It might simply be the case that I'm less sensitive to that region and thus need a boost there to perceive the spatial information. It seems you don't, given that you are bothered by the 6 kHz peak. Best, Mikael

TLDR -- to my ears, the original HD800 has better separation and imaging than HD800S     I've had my sights on the HD800 for some time, to upgrade from my Hifiman HE-400. It seems my 44 year old ears crave some serious brightness; i have auditioned the HD800 against various Hifiman...

  I had been relying on my Beyerdynamic DT1350 and Shure SE215 for quite a while, because there was a bit of harshness to my B&W P5 and ATH M50. Interestingly enough, my Grado SR80i, while bright, was never harsh, although i had dismissed them as sounding too 'thin'. But it was thanks to them...

Long-time lurker, first-time poster. I just have to voice my satisfaction with the HE-400. Coming from darker headphones, it's wonderful to hear that brightness does not necessarily bring harshness.