[FlyingInABlueDream]

Ultrasones. I LOVE bass, and have had many cans that let me down. Try their Pro line. Mine are still burning in, but damn are they amazing. Audio Technica also are good for bass, but the construction of them was a little poor. My Ultrasones are as well made, and anyone who has touched them has geeked out about their build. Even the case has blown people away. I'm very happy with them.

 

[maverickronin]

I think something that some people don't like about the XB700s is that although they do have a ton of bass, their bass response slowly ramps up and then stays flat down to DC, instead of having drum kick spike like the ultrasonnes have.  If there is a lot of high and mid bass in the track, then the drums won't really seem to stand out as much as they may on the ultrasonnes.

 

[Mochan]

My only problem with the Ultrasones is that they tend to be either too trebly or have a metallic tone to them. They don't sound natural, the tone just seems off. But the bass impact is lovely, and they are great for certain genres like electornica. They are horrible for acoustic, jazz and the like though, IMO.

 

[maverickronin]

The treble on the XB700s is a little grainy, but otherwise sounds fairly natural, not metallic or artificial.  They actually seem to do fairly well, even with jazz.  I was expecting them to flat out suck with it, but I don't hear any glaring flaws, other than the double bass the size of the Sears Tower. (some may consider that a feature, not a bug)  They don't have the very best detail or tone, but it doesn't come across as if anything is obviously missing.
 
Overall I think I prefer mine with my Indeed G2 hybrid with a Sylvania Gold Brand 5814A.  It has a little less bass than pure my pure solid state amps but has much smoother treble, and smoother mids which are better integrated with the bass.  It's not like it's unlistenable on other amps though.
 
Feel free to ask any question you might have.

 

[Mochan]

I can live with grainy treble. I've heard a lot of grainy treble (like SR80) and didn't particularly mind. As long as the tone isn't terribly metallic they should be okay for me.
 
I just have one more question. I heard reports that the XB700 has this ring in the leather pads that can stick your ear and hurt during listening sessions. Have you had this problem or are those luscious pads as comfortable as you've ever experienced?

 

[Landis]

None of the headphones I have have beat the impact clash on drums that my DT770s put out. Metallica's Enter Sandman intro sent a shiver down my spine and gave me goosebumps, it was that serious. Overall quality of bass is questionable, but definitely better than the Beats!
 

 

[maverickronin]

I think they're very comfortable.  Especially for closed 'phones.  Those huge cushions mean they need hardly any clamp at all to seal properly.  If it wasn't for the fact that they usually make your ears sweat, they'd be just about perfect, comfort wise.
 
The stitching issue seems to vary from person to person.  Some complain mightily about it, but it doesn't bother me at all.  Here's a high-res picture of the stitching.  I think it depends on how you wear them.  I let the cushion sit above me ear, and my ear almost completely fits inside the cushion.  I don't think there's any way to find out for sure without trying them though.  You should probably be fine unless you have particularly large ears though.  According to my calipers the inside diameter of the pads in about 55mm and the diameter of the ring of stitching is about 65mm.
 
Hope that helps.

 

[Mochan]

I'm in pimp mode again, have you tried the DT150? IMO it beats even the DT770 at impact. The top end is smoother so the drum attacks aren't as impactful, but the extra body and low end give it a much better "shiver my spine" effect for me.
 
 
Quote:

None of the headphones I have have beat the impact clash on drums that my DT770s put out. Metallica's Enter Sandman intro sent a shiver down my spine and gave me goosebumps, it was that serious. Overall quality of bass is questionable, but definitely better than the Beats!
 

 

[Mochan]

Thanks Maverick Ronin, I appreciate your input. I will surely grab the XB700 eventually. It's just a matter of when. I figure I can mod the pads with something if the ring stitch becomes too much of an issue (I doubt it will).

 

[maverickronin]

Quote:

Thanks Maverick Ronin, I appreciate your input. I will surely grab the XB700 eventually. It's just a matter of when. I figure I can mod the pads with something if the ring stitch becomes too much of an issue (I doubt it will).

No problem.  I ask a lot a questions too, so I try to answer at least that many.  Off the top of my head, soft cloth cloth backed tape over the seams might help if it turns out to bother you.  Hope you like them when you manage to snag a pair.

 

[room808mix]

The Thunderpants mod seems very interesting but a possible problem I do see is the fact that they are closed back and therefore might add an unnecessary coloration. With that in mind the LCD-2 has now been put at the top of my interest list. 

 

[Mochan]

You're going to do a bass monster mod and you're worried about some "coloration?"

 

[room808mix]

A coloration that may not add any sonic benefits to the music......

 

[Priyajeet]

Aren't the jvc dx1000 better than ultrasones bass wise?

 

[Reputator]

The stitching on the XB700 shouldn't even be noticeable with proper wearing. If you position them right no part of the cushions should touch the ear.
 
Sound quality wise they have the bass of a headphone much higher end than themselves (I got them for $80 at B&H). The rest of the spectrum is passable, some slight thickening (you might call it mud, or even a nasally sound) on the mids, probably due to a lack of treble extension and presence, and/or upper-mid presence. They have just enough treble to get by, but there's really no air at all to anything. Graininess is pretty slight, I think.
 
Detail is pretty decent, with the mids becoming jumbled the more elements to the music it has to deal with. If your music isn't too complex and layered, that's when it sounds the best.