Senn HD600/650 fans on the HD800 - owners only! - Page 6

I highly value and rely on the Uncle Erik's reviews and feedbacks. I am now looking to purchase 800 myself...

Thanks for the great thread and feedbacks.

I have HD-600 for 7 years and got a 2hr listen of the HD-800 with my own amp, Rudistor RPX-33.

So I don't really qualify for this thread but you can read the report here - http://www.head-fi.org/forums/f4/sen...dition-435680/

cheers

I have the HD650 and just got the HD800. After ~60 hours of burnin with pink noise, the HD800's still sound TERRIBLE - very harsh at times and noticeably sibilant when it shouldn't be, compared with the HD650. Soundstage is better, and everything is nice and airy, but the harsh treble is a deal breaker. I might returnt he HD800's if they don't get a LOT better with more breakin.

What source and amplifier are you using them with? It's not in your profile.

I was able to plug my HD800s into a number of different amps at the recent Norcal meet; I agree with those who say that they are very picky about their upstream equipment.

And I'll add a new adjective: power-hungry. I like them a whole lot on my Woo WA6SE, which has a good dose of power, as these these things are reckoned in headphone circles (~800 mw, if memory serves) but hearing the bass on my favorite bass-showoff track ("Spanish Moon," from Little Feat's legendary Waiting for Columbus live album) on one exhibitor's 2W Bottlehead S.E.X. amp was a revelation. I got some idea of the bass side of what the balanced people are talking about.

So, when you say they sound TERRIBLE, down to the all-caps, it could be your preferences. But it could also be what you're feeding them with.

I listened to both the HD800 and HD650 on 4 different amps in my home
Audiotailor Jade (tube)
Yulong DAH1 (Lehman black cube clone stage)
Creek OBH-11, heavily modified
Sony receiver

The HD650 sounds great on any of those amps. The HD800 sounds sibilant, thin, and has a harsh treble. It's even more obvious when I swap back and forth between the two.

I am not the only person has this complaint. There is an entire thread here dedicated to the sibilance problem on the HD800. There is another thread here dedicated to how the HD800 sounds without hundreds of hours of break-in. I hope that is the reason.

Sounds like a fair test, then. Thanks for the additional background. My experience was that the treble definitely mellowed during breakin, but not as much as you're implying you need in order to achieve audio satisfaction. And I wouldn't put the point of stability out at "hundreds of hours." More like maybe 120 hours. So I'm not optimistic about the prospect of your making friends with this headphone. But I hope you'll report back one way or the other. BTW I'm aware of the sibilance thread and much other writing here on the HD800.

I still find it a little strange.The hd 800+x can v8(no psu,stock tubes)+sony dvp ns 705v(dvd/sacd)+monster interlink 200(40 euro interconect cable,nothing special)=no sibilance.Just detailed,refined,open sound,with very good clarity and balance over the whole spectrum.

Only a bit"metalic feeling"on the lower treble/treble compared to my hd 600(same setup),but not more sibilant.

beats me. it's what I hear.

 

HD800 is concert hall and a a dry white wine

 

HD650 is jazz club and a rich red wine

I find the treble distressing at some recordings too - but I would never say terrible (and that's why I have kept my HD650's...). 

 

FWIR replacing the cable could do the trick (copper?) - though I have not tried it myself there are many places to read up on this. But I am a cables guy - I belive in a cable's significance.

 

Then then there is this easy mod - just adding some cotton cloth/velvet at the right places (easy to re-do also): 

 

http://www.head-fi.org/forum/thread/464042/want-more-bass-from-your-hd-800-easy-mod/45

As a current owner of the HD800 and a former owner of the HD650, I haven't noticed any sibilance issues.  I will say that I don't listen to the HD800 as loudly as the HD650, relatively speaking (which was never really loud to begin with....).  Personally speaking, I much prefer the HD800, but it is clear to me why others like the HD650.  They are VERY different.