[Lan647]

I like HD 800, but I hate the sibilance. How do I make it disappear? Things I'm considering: 

1. Replacing the cable with a Cardas one. 
2. Try new interconnects and/or power cords. 
3. Do the "Anaxilus"-mod (but would prefer not to) 
4. Upgrade DAC (this I will do, to a very smooth one. Currently using the M1HPA's built in DAC) 

I will NOT replace the amp, at least not in a near future. 

So what do you guys think?  

Also, would you consider Amarra Mini a good step up from standard iTunes playback? 

Thanks!

 

[DeathDomokun]

http://www.innerfidelity.com/content/diy-modification-sennheiser-hd-800-anaxilus-mod

 

[Draygonn]

3. Do the "Anaxilus"-mod (but would prefer not to) 

The Anaxilus mod is easy and reversible.

 

[Lan647]

Quote:

The Anaxilus mod is easy and reversible.

But I don't want paste on the steel frame. A bitch to clean...? 

I've read a lot about the mod but does it really help completely? With no side-effects? 

 

[Mr Blonde]

Just try it out with non-adhesive foam instead. This could be removed without any risks and is way cheaper than your other considered methods. If you like it you can replace it by the long lasting version with adhesive foam.

 

[ZenErik]

Sibilance bothers me a lot. I am quite sensitive to harsh treble, but I have not found the HD800 to accentuate sibilance compared to other headphones. Many other headphones have large treble spikes that accentuate sibilance (DT990, T1, etc), but I find the HD800 to be very smooth. It may have a slight treble tilt, but it's natural sounding, IMO.
 
The T1 makes some sibilant recordings painful to listen to. Same with the DT990 and other headphones with big treble spikes.
 
You cannot really fix a sibilant recording. Just the way it is.

EDIT: Well, I guess you CAN roll off the treble with certain amps (usually tube amps, but that's dependent on the amp and the tubes used) or some EQ, but I would not. It is your call.

 

[Lan647]

Sibilance bothers me a lot. I am quite sensitive to harsh treble, but I have not found the HD800 to accentuate sibilance compared to other headphones. Many other headphones have large treble spikes that accentuate sibilance (DT990, T1, etc), but I find the HD800 to be very smooth. It may have a slight treble tilt, but it's natural sounding, IMO.
 
The T1 makes some sibilant recordings painful to listen to. Same with the DT990 and other headphones with big treble spikes.
 
You cannot really fix a sibilant recording. Just the way it is.

EDIT: Well, I guess you CAN roll off the treble with certain amps (usually tube amps, but that's dependent on the amp and the tubes used) or some EQ, but I would not. It is your call.

The Senn HD 800 does accentuate the treble at 6-7 kHz (don't know about the latter versions though). I can hear it very clearly compared to equal (or better) headphones and the graphs show it. If your pair is not sibilant, I envy you

I hate EQ, it ruins the sound. I also will not use a tube amp (if I decide to go that route, it will be very expensive since a HQ tube amp costs a lot compared to an equally technically capable SS)

Mr Blonde, what do you mean with non-adhesive foam?

 

[ZenErik]

Quote:

The Senn HD 800 does accentuate the treble at 6-7 kHz (don't know about the latter versions though). I can hear it very clearly compared to equal (or better) headphones and the graphs show it. If your pair is not sibilant, I envy you

I hate EQ, it ruins the sound. I also will not use a tube amp (if I decide to go that route, it will be very expensive since a HQ tube amp costs a lot compared to an equally technically capable SS)
Mr Blonde, what do you mean with non-adhesive foam?

It does, yes, but only about 2 - 5 dB depending on your pair. That's not bad compared to the 12 - 15 dB or greater spike on the T1 at 8-9 kHz. Like I said, very smooth compared to other headphones I have used. Room for improvement? Sure. But it is the best I have heard so far.
 
I should note that I typically compare to the T1 because that is the only other $1000+ headphone I have used.

 

[Lan647]

It does, yes, but only about 2 - 5 dB depending on your pair. That's not bad compared to the 12 - 15 dB or greater spike on the T1 at 8-9 kHz.
 
Like I said, very smooth compared to other headphones I have used. Room for improvement? Sure. But it is the best I have heard so far.

Well like I said, my pair is sibilant and that IS a flaw in the headphone and not the recording of course a bad recording with lots of sibilance will sound worse, but on every song with cymbals or sss-vocals I am bothered by this problem. You wrinkle your nose and want to turn the volume down.

EDIT

It may sound as if the sibilance to me is like having knives in your ear canals, but what I mean is that in an otherwise very good headphone the sibilance does get tiresome after long listening sessions - especially compared to the headphones below. It's just not comfortable to listen to, and that is mostly why I listen to music - for the sake of comfort and relax.

 

[Lan647]

Other headphones I have heard in the same class or above that does not pronounce sibilance:

Audeze LCD-2 (this is a dark headphone though, so understandable)
Stax SR-507
Beyerdynamic T1 (spike is higher up)
Stax Lambda PRO and Stax Omega 2

 

[ZenErik]

Quote:

Well like I said, my pair is sibilant and that IS a flaw in the headphone and not the recording

of course a bad recording with lots of sibilance will sound worse, but on every song with cymbals or sss-vocals I am bothered by this problem. You wrinkle your nose and want to turn the volume down.

Unfortunately there is no perfect headphone. I just received my HD800 on Wednesday and love it, but I am going to try the Anaxilus mod after I get out of work today. If you are interested, I will let you know what I find. According the graphs I have seen with the mod, it will tame the 6kHz+ region by about 2-3dB. May do the trick. I am doing it because I would just like to hear a tad more bass impact. It may give the illusion of that with the slightly reduced treble.

 
Quote:

Other headphones I have heard in the same class or above that does not pronounce sibilance:
Audeze LCD-2 (this is a dark headphone though, so understandable)
Stax SR-507
Beyerdynamic T1 (spike is higher up)
Stax Lambda PRO and Stax Omega 2

Interesting how differently we can hear things. That is why it is great that we have so much variety.
 
For me the T1 was painful for certain female vocalists. Enough that sibilance on certain recordings just cut right through my ear drums like a very sharp whistle. I should note that the spike on the T1 did not seem to affect male vocalists. Also, as a drummer, it made cymbals sound very fake. Very noticeable on jazz recordings in particular. And not great for rock/pop or anything else using real cymbals. Way too much sizzly and harsh for my ears.

 

[Draygonn]

I use non-adhesive foam with double sided tape. It can be removed easily without having to clean anything up in about 60 seconds.

I use Creatology Foam Sheets from Michael's.

 

[rgs9200m]

Cables to try: Moon Black Dragon, Enigma Audio Apex.

 

[Lan647]

Unfortunately there is no perfect headphone. I just received my HD800 on Wednesday and love it, but I am going to try the Anaxilus mod after I get out of work today. If you are interested, I will let you know what I find. According the graphs I have seen with the mod, it will tame the 6kHz+ region by about 2-3dB. May do the trick. I am doing it because I would just like to hear a tad more bass impact. It may give the illusion of that with the slightly reduced treble.

 

Interesting how differently we can hear things. That is why it is great that we have so much variety.
 
For me the T1 was painful for certain female vocalists. Enough that sibilance on certain recordings just cut right through my ear drums like a very sharp whistle. I should note that the spike on the T1 did not seem to affect male vocalists. Also, as a drummer, it made cymbals sound very fake. Very noticeable on jazz recordings in particular. And not great for rock/pop or anything else using real cymbals. Way too much sizzly and harsh for my ears.

Please report your findings!

You may be right about the T1. I didnt listen to female vocals or cymbals, I just quickly noted that the place on a particular song that is sibilant on the HD 800 isnt with the T1.

The graphs show a massive spike on the T1 at 8-10 kHz, so I believe you.

 

[tdogzthmn]

You can try tubes.