JVC Victor HP-DX700

The DX700 was the successor to the JVC DX1000, and only sold in Japan. It has a thicker headband than its older brother, but same drivers, pads and housing with pinewood cups. The headphone is quite bulky and the cups very thick (8.2cm with the pads).

Build quality is poor, the plastic hinges can break over time. Isolation is very good, but do not use these headphones outside, they’re too big and fragile. Comfort is a mixed bag : headband is still too stiff and hurts my head after a while. Pads are quite plush.

○ Release : 2009
○ Current status : Discontinued
○ Type : Over-ear / Closed-back
○ Measured weight : 424g
○ Impedance : 64 Ohms
○ Sensitivity : 101 dB/mW
○ Average used price : $300-400

Sound Impression

My DX700 was modded with maple cups and most of my listening time was done in modded form. I barely listened to them with the stock cups (which I’ve swapped back before selling them). My impressions are mostly based on the modded DX700, thus a bit far from a stock DX700/1000 sound.

I like the DX700 although it’s a very colored presentation with big flaws. Balance is warm and bassy. The bass is very elevated – similar to the Fostex TH-X00 in quantity. It reaches low but maybe not down to 20hz. That bass hits hard but is not super clean and can sound too boomy on already very bass tracks. Upper-bass seems slightly dipped, since the bass stops rather quickly and doesn’t bleed too much into the midrange.

The midrange is pleasant, and sounds somewhat a bit forward in the upper-registers. Lot of instruments have an interesting timbre, not quite natural though. Treble is very unrefined – lacking air, a bit grainy and sometimes too recessed, though there is an adequate low-treble amount of energy (around 4-6khz).

The DX700 offers a lot of reverb effects in the bass and mids. This is something to hear for curiosity. It’s not open sounding but soundstage is one of the widest i’ve heard in a closed back.

Still, imaging and clarity are not great. It sounds too muffled sometimes, and a bit grainy (certainly because of the poor treble extension), but dynamics are quite good.
Hard to recommend over a TH-X00 / E-mu Teak in the “wooden closed” segment, but I personally enjoy them. I would take the JVC DX700 over any Audio-Technica woodie I’ve heard.