[ethan7000]

Given the price the lcd3 should sound the best. I heard all those at the Atlanta meet, and IMO the lcd3 was only marginally better than the lcd2. There would be no way that I'd pay that much extra money for it TBH. There were aspects about the lcd2 signature that I actually liked better. 

^ agreed. Though HD800 or even HE500 over both for me.

 

[MattTCG]

Dang, the hd800 is just one hp that I haven't gotten to spend any time with. Some day....

 

[Makiah S]

  Dang, the hd800 is just one hp that I haven't gotten to spend any time with. Some day....

U could sell all ur stuff and finally dive into it! 

 

[MattTCG]

There's just no way that I'd make that kind of blind leap without a weeks audition first. I just can't seem to find anyone who'll swap hp's with me for a week. 

 

[Fearless1]

  There's just no way that I'd make that kind of blind leap without a weeks audition first. I just can't seem to find anyone who'll swap hp's with me for a week. 

I spent a week with them, at first listen I was wondering why anyone in their right mind would like them, was very cold and sterile sounding to my ears (almost too accurate), but yet I was drawn to them for some reason, by day three I was loving what I heard.  The sound absolutely comes from the front and back of you rather then the sides . The bass is accurate, tight and controlled, nothing I own comes close to them in that respect. The sound stage was massive. The highs were a bit cold and sterile to my ears, but I just came off an Lcd-2 kick for like two months.
 
I did not have that moment of chills when a good vocal comes in the way the 650/Lcd-2 hits me every so often, but I definitely liked them a bunch and almost pulled off a major trade(lots of my collection) for them. I am glad he changed his mind, once I got back the loaned Lcd-2 it was like seeing an old friend, I missed the warmth and intimacy of the vocals and the(maybe a tad inaccurate) bass and mids.
 
No other head phone I have ever owned/heard has the precision of presentation that I heard while auditioning the HD800, but like I said I did not have that "moment where the hairs stand up" that I get from some of my other cans.

 

[Mad Lust Envy]

I really wanna try the HD800, probably more than the TH900.

 

[MattTCG]

  I spent a week with them, at first listen I was wondering why anyone in their right mind would like them, was very cold and sterile sounding to my ears (almost too accurate), but yet I was drawn to them for some reason, by day three I was loving what I heard.  The sound absolutely comes from the front and back of you rather then the sides . The bass is accurate, tight and controlled, nothing I own comes close to them in that respect. The sound stage was massive. The highs were a bit cold and sterile to my ears, but I just came off an Lcd-2 kick for like two months.
 
I did not have that moment of chills when a good vocal comes in the way the 650/Lcd-2 hits me every so often, but I definitely liked them a bunch and almost pulled off a major trade(lots of my collection) for them. I am glad he changed his mind, once I got back the loaned Lcd-2 it was like seeing an old friend, I missed the warmth and intimacy of the vocals and the(maybe a tad inaccurate) bass and mids.
 
No other head phone I have ever owned/heard has the precision of presentation that I heard while auditioning the HD800, but like I said I did not have that "moment where the hairs stand up" that I get from some of my other cans.

This is basically why I haven't gone after the hd800. The most important part of the signature is the mids. Vocals are the things that really do it for me, followed by deep extended bass with good texture. Treble is by far the least important aspect for me. I like treble that is a touch darker. With all that said, the 650 is right in my wheel house. 

 

[mlxx]

  This is basically why I haven't gone after the hd800. The most important part of the signature is the mids. Vocals are the things that really do it for me, followed by deep extended bass with good texture. Treble is by far the least important aspect for me. I like treble that is a touch darker. With all that said, the 650 is right in my wheel house.

 
There is no contest between the HD650 and the HD800 IMO. Mids are too lush for me on the HD650 and the HD800 has much better bass.
I think the HD800 is my 2nd favorite headphone now behind the LCD3. They had the HD800 on the Abyss balanced setup. Didn't get a good look at it at the time but I tracked down a pic of it on the net.
 
https://fbcdn-sphotos-d-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-prn2/q71/s720x720/988315_562488163822292_850570795_n.jpg
 
Looks like the Cavalli Liquid Gold, it sounded great. I also listened to it at the Senn room on the Senn amp but didn't like it there that much. Too bad there was no Hifiman or Stax to listen to. When I got home, still felt satisfied with the HE400, but would love both the LCD3 and HD800.

 

[TMRaven]

There is no contest for me between the HD650 and HD800 either.  HD650 is the much better tonal experience.

 

[ethan7000]

There is no contest for me between the HD650 and HD800 either.  HD650 is the much better tonal experience.

If it's all about the mids, I could see that. Don't see them as being in the same class personally because of the "out of head" experience and supremely natural sound coming from the 800 (slight treble annoyance aside).

https://fbcdn-sphotos-d-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-prn2/q71/s720x720/988315_562488163822292_850570795_n.jpg

There is so much that's disturbing about this picture

 

[mlxx]

  There is no contest for me between the HD650 and HD800 either.  HD650 is the much better tonal experience.

 
Can't say I liked it much before either. Heard it on a Burson 160d and on the Senn amp and didn't like it... but this time it was magic.

 

[MrMateoHead]

  The new research by harmon says something like a diagonal line sloping downward 10db from 20hz to 20khz is ideal, but as to what kind of compensation, I have no idea.  

That's what I am talking about!
 
Downward sloping - not really, because a flat midrange is still desirable. The closest thing I can think of that I have actually heard was the Andrew Jones wireless speaker + subwoofer. The thing actually sounds amazing for what it is, and it has a definite downward sloping line. It is definitely a tad bass heavy at times, but has a real rich sound. Jones did work for Harmon I believe. I definitely want to get my hands on his Pioneer speakers - I have a feeling they would be amazing in a small / medium sized room.

 

[MrMateoHead]

The Sennheiser Momentum FR....  


Almost the same except for the bass boost....

About 20dB down at 4 khz! Yikes. That phone is more scooped out than the HE-400s and probably is a little too treble light. I would love to hear them, but I would assume they are going to seem a little too rich and polite. However, the relatively flat response from 10hz-1khz is pretty impressive for a dynamic.

 

[TMRaven]

   
Can't say I liked it much before either. Heard it on a Burson 160d and on the Senn amp and didn't like it... but this time it was magic.

 
 
Yeah that's the thing I'm afraid of, having to spend my whole life trying to find an amp that I find the best with the HD800, haha.  Its comfort is really, really great though.

 

[nicholars]

  About 20dB down at 4 khz! Yikes. That phone is more scooped out than the HE-400s and probably is a little too treble light. I would love to hear them, but I would assume they are going to seem a little too rich and polite. However, the relatively flat response from 10hz-1khz is pretty impressive for a dynamic.

 
They are pretty damn good actually.... More like around 8db down but with that random dip there, can't say I noticed it though... To me they were just about right with the frequency response... Maybe could be a couple DB more upper mids and treble... I left the EQ flat on the Momentums except for a small bass boost for EDM.... However the ear cups are tiny and the lack of soundstage and small sound compared to full size headphones ruined it for me.... If they were 50% bigger and had twice the soundstage size they would be around equal with the HE400 for sound quality overall.