If you’re going to bash a wonderful set of cans like this, at least tell us what music you listened to and, more importantly, what amp and sources you used. My experience with these headphones using a Burson Soloist backed by a mid-five figure main system and listening to primarily jazz is quite different than yours. I think they are exactly what they are intended to be - a more user-friendly version of the hd800.

At the time my dac was Hegel HD10. As an amp I mostly used SPL phonitor but I also had chord Mojo, gustard h10 and Burson Soloist SL. I preferred the Phonitor.

I listened to various sort of music but admittably very little if any jazz. I have about 30 "test songs" of rock,pop,classical,folk,edm,rap that I know very well which I use evaluating every headphone. Thing is that no source or music will change the fact that hd700 has sucked out upper midrange, allmost 10db treble peak and bass rolls of after 200hz. Those things are clearly audible and you can see them in every measurement out there.

You are quite correct that it is a more user friendly (easier to driver,cheaper) version of hd800. However when the clarity of hd800 is removed and similar soundsignature remains you end up with a bad headphone. Lack of bass and peaky treble is something modders and sennheiser themselves (hd800s) have been trying to fix for 10 years. No one tried fixing hd700 because it does not have the redeeming qualities of hd800.

Thank you for the additional info. I’m not saying I don’t hear what you hear - I just don’t know that I agree that it’s fatal, but that could certainly be musical genre related. I certainly would not recommend the 700 for anything but jazz and classical. Not sure why Sennheiser went off the path with these and, IMO, the 650. I would have preferred if they would have just made a bigger, better hd600 - which is still my favorite senn.