I bought both the sennheiser HD 800s and HD 700. Loved the 800s but for the money kept the HD 700 (used for $375) and sent back the 800s (Amazon $1700). Just couldn't justify price difference. They definitely sound different from each other. Kinda like a exceptional wine vs a really good wine. Cheap Schitt stack powered both easily.
i used to own them. to summarize the sound: bass is nicely detailed, not too heavy not too light. mids are quite nice and detailed as well, a little more recessed than the 600 and 650. treble is super detailed and borderline sibilant... the soundstage is crazy wide though.
I bought the Philips fidelio X2.. Then after hearing the sennheiser HD800S I said this is my end game , I know is overkill for gaming but it's great for movies. For gaming is god like for soundwhoring. You will hear sounds you won't believe they're there.
Coming from an ath m50, I was very impressed with this detail, soundstage and the warmth of the vocals I got from this. I even got it barely used for 300 bucks. The treble spike at around 12-16khz doesn't bother me tbh
Nice review and a fair one too. I have owned these for about 3 years. Very very happy with them. I own some pricey audio equipment and the HD700s fit in nicely. Great combination of detail and some, not a huge amount, a touch of warmth. To me lifelike presence. My amp is the Schiit Lyra, a hybrid with 6w output so these phones are driven easily.
Can anyone help me, i just want to know if i should buy the hd700. I have the money but the 800 are too expensive so, are the hd 700 better than the other like 660s or so and i should just buy the hd 700?
The DT 1990 s are more clear, tight bass, more crispy high trebles, I own them both, the DT are lovely when u wanna be energised and hear every sparkly and *ting* and I love them, however- after a while with DT 1990 you get listening fatigue and you want to pull to pull them off and give your ears a break-- with these 700 s you won’t feel that and sooooo comfy! I d use the DT 1990 for critical listening and HD700 for relaxing when you wanna enjoy the music without wanting to dissect it to 1000 bits. Make any sense? They are different headphones do different things I love both I d not put one over the other - just depends on WHAT YOU want out of them and how you’d want to use them!
Thank you for your response. I already have my Beyerdynamic DT 1990 since last year but I have some issues with the headband and a little with the treble. I will order the Hifiman Sundara this week and will see/hear if those are better.
What headphones would you recommend for a $400 budget? The most important thing is comfort and I think I'm leaning towards closed back bcuz that's really the only time I use headphones is when I'm trying to tune everything out.
I'm looking at these it the 600 or 650. They would be the most expensive headphones I own. Right now the Monoprice m1060 that I gave $250 for the most expensive set I got. I'm really sold on Sennheiser after owning the hd579. I just feel like there's a headphone out there that has a flatter response to really give that lifelike details.
Two things, whining about the lack of a 3.5mm headphone jack just shows that the reviewer has no experience in high end audio. It's a 10 foot cable so it's not meant for portable use (not to mention it being a completely open headphone). Any source worth using will have a 1/4 inch jack on it. It's a detachable cable, so if you want a 1/8 in jack so if you can certainly go ahead and get a different cable.
Yes indeed, I'm no audiophile by any means and I must admit I'm not in the demographic to buy $600 headphones anyway (wife would kill me), but I would have expected such an adapter. Can't imagine they would cost much to throw in the box after all...
I'm not defending Breuer's attitude, but I understand his point. I bought a highend internal soundcard and later a external sound card (Creative X7) to go with these headphones...not the other way around. At this price point havinga 3.5 mm headphone jack would be an insult. I paid less than $600 during a massdrop, but I believe when the headphones were first released the MSRP was $999. Only the truly misinformed would try to pair this with phone. And I'm a gamer...not an audiophile. As a reviewer I would expect you to point that out. I've read to many reviews or forum post of people bashing these headphones because of bad sound and no bass after plugging it into their motherboard or a mixamp.
Portable DACs and dedicated audio players pretty much have 3.55mm outputs only. It wouldn't have killed them to throw in an adapter. I'd like to also point out that 3.55mm audio doesn't impact performance and that the hd600 has the adapter.
I am also in the same boat, @Kapt KrunKed, have you been fortunate to find an amp/dac combo or at least a good amp for these? I have just acquired these and now looking for a good amp for a decent price. @Painfully Honest Tech which amp would you recommend ?
@@ranilp7981 Hi Rani, I had to return my HD700 cause they were a used pair and not in the condition which was stated on ebay. After that I had bought HD660S, brilliant headphones, though I wish I was able to get thr HD700 brand new. Anyway, regards the Amp, I have found a descent amp dac combination and would recommend these for you as well. Have a look at S.M.S.L SU-9 MQA DAC anD S.M.S.L SH-9 Amplifier. These are great purchases and they make my headphones sound awesome.
@@Cinzzano5 HD660s is really nice headphone , I looked at your suggestion on Amazon even tho they were a bit pricey but they have a lot of good reviews on them so I’ll try to find a good deal on them , thanks a lot really appreciate it .
@@ranilp7981 I'm glad to be of help. Sure they are pricey, if this is not for your pocket, not a problem, there are other options where you get amp and dac in one, they start from around £300 (if you are in UK) and they are really good too.
Love the review, as always! Quick question though, can you utilise a 3.5mm jack and combine these with mobile phones? Will they get enough power to run the drivers well? I wish to use them at home with my audio system but on occasion casually with my mobile without an amp.
Using these headphones with any smartphone - would be akin to installing an RTX2080ti inside your 2010 AMD quad core phenom pc. No smartphone made today (2020) or in the future - is going to drive these headphones appropriately.
Amp- Oppo Ha2 Se, sennheiser hdvd800, or the topping nx4dsd. Pair quite nicely. The Sony tz headphone amp will give a warmer sound than the others I mentioned.
Hello! Really good video, but I have a question. I own a Yamaha MG10XU Mixer and am wondering if it's capable of powering the HD 700s or 660s to their full potential? Appreciate any advice, thanks
Hello! It is worth it to use Sennheiser GSX 1000 to just play videogames with the HD 700? Or I'm just saying stupid things? I dont know too much about sound in general... so I'll really aprecite your answer! (:
My experience playing cs:go with my HD 700 is that its default sound stage is wide enough to tell you, very accurately, where any sound comes from. Software-simulated 7.1 sound, like on the GSX 1000 (personally haven't used this amp) would very likely be just a gimmick, especially for open-back headphones like these, even though some reviews really praise how this amp's surround sound is better than others. There is a chance that the sound stage may become too wide like Razor Surround Sound, which makes the imaging inaccurate for gaming. The amp function itself is... functional according to all the reviews out there, though some have said that the amp is more than just average. Also, according to a headfi.org thread, the sound processing sample rate has to be reduced to enable 7.1, which is a waste of such a good pair of headphones. I suggest getting a good tube or hybrid amp for the same price, because in my experience, the additional amount of warm soothes the treble spike quite well and makes the HD 700 more chill and less "analytical" overall.
Hmm...that's weird. I heard many people say that these lack bass and are very sharp in treble. I've kinda known these as "either go with the hd 600 for affordability, or go with the 800s for premium." How would you reply to this?
that's a good strategy, nice work! ok so, I'm somebody who's partially sensitive to sharpness in treble and I prefer bass that is maxed as much as possible without affecting the other ends of the spectrum too much. would you recommend these to me, or a different pair?
Sennheiser HD 800 S com HD 650, sure SE846 SE535, SE215, this one please for the love of God no one by their shit. Not counting the pilot Bluetooth ones that are laying around, yeah, very very expensive hobby LOL, but I would like to try these ones seem is they are judging by the comments on everyone’s experience so different from the usual sennheiser sound signature
@Loppysaurus rex only if you are sensitive to tremble and if you are just use EqualizerAPO with Peace to fix it for yourself, there are many EQ filters for HD700.
They are normally at a lower price, but the quality is outstanding. Hear it to believe it! But it's best to tone down 2 high frequencies, around 5.5k and 11k.
I bought both the sennheiser HD 800s and HD 700. Loved the 800s but for the money kept the HD 700 (used for $375) and sent back the 800s (Amazon $1700). Just couldn't justify price difference. They definitely sound different from each other. Kinda like a exceptional wine vs a really good wine. Cheap Schitt stack powered both easily.
i used to own them. to summarize the sound: bass is nicely detailed, not too heavy not too light. mids are quite nice and detailed as well, a little more recessed than the 600 and 650. treble is super detailed and borderline sibilant... the soundstage is crazy wide though.
I bought the Philips fidelio X2.. Then after hearing the sennheiser HD800S I said this is my end game , I know is overkill for gaming but it's great for movies. For gaming is god like for soundwhoring. You will hear sounds you won't believe they're there.
Coming from an ath m50, I was very impressed with this detail, soundstage and the warmth of the vocals I got from this. I even got it barely used for 300 bucks. The treble spike at around 12-16khz doesn't bother me tbh
Nice review and a fair one too. I have owned these for about 3 years. Very very happy with them. I own some pricey audio equipment and the HD700s fit in nicely. Great combination of detail and some, not a huge amount, a touch of warmth. To me lifelike presence. My amp is the Schiit Lyra, a hybrid with 6w output so these phones are driven easily.
Can anyone help me, i just want to know if i should buy the hd700. I have the money but the 800 are too expensive so, are the hd 700 better than the other like 660s or so and i should just buy the hd 700?
3:50 i know exactly what that feeling is, basically its just knowing or feeling the distance of a sound source
Does these headsets offer 7.1 surround sound and what about a mic. Sorry, the PC I am on at work I can't listen to the video.
No these don't you need an amp/dac like the Sound Blaster X G6, or just install dolby atmos on PC. and no mic, these aren't gaming headphones.
How are these compared to the Beyerdynamic DT 1990 Pro?
The DT 1990 s are more clear, tight bass, more crispy high trebles, I own them both, the DT are lovely when u wanna be energised and hear every sparkly and *ting* and I love them, however- after a while with DT 1990 you get listening fatigue and you want to pull to pull them off and give your ears a break-- with these 700 s you won’t feel that and sooooo comfy!
I d use the DT 1990 for critical listening and HD700 for relaxing when you wanna enjoy the music without wanting to dissect it to 1000 bits. Make any sense? They are different headphones do different things I love both I d not put one over the other - just depends on WHAT YOU want out of them and how you’d want to use them!
Thank you for your response. I already have my Beyerdynamic DT 1990 since last year but I have some issues with the headband and a little with the treble. I will order the Hifiman Sundara this week and will see/hear if those are better.
What headphones would you recommend for a $400 budget? The most important thing is comfort and I think I'm leaning towards closed back bcuz that's really the only time I use headphones is when I'm trying to tune everything out.
PAINFULLY HONEST TECH mostly old school hip hop, rap, and R&B
if you havent bought any yet, I have heard the meze 88 are great closed back
I'm looking at these it the 600 or 650. They would be the most expensive headphones I own. Right now the Monoprice m1060 that I gave $250 for the most expensive set I got. I'm really sold on Sennheiser after owning the hd579. I just feel like there's a headphone out there that has a flatter response to really give that lifelike details.
Question for anyone here including the reviewer: how do these sound with vinyl records?
Does fulla 2 go well with this headphones?
I love the original HE400 sound with its planar magnetic drivers. Found a local deal on some new 700s for only 200 some I'm jumping on it!!!
For some reason, I like classic design of Sennheiser (HD600- HD650- HD660s - HD58x) headphones over HD700.
are the hd598's open back good for gaming?
Yes! The long and short of it! They are excellent headphones!
no
currently rocking a ATH M70x, but it lacks bass...
That's a really cool stand. Where can I get one myself?
Can I use them for gaming on PS4? Are these headphones better than Astro a50?
Hwoarang121 😂😂😂😂😂 are u serious?? Play BF1 with these and u will see..
Two things, whining about the lack of a 3.5mm headphone jack just shows that the reviewer has no experience in high end audio. It's a 10 foot cable so it's not meant for portable use (not to mention it being a completely open headphone). Any source worth using will have a 1/4 inch jack on it. It's a detachable cable, so if you want a 1/8 in jack so if you can certainly go ahead and get a different cable.
Yes indeed, I'm no audiophile by any means and I must admit I'm not in the demographic to buy $600 headphones anyway (wife would kill me), but I would have expected such an adapter. Can't imagine they would cost much to throw in the box after all...
I'm not defending Breuer's attitude, but I understand his point. I bought a highend internal soundcard and later a external sound card (Creative X7) to go with these headphones...not the other way around. At this price point havinga 3.5 mm headphone jack would be an insult. I paid less than $600 during a massdrop, but I believe when the headphones were first released the MSRP was $999. Only the truly misinformed would try to pair this with phone. And I'm a gamer...not an audiophile. As a reviewer I would expect you to point that out. I've read to many reviews or forum post of people bashing these headphones because of bad sound and no bass after plugging it into their motherboard or a mixamp.
Portable DACs and dedicated audio players pretty much have 3.55mm outputs only. It wouldn't have killed them to throw in an adapter. I'd like to also point out that 3.55mm audio doesn't impact performance and that the hd600 has the adapter.
PAINFULLY HONEST TECH does thay cable go to my soundblaster g5 amp ??
perfect go-to for Open-back?
I need a realistic amp/dac for these cause my current one is doing zero for them
I am also in the same boat, @Kapt KrunKed, have you been fortunate to find an amp/dac combo or at least a good amp for these? I have just acquired these and now looking for a good amp for a decent price. @Painfully Honest Tech which amp would you recommend ?
@@Cinzzano5 did you find any good Amp for them ?
@@ranilp7981 Hi Rani, I had to return my HD700 cause they were a used pair and not in the condition which was stated on ebay. After that I had bought HD660S, brilliant headphones, though I wish I was able to get thr HD700 brand new.
Anyway, regards the Amp, I have found a descent amp dac combination and would recommend these for you as well.
Have a look at S.M.S.L SU-9 MQA DAC anD S.M.S.L SH-9 Amplifier.
These are great purchases and they make my headphones sound awesome.
@@Cinzzano5 HD660s is really nice headphone , I looked at your suggestion on Amazon even tho they were a bit pricey but they have a lot of good reviews on them so I’ll try to find a good deal on them , thanks a lot really appreciate it .
@@ranilp7981 I'm glad to be of help.
Sure they are pricey, if this is not for your pocket, not a problem, there are other options where you get amp and dac in one, they start from around £300 (if you are in UK) and they are really good too.
Did you ever played a FPS game when having them, if so what did you think?
You need to try out the monolith m1060. They're amazing.
what headphone amp are you using for this review?
Did you take your glasses off?...
Love the review, as always! Quick question though, can you utilise a 3.5mm jack and combine these with mobile phones? Will they get enough power to run the drivers well?
I wish to use them at home with my audio system but on occasion casually with my mobile without an amp.
Using these headphones with any smartphone - would be akin to installing an RTX2080ti inside your 2010 AMD quad core phenom pc. No smartphone made today (2020) or in the future - is going to drive these headphones appropriately.
@@Chebornek true
Great review. Where's your review on the sennheiser pxc 550........
The moment when this heaphone costs more than my PC.
what amp you recommend with them
I use these paired with a Creative X7 for gaming etc.
Amp- Oppo Ha2 Se, sennheiser hdvd800, or the topping nx4dsd. Pair quite nicely. The Sony tz headphone amp will give a warmer sound than the others I mentioned.
Hello! Really good video, but I have a question. I own a Yamaha MG10XU Mixer and am wondering if it's capable of powering the HD 700s or 660s to their full potential? Appreciate any advice, thanks
From what you describe soundwise, they remind me of the IE800.
My most expensive pair of headphones were the DT990 pro. Sadly my most expensive gaming "Headset" was the Astro A50 wireless 2nd Gen.
Yep Astro a50 320.14 at GameStop 4/20 2017
lmao even their site don't sell it for 320$
no brainer for 329€ (~350 dollars)?
The sundara exists
Only 600$ ? This thing still costs 700 - 800$ here in my country....AFTER A PRICE CUT !
Which country do u live in?
Hello! It is worth it to use Sennheiser GSX 1000 to just play videogames with the HD 700? Or I'm just saying stupid things? I dont know too much about sound in general... so I'll really aprecite your answer! (:
My experience playing cs:go with my HD 700 is that its default sound stage is wide enough to tell you, very accurately, where any sound comes from. Software-simulated 7.1 sound, like on the GSX 1000 (personally haven't used this amp) would very likely be just a gimmick, especially for open-back headphones like these, even though some reviews really praise how this amp's surround sound is better than others. There is a chance that the sound stage may become too wide like Razor Surround Sound, which makes the imaging inaccurate for gaming. The amp function itself is... functional according to all the reviews out there, though some have said that the amp is more than just average. Also, according to a headfi.org thread, the sound processing sample rate has to be reduced to enable 7.1, which is a waste of such a good pair of headphones. I suggest getting a good tube or hybrid amp for the same price, because in my experience, the additional amount of warm soothes the treble spike quite well and makes the HD 700 more chill and less "analytical" overall.
i got these new for £310 new off ebay ,well worth the money i also have hd600 and hd800
I already own the hd 700, is it worth buying the HD 800s or is the sound pretty similar?
Hmm...that's weird. I heard many people say that these lack bass and are very sharp in treble. I've kinda known these as "either go with the hd 600 for affordability, or go with the 800s for premium." How would you reply to this?
that's a good strategy, nice work! ok so, I'm somebody who's partially sensitive to sharpness in treble and I prefer bass that is maxed as much as possible without affecting the other ends of the spectrum too much. would you recommend these to me, or a different pair?
I agree totally with the painfully honest reviewer he is SPOT ON w r t HD700.
My most expensive cans: Sony MDR 1000X $400.. Love em!
Even my hd579 does the sensory feeling in my ears
Legendas em português já!!! Pls
Most expensive headset I bought was the Title Beach Elite 800 for $300
Steven c is good for someone with a big head.
Do you think you could do a short 3-way comparison between the three?
Most expensive headphones 🎧 I purchased are the Sennheiser HD600's
no body is going to use this for ther phone...
IE800S.. sick earbuds mate..!!:)
Sennheiser HD 800 S com HD 650, sure SE846 SE535, SE215, this one please for the love of God no one by their shit.
Not counting the pilot Bluetooth ones that are laying around, yeah, very very expensive hobby LOL, but I would like to try these ones seem is they are judging by the comments on everyone’s experience so different from the usual sennheiser sound signature
The most expensive headset I bought was the ASTRO A50 for $300.00 plus tax at GameStop
OpTic FANBOY74 😢 too much..
I got the A40. It's decent for PC gaming. Very comfortable too.
You a thug ass N word
600 $ for that?
I love my pair, which I got gently used for $250.
Damn $600, and I thought the A50 was expensive
so expensive
Crap review...."full sound"? "punchy"? no mention of imaging or wide soundstage...
I'd like to see you do it better.
@@thatrandomguy2250 he probably could
@@oranges3482 Yeah, and you could probably not get so stuck up with my comment to him.
Not so honest anymore huh
PAINFULLY HONEST TECH your most other videos are honest, but not so much on this one.
Holymoly s explaination? Why is it not honest?
@Loppysaurus rex
only if you are sensitive to tremble and if you are just use EqualizerAPO with Peace to fix it for yourself, there are many EQ filters for HD700.
The moment you said $600 I was out
The HD800s are much better.
Get the Philips SHP9500 for 60$ on sale. Great headphones.
They are normally at a lower price, but the quality is outstanding. Hear it to believe it! But it's best to tone down 2 high frequencies, around 5.5k and 11k.
$500 now and occasionally in low $400s. All variants of the 800 are far more expensive.
@@eug3nius But they're only $1,699
Got mine for $300 LMAO
THOSE SUCK just got em home aaand im not happy at all with em.