[3ternalDr4gon]

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Blasphemy to the HD800's. Not even remotely close in sound. The only mid level headphone that resembles closely to the HD800 sound is the SA5k or SA3k with 5k pads (same drivers, different housing and different pads). 

So my local store has SA3000's on sale for $170...should I snap-buy these?
 
I just purchased A900X's, K550's, and MXW1's recently (all at steal prices). I'm guessing I would need a pricey amp + source to maximize the efficiency of these cans right?

 

[nigeljames]

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Great solid state has all the attributes of great tubes.  My Soloist and GS-X mk2 just stomped my tubes amps everywhere while the tubes stomped other solid state I've had.

 
+ 100 !!

 

[DefQon]

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So my local store has SA3000's on sale for $170...should I snap-buy these?
 
I just purchased A900X's, K550's, and MXW1's recently (all at steal prices). I'm guessing I would need a pricey amp + source to maximize the efficiency of these cans right?

Amazon has the SA3k for around $140-160. I purchased mine for $160 brand new shipped from New Mexico while back. The best amp I have found for the SA3K would be the M3 with bass boost. Heck I even enjoy them out of my FIIO E11 with high gain, eq bass at 1, they do benefit from more power though. If you're feeling more adventurous do the mods I performed on them, take the pads, dampen the angle driver sides, unscrew the driver housing and remove the felt covering the magnet port that allows air into the membrane, use a single cotton ball and put it in sandwiched between the outter grill and the driver port itself. Reterminate the cable to balanced SPC or pure copper and run it balanced for audio bliss. 
 
I have not had any luck with these and tube amp's, a few owners back then reported that these sound superb out of the singlepower MP3X slam but yet again, those headphone amp's are just as dangerous as playing russian roulette.

 

[3ternalDr4gon]

My god lol, is there a step-by-step tutorial on how to do that stuff? I feel like I would break them during the process of trying to attempt what you're doing lol. I really appreciate your response though.
 
And does all this include using an iPod as a source? I always wondered what sources you guys use for the elite-class of headphones 

 

[longbowbbs]

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My god lol, is there a step-by-step tutorial on how to do that stuff? I feel like I would break them during the process of trying to attempt what you're doing lol. I really appreciate your response though.
 
And does all this include using an iPod as a source? I always wondered what sources you guys use for the elite-class of headphones 

 
The HD800's are a greedy beast! If your source and amp are not up to it then you will have a less than awesome experience. I generally do not use the iPod for the HD800 source unless I have a decent portable iDevice (HP-P1) in the chain.

 

[wink]

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Quoteukeskd

Yeah they a pita to get the right amplification though, it either sounds crap or really good. But they sound best out of solid states with bass boost on.

I agree. The bass is severely lacking on the Sony's. But at 1/4 and less than the HD800, they are a total bargain.

This comparison is almost like the difference between the K1000 Bass heavy and bass light.
The exception is the HD800 has more detail retriival than the SA5000.

 

[RedBull]

Someone said that the AD900X's have 85% of the sound quality that the HD800's have. Does anyone agree to this? Because if it's true, I think I might get the AD900X's instead of the HD650's when I upgrade to open cans

No no no, not even close, everywhere.

 

[rawrster]

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The HD800's are a greedy beast! If your source and amp are not up to it then you will have a less than awesome experience. I generally do not use the iPod for the HD800 source unless I have a decent portable iDevice (HP-P1) in the chain.

 
They definitely are.
 
On another note I got my Buffalo III yesterday but I shipped it to work but I took half the day off so naturally it came 20 minutes after I left. I'm going to have to change the way my rig looks a bit to make room for it. According to a few I've asked the Buffalo competes with most of the dacs talked on head-fi a lot so I expect it to replace my D18.

 

[JWahl]

I recently heard the SA3K against my HD800 and they are sooooooo bright and bassless.  Even less bass than K701.  Interesting soundstage presentation though.  Never heard the SA5K.  As for the A900x comment, I doubt it also. If anything, the AD2000X I had comes somewhat close in speed and detail but minus the soundstage and a little less bass, but of course for nearly a third of the price.

 

[JWahl]

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The HD800's are a greedy beast! If your source and amp are not up to it then you will have a less than awesome experience. I generally do not use the iPod for the HD800 source unless I have a decent portable iDevice (HP-P1) in the chain.

While the HD800's do scale extremely well with better gear I recently got to try them straight out of an Audioquest Dragonfly and they sounded much better than I had expected.

 

[longbowbbs]

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The HD800's are a greedy beast! If your source and amp are not up to it then you will have a less than awesome experience. I generally do not use the iPod for the HD800 source unless I have a decent portable iDevice (HP-P1) in the chain.

While the HD800's do scale extremely well with better gear I recently got to try them straight out of an Audioquest Dragonfly and they sounded much better than I had expected.

 

 
They do indeed sound mighty fine out of the DF!

 

[3ternalDr4gon]

Man I have to start posting here more often, I'm getting an insane amount of useful responses lol. All for someone that can't even think about buying HD800's yet lol. I appreciate it guys.
 
It's pretty upsetting reading some SA5k threads...apparently they used to go for $300?!? Now the cheapest I can find em is just shy of $700...I'll keep digging though. Unless anyone is interested in selling me theirs?
 
In case it's not already apparent...I'm harping on the SA5k's because apparently they are the cans that are closet to the quality of the HD800's. That being said, once I get them, what's the optimal way to drive them? Or maybe that's a question I should save for the other forums, I don't want to push your guys' kindness lol. 

 

[JWahl]

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They do indeed sound mighty fine out of the DF!

Ha, I totally didn't realize you owned one when I made that comment.  At least I know I'm not crazy.

 

[rawrster]

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Man I have to start posting here more often, I'm getting an insane amount of useful responses lol. All for someone that can't even think about buying HD800's yet lol. I appreciate it guys.
 
It's pretty upsetting reading some SA5k threads...apparently they used to go for $300?!? Now the cheapest I can find em is just shy of $700...I'll keep digging though. Unless anyone is interested in selling me theirs?
 
In case it's not already apparent...I'm harping on the SA5k's because apparently they are the cans that are closet to the quality of the HD800's. That being said, once I get them, what's the optimal way to drive them? Or maybe that's a question I should save for the other forums, I don't want to push your guys' kindness lol. 

 
IIRC there was a sale a while back for the SA5k going for some price around that. However if the SA5k at going for $700 I would just save a bit more and buy a used HD800. They usually go in the 1k-1,1k range however that does assume that you have a good setup already for the HD800.
 
I hooked my Buffalo III into my rig replacing my D18. It will be somewhat difficult to compare them since I connect to the D18 with a usb/spdif converter and the Buffalo with the same converter. Is there anything out there that can be a usb to spdif for both 2 different DACs?

 

[preproman]

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IIRC there was a sale a while back for the SA5k going for some price around that. However if the SA5k at going for $700 I would just save a bit more and buy a used HD800. They usually go in the 1k-1,1k range however that does assume that you have a good setup already for the HD800.
 
I hooked my Buffalo III into my rig replacing my D18. It will be somewhat difficult to compare them since I connect to the D18 with a usb/spdif converter and the Buffalo with the same converter. Is there anything out there that can be a usb to spdif for both 2 different DACs?

 
Does you converter have multiple outputs?