[Rob80b]

  I'm looking to step up my headphone game so to speak and the HD700 is one I'm considering but I'm afraid it will sound to much like the HD600 I have. Is there anyone with both and if so do they sound more different or more alike in their sound signature? If the HD700 is a good upgrade over the HD600 I might sell them if the 2 sound to similar.    

Nothing wrong with the HD600s, but think of the HD700s as a much needed make over after almost 2 decades in production (considering they used the same capsule as HD580s, then over 20 years), with newly designed capsules, baffles, ear pads etc. I will not say new and improved as the consensus is not unanimous, but IMHO they are… with clearer details, better base extension, tighter imaging, a more linear sound field with distinct layering but still retaining the Sennheiser signature sound.

 

[fudgebucket27]

Anyone with the WA7tp get the Sylvania JANs 5814A it will really really tame that treble!

 

[mikey1964]

  Anyone with the WA7tp get the Sylvania JANs 5814A it will really really tame that treble!

Honestly speaking, I wish the treble on my HD700 would be a little brighter, it sounds kind of subdued when I listen to it on my Geek Pulse Standard and Lyr + Fostex HPA4 stack.

 

[Solarium]

  Just might be psychoacoustics.
Try this…. put a marker, piece of tape, elastic etc on one of the cables, have a piece of paper and pen handy…… turn off all lighting, mix up the phones in the dark, place one to your right and one to your left,  choose one phone and listen to the tracks you find bright then listen to the other phone with the same piece of music… and mark on the paper “left” or “right” for the one that sounds brighter. ….then turn on the lights to see which phone you found bright.
Then turn off the lights and repeat the above procedure as many times as you like to see if there is a consistency, then you can go crazy.

It's not just the acoustics, my ears touch the driver of the the one with smoother trebles but not the one with harsher treble, so perhaps the pads used or driver placement is different. Also, has anyone done any scientific study of the effects of breaking in a headphone? I mean, like comparing one with 200 hours of breaking in vs a new one, measured the before and after using a FR graph?

 

[Rob80b]

  It's not just the acoustics, my ears touch the driver of the the one with smoother trebles but not the one with harsher treble, so perhaps the pads used or driver placement is different. Also, has anyone done any scientific study of the effects of breaking in a headphone? I mean, like comparing one with 200 hours of breaking in vs a new one, measured the before and after using a FR graph?

Have you tried swapping pads? Not too sure how long the newer type pads on the HD700/800s will take to loose their shape if ever, but on my HD580/600 they did flatten over time and changed the tonal character.

 

[onebigunion]

  It's not just the acoustics, my ears touch the driver of the the one with smoother trebles but not the one with harsher treble, so perhaps the pads used or driver placement is different. Also, has anyone done any scientific study of the effects of breaking in a headphone? I mean, like comparing one with 200 hours of breaking in vs a new one, measured the before and after using a FR graph?

Yes, go to innerfidelity.com.  Tyl Herstens has exactly such a graph.   He found virtually no differences upon burn-in.   It does sound like ear - driver positioning is affecting the acoustics of each side differently.  AKG actually is developing a headphone that corrects for this.

 

[BobFiggins]

Just ordered the Modi 2 Uber and Valhalla 2 this morning. Hope this will bring the HD700 to life! Do the tubes come installed, or do I have to install them? I've never done this before, so any tips on that process will be welcomed!

 

[HPiper]

  Just ordered the Modi 2 Uber and Valhalla 2 this morning. Hope this will bring the HD700 to life! Do the tubes come installed, or do I have to install them? I've never done this before, so any tips on that process will be welcomed!

You have to install them. It isn't hard just make sure the pins are aligned with the plugs and gently push down and rock back and forth a little. They go right in. If you have some Deoxit or even some WD40 you can put on the pins, it will help lube them and it will go in even easier, but isn't absolutely required. If you do use some just a very light coating, gently wipe off the excess before you plug them in. You, my friend, are in for some VERY GOOD listening time!! Excellent choice you made there.

 

[BobFiggins]

 
You have to install them. It isn't hard just make sure the pins are aligned with the plugs and gently push down and rock back and forth a little. They go right in. If you have some Deoxit or even some WD40 you can put on the pins, it will help lube them and it will go in even easier, but isn't absolutely required. If you do use some just a very light coating, gently wipe off the excess before you plug them in. You, my friend, are in for some VERY GOOD listening time!! Excellent choice you made there.

 
I think earlier in this thread you had stated you loved the original Valhalla with the HD700. I could be wrong, might have been someone else. I occasionally re-read this entire impressions thread while at work to pass the time.
 
If it was you, what is it like? Going from a Fulla, what should I expect to change?

 

[HPiper]

   
I think earlier in this thread you had stated you loved the original Valhalla with the HD700. I could be wrong, might have been someone else. I occasionally re-read this entire impressions thread while at work to pass the time.
 
If it was you, what is it like? Going from a Fulla, what should I expect to change?

We are kind of mis-matched here as I haven't heard the Fulla so anything I said would be a guess. Main thing about the Valhalla is the overall lushness of the sound and the ease it produces it. Never strained or distorted at all. I really love the soundstage and imaging, it really felt like being right there in front of the band. The Vali that I have now isn't a bad amp but I am getting tempted to get another Valhalla myself. I would get a lower noise floor, a clearer less distorted sound, and a larger more 3D soundstage. What's not to like.

 

[Solarium]

 
Have you tried swapping pads? Not too sure how long the newer type pads on the HD700/800s will take to loose their shape if ever, but on my HD580/600 they did flatten over time and changed the tonal character.

I'm sure the pads aren't an issue, since they're literally a month apart. I checked it on both and they both have ample padding. Plus if anything a flatter pad would produce a more harsh treble right? I'm not so sure this is psychoacoustics it's hard to tell but I get a distinct ear fatigue from using one over 1-2 hours than the other.
 

  Yes, go to innerfidelity.com.  Tyl Herstens has exactly such a graph.   He found virtually no differences upon burn-in.   It does sound like ear - driver positioning is affecting the acoustics of each side differently.  AKG actually is developing a headphone that corrects for this.

Hmm that's sad to hear, it must be a different batch that somehow have a more tamed treble. I wish I can make a FR graph between this but I have no such equipment. I did drop the one with the smoother treble once from a 2 feet position onto a chair mat over my carpet, not sure if this would change the driver positions or something.

 

[Rob80b]

  I'm sure the pads aren't an issue, since they're literally a month apart. I checked it on both and they both have ample padding. Plus if anything a flatter pad would produce a more harsh treble right? I'm not so sure this is psychoacoustics it's hard to tell but I get a distinct ear fatigue from using one over 1-2 hours than the other.
 
Hmm that's sad to hear, it must be a different batch that somehow have a more tamed treble. I wish I can make a FR graph between this but I have no such equipment. I did drop the one with the smoother treble once from a 2 feet position onto a chair mat over my carpet, not sure if this would change the driver positions or something.

There could indeed be a difference in the drivers between phones, even with my pair there was a 3-6dB difference between left and right.
Sennheiser did replace the drivers but upon return the new drivers appeared brighter, although like the original drivers they settled down after a day or two.
IMHO fresh out of the box there is definite a period of compliance and malleability where the phones take on a complete character change for the first dozen hours of playing to loosen up the virgin Mylar and magnet/voice coil excursion, I’ve also noticed this with phones and speakers that have not been used for a long period of time.
 
 
 
Quote:

  Hi Guys
 
Finally got my HD700s back from Sennheiser, finally..... as they were sent in 1/21/14.

Interestingly they appear much brighter tonally from what I remember as Sennheiser needed to order new matched drivers as the first had about 3dB mismatch in volume.
Now it might be a matter of break-in, as I seem to recall I did not immediately warm up to my HD700 originally until after a few days of continual use and finally settled down at about 50 hours.
But just checking the drivers I noticed that they are stamped 23 and 24 in the center of the dome, and wondering if this indicates consecutive runs and if they are from an earlier batch therefore 1, 2, 3, etc as most early adopters seem have to found the HD700s bright while later users  like myself didn’t as with my original drivers.
It may be just be my imagination about the tonal differences between these and my original drivers but  if anyone cares to take a look and report back it would be interesting.
Unfortunately I did not pay much attention to my original drivers numerical embosses.

 
 
 
 

 

[Trojita]

Had my HD700's for a couple of months but haven't used them regularly until this week. Using them with my Creative Titanium HD, which I found out doesn't have a headphone amp built in, they sound sort of veiled. I'm using them currently with Fiio E17 portable amp. They sound a lot better with these. I don't know where to go from here. I want to get a better desktop amp but I don't know what to do, solid state, tube, etc. I've never tried a Tube Amp before.

 

[HPiper]

  Had my HD700's for a couple of months but haven't used them regularly until this week. Using them with my Creative Titanium HD, which I found out doesn't have a headphone amp built in, they sound sort of veiled. I'm using them currently with Fiio E17 portable amp. They sound a lot better with these. I don't know where to go from here. I want to get a better desktop amp but I don't know what to do, solid state, tube, etc. I've never tried a Tube Amp before.

There is a general consensus that a tube amp will 'cure' the treble peak the HD700 have. It never bothered me and I tried to find it but couldn't. A tube amp is nothing to worry about, just don't touch the tubes while they are hot <g> Personally I wouldn't worry about getting something like an Asgard 2 solid state amp. It has a flat response output and very low distortion and S/N ratio.

 

[pietcux]

I use the HD700 with my Meier Audio Stepdance or my Fiio E12A for music. For gaming I connect them directly to my Creative Sound Blaster Z. I have yet to try out a tube amp, but I am very pleased with my solid state solutions right now.