Sennheiser HD700 a Re-evaluation

Glad to have found this thread. I just got a pair recently and I really wonder if some of the bad feeling plaguing this headphone were a combination of a sub-par early version and the fact that they MSRP'd at $999 originally.

I actually had a pair sent from Prime Now to my house for $430, meaning I had them the morning after I ordered. Paired with a Little Dot MK2 I don't find them sharp or fatiguing at all, and I'm someone who loved the Audioquest Nighthawks.

"He said Sennheiser believes there's too much to change that it wouldn't be worth it for them to try and fix everything wrong with the HD700."

Baloney. There is no way in hell Sennheiser would tell anyone that one of their products is so "wrong" that it's not worth fixing... and continue to manufacture and sell it. If they actually thought it was that bad a product they'd just phase it out, not keep it on the line for years.

There are tons of headphones I literally do not understand the appeal of (anything Grado, a handful of Beyers, any of Shure's full-size) but this idea that a manufacturer would consciously put a product on the assembly line every day and ship boxes of them out rather than just kill the model and push the "good ones" is crazy to me.

 

That's so awesome @MrMixelpix ! I want to buy a pair so badly, especially from amazon at the $430 price point for a brand new pair unfortunately I don't have the funds to purchase a pair right now and they are selling out very quickly. I was so sad when I had to return the loaner unit back to Sennheiser, I just absolutely loved the HD700 - probably my favorite full-sized headphone that I have personally heard next to the HD800.

 

Well, sometimes a good used one goes for as low as 200-something dollars.

 

I was definitely surprised by them. I'd heard all these horror stories, that they were a combination of the worst elements of the HD800 (the sharp treble) and the HD650 (woolly and flabby bass). I've also often liked polarizing headphones, like the Audioquest Nighthawk and DT990 (both ends of the spectrum), but all the same I was prepped for something that was an incoherent mess.

What I got was one of the most oddly alluring headphones I've experienced. They don't have the meaty impact of, say, the Kennerton Vali or the pure liquidity of the Nighthawks or pre-fazor LCD-2's, but what you get instead is this really dynamic and insanely clean sound with enough low end that I can still enjoy rap tracks with emphasized treble that comes out in places to make it "splashy" (as I've read elsewhere) but not shrill or sharp.

I do have two caveats: one is that I am again using an MK2 tube amp so that might be sanding off the sharp edges, but I'm also a lifelong metalhead who's been to concerts without hearing protection. Every test I've taken I've passed just fine, but it's possible that my sensitivity to treble is lower than some.

 

yeah. The one thing I am concerned about with a used pair is, I received a used pair of HD800 and the headband was really stretched out, and they are extremely loose on my head no matter how I try to adjust the headband. As long as the headband has a good fit, then I wouldn't mind a used pair. I did contact Sennheiser's replacement parts department and it's like $135 for a replacement headband for the HD800

I think a lot of the HD700 has to do with the type of gear used with the HD700 and of course, personal tastes in sound signature. My entire setup used with the HD700 are all Schiit gear (Wyrd, Bifrost MB, Valhalla 2, with my source being JRiver MC 22). Maybe higher-end or lower-end gear can make the HD700 sound bad, but I cannot say for sure, I just know with my setup, they are completely enjoyable and I love them.

 

Quick Q: what's a good sub-200 IEM that would be a decent "portable HD700"? Not looking to go for anything insane, just something for at work with as close a sound sig as I can get.

 

I got to try these some years ago when the original loaner program was run. I ran them with a warm sounding vintage amplifier; I did try some lower power headphone jacks and they needed the extra power of a standalone or good combo amp.

My two overwhelming impressions were that my music/amplifier were a poor match & that the pads were very uncomfortable(if you have an innate dislike for all velour these are the worst. The material was my only comfort concern.) Beyond the pads the comfort was probably the best I've tried combining low weight with a complete lack of pressure points.

On the sound it was warm & dynamic; the housing vibrated along with the music, the gunmetal colored sections. I would not be surprised if this was the key to the presence the headphones produced(not to my liking) and the somewhat diffuse soundstaging. The mix of forward present sounds & diffuseness was jarring, if incoherent.


Comparing them to the Beyer T90(On Graham Slee Solo.. vintage unusable due to high-sensitivity)... I didn't like either. The T90 was overly bassy and staged far larger than life & had a plastic timbre the HD700 avoided. Pads didn't bother me as much but the comfort is no comparison, Senn wins. Either way both headphones are now(how convenient) both sitting at the $430 price point where my comparison was bordering on the absurd at the time in which I did it. These headphones play on the same level but I think the pricing is too high still, if presentation/comfort are out of the running. The Beyer T70 has sunk down to $250(I wouldn't pay over $200) and I'd peg these two for $300 max. The T70 I actually like even if it shares the comfort flaws of the T90 and goes a tad too far in the opposite direction(lacking bass, small images, still plastic sounding.) I give the open phones some more leeway for avoiding a closed in picture; even though the HD700/T90 were both overwhelming in their own ways(too dynamic/imposing imaging)

 

I'm another one of the crazies that really like the HD700. I have over 40 headphones and the HD700 is by far the most comfortable. They are my favorite for TV. My TV pair is getting a lot of use and the pads are going to give out someday, so I bought another pair (love the Amazon price) for the office.

 

With some EQ you can make them sound very good.

 

I only like these modded. Stock, I thought my 15$ Koss KSC-75 has noticeably cleaner treble decay and better mids. At 200-400 USD though, with a little work, they sound quite good, although, I would still take the 600 over a modded 700.

 

Had these on my head about an hour ago, but wasn't able to listen to them (only my phone at hand at the local store). They were comfy at least. Would've been interesting to hear them.

By the way, when hearing a pair of headphones need some very specific kind gear to sound right, I get awfully skeptical. They should be in the ballpark of listenable with just about anything. More often than not it seems, that it's a problem with the hp in question. Think of HD800's highs, AKG K701's lack of bass, Grado's brightness etc. There's always a cure of sorts, especially on HF. Very often it hits your wallet hard too.

 

If you compare them to the rest of the Sennheiser line, the HD700's are about tied with the 800S for bass though. They also seem to respond to EQ very well in the bass region.

The measurements charts are actually... Really really similar between those two for below the 1000hz range. That's kinda neat.

Anyways, here are my current EQ settings that I use for my HD700s that get 2-6 hours of daily usage, depending on how much time I get to sit in my room on any given day.
http://puu.sh/rYAPS/e14cf34864.png

 

They just recently added a HD700 calibration to the Sonarworks software for those who use Sonarworks. Makes the HD700's sound even better.

 

Damn these are cheap these days... What other headphone has went from 1000 to ~400 while officially remaining the #2 (ok, #3 if you count the HD 800 S) model in the lineup? Quite a unique phenomenon actually. But yes, the HD 700 are obviously an acquired taste and the price drop reflects that. I used to have a pair back when these were launched, but like many others I eventually sold them as I couldn´t get along with the treble. There was one thing I always found them to excel at though: gaming. Almost as good as the HD 800, but when you count in the superior comfort/lighter weight they take the throne for best gaming headphones ever made.

You can probably at this point guess where this is going...

Yup, the HD700 are back here again. Since at least 2/3 of my headphone usage time is spent gaming, I´m pretty confident these will serve me well. Just out of curiosity I´ve decided to give these a shot as my main headphone for a while - just to see if I still agree with my initial evaluation on them when it comes to listening to music.

First impressions: still a problematic headphone, but not as bad as I remembered. It´s really hit and miss. With some albums the esoteric tuning actually works really well (to the point I would easily take the HD 700 over all other Sennheisers), but it also falls flat on its face with others. Very inconsistent, basically the opposite of the HD 600 range. It´s not all bad though: the drivers are still very clear, fast and have fantastic imaging/soundstaging compared to the HD 600 range. I have no doubt the SYS-40 drivers (+ capsule) are technically far superior to what is used in the HD 600/650, but the tuning is another discussion entirely. Hopefully we´ll see a HD 750 someday that tries to mimic (+ added performance) the classic HD 600/650 range.

For gaming? For that purpose these still rule supreme, zero regrets! Fantastic clarity, bass extension/weight and imaging. And the comfort factor is still off the charts: for me personally these are the most comfortable headphone ever made by a pretty clear margin.

Have to say I wonder how these would have been received if they had launched at the current price. They might even have a different reputation now. Anyways, at current price they are an interesting flavor to consider and like OP I feel these deserve a second look now that the dust has settled.

PS: Maybe Sennheiser has has toned down the ringing/treble a bit with some production changes? I remember these sounding harsher than this new factory run pair does... I don´t know, maybe my memory is just playing tricks on me.

EDIT: Definitely need to try Sonarworks with these!

 

Yes try out Sonarworks, they have a free trial for their software plug-in (They also do professional calibration if you send your headphones to them as well as speaker/monitor calibration). Mostly it is to calibrate headphones for mixing and mastering purposes, however the plug-in works great, at least in my opinion, on retail audio.





http://www.sonarworks.com/headphones

 

The only thing I ever found objectionable about the 700 was the timbre of the treble. I never really heard the "peaks and valleys" as being a problem, just a slightly metallic tinge. That being said, I do generally like the balance of the HD700s

 

The HD 700 actually sounds a lot like the Beyerdynamic T1 (2g), but with a wider soundstage and a faster, more exciting sound. It even has the same slightly metallic tinge you mention.

So far these seem to excel the most with music that has a lot of dynamic contrast (dynamic range is another discussion) like modern electronica. Daft Punk sounds really good.

Small update: best deadmau5 I´ve heard too!

 

I found the Beyer T-90 to have better treble timbre than the 700s, but worse in every other way.

 

Also the 700's are great as gaming headphones, even stock. One of the few situations where aggressive attention grabbing is preferable, along with the normally weird sound profile working in your favour (as it accentuates footsteps and other noises, since voices ingame are generally less important unless you're on skype or stuff). They also breathe well and don't get your ears all hot and bothered.

 

Agreed with everybody about the HD700 being a great gaming headphone. Also, with it being on the lighter side of things plus having a comfortable clamp means that you can wear it for hours without much discomfort at all.