Great read. In fact, this review pushed me over the fence, and I just placed my order! The HD800 has been on my list even since I discovered Head-Fi a few years back (though I registered much later), but for one reason or another, I was never fully convinced. Now that I've invested more than I care to share into properly driving the HE-6, I'm more than willing to experiment with the HD800. Knowing that it scales very well with better gear is most reassuring! Can't wait! :]
Headphone Reviews and Discussion - Head-Fi.org
StratocasterMan
I enjoyed your review, but be careful with your analogies. Four cylinder Ferraris do in fact exist. They are extremely rare and valuable. Since Ferrari has never made a 16-cylinder car, were you to drop a 16-cylinder engine into one of the four cylinder Ferraris, you would utterly destroy it's value! It may be best that you stick with headphones and avoid the Italian car market 
XxDobermanxX
Nice write up lol
reeltime
TheKillerPiglet (my favorite name yet), I've opted to go with new tubes for the WA5LE. I have a nightmare scenario rolling around my head-- where I buy 2 gorgeous vintage tubes at a premium price-- and they aren't perfectly matched. With the HD800, every nuance and irregularity gets amplified. For the rectifier, I've landed on EML 5U4G Mesh, but the real change was in the power tubes. I got a huge bass bump when I went from Tung Sol 6SN7 to PSVANE CV-181 TII series. They just came out and it's made a major statement with the HD800. Next is the 300B output tubes, I'm going again with EML 300B Mesh. $2000 for the Wester Electric's makes my tummy hurt. They're wait-listed until 2014, anyway, and having read everything in the universe on the 300B, the Sofia Royal Princess 300B isn't an ideal match for the HD800.
I've found a W4S DAC-2 on eBay-- it will get here next week. The Burson is up for bid.
Night Crawler, If you have amps that will drive the HE-6, you're in great shape for the HD800. The point of this article is that even though lesser amps will move the cones, until you supply real power, you won't start engaging the rich sub-bass the HD800 has in reserve. I've been wondering if the Dark Star might be another terrific match for the HD800, with all that power on-hand.
StratocasterMan, I hear what you're saying, but you still understood my meaning. I write stream of conscience and I'm not a Ferrari aficionado, but I'll change the analogy to 12-cylinder if it suits you. The meaning doesn't change. In the same way, Keef is playing a Telecaster, but I'm still willing to bet you love your Strats.
I've found a W4S DAC-2 on eBay-- it will get here next week. The Burson is up for bid.
Night Crawler, If you have amps that will drive the HE-6, you're in great shape for the HD800. The point of this article is that even though lesser amps will move the cones, until you supply real power, you won't start engaging the rich sub-bass the HD800 has in reserve. I've been wondering if the Dark Star might be another terrific match for the HD800, with all that power on-hand.
StratocasterMan, I hear what you're saying, but you still understood my meaning. I write stream of conscience and I'm not a Ferrari aficionado, but I'll change the analogy to 12-cylinder if it suits you. The meaning doesn't change. In the same way, Keef is playing a Telecaster, but I'm still willing to bet you love your Strats.
Really makes me want to get the HD800, as well as the obviously required (work with me on this) tube amp for the HP rig. I don't need much convincing on that front: there's a small stash of Bendix 5852 Apollo program rectifier tubes absconded in case, you know, the world explodes.
....this story isn't going to end well...
KP