[Solomyr]

Has anyone in the UK found somewhere that they can listen to these? Only place I can find that actually sells them is Sevenoaks, but there are none near me.

 

[Solomyr]

They're on sale at £229 at Sevenoaks. Taken the plunge.

 

[Tommy C]

This is their going rate?

 

[Solomyr]

This is their going rate?

£299 is their normal price ($399 in the US), and this is the cheapest I've seen them although hardly anybody seems to sell them in the UK. Are you thinking of the HP50?

 

[Tommy C]

£299 is their normal price ($399 in the US), and this is the cheapest I've seen them although hardly anybody seems to sell them in the UK. Are you thinking of the HP50?

Yes, my bad. I was thinking about the HP50.

 

[hifinoob005]

How are these in regards to bass response?
The little info is out there is that they have slightly emphasized bass.
I would use them for movie/tv watching, so lots of explosions and stuff.

 

[Solomyr]

How are these in regards to bass response?
The little info is out there is that they have slightly emphasized bass.
I would use them for movie/tv watching, so lots of explosions and stuff.

In my view, these are warm sounding headphones (a bit similar to my old B&W P7 wired), with some bass emphasis but not too much. I use them for watching videos as well and find them good for that.

 

[Solomyr]

I've had these for a few weeks now and of all the noise cancelling headphones I have tried (which is almost all of them) I think I like these the best, although each has their compromises. My thoughts are (but these are not A/B comparisons):
Comfort - the fit can be a bit fiddly, in that I end up adjusting the position of the cups around my ears a few times before I am happy with it, but this only takes a minute and after that they are comfortable. I think this is in part due to the band design with the point where the cups are attached is on a pivot at the centre of the outside of the cup. It sometimes makes it feel like the cups are going to swing out and come off my ears (but they don't). The pads a thick and deep and give a good seal, so those who suffer from their ears getting too warm may not like these. There is a fair bit of clamping force, but it isn't too much and the pads ditribute it well for me. The headband is well padded, but as I dont have hair, I still need to move the head band position every hour or two (which is much the same as I find for virtually all headphones I have ever had. So overall the comfort is good - not as good as Sony XM2/XM3 (XM2 was slightly better than XM3 for me), but way way better than B&W PX.
Sound - the sound profile is about right for my tastes in that it is warm with some bass emphasis but not a lot (i.e. fun sounding rather than neutral). These remind me of my old B&W P7 wired which were one fo my favourite sounding headphones. The mid range is clear (good for speech in movies) and the treble is there but not fatiguing. These are the best sounding noise cancelling headphones that I have tried. They don't have the incredible imaging/separation that the PX has, but the bass is better and treble isn't as fatiguing as the PX and the imaging/separation is still good. So the PX comes close, but HP70 is more to my taste. The Sony XM3 has a way over emphasised bass which has to be EQ'd, but I still prefer the HP70 over the EQ'd XM3. Also the sound is very close to beiong the same whether NC is on or off.
NC - these are not going to have you in your own little bubble. The NC cuts out low frequency noises extremely well (about as good as the Sonys), has some effect on lower mids, and thats it. The cups offer a good seal and are provide pretty good passive isolation, but there is a big noticeable difference when NC is on. They don't do much to higher frequencies, so this is why you aren't going to be in a bubble from the rest of the world. You can still hear people talking (with the lower frequecies in voices being blocked). This is where the Sony XM2/3 offer much more. So better than PX as its NC more effective on lower frequecies and extends to mid range, but not as good Sony as no significant effect on high frequencies.
Build - would appear to be great - lots of nice leather and metal and the plastic housing of cups seems good quality as well. Took a bit to get it to connect to my phone the first time, but connects instantly every time since and connection is solid.
Overall - If you need to be isolated from the world go for the Sonys, but if you want the best combination of sound quality and noise cancelling then give these a try.

I see the AKG N700NC has just come out but don't seem to be readily available in UK as yet so I've not tried them. If anyone has I would be interested to know how they compare. The Beyerdynamic Lagoon look very interesting, but still not out yet and will cost significantly more.

 

[hifinoob005]

What are the (inner) dimensions of the pads, height, width, and depth?

Sent an email to NAD but no response so far.

 

[dweaver]

I've had these for a few weeks now and of all the noise cancelling headphones I have tried (which is almost all of them) I think I like these the best, although each has their compromises. My thoughts are (but these are not A/B comparisons):
Comfort - the fit can be a bit fiddly, in that I end up adjusting the position of the cups around my ears a few times before I am happy with it, but this only takes a minute and after that they are comfortable. I think this is in part due to the band design with the point where the cups are attached is on a pivot at the centre of the outside of the cup. It sometimes makes it feel like the cups are going to swing out and come off my ears (but they don't). The pads a thick and deep and give a good seal, so those who suffer from their ears getting too warm may not like these. There is a fair bit of clamping force, but it isn't too much and the pads ditribute it well for me. The headband is well padded, but as I dont have hair, I still need to move the head band position every hour or two (which is much the same as I find for virtually all headphones I have ever had. So overall the comfort is good - not as good as Sony XM2/XM3 (XM2 was slightly better than XM3 for me), but way way better than B&W PX.
Sound - the sound profile is about right for my tastes in that it is warm with some bass emphasis but not a lot (i.e. fun sounding rather than neutral). These remind me of my old B&W P7 wired which were one fo my favourite sounding headphones. The mid range is clear (good for speech in movies) and the treble is there but not fatiguing. These are the best sounding noise cancelling headphones that I have tried. They don't have the incredible imaging/separation that the PX has, but the bass is better and treble isn't as fatiguing as the PX and the imaging/separation is still good. So the PX comes close, but HP70 is more to my taste. The Sony XM3 has a way over emphasised bass which has to be EQ'd, but I still prefer the HP70 over the EQ'd XM3. Also the sound is very close to beiong the same whether NC is on or off.
NC - these are not going to have you in your own little bubble. The NC cuts out low frequency noises extremely well (about as good as the Sonys), has some effect on lower mids, and thats it. The cups offer a good seal and are provide pretty good passive isolation, but there is a big noticeable difference when NC is on. They don't do much to higher frequencies, so this is why you aren't going to be in a bubble from the rest of the world. You can still hear people talking (with the lower frequecies in voices being blocked). This is where the Sony XM2/3 offer much more. So better than PX as its NC more effective on lower frequecies and extends to mid range, but not as good Sony as no significant effect on high frequencies.
Build - would appear to be great - lots of nice leather and metal and the plastic housing of cups seems good quality as well. Took a bit to get it to connect to my phone the first time, but connects instantly every time since and connection is solid.
Overall - If you need to be isolated from the world go for the Sonys, but if you want the best combination of sound quality and noise cancelling then give these a try.

I see the AKG N700NC has just come out but don't seem to be readily available in UK as yet so I've not tried them. If anyone has I would be interested to know how they compare. The Beyerdynamic Lagoon look very interesting, but still not out yet and will cost significantly more.

I own the HP70, XM1000-3, and N700NC. The N700NC is slightly more neutral than the HP70 and the cups are bigger in diameter but not nearly as plush as HP70. For pure comfort I like the HP70 a bit more despite the smaller diameter.

When I first got the HP70 I found them a bit harsh sounding but that is now gone and I really enjoy their sound.

I find I use the HP70 more at home though as they are slightly to big or less portable than the N700NC but I honestly like them both equally now. Both are miles ahead of the XM1000-3 for over all sound but are behind it for ANC. I would say the N700NC is slightly ahead of the HP70 for ANC and it also has much better software and features almost as good as the XM1000-3.

My wife has claimed the XM1000-3 and I am fine with that. I use the other 2 almost daily...

 

[hifinoob005]

I own the HP70, XM1000-3, and N700NC. The N700NC is slightly more neutral than the HP70 and the cups are bigger in diameter but not nearly as plush as HP70. For pure comfort I like the HP70 a bit more despite the smaller diameter.

When I first got the HP70 I found them a bit harsh sounding but that is now gone and I really enjoy their sound.

I find I use the HP70 more at home though as they are slightly to big or less portable than the N700NC but I honestly like them both equally now. Both are miles ahead of the XM1000-3 for over all sound but are behind it for ANC. I would say the N700NC is slightly ahead of the HP70 for ANC and it also has much better software and features almost as good as the XM1000-3.

My wife has claimed the XM1000-3 and I am fine with that. I use the other 2 almost daily...

Could you measure the inside of the pads (and depth) and post it?
For users with larger ears it can take away from the comfort.

 

[Solomyr]

What are the (inner) dimensions of the pads, height, width, and depth?

Sent an email to NAD but no response so far.

The pads are soft and curved, so not exact measurements, but approx 6.3cm (h) x 3.3cm (w) x 1.5cm (d). There is also more space against the driver as the cups are attached at the outer edge.

 

[hifinoob005]

Got the official specs, approximates:

HP 70
H - 62mm
W - 32mm
D - 15mm

PSB M4U 8
H - 60mm
W - 34mm
D - 15mm

 

[bronco1015]

i've been looking for a good pair of BT headphones with ANC but SQ as higher priority.. i've tried recent models, Shure Aonic 50, a lot to like about them, and the only new set i've really liked that i've tried. beyerdynamic Lagoon, Clear audio flow II, demoed Sony wh1000XM3 owned PSB M4u 8, and owned or demoed a few other pair, not a fan of M&D, B&W, B&O or the momentum 3 or PXC 550II. Out of all these, i've loved the M4u 8 but traded them. Wish i hadn't. now can't get them for as cheap as i did in Jan 2018, but can get the HP70 for U.s. $370 with shipping.
anyone have impressions on how these stack up 2 years later? There have been a lot less in the over ear depmt it seems with True Wireless inears and all, but curious if anyone has compared them to any new headphones you've heard recently.

 

[dweaver]

I like the HP70 a lot more than the 1000XM3 even though the ANC is not as good. The XM3 are just to bass oriented and dark with subdued treble. I also prefer the HP70 more than the AKG offering. I am very tempted to try the Sony WH-910N though as it apparently is not dark like the XM3 while offering close to the same level of ANC since my phone has LDAC the lack of APTx is not an issue for me and the 910N is available at Costco for 199US or $250CAD at the respective Costco locations. So much more affordable. Search for the thread on these and see what is being said.