[kayza]

MacBook Pro > Dragonfly 1.2 > HD-700  ...  I can turn the volume to full for kicks, but never leave it there for more than about 10 or 20 seconds.  I usually just use the rough volume control driven by function keys, and keep it between 4-6 notches below full volume.  I also use a Focusrite Scarlett 18i20 home studio interface and a Peachtree Nova 125 when watching movies on my TV, but both are noticeably less performant than the Dragonfly.  I do think I would enjoy a stronger amp, especially if that came with a tad bit of bass slam and warmth across the board thrown in, but not enough to open up my wallet anytime soon, especially since my two other main cans at the moment are the ATH-ESW9 and M-100, and I feel that both of them are absolutely perfect match with the Dragonfly IMHO.  Yes, the HD-700 undoubtedly scales better, but will still show you the goods.  I will admit that if Audio Technica ever made the ESW9 sound in a physical form like the B&O H6, I think it would be the perfect headphone for me as I really dig the sound of that can but it takes so long to get used to the fit and even then it is hard to keep on after 30-40 minutes....but I digress.

Not sure when, but right now I am thinking of eventually building a Crack/Speedball with my son, running the Dragonfly into that for a while, and then eventually doing something like an Oppo HA-1 or a Geek Pulse if they end up turning out real nice, or some other really good all in one, and then keep the Crack hooked up to that as an option just for the HD-700 and use the Dragonfly just as a portable alternative.

ah. I have a DF 1.0 purchased from Best buy for $85 on clearance about a month ago. I power it from my Note 3 phone. I will have to check if the volume increases when used with my pc. I'll let you know.

 

[Greggo]

Cool.  I got the Note 3 a few months ago as well, but haven't gotten around to doing much with it as of yet.  I intend to build up a small library and move it over to my phone and then get the Dragonfly working with that.  Should finally get around to it in the next week or two.  I have both versions of the Dragonfly, and I do think I hear a slight difference between the two of them, but I would never bet money that I could pick out the differences in a blind test.  I keep the new one at home and the older one at work.  I am a 48 year old part time audiophile so I might just have a very weak definition of "loud"  : ) 

 

[kayza]

  Cool.  I got the Note 3 a few months ago as well, but haven't gotten around to doing much with it as of yet.  I intend to build up a small library and move it over to my phone and then get the Dragonfly working with that.  Should finally get around to it in the next week or two.  I have both versions of the Dragonfly, and I do think I hear a slight difference between the two of them, but I would never bet money that I could pick out the differences in a blind test.  I keep the new one at home and the older one at work.  I am a 48 year old part time audiophile so I might just have a very weak definition of "loud"  : ) 

http://www.amazon.com/CNE16187-Micro-USB-OTG-Adapter/dp/B005QX7KYU
http://www.amazon.com/eForCity-Adapter-compatible-Samsung%C2%A9-Galaxy/dp/B00871Q5PI
linked above are two USB OTG adapters that cost under $2. I have one of them, but i don't recall which. I'd bet money they are the same though. Either way, you can see they are left angle for our phones, which is better than straight out the bottom. Then the AQ DF plugs straight into it and can be tucked somewhat safely behind the phone. The headphone plug, even if straight, can then run out the DF and not be as risky as a big old plug out the top of a phone. Note that when i have my DF plugged into my Verizon Note 3 (i dont think carrier difference matters tho), the DF light is magenta...is this 96k? I don't have time to research right now. For other reference, my HRT microstreamer is only ever in 48k or 96k when on my Note 3. That supports 32, 44, 48, 88, 96, and it only ever does 48 and 96 (sources like 44/48 are both 48, and 88/96 are both then 96). So know that there is upsampling going on with DACs plugged into the Note 3. A dealbreaker for some purists.

 

[Greggo]

Thanks for the good info... I will definitely check it out.

 

[Bigglesworth]

  I recently got the HD800. I refrained from making any comparisons until now to give myself an adequate time with them. Had them for about a week now and at least 40 hours of head time. I used to have the HD700, and owned them for about 4 months before selling them. While I have no major gripes against the HD700 other the price I paid for them at the time ($1000, but that's more my own fault), I'm wondering, other than price, why some of you prefer the HD700 over the HD800. I guess I could not make a direct comparison with the HD700, as I didn't have the Quickie at the time, so the chain is different, and I've found the Quickie to really pull weight and improve upon the sound of the HD800, and be a significant improvement over HD800 + Crack alone. See my current chain in my sig. I was using the WA7 with HD700 mostly, as I slightly preferred the HD700 sound out of that over the Crack. I have sold my WA7 as well since I didn't have the HD700 anymore. For the context of this post, I will be talking about HD700 paired with WA7 when describing the HD700 sound, as it's the best sounding setup I experienced with the HD700. I will be comparing with setups mentioned in my sig.
 
At the time, the reason I bought the HD700 was because I read a lot about the difficult in finding a good amp pairing for the HD800, and also many people described the sound of the HD800 to be too analytical and sterile sounding. It was also said the HD800 was fatiguing to use for a long listening session. As a budding audiophile at the time and coming from HD598, I didn't even own an amp or DAC, so I chose the HD700 and got an O2/ODAC as well. I went on to WA7 and Crack before selling the HD700.
 
However, I've found none of this to be true. And my current amp setup for the HD800 is only around $400. I found myself getting almost exclusive head time to the HD800 this week, even over HE-500, when I should be spending the time comparing the two more. I've been losing sleep as I've been going to bed past 4AM for 5 nights in a row now because I just can't take these things off! I've progressed through many headphones in my journey (HD700, T90, HE-500, ESP950), but none have had this much addiction. The HE-500 was the closest, as I may have stayed up that late a night or two (I think only 3:30AM though). All the knocks against the HD800, I have not experienced yet. I can keep them on for hours, and I've found them to be quite musical and engaging with my chain, and I predominately listen to rock/pop music, which is supposedly a weakness for the HD800.
 
While I know sound is a very subjective thing, anyone with experience with both the HD700 and HD800, could you explain what you personally found better on the HD700? Because, from memory, I cannot think of anything the HD700 does better than the HD800, other than the amount of hurt your wallet takes. Actually for me, I paid less for the HD800 than HD700. I sold the HD700 because I found the HE-500 to do everything the HD700 did, but better. I think compared to the T90, the HD700 did bass and soundstaging better, but the HE-500 was better in bass, and also soundstaging after adding the Quickie to my chain. The soundstage of the HD800 is obviously better than the HD700, and the bass is at least about the same, but if I want bass, I'll switch to my HE-500. Other than the current price at the time, my only gripe against the HD700 would be its slight veiling and graininess compared to other headphones like T90, HE-500, and HD800. The ESP950 also has a transparency problem as well, probably worse than HD700, if memory serves.
 
So why do you prefer the HD700 over HD800?

I've had first hand experience with a friend's HD800 headphones and I own HD700's, so I can chime in on this.  In a word:  Musicality.  I find the HD700's to have a more organic, spirited sound.  While I find the HD800's to have a somewhat cold and clinical approach to sound without much "soul".  I found that with the HD800's I was always impressed with the "fidelity", but not taken by the music.  Whereas with HD700's I'm always just taken away by the music.  It is a "no brainer" for me.  It's simply aesthetic value.  This cannot not be argued, in that it is simply a subjective opinion.  It is obvious that you love your HD800's, and that is great....to each his own. So there it is.  

 

[Jon-LF]

I've had first hand experience with a friend's HD800 headphones and I own HD700's, so I can chime in on this.  In a word:  Musicality.  I find the HD700's to have a more organic, spirited sound.  While I find the HD800's to have a somewhat cold and clinical approach to sound without much "soul".  I found that with the HD800's I was always impressed with the "fidelity", but not taken by the music.  Whereas with HD700's I'm always just taken away by the music.  It is a "no brainer" for me.  

Since I started on this journey and the quest for perfect sound, I've tried a few headphones before/ after I picked up the 700, and perhaps I can build on this point.

The 800 feels boring, sterile and flat compared to the 700 to my ears. I also do not like the extreme large size, and find the 700s FAR more comfortable. I had a deal on the Beyer T1 for $700 on the cheap NEW didn't like them, as nothing "popped". I tried the LCD 2/3s and while extremely pleasing to the year, the more closed in sound and weight works against it. I own an ATH 3000 limited edition, very nice heads - king of vocals (colored of course) but cannot match the 700s in comfort (they are by no means uncomfortable) openness or flexibility of genre, I am buying the Fostex 900, which is great for EDM/ Techno, but cannot match the 700s in comfort, detail retrieval.

I've pretty much just gone through most of the TOTL heads, and have decided unreservedly that the 700s will have a solid place in my line up to come for years and years.

I bought the 700s at full price, and to me it's been worth every penny. I would not give up a day of it's enjoyment.

 

[Ross]

Just wanted to let people know about this cable for the HD700 available on ebay: http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/NEW-Replacement-Audio-upgrade-Cable-For-Sennheiser-HD700-HD-700-Headphone-/261317123574?pt=US_MP3_Player_Cables_Adapters&var&hash=item3cd7b6ddf6&_uhb=1
 
I was looking for a good quality copper cable for the HD700. I found the sound of the stock HD700 a bit too peaky in the treble, and suspected it might be the silver in the cable. I replaced it with a Moon Audio Black Dragon, but that took it to the opposite extreme - flat  and dull sounding. Rather than spend big money on another expensive after market cable, I found this one on ebay for around $30. It arrived today. Initial impressions are that it is very well made and, more importantly, sounds really good. It removes the slight brightness of the stock cable while smoothing out the sound, but without the heaviness of the Black Dragon. So far I am quite impressed. I should add that I have no connection with the seller. 

 

[cute]

  Just wanted to let people know about this cable for the HD700 available on ebay: http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/NEW-Replacement-Audio-upgrade-Cable-For-Sennheiser-HD700-HD-700-Headphone-/261317123574?pt=US_MP3_Player_Cables_Adapters&var&hash=item3cd7b6ddf6&_uhb=1
 
I was looking for a good quality copper cable for the HD700. I found the sound of the stock HD700 a bit too peaky in the treble, and suspected it might be the silver in the cable. I replaced it with a Moon Audio Black Dragon, but that took it to the opposite extreme - flat  and dull sounding. Rather than spend big money on another expensive after market cable, I found this one on ebay for around $30. It arrived today. Initial impressions are that it is very well made and, more importantly, sounds really good. It removes the slight brightness of the stock cable while smoothing out the sound, but without the heaviness of the Black Dragon. So far I am quite impressed. I should add that I have no connection with the seller. 

 
What is this cable made up from?  The link doesn't say whether it is copper, or something else.......  The HD700 pins alone on that cable sell for $34 on Lunashops.com!

 

[Ross]

It's a copper cable. They also do a silver cable, but I didn't want more silver since I thought that was what was causing the specific issues I had with the HD700.

 

[Rob80b]

  Just wanted to let people know about this cable for the HD700 available on ebay: http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/NEW-Replacement-Audio-upgrade-Cable-For-Sennheiser-HD700-HD-700-Headphone-/261317123574?pt=US_MP3_Player_Cables_Adapters&var&hash=item3cd7b6ddf6&_uhb=1
 
I was looking for a good quality copper cable for the HD700. I found the sound of the stock HD700 a bit too peaky in the treble, and suspected it might be the silver in the cable. I replaced it with a Moon Audio Black Dragon, but that took it to the opposite extreme - flat  and dull sounding. Rather than spend big money on another expensive after market cable, I found this one on ebay for around $30. It arrived today. Initial impressions are that it is very well made and, more importantly, sounds really good. It removes the slight brightness of the stock cable while smoothing out the sound, but without the heaviness of the Black Dragon. So far I am quite impressed. I should add that I have no connection with the seller. 

Thanks Ross
I was going to order one and put a 4 pin XLR on the end.
 
Looks like the silver version is more prone to microphonics,

 

  I ordered one of these for about $35 a couple weeks ago, same seller as what you seem to be interested in. Seems as though what I got was the higher quality offering of theirs. I won in on auction though, as they have it for buyitnow for $90-100 (different lengths).

 
Here it is again on another auction, ending soon! http://www.ebay.com/itm/6FT-NEW-Replacement-Audio-upgrade-Cable-For-Sennheiser-HD700-HD-700-Headphone-2m-/281235429740?pt=UK_Computing_Sound_Vision_Audio_Cables_Adapters&hash=item417af0196c
 
Try to snag on for ~$30-40 like I got lucky enough to do!
The cable is still stiffer than I like (due to the sheathing I suppose), but more flexible than the OEM Senn. The individual lines to each earcup are also stiff, and produce an audible metal scraping sound when the rub against my shirt/jacket zipper, or along my collar of dress shirt. Microphonics I think it is called. Because of the woven design, things that catch/scrape along that design make a noise, and it feeds up to the headphone. It is definitely louder when hearing it with the headphone being worn (not plugged in, just scraping it to compare) than with them off and scraping them along the desk's edge.

With that in mind, you may just be happier with the ebay cable you originally posted. That looks like a solid tubular plastic sleeve instead of individual wire sleeves woven together.

 
so a copper one it is then, not too sure about the red though.

 

[Scubasteve1984]

Thanks Ross
I was going to order one and put a 4 pin XLR on the end.

Looks like the silver version is more prone to microphonics,




so a copper one it is then, not too sure about the red though.

Haha! that's awesome! I was the winner of that auction. I have bid on that cable several times but have been outbid several times. That cable usually ended up selling for $60-75 in other auctions, but I got it for $33-$35 shipped. Can't wait to get it in my hands soon. Anyone have any good recommendations for semi-matched headphone stand for the 700?

 

[Rob80b]

Anyone have any good recommendations for semi-matched headphone stand for the 700?

 
 
Here’s one alternative from Sennheiser, the HH10, not the greatest build quality but it does the job.
I like the stability of the clamp as I’m always knocking over the banana type stands.

 

[Ashade]

Originally Posted by Rob80b /img/forum/go_quote.gif
 

Anyone have any good recommendations for semi-matched headphone stand for the 700?

 
 
Here’s one alternative from Sennheiser, the HH10, not the greatest build quality but it does the job.
I like the stability of the clamp as I’m always knocking over the banana type stands.


 

 
^^This or this:
 

 

 

[Sonido]

+1 on the Brainwavz omega stand. It's relatively cheap ~$30, and I actually got it originally for the HD700 because the way you can't vertically close together the two cups, allowing dust to fall in. Now I'm using it for the HD800 which suffers the same problem of having cups that hang open for dust to fall in.

 

[Eee Pee]

I'd rather deal with dust than having my earpads compressed that much more.