Sony MDR-HW700DS Wireless Headphone: Review

The Sony MDR-HW700DS wireless headphones represent the top model in the Sony range. These headphones can offer extremely to envelop and dynamic sound thanks to the surround system of up to 9.1 channels. The frequency response is very wide and allows you to hear every sonic detail. The comfort of use is guaranteed, and the quality of the materials is excellent.

In this review, we will see in detail the wireless headphones that we think to represent the top in their category, is the Sony MDR-HW700DS. This wireless headphones with double band transmission weigh just over 320 grams.

In addition to ensuring maximum comfort, it allows you to experience a 360 degree sound experience. Thanks to the 9.1-channel Virtual Surround, one gets the impression of being surrounded by several speakers simultaneously to watch a movie like at the cinema or listen to music as a live event. The surround function is much more valuable in gaming and movies rather than in music.

The driver is equipped with powerful neodymium magnets and, together with the DSP technology, allows you to receive music, voices, and sounds in total clarity; the different listening modes allow you to customize better the experience based on the device, but the big news is in the station, capable of hosting up to 3 advanced HDMI sources such as consoles or DVD players and pass-through 4K Ultra HD for new-generation TV.

Materials, Design, and Accessories

Inside the package, you can find the control unit, an AC power adapter, a 1.5-meter optical cable, and a USB cable to connect, such as laptops, the warranty card, and instructions for use.

The Sony MDR-HW700DS have a circumaural design and are closed, reducing interference to a maximum, so they are particularly bulky but very nice to see. The pavilions were made following a convenient shell shape that makes them very practical in taking.

The plastic material used for the construction is absolutely sturdy and resistant. It is a rough and opaque type to guarantee excellent resistance to scratches and bumps and an excellent grip even in perspiration.

The bow then follows the garment line uniformly and is padded with the same material as the bearings, and it remains extremely comfortable and light. Finally, the Sony MDR-HW700DS are available only in black, with a coordinated station characterized by backlit writing on the front panel.

Comfort and Ergonomics

The Sony MDR-HW700DS can respond to the simplest standards of ergonomics and comfort; they can be used for several hours, thanks to the soft padding with which they were made.

In addition to being light and soft on the ear, these wireless headphones are also quite functional, as the pavilions are equipped with controls for volume and effects. The left one houses the power button and the USB port for the cable supplied, useful, for example: to recharge the headphones via a laptop; on the right side.

We find instead of the volume controllers (sliding) and the buttons for managing the menu and effects. In practice, the pavilions allow full control of the headset’s functions when connected to a device with HDMI output.

For example, on the TV screen, you can view the battery’s recharge status, the band used for the connection (if 2.4 GHz or 5 GHz), and if the effects and compression mode, that is to cancel the external noises, are activated.

The ability to control the headphones’ features also on the screens used is certainly convenient but, in our opinion, not so relevant for the user. Unfortunately, it is necessary since the control buttons placed on the pavilion are too small for the fingers, leading to several attempts to empty before finding the right command.

Sony also guarantees synchronization with all Bravia-branded devices, such as TV. In practice, thanks to the Bravia Synch, it offers the ability to control all and via a single remote control, all home entertainment devices, including headphones; an option decidedly practical and intelligent but installation too cumbersome, also has the big flaw that the volume controller is missing, unfortunately, present only on the headphones.

Audio and Connection Quality

Their frequency response is dynamic headphones, their frequency response, the range of sounds they can reproduce is quite high, ranging from 5 Hz to 25000 Hz: this allows us to perceive more details of what we are listening to, especially in the field of music.

The base operates in wireless mode on the double band to ” dribble ” any interference at the audio output; these headphones’ sound quality is really high, even if they seem more suited to film and gaming experiences.

Being circumaural and closed headphones, the Sony MDR-HW700DS then provides excellent sound insulation. The sound is clear and clean, thanks also to the stability provided by the connection system. The digital processor and the headphones allow you to select three modes of use: Cinema, Game, and Voice, to improve the sound’s performance and optimize it according to your needs.

Voice is the option mainly dedicated to music but can also be used for other types of tracks. The bass is deep but does not dominate the other sounds: thanks to Dolby® Prologic IIz, the audio is enveloping, while the DTS Neo: X ™ technology reproduces the environmental and directional effects that make the sound more harmonious, well defined even in the medium frequencies.

The headphones lose a little control over particularly rich and aggressive mixes (those of rock music, for example), while at high volume, they lose some clarity of voices; they are less suitable for a musical listening by ” experts in the field, “but if they are associated with tracks in FLAC format, they can offer a more open sound, of superior quality.

In any case, these wireless headphones’ surround is definitely addictive in all three listening modes. The Sony MDR-HW700DS can then transmit the Dolby DTS, DTS HD, and old Dolby Digital signals and having a wide spectrum of definitions. They can also make sounds with lower frequencies crisp.

Regarding the quality of the connection, we tell you that it is activated rather quickly and provides a stable range of about 30 meters: you cannot run around the house wearing headphones, at least not in freedom; the range provided makes them almost exclusively limited to use in a single room, which is a real shame as there are devices on the market that can provide a much wider range of travel.

Features and Functionality

The battery has a range of 12 hours for a full charge in 3 hours; in general, it does not last long but has the positive side of making the headphones immediately useful in a relatively short time.

Unfortunately, the Sony MDR-HW700DS are not easy to install at all. The base is a bit cumbersome: it occupies roughly the same space as a decoder or DVD player. If we consider the fact that it is only with the ” driver unit ” that the headphones acquire complete autonomy of the functions, using them becomes less pleasant and faster. Finally, the 3 HDMI inputs allow you to connect different devices but are not designed, for example: for a PC.

Conclusions

In conclusion, we think that the Sony MDR-HW700DS is excellent for the average user, both for the most demanding. The sound is excellent, the 9.1-channel Virtual Surround offers unique and high-quality sensations, and the options provided make various listening possibilities to adapt to every need of use.

On the other hand, the rather limited range and the need to control the main functions make music listening more complicated than the average.

The price is very high but is justified above all by the excellent comfort of use and a unique sound experience. If your budget allows, we strongly recommend using Sony MDR-HW700DS, which we believe are the top among wireless headphones, especially for home entertainment.

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