I'm quite surprised that I like the sound I'm hearing. The headphone has nice midrange and vocals jump out wonderfully as well. It is on the warmer side of neutral after about 200 hours of burn in. Clarity and details are good, but in very bass-heavy passages, the XB700 will sound congested and notes become harder to pinpoint. Music separation is very good at this price point. Of course don't expect clarity, details, and separation to come anywhere close to Sony's MDR-SA5000 headphones. The soundstage reflects its being a closed design. It is wider than it is taller. Since vocals jump out and are emphasized, its soundstage reminds me of that of Grados, but still wider of course. It also does a superb job of controlling sibilance right out of the box.