[Hijodelbrx]

-back to mid-fi-

Interesting how often this is said referring to HD600's. Almost always with a statement about how close they are sound-wise to their higher priced brothers. Not to mention how often it's written about actually preferring them over the others. If they are so close in audio quality, instead of referring to them as 'mid-fi' I think it would be more accurate to say mid-priced hi-fi!

 

[Sorrodje]

Yes. I totally agree and I was referring only to the price when I said "Mid-fi" . That said, HD580/600 is not the only member of this "Mid priced but Hi-end sounding" family. 

 

[HaVoC-28]

Quote:

  Yes. I totally agree and I was referring only to the price when I said "Mid-fi" . That said, HD580/600 is not the only member of this "Mid priced but Hi-end sounding" family. 

 
Did the same some 2 weeks , i even prefered HD600 to T1 .

 

[Quinto]

  Back to Mid-fi . I'me seriously considering to sold my HD800 + My tube amp cause I seriously need money 

 . From what I remember I can get with an old 580  nearly as much music enjoyment than with  my HD800 with far less money . 

  I think I can tolerate the downgrade without too much pain. ( add a used Hifiman HE-4 in compliment could help too

)  

Do you ever miss your K501?

 

[Sorrodje]

 
Do you ever miss your K501?

 
Each day ! I love this headphone. Fortunately I sold it to a friend of mine and if he has to sell it , I'm the first he will call
 
That Said, the HD800 is so good for classical listening that I haven't miss anything else to enjoy Classical Music.  
 
What I really like with headphones is that each different one push me to listen different musics. If I have a HD800 I'm listening more and more orchestral stuff and "ECM" Jazz.  With HD580 I will go to Vocal Jazz or singers or Rock/ Indie. With My Ultrasone Modern Jazz, Funk, & Electro .
 
Different Headphones are like different boats that help me to travel in my Music collection. 

 

[Quinto]

   
Each day ! I love this headphone. Fortunately I sold it to a friend of mine and if he has to sell it , I'm the first he will call
 
That Said, the HD800 is so good for classical listening that I haven't miss anything else to enjoy Classical Music.  
 
What I really like with headphones is that each different one push me to listen different musics. If I have a HD800 I'm listening more and more orchestral stuff and "ECM" Jazz.  With HD580 I will go to Vocal Jazz or singers or Rock/ Indie. With My Ultrasone Modern Jazz, Funk, & Electro .
 
Different Headphones are like different boats that help me to travel in my Music collection. 

I hear you...so I will have to buy a HD800 someday, I know..   point is I'll need an amp too

 
thank god I'm still happy with what I have

.... for now haha

 

[Sorrodje]

 
  point is I'll need an amp too

 

 
I think it's nowadays easy to find unexpensive options to build a good gear for HD800.  Smoothness is all what HD800 needs to counterbalancs its tendancy to hit a bit too harder sometimes. But for Classical music , I never heard my HD800 sound anything else that perfectly.  A real dream for classical listener IMO. Unbeatable at reasonnable price.  The way the HD800 reproduces Classical Music is so .. realistic. Truly Unbelievable.  I heard a Stax combo ( SR303 + SRM323II ) and really liked it but HD800 brings so much more to the table IMO.  Majesty, poignancy, spirit... 
 
I didn't listen so much classical before purchasing HD800. 

 

[StanD]

 
I hear you...so I will have to buy a HD800 someday, I know..   point is I'll need an amp too

 
thank god I'm still happy with what I have

.... for now haha

Contrary to popular myth, the HD800 is not that hard to drive but talking about it seems to make good conversation for some.

 

[Zalithian]

Contrary to popular myth, the HD800 is not that hard to drive but talking about it seems to make good conversation for some.

I think you could say that about most headphones.

 

[StanD]

I think you could say that about most headphones.

Now some low impedance low efficiency planar mag's need a ton of power (HE-6). Some folks play with amping to color the sound, ummm, no thanks I don't need to add even harmonic distortion by rolling tubes in a low feedback amp. I suspect some folks do that to keep busy and have fun poking around and if they joy out of it, that's fine with me. I want to listen to music not alter it, except pushing up the bass a tad because you can't feel it in cans like you can when live.
I really appreciate my HD600's. IMO they don't need $300+ SE cables or balanced cables+balanced amp to sound great. A Schiit Magni or FiiO E12 can do a great job of it. The ones and zeros will get to my DAC using a normal USB cable and a special power cord is not going to  improve the soundstage or any aspect of the sound I will hear. I can sock away all the loot I'd waste on such stuff and get an HD800 a little later on.

 

[Keithpgdrb]

I thought the 800 did well with the bottlehead as well in my reading. Haven't tried it though. Yet.

 

[Quinto]

  Contrary to popular myth, the HD800 is not that hard to drive but talking about it seems to make good conversation for some.

I agree, but my Grace M902 doesn't seem to partner well with the Sennheiser

 

[StanD]

 
I agree, but my Grace M902 doesn't seem to partner well with the Sennheiser

That's surprising, that thing should be able to drive a truck. Maybe something is not functioning correctly. What is wrong?

 

[Quinto]

  That's surprising, that thing should be able to drive a truck. Maybe something is not functioning correctly. What is wrong?

I don't have the HD800, but from what I frequently read, they don't match well with the M902, to bright, harsh, unpleasant.. I'm quite sensitive for brightness, so I would prefer some tube amp when I have a HD800 I think..
 
So, indeed it's not a power problem

 

[StanD]

 
I don't have the HD800, but from what I frequently read, they don't match well with the M902, to bright, harsh, unpleasant.. I'm quite sensitive for brightness, so I would prefer some tube amp when I have a HD800 I think..
 
So, indeed it's not a power problem

I've learned not to believe everything that I read, a personal audition settles the score for me. I just listened, very carefully, to an HD800 at J&R last week and it sounded great using an inexpensive portable amp setup from my phone. Samsung Galaxy S3 -USB-> FiiO E18 -LineOut->FiiO E12->HD800. I tried the HD700's at the same sitting and they were definitely too bright. If you prefer less treble perhaps you should give the HD650's a try.