Since you like the WA7d with your HD600 it will probably sound quite good with the HD700.
I've seen used HD800 at $700 and even a few with the SDR mod for $725. I got my HD800 new for $1050 a few years ago but I still like the HD700 better for some genres while the HD800 is hard to beat for well recorded/mastered classical.
I definitely prefer the 700's since a majority of my collection is electronic, game soundtracks, and Rap/Hip-Hop so a more fun energetic sound is definitely what I'm after after going through my 'warm' sounding phase. Just didn't know the 800s could go for so cheap on the used market.
Now I'm really having a hard time figuring out an amp pairing. I'm starting to run into treble issues with some rap music as some artists master their music with a lot of treble to begin with so adding that with these cans is causing some of them to sound harsh. I only really run into this issue with modern Rap as Old School Rap and Hip-Hop was more bass centered and boom-bap type style. I've also only encountered this issue with some Brassy Jazz.
I really want the Valhalla. From what I've heard it's accurate and precise, a bit dry and lean, but with a tiny bit of warmth to keep the 700s from going too far in one direction. On the other hand, the BH Crack is supposed to provide a nice silky warmth but I'm afraid that might smooth out these cans too much and make them boring and lose someof their soundstage/preciseness in the process. What have been your experiences with your Crack + 700 so far? The impedance mismatch was also another con for the Crack.
I definitely prefer the 700's since a majority of my collection is electronic, game soundtracks, and Rap/Hip-Hop so a more fun energetic sound is definitely what I'm after after going through my 'warm' sounding phase. Just didn't know the 800s could go for so cheap on the used market.
Now I'm really having a hard time figuring out an amp pairing. I'm starting to run into treble issues with some rap music as some artists master their music with a lot of treble to begin with so adding that with these cans is causing some of them to sound harsh. I only really run into this issue with modern Rap as Old School Rap and Hip-Hop was more bass centered and boom-bap type style. I've also only encountered this issue with some Brassy Jazz.
I really want the Valhalla. From what I've heard it's accurate and precise, a bit dry and lean, but with a tiny bit of warmth to keep the 700s from going too far in one direction. On the other hand, the BH Crack is supposed to provide a nice silky warmth but I'm afraid that might smooth out these cans too much and make them boring and lose someof their soundstage/preciseness in the process. What have been your experiences with your Crack + 700 so far? The impedance mismatch was also another con for the Crack.
The choice of power tube for the BH Crack affects the output impedance from a low of 75 to a high of 140 ohms from what I've been told by those on the BH thread. With that in mind I have TS5998/WE421A power tubes which I'm told have the lowest output impedance so pairing with the HD700 is quite good. The choice of driver tubes will affect the sound signature of the BH Crack much more than the Valhalla2 from what I've found but since I only used the Valhalla2 for a month and didn't roll many tubes its hard to give a solid impression so hope maybe others who have more experience with the Valhalla2 can provide more info/impressions here but I do agree that the Valhalla2 is a bit dry and thin sounding to me, even my Asgard2 has more of a neutral tone.
I don't listen to any rap or hip-hop and usually limit the genres on the HD700 to jazz, classical, blues, and new age. I will listen to rock, classic rock, pop, J-pop and K-pop at times with the HD700 but these genres sound much better to me on my Nhoord Red V2 and Ypsilon custom builds.
I definitely prefer the 700's since a majority of my collection is electronic, game soundtracks, and Rap/Hip-Hop so a more fun energetic sound is definitely what I'm after after going through my 'warm' sounding phase. Just didn't know the 800s could go for so cheap on the used market.
Now I'm really having a hard time figuring out an amp pairing. I'm starting to run into treble issues with some rap music as some artists master their music with a lot of treble to begin with so adding that with these cans is causing some of them to sound harsh. I only really run into this issue with modern Rap as Old School Rap and Hip-Hop was more bass centered and boom-bap type style. I've also only encountered this issue with some Brassy Jazz.
I really want the Valhalla. From what I've heard it's accurate and precise, a bit dry and lean, but with a tiny bit of warmth to keep the 700s from going too far in one direction. On the other hand, the BH Crack is supposed to provide a nice silky warmth but I'm afraid that might smooth out these cans too much and make them boring and lose someof their soundstage/preciseness in the process. What have been your experiences with your Crack + 700 so far? The impedance mismatch was also another con for the Crack.
I have not, I don't really care for Fostex. I had the VModa 100's and really didn't care for the V Shape sound. Oddly enough, bass is not really a big deal for me. What I like hearing is detail and vocal clarity. Maybe the 600s would have been a safer bet, but technically these cans are amazing. I'll look into the SEX as I've heard good things about it's ability to preserve technicalities while still having the warm midrange that the BH Crack is known for.
Does anybody buy these anymore now that HD660s exist? The HD700 are very successful at hiding the flaws on a limited listening. I was happy with my pair until the treble peak started to show itself on some songs and the sound became unbearable. I sold them and went back to HD650 then. Now I have the HD660s and they sound like HD700, but without the treble peak and the soundstage, of course, but the soundstage is achieved through the cavernous cups that at the same time make the sound weak in the midrange, distant and with some echo. The HD660s have some of the articulation and detail of HD700 and the midrange and lack of treble peaks of the HD650.
If the 660's fit anything like the 650/600 that would be one reason to go with the 700s. After an hour the Hd650/600 felt uncomfortable to me. When you were listening to the 700 did you try different amp/dacs from different companies? I've had 3 very distinct sound experiences using different amp/dacs. 1. Lifeless and boring, 2. Felt like the sound was coming from inside my brain, 3. Powerful with great separation.
Does anybody buy these anymore now that HD660s exist? The HD700 are very successful at hiding the flaws on a limited listening. I was happy with my pair until the treble peak started to show itself on some songs and the sound became unbearable. I sold them and went back to HD650 then. Now I have the HD660s and they sound like HD700, but without the treble peak and the soundstage, of course, but the soundstage is achieved through the cavernous cups that at the same time make the sound weak in the midrange, distant and with some echo. The HD660s have some of the articulation and detail of HD700 and the midrange and lack of treble peaks of the HD650.
I've never been bothered by the treble peaks of the HD700 and at times have to wonder if mine are defective when reading comments about it but I think its really about an individual's hearing, the associated gear used, genre of choice and how loud an individual listens at. FWIW the slightly lower treble peak of the HD600 bothered me at times so I can see how everyone can be affected by different frequencies differently.
If the 660's fit anything like the 650/600 that would be one reason to go with the 700s. After an hour the Hd650/600 felt uncomfortable to me. When you were listening to the 700 did you try different amp/dacs from different companies? I've had 3 very distinct sound experiences using different amp/dacs. 1. Lifeless and boring, 2. Felt like the sound was coming from inside my brain, 3. Powerful with great separation.
I agree that the HD600/650 can be uncomfortable with the stock clamping force being a bit high but a gentle stretch of the metal sliders usually fix this quickly but the shape of the HD700 cups are much more comfortable to me. I've never found the HD700 "lifeless and boring" or "like the sound was coming from inside my brain" but the sound does change between my different amps and I agree that some setups are better than others when it comes to the HD700.
I feel the same way. It might just be that I use a tube amp ( Lyr 2 ), but I can't recall anything approaching a treble spike. Basically, my impression of the HD700 is as the perfect can for listening to at work - incredibly comfortable, and easy to listen to for long stretches. If I were hearing the treble spikes that some have reported, I would have returned them immediately.
Does anybody buy these anymore now that HD660s exist? The HD700 are very successful at hiding the flaws on a limited listening. I was happy with my pair until the treble peak started to show itself on some songs and the sound became unbearable. I sold them and went back to HD650 then. Now I have the HD660s and they sound like HD700, but without the treble peak and the soundstage, of course, but the soundstage is achieved through the cavernous cups that at the same time make the sound weak in the midrange, distant and with some echo. The HD660s have some of the articulation and detail of HD700 and the midrange and lack of treble peaks of the HD650.
This is all very personal and subjective. I had never heard the 650, was very curious and couldn't resist the Massdrop 6XX. I got the 6XX a few weeks ago and found that for me they are vastly inferior to the 700. Don't get me wrong, the 650 is a terrific sounding headphone and I can happily listen to almost anything with them. I just don't like them nearly as much as the 700. (I am awaiting6 weeks and counting-- an Ursine Audio cable for the 6XX; this may help a little as a similar Ursine cable did for the 700.) The 650/6XX's primary redeeming virtue is the midrange which can be wonderful on vocals. I'm listening to Fairport Convention on the 6XX as I write and Sandy Denny never sounded better. Ditto for Joni Mitchell. But the 6XX's much smaller sound stage and significantly less bass (since the 650 is often described as a bassier version of the 600, I bet I'd really hate the 600) make the 700 a far superior experience for me, especially for movies and streaming video. And the 700 is supremely comfortable while the 650/6XX is emphatically not. (The 6XX was painfully uncomfortable out of the box and almost unwearable. After working quite a bit on reducing the clamping force, the 6XX is now OK when I first put them on but become marginally and increasingly uncomfortable after 45 minutes or so. Since I am retired and wear headphones much of the day for music/movies/gaming this is a pretty major issue for me.) As for the 700's treble spike, I've never heard it (I listen to the 700 with tubes) or found them fatiguing, though I admit to being a far less educated listener than many here. Maybe ignorance is bliss.
I have a play list of 36 songs that I use to evaluate gear, most are FLAC ripped from CD or downloaded 24/96 FLAC but it also has 4 MP3-320 tracks. I can give you some YouTube links to the songs but they are not quite as good as the CD rips or 24/96 downloads:
She has an interesting voice and the bass is presented very differently on the HD700 compared to the HD650
I like this since there is a nice tone to all the instruments
A song that gets busy in some parts that some headphones don't render clearly
A friend just introduced this group to me and I find the music nice and clean.
A song I've heard live many times, great vocal harmonies
May I ask whether you guys would consider yourselves to listen to music loud or softly? Maybe that makes a difference in whether you are bothered by the treble.
I've never been bothered by the treble peaks of the HD700 and at times have to wonder if mine are defective when reading comments about it but I think its really about an individual's hearing, the associated gear used, genre of choice and how loud an individual listens at. FWIW the slightly lower treble peak of the HD600 bothered me at times so I can see how everyone can be affected by different frequencies differently.
I think it really has to do with the source equipment. For the giggles, I tried plugging the 700s directly into my motherboard line out and actually didn't sound half bad. The treble was much less sharper than going through a solid state amp. This is one of these cans that really loves tubes. I ended up going with the Valhalla. It should be here on Monday so I'll be providing my initial impressions when it gets in. I've heard specific driver tubes for it can actually provide the meaty midrange that the 650s are well known for.
I'm also going to be going with the WA8. I'll be using it around the house and for trips to my off grid cabin which makes it ideal for that situation since it's battery powered. I've heard excellent things about how it pairs well with the Sudahara, Edition X, 800's, and 600s/650s. Woo Audio apparently knocked it out of the park with the synergy between the sharp Sabre DAC and the warmth of the tubes they put in that thing.
May I ask whether you guys would consider yourselves to listen to music loud or softly? Maybe that makes a difference in whether you are bothered by the treble.
Totally fair question. I think, compared to the way people talk about volume on this site, that I listen very quietly, especially at work when it's just background music to help me focus. For example, I've heard people complain that the Audeze Sine + lightning cable + iPhone is too quiet for their tastes, but I never have it above a few bars, nowhere near its maximum. I honestly don't understand how people can stand to listen as they do at meets.
That said, I do occasionally listen a bit louder and still don't hear much of the described sharpness, and I think, as @hikaru12 just mentioned, this is a set of cans that is begging for tubes.
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