[riceboy]

Quote:

Originally Posted by IPodPJ /img/forum/go_quote.gif I did not hear the HD800 with the P-1 unfortunately. I heard it with the P-200 and I thought it sounded horrible. As far as what pairs well (that I heard with my own ears): Solid State SE: ALO Amphora (pairs decently, but on the bright side. I wouldn't pair it with a detailed source and I would only pair it with a source with a tube output, or an iPod.) Blue Circle SBH (pairs decently.) Solid State balanced Audio-gd Phoenix Balanced B22 RSA Apache (but on the warm side) Rudistor RPX-300 (pairs decently.) Tube SE Zana Deux Donald North Audio Sonett (SE version) Woo Audio WA22 Woo Audio WA6 SE Tube balanced Donald North Audio Sonett (Balanced output version) RSA B-52 (but on the warm side)

Thanks IpodPJ. I appreciate your input on the above amps that you feel pairs well with the HD800. From my experience with the HD650s, but not that much for the HD600, a good amp did make them shine more. I haven't had a lot of time yet with the HD800s, but I do fine that with some of the amps I tested the HD800 does shine with certain amps instead of others. I guess that can be said with any can that has a different source on the chain with the amp from my experience. Thanks again.

 

[immtbiker]

From my personal experience, the HD800/P-1 combo is one of my all time favorites. The P-1 has a superior soundstage and outputs as much detail as any other amp I've ever heard. The combo runs a close second to the R-10/P-1 pairing.

The synergy is what I'm looking for when trying to reach audio nirvana.

 

[riceboy]

Quote:

Originally Posted by immtbiker /img/forum/go_quote.gif From my personal experience, the HD800/P-1 combo is one of my all time favorites. The P-1 has a superior soundstage and outputs as much detail as any other amp I've ever heard. The combo runs a close second to the R-10/P-1 pairing. The synergy is what I'm looking for when trying to reach audio nirvana.

From my early initial impressions/experience (4 days with the HD800 with 72 hours of burn in with audio burn in CD), with the HD800/P-1 combo I agree with you. The P-1 does provide a superior soundstage that many amps I've owned and heard do not provide and I've owned a lot

. The R10/P-1 pairing is just wonderful as well and though the HD800/P-1 combo is a very close second I could be happy with either combo. The source I am using is the Cary 306 Professional SACD player with the Luxman P-1 to the HD800/R10. Overall I am happy with the combination too

Also, you are so right about synergy when trying to reach audio nirvana. This current combo provides the best synergy I've experienced and has brought me to my current audio nirvana

 

[Quadrangulum]

I have the HD800/P-1 combo as well and I agree with you both.

 

[4N6]

Quote:

Originally Posted by IPodPJ /img/forum/go_quote.gif I agree with you completely on amplification. It will make or break these headphones. Unfortunately, I feel the 307A is not a good performer with the HD800. (at least in SE configuration which is how I heard it) It didn't seem to have great control over the drivers.

I am thinking of having my HD800's recabled to balanced. From what I have heard, this makes a big difference on these headphones.

I have not gotten the impression that the 307A has trouble controlling the drivers well; however, I have not had the opportunity to hear the HD800's with a lot of different amps for comparison. You certainly could be right. But, if heard under show conditions and a short time to audition, this could also serve to give false impressions of any type of gear auditioned. I hope someday to be able to hear these headphones with a few other amps so that I can find out the "truth" for myself.

 

[immtbiker]

A thought:

As long as the P-1 has the 3 headphone output attribute, wouldn't it be great if it had separate gain controls for each headphone jack, so you could volume match, and compare multiple headphones with different impedances without having to adjust the volume control without inducing memory loss?

 

[robm321]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Piotr Ryka /img/forum/go_quote.gif Sennheiser HD 800 sound is like stuffed animal: lifelike almost, but dead. To be yet warm maybe even, but his eyes are blind.

LOL Piotr, I am so glad that you are on headfi. It's people like you that keep me coming around.

And anyone that doesn't feel that the K-1000 is in the top tier is simply clueless.

 

[Piotr Ryka]

LOL Piotr, I am so glad that you are on headfi. It's people like you that keep me coming around.

I have clear proofs, that some others are exactly opposite opinion.

Regards for everybody

 

[greggf]

LOL!

 

[blubliss]

 

[Piotr Ryka]

LOL

Nice car, blubliss. Yours?

 

[feifan]

Quote:

Originally Posted by jpelg /img/forum/go_quote.gif If you believe that the R10's are better balanced as well. If you wish to find out how each headphone sounds with the same associated components, that's one thing. But if you wish to determine which sounds better when each is operating their best (ie. the ideal configuration for each headphone), that's something different. Both comparisons should be done, but ultimately it should be all about what is best for the individual can. Especially since these are so far apart from an engineering standpoint.

x2.

It doesn't make sense to compare cans with equipment that favors one over the other when the question is "Which is the better pair?" The only conclusion we can reach is that the conditions were better for one than the other, and we're still left with the question.

This would be like having a contest between two golfers, one tall and the other short, of equal rank, and restricting them to a single set of clubs that favors the shorter guy.

 

[pearljam5000]

Wrong.
anyone that doesn't feel that the K-1000 is in the top tier,or the best ever period, is simply insane!
it is impossible to not like their sound.

Quote:

Originally Posted by robm321 /img/forum/go_quote.gif LOL Piotr, I am so glad that you are on headfi. It's people like you that keep me coming around. And anyone that doesn't feel that the K-1000 is in the top tier is simply clueless.

 

[riceboy]

Quote:

Originally Posted by 4N6 /img/forum/go_quote.gif I really think this must have something to do with the amplification of the HD800's. Via the TTVJ 307A, I get a LOT of air around the instruments. In fact, that was one of the first things I noticed about them. Compared to the R10, the sound of the HD800 is a little more forward and "bigger," which could be construed as lacking space.

This is my experience with the HD800 as well. With the right amp I do get beautiful air around the instruments. Now with some other amps I don't get air around the instruments and could be called more less involving or as someone put it "lifeless". As IpodPJ and others have mentioned the HD800s do benefit from pairing with an amp that can provide some good ampfilication. Of course this could be said about any cans, and some do benefit more than others from my experience.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Piotr Ryka /img/forum/go_quote.gif So I ask you – who happily have listened both, HD 800 and R-10 – are they similar? What is the R-10 space, dead or alive? Can someone tell me that?

To answer your question IMHO, these two headphones are different. Quite simply it is just a matter of preference. Both are fantastic headphones and at $1400.00 the HD800 are a steal at this price point. There are some that want to hear a recording the way it was intended from the artists or engineers standpoint with the bad and good of the recordings. The HD800 gets you there with being very neutral and transparent type of headphones. Some of the neutral headphones I can think of that I've owned off the top of my head would be the HP-2, HP-1s, K1000, or even K701s. If you would like to have a more euphoric, fun and musical experience then the R10s gets you there. As Hirsch, Edwood and Boomana put it the R10s just gets you to that zen like state of enjoyment of just listening to the music and sounding just right. Some may mention that the HD800 are less engaging, but I don't have an issue with that on my current setup. When I listen to jazz, rock, live performances like Alison Krauss Live or Diana Krall Live in Paris, the placement of the band and even the audience to the instruments sound just right with the HD800s. But at the end of the day it really depends on your preference, plain and simple. If you ask which one is better than the other in PRat, speed, treble, textures in bass or even bass impact to imaging some can say one is better than the other. Some can even compare the K1000s with these two, which I do own, which really can't be called headphones or even speakers, but somewhere in between (ear speakers?) and try to say which one is better. The K1000s, HD800s, and R10s are all different flavors and it's your choice to determine which one you want to grab and listen to at the end of the day. Again it all depends on preference on what type of sound you like and enjoy hearing when listening to your music/genres

.

 

[IPodPJ]

Quote:

Originally Posted by robm321 /img/forum/go_quote.gif And anyone that doesn't feel that the K-1000 is in the top tier is simply clueless.

That's a pretty rude thing to say. I could say the same for Grado owners or L3000 fans, but that's just my opinion and doesn't make the other person clueless. One person's top tier is another person's turd pile.