[rgs9200m]

I may be repeating myself, but after a few good tries with others, I find the Sennheiser CH800S balanced cable to be the best, letting the HD800 be the HD800, and the highs that sometimes bothered me are somehow ameliorated.
There is a bit more fullness, and the wince-factor (sometimes unconscious) is gone. (Maybe a better term was Fear Factor.)
This cable "deals" with the highs while keeping the bass extremely solid and transparent.
Sometimes (actually often) a cable that tames highs can make the bass a little slow, opaque, and even a little nauseating. (I'm very sensitive to loose bass.)
I even like the stock cord, but not as much as the balanced one. I'm really liking my HD800 now. 
This is with a few different amps.

 

[pearljam50000]

Has anyone compared the K712 to HD800? I've read the K712 "is a poor man's HD800" so i wonder how close they are...

 

[frankrondaniel]

 
I am very happy with mine. I don't know how, but it seemed like the cable tamed the high and brought some more "omph" to the bass without sacrificing soundstage. It might all be placebo of course, I just wanted a nice and shorter cable than stock 

Happy with the effect nonetheless!

I've been happy with mine as well - same experience as you've expressed.  We must be sharing the same placebo!

 

[holyindian]

i am sure this question must have been asked over a hundred times on this forum and on this thread.. but again.. this thread is huge, and i did peek around, but guys, i hear a lot of noise over how people conduct intensive research on getting the right amp for this headphone, whats the tried and tested amp out there and people in one voice can say is the best for this.
Could you give me two options for both cheap and expensive. I mean right now i want to get something thats below 300 dollars, but at a later stage probably in 6 months i want to get something thats the best for this price no bar.

 

[spurxiii]

So I've ordered these and the wait begins for them to arrive. I guess these cans are something all of us on this journey need to try in our lives.

With these I need to upgrade my DAC and amp and plan on getting an Audio Gd NFB1 and Audio GD NFB6. Any other suggestions on how to spend roughly $1k on an amp and DAC for the HD800?

 

[Maxvla]

Has anyone compared the K712 to HD800? I've read the K712 "is a poor man's HD800" so i wonder how close they are...

Not very. The signature is different. Detail retrieval is nowhere close, and the soundstage is more L/R than deep forward as well as L/R. They also aren't all that comfortable.

 

[Maxvla]

i am sure this question must have been asked over a hundred times on this forum and on this thread.. but again.. this thread is huge, and i did peek around, but guys, i hear a lot of noise over how people conduct intensive research on getting the right amp for this headphone, whats the tried and tested amp out there and people in one voice can say is the best for this.
Could you give me two options for both cheap and expensive. I mean right now i want to get something thats below 300 dollars, but at a later stage probably in 6 months i want to get something thats the best for this price no bar.

Schiit Vali $119
Eddie Current Leviathan $7000+

That should meet the criteria

 

[Mcberto]

  i am sure this question must have been asked over a hundred times on this forum and on this thread.. but again.. this thread is huge, and i did peek around, but guys, i hear a lot of noise over how people conduct intensive research on getting the right amp for this headphone, whats the tried and tested amp out there and people in one voice can say is the best for this.
Could you give me two options for both cheap and expensive. I mean right now i want to get something thats below 300 dollars, but at a later stage probably in 6 months i want to get something thats the best for this price no bar.

 
I would say Schiit Valhalla 2 and Wyrd + Modi for you best bang for your buck under $700.
 
The Schiit Vali is also great for the price. 
 
For right now, on a $300 budget. Can't go wrong with Vali, Modi, and Wyrd for the price and performance.

 

[holyindian]

Schiit Vali $119
Eddie Current Leviathan $7000+

That should meet the criteria

Cool, thats good info.
I am sorry i should've had added my low's and high's budget.
The lowest/cheap is 400 dollars anything below that if is really sounding good helps. the highest is 1300
 
I was reading about the V200 but does it actually require the v800 to work that well?
How about the senn's very own HDVD800 (cannot do that now, maybe later if it works really well).
Any other inputs guys. Buying this headphone itself did take me a lot of courage, now getting an amp thats equal or more the price is like total crucification for me.

 

[Maxvla]

I thought the V200/V800 stack sounded good and the V200 on its own was fine as well. I do think they are overpriced, though. To me they sounded like $500-600 components which are actually $1000+.

 

[zilch0md]

  [snip]
 
Buying this headphone itself did take me a lot of courage, now getting an amp thats equal or more the price is like total crucification for me.

 
Welcome, brother!  You've opened a can of caviar that will become addicting.  
 
The HD800 is a bottomless pit that continues to reward the more you spend on improving the signal quality.  Like no other headphone, it will scale with your wallet.  My advice is to spend big early on (whatever that amount happens to be for your budget) so that you will spend less in the long run. In other words, skip the Vali, for example - as tempting as that might be. 
 
I've been making improvements to my HD800 chain since I first got it last December - precisely because I'm a tight wad and don't want to lay out the big bucks to do this headphone justice.  I'm not there yet (will I ever be?), but with each improvement, I realize the HD800 has more to offer.
 
If you're lucky, you'll have a high tolerance / preference for what the HD800 sounds like with inexpensive amps.  Whatever you do, don't go to any meets where people are using amps like the Cavali Liquid Glass or an Eddie Current design with the HD800.  It will haunt you.
 

 
Mike 

 

[spurxiii]

I thought the V200/V800 stack sounded good and the V200 on its own was fine as well. I do think they are overpriced, though. To me they sounded like $500-600 components which are actually $1000+.

If that was a recommendation for me I'm not sold with that last sentence of yours

Seriously, I need DAC + amp recommendations for around $1k any help appreciated. If not I'm just going to go grab the Audio GD NFB1 and NFB6

 

[MickeyVee]

From what I've been reading, Bifrost Uber & Valhalla 2.  I had the Bifrost Uber and could have lived with it for a very long time but HeadFi upgraditius got to me. Do a search on Purrin's post on HD800 amps. The Valhalla rates up there.
Quote:

Seriously, I need DAC + amp recommendations for around $1k any help appreciated. If not I'm just going to go grab the Audio GD NFB1 and NFB6

 

[spurxiii]

 

Thanks!!!

 

[zilch0md]

@spurxiii 
 
and
 
@holyindian
 
Quote:

 

From what I've been reading, Bifrost Uber & Valhalla 2.  I had the Bifrost Uber and could have lived with it for a very long time but HeadFi upgraditius got to me. Do a search on Purrin's post on HD800 amps. The Valhalla rates up there.

 
I agree - from having had the Valhalla 2 and having read a lot about the Bifrost Uber, I'd say that's one of the best chains you could get for the HD800, keeping it under $1000, total.