[Swaindogg]

Still showing £1099 online but I bout some for £899 on Sat and they're being delivered directly this week.

 

[prot]

i know that the resurgence of planar magnetics seems to have left dynamic cans in their wake - especially in the high-end segment of the market, but i'm not convinced that it's warranted based on my own listening experience.

i compared the hd800 to the he1000 and abyss a while back. contrary to the sales guy's opinion that the hd800 wasn't in the same class as these two newer and far more expensive cans, it out-performed them for clarity, resolution, imaging and soundstage to my ears.

The planar-magnetic tech isnt particularly well known for any of those qualities. Its (pretty much only) shot to glory in the SQ department is the warmer/punchier sound. Which is probably no inherent technical advantage but just a sound signature choice that the biggest planar promoters made. (actually I would bet that they chose the cheapest/easiest build methods and the warmth just happened to be there)

The inherently better sounding tech is electrostatic ... with the exception of soundstage (which largely depends on driver & cup geometry) it does all the things you mentioned better than dynamics .. just put a 009 near the hd800 and you'll hear the difference in 10 secs. Unfortunately, electrostatic is (or at least used to be) much more expensive and quite user-unfriendly: huge special amps, high voltages, etc.

Afaik, planar is/was just a cheap compromise alternative for electrostatics. And the initial prices did reflect that: e.g. hifiman cans of yore, ancient soviet planars, etc. Things got out of hand in the price dept when some 'genius' at audeze discovered that if you put some bling on the cups and some warm lipstick on the bass, the people will pay thousands for a sounds that isnt better in any other way. It surely helped that, at the time, the germans were dominating the HP market with crushing authority but not everyone likes the detailed, precise and neutral-to-bright sound that they usually promote. Hifiman & audeze just exploited people's need for 'warmth' and shrewdly promoted their 'proudly made in china/usa' labels. The expensive HP bling wave created by Beats didnt hurt either. Btw, IMHO Audeze is the beats of the audiophile community .. made almost entirely out of 'audio lipstick' (doesnt mean I do not enjoy the guilty pleasure myself .) And who wants to bet they'll be the first victim when the current price escalation 'roses' hit the fan? (unless they get smart and sell like the shrewd beats guys did)

P.S.
Sorry for derailing so far offtopic .. sitting at home with a bad cold and an extra dose of boredom...

 

[ScubadudeSA]

Its has been said before but pleeeze can they rethink the model number?

HD800 MkII
HD800 Reference
HD800 Black
HD800 B
HD850
HD840
HD801
HD800 X
HD800 V2
HD800 R2

Whatever ... just not HD800S ...

 

[TokenGesture]

What's wrong with S ??

 

[24grant24]

What's wrong with S ??

HD800s 
HD800Ss
its awkward. Hd850 is much more logical, especially considering the precedent set by the hd650 which is basically a more relaxed sounding hd600, which is pretty much what the hd800s seems to be

 

[obsidyen]

Yes, I wish this had been named HD850.

 

[prot]

Senn have reduced the price of the HD800 by £200. Don't know what the HD800S price will be but imagine it will be a little more.

That would be a surprinsingly sensible and highly welcome piece of news.
Btw, this is one of the best price-portals for the EU
https://geizhals.eu/sennheiser-hd-800-500319-a400361.html.
No trace of serious price changes yet but it may take a few days.

HD800s 
HD800Ss
its awkward. Hd850 is much more logical, especially considering the precedent set by the hd650 which is basically a more relaxed sounding hd600, which is pretty much what the hd800s seems to be

I'm all for 850 .. or at least 801 . They may have those reserved for other models, though. And as hard as it may seem to understand, germans dont care much about the english 's' .. neither does the biggest hp market (asia) .. nor anyone else outisde us/uk.

P.S.
One of the polish stores who sells some of the cheapest hd800, advertises it like this "The biggest advantage of audiophile headphones is their extremely attractive quality/price ratio". I never understood those polish jokes

 

[Canadian411]

Below $2k you got me, otherwise I will skip.

 

[up late]

The planar-magnetic tech isnt particularly well known for any of those qualities. Its (pretty much only) shot to glory in the SQ department is the warmer/punchier sound. Which is probably no inherent technical advantage but just a sound signature choice that the biggest planar promoters made. (actually I would bet that they chose the cheapest/easiest build methods and the warmth just happened to be there)

The inherently better sounding tech is electrostatic ... with the exception of soundstage (which largely depends on driver & cup geometry) it does all the things you mentioned better than dynamics .. just put a 009 near the hd800 and you'll hear the difference in 10 secs. Unfortunately, electrostatic is (or at least used to be) much more expensive and quite user-unfriendly: huge special amps, high voltages, etc.

Afaik, planar is/was just a cheap compromise alternative for electrostatics. And the initial prices did reflect that: e.g. hifiman cans of yore, ancient soviet planars, etc. Things got out of hand in the price dept when some 'genius' at audeze discovered that if you put some bling on the cups and some warm lipstick on the bass, the people will pay thousands for a sounds that isnt better in any other way. It surely helped that, at the time, the germans were dominating the HP market with crushing authority but not everyone likes the detailed, precise and neutral-to-bright sound that they usually promote. Hifiman & audeze just exploited people's need for 'warmth' and shrewdly promoted their 'proudly made in china/usa' labels. The expensive HP bling wave created by Beats didnt hurt either. Btw, IMHO Audeze is the beats of the audiophile community .. made almost entirely out of 'audio lipstick' (doesnt mean I do not enjoy the guilty pleasure myself .) And who wants to bet they'll be the first victim when the current price escalation 'roses' hit the fan? (unless they get smart and sell like the shrewd beats guys did)

P.S.
Sorry for derailing so far offtopic .. sitting at home with a bad cold and an extra dose of boredom...

i've heard a few estats but not the sr-009. agree that they excelled at resolution and transparency but we're lacking solidity and impact especially in the bass region to my ears. i know that folks really dig that ethereal presentation but i found it kinda sterile and unengaging tbh.

 

[frank2908]

should they offer a closed version?

 

[Pirakaphile]

Chill it was advice, not a lecture. It is of course entirely your choice to make a spending decision based on the opinion of others rather than your own

Don't worry, I was being sarcastic. And thanks for the freedom!

 

[Maxx134]

...
i compared the hd800 to the he1000 and abyss a while back. contrary to the sales guy's opinion that the hd800 wasn't in the same class as these two newer and far more expensive cans, it out-performed them for clarity, resolution, imaging and soundstage to my ears..

i've heard a few estats but not the sr-009. agree that they excelled at resolution and transparency but we're lacking solidity and impact especially in the bass region to my ears. i know that folks really dig that ethereal presentation but i found it kinda sterile and unengaging tbh.

I agree 100% with the HD800 superiority in those areas...

I also compared modded HD800 to Abyss & HE1K and the HD800 was still the clear winner in areas you mentioned.
Only HD800 bass was not up to their level.

Also been so long I heard a Stax that I didnt know the stats had even less bass impact..
Dam..



Anyways,
I wa thinking that Senn, making the unit black should be no different price-wise, than making the unit silver...
They still have to paint it.

Still, I am glad to finnaly see them responding to refine it further.
Lets hope they wake up & start making an HD900 instead of sleeping for years between models.

Its has been said before but pleeeze can they rethink the model number?

HD800 MkII
HD800 Reference
HD800 Black
HD800 B
HD850
HD840
HD801
HD800 X
HD800 V2
HD800 R2

Whatever ... just not HD800S ...

Exactly!
HD:
800B = black
801
850
800L = Leather
800G = gold trim

800s = (*edit*) silly

 

[SONYES]

Hello - having two pairs of headphones HD 800 with both different and sound different - and much equipment I - I do not think that'll change soon to HD800S what I hear on a good day when my ears clear. The older they have more openness and depth of what is much broader than the newer ones purchased last year and 4 months - Sennheiser went public taste and hear the wishes of customers - in my opinion I do not find sharp so big , despite the differences between them. Still amount of detail and separation layers twice on the new . I get my jaw drops. When using two amplifiers - by all measurements correspond to the headset Laxman and German Lyhman - in my opinion and past experience greatly depends on our source. I use tuned CD players, etc. Recording character. So a little change in the color of the device or the cable will do the same work. From what I read the honored person who took the headphones into the room I can not learn. The nature of the sound that has to compare side by side to the old hd800 vs hd800s- and although it did not specify the source might not see well written - That happens. But - when released it will acquire thousands of people - we will know if there is a change for the better. but for me the hd800 is my best.

 

[rayfalkner]

Rather have HD800S as the name than something mouthful like HD 25-1 II (etch dee twenty five slash one ay ay!)

 

[magiccabbage]

Hello - having two pairs of headphones HD 800 with both different and sound different - and much equipment I - I do not think that'll change soon to HD800S what I hear on a good day when my ears clear. The older they have more openness and depth of what is much broader than the newer ones purchased last year and 4 months - Sennheiser went public taste and hear the wishes of customers - in my opinion I do not find sharp so big , despite the differences between them. Still amount of detail and separation layers twice on the new . I get my jaw drops. When using two amplifiers - by all measurements correspond to the headset Laxman and German Lyhman - in my opinion and past experience greatly depends on our source. I use tuned CD players, etc. Recording character. So a little change in the color of the device or the cable will do the same work. From what I read the honored person who took the headphones into the room I can not learn. The nature of the sound that has to compare side by side to the old hd800 vs hd800s- and although it did not specify the source might not see well written - That happens. But - when released it will acquire thousands of people - we will know if there is a change for the better. but for me the hd800 is my best.

what are you talking about. You have 2 versions of the HD800, an older and newer model and your saying that they sound different?