Among the best-sounding audiophile headphones Video

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Among the best-sounding audiophile headphones
Created: 12/20/2012
Video description: Sennheiser's HD 700 isn't just one of the best-sounding headphone models we've tested, it's also remarkably comfortable to wear for hours at a time.

Among the best-sounding audiophile headphones Video Transcript

Hey. I'm Justin Yu, headphone editor for CNET.com. These are the Sennheiser HD 700 Headphones. The first thing you'll notice about them is their price tag. Yeah, these headphones are thousand dollars, which basically limits their appeal to audio files that are shopping for a life long investment with the most natural sound possible. Sennheiser brags about their wide open soundstage that keeps treble, mid-range, and low-end frequencies nice and balanced, with no exaggerated frequencies. Steve Guttenberg from CNET sat down with these headphones and as an audio file himself, he's convinced that these are accurate and great buy for shoppers that wanna hear their music the way it was originally recorded. So the bottom line is, these are not only the best headphones we've tested, but they're also remarkably comfortable to wear for hours at a time. Speaking of comfort, don't be surprised if you forget that these headphones are on your head. They only weigh 272 grams and these plush microfiber covered pads let air circulate around your ears, so they're less likely to get hot after hours of use. Inside the ear pieces themselves, you'll find 40-millimeter drivers that are unique to this headphone, that this Sennheiser does not use them in any of their other headphones on the market. The 700s open frame supports the drive inside three ultra fine stainless steel mesh grills that control air movement inside for better sound and better comfort. The ear pieces also moved back and forth as well as up and down on small pivoting points for a new universal fit. And the open back design lets environmental loyalists in. So they're probably not gonna be the best purchase that we're looking to down out noise on your morning commute. But that's not to say that they aren't travel friendly. The headphones, come with a sturdy padded storage case that fits the headset, the 9.8-foot long cable with a stereo connector on end as well as a 6.3-millimeter connecter that you can plug into an AV receiver or headphone amplifier. In terms of sound performance, Steve found the HD-700's equally adopt that playing movies as they are playing music. The resolution is obviously at the top tier of the market and their neutrality is especially noticeable in dialog and lyrics, where voices sound naturally balanced and clear. One way you can tell great headphones from lesser ones is the base. Headphones like these let you sense the texture of sound or cheaper headphones sort of implodes the sound between your ears, making you more aware of its artificiality. And for demanding audio files, there's Supersonic accurate tonal balance and precision will certainly make these a hit, no matter what the cost. You could check out Steve's For Review on CNET, but that's gonna do it for me. I'm Justin Yu, you just took a first look at the Sennheiser HD700 Headphones. Thanks so much.

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Sennheiser HD 700 Review

The good: The Sennheiser HD 700 is a large, full-size audiophile headphone model with a wide-open sound profile and transparency that sounds great on digital music players.

The bad: The HD 700 is very expensive, so some buyers might be put off by the amount of plastic used in the design.

The bottom line: Sennheiser's HD 700 isn't just one of the best-sounding headphone models we've tested, it's also remarkably comfortable to wear for hours at a time.

Read full review

Sennheiser HD 700 Specs

Manufacturer: Sennheiser
Part number: HD 700

Product Specifications
  • Product Specifications

Read full specs