[bob c cue]

Beethoven's 7th from this album on the HD 700 is as good as it gets:

 

[NotesAndBars]

I find my HD700 really shine for big not only classical music but rock/alternative. I find that their large soundstage makes them extremely good for gaming and movies also. These really are great headphones and I really just don't understand all the hate that they seem to get.

 

[ldo77]

I find my HD700 really shine for big not only classical music but rock/alternative. I find that their large soundstage makes them extremely good for gaming and movies also. These really are great headphones and I really just don't understand all the hate that they seem to get.

Totally agree with you

 

[BubbaJay]

It's been months since using my HD700 so I got them out to listen to. They are still a really nice headphone but just not as good as my Elear and LCD-2C imo. I feel like the time is coming when I'm going to sale them soon.

 

[bob c cue]

Has anyone else tried the combination of HD 700 + LG V40 + Spotify 320 kbps with classical music? What in this combination could be changed and make an appreciable difference in listening enjoyment? I am open to suggestions. Thanks.

 

[DavidA]

Has anyone else tried the combination of HD 700 + LG V40 + Spotify 320 kbps with classical music? What in this combination could be changed and make an appreciable difference in listening enjoyment? I am open to suggestions. Thanks.

The only thing I would suggest a change is the LG V40 but since I've never heard the LG V40 I'm not sure if this is a limiting factor in your chain. I've never found phones to be the best at being DAC and amp but since I've never tried the V40 it might be really good to start and any "improvement" would be quite high priced. As it stands right now I think you have a nice setup with none of the parts (tracks, source, headphone) are out of place where one would be a limiting factor.

 

[Slashn77]

Has anyone else tried the combination of HD 700 + LG V40 + Spotify 320 kbps with classical music? What in this combination could be changed and make an appreciable difference in listening enjoyment? I am open to suggestions. Thanks.

Does it have to be a portable solution? If not I think you will be surprised by a decent desktop setup.
A schiit Lyr 3 and modi multi dac would be nice.
If you get a popular THX 789 amp the treble peak may to too fatiguing for you which is why I threw a hybrid amp like the Lyr 3 out there which is more musical and can be tuned a touch with different tubes.

 

[robo24]

Well it took me over 3 months but actually read all 585 pages (ok skimmed some, but mostly read)!

Just got a Loxjie P20 which I’m using balanced out with Topping D50 as the DAC. Sounds pretty amazing, especially for $89 for the amp. This is another option for those looking for a cheap tube amp for the 700s. Perhaps a bit more bright than the WA7 gen 1 I normally use. Already have some Russian NOS tubes ordered for $27, as reviews seem to find them more impressive than the stock tubes.

Since I got the 700s a few months ago, I’ve added the Elex, HE-4XX, Mobius, and HD820 to my collection. None of them touch it in comfort, and only the HD820 is more impressive to me (as I’d hope, since they cost 7X as much as I paid for the 700s). The 820s are even more detailed, a bit warmer sounding, with as wide a soundstage. I still prefer the 700s on some songs. I’ve not disliked them on any of the pairings with the few DACS and amps I’ve owned. Least impressive was the Dragonfly Red, especially after getting a Mojo for travel use. I think my brain has even adjusted some to some of the songs that were harsh initially so that they don’t bother me as much.

For the most part though, if I listen to them without Sonarworks right after listening to other phones, the 700s sound quite odd for a few minutes (very trebly, but not harsh or fatiguing) and I can see why some turn their noses up at them on first listen. Overall though they’re one of the most amazing purchases I’ve ever made and I’m ok with the years of bashing making them affordable for me. Perhaps I just have odd hearing, because I also gravitated to the latest maligned Sennheisers (HD820) and love them too!

 

[garbulky]

Hello All

Has anyone tried the modhouse kit for these?

I'm a bit late here. But yes! I am doing so right now. The modhouse kit has two things. Two small felt rings and two large felt pads. I preferred using just the two small felt rings and thought the felt pads were a bit much. It is totally reversible. It has adhesive on the mod pads but it doesn't stick permanently and doesn't tear the mesh. The headphones sound significantly different. YES it does make the headphones less bright, and on some rare songs where I thought the treble was a bit too much well that's not the case anymore. However, I think it robs a little bit of life and top end air from the headphones resulting in a (slightly) smaller soundstage. That last bit of treble impact/palpability, is missing. However it brings the bass in compensation. But I didn't think the HD700's ever lacked bass. So it's a preference thing. I think I will just go ahead and listen stock rather than to the mod. But the mod is super cheap so I would try it just to see. It delivers a different type of sound.

 

[msuroo]

Just popping in to say hi in this thread. My HD700s have been super good to me over the years!

 

[coletrain104]

I'm a bit late here. But yes! I am doing so right now. The modhouse kit has two things. Two small felt rings and two large felt pads. I preferred using just the two small felt rings and thought the felt pads were a bit much. It is totally reversible. It has adhesive on the mod pads but it doesn't stick permanently and doesn't tear the mesh. The headphones sound significantly different. YES it does make the headphones less bright, and on some rare songs where I thought the treble was a bit too much well that's not the case anymore. However, I think it robs a little bit of life and top end air from the headphones resulting in a (slightly) smaller soundstage. That last bit of treble impact/palpability, is missing. However it brings the bass in compensation. But I didn't think the HD700's ever lacked bass. So it's a preference thing. I think I will just go ahead and listen stock rather than to the mod. But the mod is super cheap so I would try it just to see. It delivers a different type of sound.

I am using the mod as well, I think the most polarizing thing about the HD700 is obviously the treble. The headphone is similarly revealing with the mod, and resonances should be less present, I love the sound of these after the mod. To me these are probably in my top 2 headphones, and my stable has updated quite a bit. Personally would probably choose this headphone over my Elear with Clear pads (which I prefer strongly to original pads). Needless to say give it a try if you haven't. If you don't like the tuning from the felt pads, the rings shouldn't tune things, just eliminate backwave resonance in the plastic chassis.

 

[Mad Max]

I find my HD700 really shine for big not only classical music but rock/alternative. I find that their large soundstage makes them extremely good for gaming and movies also. These really are great headphones and I really just don't understand all the hate that they seem to get.

Anything sounded great on HD700 to me.

Certain parts of the insides of the cups generate awful resonances to my ears, and Senn decided on a thick filter to stick in front of the drivers to partly remedy the issue, but at the expense of the entire sound.
I want to reacquire an HD700 and continue modding to find the right way to remedy the resonances so I can go filterless to unleash its glorious sound.

 

[BubbaJay]

Since I just got a Schiit Vali 2 I thought I might see how the good old HD700 sound seeing as I never use them anymore and let me tell you they sound better than they did. I also got a new cable for them (also for my Audioquest headphones since they are the same connections) and its solid copper so I think that along with the amp helped tone down the highs. They sound much more coherent with no harsh peaks, at least not yet. I don't see myself using them as much as other headphones I have but I can see myself using them now from time to time depending on what I'm listening to.

 

[Veyska]

Just got a second-hand pair and while they don't reach the aural bliss that the HD 800 I demoed in the SF Sennheiser store did they're also decidedly not HD 800 nor are they plugged into whatever insane amplifier they had in-store. Just as comfortable though, and so far the treble's just fine. Still fiddling with the EQ, I'm noticing the dip in the upper mids a bit but when I go whole-shebang with the various EQ results from AutoEQ on GitHub it feels like I'm losing more overall (especially sound stage) than I'm gaining. Still, while the 800 (or 800S I expect, though I didn't try it out while I was at the store) and a similarly more-better source is most definitely on my wishlist I suspect with a bit of fiddling I will be *quite* satisfied until such time as I feel like spending as much on headphones+source as I did on either of my computers when they were new. :-D

 

[Sylaw]

sadly the headphones are discontinued by the manufacture .. R.I.P HD700