B9Scrambler
Headphoneus Supremus
First impressions originally posted to my blog:
Passion and elegance. For the first album played I had to go with a classic; Pink Floyd’s ‘Dark Side of the Moon’. Like many, I have listened to this album cover to cover countless times and through the RE800 is the best it’s ever been. From the registers ringing in the album opener ‘Speak to Me’, to Clare Torry’s emotionally stirring presence on ‘Great Gig in the Sky’, to the synth and guitar masterpiece that is ‘Any Colour You Like’, it was easy to lose myself in the album again as if I were listening to it for the first time.
Next up was my personal favorite in the progressive rock genre, Supertramp’s ‘Crime of the Century’. This time I skipped right to ‘Rudy’ where Davies and Hodgson’s vocals were re-created flawlessly. Every key of the piano sounded just right and the orchestral pieces had the right body, playing on their own clearly defined and spacious stage. It was awesome.
In terms of fit, everyone has already gushed over how small and comfortable they are so I’m not going to say much beyond “I agree.” While I quite like the design and cable, just like on the RE2000 the lack of proper strain relief sticks out. On the RE2000 I can almost forgive it because that model uses removable cables, but the RE800 doesn’t have that luxury. Let’s just hope this plush, microphonic free cable can stand the test of time.
Overall first impressions of the RE800 are quite positive I’d say. They handle two of my favorite progressive rock albums with aplomb and do a great job of hiding their presence through impressive comfort and ergonomics. Plus, they look classy while they’re at it.
Passion and elegance. For the first album played I had to go with a classic; Pink Floyd’s ‘Dark Side of the Moon’. Like many, I have listened to this album cover to cover countless times and through the RE800 is the best it’s ever been. From the registers ringing in the album opener ‘Speak to Me’, to Clare Torry’s emotionally stirring presence on ‘Great Gig in the Sky’, to the synth and guitar masterpiece that is ‘Any Colour You Like’, it was easy to lose myself in the album again as if I were listening to it for the first time.
Next up was my personal favorite in the progressive rock genre, Supertramp’s ‘Crime of the Century’. This time I skipped right to ‘Rudy’ where Davies and Hodgson’s vocals were re-created flawlessly. Every key of the piano sounded just right and the orchestral pieces had the right body, playing on their own clearly defined and spacious stage. It was awesome.
In terms of fit, everyone has already gushed over how small and comfortable they are so I’m not going to say much beyond “I agree.” While I quite like the design and cable, just like on the RE2000 the lack of proper strain relief sticks out. On the RE2000 I can almost forgive it because that model uses removable cables, but the RE800 doesn’t have that luxury. Let’s just hope this plush, microphonic free cable can stand the test of time.
