[skeptic]

  Timbre is pronounced tamber.

 
While probably the most common pronunciation among musicians, <tim-br> is also a recognized way of saying the word per Merriam-Webster's.
 
Also,given that timbre derives from french, the proper way of saying it is probably more like: <taam-bruh>  

 

[olegausany]

While I need both, HD800 for home and AD for portable use with RWAK100. AD will not satisfy me at home with any of 3 amps I tried demo pair with, but If I would be limited with funds WA7 and AD would work for me

 

[JeremyR]

Anyone ordered in the past week or so? What kind of wait time are we looking at?

 
You can ask them:
 
https://www.mrspeakers.com/index.php?route=information/contact
 
I ordered just over 2 weeks ago, and the wait was still 6 weeks.

 

[kstuart]

I have not heard the HD700.   However, I own more Sennheisers than any other brand.
 
I lot of reviewers who are known to be discerning, consider the HD700 to be a failure (and the same people consider the HD800 is be an excellent product).
 
Conversely, the Alpha Dog is generally considered to be a major success by most everyone. 
 
(Of course, the fact that one is open and one is closed, is also a big difference.)

 

[miceblue]

I was going to say, I thought the HD700 was not well-received here.

 

[koolas]

I noticed the HD700 on sale today for $650, about the same price as the Alpha Dogs.  Any comparisons?

I've done some listening of HD700 in comparison to other Senns like HD600. There was one thing that I spotted at the very beginning, that the HD700 sound like loudspeakers, i.e. there is no left and no right, but rather left front and right front. It was an interesting experience, however I'm not sure if this is what I would like headphones to do. Other very significant and easy to spot thing was level of detail. While HD600 would beat everything else they had in shop, the HD700 IMHO beats HD600. I love the way HD600 sound. I had opportunity to audition them twice, and I really loved their sound. But if I were to be objective I must say HD700 definitely sound cleaner. I didn't compare directly Alpha Dogs with HD700 nor with HD600, but I have quite good memory of how they sounded, and I think Alpha Dog present almost the same detail as HD700, were HD700 is just a bit better. What I really didn't like about HD700 was that I found them extremely boring, especially this placement of sound few meters in front of me. I was thinking, how would these headphones work in Counter Strike? How would I hear sound from the back if all sounds are in front! I own one headphone (RH-A30) where drivers are slightly rotated so sound is little in front, and I really prefer to use Alpha Dog with Counter Strike, because I can honestly hear sound coming from back. On the other hand I find RH-A30 more engaging, but I can't say that about HD700 - for me they are boring as h***. Interesting is that the next headphone I really think of buying now is HD600. I really loved their sound.

Recently I'm listening lots of stuff on Spotify, and I found that sound quality is very poor, even with Premium account. With RH-A30 (on Alpha Pads) Spotify rocks (especially EDM), but with Alpha Dog it really s****. I downloaded recently Sibelius Violin Concerto from HDTracks in 44/16 and I found it on Spotify as well. If I play on Roland or loudspeakers I wouldn't notice difference, but on Alpha Dog it's night and day. So here is my advice: when you're buying expensive headphones you need to have collection of high quality music, otherwise you won't have things to listen to.

 

[eke2k6]

Recently I'm listening lots of stuff on Spotify, and I found that sound quality is very poor, even with Premium account. With RH-A30 (on Alpha Pads) Spotify rocks (especially EDM), but with Alpha Dog it really s****. I downloaded recently Sibelius Violin Concerto from HDTracks in 44/16 and I found it on Spotify as well. If I play on Roland or loudspeakers I wouldn't notice difference, but on Alpha Dog it's night and day. So here is my advice: when you're buying expensive headphones you need to have collection of high quality music, otherwise you won't have things to listen to.

 
Have you taken a second to consider if the mastering is different on the HDTracks version? Also, have you gone into the spotify settings to see what bit depth you're streaming at?

 

[pdrm360]

I've done some listening of HD700 in comparison to other Senns like HD600. There was one thing that I spotted at the very beginning, that the HD700 sound like loudspeakers, i.e. there is no left and no right, but rather left front and right front. It was an interesting experience, however I'm not sure if this is what I would like headphones to do. Other very significant and easy to spot thing was level of detail. While HD600 would beat everything else they had in shop, the HD700 IMHO beats HD600. I love the way HD600 sound. I had opportunity to audition them twice, and I really loved their sound. But if I were to be objective I must say HD700 definitely sound cleaner. I didn't compare directly Alpha Dogs with HD700 nor with HD600, but I have quite good memory of how they sounded, and I think Alpha Dog present almost the same detail as HD700, were HD700 is just a bit better. What I really didn't like about HD700 was that I found them extremely boring, especially this placement of sound few meters in front of me. I was thinking, how would these headphones work in Counter Strike? How would I hear sound from the back if all sounds are in front! I own one headphone (RH-A30) where drivers are slightly rotated so sound is little in front, and I really prefer to use Alpha Dog with Counter Strike, because I can honestly hear sound coming from back. On the other hand I find RH-A30 more engaging, but I can't say that about HD700 - for me they are boring as h***. Interesting is that the next headphone I really think of buying now is HD600. I really loved their sound.

Recently I'm listening lots of stuff on Spotify, and I found that sound quality is very poor, even with Premium account. With RH-A30 (on Alpha Pads) Spotify rocks (especially EDM), but with Alpha Dog it really s****. I downloaded recently Sibelius Violin Concerto from HDTracks in 44/16 and I found it on Spotify as well. If I play on Roland or loudspeakers I wouldn't notice difference, but on Alpha Dog it's night and day. So here is my advice: when you're buying expensive headphones you need to have collection of high quality music, otherwise you won't have things to listen to.

 
It's really difficult to say between the HD700 and Alpha Dog which one is better since the HD700 is open and the AD is closed headphones. I just can say both the HD700 and Alpha Dog are better than the HD6x0, IMO.

 

[pdrm360]

  I have not heard the HD700.   However, I own more Sennheisers than any other brand.
 
I lot of reviewers who are known to be discerning, consider the HD700 to be a failure (and the same people consider the HD800 is be an excellent product).
 
Conversely, the Alpha Dog is generally considered to be a major success by most everyone. 
 
(Of course, the fact that one is open and one is closed, is also a big difference.)

 
 

I was going to say, I thought the HD700 was not well-received here.

 
IMHO, the HD700 has higher value (performance/price) than the HD800.

 

[koolas]

Have you taken a second to consider if the mastering is different on the HDTracks version? Also, have you gone into the spotify settings to see what bit depth you're streaming at?

For sure it is... I just say that Spotify version s*****. Yes I set quality to highest. I also used Fidelify in ASIO mode on Windows, and I used Spotify on Linux over Jack with either Pan Am USB out locked at 96kHz or TOS locked at 48kHz. Using exactly same Jack settings tracks from HDTracks sound mega better. And yes, also because of the way they were mastered. FYI the 44/16 can be XRCD as well.

It's really difficult to say between the HD700 and Alpha Dog which one is better since the HD700 is open and the AD is closed headphones. I just can say both the HD700 and Alpha Dog are better than the HD6x0, IMO.

Fully agree, HD6x0 has less detail than HD700 or Alpha Dog, but I would still prefer to get HD600 and Alpha Dog rather than HD700 and nothing else

 

[eke2k6]

For sure it is... I just say that Spotify version s*****. Yes I set quality to highest. I also used Fidelify in ASIO mode on Windows, and I used Spotify on Linux over Jack with either Pan Am USB out locked at 96kHz or TOS locked at 48kHz. Using exactly same Jack settings tracks from HDTracks sound mega better. And yes, also because of the way they were mastered. FYI the 44/16 can be XRCD as well.
 

 
 
Actually, your statement was this:
 

Recently I'm listening lots of stuff on Spotify, and I found that sound quality is very poor, even with Premium account. With RH-A30 (on Alpha Pads) Spotify rocks (especially EDM), but with Alpha Dog it really s****. I downloaded recently Sibelius Violin Concerto from HDTracks in 44/16 and I found it on Spotify as well. If I play on Roland or loudspeakers I wouldn't notice difference, but on Alpha Dog it's night and day. So here is my advice: when you're buying expensive headphones you need to have collection of high quality music, otherwise you won't have things to listen to. 

 
 
...which I disagree with entirely. Spotify premium streams at MP3 320, which is more than enough for high fidelity. The issue lies with the mastering of whatever track you're listening to. HDTracks typically takes pride in how their files are mastered, and it's highly unlikely that spotify has the same version that you found on HDTracks. How about you convert the HDTracks file to MP3 320 via LAME codec and listen again to see if you can hear a difference.

 
I also disagree with the AD being better than the HD600. I view the AD as very similar to the Etymotic in FR, but with bottomless extension and less impact. It's not any more detailed than the HD600, rather its FR places emphasis on an area that is harmonics-rich (the diffuse field response). This pushes things more in your face, giving the illusion of more detail. A quick A/B with a phone that is not so lifted in that region will still reveal all those details. The elevation in that region of the FR is also partially responsible for the AD's lack of dimensionality/black space, where cues don't materialize effortlessly in the sound field. I say it's a good mastering tool to detect artifacts in the recording, but not a pleasurable listening tool for me without EQ or a warmer tube amp.

 

[WNBC]

If anyone is interested I have posted a review of the stock cable vs the aftermarket Q-Audio cable.  
 
http://www.head-fi.org/products/q-audio-french-silk-cable/reviews/10073
 
Anybody interested in demo'ing it should shoot me a PM.
 

 

[preproman]

   
Spotify premium streams at MP3 320, which is more than enough for high fidelity.

 
To who's standards? 320 is a lossy compression.  Lossy compression reduces a file by permanently eliminating information. although the average person may not notice it, only a part of the original information is there.  
 
With lossless files, every single bit of data is there.  This is high fidelity as I understand it.

 

[aamefford]

To who's standards? 320 is a lossy compression.  Lossy compression reduces a file by permanently eliminating information. although the average person may not notice it, only a part of the original information is there.  

With lossless files, every single bit of data is there.  This is high fidelity as I understand it.

Academically, I agree. Practically, I haven't been able to hear a difference between 320 and lossless, so in my case, I've come to the conclusion that 320 files are essentially high fidelity for me. Oh, and pardons for jumping in...

 

[koolas]

To who's standards? 320 is a lossy compression.  Lossy compression reduces a file by permanently eliminating information. although the average person may not notice it, only a part of the original information is there.  

With lossless files, every single bit of data is there.  This is high fidelity as I understand it.

Exactly. Sibelius was not the only thing I listened. For example I got latest album of Lady Gaga Artpop on CD. When comparing A/B by just switching one button on my remote I can tell you version on Spotify is way worse. Some say in this album they used holophonics - dunno maybe, but Spotify version does not have that feature, while CD version kinda has. The difference is huge when I listen on Alpha Dog, and there is completely no difference when I listen on RH-A30, and I don't think I would hear much difference on Momentum. Only Alpha Dog reveals all that difference in such an obvious way.