Swaindogg
New Head-Fier
- Joined
- Oct 25, 2015
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Still showing £1099 online but I bout some for £899 on Sat and they're being delivered directly this week.
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.
What's wrong with S ??
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.
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
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...
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
...
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.
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 ...
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.