The HDMI decoding is a nice feature. I've got a Macbook Pro that has an HDMI-out. Can use that port instead of having to take up a USB port (or use a hub).

Interesting. I mean, we'll see if this holds true in a decade or two.

Curious about the elastic bands they're using. I had the AKG K712s, and the elastics were a bit too loose on those. Additionally, I find elastic bands to be a bit of a time bomb - failure is all but guaranteed after a certain period of time. Might be a decade or two, might even be longer, but...

True. I don't fiddle with volume too often, but not having to use the volume buttons or slider on your phone would be nice for the rare occasion that I do need to.

The new updates seem fairly minor, with battery life being the biggest improvement IMO. Find My for the case is nice as well, but finding my APPs was never a problem for me. I was hoping there'd be some sort of special-sauce lossless connection as well, but that's not a real possibility until...

Got the ZMF pilot pads today for the HD800S. Very comfortable, but I suspect there might be a hotspot. Not quite sure. Has anyone compared the pilot pads to the co-pilot pads?

Just bought a set of the Aegis cable for my HD800S. The plastic sleeving on the stock cables basically tore apart, and I could see the internal wiring. The Aegis replaced those because I wanted a braided cable that looked good and wasn't godawfully long. The cable took a bit over two weeks to...

Is the max sampling rate still 32bit/96k or something else? You can use Audio Midi Setup (type that into Spotlight to open) to check.

There is no lossless playback via Bluetooth, no matter what. Even the proprietary stuff that Sony uses (APTX-HD) isn't actually lossless. The only way to get lossless playback wirelessly is to use wi-fi (aka Airplay).

So I bought a replacement headband pad from Soundspares, in the UK. Shipping to Canada was surprisingly cheap - having anything to do with Europe is usually expensive as hell, but not this time. Turns out, Sennheiser doesn't have any in stock, so ordering direct from them is a no-go. What in the...

Yeah, it's apparently a common problem. Nobody's making aftermarket headband pads either.

For those of you who needed to replace the headband pads, how long did your original headband last? Mine are getting thin along the edges and there's black material flaking off. I got my HD800s in 2016, used, from another head-fier who bought them in late 2015.

So during silence, when ANC was turned on, there was a buzzing/crackling sound occasionally on one side (it switched back and forth between left and right). A lot of people reported this. The new firmware fixed this problem. As to your second question, my best explanation for the old sound was...

Just updated to the 2D15 firmware. ANC isn't noisy anymore (compared to 2C54). Transparency mode isn't hissy anymore. Overall sound is more balanced, with a very slight boost in the mids so that it's either a shallow U-shape or a very very slight W-shape (the mid hump is very shallow if it even...

How does Polarity work in CanOpener and why does it sound so good, especially when paired with Midside Matrix? I've tried this setup with a 4.5 side gain on Midside Matrix (0db mid), and with polarity turned on in Canopener. Super wide soundstage, without the blobbiness.

Bought these last Thursday. Very convenient in terms of not having to make sure the eartips seal right, not having the flanges go on wonky before you even insert them (something the Symbio Mandarines do all the time), not having to deal with wre tangle or routing, and a whole bunch of other...

Not as good as my New Primacy IEMs, but not terribly too far off the mark either. APPs are more comfortable and a lot less finicky to wear. And the APPs stay in my ear, unlike every other IEMs I've tried, where I constantly need to adjust them.

My main concern will always be the disposability of the product. The battery will eventually give out, probably in 2-3 years - that is the nature of how batteries operate over time. Will Apple have a decently inexpensive battery replacement program, or will they simply just shrug their shoulders...

The adapter has been measured by multiple sources as being equal to, if not better than, the headphone jack. Yes, it's more inconvenient unless you keep it plugged into one pair of IEMs or whatever at all times. It's also flimsy, so you might want to buy a bunch or do some wrap mods. Android's...

Just got the Accessories House earpads for my HD800S. The stock pads have been on my headphones since I bought them from someone on Head-fi, so they've been in use for almost 4 years. So far, I think there's a bit more bass, and the soundstage is more centered (but the width hasn't changed by...

Interesting! I've been using the ONP constantly for two years now, and they're still doing great. The stock cable is still in good condition as well. Overall, the OH300 and 500 both feel like side-grades rather than upgrades, so I don't think I'll be buying either of these. Despite that, I do...

^^^ Yup. The idea is absurd - lots of financial, military, statistical, scientific, etc. data all depend on the same equipment that you and I run. Plus, a modem can only take care of the final to-the-home route - the vast majority still depends on thousands of kilometers of copper and fiber.

How coherent/incoherent are the Polaris II? A lot of hybrids and multi-driver IEMs seem to have some issue with this.

I'm very curious about the new Polaris too. I've got the Oriveti New Primacy right now, and from the looks of things, the Polaris II seems to be similar in sound signature.