[MacedonianHero]

Yep, bass sounded thick and overly present compared to the recessed vocals. And certainly, yes, the HD25s are not that the best that money can buy... but they are still better than the NC700 in terms of tonal balance.

The NC700 sounded so messed up that I spent a while trying to figure out if pressing buttons would somehow scroll through a range of EQ presets before concluding that's the way the headphones were supposed to sound. Then I walked out of the showroom wondering what Sony was trying to achieve with this product.

If you like the NC700, then more power to you I guess.

Again, myself and most who have heard them (even YouTube) certainly don't describe them that way with regards to the bass. The HD25s are bass-lite with regards to deep bass and then have a massive mid-bass hump, so I'm not surprised you might think that. Then there is the painful treble that really fatigues quickly and let's not forget the horrible on-ear comfort (or lack thereof). Oh and Sony doesn't make the NC700s, so I'm not quite sure what the heck you were listening to? Lol

 

[ZenErik]

Well the Sony WH1000XM3 definitely has that extra thick bloated bass so maybe that? I would agree though that while I like the 700 it is a little a little off. There is that notable dip in the 5-6k area. The bass however is not that that thick. Definitely has a little mid bass bump, but it's rather modest. The QC35ii does sound a little more natural to me.

 

[MacedonianHero]

Well the Sony WH1000XM3 definitely has that extra thick bloated bass so maybe that? I would agree though that while I like the 700 it is a little a little off. There is that notable dip in the 5-6k area. The bass however is not that that thick. Definitely has a little mid bass bump, but it's rather modest. The QC35ii does sound a little more natural to me.

Completely different headphones from different manufacturers...makes me wonder what he was listening to? The WH1000XM3 when EQ'd are quite a bit better though.

 

[Randonneur]

Again, myself and most who have heard them (even YouTube) certainly don't describe them that way with regards to the bass. The HD25s are bass-lite with regards to deep bass and then have a massive mid-bass hump, so I'm not surprised you might think that. Then there is the painful treble that really fatigues quickly and let's not forget the horrible on-ear comfort (or lack thereof). Oh and Sony doesn't make the NC700s, so I'm not quite sure what the heck you were listening to? Lol

Do you usually strive to be this... snidely defensive of whatever gear you happen to have an emotional investment in? Or do you have some issue with newbies giving listening impressions?

My usual heaphones are the 6XX/800S driven out of an EC amp. Naturally I wasn't going to use these as a direct comparison.

The HD25 are my beater travel / gym headphones. None of them had the obvious tonality problems of the Bose NC700 (which was also next to the Sony showroom in the department store, so sue me.)

 

[MacedonianHero]

Do you usually strive to be this... snidely defensive of whatever gear you happen to have an emotional investment in? Or do you have some issue with newbies giving listening impressions?

My usual heaphones are the 6XX/800S driven out of an EC amp. Naturally I wasn't going to use these as a direct comparison.

The HD25 are my beater travel / gym headphones. None of them had the obvious tonality problems of the Bose NC700 (which was also next to the Sony showroom in the department store, so sue me.)

You are the one who referred to the Sony NC700s might I remind you. And if you are comparing a pair of travel NC headphones to the HD800S (which are pretty bad for flying BTW), then you WILL be disappointed....just like I was disappointed with the strident and VERY uncomfortable HD25s that barely isolate any outside noise.

 

[AlwaysForward]

Do you usually strive to be this... snidely defensive of whatever gear you happen to have an emotional investment in? Or do you have some issue with newbies giving listening impressions?

My usual heaphones are the 6XX/800S driven out of an EC amp. Naturally I wasn't going to use these as a direct comparison.

The HD25 are my beater travel / gym headphones. None of them had the obvious tonality problems of the Bose NC700 (which was also next to the Sony showroom in the department store, so sue me.)

actually you’re the one who’s getting personal and emotional here. Your posts read like an untrained listener who lacks real experience and calibration. And lastly, as noted, you lost credibility by not being able to keep your products straight when referring to your experiences.

regardless of your post count

 

[xenoVa]

NC700 sounds horrible. It costs $400 but sounds worse than $350 XM3 and QC35 and even many ~$100 headphones.

I couldn't find the exact problem of the frequency response but the thing just sounds bad. NC700 is one of the worst sounding headphones ever at any price range.

I went to an Apple store and demoed Beats Studio 3 and it actually sounds better than NC700 although both sounding horrible

 

[episiarch]

NC700 sounds horrible. It costs $400 but sounds worse than $350 XM3 and QC35 and even many ~$100 headphones.

I couldn't find the exact problem of the frequency response but the thing just sounds bad. NC700 is one of the worst sounding headphones ever at any price range.

I went to an Apple store and demoed Beats Studio 3 and it actually sounds better than NC700 although both sounding horrible

I'd say this is a matter of taste. For my tastes, N700NC is much better than any of those. Sony's noise cancellation is superior, but to me its sound is boomy, muddy, and muffled. (When I tapped Forget this device on my phone, I thought, "yes, my sentiments exactly.") I'm not as critical of the QC35, but I'm not fond of it either.

But I'm an AKG listener. I'm fond of the K702, the K550 family, and the N60NC. They have a strong family resemblance, and the N700NC's sound is very much of that family. It has the clarity I look for and don't find in the other premium over-ear ANCs.

But that's not everybody's favorite tuning. The heavier sound of Sony, Bose and the older Beats is popular and clearly has sold well. Still, I'm glad there are alternatives for those of us who don't prefer that sort of thing. N700NC is a good one.

 

[freeeekyyy]

Just got a pair of these. Overall they sound better than the Sonys, imo. Bass isn't as punchy, but it's a bit more balanced, so there's a tradeoff. And they're extremely comfortable, and physically the most solid headphones I've ever held. Noise cancelling and call quality are also very good. I use them primarily at work, as a tech support rep. For this purpose they are ideal. Also, compared to other Bose products I've heard, they seem significantly better balanced. Not sure if they're worth $400, but really, not a lot to complain about. If and when they release the updated app with eq, I'll have very little to complain about.

 

[headitaly]

Well, my new Bose NC 700's just arrived and so far I am fairly impressed with their build quality, comfort, improved SQ and the NC is off the charts!

I thought the QC35II and WH-1000MK3 where off the charts good with regards to noise cancellation, but with 4 mics in each ear-cup, the engineers at Bose have really kicked things up a notch!

I really like the minimalist design. While they no longer fold up like the QC35II, the corresponding case is actually thinner than either the QC35II or WH-1000MK3 ones.

Anyone else pick these up?

My Mobius broke and Amazon kindly refunded the cost, instinctively I aimed at the Bose nc700, paying 350 euros, but I see that even today the Sony 1000mx3 are still the best. Can I make the return, advise me to keep the boses (I like their shape) or try the multidecorate Sony even cheaper? Mobius are too fragile and heavy


How are you finding yourself with the boses?

 

[AlwaysForward]

My Mobius broke and Amazon kindly refunded the cost, instinctively I aimed at the Bose nc700, paying 350 euros, but I see that even today the Sony 1000mx3 are still the best. Can I make the return, advise me to keep the boses (I like their shape) or try the multidecorate Sony even cheaper? Mobius are too fragile and heavy


How are you finding yourself with the boses?

I have the Mobius, X3 & 700 - I’ll only be keeping the 700

 

[mediumraresteak]

I think these sound great for ANC headphones. Just used them in NYC while commuting between midtown and Chelsea. At full ANC setting, I couldn't hear the subway with media on at 60% and definitely need to lower ANC if you need to hear announcements. I felt like I was walking alone in spite of all the people around me.

 

[headitaly]

I have the Mobius, X3 & 700 - I’ll only be keeping the 700

Mobius was love at first sight, especially for watching movies, a movie theater, when you inadvertently moved and felt the sound varying around it looked really cool. But ..... it had big, big contraindications:
1) it was heavy, it made the ears sweat
2) the sound was a bit tiring after a while, too hard and angular - maybe because gaming headphones -
3) fragile, they were fragile, I owned so many headphones, never broke one.
Mobius the first and I think it is due to the weight of the pavilions and to the hard plastic coated with thin rubber that does not cushion strokes ....
I went straight to the top of the range bose due to the fact that this time I was tired of buying and giving back to Amazon like a hysterical, and bose has a tone of his own, he manages to be crystal clear but not hard in presenting the scene and details, soft and relaxing but not muffled. It offers emphasis without sounding too artificial, and I also have the soundbar bose 700 at home;
however, however .... ALL believe that Sony is the best, at the moment costing 100 euros less, many say it offers a superior sound to the Bose. what should I do ??????????

.... last observation: use NC not to isolate me from the external noise (I am often in the office with few silent colleagues), but to let the music and the movies play in silence more total.

nb I have owned:
momentum 2.0 or wired, qc 35- qc35 ii - b & w p7 wired and also wireless, dt770 pro- M50x - b & o h6 mk2 - bose on ear - Oppo PM-3 - audeze mobius - and now bose nc 700: )

 

[Soundizer]

I have owned Sony WH1000XM3, New Senn Momentum 3.0 and Bose 700.

After much consideration and despite the erections had by reviewers, I became honest with myself and realised they all suck in terms of sound quality.

i don’t know why, but they are hugely compromised.

so if they were not Bluetooth they would get terrible reviews for sound quality compared to other £300 to £400 headphones.

given up on Bluetooth. Sticking with proper headphones and dacs, despite inconvenience. Much happier.

but i do have the new AirPod Pro - for phone calls and listening to podcasts [not music].

 

[headitaly]

I have owned Sony WH1000XM3, New Senn Momentum 3.0 and Bose 700.

After much consideration and despite the erections had by reviewers, I became honest with myself and realised they all suck in terms of sound quality.

i don’t know why, but they are hugely compromised.

so if they were not Bluetooth they would get terrible reviews for sound quality compared to other £300 to £400 headphones.

given up on Bluetooth. Sticking with proper headphones and dacs, despite inconvenience. Much happier.

but i do have the new AirPod Pro - for phone calls and listening to podcasts [not music].

I too am in the same situation as you, and at the moment I have the Bose nc700, for me it is not important nc or wireless, but the comfort, portability and robustness, and above all the sound quality, and in all honesty I'm considering wired headphones like me and Classic 99, denon mm400, master & Dynamic mh40 and audio technica m50x. however, to date around on the internet many reviewers claim that: the new premium wireless have nothing to envy of wired amp-free headphones that listen to mp3s, which I do .... and so the following reasoning: which "plus" is exploited more today, sound quality with mp3 and iPhone, or less sound quality but noise cancellation and wireless convenience for listening to compressed music without amp? what do you think about it?