[AHorseNamedJeff]

Portable STAX rig... Okay now we're on the brim of insanity guys. I'm happy with my little dynamic IEM's and E7.

 

[jazzerdave]

They're not Stax, but the Koss ESP-950 comes with the amp, headphones, carrying case, cables, and even a battery pack in case you're not near an outlet.

 

[jronan2]

Quote:

Impact is superior on HD800 than LCD-2, IMO. I had both in my home 3 weeks ago, and the LCD-2 is already gone. I was actually surprised the LCD-2 was outdone on bass impact, shocked really.

How is this possible when so many people say the HD800 has no bass? I never tried the HD 800 yet, I hope to next month at a meet, but I always was told they werent too good with EDM. I really want to get a pair but was scared I would regret it given my music tastes. How are the opinions of bass impact on the HD800 so varied?

 

[Stitch]

I'll chime in
 
 
As seen from the couch(including a charming glimpse of me)

 
Left to right; DT880/250, SR325s, Dacmagic+GS-1,  Stello CDT100. Dacmagic will be upgrade for a Metrum Octave MK1 soon.

 
Vault-boy and Mountain Troll gaurding my station

 
Overview of my living room. A bit cramped but i like it, i kinda underestimated the size of the hocker when i bought the couch 

.

 

[ssrock64]

Quote:

They're not Stax, but the Koss ESP-950 comes with the amp, headphones, carrying case, cables, and even a battery pack in case you're not near an outlet.

I am very close to being physically attached to my ESP-950, but even I don't attempt to use them out and about. I agree that they can be transportable, but not portable.

 

[ssrock64]

Quote:

How is this possible when so many people say the HD800 has no bass? I never tried the HD 800 yet, I hope to next month at a meet, but I always was told they werent too good with EDM. I really want to get a pair but was scared I would regret it given my music tastes. How are the opinions of bass impact on the HD800 so varied?

People, even at the top level of dynamic headphone audio, still endure confusion between bass volume, accuracy, and impact. The HD800 doesn't have warm, big bass, but it's got incredible impact and spacial accuracy in bass. It will certainly suffice for electronica unless you truly want a bass-favoring can.

 

[MorbidToaster]

Quote:

People, even at the top level of dynamic headphone audio, still endure confusion between bass volume, accuracy, and impact. The HD800 doesn't have warm, big bass, but it's got incredible impact and spacial accuracy in bass. It will certainly suffice for electronica unless you truly want a bass-favoring can.

I think people driving with crap also might have something to do with it. People plug them into like...a Lyr and immediately write them off.
 
While the bass isn't jacked up I NEVER found them lacking with a good amp. I listen a ton of Electronic music and picked the HD800 over the LCD 2.2 when I owned them both.

 

[devhen]

Quote:

Beyer doesn't exactly have the highest QC when it comes to driver matching.

 
Question: How is there so much variance in driver frequency response that driver matching is a necessity?

 
The answer to *why* there is variance would probably need to be answered by an engineer who understands the manufacturing processes and materials used in dynamic drivers. All I know is that variance does exist, and *always* exists, to some degree or another. No manufacturer or driver model is immune to it.
 
I wouldn't say Beyer has poor driver matching. I've never experienced mismatched drivers in a Beyer headphone and haven't heard any reports of that. Its driver *variance* that is quite common in some Beyers, meaning the variance exists between two heaphones of the same model, as opposed to two drivers within the same headphone.
 
In the example of the 770/880/990 lines, which share the same basic driver, there seems to be more reports of variances in the 770s and 990s than there is with the 880s, and the 770s seem to have the most variance of the three, leading me to believe that Beyer saves the more consistent drivers for the 880 while the 770 (the cheapest of the three) gets the most inconsistent drivers. The 880 is the most neutral of the three and is marketed heavily to studios and professional applications so it would make sense that Beyer would consider consistency to be most important in that model.
 
However, despite the variance among some Beyers, a single Beyer headphone will still be fitted with two matched drivers that have matching sound signatures.

 

[brokenthumb]

I also listen to EDM and I would take the HD800 over the LCD-2.2.  The bass of the HD800 is very dynamic and can hit insanely hard when called upon.  I think something must be wrong with my HD800 b/c it's the most fun headphone I've owned.

 

[HolyCheese]

Broken, what amp do you use?

 

[ardgedee]

The HD 800 I auditioned a couple years ago had obvious roll-off in the base, although it was still incredibly tight and of a piece with the rest of the sound.

I half wonder if it may be because of how people listen to theirs -- I tend to listen at lower than average levels, which would also explain diminished bass -- but I've heard rumors that the HD 800 was revised mid-run too.

Despite my decision not to buy at the time (in favor of the HE-6, a better all-rounder for my circumstances), I still would like to have the HD 800 too some day. It does many things better than any other headphone I've tried.

 

[preproman]

Quote:

The HD 800 I auditioned a couple years ago had obvious roll-off in the base, although it was still incredibly tight and of a piece with the rest of the sound.

I half wonder if it may be because of how people listen to theirs -- I tend to listen at lower than average levels, which would also explain diminished bass -- but I've heard rumors that the HD 800 was revised mid-run too.

Despite my decision not to buy at the time (in favor of the HE-6, a better all-rounder for my circumstances), I still would like to have the HD 800 too some day. It does many things better than any other headphone I've tried.

 
 
^^Bingo^^..  and what's that big monster of an amp you have diving the HE-6 again?

 

[brokenthumb]

Quote:

Broken, what amp do you use?

 
I use my Pioneer VSX-455 I bought in '96.  It was amazing with the HD650 and sounds even better with the HD800.  The E9 is decent but no where near the Pioneer.  I also have a Panny XR-25 but the HD800 sounds very thin with hardly any bass on it.  If it wasn't for the Pioneer I probably would have sold the HD800 by now.  I'm thinking of buying a Decware this summer though just to see how it compares to the Pioneer.
 
Quote:

The HD 800 I auditioned a couple years ago had obvious roll-off in the base, although it was still incredibly tight and of a piece with the rest of the sound.

I half wonder if it may be because of how people listen to theirs -- I tend to listen at lower than average levels, which would also explain diminished bass -- but I've heard rumors that the HD 800 was revised mid-run too.

Despite my decision not to buy at the time (in favor of the HE-6, a better all-rounder for my circumstances), I still would like to have the HD 800 too some day. It does many things better than any other headphone I've tried.

 
I listen on a average of 75 dB measured with a spl meter from Radio Shack.
 
I'm still waiting on my frequency chart from Sennheiser, it's been over a month since I registered for it.

 

[Silent One]

Quote:

 
 
^^Bingo^^..  and what's that big monster of an amp you have diving the HE-6 again?

 
We be curious.

 

[LCfiner]

Latest setup. I think I'll be good for a long while. I got these fantastic QUAD 12L actives used on another site and they've taken over for a lot of previous headphone use. Incredible clarity and soundstaging from these guys (plus I think the rosewood finish is beautiful). And those isoacoustic stands are the real deal. No bass muddiness or booming at all - very clean.
 
 
 
 

 

 
 
 
The Bel Canto DAC 2.5 was picked up yesterday and has - somewhat surprisingly - made a bigger difference than I would have thought. Historically, I've had a hard time telling the difference between DACs but putting in this one has made the 12Ls really open up (I had switched from a W4S DAC1 to Icon HDP in the past 2 weeks). Wide, and very 3D soundstage. Clean, extended highs but no harshness. Oh, and the headphone amp is pretty good for the low impedance headphones I have.
 
I have two headphones.
 
Markl modified D7000s. These are a real improvement over the regular D7000 and I actually prefer their tonal balance over the TH900, which I owned for a week. Better balance with the bass and mids. Mids are less thin. No, it's not as clean as the TH900 (or the Stax 007 I just sold) but it has harder hitting bass than the Stax and more robust mids than the TH900. it's a better compromise for my needs.
 
I also have the Grado SR225i with flat pads when I want some aggressive sound right in my head.
 
But these days it's the Quads that are blowing my mind most often. And, at around $600 used, they're a remarkable value.