[Radio_head]

Ah, but the people who have the money tend to also be the people who care whether or not their headphones are made out of popsicle sticks or not (for shallow aesthetic reasons of course).

 

[Kees]

Quote:

So your not winning like Charlie Sheen at this moment?

I wouldn't know honestly, it's more a matter of time and priorities. 

 

[Ahzari]

So got a question about the TH900s vs HD800s.. The 800s and the Stax 009s are really the only 2 headphones I want in my arsenal besides the TH900s.
 
I've tried the HD800s a few times but never for long sessions.. how is the comfort level between the two (I find the TH900s very comfortable for long sessions , but I tend to prefer velvet/non leather pads when available). Thoughts?

 

[brams]

Quote:

So got a question about the TH900s vs HD800s.. The 800s and the Stax 009s are really the only 2 headphones I want in my arsenal besides the TH900s.
 
I've tried the HD800s a few times but never for long sessions.. how is the comfort level between the two (I find the TH900s very comfortable for long sessions , but I tend to prefer velvet/non leather pads when available). Thoughts?

No longer have the HD800s, but from what I recall they were the most comfortable headphones I had owned.  Better than the th900 IMO.  Just could not get past the juice extractor looks, treble peak and the need for top level ancillaries to hear them at their best.  When I owned both I preferred the th900 overall and by a surprisingly wide margin given that I really liked the HD800.

 

[MorbidToaster]

The HD800s are irrelevant next to the 009s, IMO. The 009s best them in every single way. 
 
The TH900 on the other hand absolutely have a place sitting next to the 009. Very different. Comfort wins on the TH900 as well. Easily wins for me. I never got what the fuss was about with the HD800. D7000 always was more comfy to me, and the TH900 improves on it slightly. Even comfier than the 009 on my head. 
 
Quote:

So got a question about the TH900s vs HD800s.. The 800s and the Stax 009s are really the only 2 headphones I want in my arsenal besides the TH900s.
 
I've tried the HD800s a few times but never for long sessions.. how is the comfort level between the two (I find the TH900s very comfortable for long sessions , but I tend to prefer velvet/non leather pads when available). Thoughts?

 

[unspool]

Quote:

I didn't say form and function are mutually exclusive. 
A coat can be both warm and fashionable (or even beautiful) and headphones can be both beautiful and sound superb. No argument there. 
In the context of the funtionality of the coat: If I ask for a coat to keep me warm, because I'm cold, I don't want to get the advice to "get this one, because it is the most beautiful coat ever made". I don't care if it is beautiful, it must keep me warm. It will never keep me warm because it's beautiful, (altough maybe I'll find it beautiful because it keeps me warm). The beauty can be there or not, it is irrelevant, the fact that it will keep me warm is the only relevant aspect.   
I don't think the TH900 sound better because they have red Urushi lacquered cups and platinum lettering....  The two facts are simply not related, they don't influence each other, they just coexist on the TH900.

I didn't say that you did. With regard to your coat analogy, my point is that a coat can be both warm and desirable as a consequence of its practical design. It might not have been intentionally designed to be fashionable, but can become so if it piques the interest of enough fashionable people. Or it might come to be regarded as a timeless design classic that defies fashion trends. There are countless examples of things originally made for a practical purpose that transcend it to become sought after and highly prized.
 
The HP1000 is a headphone that is highly regarded for its neutrality and is also considered by many to be a design classic. The sound that it reproduces is a consequence of its unique design. These elements don't merely coexist, they coalesce to make that headphone what it is.
 
purrin made an insightful point. If a headphone is designed to not only sound good but look beautiful and be supremely comfortable, and these factors combine to increase our listening enjoyment, then they are related and very relevant to that experience. I've seen serious audiophiles go weak at the knees over a piece of expensive audio kit before they've even heard it. It's hard to gauge how much their assessment of its sonic capabilities is affected by the stunning design aesthetics and build quality.
 
If sound completely defines the audiophile experience for you, then you should be perfectly content with wearing a pair of extremely uncomfortable headphones that look atrocious, as long as they sound fantastic. Call me an audiophile imposter but I expect more. To each his own.

 

[Audiowood]

.
 
 
 

 

[purrin]

LOL. You guys have to see my Jades. They look like the cups had been broken off the headband, run over by a truck, and fixed with glue, double-side sticky tape, and screws.

 

[Ahzari]

Quote:

No longer have the HD800s, but from what I recall they were the most comfortable headphones I had owned.  Better than the th900 IMO.  Just could not get past the juice extractor looks, treble peak and the need for top level ancillaries to hear them at their best.  When I owned both I preferred the th900 overall and by a surprisingly wide margin given that I really liked the HD800.

thanks for the info - I figure I will enjoy the TH900s more, but the HD800s bring a completely different style to the table (need to spend more time with them i guess). As for the 009s, itll be a while until I'm ready to spend the $ to get the headphones and the amplification.

 

[MorbidToaster]

The HD800 still holds my 'favorite dynamic ever' award. That being said I still stand by what I said before. If you plan to own the TH900 alongside the 009 one day I'd get the best amp you can for the TH900 and run the HD800 off it until you decide to make that plunge. A good solid state/hybrid offering is probably what I'd recommend. 
 
Just my 2 cents of course.
 
Quote:

thanks for the info - I figure I will enjoy the TH900s more, but the HD800s bring a completely different style to the table (need to spend more time with them i guess). As for the 009s, itll be a while until I'm ready to spend the $ to get the headphones and the amplification.

 

[Ahzari]

Quote:

The HD800 still holds my 'favorite dynamic ever' award. That being said I still stand by what I said before. If you plan to own the TH900 alongside the 009 one day I'd get the best amp you can for the TH900 and run the HD800 off it until you decide to make that plunge. A good solid state/hybrid offering is probably what I'd recommend. 
 
Just my 2 cents of course.
 

If you notice my sig - youll see im already running the TH900s from tubes and a separate dac, the HD800s would be running from the same setup. the hybrid setups I've heard have always been a let down, I guess I'm a purist in that regard, going either solid state or tubes (I chose tubes for audio preference).
 
more a question of comfort with the HD800s in comparison to the TH900s, which was already answered.

 

[tokendog]

Looks like I'll have to get a different amp to power these guys properly.  I currently only have the Schiit Lyr, Schiit Mjolnir, and the Fiio E9.
 
I am looking at the Violectric V200. 
 
Any one in the US sell that amp or is it only available through their site in Europe?

 

[songmic]

Quote:

Looks like I'll have to get a different amp to power these guys properly.  I currently only have the Schiit Lyr, Schiit Mjolnir, and the Fiio E9.
 
I am looking at the Violectric V200. 
 
Any one in the US sell that amp or is it only available through their site in Europe?

 
I believe it's only available through their website in Europe. The Violectric V200 and Burson Soloist (at low gain setting) are perhaps the best sub-$1K amps I've heard with the TH900. The V200 sounds warmer, richer and more musical, while the Soloist is clear crisp and provides better PRaT and bass quality, albeit sounding a little dry at times. It depends on your tastes.

 

[Radio_head]

Available through Thomann.de, who ship to US, and Robert at Aphroditecu29, who is located in the US.

 

[MetalElvis]

My TH900 impressions:
 
Bass: Great, powerful, tight, emphasized
Lower Mids: Great, but little reduced
Upper Mids: Great presence, very clear
Treble: Great, very detailed and airy, but maybe a bit overhyped, maybe some spikes here and there, but great anyway. The D7000 treble spike of hell is not there woohoo! But still I wish the treble were more smooth.
Soundstage: Great, better than LCD-2, LCD-3 and maybe even T1
 
Comfort: Not so good for headphones this expensive. After an hour of wearing them my head started hurting from the hotspot on top of my head created by the poor headband. This problem was even worse on D7000. Clamping could be even more stronger, these will fall of your head easily.
 
Soundwise these might be the best headphones I´ve heard so far. It´s a bit of a V sound, but if you like that kind of sound, these are the ones. LCD-2s/3s sound muffled and sloppy after these.
 
Next step SR-009???