[Audio-Omega]

Both HD700 and HD800 don't look ugly at all.  There is a video of HD700 on youtube.  With the current economic situation, giving discount is a necessity.  

 

[St3ph3n]

I'm thinking of investing a lot of money in an excellent pair of headphones. The HD 700's are one of the best looking headphones I've seen so i'm very interested. But all I listen to is electronica really. Do people think these headphones would be suitable for electronic music? I was reading up on the HD 800s and they seem to be lacking in the bass department compared to other headphones at the 1500 price point, so I assume the HD700s may follow suit?

 

[Currawong]

Quote:

I'm thinking of investing a lot of money in an excellent pair of headphones. The HD 700's are one of the best looking headphones I've seen so i'm very interested. But all I listen to is electronica really. Do people think these headphones would be suitable for electronic music? I was reading up on the HD 800s and they seem to be lacking in the bass department compared to other headphones at the 1500 price point, so I assume the HD700s may follow suit?

All the electronic music I have (I call it "club music") tends to be somewhat bright-sounding, which, coupled with the HD-700, wasn't a good match. Indeed, I didn't feel there was enough of a bass punch. I do wonder why they selected the frequency response they did, however if they tried to tune them to be better all-round headphones they might lose some of the (perceived) soundstage with acoustic music, which they are very good for.

 

[MuppetFace]

Oddly enough, my three favorite headphones for electronic music are all considered light in the bass department: HD800, SR-507, and Q010. I guess I'm just weird, but all three tend to present music in a vaporous and expansive way, which is perhaps what attracts me to the genre pairing.
 
That being said, if you want more bottom-end oomph, the more traditional recommendations at the HD700's pricepoint are the D7000 and DX1000. The Edition 8 is also worth looking into since you can find them for way below the MSRP now.
 
W1000x would be a cheaper alternative. Kenwood K1000 cheaper still.

 

[gelocks]

Quote:

As I read through this thread, I see a lot of.... interesting speculation and conclusions. I'm not gonna get involved in all that - I'll simply say that I really like the HD-700 and I think it competes well with similarly priced headphones. No, it isn't a giant killer that slays all planar models and everything else under $2k. But it has a lot going for it and some people will absolutely love it. Other people, not so much. But doesn't that also describe the LCD-2, HE500, T1, etc? 
 
Since most people in this thread will skim over my comments and probably miss the point, I'll give you something better - something this thread has been lacking. Keep in mind that this is a prototype so things could change before the final release.
 
 
40mm Duofoil transducer mounted on a high-precision gauze made of stainless steel. This is a totally new driver, not a tweaked HD600/HD650 driver. 
 
 
Pardon the lint - apparently the camera brings it out. Super comfy Alcantara pads, highly angled drivers.
 
 
Cable has a braided sheath up to the Y-split, then rubber from there up. I like it but it tangles too easily. 
 
 
Guess which one I like more?
 
 
I tried to capture the jack, which has a little "notch" in it so it fits a certain way.
 
 
This could make it tough for aftermarket cable builders. 
 
 
 
 
 
I don't want to seem like a Sennheiser apologist - I'll be the first to say that this isn't the perfect headphone for everyone. But I think it is a better fit than the HD800 for a lot of people, on a lot of systems. I would have loved to see it come out at half the price, or with LCD-2 like bass, or any number of other improvements.... but back here in the real world, this is still a very good headphone in my opinion. 
 

Thanks for the pictures!!!
A lot of plastic there!! But looks good in my opinion!!
 
Anyway, what still "bothers" me from the early impressions is that they not only sound 'bittersweet', but there's seems
to be really NOTHING of note other than the great soundstage!!!! Is that the only identifiable trait? I mean, IF (big IF!) I buy
a 1k dollars headphone it is because it excels AT EVERYTHING!!! With this I mean, it contains beautiful highs to provide
a lot of clarity, awesome mids that make you feel that singers are right in front serenading you, head-crushing bass that
makes you drop a couple of drops of urine (hehehe), and the great soundstage/instrument separation, etc.!!
 
Can the HD700 at $1000 provide this?!
Can the LCD2 at less than $1000 provide this?
Can the HE500 at less than $700 provide this?
Can the HD800 at 1300+ provide this?
 
Can any headphone provide this?!?!
 
This is why (I think it's one of the reasons) I haven't spent more than $400-and-change for my cans!
 
Maybe I expect too much, but darn it, it's a lot of money and I wouldn't want a "gradual" step up from the cans
I already have that cost less than half of what those $1000 headphones go for!!
 
 
 
Thanks.
 
 

 

[arek]

these look amazing and most likely sound the same if not better than the hd800s.
 
a $700 price tag would be very suitable.

 

[David1961]

Quote:

Both HD700 and HD800 don't look ugly at all.  There is a video of HD700 on youtube.  With the current economic situation, giving discount is a necessity.  

Different people have different views on looks, I think Raquel Welch was and still is for her age one of the most beautiful women I've ever seen [ and also my exgirlfriend ] but some will think otherwise
 
 

 

[derbigpr]

As i predicted, the price will be 700 euros in europe....a bit too expensive if you ask me, but then again, it might be much better than hd650 and closer to hd800, in which case, it might be worth it.  Anyway, time to sell my almost a month old hd650's....

 

[MuppetFace]

Quote:

Originally Posted by gelocks /img/forum/go_quote.gif
 
because it excels AT EVERYTHING!!! With this I mean, it contains beautiful highs to provide
a lot of clarity, awesome mids that make you feel that singers are right in front serenading you, head-crushing bass that
makes you drop a couple of drops of urine (hehehe), and the great soundstage/instrument separation, etc.!!
 
Can the HD700 at $1000 provide this?!
Can the LCD2 at less than $1000 provide this?
Can the HE500 at less than $700 provide this?
Can the HD800 at 1300+ provide this?
 
Can any headphone provide this?!?!

 
No, because there's no set measure for "everything". We all hear with slight variation from one another, and we all have different preferences and ideas of what constitutes perfection. No headphone is going to be universally acknowledged as such. It comes down to which headphone satisfies the listener most with its unique set of strengths and weaknesses.

 

[MetalElvis]

Quote:

Harsher than the HD800's and possibly thinner bass? Talk about completely ignoring people's requests and creating something more polarising. The HD800 is plenty bright, perhaps just at the limit before going in to overly bright territory. What the HD700 needs to be is a smoother more laid back version of the HD800, ideally with a bit more low end, not the opposite. Thoroughly disappointed from what I've seen and read thus far, but naturally, will wait to hear more.

Exactly!
 
From the reviews I´ve seen so far the HD 700 is utterly disappointing. To me HD 800 is already in "overly bright territory" and lacks bass. Sennheiser needs to make a headphone with bass like the LCD-2 and definitely watch out for the harshness in treble.
 
I feel they should have just skipped HD 700 and focus making the HD 800 better = HD 900.

 

[Dixter]

Quote:

I think it's targeting the T1 more than the LCD2 for those that don't want to pay 800 prices.  Audeze sound is just a different direction altogether.
 

I think your right on them targeting the T1..   just a few days before Xmas B&H put the T1's on sale for ~$950.00 and sold the stock out...   might be they saw the HD700 coming.
As of yesterday they didn't have any in stock... but this morning they are back, at the higher price tag...
 
I'm hoping the HD700 is going to put price pressure on the HD800...   I wouldn't mind a pair at a slightly discounted price...

 

[impermanente]

I am wondering if it is possible that at this level of $$$ you can have something that sounds better because $200-300 of difference. For me it is just marketing, I do believe there was a technological gap filled by sennheiser from the HD650 to HD800, but the differences between HD800 and HD700 in my opinion is pure marketing. Like for the Amperors  hahha what a silly name...pure marketing reasons.

 

[sgrossklass]

 
Quote:

Intersting and quite innovative design if so (any relation to v-moda's "double diaphgram"?). But why only 40mm drivers? seriosly, all the good stuff is equipped with >50mm (Ultrasone not included).

They "got by" perfectly fine with 40 mm drivers up to the HD650, and you can hardly say those or HD600s weren't good. While bigger drivers do tend to have advantages when it comes to bass reproduction, the highs become more problematic in return. Inexpensive 50mm OEM units usually drop off rapidly past the 10 kHz mark. Getting a 40 mm driver to perform about as well as a 50 mm unit in the bass department and in sensitivity (Senns seem to hit their 97 dB / mW mark quite reliably) is what I consider quite a feat of engineering.
 
Has anything been mentioned about where HD700s are being manufactured yet? Germany or China, that's the question...

 

[Antony6555]

I buy headphones for two reasons: price and portability (the second thing refers only to iems).
 
I could never justify $1000 on headphones for one reason: imaging. I really hope the Smyth system becomes more cheaper and more widely available, ideally in a portable format (or, more likely, something similar to the Smyth system).

 

[IPodPJ]

 
Quote:

 
They "got by" perfectly fine with 40 mm drivers up to the HD650, and you can hardly say those or HD600s weren't good. While bigger drivers do tend to have advantages when it comes to bass reproduction, the highs become more problematic in return. Inexpensive 50mm OEM units usually drop off rapidly past the 10 kHz mark. Getting a 40 mm driver to perform about as well as a 50 mm unit in the bass department and in sensitivity (Senns seem to hit their 97 dB / mW mark quite reliably) is what I consider quite a feat of engineering.
 
Has anything been mentioned about where HD700s are being manufactured yet? Germany or China, that's the question...

They are made in Ireland.  The HD800 are made in Germany.