[logwed]

Quote:

Personally, I like the fact that the cold water came before the ridiculous FOTM best-thing-since-sliced-bread fanboy-ism rather than later.  

At least FOTM-gasming usually happens after release. People are disappointed that it doesn't sound like they wanted it to, but they've never heard it. Makes me scratch my head, I didn't think that people still took the opinions of others as the word of god anymore.

 

[Naim.F.C]

I like Jude, I really do. He's done us all an amazing service with this forum and everything it entails. But part of that ensures that in many ways, his hands are tied, or rather, he has to maintain a certain level of etiquette with these companies, especially among sponsors who, lets be honest, essentially keep the forum and all it's useful facets running succinctly. It is for that reason that as much as I respect his opinion, as others have said, I wouldn't be too quick to take them wholly as he's less likely to be highly critical or completely forward. I mean, certain comments in the past have certainly had me scratching my head, such as the LCD-3's being chosen as the best value can at Canjam (what? lol).
 
It is for that reason, we really actually ought to be defending and commending users such as Purrin and LFF. In a hobby that has marketing influences and induced hype at every given corner, sometimes it's refreshing to just have an honest or more straight opinion. One's that are a bit more detailed or realistic. The more variety, quantity and quality of opinions out there for any given product, the better.

 

[Misterrogers]

+1. Well said.
 
Quote:

I like Jude, I really do. He's done us all an amazing service with this forum and everything it entails. But part of that ensures that in many ways, his hands are tied, or rather, he has to maintain a certain level of etiquette with these companies, especially among sponsors who, lets be honest, essentially keep the forum and all it's useful facets running succinctly. It is for that reason that as much as I respect his opinion, as others have said, I wouldn't be too quick to take them wholly as he's less likely to be highly critical or completely forward. I mean, certain comments in the past have certainly had me scratching my head, such as the LCD-3's being chosen as the best value can at Canjam (what? lol).
 
It is for that reason, we really actually ought to be defending and commending users such as Purrin and LFF. In a hobby that has marketing influences and induced hype at every given corner, sometimes it's refreshing to just have an honest or more straight opinion. One's that are a bit more detailed or realistic. The more variety, quantity and quality of opinions out there for any given product, the better.

 

 

[tim_j_thomas]

I agree 100% with this post.  I very much appreciate and trust LFF's and Purrin's opinions.  To the best of my knowledge they are extremely knowledgeable, are not "fanboys", and do not have to worry about stepping on somebody's toes.
 
Quote:

I like Jude, I really do. He's done us all an amazing service with this forum and everything it entails. But part of that ensures that in many ways, his hands are tied, or rather, he has to maintain a certain level of etiquette with these companies, especially among sponsors who, lets be honest, essentially keep the forum and all it's useful facets running succinctly. It is for that reason that as much as I respect his opinion, as others have said, I wouldn't be too quick to take them wholly as he's less likely to be highly critical or completely forward. I mean, certain comments in the past have certainly had me scratching my head, such as the LCD-3's being chosen as the best value can at Canjam (what? lol).
 
It is for that reason, we really actually ought to be defending and commending users such as Purrin and LFF. In a hobby that has marketing influences and induced hype at every given corner, sometimes it's refreshing to just have an honest or more straight opinion. One's that are a bit more detailed or realistic. The more variety, quantity and quality of opinions out there for any given product, the better.

 

 

[maverickronin]

Tyll and the HD700s at CES
 

 

[Rawrbington]

i agree as well.
i can't believe that letting a friend audition a new headphone is so offensive.
 
and at the end of the day, its still just an opinion.
and we should all know by now that our opinions and feelings toward a pair of headphones can change a lot over the course of a few days.
 
an exciting new headphone that i can't wait to hear.  hopefully the street price lands closer to 650$

 

[jrkong]

Quote:

I like Jude, I really do. He's done us all an amazing service with this forum and everything it entails. But part of that ensures that in many ways, his hands are tied, or rather, he has to maintain a certain level of etiquette with these companies, especially among sponsors who, lets be honest, essentially keep the forum and all it's useful facets running succinctly. It is for that reason that as much as I respect his opinion, as others have said, I wouldn't be too quick to take them wholly as he's less likely to be highly critical or completely forward. I mean, certain comments in the past have certainly had me scratching my head, such as the LCD-3's being chosen as the best value can at Canjam (what? lol).
 
It is for that reason, we really actually ought to be defending and commending users such as Purrin and LFF. In a hobby that has marketing influences and induced hype at every given corner, sometimes it's refreshing to just have an honest or more straight opinion. One's that are a bit more detailed or realistic. The more variety, quantity and quality of opinions out there for any given product, the better.

Precisely what I was trying to say.

 

[Asr]

LFF/purrin/project86:

If possible I'd like to retract my previous uncalled-for post #495 - I actually don't really care about the NDAs/confidentiality subject, it's just that it seemed easier to criticize than to put it more politely & mildly. I'll admit that I also completely exaggerated - ok I didn't lose all respect for any of you, just maybe a tiny bit though.

The previous post was an out-of-character irrational one for me, and apologies for having written what looks like an "attack", especially when that wasn't what I really intended.

LFF's response almost re-gained my respect if not for the ad hominem "attack" at the end, but then maybe I deserved that, so I'll just take that hit.

Not that I intended to discount any of your reputations/opinions either - and if that's what anyone else thought after reading my post, then I'd like to apologize and thank all 3 of you for your continual selfless & valuable contributions to Head-Fi - not just on the HD700, but in all of the other threads & sub-forums that I've seen elsewhere.

 

[Misterrogers]

Wow. I just totally lost, regained, lost, gained 3/4's, lost then fully regained respect for you Asr! 

 Sorry, had to have my fun. Seriously, we all have our moments. Live and learn.
 
Quote:

LFF/purrin/project86:

If possible I'd like to retract my previous uncalled-for post #495 - I actually don't really care about the NDAs/confidentiality subject, it's just that it seemed easier to criticize than to put it more politely & mildly. I'll admit that I also completely exaggerated - ok I didn't lose all respect for any of you, just maybe a tiny bit though.

The previous post was an out-of-character irrational one for me, and apologies for having written what looks like an "attack", especially when that wasn't what I really intended.

LFF's response almost re-gained my respect if not for the ad hominem "attack" at the end, but then maybe I deserved that, so I'll just take that hit.

Not that I intended to discount any of your reputations/opinions either - and if that's what anyone else thought after reading my post, then I'd like to apologize and thank all 3 of you for your continual selfless & valuable contributions to Head-Fi - not just on the HD700, but in all of the other threads & sub-forums that I've seen elsewhere.

 

 

[purrin]

Just to clarify...
 
Technically, LFF and I have business dealings where we are in regular contact with each other (no, it's not the Paradox! but something more related to recording and mastering) and essentially I have been a sub-contractor for him. Neither of us have revealed anything that can't be "generally known" since the HD700 can be heard at CES. Neither of us have revealed any technical information that Sennheiser has provided either orally or in writing that could possibly give competitors any advantage.
 
As a sub-contractor to LFF, he made sure that I was aware of the NDA. I actually waited until LFF gave me the green light to even say anything. I haven't provided any information that differs from LFF observations. I've only clarified or stated LFF's opinions in a different way. (My personal opinion on the headphone does differ slightly from this though.) There's a lot more information that isn't "generally known" which we have not released and won't until either the headphone goes retail or until January 31.
 
Did we take the most extreme conservative stance in interpreting the NDA? Probably not. But we've definitely met its requirements, and even then, as I've said, there's a lot of information we are not revealing to meet the spirit of it. Readers will note that I have been more vague than usual with my impressions.

 

[Naim.F.C]

According to this vid, it is actually designed to be sonically a mix between the HD650 and HD800. Perhaps currently they are falling short of that, as the warmth and bass of the HD650's based on impressions, isn't really there but the open soundstage and peakier highs certainly are. It's a shame because a HD650 mixed with a HD800 does to me on paper, sound like a near perfect mix. But the idea is to smoothen the HD800 and add some extra oomph down low, not increase the top end which to me was already plenty sharp.
 
Quote:

Tyll and the HD700s at CES
 

 
Respect for coming forward, acknowledging your wrong and apologising. Takes a lot of clout to do that.

 

LFF/purrin/project86:

If possible I'd like to retract my previous uncalled-for post #495 - I actually don't really care about the NDAs/confidentiality subject, it's just that it seemed easier to criticize than to put it more politely & mildly. I'll admit that I also completely exaggerated - ok I didn't lose all respect for any of you, just maybe a tiny bit though. 

The previous post was an out-of-character irrational one for me, and apologies for having written what looks like an "attack", especially when that wasn't what I really intended.

LFF's response almost re-gained my respect if not for the ad hominem "attack" at the end, but then maybe I deserved that, so I'll just take that hit.

Not that I intended to discount any of your reputations/opinions either - and if that's what anyone else thought after reading my post, then I'd like to apologize and thank all 3 of you for your continual selfless & valuable contributions to Head-Fi - not just on the HD700, but in all of the other threads & sub-forums that I've seen elsewhere.

 
 

 

[IndieScent]

Quote:

According to this vid, it is actually designed to be sonically a mix between the HD650 and HD800. Perhaps currently they are falling short of that, as the warmth and bass of the HD650's based on impressions, isn't really there but the open soundstage and peakier highs certainly are. It's a shame because a HD650 mixed with a HD800 does to me on paper, sound like a near perfect mix. But the idea is to smoothen the HD800 and add some extra oomph down low, not increase the top end which to me was already plenty sharp.
 

indeed, it is quite a bold statement from the sennheiser rep.
 
but, then again arent all rep. like that?

 

[ocswing]

Quote:

The HD700 is a good headphone but it's not as universal as the HD600. Allow me to explain....
 
Take a well mastered song like "This Must Be The Place" by The Talking Heads. This song sounds completely natural and correct on an HD600. How do I know this? Well...there are various mastering tools that mastering engineers have on hand that will actually show you when and where there is distortion, sibilance and other problems like clicks and pops in a song. It's not easy but over time, you learn to correctly read these sign posts so that when you hear a problem you can verify whether it is the actual music file or another problem down the chain.
 
During certain parts, like cymbal strikes, there is a high amount of sibilance which is NOT in the song. A simple replay over Fischer Audio FA-003's or Sennheiser HD600's confirms that the song indeed does NOT contain sibilance. Play it again on the HD700's...sibilance is there in spades. 
 
Keep in mind, that this does not happen with every single track as some music does sound fantastic on the HD700 due to the extended soundstage but there is no doubt in my mind that the HD700 is peaky and not as good as other options if your goal is to obtain accurate, natural sound. The HD700 is a nice headphone but a bit too thin and peaky for me to really consider buying it at $1000.00. I would personally rather spring for the HD800 and do the Anax mod. Of course....YMMV and this is strictly my opinion.
 

 
Thanks for the response. I tend to like brighter headphones (as long as they still have bass), generally because they add some treble energy into songs that I like. Most truly neutral headphones that I have tried seem to lack this which I find it harder to enjoy what I'm listening to. The value judgement says a lot about whether they're worth the price though. I do like the HD800s, but have trouble justifying the cost. I can save up the money pretty easily, but mentally I don't want to spend that much on audio equipment for my level of interest. I've been hoping the new wave of mid-fi headphones (AKG K550, Beyer T70, Senn HD700, Shure 1840) coming out would have a solution for me, but so far it doesn't look like it.
 
 

 

[LFF]

Quote:

Respect for coming forward, acknowledging your wrong and apologising. Takes a lot of clout to do that.

 

 
 

 
I agree. I appreciate your coming forward and acknowledging your wrong and apologising ASR. The "the ad hominem "attack" at the end" wasn't really an attack as much as it was an honest suggestion.
 
FWIW, I never lost/regained/won/moved up/ etc etc anything for you ASR. Your still the same ol' guy to me.

 

[Mr.Sneis]

I am really appreciative of our members here and providing their impressions of these new products.  In a case like this it's too early to say how the hd700 will end up in sales, sure we are a decently sized community but we are not necessarily "the world".  Despite what people will say, I believe Sennheiser is smart to embrace head-fi to help get additional "expert user" opinions on their products.  Doing so really helps to improve the relationship of the brand with our community and may or may not in the end influence their decisions with regards to the larger customer base (at least a chance is better than no chance).  I think what we have discovered in this thread are a few things that we could actually recommend to Sennheiser about their products based on what we find with competing products and audio preferences...  Hopefully they have someone listening in!