[Dionysus]

Bigglesworth if you take a minute to check out the Vali thread, you would understand. The Vali although inexpensive there are plenty of headfiers using the Vali with High end phones.

 

[Ashade]

  Just wanted to say I recommend the Eee Pee modification for the HD700. It worth to try, IMO.
 
http://www.head-fi.org/t/612502/sennheiser-hd-700-appreciation-thread/600#post_9826426

 
I'll have a look to it.

 

[Eee Pee]

I like the foamed version.  

 
The Vali wasn't terrible.  Wasn't a Mjolnir, but it's not bad.  A, don't knock it til you've tried it, thing.
 
Kinda like the HD 700 in general.

 

[Dionysus]

Does the foam mod have a template like I find on innerfidelity site for the HD800?

 

[Eee Pee]

Nope, sorry, not that cool.  Not hard though.  Creatology sticky back foam.  
 
The ring around the driver is just a strip cut to length.  The rectangle is totally freehanded.  

 

[Dionysus]

Ok cool thxi may try this down the road sometime.

 

[dxanex]

  Like I said, I sold my HD700 so I can't directly compare, but from memory, I have to say the way I'm amping my HD800, it has a very similar tonality and sound signature as the HD700 with only superior technicalities across the board. Imagine the HD700 with a wider soundstage, cleaner and more texture bass with body and tactility, better detailing, and most importantly refinement and lack of grain. The biggest flaw I found with the HD700 was its grain and refinement not on the level of some other headphones I have like HE-500, HD800, and T90. I remember distinctly A/Bing HD700 and T90 and it was clear the HD700 was not as fine sounding. But imagine a headphone that had the HD700 sound signature, but without the problems of refinement, and having the HD800 superior technicalities. That's pretty much what I am listening to right now and enjoying very much.
 
This brings up a good question for those that have or had at one point both the HD700 and HD800: Technicalities aside, do you prefer the sound signature of the HD700 or HD800 more?

 
So would it be fair to say that the general consensus is that there's no reason to own the HD 700 once moving up to the HD 800? I am more interested in the HD 800 now that I've been reading positive results from people running it on a Bottlehead Crack... also, it'll be fun to compare the HD 700 and HD 800 on Sonido's Quickie/Bottlehead at the Charlotte meet (if you're coming for sure). I may be building a Quickie myself depending on the results.
 
On the subject of bass, I was A/Bing it with my HE-400 the other night and man, I've gotta say I think I prefer the HD 700 bass over the HE-400, which is the HE-400's strongest points... The HD 700 is punchier and goes really deep, very good presence. I really do enjoy the fun energetic signature of the HD 700, I just wish it had a slightly wider and airy soundstage, but it's a minor gripe because it does so much right.

 

[Sonido]

   
So would it be fair to say that the general consensus is that there's no reason to own the HD 700 once moving up to the HD 800? I am more interested in the HD 800 now that I've been reading positive results from people running it on a Bottlehead Crack... also, it'll be fun to compare the HD 700 and HD 800 on Sonido's Quickie/Bottlehead at the Charlotte meet (if you're coming for sure). I may be building a Quickie myself depending on the results.
 
On the subject of bass, I was A/Bing it with my HE-400 the other night and man, I've gotta say I think I prefer the HD 700 bass over the HE-400, which is the HE-400's strongest points... The HD 700 is punchier and goes really deep, very good presence. I really do enjoy the fun energetic signature of the HD 700, I just wish it had a slightly wider and airy soundstage, but it's a minor gripe because it does so much right.

Yeah I'll be interested in hearing the HD700 again through my current Quickie Crack chain. Comparing stock Crack vs upgraded Crack and Quickie with the HD800 has been a completely different experience.
 
Does anyone else feel while upgrades can provide improvements here and there, it feels like when you get a cumulative amount of improvement, it sounds like a completely different level? To me, there seems to be various threshold points throughout, that once you reach one, it provides a new experience, a wow moment, and you don't really get that again with minor improvements until it adds up enough to reach that next threshold point.

 

[roguegeek]

On the subject of bass, I was A/Bing it with my HE-400 the other night and man, I've gotta say I think I prefer the HD 700 bass over the HE-400, which is the HE-400's strongest points... The HD 700 is punchier and goes really deep, very good presence. I really do enjoy the fun energetic signature of the HD 700, I just wish it had a slightly wider and airy soundstage, but it's a minor gripe because it does so much right.

I preferred it so much over the HE-400 in all aspects, including bass, that I got ride of them completely. To me, the soundstage was also more expansive and impressive.

 

[dxanex]

I preferred it so much over the HE-400 in all aspects, including bass, that I got ride of them completely. To me, the soundstage was also more expansive and impressive.

 
Yes, the more time I've spent with the HD 700 the more glaring the HE-400 flaws have become. After wearing the HD 700 for an hour and putting on the HiFiMan's they are just so damn uncomfortable. Like all I can concentrate on is how they feel, instead of enjoying the music. Even the tizz and treble spike that never really bothered me before is so much more apparent now, even while running it off of my Darkvoice.
 
I'm leaning more and more towards selling my HE-400 every day now, but then I suppose that's no surprise considering the HD 700 is also twice the price.

 

[MickeyVee]

I sold my HE400 after getting the HD700 and then got the HE500.  Much preferred the HD700 to both (though that might be a point of conetention with the HE500 lovers

)  Although the HE500 is technically very, very good, it's a bit boaring when you've got the HD700. Better bass.. mids, soundstage just to start with.

 

[roguegeek]

   
Yes, the more time I've spent with the HD 700 the more glaring the HE-400 flaws have become. After wearing the HD 700 for an hour and putting on the HiFiMan's they are just so damn uncomfortable. Like all I can concentrate on is how they feel, instead of enjoying the music. Even the tizz and treble spike that never really bothered me before is so much more apparent now, even while running it off of my Darkvoice.

I had the exact same feeling when throwing them back on. To me, it put a spotlight on how much potential the current generation of HiFiMan cans had, but were never realized in the implementation. I think HE-blah-blah-blah fans understand this too, but it's hard to voice criticism for it. Then I see things like an announcement thread for successors that is less than 2 weeks old and already over 55 pages deep and all I think is, "This isn't a hype train as much as it is users calling out for something better."

 

[pdrm360]

  I sold my HE400 after getting the HD700 and then got the HE500.  Much preferred the HD700 to both (though that might be a point of conetention with the HE500 lovers

)  Although the HE500 is technically very, very good, it's a bit boaring when you've got the HD700. Better bass.. mids, soundstage just to start with.

 
+1  in-overall I did like the HD700 more than the heavy HE-500.  

 

[dxanex]

  I had the exact same feeling when throwing them back on. To me, it put a spotlight on how much potential the current generation of HiFiMan cans had, but were never realized in the implementation. I think HE-blah-blah-blah fans understand this too, but it's hard to voice criticism for it. Then I see things like an announcement thread for successors that is less than 2 weeks old and already over 55 pages deep and all I think is, "This isn't a hype train as much as it is users calling out for something better."

 
I've also been following the HE-400i / HE-560 announcement, and from what I've read I am cautiously optimistic. If they can fix the weight/ergonomics, which it sounds like they are really focusing on, then that is a big step in the right direction. With a single magnet, it's hard to say how this will effect sound quality over two magnets. If it sounds great, kudos to them!
 
Nontheless, It will be interesting to read the comparisons of HE-400i / 560 vs HD 700.

 

[Madmollusk]

  I sold my HE400 after getting the HD700 and then got the HE500.  Much preferred the HD700 to both (though that might be a point of conetention with the HE500 lovers

)  Although the HE500 is technically very, very good, it's a bit boaring when you've got the HD700. Better bass.. mids, soundstage just to start with.

My feelings concerning the HE-500 shift from day to day; some days, I feel that the HE-500 is quintessentially linear in character, never exaggerating any part of the frequency response, always reproducing my music with the most impressive faithfulness and warmth--and the very next day, KAPOW, my opinion shifts, and I think "Oh my! This sounds just a little boring." I still plan to keep my Hi-FiMan headphones, mostly because I'm not married to one sound-signature, and what bores me today may enthrall me tomorrow. My feelings, by contrast, regarding the HD700 are rock-solid. The 700's sound-signature just does it for me, and though I might opine from time to time that the HD700 isn't the measure of its bigger brother, I'm convinced that the  HD700 produces the most satisfying bass I've ever heard. Sure, the HD800 reaches deeper (far deeper) into well-recorded/well-mastered music; its bass, consequently, is cleaner and more holographic. But the HD700, by contrast, is concealing something special up its sleeves—that's to say, its bass is strikingly lean yet thumpy. I can't explain this any better; it seems almost paradoxical. Many headphones achieve this kind of bass presence by beefing up the mid-bass, which almost always detracts from the mid-range (Think Denon headphones). But somehow this is not the case with the HD700; its bass is scrupulously clean, but when my music requires slam, the HD700 always produces it with startling authority. IMHO, this is the HD700's most impressive attribute.