[rhythmdevils]

I think he loves them because of how traditional and regular they are.  they're just plain old dynamics, no weird commy ring radiator.  Which I thank God for everyday.  I was worried they would put some innovation into these and change things.  I, like Mike, like things just the way they are.  Too much change is not a good thing. 

 

[Digital-Pride]

Bravo RythmD!  Don't ever change.

 

[Sniperbombers]

@RythmDevils

You know what i actually kind of agree with you, especially with innovations and improvements that aren't "perfected" and i use that very loosely. 

 

[John Willett]

I was at the Bristol Hi-Fi Show for three days and had a good chance to listen to the HD 700 and HD 800 through the Grace m903 (as well as to listen to a three-year old pair of HD 800 that someone brought along).
 
My own system is HD 800, serial number 1,300, through a Grace m903 (recently upgraded from an m902b).
 
The HD 700 are no way anywhere near as good as the HD 800, through they are a big step up from the HD 600.650 IMHO.
 
I found the HD 700 "warmer" than the 800 but it also seemed to have a slightly brighter treble.  It was not so revealing as the 800.
 
After listening to the 800 I would not be happy with the 700 (but as they are £400 cheaper you would expect this), but they are a great improvement over the 600/650.
 
But listening to the well run-in three-year old HD 800 was a revelation.  The top end of the run-in pair was much smoother and they were much nicer all round.  It certainly showed what running in does.  The run-in pair had a serial number in the 1,000s (they were in one of the first batches sold in the UK - my own pair are the very first pair sold in the UK) - the demo pair had a serial number of 15,???.
 

 

[Ultrainferno]

Well Headfonia updated the HD700 journal with new impressions. It seems Mike has calmed down

. I found it a very nice and believable read, doesn't seem like a headphone for me though

 

[vkvedam]

 
Impressions from the Sound & Vision Show Bristol:
 
HD 700: I've tried these over the weekend at the show along with HD 800s driven by a Grace m903. Head-Fi's member John Willett was the person down there and he is a great person to talk to. Coming to the impressions, it has got excellent aesthetics, nice comfort on par with the HD 800s and a nice cable as well. They are quite efficient and like others mentioned they don't require a nuclear powered amp to sound great. With regards to the sound they have a warm sound signature. Like the guy from Headphonia said these are more like the orthos from Audeze and Hifimans. I felt my HE-5LEs were more neutral in comparison. These are more like the LCD-2s in terms of bass presentation and the over all signature. Bass is really good with nice definition and resolution. Mids are perfect and highs are good enough to be sound detailed. There's a bit of sibilance which might be a concern for a few. I preferred the more neutral presentation from the 800s but I really liked the bass slam on the Booka Shade album and in particular the track 'Mandarin Girl'. It's really good. It's not entirely coloured like a Grado and it feels quite natural. For instance you'll think that you're listening to an ortho with neutral and natural presentation if you've not got access to 800s on the side. Nice imaging although not as good as it gets with 800s but still quite decent. Like many others said these are kind of a step up from 650s and if you're thinking about upgrading from an HD 650 then you should give these an audition.
 
At the end of the day I wouldn't be buying these as I've already got 5LEs and I prefer their more neutral sound signature and excellent detail with much nicer treble. I might go for 800s someday as I've learned that I have become more of a neutral-ish guy in the recent months.

 

[Blisse]

Could I get more comparisons against the HD 650s since there are a fair number of accounts saying this is a step up from those? I have the HD 650s, and while I'm not looking to upgrade, it'd be nice to know my options. I'm not a fan of wooden-type headphones, purely due to their aesthetic (please don't kill me), so I've really only been looking at Sennheisers and Beyerdynamics for my future.

 

[MuppetFace]

Quote:

I'm not a fan of wooden-type headphones, purely due to their aesthetic (please don't kill me), so I've really only been looking at Sennheisers and Beyerdynamics for my future.

 
The HE-500 isn't made of wood, so there's always that route.

 

[Ypoknons]

hmm... I was actually kind of hoping for Neutral-lite instead in my head, but my heart actually prefers the current descriptions - warm with a slight treble bump somewhere up there. hmm....

 

[Blisse]

I'm not a fan of wooden-type headphones, purely due to their aesthetic (please don't kill me), so I've really only been looking at Sennheisers and Beyerdynamics for my future.

 
The HE-500 isn't made of wood, so there's always that route.

I'll also note my dislike of things that have the Grado and LCD-2 look.
Actually, I don't even like the D7000s because the wooden cups don't look good to me. o-o

 

[MuppetFace]

Quote:

I'll also note my dislike of things that have the Grado and LCD-2 look.

Actually, I don't even like the D7000s because the wooden cups don't look good to me. o-o

So do you listen to your headphones, or mostly stare at them?

 

[Saintly]

So do you listen to your headphones, or mostly stare at them?

 
 


Is it a crime to look for one that is pleasing in both regards?

 

[GiacomoHoldini]

Is it a crime to look for one that is pleasing in both regards?

No, but what if the best sounding headphone for him happens to be wood? If he rejects them out of hand, he'd be missing out. I mean, it's not like we're talking Jecklin Floats here.

 

[smial1966]

Many thanks to the guys who attended the Bristol Hi-Fi show for their impressions of the HD-700, as they're the first non-reviewer statements that I've read.
 
The HD-700 seems sonically compromised but not necessarily in a bad way, so could this be the analytically revealing yet tonally lush headphone for those of us that have never listened to the HD-800?
 
Can't wait to audition the HD-700.
 
Cheers. 
 
 

 

[MuppetFace]

Quote:

Is it a crime to look for one that is pleasing in both regards?

I hope not.
 
I saw no mention of sound though, just the way they looked, so I posed my snarky question in good humor. I myself find the "only sound matters" mantra needlessly ascetic, and I appreciate the thought that goes into designing the appearance of audio equipment. Compromises are inevitable though. If a headphone sounds exceptionally good, I personally find it a bit unfortunate to exclude it on the grounds of not looking a certain way.