FastAndClean
Previously known as presata
only the upper mids are recessed on HD700, the lower mids are actually forward
Sennheiser HD 700 Impressions Thread
- Thread starter Windsor
- Start date
For me this is a good track to test major factors of a headphone. First 20 seconds you can tell if the headphone will hurt your ears. Then you hear the bass and can determine how the headphone does with bass. The guy's voice is low and a little mumbled by default so you can see how the headphone handles that vs background music. Using my pair of beyer 990 his voice blends in the background. With HD700 it shines above everything.
Last edited:
With the HD700, to clarify, vocal clarity is there in spades. Vocals are awesome. I should have said I really like the balance of vocals to the rest of the spectrum. The frequency curve of the 700 along with its unique enclosure create a unique 'atmosphere' that while not as traditionally intimate as say the HD650, is yet engaging.
Comparing the HD700 and LCD2 right now to each other. Listening to Eleni Karaindrou - David (ECM 2221) which is a great blend of mezzo-soprano and baritone singers, instrumental soloists, choir and orchestra. Vocals on the HD700 are just a bit more sculpted and overall the presentation is more 'airy' as if you are listening to it in a space. Choir is excellent on the HD700. But I would say the LCD2 is more tonally correct. The vocals are beautifully rendered and closer.
32/384 will make no difference. Bit depth will adjust noise floor and isn't noticeable at regular headphone volumes. 384kHz is far beyond the range of any instrumentation or human hearing.
Hey cool piece of music, thanks for introducing !
It isn't far from the range of the piece I shared though it has a some of the modern production techniques and makes artful use of compressors on drums and vocals. Still quite dynamic. The vocal in this piece is more forward, but just a bit. On the LCD2 his voice sounds very real. Listening on the HD700 - the brass section is a bit more shrill in the opening, percussion is brilliant, vocals excellent.I think subjectively one can argue what they prefer. I feel that the LCD2 is more natural and this would go for the HD650 and likely the new 660S. But the HD700 isn't that far off and IMO a worthy trade-off to get its unique atmosphere. The HD700 sounds more 'correct' in the sense of presenting these sounds in an actual environmental space whereas the LCD2 sounds more correct on an individual instrumentation level. That's why it is subjective.
For bass, however, the LCD2 carries a full-weight extension that the HD700 (that goes for most headphones) just doesn't have. I like the HD700 bass though, and it doesn't roll-off enough to miss any major notes.
If I was in a metaphorical fire and I had to choose between the two headphones - it would be my LCD2 (its an older version, has a sound I haven't heard from other 2s or some 3s for that matter). That said, I listen to the HD700 more so that says something
Last edited:
@MrMan, interesting music. Listened to it on a variety of headphones and while its not bad on the HD700 its a much more interesting song on my EL-8 open or Ypsilon build mainly because with the HD700 the vocals seem to be blended with the rest of the music to me while on the EL-8 and Ypsilon the vocals are front and center and grab my attention.
I've posted this song on the HE400i thread but its one that sounds very different depending on the headphone used:
On the HD700 the female vocals gets lost at times with the rest of the music but on the headphones that don't have a recess in the mids / lower treble like the EL-8 and Ypsilon her voice never gets lost with the rest of the music
I've posted this song on the HE400i thread but its one that sounds very different depending on the headphone used:
On the HD700 the female vocals gets lost at times with the rest of the music but on the headphones that don't have a recess in the mids / lower treble like the EL-8 and Ypsilon her voice never gets lost with the rest of the music
Is this a joke? Her voice is #1 thing I hear, heck #2 and #3. I could probably EQ the vocal range down 3-4 dB and it would still be the most forward thing I hear. I'm honestly wondering if HD700 had different batches of drivers.
Edit: So I looked back at the original post when I bought the hd700 and it appears they had the "Mod House Audio mod" installed. I know nothing about what was done, how it was done or what it impacts. This could explain why I'm hearing something completely different from other ppl.
Edit: So I looked back at the original post when I bought the hd700 and it appears they had the "Mod House Audio mod" installed. I know nothing about what was done, how it was done or what it impacts. This could explain why I'm hearing something completely different from other ppl.
Last edited:
Quite possible. Have you heard the LCD2, HE560, or HD650? These all have a more classically linear frequency curve.
The HD700 departs from this somewhat, which gives it a unique sound - one some people can find a bit hollow or not as full. Personally I find it strikes a great balance.
650 paired with my M8 are super smooth and amazing for bass music. LCD2 are amazing for non-electronic music. HE560 I have not listened too.
I just looked at the Mod House Audio graph on the changes and it shows quite a big boost in the mids and upper mids/lower treble along with a large reduction in the 4.5-7 khz area so I would think its a very different sound from a stock HD700 and probably why it sounds better to you on a SS amp.
Guidostrunk
Headphoneus Supremus
I had the mod house audio mod on mine for about 3 hours and removed it. Imo, it sucked the life out of the 700's. I did not like it at all.
It's very easy to remove if someone has purchased a used 700 with it installed.
It's very easy to remove if someone has purchased a used 700 with it installed.
tayo15
100+ Head-Fier
- Joined
- Feb 8, 2015
- Posts
- 202
- Likes
- 36
I actually agree with this, minus the caveat that the HD 700 have something going on in the upper mids. I loved the highs but something in the upper mids is off. That being said, the house mod does kill a bit of the highs in exchange for some of the mids, that's been my dilemma lately. I am also pad rolling to see if I can keep the highs and bring the mods forward without having to use the audio house mod. So far I've gotten velvet Chinese offbrand pads, and they definitely helped, it's just that the pads are bulky and deep so they bloat the low end. I've order 2 more different sets and I will post my results.
tayo15
100+ Head-Fier
- Joined
- Feb 8, 2015
- Posts
- 202
- Likes
- 36
Yeah I would agree with this. I have a magni 3 modi Uber 2 I'm about to experiment with. So far I've pad rolled with Chinese offbrand pads, and the velve material actually brings out the sound even more. The audio house mod does kind kill some of the high deliciousness, but it does bring out the mids a bit more. Imo I think most people can't handle a SS amp with the HD 700s since they get fatigue fast, so they resort to a warm tube profile to balance it out. Otherwise audio house mod with SS imo should be enough for some. I just got my pair so I'm about to try that out.
There are a few SS amps that are slightly on the warmer side or neutral and work quite well with the HD700 IMO: Teac HA-501/UD-301/UD-501/AH-01, Project Polaris, Hugo, DarkStar, Liquid Carbon and a few others.
Can someone name a good stock cable? Doesn't matter what company or what type of connections are on it. When I bought the HD700 the person tightly wrapped the cable around the headphone. Now its a nightmare that constantly gets tangled. I want to sent a stock cable to my friend and have him put the right connectors on it so it will fit my headphones.
Last edited:
The stock HD700 cable has been known to be very kinky to start and I was never able to get them to straighten out so you are not the first to complain about it. As for a good stock cable the HD650 stock cable is not bad but if you are going to get your friend to change the connectors why not get a cable that has the HD700 connectors to start? Since I've yet to hear a headphone cable that makes any sonic difference I just stayed with readily available Mogami, Canare or Van Damme cables when building my own.
Users who are viewing this thread
