So, the fun continues… HD700's

[migasson]

So.

 

I couldn't resist the uber cheap price of the HD700's.

 

I auditioned them out of a Burson Conductor SL, and briefly, a Woo WA6.

 

Yeah, a GREAT headphone!!! It's the mids with rock/metal that got me amongst other things.. it had a lot of grunt in that area that got my toes tapping, along with female vocals. (I'm a bit of a fan of Bjork/Portishead etc. 

 

More impressions to follow when my JDS Labs C5D arrives, so I can drive them better then my iPod Classic.

 

 

[Equaliser]

I hated them regardless of amplification. It goes to say everybody's experiences varies whats rubbish to one person is treasure to another.

[Saxon Hall]

I hated them regardless of amplification. It goes to say everybody's experiences varies whats rubbish to one person is treasure to another.

I have read many of your posts with interest. You have obviously tried many more High End cans than I have so I would be curious to know what areas of the HD700 left you under-whelmed. I did a Side by Side with the HD800 hooked up to the top Senn Head amp and I actually liked the 700 more.

Just curious, that is all.

[Addicted to music]

I have read many of your posts with interest. You have obviously tried many more High End cans than I have so I would be curious to know what areas of the HD700 left you under-whelmed. I did a Side by Side with the HD800 hooked up to the top Senn Head amp and I actually liked the 700 more.

Just curious, that is all.

 

I have to agree with @,  I have only heard the HD 700 at the HiFi show in melb 2013, the dedicated released Sennheiser Amp brings out the best I have heard out of any Sennheiser can including the HD800 but any Sennheiser can has never agreed with me.  However I have to say the HD800 with the SPL Phonitor was one of the best combos I have ever heard appart from Stax.

@@migasson is going through a phase,   he can do all the review on diffferent cans at the  different price bracket and post his impression, however I dont have the funds to do so! 

[migasson]

I have to agree with @,  I have only heard the HD 700 at the HiFi show in melb 2013, the dedicated released Sennheiser Amp brings out the best I have heard out of any Sennheiser can including the HD800 but any Sennheiser can has never agreed with me.  However I have to say the HD800 with the SPL Phonitor was one of the best combos I have ever heard appart from Stax.

@@migasson is going through a phase,   he can do all the review on diffferent cans at the  different price bracket and post his impression, however I dont have the funds to do so! 

Haha! Probably.

[betty boop]

So.

 

I couldn't resist the uber cheap price of the HD700's.

 

I auditioned them out of a Burson Conductor SL, and briefly, a Woo WA6.

 

Yeah, a GREAT headphone!!! It's the mids with rock/metal that got me amongst other things.. it had a lot of grunt in that area that got my toes tapping, along with female vocals. (I'm a bit of a fan of Bjork/Portishead etc. 

 

More impressions to follow when my JDS Labs C5D arrives, so I can drive them better then my iPod Classic.

 

glad your enjoying  ! 

 

great headphones indeed and very happy sennheisser have them.

 

as with anything hifi, matter of finding something that hits the spot and sounds like has done for you. congrats

[migasson]

Cheers :)al .. I think this post proves they're polarising phones.. JDS due for delivery today:)

[Luc]

Is there much leakage from them? I don't remember if thy leaked the one time I was lucky enough to listen to them with al.

[migasson]

If your referring to outgoing sound, ie. Poor sealing resulting in lost bass, then no. Having said that, they don't have Audeze LCD-2 bass.. If you're reffering to incoming background noise, then they're no better or worse then any other open headphone;)

[migasson]

JDS has arrived:)

[Luc]

If your referring to outgoing sound, ie. Poor sealing resulting in lost bass, then no. Having said that, they don't have Audeze LCD-2 bass.. If you're reffering to incoming background noise, then they're no better or worse then any other open headphone;)

I don't think your  on the same wavelength as me.

 

Try this:  Play your current fav music file or the format your using like vinyl/digital etc and get the volume up to your preferred listening level(no matter what the volume) and then take them off and leave them on your desk/chair/couch/floor/hatstand...whatever.

 

Can you hear them when you stand up and walk away from them? Is there a tinny sound emanating from the headless cans? If you ask your partner or if you don't have one of those then if you ask a friend who is present at the time; Can you hear the music when I'm wearing these? Does it sound like I'm playing this loud, is it an annoyance to you(do you think).

 

That is what I'm asking you and that is what I mean. Leakage of sound from open cans, it's a well known phenomena and my present cans do it it in spades and i was wondering if the 700's do it too.

[Equaliser]

The HD700's is the same as its older 800 brother, open back and does not isolate. Although not as bad as the 800's you can hear the music fairly clear if you play em at around 70db take it off your head and you can use them as speakers.

[migasson]

I don't think your  on the same wavelength as me.

 

Try this:  Play your current fav music file or the format your using like vinyl/digital etc and get the volume up to your preferred listening level(no matter what the volume) and then take them off and leave them on your desk/chair/couch/floor/hatstand...whatever.

 

Can you hear them when you stand up and walk away from them? Is there a tinny sound emanating from the headless cans? If you ask your partner or if you don't have one of those then if you ask a friend who is present at the time; Can you hear the music when I'm wearing these? Does it sound like I'm playing this loud, is it an annoyance to you(do you think).

 

That is what I'm asking you and that is what I mean. Leakage of sound from open cans, it's a well known phenomena and my present cans do it it in spades and i was wondering if the 700's do it too.

Yes. There is leakage in that case.

[Show]

The HD700 is the first high-end headphone that is a miss for me. The mids were okay, does not stray too far from the rest of the HD6++ but I've found the highs to sound better from my HD600, 650, and 800. The bass is a tad more refined than the 650, however the 650 does sound more rich and organic.

 

All in all, the HD700 does everything okayish, but didn't excel anywhere. I'm just hoping the successor to the HD800 (I hope it is not the rumoured estat.... that should be a seperate range) would preserve the HD800 sound sans the overly bright highs and slightly recessed mids + more speed. Make a T1 HD800 combo (with HD800 comfort) and they've got a winner.

[migasson]

The HD700 is the first high-end headphone that is a miss for me. The mids were okay, does not stray too far from the rest of the HD6++ but I've found the highs to sound better from my HD600, 650, and 800. The bass is a tad more refined than the 650, however the 650 does sound more rich and organic.

 

All in all, the HD700 does everything okayish, but didn't excel anywhere. I'm just hoping the successor to the HD800 (I hope it is not the rumoured estat.... that should be a seperate range) would preserve the HD800 sound sans the overly bright highs and slightly recessed mids + more speed. Make a T1 HD800 combo (with HD800 comfort) and they've got a winner.

See. Polarising!!!

 

Opinions coming soon for JDS Labs C5D/HD700….

[Beyer guy]

I think certainly the HD800 will always be polarising (and probably the HD650 for that matter) - the HD800 just sounds so damn different according to the amplification used, also it's one of those phones that suit certain genres better than others big time - I tried the HD700 at the same time as the HD800 and was underwhelmed.

 

At the moment I run all three variants (HD600, HD650 and HD800) and between them they have pretty much all bases covered - I also run them with 2 amps (WA6SE and Metrum Aurix) - both of which minimise any trace of the HD800 being 'overly bright' or the HD650 being particularly veiled - I have heard the Sennheiser Amp is good but I would recommend anyone looking at the HD800 especially look at either the Metrum Aurix or the WA6SE (but not with the stock tubes it's nothing like it's true potential). I am extremely sensitive to treble and don't have a problem with the HD800 at all (but I do use a NOS Metrum Octave dac which certainly helps)

 

 I still believe that the HD600 is the most balanced/non fatiguing/best value headphone of the three and the best all rounder - also the cheapest :-) - shame about the paint job though.....

[Equaliser]

The paint job is something Sennheiser needs to improve with the HD800's. Unless you listen to them and then store it away in its box its hard not to end up with a chip in the silver paint. All 3 HD800's I've owned suffered a chip. I was going to go with the colorware option but they took the respray option off just around the time I was on my 3rd pair. To date the Manley Neo 300 classic is the best amp I've heard to date powering the 800's followed by the Stratus with the right tubes and right dac or cable. I've had brief moments with the Super 7 and liked what I heard as well a very chameleon sounding amp based on the tube and dac you have at 1.3k used its a bargain beyond its price class. Never liked the 800's off any ss amp except one of the older Meier amps, modded MStage and a balanced Dynahi.

I almost lost my hearing when I bought Garys old passive channel b22 as I was still undergoing my personal build and wanted to hear what the b22 + HD800 fuss was all about on hype fi.

Edited December 13, 2014 by DefQon

[Beyer guy]

I think the paint job on the HD800 is about the worst I have ever come across. I found out after 4 weeks on my new pair - they got scratched being laid on a wooden varnished table. I think 'lotto scratch card' silver is an apt description. It's annoying because when you come to sell them people think they haven't been looked after - basically if you do anything other than take them from the stand/box to your head they get scratched!!

 

That's the reason why there are very few Metrum Octave's second hand - they are really that good :-) - if anything I'm after another one (one for the speaker set up and one for the headphone set up :-)

[Equaliser]

Yeah as a whole I think all the audiophile category Sennheiser headphones (i.e HD580, 600, 650, 700 and 800) all have shoddy paint finishes. They should use something like Shellac for wood (Acrylic) for a polyutherane alike finish to protect the base coat.

[migasson]

Ok thread hijackers! (Just kidding, I actually don't give a s***)

 

Bite size phrases for me at the is stage. A work in progress...(iPod, lossless files, with Fiio LOD to JDS Labs C5D (Low gain, bass boost off))

 

-Soundstage isn't huge, but big enough. 

 

-Some treble peaks, but not on all material, which suggests to me that it's more file dependent.

 

-Darkish tone, so not bright. I'm really sensitive to harsh/brightness. Puts me off. 

 

-Very addictive. 

 

-I won't comment on accuracy, as a) I'm not a musician, nor a sound engineer

 

-Very good timing, with really goos portrayal of dynamics. I get excited whenever I put on something like Sonic Youth/Veruca Salt/Fear Factory, and it's great with Jazz too. Was completely immersed in John Coltrane, without fatigue

 

I'll be listening to some amps tomorrow. On the s***list is Valhalla 2, Lyr 2, Soloist SL, WA6, and HDVA600. There goes half my day off:)

[Equaliser]

The Lyr 2, WA6 and HDVA600 should sound nice with the HD700 when you try it, still not to my tasting but I can tolerate it.

[migasson]

Hey folks..

 

And the winner was… the Senn HDVA-600! (cue fanfare and all that nonsense:))

 

Ok, in order, first to last which I thought had the best synergy.

 

1) Senn HDVA-600

2) Matrix M-Stage

3) Woo WA6

4) Burson Soloist

5) Schitt Valhalla 2

6) Schiit Lyr

 

So, I popped into A2A, and fired up the Valhalla 2. To be transparent, I used their AK120 playing HiRes tracks, and my lowly iPod filled with ALAC's, just so I got the gist of how my fav tunes fitted into the mix. This was all via a line out from the AK, and the mini-jack on my iPod to RCA's on the back of the amps.

 

I heard a lot about this combo on HeadFi, and to be honest, it was quite spacious sounding. the highs were pretty good. Just some tracks were borderline harsh, the stereo imaging was great from left to right, and ok depth wise. Occasionally I heard new details. Just a glassy tone that pissed me off:(

 

Next up was the Lyr. Urgh. TOTALLY overrated combo. Theres a lot of positive comments about it around the forums, but to me it was grainy, and brittle around the edges. It did have more propulsive drive though. Was getting fatigue FAST. (Lyr 2 not on demo. They had boxed stock, but none out on the floor)

 

Then onto the WA6. Now I've got a massive soft spot for Woo. Still one of the best sounds I've heard was the WA22/LCD/T90. Now to be transparent, it did have the stock rectifier, the bloody awful Shuguang 274B, but good drivers in some Westinghouse branded 6SN7's. Typical SET here:) lovely milky highs, and a ever-so-dark tone, which I'm a big fan of. However, a bit wooly in the bass:(

 

Just before I left, I popped in the Soloist SL. Not bad at all. Kinda a blend of all the best of above, had good rhythmic drive, smooth top end, though not quite as good as the WA6, Just a little too glassy for me, though not as irritating as the Valhalla 2.

 

So. I needed a break.

 

I decided to visit Billy at Noisy Motel, and check out the Matrix M-Stage.

 

As he greeted me, with his usual enthusiasm, we caught up, and as I glanced over, I noticed the Senn. "Oh ****, I'm gonna have to try that!!!" So, he asked me how I was going to play my music, and I suggested that to use the Fostex HP-P1, to use the line-out, to basically use the iPod as a media storage. He goes out the back, rips out a Matrix and a Fostex for me to try, as he didn't have one on demo.

 

Thanks Billy:) Anyhow. I sit down. (And I have a feeling how this one is going to go:))

 

There must be a certain synergy with the HDVA and their phones.. they probably was thinking of an apple-esque ecosystem!!

 

Yeah. WOW!! All of sudden, no harshness. Rhythmic drive. Depth. Width. Soul. And what I didn't expect, a certain fullness to the tone. I was hearing all kinds of details I hadn't noticed, but it wasn't so starkly emphasised. It was there. From time to time, it would be a "what-the-f**k-was that?" moment. This was clearly the leader, by a mile. And fully UN-balanced to boot. This thing was going half kilter and making me feeling VERY satisfied. It was just awesome to listen to. For the record, I hate tininess, hate harshness, hate listening to equipment that says "Oh look how clever I am at extracting the last detail .. etc.." I listen to music, not the equipment. Not since my regretful departure of my WA22/LCD combo have I been so musically satisfied. I just want to keep going. These are keepers:)

 

Ok, a quick note on the Matrix, my number 2. The cheapest here! What stopped me, if I wasn't being a tight arse, was it tended to harden up the top volumes comparatively to the HDVA. Tonally it was a HDVA light. It did everything the Burson did, but cheaper! that right there is THE bargain in headphones. Skip the Fiio's/Schiits/etc, and grab this! It's rollable as well.

 

Kudos to Billy Mav @ Noisy Motel. Great service:)

 

I used to loathe Sennheiser. (Due to the overrated HD650) Now I'm a fully paid up fan. Now to get that DAC or new phono setup:)

 

 

 

[betty boop]

congrats ! look a gorgeous pair !  great to hear have found a good pairing in the two as well

[migasson]

congrats ! look a gorgeous pair ! great to hear have found a good pairing in the two as well

Thanks :)al!! If it wasn't for the combination of good pricing and your opinion on the HD700, I wouldn't have gone down this very successful route:) cheers:)👌

[bebop]

Those Sennheiser amps are great looking and sounding. Very nice setup.