[coletrain104]

You’re not an outlier. It became very fashionable to hate on the HD700 on the site which must not be named, and unfortunately that carried over to some other places, which is a shame because they really are a great pair of headphones. No they’re not perfect, but what is? I never jumped on that particular bandwagon. It always seemed to me that they were berating the hd700 for not being better than the much more expensive 800, an absurd proposition from the outset. You just have to laugh when the same people who complain that the 650s are too veiled also complain that the 700s are too bright. The interwebs is a wonderful place....

I think there's plenty of room for acceptable area between the 650 tuning and 700 tuning. Personally I find them brighter than I would like in stock form, and have used the modhouse insert mod to make a small change. Even then they're kinda bright. While I like them, it makes sense that the treble-sensitive crowd would find them unlistenable. Beyers and Grados have plenty of haters too, and not just on the other forum. FWIW these are much more tame to my ears than the T1, but get way more hate. I believe the problem is they got bashed so hard on their debut at $900, their reputation never recovered, but the headphone has become so much more accessible that it represents a much better value. In that almost-$1000 group, there's just a lot of good competition without a brightness problem.

 

[Strat1117]

I think there's plenty of room for acceptable area between the 650 tuning and 700 tuning. Personally I find them brighter than I would like in stock form, and have used the modhouse insert mod to make a small change. Even then they're kinda bright. While I like them, it makes sense that the treble-sensitive crowd would find them unlistenable. Beyers and Grados have plenty of haters too, and not just on the other forum. FWIW these are much more tame to my ears than the T1, but get way more hate. I believe the problem is they got bashed so hard on their debut at $900, their reputation never recovered, but the headphone has become so much more accessible that it represents a much better value. In that almost-$1000 group, there's just a lot of good competition without a brightness problem.

I don’t disagree with you, but I guess I see them as unforgiving rather than inherently bright. I’m not deaf, I hear the ‘brightness’ people are referring to, but I think it is usually attributable to subpar source material. When appropriately amped and playing well recorded music, I find them to be warm and engaging. The fangs only come out for me on highly compressed recordings, usually of hard rock or top 40 pop - neither of which is my usual fare. I currently own two other headphones that were similarly priced at one time or another - HE 560s and Elears - and I like them all equally well. Yes, they each have their own strengths and weaknesses, but I would not say that any one is universally better than the other two. That being said, I get defensive about the 700s, simply because they were so unfairly (IMO) reviled by so many. I couldn’t justify the price of admission for 800s, but I always felt like the 700s got me most of the way there for about a third of the cost. They remain the only headphones that I have ever missed enough to buy again after selling my first pair.

 

[robo24]

FWIW these are much more tame to my ears than the T1, but get way more hate.

Absolutely. The 700's treble has never bothered me but my T1.2 was sibilant and I sold it faster than probably any headphone I'd purchased. I've not experience sibilance on the 700s unless the recording itself is sibilant and heard on dark headphones.

 

[coletrain104]

I don’t disagree with you, but I guess I see them as unforgiving rather than inherently bright. I’m not deaf, I hear the ‘brightness’ people are referring to, but I think it is usually attributable to subpar source material. When appropriately amped and playing well recorded music, I find them to be warm and engaging. The fangs only come out for me on highly compressed recordings, usually of hard rock or top 40 pop - neither of which is my usual fare. I currently own two other headphones that were similarly priced at one time or another - HE 560s and Elears - and I like them all equally well. Yes, they each have their own strengths and weaknesses, but I would not say that any one is universally better than the other two. That being said, I get defensive about the 700s, simply because they were so unfairly (IMO) reviled by so many. I couldn’t justify the price of admission for 800s, but I always felt like the 700s got me most of the way there for about a third of the cost. They remain the only headphones that I have ever missed enough to buy again after selling my first pair.

Yeah I think this is fair, but I've had mine modded so long I can't speak reliably to stock sound, however I don't feel like they changed massively. I feel the same way about my 700's, I love them, and I don't agree with the haters. HOWEVER I also get why they got such a bad rap, and unfortunately while some products bounce back once they fall from MSRP, these did not. They have a good sense of air, a nice somewhat laid-back midrange, and an open soundstage. There's all this love for the 650s, which I personally don't like at all, and all the hate for 700s. Just shows how subjective and hearing/listening volume/recording dependent listening is. I know I found them to eventually be fatiguing in stock form, but I've heard much worse in the short term treble department (basically any Beyer, HE-560, HD800).

 

[garbulky]

I don’t disagree with you, but I guess I see them as unforgiving rather than inherently bright. I’m not deaf, I hear the ‘brightness’ people are referring to, but I think it is usually attributable to subpar source material. When appropriately amped and playing well recorded music, I find them to be warm and engaging. The fangs only come out for me on highly compressed recordings, usually of hard rock or top 40 pop - neither of which is my usual fare. I currently own two other headphones that were similarly priced at one time or another - HE 560s and Elears - and I like them all equally well. Yes, they each have their own strengths and weaknesses, but I would not say that any one is universally better than the other two. That being said, I get defensive about the 700s, simply because they were so unfairly (IMO) reviled by so many. I couldn’t justify the price of admission for 800s, but I always felt like the 700s got me most of the way there for about a third of the cost. They remain the only headphones that I have ever missed enough to buy again after selling my first pair.

Everyday I appreciate the HD700's more and more. I really don't understand why it wasn't more of a hit especially at the relatively low price it was selling for before they got discontinued.

 

[Arturw8]

Just stepped from HD650 to HD700.
After 1 hour listening session I absolutely can't understand people who prefer HD650. It's definitely different leagues. If someone hesitates what to choose - don't. HD700 is leap forward soundwise.
Listening well familiar albums and in every second song finding something new. Sometimes it's additional vocal part, sometimes new instruments revealed...

 

[robo24]

Absolutely this! I started with the 6XX which I thought was amazing at first. Within a couple months I got a used 700 & Woo WA7 and just didn't get the bad reviews when the 6XX were so boring and unrevealing to me. Had those same wow experiences of hearing so many new things in songs I'd heard all my life, and the amazing soundstage where on some tracks certain sounds were coming from a very distinct place outside my head. Aside from the 800 series, I've not heard anything else which has such a soundstage. And between the 700 & 800 I don't strongly prefer one over the other. Give the 700 a try with Soundworks Reference 4 Headphone Edition, as that had the 700 impressing me all over again.

 

[Strat1117]

Absolutely this! I started with the 6XX which I thought was amazing at first. Within a couple months I got a used 700 & Woo WA7 and just didn't get the bad reviews when the 6XX were so boring and unrevealing to me. Had those same wow experiences of hearing so many new things in songs I'd heard all my life, and the amazing soundstage where on some tracks certain sounds were coming from a very distinct place outside my head. Aside from the 800 series, I've not heard anything else which has such a soundstage. And between the 700 & 800 I don't strongly prefer one over the other. Give the 700 a try with Soundworks Reference 4 Headphone Edition, as that had the 700 impressing me all over again.

Glad to see the 700 finally getting some of the love they deserve! I like my anax modified 700s not only better than my beloved 600, but they give me more enjoyment and hold my interest longer than my focal Elears (which I also think are great).

 

[2050m]

Just stepped from HD650 to HD700.
After 1 hour listening session I absolutely can't understand people who prefer HD650. It's definitely different leagues. If someone hesitates what to choose - don't. HD700 is leap forward soundwise.
Listening well familiar albums and in every second song finding something new. Sometimes it's additional vocal part, sometimes new instruments revealed...

Really enjoying HD700's with new silver Litz cable from Custom Cans. Excellent seperation and definition, some vocals really do sound if they are in the room with you. I also feel there is more tonality in the bass. Great pair of headphones...HD 600's are still good but would benefit from a cable upgrade.

 

[interface95]

Just stepped from HD650 to HD700.
After 1 hour listening session I absolutely can't understand people who prefer HD650. It's definitely different leagues. If someone hesitates what to choose - don't. HD700 is leap forward soundwise.
Listening well familiar albums and in every second song finding something new. Sometimes it's additional vocal part, sometimes new instruments revealed...

Nice to ear, although the hd700 has a resonance problem for sure.
What were your thoughts when going back to the hd600?

Eq-ing the hd700 helps for sure.
Detail-wise the hd700-driver is the better, also much more modern.
That's also the reason why it was used in the hd660s.

 

[Strat1117]

Nice to ear, although the hd700 has a resonance problem for sure.
What were your thoughts when going back to the hd600?

Eq-ing the hd700 helps for sure.
Detail-wise the hd700-driver is the better, also much more modern.
That's also the reason why it was used in the hd660s.

The resonance problems are easily solved with a little mechanical damping:

(A herbie’s grungebuster dot cut to size.) With that in place, my 700s sound absolutely glorious.

 

[coletrain104]

The resonance problems are easily solved with a little mechanical damping:

(A herbie’s grungebuster dot cut to size.) With that in place, my 700s sound absolutely glorious.

There is also a reflection off of the hard inner surface of the back of the earpad. You'll notice it is quite hard and unforgiving. Cover that as well and it'll be even better

 

[Strat1117]

There is also a reflection off of the hard inner surface of the back of the earpad. You'll notice it is quite hard and unforgiving. Cover that as well and it'll be even better

I use Dekoni velour earpads - they eliminate that reflective surface.

 

[coletrain104]

I use Dekoni velour earpads - they eliminate that reflective surface.

I've been thinking about going that route myself, which would give me the same exact setup as you. Do you feel like the treble is more bearable vs. stock? I currently have stock pads and the modhouse mods applied, which has a good sound but takes some of the openness and air away, and my ears sometimes touch the pad foam inserts.

 

[Evshrug]

I've been thinking about going that route myself, which would give me the same exact setup as you. Do you feel like the treble is more bearable vs. stock? I currently have stock pads and the modhouse mods applied, which has a good sound but takes some of the openness and air away, and my ears sometimes touch the pad foam inserts.

Not sure how it would interact with the modhouse mods, but for me it was like the midrange came up and the sound was more even. Dekoni put measurements up on their Sponsor forum thread (where they have all their measurements) and site blog.