[thecrow]

this was quite fascinating.

Do the bottom 2 headphones now get kicked off the island and we take another vote on our favourite cans before evicting another two?

I assume the hd800 and the he6s have immunity at this point

 

[ruthieandjohn]

this was quite fascinating.

Do the bottom 2 headphones now get kicked off the island and we take another vote on our favourite cans before evicting another two?

I assume the hd800 and the he6s have immunity at this point

Thanks! No I don't think we vote the bottom ones off... We instead do one or more of the following:

• Put in more than 2,000 headphone rankings (1 year's worth), so we end up with more pairs of headphones owned by the same person, who ranks them against each other (for example, no one of those two thousand own BOTH a Beyerdynamic T5P and a Fostex TH-900, so you can't get even one comparison of those two);
• Update the list, which looked at the period of May 2013 to May 2014, to the present, thereby including more recent headphones such as the Oppo PM-1, the Grado -e series, and the HiFiMAN HE-560
• Put the list software on line, so folks can put in their choice of two headphones and see who ranked one against the other and how they ranked them.

Maybe your inquiry will motivate me to update the list. Maybe if I do, people will send me free headphones in the mail!!

 

[thecrow]

The original views and listings that I read had some great insights within them. I think they would be great for readers trying to choose between a number of mid price headphones where there are heaps of options.

It was great to see this summary of all those pages of input from others

And for me it hasn't helped me to decide between my last 2 candidates for my upcoming headphone purchase later this month but it has confirmed these two candidates of the hd800 and the he 560 are worthy options

 

[RUMAY408]

The original views and listings that I read had some great insights within them. I think they would be great for readers trying to choose between a number of mid price headphones where there are heaps of options.

It was great to see this summary of all those pages of input from others

And for me it hasn't helped me to decide between my last 2 candidates for my upcoming headphone purchase later this month but it has confirmed these two candidates of the hd800 and the he 560 are worthy options

Both are great buys, if you have the bucks the HD800 is an end game HP if properly amped

 

[thecrow]

Hi

Let me know if it is better to pm you rather than hijack this thread.

I've demoed a number of headphones in the last 2 months. The only two that I've heard that have given me areal wow factor is the hd800 and he560. I mean a real wow factor.

I am going back to give them a good listen again in the next 2 weeks before forging a few bucks on these as I haven't given the hd800s a good session yet.

I've managed to get simikar pricing between the two. Just $150-$200 more for the hd800 so to me the price hit is near enough the same.

The hd800 I beleive are as analytical as I need headphones to be and really love that nature when taking in production of music and enjoying the art and tweaking behind it all. My concern is will the highs be a bit fatiguing like some say?

The he560s have a great timbre to them and the bass is fantastic and that is at the other end of the spectrum re the warmth of HPs I enjoy. I'm not a bass head but I really enjoy what this punches with and that bang that it gives. However here I find I mostly identify the strong great bottom end and the inviting upper kids but I seem everything else working around these two "peaks". That's not necessarily bad either as these cans I find draw me in so easily too within their sound spectrum and I have many times forgot I am there auditioning them.

See my problem? They are two cans I beleive suit me so well in two different ways.

I would love to love the hd800s I believe (as i feel these have the best truth in them) but I am worried about fatigue.

Currently I am listening to my music in aiff files through my fiio x5 and the cayin c5 amp which I have been really enjoying. Both cans I beleive have worked well that portable amp.

If I upgrade later this year to a desktop amp and dac (from my iMac) I would hope to keep that under $500 rather than $2500, what headphone is likely to take off even better? Will the he560s vastly improve so I should go with that or will the hd800s also do the same? How picky are the hd800s? Do they only real take off with amps that are expensive?

Right now, even though I've only heard the hd800s briefly once, both are vying for my life using just the cayin c5

What would be your views or advice re what and how I should consider in this all.

This would be a perfect scenario for owing both cans if only I had twice the budget which I dont. In fact I've so far blown my budget it is ridiculous. I'm happy to splurge on one of these.

Cheers
Peter t

 

[ruthieandjohn]

First, I would post a question on its own thread in this section (or in the "Introduction and Help" section) asking "Help!  HE-560 or HD 800? Who Has Both?"
 
I only have the HD 800, and though I have the HE-500, I don't have the HE-560.  No one in the data I analyzed, which ended before the HE-560 came out, had both, and I really think you need the opinion from someone who has lived with both for a while.  Shoulldn't be too hard to find someone like that, as most people who will buy the HE-560 are likely to already have the HD-800.
 
The HD 800, and to a lesser extent the HE-560, is very dependent on how it is amplified.  There are a handful of good amps that folks agree are great for it (I have the one that Sennheiser built for it, the HDVD 800, and I'm Very satisfied).  But there are other folks that have other than ideal amps who complain that the HD 800 has fatiguing treble and no bass.  I think both of these concerns are mitigated by the right amp.
 
So you need to see what type of amp the person comparing the HD 800 to the HE-560 is using.
 
Here is another thing you can do... go to the "Rank The Headphones That You Own" thread and do a "Search This Thread Only" for the HE-560, on the chance that many people that report a ranking on it will also have the HD 800 and give a ranking.
 
For example,  for me that unearthed this post, in which the poster places the HD 800 over the HE-560:  http://www.head-fi.org/t/109756/rank-the-headphones-that-you-own/4560#post_10949351

 

[RUMAY408]

I have some experience with both the 560 and HD800
 
At the Music City meet we had both modded and un-modded 560's, the modded beat the un-modded by a mile.
 
The HD800 are my own, and multiple head-fi members had plenty of chances to try out multiple set ups DAC's and AMP's 
 
My feeling; the HD800 can just do more, better imaging, soundstage and immensely more comfortable than the 560.
 
The HD800 can scale with better set ups but even with the less expensive quality (Schiit) DAC/AMP's they still sound great.
 
All that being said please check out
 
http://www.head-fi.org/t/735490/music-city-meet-2-fall-2014-pics-impressions-thread 

 

[thecrow]

Thanks for that RUMAY

I'll look further into that thread as I assume the mod info is there.

It's appearing that since my next purchase later this year will be just a mid price amp/dac ($200-400) and I don't PLAN to go more expensive in the next number of years neither if these HPs have any pitfalls as such and it simply me auditioning them again, which I can which is great, and go with what sounds most suitable as they are

Cheers
Peter

 

[monkeysixtysix]

Wow... Incredible work. You should get a special avatar or something!

 

[ruthieandjohn]

Wow... Incredible work. You should get a special avatar or something!

Just aspiring to achieve the point of notoriety at which people send me free headphones in the mail!

 

[RUMAY408]

  Wow... Incredible work. You should get a special avatar or something!

Kayandjohn's avatar makes perfect sense take a look at his HP's 

 

[abvolt]

Wow this thread is great, very helpful thanks for all your hard work..

 

[monkeysixtysix]

Kayandjohn's avatar makes perfect sense take a look at his HP's 

I know his headphones... One pair he bought from me!

 

[RUMAY408]

I know his headphones... One pair he bought from me!

Suggest an avatar, the work he did was incredible I totally agree 

 

[ruthieandjohn]

I know his headphones... One pair he bought from me!

I did indeed... the HiFiMAN HE-500.  And what a wonderful, smooth transaction it was!  At that time, I only had Beats headphones (Studio 2013, Studio 2013 Wireless, and Pro), the Sennhesier HD 598, and the Parrot Zik. Oh, and the Shure SE535 (bronze) IEM, which was my virgin used headphone purchase, from imackler right here on this board and gotten earlier that same month (May of last year).
 
That HiFiMan HE-500 was the door opener to wonderful head-fi. It had not only fast treble sparkle, but palpable precise bass... and everything in between.  It has been and still is the ONLY over-hear headphone that I have that does both so strongly... not the Sennheiser HD 800, not the Grado PS1000 or Grado HP1000, not the Beyerdynamic T 5 p.... only the HiFiMAN HE-500.  (There are two of my IEMS that do... the AKG 3003 and the T-PEOS H200).