[Schopenhauer]

 

Excellent! Didn't know that. And knowing is half the battle. (Name that reference.)

The American hero? G.I.Joe....

Sorry I cheated. At that time in Germany even if it would have been on TV (I think it was) it would have been dubbed in German and sounded less cool...

Nailed it! It'd be interesting to hear German-dubbed G.I. Joe.

 

[Schopenhauer]

  Is HD800 with H10 and X12 worth it? I was thinking maybe I should sell my LCD2F and buy LCD2.2 and HD800. Unless I need another expensive amp to drive the HD800 well. That would require more money than I am willing to spend.

I never got to try the HD800 with the H10. Sold the H10 before I got the HD800 in. I think the combo has its fans on this thread, although I don't know if I recall any stellar impressions. 

 

[olek]

  Is HD800 with H10 and X12 worth it? I was thinking maybe I should sell my LCD2F and buy LCD2.2 and HD800. Unless I need another expensive amp to drive the HD800 well. That would require more money than I am willing to spend.

While HD800 is definitely on my bucket list, vague memories of what was posted on 85 pages of this topic suggest that that its pairing with H10 is pretty good, but not one of the best (unlike pairing of H10 and planars, which is rumored to be stellar). My recent listening discoveries (that I am not quite ready yet to share) also make me doubt that pairing, even if I have not heard it yet. Just my ... guess - I do not know enough to qualify for actual opinion

 

[Arnotts]

It's an excellent stack for the HD800, for sure. The Gustard gear is good for feeding TOTL headphones at a reasonable price, as many have said. You get the quality of equipment that costs thousands of dollars for much less outlay .
 
You can also kind of extrapolate how good the H10 is with headphones by looking at impressions of the Violectric V200. People on page 17 of this thread talk positively about the V200 and HD800 pairing: http://www.head-fi.org/t/480038/violectric-hpa-v200-why-not-sufficiently-appreciated/240
 
My own impressions are very good for the HD800 + Gustard gear. A definite, significant (if you're a good active listener, which you should be as someone who is into audiophile equipment) step up from the Matrix M-Stage amp and DAC, which was once considered the best amp you could get for the HD800 < $1000.
 
Having said that, the HD800's are my least favourite headphone, LOL. Their presentation of music is, to my ears, un-musical and unengaging for long-term listening. They present sound to the listener in a wide, airy, separated, diffuse and detailed way. Bass is VERY tight, detailed and controlled, but the sound lacks a lot of the warmth that, imo, SHOULD be in music. The sound tilts towards the brighter side of neutral. The H10 and X12 bring some extra musicality to the HD800 sound, while still keeping its strengths. They do not completely stop the sound from being analytical as this is inherent to the HD800's imo.
 
I think of the HD800's as a precision tool. If you want to analyse music (which I often do), these are excellent. They will lay out details across a large, expansive, airy soundstage with excellent precision and imaging. I do not believe that these headphones portray the music in a way that the artist/recording engineer specifically intended, though - I think that the LCD-X's are much better for this. The HD800 have their own distinct signature sound which is evident in every song.
 
The thing is, the LCD-2F's, while presenting music in a much more intimate, engaging way, still manage to retrieve a LOT of details and audio cues that make them truly high end headphones.
 
Then there are the LCD-X's, which are a step up again, managing to combine the sound of the LCD-2's and the HD800's and blending them even further together.
 
In terms of the technical proficiency of my headphones from the Gustard gear, I would say it goes like this:
 
LCD-X = HD800 > LCD-2F
 
In terms of enjoyment, they are all good depending on my mood, but overall it'll go a little something like this:
 
LCD-X > LCD-2F > HD800
 
I keep the HD800's because they offer a sound that is so different to my other headphones. Pretty much polar opposite to the Audeze sound. Good for studying music from a different perspective. I would not want them as my only pair of headphones.

 

[vlach]

It's an excellent stack for the HD800, for sure. The Gustard gear is good for feeding TOTL headphones at a reasonable price, as many have said. You get the quality of equipment that costs thousands of dollars for much less outlay .

You can also kind of extrapolate how good the H10 is with headphones by looking at impressions of the Violectric V200. People on page 17 of this thread talk positively about the V200 and HD800 pairing: http://www.head-fi.org/t/480038/violectric-hpa-v200-why-not-sufficiently-appreciated/240

My own impressions are very good for the HD800 + Gustard gear. A definite, significant (if you're a good active listener, which you should be as someone who is into audiophile equipment) step up from the Matrix M-Stage amp and DAC, which was once considered the best amp you could get for the HD800 < $1000.

Having said that, the HD800's are my least favourite headphone, LOL. Their presentation of music is, to my ears, un-musical and unengaging for long-term listening. They present sound to the listener in a wide, airy, separated, diffuse and detailed way. Bass is VERY tight, detailed and controlled, but the sound lacks a lot of the warmth that, imo, SHOULD be in music. The sound tilts towards the brighter side of neutral. The H10 and X12 bring some extra musicality to the HD800 sound, while still keeping its strengths. They do not completely stop the sound from being analytical as this is inherent to the HD800's imo.

I think of the HD800's as a precision tool. If you want to analyse music (which I often do), these are excellent. They will lay out details across a large, expansive, airy soundstage with excellent precision and imaging. I do not believe that these headphones portray the music in a way that the artist/recording engineer specifically intended, though - I think that the LCD-X's are much better for this. The HD800 have their own distinct signature sound which is evident in every song.

The thing is, the LCD-2F's, while presenting music in a much more intimate, engaging way, still manage to retrieve a LOT of details and audio cues that make them truly high end headphones.

Then there are the LCD-X's, which are a step up again, managing to combine the sound of the LCD-2's and the HD800's and blending them even further together.

In terms of the technical proficiency of my headphones from the Gustard gear, I would say it goes like this:

LCD-X = HD800 > LCD-2F

In terms of enjoyment, they are all good depending on my mood, but overall it'll go a little something like this:

LCD-X > LCD-2F > HD800

I keep the HD800's because they offer a sound that is so different to my other headphones. Pretty much polar opposite to the Audeze sound. Good for studying music from a different perspective. I would not want them as my only pair of headphones.

Well said. That's pretty much how I feel about the HD800 (I use them mostly for classical music since they can separate and disect instruments with large string orchestras), however all that air & space, while nice, comes at the expense of body, mass & density. That's where the HE500 comes in

 

[spurxiii]

Well said. That's pretty much how I feel about the HD800 (I use them mostly for classical music since they can separate and disect instruments with large string orchestras), however all that air & space, while nice, comes at the expense of body, mass & density. That's where the HE500 comes in

 


Hah. Exactly why I keep my HE500s and HD800s for different music genres

 

[fritobugger]

Has anyone here opened the case to switch it from 110 to 220 or from 220 to 110?  If you have, how was this done?  Is it fairly straight forward?

 

[lukeap69]

I am one of those who said HD800 with H10 sounds good but not great. Perhaps if I didn't hear other amps with HD800, I would think that that is really the performance of HD800.

H10 is probably one of my best purchased, and although it lives now in another house, I can still say that this amp is a giant! It works wonderfully with planars.

The thing with HD800 is I have heard it with Glenn's OTL amp, Master 9, Liquid Glass, BH Mainline and of course my Ragnarok! It pairs well with all these amps. And they have different characteristics IMO. This is not the HD800 thread so I won't go into the details.

 

[spurxiii]

I am one of those who said HD800 with H10 sounds good but not great. Perhaps if I didn't hear other amps with HD800, I would think that that is really the performance of HD800.

H10 is probably one of my best purchased, and although it lives now in another house, I can still say that this amp is a giant! It works wonderfully with planars.

The thing with HD800 is I have heard it with Glenn's OTL amp, Master 9, Liquid Glass, BH Mainline and of course my Ragnarok! It pairs well with all these amps. And they have different characteristics IMO. This is not the HD800 thread so I won't go into the details.

Thanks I was going to buy the H10 to try with both my HD800 and HE500 which both sound wonderful with the Master 9. Do you think the H10 will drive planars better than the Master 9?

 

[Arnotts]

I am one of those who said HD800 with H10 sounds good but not great. Perhaps if I didn't hear other amps with HD800, I would think that that is really the performance of HD800.

H10 is probably one of my best purchased, and although it lives now in another house, I can still say that this amp is a giant! It works wonderfully with planars.

The thing with HD800 is I have heard it with Glenn's OTL amp, Master 9, Liquid Glass, BH Mainline and of course my Ragnarok! It pairs well with all these amps. And they have different characteristics IMO. This is not the HD800 thread so I won't go into the details.

Please do go into details, Arnold .
 
I haven't heard the HD800's from anything other than my own gear, so I'm not aware of the shortcomings of the H10 with the HD800's. I think it would be very valuable for the thread if you explain how the other amps perform better to your ears with the Senn's when compared to the H10!

 

[lukeap69]

Thanks I was going to buy the H10 to try with both my HD800 and HE500 which both sound wonderful with the Master 9. Do you think the H10 will drive planars better than the Master 9?

I wouldn't think so. Master 9, like my Rok, is a beast. This is not to take anything from the H10, but the Master 9 IMO is one of the best headamps out there.

 

[spurxiii]

I wouldn't think so. Master 9, like my Rok, is a beast. This is not to take anything from the H10, but the Master 9 IMO is one of the best headamps out there.

Thanks I might give the H10 a go once I get that new job and settle into the office as work rig

 

[lukeap69]

Please do go into details, Arnold .

I haven't heard the HD800's from anything other than my own gear, so I'm not aware of the shortcomings of the H10 with the HD800's. I think it would be very valuable for the thread if you explain how the other amps perform better to your ears with the Senn's when compared to the H10!

Okay, I will write a summary as I don't like writing too much on my smartphone.

These are IME and IMO...

The H10 can drive the HD800 but for me not to its full potential. There was no magic with this pairing. Not to my ears.

The Rag controls the highs very well. It doesn't have the bottom end slam as Glenn's amp for example but the bass is tight, controlled and present. Soudstage is excellent, instrument separation, resolution, etc are all excellent.

I've also heard the HD800 with the following amps in a private meet.

Glenn's amp - bottom end slam is excellent as well as the soundstage and imaging. The highs are very present but not as smooth as the Rok and Master 9. There was this holographic presentation that I felt when I listened to this amp. Very nice.

Master 9 - similar to my Rok. Smooth treble, very good soundstage, tight bass and not boomy. I can live with just Master 9 or Rok as my only amp... Really.

Cavalli Liquid Glass - fantastic all around. What can I say? I guess my ears were very tired when I tried this amp but still delivers a very high performance. I wouldn't call this my favourite though.

BH Mainline - again, a fantastic amp for the HD800. There was one thing which is weird though. The instruments placement seemed odd. Those instruments I normally hear in the right side of my head appeared neared or on the centre. This is the only amp that gave me that feeling. Weird...

Of course, YMMV.

 

[fritobugger]

Sorry to double post but am I missing something? Is this an auto switching voltage unit or do you have to crack the case to switch it manually?

 

[stuartmc]

Sorry to double post but am I missing something? Is this an auto switching voltage unit or do you have to crack the case to switch it manually?

You do need to crack open the case to switch it. Once open, you simply flip the two switchs between the transformers. They are clearly marked 110/220.