Aune SR7000 Full Size Closed Earbuds with MLD Driver, Dynamic Driver, Detachable Cable, HiFi Earphones, Hi-Fi Earphones, HiFi HiFi Audio for HiFi System, Dark Green

After spending nine months with the Aune SR-7000, I wanted to rewrite my review of it (the original was an overcaffeinated mess of superlatives, you didn’t miss much). This headphone is special. As advertised, it’s a closed back with the soundstage of an open back—which is impressive at any price, especially at $600. There are only a tiny handful of other closed headphones that do this, and they’re all $1500+. The soundstage, instrument separation, and imaging is on par with or surpasses many competent open-backs. It feels wide, with moderate depth and height, like you’re in a small venue, not a concert hall or stadium. There’s no muddy reflections or weird resonance. Outside of the pressure seal of the cups, you forget you’re wearing a closed headphone. What also sets the SR-7000 apart is how relaxed it is. I mostly listen to loud, intense genres of music, which can be not just acoustically fatiguing but sort of anxiety-provoking after a while on other headphones. I switch to the SR-7000 is like plopping down in an easy chair after being on your feet for hours. It’s relaxing, no matter what genre of you’re listening to or for how long. It also softens recordings I’ve found to be harsh, like the whole Lateralus album by Tool. A lot of people love the stock tuning of the SR-7000, but make no mistake—it’s odd, although generally very well balanced. It has recessed upper mids, which contributes to its non-fatiguing character, but it’s also relaxed in the treble. Out of the box, I’d sometimes catch a hollow, plasticky timbre. Well I don’t believe in stock tuning — I EQ everything (and you should too), and very narrow, small elevation at 6400 and 6900 makes the SR-7000 livelier and fuller, but keeps the chillness. Some people say this headphone lacks bass. I’m a drum and bass DJ who has heard a lot of good (and very bad) bass and I can tell you, it's got great bass. It's well defined with just enough impact. You can boost sub and midbass until your eyeballs vibrate and they’ll still sound good. The sealed chamber of the cups also enhances rumble and tactility, making it especially great for movies and games. What critics of the bass are looking for is a bit more “slam,” and you can EQ bass for this— but the “just enough” impact is what keeps the SR-7000 relaxed and balanced. The SR-7000 is very comfortable and feels luxurious. The metal headband distributes weight so effectively that it barely feels like it’s on your head, and plastic housing makes it lighter overall. It has pillowy custom pads and lots of room in the ear cups because the driver is recessed. Clamp force is very light, just enough to keep it from sliding forward or backward. You can EQ for sound, but you can't fix comfort, so this is really important. I wish this headphone had gotten more attention, but its release was overshadowed by the release of the $150 Fiio FT-1 and Aune’s own $300 open back AR-5000 around the same time. So is the SR-7000 a good value? Well if you just want “a good closed back,” the FT-1 is a great value that sounds like it’s at least twice its asking price—but it’s overly punchy, sounds a bit closed in, can be harsh, and is unremarkable in imaging and resolution (it’s fun but its main innovation is… costing $150). And if you want a good value open back for under $600, there are several, so why are you even reading this. So for the SR-7000 to be a good value, you have to want it for what it is: a closed back that makes no compromises. Sounds like an expensive open back. Cosy and easy, handling jazz, pop, death metal, and jungle with equal grace. A gentleman, not a brawler. Check out the review by Gadgetry Tech, he’s got good takes on it. And definitely give these cans a shot, they’ll love you back.

Sent back, they sound really good; just open back are not for me I think.

Update: I keep comparing these back-and-forth to my Focal Stellia and Hifiman HE1000 Stealth and I'm so impressed with these headphones... Especially for the price... Very comfortable, great bass and clarity! Original review: I received these Aune SR7000 (closed-back, $599) headphones today and listened to them for only a few hours. So they're not yet "fully broken/burnt in", if you believe in that. But I am feeling delighted with this purchase, so I wanted to leave positive feedback. In the short time I have listened, I am super impressed. Mostly because of their lightweight construction and full over-the-ear comfort in combination with an amazing sound quality and the fact they sound great on any kind of amplification. I have compared them to my HIFIMAN HE1000 Stealth (open back, $1199) and Focal Stellia (closed back, $2999) and my Sennheiser HD 660S1/S2, and a myriad of other headphones and IEMs, all with custom earpads/tips, all with special snake oil silver cables, etc... This Aune SR7000 is not as sensitive as some of the aforementioned, but it's not too bad. It does not sound like a congested closed-back headphones. It has an open, expansive soundstage. Dynamics are great. Lots of clarity and detail and wonderful tight and defined bass. They sound good on tubes, solid state, hybrid, desktop, rack, portable amps and dongle DACs, no matter what I plugged them into (4.4mm, balanced). Apos Gremlin (Tubes), LAIV HP2A (Class A), Fiio BTR7, even the FiiO UTWS5 Bluetooth Amplifier Earbuds Hook for IEMs sounded great. Compared to my other full-size headphones these Aune SR7000s are much more comfortable. Clamping force is just right, it's not heavy, awkward or microphonic, and my ears fit nicely inside the pads (which is my complaint with the 5x more expensive Focal Stellia). The Aune SR7000 construction is a bit plasticky, but that also means it's lightweight. Now... critique? Sure... The earpads are synthetic, and I cannot find leather replacements (yet). The headband is plastic too, so it gets a bit sweaty on the top of the head and around the ears. Do I like that? No, but I'm actually forgetting about this minor gripe because I'm fully immersed in and listening to the music, rather than evaluating the gear. It comes with decent cables (2x) and a VERY nice carrying case. Totally recommended!

For a closed back I expected more bass similar to what you get in those poor sounding sennheiser momentum 4 bluetooth headphone. But turns out it's no better than the average cheap open back headphones like a senhheiser hd560s. Sound quality is very mid forward to the point where it starts to sound shouty. But it's happening on the lower mids whereas an HD560s is more upper mid focus makimg SR7000 easier to listen to. The HD560s is cleaner, but the upper mids gets annoying for long listening and make female voices harsh. In stock tuning, the SR7000 has practically no bass, this lack of bass really ruins the whole experience. Half your music is missing when there's no bass. The trebles are good, just enough to enhance the mids but not overpowering. Overall in stock tuning, it doesn't sound any better than a $200 headphone. However, if you equalizer it, then it's awesome. The base is suddenly big and very tight with great texture. Add a little trebles and it opens things up more. Plus, it does not sound like a close back. Pimg A/B test, I Can't tell if it's close or openbacked. In this regard, Aune did a great job. Compare to my openback hifiman Ananda stealth, SR7000 a little bit less spacious and 3d sounding. The equalized bass from the SR7000 is cleaner, tighter with noticeably better texture and also much better mids. However, You can also equalize the Ananda to sound exactly like SR7000 but with deeper bass and a cheaper price. Worst part about SR7000 is the leather strap. It's hard and smooth causing the headset to constantly slide around whenever you move. This ruined everything. Then the $599 price made it extra hard to justify.

These are headphones not shouty nor showy in nature. Never aggressive, brash or in your face but rather confident and sure footed as they invite you into their world. As one embarks on this musical journey, there are no initial fireworks or fanfare in the sound which greets you. Rather a brief settling in moment before being genuinely transported to a world of incredible harmonic balance marked by delicacy and poise. There is no congestion , bloat or muddiness anywhere in this clean, clear and airy sound reproduction. The low end bass notes are always perfectly measured and never out to steal the show or continue to dominate past their assigned duties. More of the aforementioned sense of balance to it all. The Aune SR700 Displays an incredible knack at crystallizing a musical movement/moment to not just separate all instrumental elements, but present the attack , bloom and decay of each individual constituent piece. This is pure audiophile territory. Detail retrieval is top notch in most every respect. Prepare to be amazed as I was over and over again at hearing minor nuances in vocal and instrument performance not revealed before (on a $30k reference audio system). Bearing in mind, the choice of headphones was based on various criteria , one of which was how to replicate the existing audio system sound albeit in a headphones based format. These headphones met and even exceeded expectations in this regard. Surpassing the level of detail retrieval, resolving properties, timber and micro-dynamics currently on tap in the reference system. No mean feat given the level of quality in those other audio components. This careful and considerate approach to the overall design pays dividends to the music listener. As it can prove nearly impossible to stop at just a track or two. Get ready to be lost in the music time space continuum. The benchmark for any music listening experience has thus been met. Out of all the headphones tested, the Aune SR7000 were easily the most comfortable. Never clamping down on the temples or jaw area like some others. Add in a handsome outer construction and the deep green color which seems like a perfect choice for these headphones. Where the Focal Azurys was all about blue seas , the Aune SR7000 might just take a deep green forest as their natural element .......A 5 star rating is in order and these headphones come highly recommended.