[longbowbbs]

Quote:

Close call there.  She needed the closed back phones anyway...Can't have the HD800's disrupting the play.

Excellent point!

 

[MomijiTMO]

really?! Good to know. I thought Beta with hd800 would have been hard to beat. keep us updated. 

I prefer the GS-1 over the B22 with the HD800. A lot of people sold the HD800 if going by that pairing alone.

 

[brokenthumb]

The HD800 laughs at everything I throw at it.  Listening to Pantera's "Far Beyond Driven" and it's like "is that all you got!"  These things never become confused on anything.  I'm thinking of loading up some Napalm Death next

 

[myc]

HD800 says: "So you only want to spend that much on source/amp, huh? You better throw me out of window 

"

 

[brokenthumb]

No problem with Napalm Death either, everything is nicely separated.  I've yet to find any type of music the HD800 doesn't do well.  A true "Master of All Trades" to my ears.

 

[Solude]

Yep completely agree.  I'd almost go as far as to say that if you don't like the HD800 it's the other pieces in the chain you actually don't like
 
In my case my first attempt was with a Stello DA220 MK2 and a B22... meh.  Second attempt W4S DAC-2 and Apex Peak... ugh.  Now with the PWD2 and Soloist

 

[Cante Ista]

Quote:

HD800 says: "So you only want to spend that much on source/amp, huh? You better throw me out of window 

"

you can totally get enjoy the HD800 with a reasonably priced gear. For a while I was listening to it via the DNA Sonett and PS Audio DL3 and it sounded very nice. You dont need to blow your entire pay check or house to enjoy your HD800

 

[palmfish]

My friend came by with his Violectric V200 and Woo Audio WA7 today. They sounded basically the same to me. My friend is a professional sound engineer and he claims to hear differences in micro detail, but I couldnt detect the subtle differences he described.

He also brought his Beyer T90 and HD600 - both sounded bloated on my Carver - the T90 was absolutely awful - so muddy and bloated!

All the headphones sounded great on the V200

For grins, we moved the V200 down to my home theater and compared it to the headphone output of my Pioneer Elite Class D AVR. Damned if I could tell any difference between them. Again, my friend pointed out some microscopic differences he could detect (the decay of a banjo pluck being minutely tighter defined on the V200 and more blurred on my Pioneer) but i couldnt hear it.

I am reminded that most of the talk about amps and DACs here is pure hyperbole. I'm not saying differences don't exist, only that they are very subtle (or undetectable) to a casual listener. I've been an audiophile for 40 years but I definitely don't squint my eyes and play a 10 sec piece of banjo solo for 15 minutes to critique the amount of ringing I detect...LOL. After listening to the V200 (which is arguably a reference level headamp) back-to-back with my Jack of all Trades home theater receiver (with an unknown spec built-in headphone jack) I am more convinced than ever that I dont need an expensive head amp to make the HD800 sound good.

And I have fallen in love with the HD800 - it is an incredible headphone that reproduces music like no other I have ever heard. It's balanced, musical, true to the source, fun, and open/airy all at once. No frequencies or colors jump out or draw attention - it's just an organic, natural sounding headphone. So now im thinking i will either find a good quality SS headamp and DAC to place next to my Carver, or move my Carver to my office system and replace it with a modern integrated amp with a good sounding built-in headphone output.

 

[TooPoor]

 Ready... V200 v. Soloist... GO!
 
 I know they've been both been covered, but can anyone who has both give me their experiences having owned both?

 

[preproman]

My HD800 B22/(PWD2-Master 7) sounds pretty good to me..  

 

[Cante Ista]

Quote:

My HD800 B22/(PWD2-Master 7) sounds pretty good to me..  

now you;re just confusing me Preproman! 

 
but seriously, I wonder if we can figure out  what's at play that is creating this difference of opinion

 

[preproman]

Quote:

now you;re just confusing me Preproman! 

 
but seriously, I wonder if we can figure out  what's at play that is creating this difference of opinion. 

 
 
It's that I never heard the Soloist.  So I can't compare..

 

[Cante Ista]

Quote:

 
 
It's that I never heard the Soloist.  So I can't compare

Well, I have heard that the BETA sound was almost tubby which I would suspect is a perfect match for the HD800. But then again, I dont know much about mosfelt and whosiwhatsit matching so perhaps there is more to the story 

 

[preproman]

Quote:

Well, I have heard that the BETA sound was almost tubby which I would suspect is a perfect match for the HD800. But then again, I dont know much about mosfelt and whosiwhatsit matching so perhaps there is more to the story 

 
 
I'll tell you what - That darn Master 7 helps with the detail retrieval more so than the PWD2 and the m51.  So far...

 

[Solude]

Weird Shahrose felt the PWD2 had better detail and smoother delivery but less bass and stage size than the M7.