Just published my review of the MDR Z1R partnered up with £20,000 of test equipment, if anyone is interested. http://www.kitguru.net/tech-news/featured-tech-reviews/zardon/sony-mdr-z1r-review-2000-headphones-featuring-chord-dave-dac/

What amp are you using with the hd800s? Are you running single ended with the cable in the box?

Why would i disagree with that? I already said you wont get that kind of planar bass with a dynamic driver. you can however tune and adjust hd800 bass response with various amps and cables. Your reply said you didnt agree. What a bizarre conversation.

Really? You hear the same quality and quantity of bass with all the amplifiers you have listened to? Wish i was the same, would have saved myself a fortune...

You cant really expect that bass impact from a dynamic driver, against a planar. The first thing i would do would be to upgrade the cable, to cardas or preferred third party. Hd800 cables have always been the weak link.

Why so patronising? I know this is a HD800S thread, i posted a link to my Sennheiser HD800s review earlier in it after Sennheiser Germany sent me a pair with the HD800 for publication both in magazines and online.   I noticed your post about the HE1000 and how disappointing it was for you, and...

Ive tried them with 42 amplifiers, they need to be driven properly to truly sing. Its not really a debate with you or an attack on your opinions -- i like (and own) the other headphones you mention ... however to dismiss the he1000 so out of hand seems rather niave. The he1000 are a superior...

More than likely the amplifier pairing. The he1000 is without question one of the finest headphones you can buy.

If I can make the time I will do my best. I will say that these headphones need an awful lot of time to get close to their best. I have never noticed much difference in headphones between 50-500 hours, but these are constantly changing and evolving until they settle. The bass response is great...

Let me know how you get on, curious to hear what you think of the abyss 1266. I found lcd 4 100 ohm exhibited a slight accentuation but the 200ohm version seemed much smoother in my tests.... I actually prefer the he1000 to both of them overall (comfort, sq, etc) with the luxman p700u (he1000...

Very interesting to read your observations. Ive found the lcd4 has a very sweet signature sound in regards to the high frequencies and is not at all exaggerated. Quite the reverse.The abyss 1266 i found can be a little 'hotter' depending on the amp. I havent spent much, if any time with the...

Its been an unusual experience living with this headphone. It has taken a full 500 hours to bed in, and i dont normally believe in all this 'bedding in' methodology. At the start i thought the headphone was hideous but as time has progressed it has reached a very desireable plateau. Now i have...

Its a subtle yet noticeable improvement, but if you are 100% happy with the original then stay contented ! The hd800s is just a better balanced headphone overall, but you may actually be one of the people who prefer the original, my friend is the same.

Its difficult to say which is 'better', they have very different amplifier needs, one is 35ohm (+-3) (90dBa) and the other 200ohm (96-97dBa). I have spent so much time with both headphones and have tried now more than 30 amplifiers with each of them. My opinion has shifted between them so many...

What i meant was, you dont have to spend £250 on the 4 pin xlr cable. The hd800 is £1,099 in the united kingdom. The hd800 s is £1,199, as it is a new enhanced version of the original design which has taken several years of r&d to develop and prices will always rise a little. This is the...

I just published a review of the HD800 S , for anyone interested. Its a bit long to post here: http://www.kitguru.net/site-news/highlights2/zardon/sennheiser-hd800-s-review/

I always liked how they use the black carbon coating to trap the stray electrons inside the glass on those tubes. Should help reduce microphonics too. Ill check back tomorrow to hear how you get on

Well if its any reassurance, they are meant to be extremely good. Ive a great contact in the industry who says their build standards are way in excess of any other modern el34. Ive never tried it, so really very interested. It is the only chinese el34 that interests me.

Really curious to hear your thoughts , please update us later. Its about the only chinese modern el34 tube that seems built to the highest grade (according to my sources). They are very expensive.

Anyone tried the Shuguang Treasure Series EL34/6CA7=Z. Curious to hear your thoughts....

Yeah, i wouldnt touch them. Ive had 5 fail in a year in other amplifiers. They have some really bad batches. Their quality ranges from abysmal to average. They sound ok when they work but just too many issues with them to even risk an investment.

Really? thats bad luck, I had a 100 ohm version fail. the left driver basically imploded while I was listening to it. 200 ohm version has been ok so far. Did they say how long before you got another replacement?

I thought I would share some of my thoughts on various amplifiers and headphones, including the BHSE and Stax 009. It is a little long to post here, so you can read it here. http://www.kitguru.net/site-news/highlights2/zardon/flagship-headphone-amplifier-round-up/

Its one of the best in the world, costs a small fortune too - around £700 in the UK, the price of a modest headphone amplifier!

Its fine, not really wanting an argument over it. you seem a nice guy on the forums, but I was only trying to explain how I would bias any tube amplifier. I have only tried a few different sets on the BHSE and they needed fairly minor/modest changes, unlike some of the other amplifiers which...