If HD800 And T1 Are Overpriced, What Are The Cheaper Alternatives That Compete With These Two... - Page 4

I have the hd595, srh940, hd800. If my budget was restricted, I  think I  would have been happy with the srh940 only.

For me the top reason (not saying there are not others)  to prefer the hd800 to the  srh940, is that is sounds much cleaner.

But this reason becomes a moot point, when you have a noisy air conditioner running in background.

Re. the question in this thread's title, the HiFiMAN HE-500 or Sennheiser HD 700 could be worth a try, though some may argue that they aren't in the same 'league' as the HD 800 and T1.

Edit: I'd actually recommend the Sennheiser HD 600 as well. Though I have the HD 800, I can happily listen to the HD 600, which seems to play any audio with excellence. 

Flagships are cheap, given the fact that the company need to survive, and there are development cost in count. I also believe the profit margin from flagships aren't like that much from lower model.

T1 vs DT880. Treble compensation of T1 is in a little less aggressive way than 880, midrange is fuller, bass is much stronger with quality and depth. 3D, resolution and separation of T1 is really a step up from 880. You get what you paid for after all, yet I still admire 880 a lot, thinking of its value today, it's a nice pair of mid level cans.

And does that difference in quality warrant such a difference in price? Enjoyment is invaluable. It's like if it's worth it to drink a Grand Cru than a Village wine? For something that would probably last lifetime long and I myself liked it so much - I think it worth. But hey - we are listening to the music, not the apparatus. Like that we are enjoying the meal, and even a "daily" table wine won't decrease the happiness of it. I always lost myself in good music - and the props ain't that much important.

P.S. - My mate and I joke with the fact that SR-009 is cheap, just look at the development cost - it's the company itself!

What's more powerful: Placebo/expectations of a higher end can; or the notion that mid-fi can get you 'most' of the way there at a fraction of the cost? That's a two-way street. There's a reason I have extensive feedback despite my short time in this hobby: I'm willing to try things firsthand at quite a cost to myself to find better sound-within my budget. Placebo be damned. I enjoyed the AD2K much more than the HE6 for instance. I've owned the T1 alongside the DT 880 (and an accurate SPL meter btw) and there is no comparison, objectively or subjectively, within my rig.

Back OT, I'd highly recommend the AD2000 or the Pro 2900 which imo are a step above the DT 880 and K70x, quite a step I might add for a fraction of the price.

-Daniel

Quote:

Originally Posted by Magick Man 

Is the objective ~10% difference worth the $1000 extra expense?

only ....

Well , in comparison I  think the  hd800 have obvious qualities, that help to defend better such purchase. Off course, it's still the most efficient way I've ever found in my life to burn some money. Even my relatively high end IPS  screen is cheaper.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Magick Man 


Not really, mine was a blind test. What people hear, for the most part, is the difference in volume.
SPL ratings, per HeadRoom:
DT880 600 - 96 dB
T1 - 102 dB
That's quite noticeable, I'd say. Now, I could tell a difference beyond volume, but it was subtle. If a person were to test them apart and at different times, they'd have a tough time distinguishing them. Is the objective ~10% difference worth the $1000 extra expense? It very well could be, and I wouldn't fault anyone for doing it, but I wasn't enamored with them enough to go that route.

 Again-I volume matched them. :) Not that it really mattered, since even at lower volumes the T1 was a clear winner. Also, I'm not sure if it's an objective 10%-more like a 30% jump I'd say. Either way-agree to disagree. I'd still wager a lot of it comes down to system synergy as well, and obviously the subjective opinions trump all else in the end.

-Daniel

Magik Man makes a good point about how louder volumes can impact perception of quality, but in my case I'd say it was closer to about 20-30% improvement over the 880s, which to me is very significant. As others have said, though, whether paying a premium for that sort of improvement is worth it is a matter of personal choice..

I  know that louder  often sounds better,  but I  think if you have to match the same volume on two headphone  to be sure of what are the differences,

then it's definitely not worth it to get the expensive model.

Personally if the HD800 is over priced and should be between 500 and 1000 and the T1 is in the same boat I would second Brainfood's comments and recommendation of the SRH-1440 first (I prefer my can's to be mid forward thus the 1440 getting my first nod, well that and the fact it's $400 vs $700 for the SRH-1840) followed by the SRH1840 (the more neutral of the two headphones).  I think both of these are capable of sounding great with minimal to NO effort as compared to the more finicky T1 and really finicky HD800. The only thing I suggest in getting a tube or mid-centric amp for the 1840 but that may me just me wanting to brings it's mids more forward ;). I have heard the T1 several times and while I do like it alot I do like both Shures better. The HD800 when properly driven though is a step up from the Shures but not a 2+ times step up in my opinion.

Quote:

Originally Posted by dweaver 

The HD800 when properly driven though is a step up from the Shures but not a 2+ times step up in my opinion.

You mean the srh1840 is almost as good as the hd800 ?

Frankly I  know the hd800 are overpriced, I  got some money to burn, and I  wanted to be familiar with what the top sennheiser could offer.

I tested the hd800 at the store,  and it's almost if I  would flip a coin to decide to keep  them. In one hand they offer an improvement, in the other that improvement is not big enough compared to the price. The hd800  is not even flawless regarding  balance, neutrality, and there's absolutely no accessories.

Regarding the "propely driven" HD800, I  don't think that the HD800  are hard to drive, despite what a lot of snob people are saying.

 

I am going on the premise of the OP's original post as much as anything and as such I think the SRH-1440 at $400 is best cheaper alternative. But if neutral is what a person wants, I would say the SRH-1840 offers a lot of the qualities people like in the HD800 for less than half the price. As to whether the extra "quality" of the HD800 is worth twice the price, only the OP or yourself if your considering it can say. I do know that I was not a fan of the SRH-1840 when I first got them to review but since I paired them up with the tube amp I have been trying out I have to say I am amazed at how good they sound. I can't really say they are as good as or better than the HD800 or even how close they come as I don't have pair of HD800 on hand but I may see if I can borrow a friends pair or even just spend an hour at his place using his amp for the HD800 and the 1840 plus the amp I have been using on the 1840 (probably only for the 1840) to see how they stack up now that I have found something with the right synergy. Extranigmehdi, I can't remember, have you alreay tried the SRH-1840 or 1440? I know you have or had the SRH-940. I find that both open headphones boast a bit more bass which is where the 940 was the weakest (the 940 certainly was not as good as the HD800 anyway, BD T1 was close to the same for bass as the 940 though).

Quote:

Originally Posted by dweaver 

Extranigmehdi, I can't remember, have you alreay tried the SRH-1840 or 1440? I know you have or had the SRH-940. I find that both open headphones boast a bit more bass which is where the 940 was the weakest (the 940 certainly was not as good as the HD800 anyway, BD T1 was close to the same for bass as the 940 though).

 No , I bought the hd800, because it was available in  a store on my local area,  but it was not possible for the me to get quickly the srh1840. I  agree that the srh940 are not as good a the hd800, but they offer different qualities ("energetic" highs) , and quite some enjoyment for the bucks.

Quote:

Bass in srh940 is not as bad as some people describe it, it  just doesn't satisfy people that put their priority on bass. 
I think if the srh1840 offers : better soundstage, very clean and more detailed  sound, this would justify their purchase.