[Ridleyguy]

 
Quote:

 isabellina hpa + HD 800 x2. I am using this combination and I really love it.

x3. I auditioned this combination at CanJam along with my iPad, as it was Sennheiser's setup there, and it was great. So much so, that I am torn between the HD800 and the LCD2 for my Isabellina HPA.

 

[R300]

Interesting to note the apparently high level of amplification needed to get the most out of the HD800s. Not a great surprise though as the best relative level of expenditure hifi always seems to be source > amp > speaker (or phones)
 
Unfortunately I don't know of anywhere in the UK where I could trial such equipment, and I would never spend that sort of money without listening first (I know about distance selling regs, but wouldn't feel happy returning such an expensive unit).
 
Would love to know if there is a UK "bricks'n'mortar" retailer for high end headphone kit.
 
 
 

 

[Yikes]

 
Quote:

There is no question that the HD-800s are for real, but it all depends on the rest of your rig and what your source material is.
 
Remember two things.
1. Your rig is only as good as it's weakest link.
2. The HD-800 is a purest delight, and that means if you use  poorly mastered, ripped audio or your rig is not compatible for best performance with the HD-800's the HD-800's will play what is being imputed and will suffer.
 
imo this will apply to any high end headphones or rig.
 
I also use a Cardas SE cord for the HD-800's

Sorry, but you are wrong. It doesn't " all depends on the rest of your rig and what your source material is." It also to a larger extent depends on ones hearing or audio predilections. No headphones, even the vaunted HD-800's, R-10's or whatever suit everyone, and that's true even when they are being driven optimally.
 
Blaming the associated equipment or software can go only so far. There are times when it (A perceived deficiency) really is the headphones. There's no such thing as a perfect component. Since we all hear differently and or have a different Ideal of what it is that we are expecting. Hell... the Sound that each of us is looking for is a moving target. We're all looking for great sound, but what constitutes great sound changes over time. The sound of a system that I once found exhilarating I can now find all but unlistenable. It hasn't changed my expectations have.
 
That being said, I am firmly in the school that everything in a system needs to be Reference caliber if you expect to achieve Reference Caliber results.

 

[sillysally]

 
Quote:

 


Sorry, but you are wrong. It doesn't " all depends on the rest of your rig and what your source material is." It also to a larger extent depends on ones hearing or audio predilections. No headphones, even the vaunted HD-800's, R-10's or whatever suit everyone, and that's true even when they are being driven optimally.
 
Blaming the associated equipment or software can go only so far. There are times when it (A perceived deficiency) really is the headphones. There's no such thing as a perfect component. Since we all hear differently and or have a different Ideal of what it is that we are expecting. Hell... the Sound that each of us is looking for is a moving target. We're all looking for great sound, but what constitutes great sound changes over time. The sound of a system that I once found exhilarating I can now find all but unlistenable. It hasn't changed my expectations have.
 
That being said, I am firmly in the school that everything in a system needs to be Reference caliber if you expect to achieve Reference Caliber results.

I am sorry but what are you carrying on about?
Of-course audio is very subjective and I am not saying the HD-800's are for everybody all i am saying is they are a pure headphone if the rest of your audio chain is also pure, however that said there is only one (audiophile) best way to go and that is to have a audio rig that is very true to the source CD/SADCD/DVD-A/DVD/BD and how it is mastered and intended to be heard.
 
However there are two problems with a headphone rig to overcome, the first is what I just explained.
The second is the fact that most CD/SACD/DVD-A/DVD/BD are recorded in a non-Binaural method and imo this is the real tricky part of setting up a headphone rig that for the most part overcomes the non-Binaural recording method with out overly processing the source martial and there by changing the source martial. It is for this reason why I like the HD-800 but that is only one part of your audio chain and one factor in that chain.
 
My headphone rig is very simple as far as my chain goes.
Source Player and DAC combined----->Headphone Amp------>Headphones. So as you can see there is not break in my chain nothing between my source player/DAC and my Amp just my king cobra interconnect cables (1m).
Now what comes before my audio chain (power station, power cords and headphone cable) and how I have setup my source player and Headphone Amp with mods and tubes, is where the true audiophile rig is.

 

[panda]

with that front end you heard them through even the shittiest headfones should sound good!
 
i think you might just be too fussy.  or perhaps you're too attached to the too close for comfort sound from etys?

 

[NewMexiCat]

Isabellina + HD800 = audio nirvana.  So much so that I upgraded to the Isabella and the nirvana became . . . NIRVANA!!!

 

[kboe]

In my experience the 800s do seem to be a bit picky, not only to gear, but to the listeners ears.  With my setup, I find the 800s to be great, with XLR1s rig, I found them to be to lean and bright, so to each his own, which is how it should be.

 

[Currawong]

The HD-800s seem to sound good with either quite warm-of-neutral gear (less treble, more bass), or very high quality gear with very low distortion.  It's gear in the middle that tends, from what I've found, not produce such good results, as the warmer low-end gear hides the distortion by rolling off the treble and mushing the music together, but the HD-800s just show up the distortion of the more neutral, mid-range gear.  Of course, a high-end, low-distortion but slightly warm-of-neutral tube amp with a high quality DAC I reckon is the best option.

 

[Hisssss Royal Hignesssss]

.

 

[Currawong]

It's probably more that, as they are genuinely quick, and don't use tonal tricks to try and sound good, that it's as easy to get an unpleasant listening experience with them as it is a good one.

 

[Nebby]

I haven't found any major changes with the positioning of the earcups with my 800's. Maybe I'm just lucky with my ears and head shape

 

[majkel]

Quote:

I haven't found any major changes with the positioning of the earcups with my 800's. Maybe I'm just lucky with my ears and head shape

I guess so. I have serious problem with finding the sweet spot position with both the T1 and the HD800. When I think it's right I lose the impression within a while and re-adjust. Then again... Both utilize angled drivers and I suppose this is the reason. I've had no problems with Ultrasone's S-Logic, especially the Edition 8's, and I always find the sweet spot with headphones having straight position of the transducer.

 

[Skylab]

The earcups on the Edition 8 are so small, there are not a lot of positioning options

 

[sonq]

Quote:

I was fired up, ready to drop more than a few pennies on an HD800 and amplification so I trialled a pair with Naim CDS3 and XPS2 through a Headline with Supercap and...
 
meh
 
Sibilant highs to my ears and slightly overblown base. Yes they sounded good but I preferred my ER4S. After all the rave reviews I was expecting more.
 
I would have thought the above Naim setup would have been enough (it's some pretty serious kit), which raises the question - what the hell do you need to make these phones sound amazing; like I'm sure they should?
 
On the other hand maybe I should be thankful I've saved £1k of my hard-earned.
 
Anyway, would like to hear your thoughts.

I was trying to switch from tube to Headline2 for my 880, but the sibilant was almost unbearable too.

 

 

[Solude]

800 cups leave a lot of room for placement.  On my first go I had them too high and everything happened, not surprisingly, above me  Too low and they hit a nerve in my jaw.