Sennheiser HD800: Spray Painted Plastic and the New Acid-Washed Jeans. - Page 60

I have taken the HD600 apart - it is okay, but its parts are NOT favourable to doing that too often. They rub each other with juvenile vigour and don't give as much where they should. I'd love a REAL modular design in any of Senn's high end headphones, something with big screws, arched metal supports, and springy headband tongues. Of course, that would mean that Beyerdynamic would lose much of its toot engine, but who really cares. 

^^ That of course, is fine. If their sound hits the mark and the headphone can be judged on that alone, then all the best to them and their space-faring gods. I know for sure that I could not relax with something cloven from the same inspirational material as that Skull Candy employees used to re-create a Jar-jar Binks muppet head.

I am very glad that you disagree with me - the internet would be worthless without banter. How bout this: if there were two versions at the same price, one in plastic and one in something else - carbon fibre, or metal, for instance.. which would you choose? They looked the same from a distance, but up close, you notice that one has sharp, hard edges that could dent Shrek's head, and the other you can scratch with a jagged fingernail.

Naturally, the metal/wood one is heavier. The Carbon one is more brittle, but speaks loads to tech fans. The plastic one stretches, is light, and reasonably tough. That's it. I think the choice between them speaks volumes about each person. Everyone has tolerances. I won't make judgements as that is pointless, but I'd go for the metal one at the same price. I'd still go for the metal one at a 100$ premium, but I'd not pay more than that. I would probably pass up the carbon one for various reasons, but not even think of the plastic one. 

I've admired other expensive high end plastic headphones: Ultrasone ED9, for instance. It is a wonderful headphone - sounds great (in an Ultrasone way), looks reasonable, and feels pretty good (a bit too big for my head). But again, I'd not plunk that much money for a plastic headphone, no matter the sound. And, that is fine. It has less to do with arbitrariness and more to do with experience. 

If plastics had been used in quality products from their inception rather than creeping up from Kinder Surprise and cheap fans, it might be different. If I didn't have to treat every plastic thing I've ever owned with surgical care - this would be a different conversation.

Again, I belong to a group of people who considers the package sound AND everything else, not sound only. It is the same thing with anything I buy. If I care, I get something that I know will last, no matter the fact that the thing I want is about something else. I've had my plastic camera lens days; I wanted bang for the buck and that's what I got.

Good bokeh, good image stabilisation - good lens. But the lens focuses more slowly, bends at long focal lengths, and well, feels second-rate. But, that lens was only 700$. A similar lens in metal (albeit a professional lens) costs 1700-2000$. 

I feel very strongly that Senn took a step back in design (and that word doesn't mean just looks, it means engineering and focus on craftsmanship) in the HD800. Admittedly, I don't own it. I've demoed it and really liked the razor-sharp sound. But, I would not buy it. I am glad you love it - if it were built to the standard set by its price, I might consider it (later as I work on a pretty small stipend).

If Sennheiser chose to finish the HD800 in black (or even gray for that matter), they could've molded the color into the Leona plastic. This would have solved the problem of the chipping silver paint, which others have noted here. By finishing the plastic with silver paint after the molding process, the paint can have higher concentrated pigment levels. This not only covers up the qualities of the plastic but creates the problems noted above.

^^ That of course, is fine. If their sound hits the mark and the headphone can be judged on that alone, then all the best to them and their space-faring gods. I know for sure that I could not relax with something cloven from the same inspirational material as that Skull Candy employees used to re-create a Jar-jar Binks muppet head.

I am very glad that you disagree with me - the internet would be worthless without banter. How bout this: if there were two versions at the same price, one in plastic and one in something else - carbon fibre, or metal, for instance.. which would you choose? They looked the same from a distance, but up close, you notice that one has sharp, hard edges that could dent Shrek's head, and the other you can scratch with a jagged fingernail.

Naturally, the metal/wood one is heavier. The Carbon one is more brittle, but speaks loads to tech fans. The plastic one stretches, is light, and reasonably tough. That's it. I think the choice between them speaks volumes about each person. Everyone has tolerances. I won't make judgements as that is pointless, but I'd go for the metal one at the same price. I'd still go for the metal one at a 100$ premium, but I'd not pay more than that. I would probably pass up the carbon one for various reasons, but not even think of the plastic one. 

I've admired other expensive high end plastic headphones: Ultrasone ED9, for instance. It is a wonderful headphone - sounds great (in an Ultrasone way), looks reasonable, and feels pretty good (a bit too big for my head). But again, I'd not plunk that much money for a plastic headphone, no matter the sound. And, that is fine. It has less to do with arbitrariness and more to do with experience. 

If plastics had been used in quality products from their inception rather than creeping up from Kinder Surprise and cheap fans, it might be different. If I didn't have to treat every plastic thing I've ever owned with surgical care - this would be a different conversation.

Again, I belong to a group of people who considers the package sound AND everything else, not sound only. It is the same thing with anything I buy. If I care, I get something that I know will last, no matter the fact that the thing I want is about something else. I've had my plastic camera lens days; I wanted bang for the buck and that's what I got.

Good bokeh, good image stabilisation - good lens. But the lens focuses more slowly, bends at long focal lengths, and well, feels second-rate. But, that lens was only 700$. A similar lens in metal (albeit a professional lens) costs 1700-2000$. 

I feel very strongly that Senn took a step back in design (and that word doesn't mean just looks, it means engineering and focus on craftsmanship) in the HD800. Admittedly, I don't own it. I've demoed it and really liked the razor-sharp sound. But, I would not buy it. I am glad you love it - if it were built to the standard set by its price, I might consider it (later as I work on a pretty small stipend).

It is not carbon fiber. The pieces show signs of being injection molded.