disappointed by Sennheiser HD800, need advice - Page 3

I will also add a couple of good amp pairings with the HD800. The three channel b22/s22 is, to me, an amazing mating. The b22 being slightly left of center on the warm side without throwing off tonal balance. The Woo WA6SE is another great match. You'll have to roll some tubes to get the right combo but once you do it's nice. If forced to choose I'd go with the b22. It's the best combo I've heard with it of the many amps I've plugged the HD800 into.

Don't discount the DAC too. When I replaced my DacMagic with the slightly warmer Xciter it smoothed out the top.

Most headphones, especially the middle and top tier ones, really should be put together as part of a system. The right source/amp/headphone combo can be critical to getting the best out of all of them.

Couldn't agree more.

 

I had the opportunity to try these again today, fully burned in. Check out my signature for my set up with which I used them.

I can only say this, after listening again and with the algorythm solo in the loop I am now saving for a pair! Everyone in the HiFi store who heard what was coming out was simply blown away, as was I!

I can definately confirm that Hess headphones really need excellent quality source and amplification to really show what they are capable of, I can now see why people rave about these headphones.. Very very impressed indeed!

How long is the fully burn in period approximately?

The fellow in the store reckons with the 800's a good 300 hours are needed!

ou..thats a lot. Further the change will maybe not so visible because I am using them everyday. Fortunately I already like them a lot. Nevertheless thanks for your answer :)

I agree, it is a lot, about the same for my Denon's as well. I tend to listen while burn in then one just gets to the point one day where everything just seems to click and your in bliss !

They have burned in around thirty of the 800's but reckon most of the headphones they sell regardless of make require a similar amount to really shine!

As I can see you also have a lot of headphones:) Me too, not a lot lot but enough. And I change a lot. For this reason, yeahh there are moments where I really want to use the HD800 and then I am everytime overwhelmed by the sound :) But this also happens with the T1 or the 880's, depending of the music of course.

 

Maybe I have to lend them to someone with the aim to burn in :).

Complete hogwash.  They tell you these things because either A) they hope you'll adapt to the sound, and/or B) because once that time is up they will no longer take it back.  This is the oldest hi-fi salesman trick in the book.

 

I have never heard a single change in my HD800 from day 1, until now almost 2 years later, other than the differences caused by the various DACs, amps, (and possibly headphone cables) I've had.

 

I happen to love my HD800, but if you don't take them back and get your money back.  Don't wait for some magical thing to happen that won't.  Any differences that could possibly occur from burn-in on a transducer (which they don't, but I'll humor you) would be so minor as to be immeasurable.  It's all in your head.  Otherwise, headphone companies would burn-in their drivers first before shipping out their headphones and in the case of the HD800, provide custom frequency plots for each pair.  What Sennheiser does do however with the HD800 is match the drivers to within 0.5dB.

 

Edited by IPodPJ - 3/25/11 at 3:24am

Oh that's such a pity, though I guess you know your own ears best.
 

 

 

Are you doubting the 300 hour time frame or the fact that mechanical things will "break-in" (call it "burn-in" if you like) with use.   I can understand questioning the 300 hours but it is hard to imagine a mechanical system (that's what speakers large and small are) that does not have some change in its behavior (i.e. how it sounds) as it is used for the first time.  The most noticeable break-in sound change I have experienced with headphones was with the AKG 701's that I still own.   Unless Sennheiser does a run-in of each pair of HD-800's before they are sold then I would expect some change in them due to using them.   Since I bought my 800's used (they were used for about 1 year) I cannot comment on how much the sound changes with use.

 

Err,I do not agree with you on so many  counts but the one I will blast your argument out of the water with is the salesman trick!

 

The salesman knew I was not ready to purchase. When I made my initial comments he had a listen and realised the phones were fresh out of the box. He immediately plugged them into an amp and cd player and told me to come back in a week as he was going to burn them in. I came back, He still knew I was not in the position to purchase but still wanted me to hear them which I did and there was a substantial difference in sound, from flat and lifeless to dynamic and engaging. The only thing he had done was burn them in!

 

So to say it was the salesman doing tricks is nonsense,he made no money out of me,knows it will be some time before I am ready to purchase, all he wanted to do was make sure I heard them at their best. If you hear no difference, fine and Dandy!
 

 

Edited by ianmedium - 3/25/11 at 9:18am

So true...

 

... many, if not most, never hear the optimum sound of the phones they try, because they never hear them with a really well matched source and amp. 

 

With a matched source and amp (and maybe a few tweaks), "new version" HD580/600/650, and HD800's can sound as good, or better, than Stax phones (depending upon the setup).  It's a fact - I experienced with the 007t II.  Few, if any, would have thought the O2's sounded better, I assure you (even the Stax junkies).

 

Unfortunately, it may take a few sources and amps to find a good match, but you will get there, if you try.  But... it's way, way less costly, than having to spend $4,000-5,000+ to get the optimum sound out of O2's... and... you can come very close for way less.
 

 

Edited by Gradofan2 - 3/25/11 at 5:14pm

Fixed.

 

You cant make a dynamic sound like an electrostatic. When u asked what amp would make the O2s sound more dynamic, you made it obvious where your preferences stand Gradofan2. Dynamics arent that hard to drive and no dynamic i heard in the SF meet with their complete setup, such as K1000, R10, HD800, HE6, LCD 2, etc etc sounded at all like the O2. So I cant say I recommend a dynamic over an electrostatic b/c one "sounds better." Doesn't make sense. And no, the AD2000s are NOT a substitute for the O2s. They don't sound alike at all.

No dynamics make it sound as if music is coming out of thin air. Dynamics no matter the cost and the amp will sound pressured. Music sounds like its coming from drivers no matter what. People should take a chance to experience how electrostatics sound. Your comments are misleading
Edited by wind016 - 3/25/11 at 11:34pm