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Okay, here's the skinny from my perspective. There's nothing HD650 about these cans. They're more like brighter HD600s with a little more resolution and a larger soundstage. They have the same annoying bite at 6kHz as the HD800s, but you don't get the benefit of the HD800s superior sub-bass. Think HD800 voicing but with much lower resolution and a steep bass roll off at 30Hz. They are comfy, however, and they're super light. So I guess they do have that going for them.
They aren't garbage, they sound decent for $600-700 `phones. For $1000? No way. There are much, much better alternatives to be had; HE-500s, LCD-2s, ESP-950s, SRH1840s... actually, I can also think of several under $500 I'd take over these.
Just save your nickels and get some HD800s, or take a step back and get HD600s and HE-500s for the same price. That would be a great listening combo.
I really wanted to hear good things about the HD700.
I have the Grado sr325is (my favourites, they rock), K701 (dry and bright), and D2000 (flabby and dull) and want to upgrade with a full sized open headphone. A neutral one but not excesive neutral, with a bit of fun.
I had bought the LCD-2 but I found them too dark, flat line neutral to 1KHz and above that without mid-highs nor highs, and with congested soundstage. I sold them. Technically better, very natural timbre and without listening fatigue, but I was enjoying more the 325 with the most of my music. Moreover, they were heavy and unconfortable.
I had discarded the ortos (they all similar to LCD-2). I had discarded too the HD800 and T1 (too analitical and neutral). I had narrowed my options to Grado PS500 and HD700, thinking that the last one would be between the overly analitical and neutral HD800 (or T1) and the overly dark HD650 or LCD-2.
The good thing is that here in Europe we can find the HD800 for 700€ (875$) so I think that the HD700 will cost about 600€ (750$). The problem is that the Grados are expensive. The PS500 price is 600$ in USA and 600€ in Europe.
So, in USA there is a difference of 400$ between them but in Europe they cost the same!!! 600€ (750$).
Because that, I really wanted to hear good news about the "cheap" HD700. But now I'm leaning towards the, in comparision, "overly priced" PS500.