear otherwise.
Wyd4
Wyd4
Hi Rob,
Very good points you raise.
I guess for me, at least in my current position, it is about finding that sweet spot, or the point of diminishing returns if you will.
It is true, with my current ability to spend on audio equipment, synergy inclusive, I would be better off with perhaps a pair of HD700's and appropriate Dac/Amp than a pair of "better" headphones in the HD800's and just what ever I can afford to throw at them.
In turn I would probably net better results from a pair of very affordable HD600's in combination with more wallet headroom for further electronics.
All food for thought.
Regardless and sorry to get carried away on your thread, thank you for a great review.
 
Scott
Rob80b
Rob80b
Hi Scot
 
The HD600s are very good phones but I only realized their much improved potential after I added the Bryston BHA-1 head-amp but then I also became more conscious of the staging where on many recording with a central image it was pushed forward and disproportionate in size to the surrounding instrumentation.
The HD700 solved that along with removing the slight warmth or what some call “the veil”, the 700s are a lot more neutral in their coloration, the HD800 even more so and even more revealing (more garbage in more garbage out).
So yes IMHO the HD700s would be the sweet spot in Sennheiser’s higher offerings.
Feedback is essential on a review otherwise we’re whistling in the wind.
AN94Master
AN94Master
How would you compare the bass with the Senn Momentum(if youve heard from)?Is it deep,weel balanced and punchy?

LugBug1

Headphoneus Supremus
Pros: Detailed, warm, relaxing sound with extended top.
Cons: awkward stiff cable that needs ironing!
Few early impressions from my first night and following day with these fellas (I think early impressions are important before they have time to brainwash you :D ). I was pleasantly surprised by the treble straight away. It's hard not to have preconceptions when a headphone has been labelled this or that.. So I try as hard as possible to listen with my ears and no-one else's when judging SQ. My music preference is Classical and Jazz.
 
So... Starting with the overall balance and image: These seem balanced to me in regards to treble and bass. I hear both a hump in the mid bass and also a peak in the upper registers. This creates an exciting/fun sound. Its fun, but also refined at the same time. There is a missing part in the upper mids (just like the HD800) that helps create a smoothness. This gives this headphone a more U shape compared to the HD800 because of the extra bass lift. Sometimes I'm getting the feeling that the bass is sometimes segregated a little too much from the treble. Bass extents low but is more concentrated further up. The imaging can change from recording to recording... One minute I'm really impressed then the next I'm thinking it doesn't sound right compared to the HD6xx. This is obviously to do with the angled drivers and overall different presentation. Something I'll no doubt get used to.
 
Soundstage: This took me a while to understand fully. It doesn't seem that much bigger than the HD6xx series when you first put them on, but when the music calls for it they are capable of going very wide indeed. (something the 6xx can't do) So depending on the music, they don't over-stretch a cozy quartet, but they will expand to let an orchestra breath. The depth is good but not much different to the 6xx. What is better, is the space around instruments and overall control of different timbres. No smearing.
 
Tone: The overall tone is warm. Very warm at the bottom but also reasonably bright at the top. The treble extends all the way up and is on par with the hd800 for allowing the top to breath. Every nuance in the recording is there. There is also no hardness in the treble as with the 6xx series and I'm putting this down to the dip in the upper mids. The bass seems to change with amplification. On my trusty NAD vintage amps (the best amps I've tried with HD800) the bass is big, warm and thunderous at times! There is a slight bloat in the lower mids but not as much as the 650. Changing to a solid state hp amp and the bass drops significantly. It is tight and better controlled. But this loses too much drama for me. It turns a fun hp into a more delicate and easy listen. 
I'm still sussing the mids out. I was expecting these to suffer with the freq response graphs I'd seen posted. But just like the HD800 they are actually very pleasing. Strings sound silky smooth, violins don't have the hardness (grain) that the HD600 especially can show. Now, I know a lot of folk like the response to be flatter in the upper mids as this gives electric guitar grit and texture for example. But from an acoustic perspective the mids here are pleasing. Maybe a little polite, but pleasing. Vocals sound natural to me, again for the same reasons quoted above.
 
Compared to the other top Senns. (HD800, 600, 650)
These come across as being more different than better. Yes they are technically impressive but I believe it comes down to music enjoyment - as that is the their job right? Last night I was getting shivers up my spine with some of my favourite classical tracks and so this is a good sign. Other times my attention was drawn to the "sound" of the headphone itself. So only time will tell if I can switch off completely from the technical merits/effects of this hp to immerse myself fully into the music (like I can with the HD650, but couldn't with the HD800 sometimes).
Putting my HD650's on this morning after another hour with the HD700 and I welcomed the airy, relaxing sound.. But I could soon hear the 650's shortcomings in regards to the treble and separation. I went back to the HD700 and welcomed the refinement and smoothness. They do inherit a few traits of the HD800 but are very different to my ears. The HD800 are still the kings of dynamic headphone hifi in respect to accurately reproducing music.    
 
Love the design and size of these. Small, light and fit over my ears comfortably. Might change the cable though.  
 
Early days, but I think I'll be welcoming these to live alongside my trusty 650's. For my preference the HD700 are better than the HE500 or LCD2 for example, so in that respect they are an absolute bargain now.   
 
*Edit 4 months later*
 
Delighted with this purchase now. So much so I sold my HD650 and now use these as my main headphone. All headphones have a burn in time (whether brain or or whatever) and these when amped right can sound outstanding. Seriously, there's not much to miss having owned the HD800 for two years. These are more fun. So.. Unless you have a high end set up, I'm sure you could live very happily with these rather than paying for the HD800. Especially if you want a bit more oomph down below :)   
QualitySound
QualitySound
@abby normal
On Amazon they are $426 right now in the US, referb models for 350-370
DLR Group
DLR Group
I got mine for 424.00/ free ship, B&H, Amazon, most others same price late December.  I agree the cable could be ironed!
Otherwise, they must be improved since the assholishofhollies reviewed, as mine a par excellence, better than my Audeze LCD's.
garbulky
garbulky
Hi I'm hoping to get these HD700's. I am a bit conflicted with which one I want. What amp do you use? I LOVE the signature of the HD600. I want something like that with more width, placement and more detail. . However I don't like the tonal balance of the HD6xx at all. I find the low mids/upper bass cranked up too much. But I do like the speaker-like soundstage of the 6XX . So what I'm worried because I'm is that it will be more HD6xx tonal balance

pdrm360

Headphoneus Supremus
I spent a few months to find a good upgrade from the HD598. I had tried HE-500, LCD2.2, and Grado GS1000. I had never wanted to try a HD700 after having read the criticism about the sound and the bad measurements.  Between those I chose the LCD2, but because a friend's suggestion I got a HD700 from amazon. I just wanted to make sure LCD2 is the best choose on $1000 range headphones but from the first minute I tried the HD700 I found that it’s not as bad as some of the reviews. 
 
After burn-in the headphone for around 40 hours I spent whole a weekend to compare HD700 to LCD2, to me they had a same sound quality with different sound signature, for some genres I preferred HD700 and for some genres, LCD2.  Finally I decided to keep the HD700, since it had a same SQ but much more comfortable than LCD2.  The HD 700 feels like it weighs almost nothing on my head and the earpads don’t make my ears sweat even after hours of use.
 
Honestly I didn’t find any 5.5 kHz peak, but maybe a bit around 6.5 kHz. Yes, I found some hot trebles and sibilance in the beginning but after a couple months of listening what I can say according to my ears and impression, most of them have been smoothen out. 
 
The HD700 build quality is not bad at all; it is constructed by high quality plastic with a hint of metal. I don’t have any concern of its long-term durability base on my experience with other plastic made headphones from Sennheiser. 
 
In compare to my HD650, the HD700 has more trebles energy, deeper and more refined bass, wider sound stage, better instrument separation, more revealing and much faster, though the HD650 is more transparent to my ears.
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dazzerfong

1000+ Head-Fier
Pros: Comfort, detailing, great balance between analytical and fun, great design, cables are removable, balance between bass quantity and quality
Cons: Cable, questionable material choice. Did I mention cable?
Introduction
DSC_1029.jpg
 
Everyone here and their mothers have heard of the HD600/650. After over 10+ years, the HD600 series still remains a timeless classic, withstanding the test of time with is beautiful musicality and fidelity while being very appropriately nice. But it's unlike companies to stand on its laurels: the HD800 was released in 2010, which remains the current defacto standard for soundstage and balance among dynamic driver headphones. That being said, it was still a relatively conservative headphone among its peers.
 
Enter the HD700
 
As the naming scheme suggests, the HD700 slots between the HD800 and HD600/650. That being said, it's not an exact compromise between the HD600 and HD800: its styling mimics the HD800's more, while its sound isn't quite either. That being said, I'm glad it's not a hybrid between the HD600 and HD800: if I wanted either sound, I'll just get either.
 
Having sufficient IEM's, I decided it was time to enter the headphone game. The MDR-1A was no slouch, but I was looking at open headphones. After a bit of hesitation, I tried out the HD700's at the only headphone store that demo'd it (Minidisc.com.au, check it out!) I bit the bullet and bought my most expensive pair yet ($600 AUD/ $480 USD).
 
Background
 
It's been a little over 2 years since I started getting into this whole audio shenanigans. Started off with a humble Sony MH1C to replace my lost headset, then from there, things got a little......out of control. For reference, my gear consists of:

Sony MH1C
UE500vi
UE900s (new)
Sony MDR-1A
 
To preserve as much of the headphone's characteristics, I went with an O2/ODAC to begin with. I may revise this review when I finally get my mate's Musical Fidelity hybrid amp. Some may disagree with my choice, saying that the HD700 pairs well with other amps: however, considering that this is all I have (besides an old Yamaha speaker amp), there's not much I could do. Note that I'll be comparing these to my UE900S (my IEM of choice) and MDR-1A (my main headphone before this) as a rough reference, as well as the HD600/800 (the former which I borrowed off my brother).
 
I'm not going to bother to say I'm not an audiophile: I obviously care a lot with how music is reproduced. Using the very definition of the word, we here are all audiophiles. That being said, I don't tend to affiliate with the more 'cult'-like traditions of audiophiles: cables, tweaks, etc. Think of me as an objectivist, if you will.

Without further adieu, let's actually review these headphones!
 
Packaging
 
Although it's probably the most mundane aspect of audio products, in my mind, the packaging is very important. That being said, I'm not particularly impressed by the HD700's packaging: it's more or less the same as the HD600's. However, that is not to say I'm unsatisfied with the packaging: it's just that, at this price range, it's nothing special. The box, however, is very useful and utilitarian, though a bit easy to nick.
 
Comfort
 
Although the HD700 is a controversial headphone, there's pretty much universal consensus on its comfort: it's great. Bar none, it is the comfiest headphone I've ever worn, tying easily with the HD800 I tried for a brief period. Compared to the HD600, it comfortably (geddit?!) beats it. It is not hot at all, and the velour padding allows for wearing even with glasses for hours at end without the slightest touch of discomfort. Its light weight contributes heavily to this in my opinion. The only beef I have with the comfort is the fact that my left ear swells easily (due to me sleeping on it), and will occasionally nick the driver cover. Not a problem for 99% of the time.
 
Design
 
Some swear the HD700 is a person of the HD800. I couldn't agree more: the aggressive space-age styling is very distinctive, and one I love. To be honest, I prefer the look of these over the HD800: these look a lot more aggressive and sleek. However, the questionable material choice is inherited from the HD800: plastics fantastic. Now, I have nothing against plastic: used properly, it is durable and is light weight: however, that 'premium quality' feel would be diminished.
 
And then we have the cable. Bar none, it's the worst aspect of the headphone. Don't get me wrong, it's a beautiful headphone, but that cable just refuses to keep straight. Oh, and it broke after 4 months, and I didn't even roll it over a chair wheel. At least Sennheiser didn't play the blame-game: I'll give them that much.
 
Sound
(Note: unless indicated, I will link the O2/ODAC with it, and listen to 320/V0/FLAC files)

The sound of the HD700 is controversial indeed: most of those that hate this headphone will hate it for its peaky treble. Thankfully for me, I happen to enjoy this 'peaky' treble, as it turns out. Let's start from the bottom.
 
Bass
 
Unlike the HD600 and HD800, where the bass was anemic to me, the HD700 packs satisfying amounts of bass, while retaining very good control of it. It does not spill over to the mids (unlike my MDR-1A's), but delivers sufficient punch for pop and drums. However, despite its healthy amount, it still does not match the HD650's level of bass (quantity, not quality): the HD700 easily wipes the floor in terms of bass compared to the 600 series, and only loses somewhat to the HD800 due to is lesser extension. Despite this, I favour the HD700's bass a lot more than the HD800: there is nothing more bothering to me than listening to classical that has no bass.
 
The bass excels in songs such as X Ambassadors's  'Jungle' where despite it being clipped to oblivion by the producers, produces a visceral punch without bloating the rest. The same cannot be said for the MDR-1A's, where the bass just tanks the detailing, and the UE900S, where the bass was insufficient.
 
Mids
 
The mids of this are, in my humble opinion, the weakest aspect of the HD700. That being said, I don't hate, I still love it: it's just that the bass and treble is better to me relatively. Vocals (especially female) are very exuberant yet natural, making it beautiful for artists such as Haley Westenra. Likewise, for orchestral instruments, this makes the instruments very smooth and articulated. However, all being said and done, it's slightly veiled to an extent, and despite the plots showing me that they are indeed quite a bit veiled, I never thought that for a moment.
 
Surprisingly, compared to the rest of my headphones, the HD700 doesn't particularly stand out: it sounds better than the MDR-1A, but barely nudges the UE900S. Songs such as Amazing Grace by Hayley Westenra benefit more from the air and treble of the HD700's than the mids.
 
Treble
 
And here's where all the controversy of the HD700 is. There's not denying it: it's bright. However, no, they're nowhere near as bright as some Grado's I've heard. No, it's not fatiguing to me. Yes, maybe tubes may help. No, I really don't know if they can help. No, the HD800 has better treble. All I know is, I love the treble on this. There is a lot of treble extensions, which undoubtedly help with is big soundstage. All those treble cues you use for imaging, yeah, it's all there. And it's beautiful. What can I say? I'm a sucker for V-shaped headphones.
 
The treble allows for an amazing experience with guitars: every pluck and slap can be heard with succinct detail. Hell, let's just include all stringed instruments. It's absolutely solid. Gustavo Santaolalla's 'The Last of Us' provides the perfect opportunity for this trait to be heard: every pluck is so finely reproduced, it's hard to imagine this is all coming from a headphone. That extra sparkle provides a lot of air and thus soundstaging, especially with classical songs. One almost-perfect example may be heard in Barenboim's reading of the Emperor Concerto: all the nuances, from the subtle page turning to pedal changes on the piano sounds absolutely immersive in such an environment.
 
Other Sound Stuff
 
Soundstage - impressive, in case you didn't get the hint :wink:
Sibilance - none. Zilch. Despite what the treble may tell you, unless your song/ source is clipped, there's absolutely no sibilance.
Cable noise - none, which is about the only good thing I could say about it. But then again, an el-cheapo cable I bought for this doesn't either.
Channel balance - practically dead-on. Not much else to say TBH.
Driving/amping - I can't comment on the effect tubes have on these headphones. I can, however, say this: comparing the O2/ODAC to my laptop/phone's output, there is significantly less noise and the sound doesn't sound like it's being slogged around. Can't really explain it either, and it's driving my inner objectivist insane. My phone barely outputs enough for the HD700, so amping in that case is vital.
Isolation - none. Don't bother. However, it doesn't leak much sound (at least no at my listening volumes)
 
Genres
 
I listen to practically all music (except EDM/house, because that isn't music to me 
wink.gif
, and jazz). If I was to pick one genre the HD700's stand out in, it's classical/orchestral. The wide soundstage really helps in selling the traits of classical music, while its peaky treble aids in providing detailing and sparkle. However, it's no slouch in the other genres: I am unable to pick out a single genre the HD700's suffer at. One thing the HD700 really suffers from is clipped music: that treble pulls no punches in absolutely destroying clipped/brickwalled songs.
 
Conclusion
 
The HD700 is almost perfect: as opposed to my MDR-1A, which were fun yet bloated, the HD700 strives for fidelity while preserving an element of fun and excitement. This compromise is to my ears and head excellent, and is something that quite a few who migrate from the HD600/800's must get used to for these headphones.
 
Keep in mind, however, that this is relative to the price ($600 AUD/ ~$480 USD) I paid: if it was priced at its MSRP, I'd hesitate a bit. But at that price, it's not exactly a bargain either, but it's damn good.

Now if only the cable they came with were actually any good...........
 
Songs Used
Female Vocals
Hayley Westenra - Amazing Grace
Hayley Westenra - The Water is Wide
Celtic Woman - The Parting Glass (Emerald)
 
Pop
Taylor Swift - Everything has Changed
Florence + The Machine - Landscape (Demo)
Florence + The Machine - Hiding
Ed Sheeran - Thinking Out Loud
Adele - Skyfall
Charlie Puth - Marvin Gaye
Fun - Carry On
 
Rock
X Ambassadors - Jungle
Imagine Dragons - Radioactive
AC/DC - Shoot to Thrill
 
Classical
Tchaikovsky - Waltz of the Flowers (Tchaikovsky: The Nutcracker (2011 Remaster), André Previn)
Beethoven - Piano Concerto No.5 in E flat major Op.73 -"Emperor" (Beethoven For All: The Piano Concertos, Daniel Barenboim)
Mozart - Piano Concerto No.20 in D minor, K 466 (Mozart - Piano Concertos No. 27 & 20, Maria João Pires )
Mozart - Piano Concerto No.27 in B flat major, K 595 (Mozart - Piano Concertos No. 27 & 20, Maria João Pires)
Strauss II - The Beautiful Blue Danube (The 50 Greatest Pieces of Classical Music, London Philharmonic Orchestra)
Bach - Brandenburg Concerto No. 3 in G Major, BWV 1048 (J. S. Bach: Six Brandenburg Concertos, Dunedin Consort)
Rachmaninov - Piano Concerto No.2 in C minor, Op.18 (Rachmaninov: Piano Concertos, Vladimir Ashkenazy)
Gershwin - Rhapsody in Blue (Gershin: Rhapsody in Blue, Piano Concerto in F, Stefano Bollani)
 
Soundtrack
 
David Arnold - Bike Chase (Tomorrow Never Dies OST)
Gustavo Santaolalla - The Last of Us (The Last of Us OST)
Ramin Djawadi - Mako (Pacific Rim OST)
Ramin Djawadi - From Here (Medal of Honor (2010) OST)
Dario Marianelli - Brioni (Atonement OST)
Michael Giacchino - Welcome to Jurassic World (Jurassic World OST)
John Willilams - 'The Imperial March' from The Empire Strikes Back (1980) (Greatest Hits 1969-1999)
Hans Zimmer - Earth (Gladiator OST)
Hanz Zimmer - Leave No Man Behind (Black Hawk Down OST)

Nhubley

100+ Head-Fier
Pros: Looks great, Comfy, Wide Soundstage, Great Imaging
Cons: 6k Treble Spike, Plastic Design, No Bass Impact
1270577_10155299940350377_6194364744345201476_o.jpg
 
 
Intro: 
I have owned this headphone for about a year now and so far so good! I have found that the HD700 is a very revealing headphone that drastically changes its sound signature from each amp//source you listen to it with.
 
Type of Music I listen to:
Indy, Classic Rock, Rap, R&B, Soul, House
 
My Current Set Up:
WA2 Modded
Arcam rDac
HD700
 
What I have heard with the HD700:
 
Set-Up 1:
Bryston BHA-1
Bryston BDA-1
 
General Thoughts:
I found that with this solid state the treble peaks are ever present. Really fatiguing to listen to.  
 
Set-Up 2:
Woo Audio WA2
Arcam rDac
 
General Thoughts:
The warmth from the tubes adds a bit of coloration to the sound of the HD700 which reduces the treble spikes while the Arcam rDac is very transparent and doesn't get in the way of the WA2. 
 
Final Thoughts:
I would not spend over $1k (CAD/USD) on the HD700. I am finding myself most of the time resorting to a EQ to make them sound more like a HD800. If you can get these bad boys on sale go for it! However, if you find yourself spending full price. You are probably better off with another headphone like the LCD-2 or the T1. 
 
10644677_10154579294990377_9178382883785461759_o.jpg
 
[size=small] [/size]
Makiah S
Makiah S
Nice review, short and to the point! Like the pic too 
HumdrumPenguin
HumdrumPenguin
I've had mine since 2014 boxing day. Every month I change my opinion of the headphone. When I bought it I was between the HD700, HD800 and Audezee LCD-2. I went to the store 2 days and listened to them for a couple hours each day. It was not complete silence, but the music inside the store was sort of under control. Weird enough, the HD800 was my last choice, the HD700 sounded better for me. The LCD-2 was so freaking heavy that listening to it for many hours would be a problem. Since I listen to my phones when I'm using my pc doing my usual stuff, comfort was a must. I've changed headphones in the past due to lack of comfort and not because of sound quality. So I've learned this lesson some time ago. The LCD-2 had incredible mids and bass, and it was my first time listening to planar magnetic headphones. Really nice, but at the same time too uncomfortable. When I took it out and put the HD700, oh God, it was like changing for a feather. And it was much more open. Since I do like to listen a lot to Classic Rock, Classic, among other genres that do not involve too much of bass I decided to go with it. Then I went 2 days ago to a store to get some speakers to my computer (so far I was using only the HD700 on the amp connected to the pc), and in the store they had a pair of HD800s. I said, what the heck, let me listen to it again. Now I had hundreds of hours of experience with the HD700, and oh boy, was I mistaken. The HD800 are better. This time, to make sure, since there was nobody in the store (I was there a bit early in the morning), I asked him to close the doors and stop all the music in the store. To my surprise they did it. Was I not leaving Canada right now, after spending here a year or so, I would move mountains to make the upgrade. The 700 ARE NOT bad headphones. They are simply not as good as the 800 as I thought they were when I first listened to them (they were better in my opinion back then). In the beginning the 700 were fatiguing, not so much anymore, dunno why. The Audeze's would actually make a nice complement to different types of music, but their weight is just too disturbing for long sessions. So I would probably get the 800 because of that. Comfort is a must for me, and Senns deliver it better than any other company that I know (or at least that are worth even mentioning). Long story short (with an add-on not mentioned before), like the digital signature of senns, open and bright headphones, then go with either the 600 or 800. Don't bother with the rest. The 598 might actually be woth giving a try if you're in a tight budget, but then again you'll need at least some cash for the dac/amp.

Ataka

New Head-Fier
Pros: almost perfect all-rounder, very realistic and wide sound stage, impressively detailed and very live-like sound presentation, extremely comfy
Cons: ocassional sibilance, for some electronica it lacks just a bit more subbass energy
I would like to share my experience with Sennheiser HD700 and compare them directly with AKG K701.
I bought HD700 as upgrade to my K701.
 
INTRO
=====
 
At first please note that I wrote these impressions immediately after I finished the listening of mentioned track/album.
 
Secondly please note that I'm comparing two headphones where one today costs two times more!
 
My equipment:
HTPC-> Foobar2000 with ASIO plugin-> FLACs -> moded Audiotrak Prodigy 7.1 Hi-Fi
(I know that it is the weakest point of my audio chain, but still quite capable to sound good) -> 
-> CustomWorks Hypa300SE (top class solid state DIY headphone amp)
 
My music range is quite wide - metal, rock, neurofunk, elctronica, industrial, minimal, classical/piano, indie etc.
 
Sennheiser HD700 (I paid 430EUR for new) vs AKG K701 (Price in year 2016 - 200EUR for new)
======================================================================
 
Metallica - Load (album)
Whole album seems to be mastered with preferred mid bass and more recessed trebles, which make these songs absolutely beautiful through HD700.Following of the bass guitar, which is perfectly separated, is simply a joy.Drum kick reproduction is nearly perfect but some sub bass energy below 50Hz is just slightly missing. But PRAT is very strong.Texture of distorted guitars is excellent. It is the main reason why I think that HD700 is a secret treasure headphone for metal, see below.Vocal is well placed just right in the middle horizontally and vertically- slightly distant. I noticed no harshness or shhh through the whole album, mainly due to mentioned mastering preferences.I have to say that K701 did not failed on this album and reproduced it very well. 
 
Metallica - ...and Justice for All (album)
What a suprise! After my experience with K701 I expected something lifeless and unlistenable. But HD700 brings new life to this album. At first impressed me the amazing texture of distorted guitar and outstanding dynamics of midrange! Second impression was the clarity of cymbals - impressive body and steel feeling to them. And finally I can feel and follow bass - very well defined and fast. PRAT was also very strong. Dynamics of drum is first class even on this old album.I would like to pinpoint the song "One". For long time it was the only song on this album which I was able to listen through K701 - mostly due to presence of acoustic guitars and it's perfect rendering b K701. Always I was enjoying the first half (mostly acoustic part) of this song with K701 due to wide soundstage and detailed midrange repoduction of guitars. When distorted guitars staredt to play I immediately stopped reproduction every time in the past. HD700 gave me even better quality in the fist acoustic part and gave me excstasy when distorted guitars starts!Amazing experience to me.K701 had no chance to compete on this album without bass impact, more treble extension and too much forward midrange. Also with K701 I found that the midrange is sounding something like unreal on this album. Also too much wide and horizontally stretched soundstage of K701 did not help to reach reality of sound.All in all HD700 pretty amazed me on this album.
 
Metallica - Black album (album)
I never heard better bass guitar reproduction than here on this album through the HD700 - on "Enter Sandman" I was easily able to follow it through whole song. Lead guitars are extremely alive and perfectly placed on soundstage. Drum kick has energy but maybe just a bit of lowest subbass is missing here to really feel it right.Cymbals are very clear, steely, crisp and have trully live-like feeling. Hitting of cymbals is extremely dynamic. It balanced between revealing and sibilant through the whole album but luckily to me it never falls to the sibilant side. But I can imagine that sensitive persons would like to attenuate a trebles a little on this album.All in all the repoduction of this album was outstanding and very dynamic to my ears...K701 was suprisingly not so far away in sound quality. Of course bass had less weight, but midrange quality was very good on this album. Biggest surprise were the cymbals. K701 had same livelike feeling to them but slightly less prominent. Good steely splashing was also there but to my ears the lack of crispiness and treble dynamic leaves the K701's trebles just a level behind the HD700. Also something was not right with soundstage. What is it to me I will explain later...    
 
Fear Factory - Genexus (album)
My main intention with this album was to check the speed of bass. Double kick reproduction is pretty fast with the right "sticky" sound with good amount of weight - not slow or lean at all! Lead guitar has again very seductive and organic texture which drag me to listen the whole album again with HD700.Trebles are naturally recessed/compressed and sacrificed for the rest frequencies on this master.HD700 tried to bring some life to them with their slight treble emphasis - no complaints here but also no amazement.K701 has bass which is same way fast but it lacks again the impact and weight. Also guitar is reproduced worst but more prominent. 
 
Black Sabbath - 13 (album)
Studio master is made toward the midbass and midrange, trebles and lower bass are less prominent in the mix. Also a lot of compression was used.
Somewhere I read that some fans were not happy with mastering of drums on this album. I have to say that I agree with them.
For the most time on album the drums are sounding thin to me, especially the snare. HD700 gave a some more body to them compared to K701 but simply you can not squeeze out of song something what is not there. Maybe HD650 can help here I don't know yet :) On the other hand the Geezer's bass is incredibly detailed and it is crushing my ears with perfect dynamic. But HD700 shines especially in reproducing of Iommi's guitar - organic and liquid texture with impressive placement on soundstage. The each detail is so beautifully reporduced that I have feeling that he is standing right here in front of me. Again I have to say that the midrange quality of HD700 is top class to my ears and this album proved it to me again.K701 lacks especially in midrange quality - there was simply something not right.I read that some people described it like plasticky sound and now I know what they ment. There is much more midrange quantity than quality from K701.
Here I would like to pinpoint song "Zeitgeist". K701 was able to reproduce this acoustic trip to the outer space very good so I had big expectations from HD700. And HD700 outclassed K701 again in every spectre especially in realism and detail of reproduction. Especially the percussions were more crisp and alive with HD700.Also in "Damaged Soul" I felt like I'm sitting in front of the band inside the club and they are jamming only for me. Beautiful experience of precise soundstage imaging of HD700. K 701 had no chance on this album based on my ears.
 
Rammstein - Reise, Reise (album)
First time with HD700 I experienced shhh/sibilance issue during intensive vocal sequences. Not nice! On the other hand the midrange shines again. I would say that I don't agree that mids are recessed on HD700. I just think that mids are too much prominent on K701. It is same logic when my friend told me "I think that Note 4 is too big smartphone" and I told him back that "I think that other smartphones are too small":) . On HD700 the quantity of mids is just right to my ears. Also the quality of midrange on HD700 is excellent. I would like to mention it again - quality (HD700) vs quantity (K701).
 
Black Sun Empire - Salvador (song)
Simple overall impression - with HD700 I can finally listen to the neurofunk, but with some small compromises.Bass on this track is prominent in the mix as it is expected from neurofunk. With HD700 the bass has a very good quality but slight lack of the subbass is more audible here than on metal tracks. HD700 is trying to heal it with more energy on midbass but body is still slightly missing. I expected a bit more here I have to say. But compared to the K701 it is like the night and the day to my ears. K701 was not even close to the overall bass quality/quantity. The rest of spectrum was reproduced very similar, but for neurofunk the bass is essential. It looks like I have to buy the HD650 especially for neurofunk...hmmm
 
Black Sun Empire - Tripel (song)
More-less the same as for "Salvador" is valid also here but on this track I was more satisfied with bass quantity of HD700...

Combichrist - We Love You (album)
Texture of synths are excellent, also midbass. Again I beg for just a bit more subbass here to get a perfect bass. But a little worst thing happened - on some tracks I experienced some strong shhhh in vocals so I had to go down with volume. What a shame! The overall reproduction was perfect through the whole spectrum until sibilance appeared. But overall full bodied sound through the all tracks can outshine this issue. But, you know, we always want to have everthing perfect.. K701 had no chance again with modern industrial where the strong bass needs to be reproducted.
 
Limp Bizkit - Chocolate Starfish and The Hot Dog Flavoured Water (album)
Great energy of this band is rendered very well on HD700. Drummer plays a lot with cymbals and HD700 really likes it a lot (and me too as well). The drums on this album are one of the best sounding metal drums which I heard so far (yes, sometimes too much compressed, but what we can do...). Kick is fat and strong, PRAT is great. Distorted guitar shines again. Especially in "Full Nelson" the render of distortion guitar is spectacular. Very enjoying experience overall! K701 shows the ability to similar quality of reproduction, but lack in bass region dismiss it. The trebles were very good and close to performance of HD700. K701 struggled in midrange again where the naturality of instruments (especially guitar) was lacking. But again treble of K701 was very good here!
 
London Grammar - Wasting My Young Years (song)
This nice indie-pop I played especially to test the rendering of female vocals. Out from all tested tracks, on this song the both headphones were closest in terms of performance.
K701 is very strong in female vocals reproduction. The voice was rendered perfectly and just right to my ears. But HD700 did it the same way and add on top the more coherent soundstage.
 
Depeche Mode - Welcome To My World (song)
Fat analog synths needs good bass extension and proper imaging. During this track I realised what is really wrong with K701 to my ears - IMO the Headfonia was right in their review od DT880/HD650/K701 when they tried to describe the K701's issue with soundstage. To desribe this I will use terminus-technicus from recording studio - the PAN.PAN is simply the potentiometer for setting where the recorded sound should play - on the left side(let's say that maximum is L10), on the right side (let's say that maximum is R10) or in the centre of soundstage (let's say value is 0). K701's soundstage is rendering well sounds around the centre (usually drums, bass guitar, vocals, etc.). But when I start to focus on soundstage quality between PAN=0 and PAN=L5 or R5 I found...virtually nothing! There is hollow place on soundstage which is filled only by some "air" or by stretched sound bodies from more left/right soundstage regions but not with the real body of instruments. I think that this is caused by lack of bass which is making drums and bass guitar sounding too thin and somehow separated from the left/right side of soundstage spectrum. This defect generates the hole between left/right and the centre of soundstage. Also I found that sounds which are playing very close to the maximum PAN=L10/R10 are compressed and squeezed toward the end of soundstage and there is no air around them. Something like a border is present here below the maximum PAN.
HD700 has not any soundstage issue at all. It is as wide as K701 but there is still air around the instruments if they are playing on the corners of soundstage. The soundstage of hd700 seems to me like a limitless place without any borders, which push HD700 to much higher quality league than K701 in terms of soundstage realism and imaging.
 
Ludovico Einaudi - In a Time Lapse (album)
I expected though fight here in classical/piano music arena. K701 use to render piano very well, but compared to HD700 reproduction was somehow lifeless and not 100% natural. HD700 shows how to do it right. Especially on "Brother" the gradation was ecstasic. HD700 wins due to precise midbass and it's fluent connection with midrange. Midbass gave a perfect dynamic and body to the piano while the midrange rendered main tones more realistic than K701. In the end the real sound stage and top class layering of HD700 nailed K701 definitelly.The song "Orbits" made this "hole" between these two headphones even more evident. The HD700's trebles plays their best in this track - the sparkling bells/tringels with prominent violin made me cry. Sorry guys I shall not to write it :) Ehm...again I have to mention one of the biggest weapon of HD700 - the soundstage realism and layering ability.I think that K701 is very good in this aspects (especially layering) but HD700 clearly plays higher league."Newton's Cradle" with HD700 was experience out of this world to me. The soundstage and imaging was so real that I thought I'm right in concert hall. Reproduction had everything which it should have IMO. Trully spectacular here. In overall the HD700 gave me absoultely flawless experience with piano/classical music, much better and unforgettable than with K701! Extremely real and strong experience to me...
 
Andy Stott - Hatch The Plan (song)
...good elctronic track to test sibilance:) HD700 impressed here with much better bass than I expected. Electronic kick drum is going quite low and I have no necessity for more subbass here.  Noisy sounds and vocal effects are usually a good feed for HD700 but on this track they are very close to sibilance...a there it is , the first shhh...and second shhh! Hmmm, I'm not happy. I have to say that one should be careful if  knows that some particular track is mastered with dominant trebles and agile/loud vocals, HD700 can have problems (more correct is to say that your ears on high volume can have problem:) On the other hand also K701 was sibilant on this track but much less. The drum kick rendered by K701 was, gently said, simply unsufficient here.
 
Pink Floyd - High Hopes (song)
Not much to say - true joy with HD700. Very coherent and alive, perfect details and soundstage. K701 is able to sound close to it but midrange and bass is playing lower league evidently.
 
Pink Floyd - Coming Back To Life (song)
Very complex song, because guitar on left is often playing different notes like guitar on the right. With K701 the soundstage issue mentioned above was clearly audible - the song sounds strange and not coherent at all - like two different songs played at the same time from left to right perspective of soundstage with common drums. HD700 had again no issue and due to perfect sound stage consistency the song was rendered really like the one song...Idiotic describe I know :) 
 
OVERALL
=======
HD700 is clearly the upgrade to K701 to my ears. It is perfect all-rounder. It can play very well a lot of different genres. Even old metal and rock tracks are sounding very good again through them. Ocassional sibilance can occur if the song is mastered with lot of treble and lot of shhh in vocals. On the other hand K701 is not sibilant but due to forward mids they were even more fatiguing to me for long time listening at higher volumes. HD700 was never fatigue to me at all on. HD700 simply improves the every sound aspect of K701. Bass is better, midrange is better, treble is better, soundstage is better and comfort is better as well.
 
Also the design is very nice and the comfort is excellent.
 
All-in-all HD700 is a very good headphone in my opinion and the right upgrade for me.
Also the HD700 price dropped a lot during last months. Current price tag of 430EUR is just OK in my opinion.
 
PS: Currently I'm finishing DIY clone of MAD Ear+ HD Super II tube amp so I'm looking forward to the happy marriage with HD700 :)
 
Thanks for reading my mess...
  
Ataka
Ataka
Thanks all for reading! Yes, black album is mastered almost perfectly IMO. But as I wrote, I was really impressed how good HD700 sounds when playing metal. They have some special ability to make older tracks (especially tracks from 1980 to 1990) sounded very good and same time reveal all micro details on recording. K701 is just like opposite kind of animal - they really hate to play my metal/rock oldies collection...
 
Today I listened to the Tool - Stinkfist,  and Vicarious. Both sounded amazing with HD700 to my ears, especially the overall realism and sound of guitar.
 
I will update my impressions here when I will finish building of DIY clone of MAD Ear+ Super HD II tube amp...
 
PS: Anyway I think that new AKG K701 for today's 200EUR is pretty damn good buy!
Redcarmoose
Redcarmoose
The difference though is the new k701s are from China, where the originals were from Austria. Maybe the quality is the same? I like the k701s for soundtracks and classical. But yes, I could see how you love your new headphones, seems like they have pace for your favorite songs and a sound that makes some of the older and maybe duller metal dynamic! Enjoy! Every once in a while I do find the k701s wake up. Today was Duran Duran and maybe due to the vocals, they worked? I have two pairs, lol
Ataka
Ataka
LOL you seems to be addicted to K701 same way as I was :)
 
Yes, the "Made in Austria" label on cups is missing on current K701 production. Also you can see on images i.e. at AKG homepage that there are no bumps on headband anymore. It is good news for a lot of people I think, including me.
 
Regarding quality I think/hope that acoustically they should be 99% same as older production from Austria. I assume that AKG have set very high quality standards for their products and they will not risk their credit by using of cheap materials or assembly quality, even if product is produced in China.
 
As I told - I think that at 200EUR price tag one will not be able to find today a better headphones than AKG K701 - in terms of transparency, layering, detail and sound stage. The best bang for buck especially for piano/orchestra and vocals IMO.
 
Mine K701 are 6 years old and they were made in Austria. I had a plan to sold them but today I decided to keep them. :)
 
Keep it play!

vaibhavp

500+ Head-Fier
Pros: detail and resolution, dynamics, imaging and huge soundstage
Cons: system dependent, cable a bit kinky
I wanted to discuss a bit about HD700 today. I wouldnt include graphs or too much technical information. Simply the way I hear them and how I made a system around them as that is very important with HD700. So, lets get started with little details.
 
BUILD AND FINISH
 
HD700 is built very well. All sliding and rotating mechanisms work with a precision that give away its stature as second only to HD800 in Sennheiser food chain. Head band is silicone treated and gives a rubbery texture on touch. Headband padding and earpads are covered in velour that feels a little differently textured from other pads I have tried of same material. Its a bit stiff at first but after a bit of time, it breaks in and becomes soft and comfortable. Ear cups are made by a mixture of plastic and metal parts. Plastic is of nicer variety and feels more dense and stronger on tapping. Overall it looks intriguing and people who see it are left in no doubt its a rather expensive headphone.
 
COMFORT AND ACCESSORIES
 
 Its comfort is very good. When I put it on, all of its weight is distributed on top of my head. As I mentioned, headband padding is a little stiff that allows it to suspend a bit on top rather than put weight on my and ears completely. They have very subtle clamping force that keeps them on head if I lay down on bed, but not not too much to be uncomfortable. Overall all it remains firmly in place no matter how listen to them without uncomfortable clamp or anything. Weight distribution is quiet good. All contact points are covered with velour like material which is very comfortable for long listening sessions. Earpads are sufficiently deep and I can feel AC aor on my ears while wearing them. Perhaps a sign of how open they are.
 
Accessories are rather sparse. It comes in a cardboard box that is pretty big with generous foam cut outs to keep it protected in transit. Apart from that there is only a manual. The cable is removable with 2.5 mm mono plugs on one end and 6.3 mm jack on other. It does'nt come with 6.3 to 3.5 mm adapter so you will have to use your own if you want to plug it into source with 3.5 mm jack. Cable though is nicely made and covered in cloth below y splitter, kinks a lot and still has memory of how it was wrapped when you opened it. Its a bit intrusive in day to day use, and I have to sort the kinks everytime I start using it.
 
SOUND
 
Ok so the important part. I will divide this section into subsections for easy reading.
 
Initial impressions
 
When I originally recieved them, I was using Audinst HUD Mini. Its an entry level dac\amp unit and sounds good for the price. After few hours of burning in, I plugged in HD700 and was not convinced. Treble on HUD mini is not very refined and in just 30 min listeing session, I had to put down hp. It was too fatiguing. For me, simply unlistenable. Now I had two options, either to return HP or build a better setup for it. I obviously decided to do latter, to see if HD700 can sound convincing and enjoyable. Its treble had a bit of ringing to it, so I decided to go for a warm dac. After reading a bit on different threads, I decided to buy Fiio X5 classic and use it as transport and source. Some people were using it with HD800 and it seemed to solve treble issues. Also Sennheisers are known to work well with tube amps. After asking a bit on HD700 thread I decided to go for one of garage 1217 amps. So I am using following system at time of writing this:
 
Fiio X5 classic > Garage 1217 Project Solstice with 6H6N tube > HD700.
 
After Burn in
 
As I learnt from my first tube amp, tubes take a lot of time to settle down and sound their best. I can still detect sound changing from clausterphobic to wide open, mid focussed bass light to bass heavy. But its bigger issues, mainly treble ringing is completely cured with this setup and I can easily listen for hours at a time.
 
Bass
 
HD 700 is very system dependent and dependent on your preferences you can make it sound bass light or bass heavy. Its major characteristics remain same, you can change how much spotlight and space in soundstage it gives to bass frequencies. Bass is round and snappy. Its dynamic and fast. Does not go very deep like my closed back cans but has a bit of mid bass punch. It has good detail. Bassline almost always occupy lower half of soundstage, giving vocals and other instruments space above it. Maybe cause of great imaging I am able to pin point it. It holds nothing back if track allows for it and you use a bass heavy system.
 
Mids
 
On solid state system, generally instuments sound in second layer behind bass and vocals. Not distant but just one step behind. On tubes , everything expands and mids show bloom and are lot more prominant. In both cases mids are detailed, resolved and thick. If you love mids, I doubt you will remain dissatisfies, especially with tube amps. To show detail, it does naturally and does not sound forced. It seems like a higher quality driver with effortless resolution. Midrange is neutral sounding with little warm tilt.
 
Vocals are very lifelike and natural and it takes listener closer to their favourite artist one step. Does not polish them or give extra bite. Vocals are not overly forward and are well integrated with rest of instruments.
 
Treble
 
Treble has substantial presence, but it aids in giving an organic and natural presentation. It is not used as a tool to give perception of a lot of detail, or bite to vocals and guitars. It has sennheiser house sound and treble is not etched. I must warn you though, with a lot of systems, it can be ringing and fatiguing. But this hp only if you are ready to build a setup around it, if needed.
 
Treble is not rolled off and is detailed. Though I must say, tube I am using has little prominance in treble. Also my dac is warmer, so judging treble is a bit harder. But I can say as it is, its neither offensive nor rolled off or vieled. It aides presentation very well.
 
Soundstage and imaging
 
If I were to choose one aspect where a lesser hp can't touch it at all, it would be imaging. Its so pin point and gives cues of where sound is coming from extremely well. Soundstage width is very good. With my system, it gives a feel of 2nd row auditorium. All instruments are very big in size and not distant at all. Also soundstage depth is very good. Some instruments are in your face, while others are a bit distant, resulting in a very convincing presentation. Overall soundstage performance is its strong point, it can sometimes, depending on recording, can sound out of the head as well, as if sound is coming from in front of me.
 
Dynamics and timber
 
Dynamically very alive and give feel of ebb and flow of music really well. Very refined dynamics with lot of steps between loudest and quietest passages.
 
Timber on my system is rich, a little bright. It conveys inherent properties of instruments and vocals very well. 
 
Conclusion
 
It was initially priced at $1000 and I think it performs like a higher end can. Its a definite step up over mid range cans I own or tried. The price I paid for it, I think its a very good value. For some people it can be a bit uninvolving as it tries to mimic the way music sounds in real life, without adding too much colouration. It does an excellent job at that and if you are looking for a hp that sounds natural, neutral, true to recording and music, you should check out Sennheiser HD700.
 
Thanks for reading. 
kevinq
kevinq
Very nice review, thank you.
Gamergtx260
Gamergtx260
Great review.. Could you compare these with the HD600s?
vaibhavp
vaibhavp
Hello,
I have not heard hd600. Though there are lot of detailed comparisons out there. Try searching for hd600 vs 700 by brooko in google, from top of my mind.

One thing I would like to add is this hp is good. Nothing like ppl told me it would be. 600 is more of a classic so gets praised accordingly. Keep that in mind.
700 is considerable step up over 650 i once tried.

z0nda2650

New Head-Fier
Pros: Comfort, large soundstage, clear audio, design
Cons: Pricing, bright trebles, large redundant box
Let me start off by say that i am not a perfectionist nor am i a totally audiophile, but rather an enthusiast (because my rig is mostly mid-fi) that never really found any need to post a headphone review, but since the HD700 has been getting mixed impressions i'd like to give my opinion, also i've only listened to the HD800 for around 30minutes therefore i will not compare them (c'mon guys its Sennheiser's flagship headphone for a reason).
 
With that out of the way i can now get to the actual headphone, which i believe has i very unique design which to me looks like a face-lifted version of the hd800 albeit made with slight less premium materials. It also comes in this extremely large useless box and no accessories.

For the first 10 minutes of listening i found the soundstage to be incredibly wide and the low end surprisingly punchy (guessing its them trying to get some of the HD650 sound signature), the mids were there and was very flat, what i was most impressed was the fact that it would always keep up with the music even when there was a lot of instruments going off in the background it would still bring out every detail, the HD700 is very comfortable though made from plastics (at least it seems durable).

After 4 days of burning in and listening, i believe that the hot treble has smoothened (though i also highly predict that my ears have simply gotten used to the sound signature) and it retained its super detailed and clean approach towards projecting my music.
 
In comparison towards the HD650:
Though i never owned one, I've listened to a HD650 for around 3 hours recently and always found to be very warm, detailed and punchy. This i believe, is a stark contrast towards the HD700 because the HD700 has a more clinical sound albeit with a slightly punchy low end and hot treble therefore leaning towards the HD800.
 
In comparison towards my other headphones:
HD700 blows the others out of the water.

In conclusion, i am really impressed with the clinical yet slight "fun" sound approach taken from the HD650 which was exactly was i was expecting when purchasing these headphones therefore i have no problem paying full price, i understand why some cannot  justify its asking price because i believe its not a direct upgrade from a HD650 but rather a sidestep with newer technologies implemented inside the headphone.
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z0nda2650
z0nda2650
I wasn't necessarily talking about the music but rather the headphone, hmm maybe clinical wasn't such a good word to describe it maybe clean, un-colored would be better.
DrSeven
DrSeven
I noticed the treble smoothening too
extrabigmehdi
extrabigmehdi
Well in one hand you say that the hd650 are "detailled" , while in the other hand the hd700 are more clinical.
I would have thought that clinical mean detailed , but obviously that mean something else .
So I would guess, it mean dry, lean on texture , not lush ? (and probably needing tube to bring back that "lushness"). Anyway, it's a bit disappointing to read that's it's a sidestep from hd650, rather than an upgrade (especially if you see price difference).

snapacap

Head-Fier
Pros: Comfort, sound quality, non-fatiguing, Scalability
Cons: Cable (come on Sennheiser...), pad material, fells a bit reaching
I put off this review for a while for a few reasons. First, I wanted to try these out with more than one amp before making a call on these. Second, The HD700 have some things that just generally confuse, or/and seem a bit odd/hard to describe.
 
The HD700 is my first venture into the >$300 price range, and I now see the potential high-end headphones really have. The scenario that has occurred while using these is confusing to say the least.
 
Looks:
Well, the Sennheiser HD700 are one odd, strangely cool, somewhat mysterious looking headphones. The way I describe it is the title: "The Smirking Guy in the Back of the Room. :smirk:"
They clearly know what's up, but also have no intention of sharing any insight. They also don't care for what anyone thinks of them, while still being cool.
 
Build:
 
The headband has the same adjustment system, and many equal parts to the G4ME/GAME series, and the HD380 Pro. The part that gets weird is the headband pad, and layered, rubber-like top portion. The weirdness of this build is in part due to the headband pad. The cloth has a feel that reminds me of those tan self-adhesive sports injury wraps. It is like Sennheiser wanted to make velour bleed sound less, and at the same time be a microfiber/Velour combo. The result is kinda odd, and I don't think I like it very much. The same fabric is used on the earcups as well. The headband pad itself is thick for no reason. The cushion does not compress too easily, and the headphones do not weigh very much. As a result, it looks a bit odd, and feels as such. Actual contact space with the head is kinda low, and for me can get a tad annoying after a while. I think Sennheiser could have done a better job on the headband, specifically the cushion.
 
The actual earcups are something other manufacturers should have learned about a looooong time ago. Guess what! They are shaped like ears! What a novel idea! Something designed for an ear, shaped like an ear! Who would have thought! In all seriousness, this is fantastic that they are shaped like this. It makes them more comfortable for sure. The HD700 has a unique earcup design that borrows largely from the HD800. The lighter colored panels are actually a fine mesh. Light passes through these, as does some sound. The inside of the earcup is spacious compared to most other headphones, and the first to only touch one of my ears on the inside! space that would normally be covered over in most headphones is contoured by the inside mesh/dust cover thing that keeps you from touching the actual driver build. This allows much more room for your ear, and I think it looks kinda cool as well.
 
Sennheiser has this bad habit of making the worst cables ever. They all tend to be too long for most, defaulting to 1/4 inch, and have an unnecessary springyness.
The HD700 is no exception whatsoever. The cord is like a quality-scaled version of the cord on old Oreck vacuums. The cable loops for to easily, is isn't malleable enough to sort itself out either. It is heavy too. As someone who rearranges his setup all the time, this cord just gets in the way, and is a real pain. On top of that, these cables are super expensive to replace, if you want the official one (not that anyone would want another one of these...). At least it is braided from the split to the 1/4 inch.
 
I'm bored of talking about the build, just look at the thing...... Let's move on.
 
Features:
Adjustable headband, which pivots slightly, and rotates vertically further than anyone would need them to.
D-shaped earcups, or ear-shaped if you prefer. (Which is sad that this is a notable feature.)
removable cable (thank goodness)
Light Weight
 
Comfort:
Are they comfortable? yes. Are they all you ever wanted? no.
As stated before, the headband leaves something to be desired. The pad does not make enough contact with the head, and is covered in that microfiber/velour weird fabric that I don't like. I much prefer the Headband of the Philips Fidelio X2, or the Philips SHP9500. I think the SHP9500 has one of the best headband designs of all time btw. 
The clamp force is low as the default width is quite high, but it is not super flexible, and can bother me a tad.
The headphones are quite lightweight, which add to the comfort too.
The pad material bothers me a bit too, which is a shame.
Only one earcup touches my ear inside at all, which I cannot say about any other headphone I have tried. The G4ME Zero comes close, and I think are overall more comfortable than the HD700.
 
I think most people will find the HD700 to be super comfortable, but for me there are just enough things that bother me to not hit the mark. Quite comfortable overall, but not perfect by any means.
 
Sound:
 
The HD700 is once again that smirking kid in the back of the room. 
 
I first noticed that the HD700 are quite similar to the K7XX in sound. The HD700 being more spacious, more exciting, and cleaner than the K7XX, but the K7XX seemed more neutral to me. I think the strongest link between them is that I can hear a treble spike in roughly the same place, but found it to be less of a problem on the HD700.
 
The HD700 is quite odd in that it has some of the best mids I have ever heard, yet the mids are a tad recessed. This trait is the opposite of most headphones. the best frequencies are usually a little forward to display their strengths well. I did not feel like I was missing the mids though. Another odd thing is that as clear as the audio is, most of the time if does not sound totally natural. This is not so in the mids, but apparent elsewhere.
Some things, especially in the mids simply sound real. For example: while listening to Tusk - Fleetwood Mac a tuba appears at one point that made my jaw momentarily drop a little. 
I find the highs to be about half-way between the K7XX and the Fidelio X2, but far cleaner. The revealing factor is very, very good, but I feel it is possible to be even better. 
 
I usually give headphones a trial with a few people who do not know very much about the subject to get their impressions without any kind of brand, or price bias. The results were overwhelmingly good for all but one person. I had to almost pry these out of the hands of a couple of people. (Odd correlation, they were both well toward the older half of the population.) They could not get over how clean, and spacious they sounded. The odd person out did not like how they felt on his head, but thought they sounded very good.
 
I decided I had to try HD700 with more than one amp to truly determine their worth. I found that they are surprisingly efficient, taking a bit more power than the Fidelio X2. I do note that they are much better with a better source than a mobile phone, or onboard computer audio. They do seem to scale quite well. unlike most Sennheisers, I found I liked them more with a solid-state amp than a tube amp. I think these would really shine with a high end amp/dac. 
 
The bass is not particularly lacking, but the HD700 is easily recognizable as a bright headphone. The treble peak is noticeable, but the particular air of headphones I got specifically because they had less spike in the peak. If there is one thing sound-wise I would prefer different would be to smooth that peak even more.One good thing about the treble peak is that some vocals are quite intimate when they sit in the range of the peak.
 
For gaming, these are Fantastic. For CS:GO, these are a no-brainer. They are spacious, and have great imaging, especially with the right dac/amp. I went from "I hear a couple lower tuns" to "I hear two at lower tuns box, and one on the stairs."  Also, they are not very fatiguing (only a little, to me at least) so that helps in the long sessions.
 
With the HD700, I finally understand the mp3 vs flac mess. It is possible to distinguish between 320 & flac, but the difference was so insanely small that I see no point in spending more in both storage and dollars for the "higher quality" tracks. Only in tracks which I knew well was the file format even distinguishable at all.
 
sound conclusion: These are seriously good headphones, they just seem a tad confused about their identity. They want to be relaxed and fun, but also wanna be super clean and accurate. The result is not doing either particularly super. Their best traits are recessed, while others are emphasized. Luckily they sound so good, that it does not matter much. These are technically the most capable headphones I have bought, but definitely not the most neutral or analytical. I will keep using them until I find something I like more, and comparable or better in comfort. The advantages they offer in sound over the K7XX is clear, but I don't think they are worth double the price for what is gained in personal taste. The people I had try them thought otherwise, as most of them found the K7XX to be very boring in comparison.
 
Another thing I should mention is that I got the HD598 a couple of days before the HD700, and the result was a slaughter. The HD700 makes the HD598 sound like you are listening to the song through a thick cotton-filled sock. I generally think headphones are just different rather than better or worse, but I have to say that the HD700 makes some lesser headphones sound awful, regardless of sound signature.
 
Recommended song:
Suna No Oshiro - Kanon Wakeshima
 
Overall, I think that the HD700 is a headphone that points to what is possible in other headphones by exhibiting its own unique qualities which you cannot simply take at face value. I feel as if the HD700 is reaching toward what could be. The feeling is almost mysterious, but not in a good or bad way. They feel like that that guy who sits in the back of the room and just smirks at everyone like he is hiding something. They are a unique pair of headphones with something to prove. I will keep loving these until I find something I like even more, or realize how much money I have put into audio.
 
Edit: After allowing even more time for my ears to adjust, I have discovered that the HD700 is FAR better than the Fidelio X2 in bass quality, and better in extension. Again, they are not as inherently bassy as the X2, but the bass is significantly smoother, well defined, and just better.
Brettclue
Brettclue
Great review, these headphones are my first nicer headphones and I am really enjoying them so far.
Solarium
Solarium
I sold the HD700 recently, since upgrading to my HD800. Even with the HD800 and the T1, I often reminisce having the HD700 around. I've gone more on my sonic journey to try different amps/DAC's and other headphones, but I still believe that the HD700 is an extremely capable headphone for everyday listening. They are still the most comfortable headphone I've ever worn on my head and one of the most fun and enjoyable headphones I've heard.
mikek200
mikek200
LOL,one of the best reviews I've ever heard on head-fi,so much so,I will order the HD700's.
Thanks snapacap...good job.
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