[smodtactical]

Just to get an idea of taste do you guys enjoy the bass quantity and overall sound of the HD800 or HD800S ?

 

[Hifiearspeakers]

Just to get an idea of taste do you guys enjoy the bass quantity and overall sound of the HD800 or HD800S ?

I don’t like the 800 at all. Its bass is lacking and it’s way too bright. The 800S is a big improvement. I find the mid bass quantity on the S to be just about perfect but it lacks sub bass. And even though the treble is much improved, I still think it’s a tad too bright. Their soundstage is epic and the best I’ve ever heard.
I would rank the 800S in the top 4 best headphones I’ve ever heard.

 

[vincentm66]

Just received the D8000...Im in love :
So easy to drive (using PC sound card is same resulat good as my Hugo TT).
It needs juice anyway : using a mobile phone its lacking punch.
Laid back in the mids compare to Grado PS1000, but overall lots of air, details and energy and 3d.
Really nice on pop / rock and classical music, maybe on rock can be tired quicker with such energy in the face.
Compared to Grado its much more clean and instrumens separations is very good too, bass is there and perfect : tight and clean, highs never agressives.

 

[batfier]

Just to get an idea of taste do you guys enjoy the bass quantity and overall sound of the HD800 or HD800S ?

Only have HD800S, so can just comment on this one. Coming from the HD650 I pretty much liked sound stage and clarity in the beginning. Bass is just good, but probaly not the strength of the HD800S. Treble is still a bit to much and can emphasize silbants in some music. Impact and body could be more. Neverthelss, overall I like the tonality and when HEKv2 or 009 would not be around, I would still be happy with it and enjoy it more often. When switching from HEKv2 or 009, then there is something missing in the beginning. sound stage is still quite wide, but less natural in comparison.

The HDVA600 helps a little bit against the silbants, but I like it more with tubes like Solaris (OTL mode)(warmer and somehow "sublime") or Trafomatic Head 2 (not the usual tube sound).

As I use it rarely now I didn't compare it to D8000 and therefore can not comment on it.

 

[smodtactical]

I heard the D8000 the other day and was totally blown away by them. This was out of a hugo 2. The crystal clear treble and weight midrange along with the solid strong extended bass was very impressive. The only other planar I heard before was the HE6. I am really eager to compare them to other high end planars like meze emps, lcd4 and abyss. Im surprised though that people don't enjoy them... they just sound amazing to me. You can see my reference headphones in my signature.

 

[Pharmaboy]

I heard the D8000 the other day and was totally blown away by them. This was out of a hugo 2. The crystal clear treble and weight midrange along with the solid strong extended bass was very impressive. The only other planar I heard before was the HE6. I am really eager to compare them to other high end planars like meze emps, lcd4 and abyss. Im surprised though that people don't enjoy them... they just sound amazing to me. You can see my reference headphones in my signature.

I love open-back planars...planars in general. Have 4 planars now (3 open-back; 1 closed). Got all 3 open-backs after CanJam, when I heard the D8000 & the Empyrean & was so impressed by both. I already liked planars (my beloved Ori)--but after CanJam, my big interest became open-back planars.

 

[smodtactical]

I love open-back planars...planars in general. Have 4 planars now (3 open-back; 1 closed). Got all 3 open-backs after CanJam, when I heard the D8000 & the Empyrean & was so impressed by both. I already liked planars (my beloved Ori)--but after CanJam, my big interest became open-back planars.

How do you like lcd 4 and abyss vs them?

 

[Pharmaboy]

Never heard LCD-4, though was sorely tempted to try (I own pre-fazor LCD-2.1 & LCD-3, and each has compelling virtues).

I heard two Abyss HPs very briefly at CanJam NYC (Diana & AB-1266). I mean a minute at most, so no real sonic impressions. I just remember the bass on the AB-1266 was simply ridiculous--large, impactful, tonally accurate. But the 1266 was huge & unwieldy on my head--uncomfortable. Same w/Diana but for different reasons (earcups lack swivel/backwards/forwards movement)--felt clampy & weird.

H8000 & Empyrean were way above anything else at the show IMO--also above anything I own, though I'm very happy with the non-planar Eikon; also by the HEX v2, which I've had less than a week.

 

[kid vic]

Never heard LCD-4, though was sorely tempted to try (I own pre-fazor LCD-2.1 & LCD-3, and each has compelling virtues).

I heard two Abyss HPs very briefly at CanJam NYC (Diana & AB-1266). I mean a minute at most, so no real sonic impressions. I just remember the bass on the AB-1266 was simply ridiculous--large, impactful, tonally accurate. But the 1266 was huge & unwieldy on my head--uncomfortable. Same w/Diana but for different reasons (earcups lack swivel/backwards/forwards movement)--felt clampy & weird.

H8000 & Empyrean were way above anything else at the show IMO--also above anything I own, though I'm very happy with the non-planar Eikon; also by the HEX v2, which I've had less than a week.

Did you try the Ether 2?

 

[Pharmaboy]

Did you try the Ether 2?

No. Haven't had the opportunity...it launched pretty recently.

I'd love to hear it.

 

[lambdastorm]

I own the Abyss, and was absolutely gobsmacked by the D8000 when I heard them at Canjam NYC earlier this year. At that time my only thought was that I have to get them, cuz out of the Cayin HA300 the bass is just unreal---even more impactful than the Abyss, with that in mind I went to Audio46 and tried the D8000 for a whole 4 hours, and a week later tried them on my own rig for another 3 hours. What can I say, really a great pair of headphones indeed, but it doesn't have the uber-definition of Abyss, bass also doesn't go as deep. The magic it has on the HA300 is just not present on my solid-state rig. What I did get later is the Cayin, these tube amps make all the planars I have sound out of this world, it adds a lot of sub-bass reverb and every planar I have benefitted from these tube magic tremendously. I know Abyss sounds big, but holy moly on tube amps they just sound like floorstanders.

 

[smodtactical]

Heard the D8000 recently at a meet and was also blown away by them. The intense deep bass... crystalline mid range and clear shimmering treble. It was unlike any headphone I heard before. This was out of a hugo 2!

Can't get them since they use real leather which I don't buy. But it makes me think a TOTL planar might be my end game.

 

[buffer]

quick question for those who own the D8000. I recently purchased a pair and I love them. I own many flagships and these are about as good as they get in my opinion. But I notice one modest flaw. The midbass is a bit elevated by a few decibels for my liking. The midbass is tight when using a good headphone amp and really enjoyable overall, as it offers visceral impact (with the help of the midrange) that many other headphones do not. I have about 50 hours, maybe a little more on them. I am hoping the midbass decreases in quantity because, depending on the song, the powerful bass line tends to distract from the main tune. Can anyone tell me if midbass quantity decreased with burn-in? I have read some folks say with a couple of hundred hours the D8000 gets less congested, but I am not sure if that means a decrease in the upper midbass. If it does, I think clarity would also improve and I would have my perfect headphone. I appreciate any feedback from those who have witnessed a sonic change as a result of burn-in.

 

[smodtactical]

quick question for those who own the D8000. I recently purchased a pair and I love them. I own many flagships and these are about as good as they get in my opinion. But I notice one modest flaw. The midbass is a bit elevated by a few decibels for my liking. The midbass is tight when using a good headphone amp and really enjoyable overall, as it offers visceral impact (with the help of the midrange) that many other headphones do not. I have about 50 hours, maybe a little more on them. I am hoping the midbass decreases in quantity because, depending on the song, the powerful bass line tends to distract from the main tune. Can anyone tell me if midbass quantity decreased with burn-in? I have read some folks say with a couple of hundred hours the D8000 gets less congested, but I am not sure if that means a decrease in the upper midbass. If it does, I think clarity would also improve and I would have my perfect headphone. I appreciate any feedback from those who have witnessed a sonic change as a result of burn-in.

Buffer I only heard the d8000 a bit so I can't answer you but I would love more impressions. How do they compare to other totl headphones? Also how are they comfort wise? Do the cups touch your ears at all.

 

[hop ham]

quick question for those who own the D8000. I recently purchased a pair and I love them. I own many flagships and these are about as good as they get in my opinion. But I notice one modest flaw. The midbass is a bit elevated by a few decibels for my liking. The midbass is tight when using a good headphone amp and really enjoyable overall, as it offers visceral impact (with the help of the midrange) that many other headphones do not. I have about 50 hours, maybe a little more on them. I am hoping the midbass decreases in quantity because, depending on the song, the powerful bass line tends to distract from the main tune. Can anyone tell me if midbass quantity decreased with burn-in? I have read some folks say with a couple of hundred hours the D8000 gets less congested, but I am not sure if that means a decrease in the upper midbass. If it does, I think clarity would also improve and I would have my perfect headphone. I appreciate any feedback from those who have witnessed a sonic change as a result of burn-in.

I think the bass changes most through burn in, taming down and getting a bit tighter. It was looser, fuzzier, bouncier, rounder out of the origami box. But I agree, if there is one flaw with the sound of this headphone it's that the midbass is a bit elevated and can become a little distracting with certain pairings and music. That didn't change for me but I enjoy the different bass presentation and I wouldn't call it poor bass quality. I think it's this quality that makes people dislike this headphone and will be overly warm for some. Others will enjoy the added impact in this range, although the Abyss still has more visceral impact. The D8000 still has this ability to make you feel the bass more than others.

Initially I preferred it with my OTL amp but the bass was not as well controlled and added a midbass haze that compounded this problem. So I now prefer it straight out of my Dave or with my Phonitor X with the matrix feature engaged. It's a cleaner sound that leans out the midbass.

Buffer I only heard the d8000 a bit so I can't answer you but I would love more impressions. How do they compare to other totl headphones? Also how are they comfort wise? Do the cups touch your ears at all.

Comfort is decent to good if you're used to heavier planars. If you're a comfort freak these may disappoint. You do feel the weight after a while like other heavy planars but the weight is distributed pretty well. If you have a really small head like me, the lowest adjustment setting may still be too big. I'm going to place a secondary pad underneath the headband like I did with my HE-500 and HE6. The pads are stiff but sort of mold after wearing them a while. No real issues with the pads but I do prefer a more oval shape. My ears don't touch anything. The pads are about an inch deep with circular cutouts.

Some quick comparisons:
Abyss (non Phi) - more visceral bass but D8000 is runner up compared to other TOTLs I have. Abyss has larger soundstage and more speaker-like in it's presentation. Mids are weightier and fuller on D8000. I prefer D8000 overall (and I love the Abyss sound), especially for ergonomics.

Utopia - Be driver makes this a faster sounding headphone. Transients are snappier. More transparent, more micro detail. More detailed texture to voices and instruments. D8000 is smoother but not more liquid. If you want to concentrate and analyze, Utopia is great but can at times border on bright at least with the default earpads. Be dynamic vs. high end planar sound.

HD800 - what these do with space no headphone I heard can compete but they can sound bright, thin, metallic, and flat unless you have good pairings. D8000 is about technicalities and fun, with average-to-good staging and imaging. It produces a cohesive and believable stage that can envelop you. I got lost and immersed when I sink into HD800 sound. I tap my toes and get immersed with D8000.

HE1000v1 - softer edges, with lighter/floating upper mids/treble. With the right amp it can still sound more holographic than D8000. Better for longer sessions but I crave the D8000 sound whereas I rarely do with HE1k.

Atticus - including this comparison because midbass is elevated with both. Atticus midbass is punchier with more slam. D8000 has less slam but in some weird way I can feel it more. Both will have midbass that can be distracting at times but more so with Atticus.

Aeon Flow Open - not TOTL I know. But timbre and tonality of this planar I think is very good. AFO has the ability to draw me into the music and not listen to gear. But technicalities are not up to D8000 level, e.g. more transparent, speed, sweetness/smoothness and detail of the mids/highs and bass that I can more easily feel.