The (new) HD800 Impressions Thread

[Hansotek]

I'd take LCD-X above Edition X any day. More musical, way more refined bass.

Agreed. HEX is not very impressive for the price. Which is pretty ironic, given that it is supposed to be a "budget" HEK.

 

[etc6849]

I did some tests using the Oppo HA-1 phono unbalanced and UR22mkII for mic input.  I did several runs, each run is a slightly different seating, and these are more centered.  Some runs show phase anomalies when the mic isn't perpendicular to the driver of the HD800.
 
Distortion is lower, but still seeing 2nd harmonic distortion, although some would say 2-3% is decent at 20Hz.  Note that the dB level is not calibrated.
 
https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B1J0a4OV_WGLd1E1eXpFRElkSFk

Download REW to view file:  http://www.roomeqwizard.com/

 

[jibzilla]

Agreed. HEX is not very impressive for the price. Which is pretty ironic, given that it is supposed to be a "budget" HEK.

 
The Lcd-X would be what I call the weakest out of my 3 headphones but it is still pretty darn good. I would say the headphones I own are all within a couple of percent of each other and more different flavors than one is better. I like the Lcd-x with electronic and rap.

 

[fjrabon]

The Lcd-X would be what I call the weakest out of my 3 headphones but it is still pretty darn good. I would say the headphones I own are all within a couple of percent of each other and more different flavors than one is better. I like the Lcd-x with electronic and rap.

I thought the HEX was incredible except it had a very soft leading edge that I just couldn't adjust to. It's incredibly easy to listen to and non-fatiguing though. But it just didn't engage me with the music. The LCDX I found lacking in soundstage and s touch off the others in resolution, but otherwise very good.

 

[bosiemoncrieff]

I've been toying with LCDX. I would get it for solo piano and very small ensembles, as well as making older/poorly recorded recordings sound better. Obviously it can't compete with HD800 in terms of soundstage, neutrality, detail retrieval, etc.

 

[shultzee]

  I've been toying with LCDX. I would get it for solo piano and very small ensembles, as well as making older/poorly recorded recordings sound better. Obviously it can't compete with HD800 in terms of soundstage, neutrality, detail retrieval, etc.

Had LCDx and have HD800 .  I agree with your summary 100%

 

[Hansotek]

I've been toying with LCDX. I would get it for solo piano and very small ensembles, as well as making older/poorly recorded recordings sound better. Obviously it can't compete with HD800 in terms of soundstage, neutrality, detail retrieval, etc.

I'm surprised you're not going for a boss speaker amp instead, given you now have the HE-6 and the K1K.

 

[bosiemoncrieff]

I'm surprised you're not going for a boss speaker amp instead, given you now have the HE-6 and the K1K.

What specific models do you recommend?

 

[Hansotek]

What specific models do you recommend?

I'd ask ohhgourami in the HE-6 thread. He knows way more about speaker amps than I do.

 

[bosiemoncrieff]

I'd ask @ohhgourami in the HE-6 thread. He knows way more about speaker amps than I do.

That thread always makes me feel inadequate. The disdain for less exotic systems and disbelief that someone could enjoy them has put me off.

 

[Hansotek]

That thread always makes me feel inadequate. The disdain for less exotic systems and disbelief that someone could enjoy them has put me off.

No worries, there are some strong opinions in there. I get where you are coming from.

 

[Zoom25]

Speaking of speaker amps, anyone here have good experience with Class D and HD 800?

 

[ruthieandjohn]

I'm new to headphones, but really into high-end audio and acoustics.  Just bought a pair of new HD800 (old model not sure how to pluralize it).  My Serial number is 459xx where xx is a secret two digit number.

I attempted to measure my HD800 headphones.  I realize this is half a$$ed, but I'm not going to buy a $10k+ setup to measure my first pair of real headphones.  I used my Steinberg UR22mkII and Earthworks M30 mic to measure the HD800, but had to set gain all the way up on the phono jack as shown. Using RoomEQ (REW) with no curve smoothing at all.  After measuring my acoustical treated room probably 50-100 times, never seen such a clean measurement!

Absolutely could not get a "spike" at 6kHz (in this one position).  Of course, this is probably expected as I'm using foam and it should do a decent job absorbing above 150Hz.  This makes me think the 6kHz issue is a consequence of reflections from using a proper HATS measurement jig to more accurately model the acoustic space of the ear.  It could also be that I need to try more than one position.  Going to do a re-measure.

Personally, I'm really surprised how flat the freq resp is; +/-5dB down to 10Hz without my ear forming the proper acoustic chamber!  The impulse looks ideal.  Only thing not ideal looking is the decay times for the low frequencies, but that just shows you how the foam is absorbing only the higher frequencies.

Thanks for your fabulous home made measurements. Even if they don't use HATS or match those of others, they are so useful as relative measurements to assess such changes as when you go to balanced XLR. Great post!

 

[etc6849]

You can see a 2dB bump near 6kHz; definitely not a spike, but when you introduce an ear I bet it gets worse.  Can't wait to make an XLR-4 cable next week. 
 
I suspect a dramatic reduction in THD for lower frequencies when the headphone amp is used in balanced mode.  Right now it is dominated by 2nd order harmonic distortion.
 
There should be 4 times the power available since the voltage is double the unbalanced voltage and noise will be cancelled out.  Next week will be a real test of the Oppo HA-1...  I know I am really impressed with just using the phono cable right now though.  These are great headphones and it's awesome to get them brand new below $1000 with a 60 day return policy.
 


 
 
 
 
 
Quote:

Thanks for your fabulous home made measurements. Even if they don't use HATS or match those of others, they are so useful as relative measurements to assess such changes as when you go to balanced XLR. Great post!

 

[bosiemoncrieff]

Sennheiser HD800 vs. AKG K1000 (bass light)
 
First Installment - Prologue. Note: This is the first of an ongoing series of posts I plan to write comparing the old champ (K1000) with reigning champion (HD800), presumably to be collected as a review at a future point. Yes, Mjolnir 2 is probably woefully insufficient to reveal K1000's full beauty, but I don't have 6k to drop on a WA5 at the moment, so I'll update this as my amp situation changes.
 
When I listen to the K1000, especially in the context of the HD800, one of the strongest associations I make is with the Gothic Cathedral of St. Peter of Beauvais:
 

 
 
Beauvais was the tallest cathedral in Europe at the time, pushing the technology of vaulted ceilings to its limits. It is regarded widely as "the Parthenon of French Gothic." However, after its choir collapsed and was rebuilt, and plans to build a nave (largest part of cathedral, where the congregants sit) never came to be, it became an oddity, an aspirational object as beautiful for its achievements as its failure to reach the goals it set for itself.
 
Such is the K1000. 
 
HD800 receives its share of criticism. "Not enough bass!" "Amp finicky!" "Sennheiser veil!" "Cold!" "Bright!" "Bad for anything except jazz and classical!" To the extent that these complaints are true (with the exception of the veil), they are doubly true of K1000. It is a bright headphone. There is not enough bass for most non-classical applications (and some classical). Perhaps the only time I hear a Sennheiser veil with HD800 is coming from K1000. These ear-speakers (worthier of the term than anything stax has produced) are definitely amp finicky: whereas a reliable vali (1 or 2) can make an HD800 sing, K1000 are barely cooperative with the much heftier Mjolnir 2 and very warm Amperax 1968 orange globes (but we're going to have to make do unless someone has a WA5 they care to lend me). On comfort it's not even close. K1000 slides around, and you're never quite sure whether it's positioned exactly right. God help you if you want them to stay positioned correctly as you recline. HD800 can sit comfortably on your ears in many different environments, including as you lie in bed (as I'm doing presently, with HD800). 
 
K1000 is a prima donna. She knows she's among the best. Bright amp? She will spit in your face. Insufficient power? Good luck getting anything out of her. To make the obligatory car analogy, if K1000 is a Lamborghini, HD800 is a Mercedes S Class, or maxed-out Tesla Model S. The rattle that @DavidMahler talked about? Eerily similar to that of my q701 (which, uninitiated and naive, I thought was an issue with the source or my hearing, lol). K1000 gives no schiits about her rattle, though, and will start flirting with the guy next to you if you mention it.
 
If I were playing bang/marry/kill, inevitably it would be K1000, HD800, Abyss (tee, hee).
 
I find myself listening with the grills swiveled open just wide enough so that they do not touch my ears, but not the full way (which necessitates much louder volumes, and higher chance of rattle, with certain piano frequencies and soprano registers.
 
I plan to spend future installments on (at least) solo piano, lieder, chamber music/string quartets, baroque music (including choral and opera), symphonic music post-1780, and opera (from Mozart), perhaps giving Wagner his own separate installment. Please let me know if there are any specific recordings, compositions, or composers you would like me to discuss.