[citraian]

I guess, we have a very different understanding of what great means.

Listenable? Yes.

Can be enjoyed? Maybe...
Great? Not in my book.

(I don't think Adele is any good anyway, even if properly recorded.)

Have you compared (Adele or Sia) on HD800 next to a similar quality open back headphone with warmer and less bright sound signature?

It depends on what you consider to be a similar quality headphone.
All the headphones that I listened to couldn't touch the HD800. Maybe the old Orpheus but that has some problems of its own as well.
But I did listen to Adele and Sia on LCD-3c, LCD-3f, LCD-X extensively and on other similar headphones for a shorter time. HD800 was above those. For the HD800 you really need to be careful with system matching. They can sound really different depending on the system.

Edit: I actually owned and liked the TH900 a lot but the slight Vshape and sibilance were deal breakers in the end...

 

[Arniesb]

I'm probably the weird one but I really don't think HD650 is that forgiving as many make it out to be.

Maybe its your dac that is less forgiving? I remember that Gumby when i listened with T1 it was much more forgiving than my Arcam IrDAC.

 

[DavidA]

  Actually I mainly listen to this korean singer. "IU", she has the best voice I've ever heard. The song more likely focusing on her vocals. Just some of them are pop dance.
 
How about I paired it with Mojo? I asked someone who have both TH600 and HD800, he said TH600 has more sibilant highs than HD800. Do you ever heard TH600?

The sibilant level depends on the genre of music for me, as others have noted the HD-800 would not be my choice for pop music or even a pretty good singer like IU (I like Hyorin a little better).  When I got together with a few head-fi members a few months ago most didn't like the HD-800 with vocals, it just sounds a little weird with the overly wide sound stage but for classical or acoustic jazz they are really good.  Most of us like the HE-560 better for vocal genres but even the HE-560 can be sibilant to some.  For pop/kpop/jpop I would chose a more forgiving headphones like the HD-650, SRH-1840 or LCD-2.
 
And I do think the TH-600 can be sibilant at times, more so than the HD-800 IMO and the mids of the TH-600 are just a touch too recessed for enjoying pop to me.

 

[BobG55]

Quote : It depends on what you consider to be a similar quality headphone.
All the headphones that I listened to couldn't touch the HD800. Maybe the old Orpheus but that has some problems of its own as well.
But I did listen to Adele and Sia on LCD-3c, LCD-3f, LCD-X extensively and on other similar headphones for a shorter time. HD800 was above those. For the HD800 you really need to be careful with system matching. They can sound really different depending on the system.

Edit: I actually owned and liked the TH900 a lot but the slight Vshape and sibilance were deal breakers in the end...

I can attest to that citraian.  I listen to mine (HD800)  w/ a Zana Deux Super & I can assure everyone that there is not even a hint of sibilance  sound wise.  I listen to different types of music including female voices without any sibilance or distortion.
 
The only adjustment/ tweak I make is rolling different vacuum tubes if the music sounds a bit too bright but the brightness is not sibilance or distorted. e.g. I'll switch from a Tung sol 6SU7 GTY Round Plate or a Sophia Electric Grade A 6SL7 to the Brimar CV1985 / 6SL7GT Platinum Grade but I find it's due mostly to the production of the recording & not the headphone itself.  
 
Another example, a couple of night ago I switched from the Tung sol to the Brimar listening to "Chicago" (best of album).  The brightness disappeared when using the Brimar Vacuum tube & let me ad that the initial brightness was also present listening w/ my HP1000-HP2.

 

[Me x3]

It depends on what you consider to be a similar quality headphone.
All the headphones that I listened to couldn't touch the HD800. Maybe the old Orpheus but that has some problems of its own as well.
But I did listen to Adele and Sia on LCD-3c, LCD-3f, LCD-X extensively and on other similar headphones for a shorter time. HD800 was above those. For the HD800 you really need to be careful with system matching. They can sound really different depending on the system.

Edit: I actually owned and liked the TH900 a lot but the slight Vshape and sibilance were deal breakers in the end...

 
I do think almost no headphone can touch the HD800 in terms of ultimate transparency, but some are very close and bring some different things to the table so I still consider them similar in terms of sound quality. Despite ultimate technical ability, a headphone is made for the music. I consider my very new (somehow bassier) K702 and my T1.1 similar quality to the HD800. The three have wide soundstage and good imaging, very low distortion at my normal listening levels, and relatively neutral sound signature. With some recordings, K702 sounds best, with some recordings HD800 sounds best, and same with the T1.1.
 
I don't have enough experience with the Audezes but I tend to prefer dynamic headphones with airy treble and expansive soundstage, if you are like me in that regard, maybe the Audezes (while good enough technically speaking) are not your cup of tea.
 
Anyway, you might like HD800 with Adele and Sia, and there's nothing wrong about it. We all hear things a bit different.

 

[twiceboss]

The sibilant level depends on the genre of music for me, as others have noted the HD-800 would not be my choice for pop music or even a pretty good singer like IU (I like Hyorin a little better).  When I got together with a few head-fi members a few months ago most didn't like the HD-800 with vocals, it just sounds a little weird with the overly wide sound stage but for classical or acoustic jazz they are really good.  Most of us like the HE-560 better for vocal genres but even the HE-560 can be sibilant to some.  For pop/kpop/jpop I would chose a more forgiving headphones like the HD-650, SRH-1840 or LCD-2.

And I do think the TH-600 can be sibilant at times, more so than the HD-800 IMO and the mids of the TH-600 are just a touch too recessed for enjoying pop to me.

Yea i like smooth treble that LCD2 can give but i never try it. What i hate is I dont want it to be small soundstage. I wanna feel the wide presentation that HD800. I wanna give a try first. Gonna pickup HD800 today and need 2dyas at least for shipping. Will update later

 

[Zoom25]

The old LCD-2.2 pre-fazor were special in their ability to hold a strong and bold phantom. Vocals were very intimate and that was their strength and focus. If judged based on those pre-requisites, then the LCD-2 was a 10 at its intended job.
 
HD 800 is designed to be relatively uncoloured (perfect flatness doesn't mean much) and have fast, accurate transients and a 3D soundstage for big pieces. If judged based on those pre-requisites, then the HD 800 is a 10 at its intended job.

 

[DavidA]

Yea i like smooth treble that LCD2 can give but i never try it. What i hate is I dont want it to be small soundstage. I wanna feel the wide presentation that HD800. I wanna give a try first. Gonna pickup HD800 today and need 2dyas at least for shipping. Will update later

I think for pop or tracks where vocals is the main part of the music having the artificially wide sound stage from the HD-800 makes it sound weird and a few others agreed.  The only genre where having the wide sound stage is really needed is for well mastered/recorded large orchestra classical where it rally takes you into the concert hall and sitting in the front row center.
Also, remember that the HD-800 can be amp picky

 

[fjrabon]

I started to go through and disagree with a lot of these takes, but then I remembered that I listen to the HD800 with crossfeed and equalized, and that I did have all these issues before that.  Now I enjoy listening to the HD800 on everything from the vienna symphony orchestra to Pearl Jam.  I was playing the most recent version of Pearl Jam Ten the other day and was stunned at how good the HD800 was with it.  

 

[JaZZ]

  I started to go through and disagree with a lot of these takes, but then I remembered that I listen to the HD800 with crossfeed and equalized, and that I did have all these issues before that.  Now I enjoy listening to the HD800 on everything from the vienna symphony orchestra to Pearl Jam.  I was playing the most recent version of Pearl Jam Ten the other day and was stunned at how good the HD800 was with it.  

 
Just in case the people in this thread complaining about the lacking universality of the HD 800 have missed it: fjrabon's above statement is an appeal to not artificially curtail its potential. With appropriate equalizer settings the HD 800 can be a master of all genres. Just allow it to it and yourself!

 

[ext1]

Yea i like smooth treble that LCD2 can give but i never try it. What i hate is I dont want it to be small soundstage. I wanna feel the wide presentation that HD800. I wanna give a try first. Gonna pickup HD800 today and need 2dyas at least for shipping. Will update later

I should have gone with the HD800 first than go with the LCD3. I almost never use my LCD3 nowadays because the lack of treble. You'll find that HD800 has better balance and soundstage but LCD3 will have better bass/mids. But with my current setup now the HD800 can seriously challenge the 3s on that department too, so yes get a right amp for the HD800. 

 

[thefitz]

  I should have gone with the HD800 first than go with the LCD3. I almost never use my LCD3 nowadays because the lack of treble. You'll find that HD800 has better balance and soundstage but LCD3 will have better bass/mids. But with my current setup now the HD800 can seriously challenge the 3s on that department too, so yes get a right amp for the HD800. 

I was amazed at how underwhelmed I was by the LCD3. I prefer the X and XC to it 10x over.

 

[13713]

I should have gone with the HD800 first than go with the LCD3. I almost never use my LCD3 nowadays because the lack of treble. You'll find that HD800 has better balance and soundstage but LCD3 will have better bass/mids. But with my current setup now the HD800 can seriously challenge the 3s on that department too, so yes get a right amp for the HD800. 

The 3 was in the running as a possible first headphone for me but after listening to both them and the 800 I decided on the 800. I am one of the strange few tgat absolutely love how the 800 sounds unmodified.

 

[yates7592]

I travelled 300km to a headphone shop specifically to audition LCD3 and came out with HD800. There was just no contest.

 

[ext1]

Funny how in the LCD3 forum people think exactly the opposite, and it's nice to find people that also agree that HD800 > LCD3. But yes in retrospect I would have gotten the X. Cheaper is one (I really regret paying full retail for LCD3, even more) and the aluminium housing is so nice when you're used to cracking wood and wood splinters wandering around inside the cups of the LCD3.
 
And the discomfort- oh my the discomfort. I could not use the LCD3 in stock form at all and I had to devise some suspension strap mechanism out of robotic kits, surgeon's rubber bands and some padding material to make it usable, and even then it's not comfortable enough. HD800 is clearly the best in comfort out of every can that has touched my head- even trumping the SR009...
 
Then with the HD800 (at least with mine) there's flaking. Flaking was so bad that I would find black bits inside the earcup after each session. So I peeled off every single flake on my earcups (so they're similar to the velour pads of the HD650 now).
 
But then in the LCD3 the earpads are freakin attached with 3M tape to the cups...at least Senn does it right with modular production.
Then comes the driver failures in LCD3 and while I didn't have such a problem one of the cable entry points broke and the metal housing for the cable entry just fell out. It's secured with glue onto the wooden cups! Senn never uses anything so destructive like glue. (the only glue I can think of is the screen protector on top of the weblike plastic protector over the driver).
And then in the HD800 we have paint issues. Heh, it would seem a arduous HD800 defender will go forever in debate with a zealous LCD3 fan, but, just so that I don't give HD800 too much credit.
 
Other than objective things like build quality or modular parts I would say it's all personal preference and hence why HD800 is right for me over the LCD3.