[Sonido]

Last night, I made a review / comparison of the HD700 with the HD800.

HD700... what a great headphone =)

You mention you used Schiit stack to drive HD700. What did you use with HD800? The entry Schiit stack does not do the HD800 justice and I would not be surprised if the HD700 actually sound better from it. I owned the HD700 about half a year ago before selling it abd I currently own the HD800 and the AKG K812. From memory the K812 has a very similar signature to the HD700 with more of a bass presence, but has the level of details as the HD800. I found that the HD700 was a touch weaker in details and refinement and was ultimately the deciding factor for me to part ways with it. Your impressions reaffirm what I think about the K812 being a technically better HD700. I'll get to hear the HD700 again next week at a meet so I'll be able to confirm this. If you like the signature of the HD700, you should give the K812 a try.

 

[Jazzkammer]

You mention you used Schiit stack to drive HD700. What did you use with HD800? The entry Schiit stack does not do the HD800 justice and I would not be surprised if the HD700 actually sound better from it. I owned the HD700 about half a year ago before selling it abd I currently own the HD800 and the AKG K812. From memory the K812 has a very similar signature to the HD700 with more of a bass presence, but has the level of details as the HD800. I found that the HD700 was a touch weaker in details and refinement and was ultimately the deciding factor for me to part ways with it. Your impressions reaffirm what I think about the K812 being a technically better HD700. I'll get to hear the HD700 again next week at a meet so I'll be able to confirm this. If you like the signature of the HD700, you should give the K812 a try.

 
Wow, I was curious about the K812 before, but now I am really interested in them.
 
I love my HD 700 except I would like a little more bass presence, so if the K812 are like HD700 except with more detail and more bass, I am sold.   Except that  my foremost concern is comfort, though.  How do the AKG K812 compare in comfort to the HD 700?   I can't really do anything less comfortable than the HD 700.   Even the HD 650 clamp too much for my preference. 
 
I just bought the Philips Fidelio X1 as a bass-heavy can to complement my HD 700's, but I will be selling them/returning them (anyone interested PM me) because I don't find them comfortable enough, so that is an indication how important comfort is to me.  

 

 

[dxanex]

HD 700 lacking in bass presence? I definitely don't find that to be the case at all, and as of right now the only other headphone I have to compare to is the HD 650. I'll make sure the HD 700 comes with me to the meet, Sonido...I forgot you own the K812 so I'm definitely looking forward to hearing that one and comparing the two. I do fully expect to hear more detail and refinement with the AKG. I still believe that with the Crack/Speedball and some pretty hefty tubes the HD 700 bass has nice full body and quite punchy. At least with electronic and jazz genre.

 

[Jazzkammer]

  HD 700 lacking in bass presence? I definitely don't find that to be the case at all, and as of right now the only other headphone I have to compare to is the HD 650. I'll make sure the HD 700 comes with me to the meet, Sonido...I forgot you own the K812 so I'm definitely looking forward to hearing that one and comparing the two. I do fully expect to hear more detail and refinement with the AKG. I still believe that with the Crack/Speedball and some pretty hefty tubes the HD 700 bass has nice full body and quite punchy. At least with electronic and jazz genre.

 
Sorry but I'm starting to get annoyed by getting called out on this topic when I observe that the bass in the HD 700's is not as powerful as I would like.   Maybe "presence" is the wrong word.  But compared to the HD 650, which you own, and which I used to own, and know very well, the HD 700 bass does not have as much impact or slam.   I don't understand why I have to keep defending this statement in this thread, either.   HD 700s are not bass heavy cans, but HD 650's are.   I want the HD 700's, but with HD 650-strength bass.  

 

[dxanex]

^Just sharing my observations. The bass on the HD 700 is much tighter and controlled than the robust bass of the HD 650 but I find both to be quite "present" in their own right. I'm also not a basshead, though... maybe you are?
 
 
But if it upsets you that much, maybe you should go back to the HD 650. Nobody here is calling you out, bud. It's just headphones talk!

 

[Jazzkammer]

   
I didn't realize I keep on defending anything. Just sharing my observations. The bass on the HD 700 is much tighter and controlled than the robust bass of the HD 650 but I find both to be quite "present" in their own right. I'm also not a basshead, though... maybe you are?
 
 
But if it upsets you that much, maybe you should go back to the HD 650. Nobody here is calling you out, bud. It's just headphones talk!

 
I didn't say you were defending anything, I said I was defending.   Sorry if I came across as argumentative.   But you said it right there:  the HD 700 bass is tighter and more controlled, while the HD 650 bass is more robust.
 
I run the gamut of music genres, being a big classical aficionado, but also electro-acoustic and folk and jazz.  
 
But when I want to listen to rap or electronic music, usually bass-heavy genres, the HD 700's bass is just not as satisfying as the HD 650.
 
Essentially, though, the reason I got rid of the HD 650 is because I found they clamped too much.   That's why I am not too keen on going back to them, but I might have no choice.   Maybe I will try the upcoming Hifiman HE-560's, since those are supposed to be more light and comfortable for planar-magnetics.   And they should have nice bass too.    Or, of course, I am considering ditching the HD 700's and going for the AKG K812s.

 

[dxanex]

   
I didn't say you were defending anything, I said I was defending.   Sorry if I came across as argumentative.   But you said it right there:  the HD 700 bass is tighter and more controlled, while the HD 650 bass is more robust.
 
I run the gamut of music genres, being a big classical aficionado, but also electro-acoustic and folk and jazz.  
 
But when I want to listen to rap or electronic music, usually bass-heavy genres, the HD 700's bass is just not as satisfying as the HD 650.
 
Essentially, though, the reason I got rid of the HD 650 is because I found they clamped too much.   That's why I am not too keen on going back to them, but I might have no choice.   Maybe I will try the upcoming Hifiman HE-560's, since those are supposed to be more light and comfortable for planar-magnetics.   And they should have nice bass too.    Or, of course, I am considering ditching the HD 700's and going for the AKG K812s.

 
No problem, I misread that first part. Your opinion is your own and you shouldn't have to defend it. I'm interested in hearing the HE-560 as well as the HE-400i. If the HE-400i keeps or even improves upon the bass of the HE-400 then that will be a serious contender for "most satisfying bass" in a headphone. If the K812 indeed has moar bass plus bests the detail of the HD 700 that may jump up to the top of my short list very soon. I loved my time with the K702, but it was about as bass light as you can get.

 

[Jazzkammer]

To elaborate further, I listen to a lot of electronic music and rap, not just the current stuff, but a lot of it is from the 90s and early 00s, when compression and mastering techniques on these recordings wasn't as good, so it seems like the mid-bass hump of the HD 650's would bring out all of the satisfying thump that I was lacking in the sub-bass of these recordings.
 
Hope that makes sense.  I guess I am trying to say that I liked how coloured the HD 650's are, specifically their bass.   A lot of dj mixes that are 10 years or older don't have much sub-bass at all, it's all in the mid-bass. 

 

[Jazzkammer]

 ~~I loved my time with the K702, but it was about as bass light as you can get.

 
 
Ditto.  I had the K701, and I enjoyed them while I had them, but with the Sennheiser HD 700's I don't miss them at all.

 

[SonyMDRer]

You mention you used Schiit stack to drive HD700. What did you use with HD800? The entry Schiit stack does not do the HD800 justice and I would not be surprised if the HD700 actually sound better from it. I owned the HD700 about half a year ago before selling it abd I currently own the HD800 and the AKG K812. From memory the K812 has a very similar signature to the HD700 with more of a bass presence, but has the level of details as the HD800. I found that the HD700 was a touch weaker in details and refinement and was ultimately the deciding factor for me to part ways with it. Your impressions reaffirm what I think about the K812 being a technically better HD700. I'll get to hear the HD700 again next week at a meet so I'll be able to confirm this. If you like the signature of the HD700, you should give the K812 a try.

Here's my HD800 review if you are interested.

 
I mentioned in the review I tried many different sources aside from the Schiit M&M stack and definitely changed the sound of the HD800!
 
You are definitely right, I did perceive some detail loss with the HD700 compared to the HD800. 
 
To be honest, I LOVE AKG. I am definitely saving up to get that headphone in the future =P
Thanks for the comments!

 

[SonyMDRer]

   
Wow, I was curious about the K812 before, but now I am really interested in them.
 
I love my HD 700 except I would like a little more bass presence, so if the K812 are like HD700 except with more detail and more bass, I am sold.   Except that  my foremost concern is comfort, though.  How do the AKG K812 compare in comfort to the HD 700?   I can't really do anything less comfortable than the HD 700.   Even the HD 650 clamp too much for my preference. 
 
I just bought the Philips Fidelio X1 as a bass-heavy can to complement my HD 700's, but I will be selling them/returning them (anyone interested PM me) because I don't find them comfortable enough, so that is an indication how important comfort is to me.  

 

Interesting. One of my viewers on Youtube recommended me to check out the X1 as well ! 

Could you comment more on their comfort? As that is also a big factor in my headphone reviews.

 

[Rob80b]

  Last night, I made a review / comparison of the HD700 with the HD800.
 
HD700... what a great headphone =)
..............
 

Thanks SonyMDRer
 
Nice balanced unbiased review between the two Senns and mirrors my appreciation to a T.
Break-in is definitely a reality with these phones, as I mentioned previously there was an obvious change from their lack luster performance out the box as I compared them to my other phones along the way, and yes they appear to get better and better, overall a very linear phone with bass you can feel but not over blown
It’s universally accepted the HD800 are the technically the better phone, and you point that out but as you say the HD700s without giving up too much, appear to be the go to and chill out and relax phone, at least they are for me.
Anyway great vid for the "HD700 appreciation thread".

 

[Rob80b]

   
 
Ditto.  I had the K701, and I enjoyed them while I had them, but with the Sennheiser HD 700's I don't miss them at all.

Ditto #2

(Mind you I still have mine with the bass port mod.)

 

[Sonido]

   
Wow, I was curious about the K812 before, but now I am really interested in them.
 
I love my HD 700 except I would like a little more bass presence, so if the K812 are like HD700 except with more detail and more bass, I am sold.   Except that  my foremost concern is comfort, though.  How do the AKG K812 compare in comfort to the HD 700?   I can't really do anything less comfortable than the HD 700.   Even the HD 650 clamp too much for my preference. 
 
I just bought the Philips Fidelio X1 as a bass-heavy can to complement my HD 700's, but I will be selling them/returning them (anyone interested PM me) because I don't find them comfortable enough, so that is an indication how important comfort is to me.  

 

The K812 definitely has more bass than the HD800, but I'm not so sure it has more than the HD700. From memory, I think it's about the same. It's definitely not a bass heavy headphone, and you may be disappointed. The K712 has more bass if that's what you're looking for. As for comfort, the K812 is up there with the HD700 and HD800. I like the K812 in that it has smaller earpads than the HD800 and doesn't swallow my face.

 

[SonyMDRer]

  Thanks SonyMDRer
 
Nice balanced unbiased review between the two Senns and mirrors my appreciation to a T.
Break-in is definitely a reality with these phones, as I mentioned previously there was an obvious change from their lack luster performance out the box as I compared them to my other phones along the way, and yes they appear to get better and better, overall a very linear phone with bass you can feel but not over blown
It’s universally accepted the HD800 are the technically the better phone, and you point that out but as you say the HD700s without giving up too much, appear to be the go to and chill out and relax phone, at least they are for me.
Anyway great vid for the "HD700 appreciation thread".

Thanks for the nice comments! You pretty much summarized my review within a few sentences =)