[Edric Li]

1. Great posts Justin_Time . Appreciate a lot!

 
Also I noticed that you have several Ultrasone cans based on your profile. How would you compare the S-Logic-EQed Ultrasone Editions to TH900? 

 

[Justin_Time]

 

1. Great posts Justin_Time . Appreciate a lot!

 
Also I noticed that you have several Ultrasone cans based on your profile. How would you compare the S-Logic-EQed Ultrasone Editions to TH900? 

Because of the built-in sound processing the Ultrasone has a sonic signature (soundstage and imaging) that is unlike that of any other amp.
 
I prefer the more natural sound of the TH900, if you can call any headphone sound natural...  

 

[mrtim6]

http://

Unrelated but I am interested in getting the hd800, already have the th900.
What does the hd800 give you that the th900 does not.

A real nasty treble - fantastic soundstage bit larger than th900, sounds really good balanced if you can find an amp that works well with the HD800

 

[vlach]

http://
A real nasty treble - fantastic soundstage bit larger than th900, sounds really good balanced if you can find an amp that works well with the HD800

I don't find the treble nasty at all. Rather, I suggest that it is dependant on the upstream gear used and quality of music files.

 

[up late]

the hd800's treble peak is there and fr measurements confirm it - just sayin. ancillary gear and music sources aren't the cause but folks who find it bothersome try to fix the problem with careful system matching, tube amps and cup mods.

 

[vlach]

the hd800's treble peak is there and fr measurements confirm it - just sayin. ancillary gear and music sources aren't the cause but folks who find it bothersome try to fix the problem with careful system matching, tube amps and cup mods.

Exactly; careful system matching did it for me with a tube/PCM1704 DAC

 

[up late]

glad it worked out for you. can understand why folks would want to persist with the hd800.

 

[Justin_Time]

I don't find the treble nasty at all. Rather, I suggest that it is dependant on the upstream gear used and quality of music files.

 
 

the hd800's treble peak is there and fr measurements confirm it - just sayin. ancillary gear and music sources aren't the cause but folks who find it bothersome try to fix the problem with careful system matching, tube amps and cup mods.

You gentlemen are both right!
 
Yes, the HD800 tends to sound slightly sibilant and bright as up late suggested but judicious choice of DAC, amp and cable as vlach seemed to have done can minimize those imperfections and sometimes even completely eliminate them. 
 
These shortcomings should not keep the HD800 from being considered one of the great pairs of headphones.
 
After over a quarter of a century in Audio, I have yet to find a single piece of audio gear that is sonically perfect (regardless of costs and your definition of perfection).  All have a "sonic signature" made up of positive and negative traits.
 
Having spent the past two years listening and comparing about two dozen amps and over one dozen pairs of headphones (with only two DACs to keep the combinations from reaching an astronomical number), I am also now a lot more hesitant to talk about the "sound" of a pair of headphones in definitive or absolute terms, only in tendencies. The sound of a pair of headphones in a system has a more practical value.
 
But this is a TH900 thread: I apologize for the sidetrack.

 

[Whazzzup]

Th900 easy peazy. It lights up just right, pretty much anywhere anytime. Even though I'm sure the chord Hugo could solve hd800 high end issues, im just not interested in the fight. Pretty much dissuaded me from trying them.

 

[Gandah]

With the right system the HD800 is nirvana for those who choose to go down that dedicated path, but for most people that investment would be too great or not even a thought especially if they're not even aware of this community.
 
This is where the TH900 has its trump card it doesn't need anything fancy to pull out its full potential
 
I kind of look at the HD800 in the same light as the 009 or HE-6, that is you need to build a system specifically for those phones

 

[ubs28]

I read that the TH900 has poor isolation. Is that true? And how much better is the TH900 than the Shure SE846 with the Chord Hugo? (or are they equally good?).
 
My best closed headphones is the B&W P5, so maybe I need to buy something better even though I strictly use the Shure SE846 for portable use.
 
edit: Off-topic. The Sennheiser HD800 isn't bright, it's neutral. If a song sounds bright with the HD800, so does my Shure SRH 1840 and AKG K240. Most pop music is simply mastered too bright. Yes, there is a small peak in the 6.5k hz region, I hear it too with my ears. But it's not big enough for the HD800 to be considered a bright headphone.

 

[Whazzzup]

I read that the TH900 has poor isolation. Is that true? And how much better is the TH900 than the Shure SE846 with the Chord Hugo? (or are they equally good?).

My best closed headphones is the B&W P5, so maybe I need to buy something better even though I strictly use the Shure SE846 for portable use.

edit: Off-topic. The Sennheiser HD800 isn't bright, it's neutral. If a song sounds bright with the HD800, so does my Shure SRH 1840 and AKG K240. Most pop music is simply mastered too bright. Yes, there is a small peak in the 6.5k hz region, I hear it too with my ears. But it's not big enough for the HD800 to be considered a bright headphone.

Concerning th900, not fair to compare over ear to iem. Yes the th900 blows the 846 away as far as 3d soundscape, full range acuity, and delectable sonic harmonies. But again not fair. Concerning the hugo, my th900 is in the states getting new cable, hope to have it next week to test on the hugo. But it was marvellous on the hpa8, and the th900 is easy to get the most of. The chord seems to have a better black, but that's probably the low ohm nature of 846 and the higher impediance of the hpa8 I have.
Yes the th900 is closed in name only with a considerable leak even though it is closed. They are marvellous though.

 

[ubs28]

Concerning th900, not fair to compare over ear to iem. Yes the th900 blows the 846 away as far as 3d soundscape, full range acuity, and delectable sonic harmonies. But again not fair. Concerning the hugo, my th900 is in the states getting new cable, hope to have it next week to test on the hugo. But it was marvellous on the hpa8, and the th900 is easy to get the most of. The chord seems to have a better black, but that's probably the low ohm nature of 846 and the higher impediance of the hpa8 I have.
Yes the th900 is closed in name only with a considerable leak even though it is closed. They are marvellous though.

Good to hear. Too bad about the leaking unfortunately. So it's not really useful for portable use? 

 

[Whazzzup]

Concerning th900, not fair to compare over ear to iem. Yes the th900 blows the 846 away as far as 3d soundscape, full range acuity, and delectable sonic harmonies. But again not fair. Concerning the hugo, my th900 is in the states getting new cable, hope to have it next week to test on the hugo. But it was marvellous on the hpa8, and the th900 is easy to get the most of. The chord seems to have a better black, but that's probably the low ohm nature of 846 and the higher impediance of the hpa8 I have.

Yes the th900 is closed in name only with a considerable leak even though it is closed. They are marvellous though.

Good to hear. Too bad about the leaking unfortunately. So it's not really useful for portable use? 

No for two reasons, it's more of a loose clamp on ones head but that with the egg protein membrane cups, provides the most comfortable easy to wear headphones on the market that I know of, second the hinge system for the 900 is not of a portable industrial make up. I would suspect under lengthy abuse they could fail. But under normal lounge listening they are fine. Plus the gorgeous red lacquer would make these things stand out as a come get call. So I stick with 846 for outdoors, and 900 indoors, great pair, especially for bass heads, although the 900 low end is anything but artificial.

 

[Zojokkeli]

 
Good to hear. Too bad about the leaking unfortunately. So it's not really useful for portable use? 

 
Definitely not for portable use.