[rgs9200m]

This subject was brought up in the Apex Pinnacle vs. Leben 300XS amp review thread and I thought it deserved its own thread.
For the record, my 800s, #6320, seem to have lots of bass but there is slightly mild chill in the lower treble compared to my T1s and PS1000s
(not bothersome with my B52 amp and CDs that aren't boosted in this region).
The rumor is that newer 800s are toned down and/or are more bass-heavy, and that there have been a few frequency-response changes made along the way.
 
Can people post their 800 serial # and what they hear?
 
What the heck is going on here?  It sure would be nice if Sennheiser could chime in.
This is important to me because I feel the 800s are close to perfect except for this lower-treble bump.
Mine are liquid, the soundstage is awesome, and when everything is right, I get lost in the music and feel I never need to listen to speakers again.
 

 

[Ikarios]

Since the hD800s are handmade, it is possible that they will have slight variances between serial numbers; maybe they improved the manufacturing process around number 800 and it as a result resulted in a more balanced frequency response, i.e. perceived to be "bassier" or "toned down".

 

[Phasey]

I tend to think the 'design change'  rumor is just that, a rumor.  But, Sennheiser creates a FR chart with every pair.  It would be interesting to compare.
 

 
 

 

[rgs9200m]

This is the review link I am talking about:
 head-fi.org/forum/thread/539248/apex-pinnacle-vs-leben-cs300xs-the-awful-truth

This is in the review (by InnerSpace):
"I tried many headphones with the Pinnacle and strongly preferred my second set of HD800s -
not the same set I use with the Leben, but a sample that has a much flatter 6k peak.  I
used them dual-mono through the XLR outs."

And check out post #32 on 2/17/11 by InnerSpace on the thread with this excerpt:

So ... I now have 3 HD800s (yeah, I'm nuts) ... #6946 is my Leben pair, with the spike, but
it's a little higher in frequency, closer to 7k than 6 (judged by ear: I don't have access
to pro measuring gear anymore, and Radio Shack meters, etc, aren't good enough.)
#7883 is my Pinnacle pair, with a much lower, flatter 6k peak.
 I think both of those are just random variations - it's a question of using Amazon or
similar, trial and return.  I must have tried 20 pairs so far.
And the latest -  #9908 - definitely has stronger bass.  The treble peak is still there at
about 6k, but modest, and it's much less apparent because of the bassier balance.  If the
rumor is true about intentional changes, it looks like anything after about 9500 is "new."
 
There are more comments in the thread about this. I think this is somewhat disturbing.
I mean, for the price of the 800s, we shouldn't be gambling on the sound signature based on the serial #.