Sennheiser HD800 Appreciation Thread - Page 380  

Rooms FS

Quote:

Originally Posted by rgs9200m 

IMHO, if you find the HD800s just this side of analytical or slightly fatiguing, try a pair of ATH W3000ANVs. I have both and that's my feeling at this point.

That's an interesting and timely post as you'll see when you read on below. Before that I'll just say that I'm curious about the W3000ANV's - the person I bought my HD 800 from sold them in favour of a warmer-sounding headphone and was purchasing the W3000ANV around the time of the HD 800 sale.

I've recently been finding listening with the HD 800 to be a bit fatiguing again and have been experiencing more ringing in my ears than normal after using the HD 800 a lot in the past few weeks, even at my low-level listening volumes of ~70-75 db. Yesterday I had the insight to resort to something I did a while back but haven't done for a while - EQ. 

Armed with my HD 800's frequency response graph and a parametric EQ, I EQ'd my HD 800 to a flat response and the result is much, much easier on my hearing than the stock HD 800 sound. All the piercing highs are gone and there is more bass, and so far I'm finding the overall sound of the EQ'd HD 800 to be a more enjoyably visceral experience in relation to the stock HD 800. I'm finding that I can still using the EQ'd HD 800 use to peer into the smallest details of recordings but I have no compulsion to do so. To me this leads to more listening enjoyment than with the stock HD 800. It doesn't sound treble centric like before; it now sounds more cohesive and very well-balanced. As I now listen to the instrumental rock of Pelican as I type this, I'm satisfied and not wanting for anything else sonically. It's all there.

I don't think I want to expose my ears to the levels of treble revealed by the stock HD 800 again. As revealing as it is, to me it seems to be create more pain/fatigue than I want to experience.

You should look into feeding the Senns with a different setup then. I believe it was mentioned before. Tinnitus from low volumes...that shouldn't be happening.

Either that, or you may have mild hyperacusis.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Shahrose 

You should look into feeding the Senns with a different setup then. I believe it was mentioned before. Tinnitus from low volumes...that shouldn't be happening.

Either that, or you may have mild hyperacusis.

...or I may have been drinking too much coffee... :-)

Because they liked my Amperior review, Sennheiser UK are sending me the HDVA 600 as soon as they have them in stock, so I'll get a chance to feed the HD 800 differently very soon - I'm really looking forward to hearing the HD 800 from a fresh perspective as it really is a world-class headphone which can definitely benefit from audio chain experimentation.

Could it be your Lavry? I do recall reviews of it being slightly treble tilted but I can't remember if it was the DA10 or DA11. 

Quote:

Originally Posted by rawrster 

Could it be your Lavry? I do recall reviews of it being slightly treble tilted but I can't remember if it was the DA10 or DA11. 

That's definitely a possibility. I've heard the DA10 is slightly treble-orientated and I'd definitely say that the sound I hear with the DA10 / HD800 and other headphones is slightly treblier than 'natural. To be honest I haven't had the opportunity to compare my DA10 with other DACs, but I'd like to.

I'd want my HD 800 to perform as well as it can in a way that I find non-fatiguing, as it's the second most enjoyable headphone I've heard after the Orpheus. The Audez'e headphones I've tried are also awesome and enjoyably listening facilitators - the only thing that I wanted for with them, especially the LCD-3, was more treble extension...

I might just get a FiiO E17 in the meantime as a fun value gadget as I continue my adventure in audio nirvana, other EQ is really making a difference. 

EDIT: It's gone now, it's so creepy thinking that things like that can be permanent (ringing).

Don't waste your time reading this post. ;)

When I woke up today, I noticed my ears ringing a bit.

What's strange is that I was at a technological museum almost all day yesterday and watched a TV show with my HD800s (on my PC) for around 30 minutes before I went to bed in the evening.

I don't remember any loud sounds at the museum, they were some really annoying RC cars though.

I don't have a dB meter, but with the FiiO E10 + HD800 what I currently use (saving up for HDVD800) regular listening volume is 2 and max is 3, sometimes 3,5 (once a week max).

This is on low gain.

Now I do have really sensitive ears, I almost never go to a party since my head and ears start to hurt really quickly at those sound levels..

I also hear this ringing sound is there is a bad PSU, one of those old TVs goes on (I even hear my neighbors' old TV), this is pretty annoying at times.

I'm not sure if I'm getting this because of the museum or because of the HD800. It shouldn't be a TV since my neighbors' TVs aren't this loud.

The sound level is the same as if you try to make a very, very quiet ssssssss sound.

Is this just random / bad luck or should I investigate some more?

Quote:

Originally Posted by TwoEars 

So - are any of you guys running any aftermarket cables and are you noticing any difference?

 

Been pondering maybe a cardas or alo cable upgrade, or make my own with cardas or mogami.

 

The purpose would be to smooth out the highs a bit, and bring out the bottom end. If at all possible.

 

Any thoughts?

No one?

Am I being completely ignored here?

DHC sure seems nice! As does ALO - seems like a very similar product really.

I think as long as you get rid of the silver that's in the stock cable it should smooth out the harshness a bit, at least that's my guess.

why do you think a copper cable changes the sound characteristics?

Instead I would either buy a colored amp (costs money) or use a software EQ (for free).

It doesn't. Get a V200 HPA instead of spending too much money on cables. V200 especially gives the HD 800 a great bottom end. 

How is getting a $1k amp spending less money?