[Music Alchemist]

No offense, but I still insist that it's a sensitivity issue. I've tried several HD800 rigs with stock and modded HD800 and HD800 through solid state and tube amps with jazz, alternative rock, classic rock, electronic, and metal. Not once did I feel compelled to do anything other than to rip them off my head.

When something sounds that piercing to me, I'm not going to just keep on listening, lol

 
I for one don't have any extra sensitivity. I've been in orchestras, a jazz band, etc., and with that type of music, the HD 800 didn't sound much brighter than real life. In fact, when I was playing those acoustic tracks, I was wondering why people thought it was so bright, because at times it was actually darker than real life (see recessed mids below)...but then I put on some brighter electronic (etc.) tracks I know well and things changed entirely. So it's all about which frequencies are being excited. When there's lots of treble in the recording, the lack of mids (combined with the treble peak that isn't bad at all) brings its brightness out. On another note, I can't stand the brightness of headphones like the MDR-7506.
 
And since we're on the topic, here are measurements showing what I talked about. First graph is mislabeled.
http://cdn.head-fi.org/a/a9/a9650bb7_Sennheiser_HD800_Frequency_Response_HRTF.png
http://www.innerfidelity.com/images/SennheiserHD800.pdf

 

[bavinck]

That Neurosis album Music Alchemist posted is awesome. Never heard these guys before. Thanks!

 

[SomeGuyDude]

I feel like the graphs don't necessarily tell the full story, I dunno. I'll say this though, the following graph is why the HD700 is my favorite Senn phone:
 

More bass than the 600 and 650, less treble spike than the 800 and 600, just a nice marriage of everything.
 
Admittedly, the 800 tops it in extension, and the 650s have the nicest mids, but I got no issues snackrificing those for a headphone that just sits nicely between everything. Big bass, enough clarity without it being painful, huge soundstage, comfy, only $400. Works for me!

 

[SomeGuyDude]

That Neurosis album @Music Alchemist posted is awesome. Never heard these guys before. Thanks!

:O
 
You've never heard Neurosis?!?
 
Oh man, I am jealous right now, holy hell. Neurosis invented post-metal (or atmospheric sludge if you prefer that). Through Silver in Blood and Times of Grace are landmarks.

 

[bavinck]

:O

You've never heard Neurosis?!?

Oh man, I am jealous right now, holy hell. Neurosis invented post-metal (or atmospheric sludge if you prefer that). Through Silver in Blood and Times of Grace are landmarks.

I'm only a few years into extreme metal. Got the bug,never going back!

 

[nmatheis]

Haha hey thanks for the help regardless! TBH, I really like the HD700 stock sound with tubes. I think when my next set comes in (Mullards) that are even warmer, it should balance things out perfectly!

Heard HD700 out of a good tube setup. The bass was like DAYUM!!!

But it was still piercing to me even though others really liked it. That's why I'm saying it's a sensitivity issue.

And for the record Music Alchemist, I played saxophone in ensembles for many years. I honestly don't see what that has to do with upper mid / treble sensitivity, lol

 

[bavinck]

Whew. That's a lot more effort than I'd care to do, especially since it'd mean extra fiddling all over since Windows doesn't do system-wide EQ. XP

Side note, Anyone a fan of MBR here? The Algorithm stuff got me thinking: https://masterbootrecord.bandcamp.com/album/c-chkdsk-f

Never heard them either. Oooh, I like this. Scratches my old electro/metal itch NIN used to.

 

[Music Alchemist]

That Neurosis album @Music Alchemist posted is awesome. Never heard these guys before. Thanks!

 

 
I kind of just assumed every metalhead already knew Neurosis.
 
The new album is nothing special in light of their legacy. Listen to these ones to discover why Neurosis is such an important band.
 


The Eye Of Every Storm by Neurosis 
 

I'm only a few years into extreme metal. Got the bug,never going back!

 
Ah. I've been into extreme metal since 1999 or so, and really got serious about it in 2002.
 

Heard HD700 out of a good tube setup. The bass was like DAYUM!!!

But it was still piercing to me even though others really liked it. That's why I'm saying it's a sensitivity issue.

And for the record @Music Alchemist, I played saxophone in ensembles for many years. I honestly don't see what that has to do with upper mid / treble sensitivity, lol

 
Well, if you're saying that you are especially sensitive to it, I won't argue against that. (Though I will insist that there is nothing wrong with my hearing.) But the HD 700 does have an extreme treble peak, while the HD 800 doesn't. (Only a slight one.) Just check the measurements I shared. Of course, both of them have a dip in the mids, which can contribute to brightness, but can also make things sound darker, depending on the recording.

 

[SomeGuyDude]

  But the HD 700 does have an extreme treble peak, while the HD 800 doesn't.

 
Check the graphs I posted, the 800 boosts more than the 700 noticeably.

 

[Music Alchemist]

  Check the graphs I posted, the 800 boosts more than the 700 noticeably.

 
Well that's odd. This didn't happen with the InnerFidelity measurements.

 

[SomeGuyDude]

   
Well that's odd. This didn't happen with the InnerFidelity measurements.

Yeah, I'm not sure. O_o
 
Either way, I know I find the 700s more exciting than I did the 800s. Not nearly as organic as the Nighthawks, but... that's why I'm waiting for the Carbon.
 
As for music... I dunno what the general consensus is on deathcore/brutal death but this triple split for The Depression Sessions is effing NASTY.
 

 

[nmatheis]

I kind of just assumed every metalhead already knew Neurosis.

The new album is nothing special in light of their legacy. Listen to these ones to discover why Neurosis is such an important band.





The Eye Of Every Storm by Neurosis
 


Ah. I've been into extreme metal since 1999 or so, and really got serious about it in 2002.


Well, if you're saying that you are especially sensitive to it, I won't argue against that. (Though I will insist that there is nothing wrong with my hearing.) But the HD 700 does have an extreme treble peak, while the HD 800 doesn't. (Only a slight one.) Just check the measurements I shared. Of course, both of them have a dip in the mids, which can contribute to brightness, but can also make things sound darker, depending on the recording.

HD800 is insane. Most of the seriously experienced headfi'ers I chat with agree that HD800 is overly bright without modding and pairing with a warm source. Especially for use with metal music. I just can't imagine it. More part to you if you can tolerate it...

 

[Music Alchemist]

  Yeah, I'm not sure. O_o

 
My first guess is different units measuring differently. My second guess is the same source randomly using different compensation curves. (That's why I trust InnerFidelity more, because he shows the raw measurements.) Look at these two sets of HeadRoom measurements::
 

Spoiler: Warning: Spoiler!

 

 
The first graph looks a lot like the InnerFidelity one does: dip in the mids, tiny peak in the treble. The second graph (of the same model, but a different unit, apparently) has more of a peak. Not sure why...
 

HD800 is insane. Most of the seriously experienced headfi'ers I chat with agree that HD800 is overly bright without modding and pairing with a warm source. Especially for use with metal music. I just can't imagine it. More part to you if you can tolerate it...

 
I guess what I'm saying is, if the recording doesn't have much treble in the first place, it isn't able to excite that aspect of the headphones. I don't like it at all with bright recordings. Many acoustic recordings are rather dark, however, and made even more dark from the dipped mids in some cases. So I'm not denying that it's a bright headphone. But even a bright headphone doesn't always sound bright. And it's nowhere near as bright as some headphones I've heard.

 

[SomeGuyDude]

   
I guess what I'm saying is, if the recording doesn't have much treble in the first place, it isn't able to excite that aspect of the headphones. I don't like it at all with bright recordings. Many acoustic recordings are rather dark, however, and made even more dark from the dipped mids in some cases. So I'm not denying that it's a bright headphone. But even a bright headphone doesn't always sound bright. And it's nowhere near as bright as some headphones I've heard.

 
Yeah, the 800 isn't a "bright" headphone, it just has a really specific peak. If the song hits the frequencies it's lifted you're in for a bad time. If not, it can sound great. 
 
The issue with things like metal is all the cymbal work is going to REALLY hit those areas, and it makes sibilant headphones screech at you. 

 

[bavinck]

Yeah, the 800 isn't a "bright" headphone, it just has a really specific peak. If the song hits the frequencies it's lifted you're in for a bad time. If not, it can sound great. 

The issue with things like metal is all the cymbal work is going to REALLY hit those areas, and it makes sibilant headphones screech at you. 

See, cymbals in metal is why I sold the 700. Doesn't sound real at all to my ears, takes away from that fing amazing bass.