Did HD800 fail? Poll: HD650 or HD800(vote only if you have listened to both) - Page 11

Quote:

Originally Posted by grokit 

When is the HD850 going to be announced?

If the HD850 will be to the HD800 what the HD650 is to the HD600, then I think it will be a tremendous success. I hope Senn has begun working on them!

Care to imagine what they would be priced at? $2k? 

Glad i got a pair of 800's before they mess with them to address a few complaints.  Must say that i can somewhat relate though when putting on the stock cables again, they get a little bit shrill with silver coated.  Guess with the silver and a budget source i may feel the same but with matching they come alive and are actually extremely involving.

˄ If the complaints include a shoddy stock cable maybe they will address that? As I've said before if cables make a notable difference you would think headphone manufacturers would incorporate them, especially with their flagship headphones!

Quote:

Originally Posted by grokit 

When is the HD850 going to be announced?

And I'm hoping they come out with the HD725.  There needs to be a middle tier.  

Quote:

Originally Posted by johnwmclean 

I have listened at home for long extended periods with my own equipment the following phones,

HD600
HD650
K701
DT880
K1000 light and bass heavy
HE-6

With the exception of the HE-6, the HD800 is clearly a higher fidelity headphone. Some people may prefer a phone like the HD650 because they like it's character and sound signature and there's nothing wrong with that. My opinion the HD800 is a BETTER phone sonically, with a clearer window to the live event.

 

I now have in house the LCD-2, within an hour of listening the HD800 are clearly dethroned.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Graphicism 

˄ If the complaints include a shoddy stock cable maybe they will address that? As I've said before if cables make a notable difference you would think headphone manufacturers would incorporate them, especially with their flagship headphones!

They were trying to address the constant complaints about the 650s being veiled.  Most people, including me, got silver plated cable to open them up.  I think Senn was trying to get something that sounded incredibly clear and transparent, which is what they did but with the silver plated cable it just pushed it over the edge for me.  I did miss the transparency a bit when i switched over but the rich fullness of sound and the softening of the edge was worth it to me.  It also sounded like the bass got a bit more robust.  When i go back to stock i like it for the first five minutes for what it is but then go back to my DHC Complements, which are actually pretty thick and heavy but the sound is really sweet.

Quote:

Originally Posted by dallan 

I think Senn was trying to get something that sounded incredibly clear and transparent, which is what they did but with the silver plated cable it just pushed it over the edge for me.

I thought the HD800 used the same copper cable found on the HD600s?

Quote:

Originally Posted by Uncle Erik 

Quote:

Originally Posted by Graphicism 

I thought the HD800 used the same copper cable found on the HD600s?

No, it's quite different. I can't find it now, but I remember reading that Sennheiser put some effort into building a cable that would please cable people. Of course, it gets lumped in as "stock junk," anyway. But if some aftermarket company started selling one just like it for $500, it would get heaps of praise. It is a very nicely made cable and I love how it feels like an antique cloth-wrapped wire.

Specifications for both HD600 and HD800 say Kevlar reinforced, OFC copper cable. Which does sound quite hefty, however I remember reading the HD650 cable was an upgrade for the HD600...

If Sennheiser believe cables make a difference why don't they, or any headphone manufacturer, sell upgrade cables considering how many people feel the need to upgrade? Furthermore if they change the headphone considerably they could sell they same headphone with different cables offering multiple options; i.e. cable 1 for more bass, cable 2 for soundstage, cable 3 for balance and so on... a lot of people skip on the HD800 because it's not bass-driven, this would be a way for them to capture more of the market... if indeed it does make a difference.

Quote:

Originally Posted by johnwmclean 

I now have in house the LCD-2, within an hour of listening the HD800 are clearly dethroned.

 

...and at 61min you put the Senns up for sale .

Quote:

Originally Posted by fishski13 

...and at 61min you put the Senns up for sale .

 

lol. Yes indeed I have. With the HE-6 I feel it is a side ways step, not as neutral as the HD800, but it does have some nice qualities that are clearly different/preferable with some music. The LCD-2 clearly outlines “the peak” in the HD800, natural sounds are simply more real life, it’s now my strong favourite.

Quote:

Originally Posted by dallan 

They were trying to address the constant complaints about the 650s being veiled.  Most people, including me, got silver plated cable to open them up.  I think Senn was trying to get something that sounded incredibly clear and transparent, which is what they did but with the silver plated cable it just pushed it over the edge for me.  I did miss the transparency a bit when i switched over but the rich fullness of sound and the softening of the edge was worth it to me.  It also sounded like the bass got a bit more robust.  When i go back to stock i like it for the first five minutes for what it is but then go back to my DHC Complements, which are actually pretty thick and heavy but the sound is really sweet.

Well here's where I think a lot of HD800 arguments come from.  Clear =/= transparent.  More rich fullness can mean more transparency if a headphone is not producing the rich fullness that is in a recording.  A sense of clarity can come from coloration, which is not transparent.

Quote:

Originally Posted by rhythmdevils 

Well here's where I think a lot of HD800 arguments come from.  Clear =/= transparent.  More rich fullness can mean more transparency if a headphone is not producing the rich fullness that is in a recording.  A sense of clarity can come from coloration, which is not transparent.

i've not heard the HD800, but often 'transparent' sounding rigs sound tonally bleached and pixelated to my ears.

Hush your mouth....

I found the LCD-2 with the stock cable to have a hard front edge which made percussion stand out. In fact it put the drums in front of the band in the sound stage.

Also, the notes seemed to lose substance and body.

The Norse Audio 8 conductor cable made the phones a completely different animal. The notes still had the attack, but had body, and the vocal realism gained a far more cohesive prominence.

The treble is still slightly muted, but yet there.

The problem I had with the AT AD2000's I owned was that the midrange was glorious but there was no high end.

The LCD-2 has as good, if not better midrange and the high end could be a couple dB higher, but nothing to complain about.