[Exekuhtor]

Cheers!
HD800S vs Arya
Arya Stealth loses soundstage compared to v2
The recent model (Arya Stealth) has a smaller soundstage, but you can find the Arya v2 in die classified market for under 1000$ (saw it for 800$ at one point).
It has a VERY impressive sounding signature that comes at you with that "huge wall of sound". The Stealth does that also, but maybe 80% of the v2, Hifiman made the Arya Stealth a more generalist with more bass and a bit less treble energy, but it shrank down the soundstage. Always a generalist vs specialist tuning "war", the original fanbase of the Arya didn't like that haha.

:edit:
By the way, there is very often a 1:1 trade search in the classified for the HD800S for the Arya or vice versa, these headphones are very close to each other.

 

[paradoxper]

Take a look at SDR mod for HD800, might make you like HD800 tuning even more, definitely kills that treble spike, and it's totally reversible if it's not your cup of tea.
Tyll's review.

The real answer is the JAR800 which takes the HD800 to what it should have been to begin.

 

[Tachyon88]

Pick one.
Since i won't hate on stuff / opinions i'm out.
Cheers.
But don't ever listen to the bass of an audeze / utopia / 1266. They will melt your brain (love that quote from DMS).

I pick both. The audzee I had was nothing special, in fact I saved more electronic songs using the HD800s for bass reasons. I had diana v2 and you can aproxiamte the 1266 bass by lifting them from your ear. I've always wanted to try focal, but the potential clipping issues reported at all volumes is a no go for me especially since I use EQ.

 

[Andrew_WOT]

The real answer is the JAR800 which takes the HD800 to what it should have been to begin.

Thanks, had to google for it. Very intriguing approach, but requires headphones to send in for modding and have that 3d printed unsightly contraption attached to the phone.
Interesting take on HD800/HD800S difference from the modder, matches OP observations as well.

I found that Sennheiser had made some design decisions that increased bass but unfortunately made the 800S more sibilant in certain frequencies. Basically, the 800S lost its ability to resolve in return for an increase in bass and a shift in tonality.

 

[Nada]

wanted to try focal, but the potential clipping issues reported at all volumes

Clipping by definition occurs when performance criteria are exceeded, ie very high levels. Im yet to hear that issue with Focal, even with bass heavy tracks plus bass exciting DSP + EQ. But I don't like to damage my hearing with the insanely high dB needed to drive the Focal out of the voice coil. If you listen that loud, you will be going deaf.

 

[Tachyon88]

Clipping by definition occurs when performance criteria are exceeded, ie very high levels. Im yet to hear that issue with Focal, even with bass heavy tracks plus bass exciting DSP + EQ. But I don't like to damage my hearing with the insanely high dB needed to drive the Focal out of the voice coil. If you listen that loud, you will be going deaf.

Not in the case of the focals, because it has been reported at various volumes and some at normal listening levels. EQ will make this more likely and just because yours don't or haven't yet with the right song doesn't mean the potential doesn't exist still.

 

[Andrew_WOT]

Not in the case of the focals, because it has been reported at various volumes and some at normal listening levels. EQ will make this more likely and just because yours don't or haven't yet with the right song doesn't mean the potential doesn't exist still.

Is it OG or MG as I have yet to experience clipping on MG Pro, but I am EQ opponent so that might explain.

 

[Fegefeuer]

JAR800 staging, imaging, resolution, openness, clarity, texturing or the lack of "smoothing over", the clarity, definition and resolve of mids (let's skip the extension, delineation of the treble, it's superior timbre for now) destroys all these HEKs and in here mentioned Audezes for sure. The only thing I give the HEKs is bass volume and extension to the lowest octave and those Audezes the bass slam/heft, and if you happen to prefer it: a smoother, cozier, softer overall approach.

The HD 800 is over 10 years old now and much of its mystery, frustration, sensation has been overshadowed through mass spamming of new products (some definitely legit), FOTM, hype etc but those who got to know that headphone for a longer time knew about its strengths and shortcomings enough to live with or build around it, and they knew that there was always some potential to negate big parts its since after all these headphones come from the hands and mind of the guy who did the legendary 600/650 headphones that stood the test of time.

While SDR has been a good find the JAR mod goes way way beyond anything that was ever released or tinkered with. It's an ode to the HD 800. If you love the HD 800 you owe it to yourself to maximize the driver's potential, let alone embrace what has been fixed.

 

[Nada]

Not in the case of the focals, because it has been reported at various volumes and some at normal listening levels.

That cant be clipping, then. Its also hard to comprehend unless there's voice coil damage, which is very unlikely. .Have you experienced it? I'm very sceptical this is a common fault.

 

[Tachyon88]

Is it OG or MG as I have yet to experience clipping on MG Pro, but I am EQ opponent so that might explain.

OG for sure and I was interested in MG because of this issue, but when I saw it happening still with the newer ones I abandoned the idea all together. People think it only happens at ear damaging levels, but its has happened at all sort of volumes.

 

[Tachyon88]

That cant be clipping, then. Its also hard to comprehend unless there's voice coil damage, which is very unlikely. .Have you experienced it? I'm very sceptical this is a common fault.

Focal has commented on the issue, when it happens to people it sounds like the back of two spoons getting smacked together. Its not damage they called it a "feature" (its all coming back to me, lol). I personally haven't because the issue prevented me from trying focals because the chances of it happening increase with more power I'm pushing through the headphone because of my EQ profile. I'm not sure or claiming if its common or not, but its been reported at normal listening levels and I'm noting thats why I never tried focals because I won't own something with that potential. IIRC some guy went through a few of them and they all did it at various levels.

 

[bagwell359]

thanks! will check it out, the stock tuning is hard to beat though

I agree the 800 > 800S, but Andrew is correct, with that mod, it's even better.

 

[bagwell359]

Nice write-up and glad that you’re happy, but I never found that HD800S to be bass heavy or have forward mids. If fact, I sold them because they didn’t have the level of bass to my liking… even when EQ’ed. Just goes to show that everybody has their own interpretation and preference, which is great.

It's not that the 800S has or doesn't have enough bass, compared to the 800 they lowered the damping to make it appear it has more bass, but its a cheap trick that just makes the mid bass -> lowest mids sort of muddy. I believe the 800 and 600 were designed mostly or all on tube amps - perhaps OTL's - they have a much better musical sense. This from a guy that swore off tubes in 1995. The DU00 XA-26 and BHC or BHCs make the 3 SS amps I have used them on - Bryston BHA-1, Violectric 281, Rag 1 sound wan and pale. Complain about HD and cruft all you like, I just ask you to try them.

 

[bagwell359]

Well, that makes the whole thing way more understandable then. Yes, the HD800S is extremely good for classic with its giant soundstage and perfect imaging. When a lot of instruments are playing you can pinpoint them exactly with it. The treble is the best aspect of the HD800S, it has tons of detail. For orchestral music you don't care about dynamics. The Arya v2 (not the Stealth) also has a massive soundstage (~90% of the HD800S), with it the music sounds "huge", like a big wall. With the HD800S every single instrument sounds small, but perfectly placed in the giant room. The Arya v2 enhances the individual sounds in its size, so you lose the perfect imaging a bit (it gets a bit wobbly), but because the soundstage is still massive and the instruments sound tall, it makes for a more impressive listening with a bigger wow factor. That's the only other headphone that i've heard that comes very close in terms of soundstage to the HD800S. You can check out Joshua Valours "HD800S vs Arya" video if you like.
Never say never to any upgrade! You might sell one of the HD800's one time and get a good deal for something else. Sometimes preferences can shift, you experience new music genres that suddenly sound not as good with the old stuff and you're left wondering. You don't have to invest Susvara level of money to get something else that is on par with the HD800S, this headphone is so to say extremely niche with its quirks, it is the best for soundstage, imaging and detail in the treble, but it has bigger flaws in other aspects. That makes it a specialist rather than a generalist, and as i said, classic and orchestral music, yes, that is 100% its strong suit.
I didn't want to hate about it, i also had it for a few months but in the end parted ways with it, since it didn't suite my taste that well for the genres i often listen to (also if you get to TOTL level, the imaging aspect is always top notch, i sometimes miss the soundstage and the wow factor of the Arya v2 though).

The Arya v2 does have a very large stage, but it is taller than reality, just like my HEX v2 and the Ananda.

 

[mangakaninja2]

edited the original post with this


i could not not do it