[RedBull]

Quote:

Originally Posted by bada bing /img/forum/go_quote.gif from "Live at Blues Alley" -or- "Songbird" ? Both are pretty hot tracks. The lack of a strong bass line tends at accentuate the treble as well. I don't get the feeling that the HD800 presents either as unrealistically hot though. I imagine that sitting at the front table at a live performance of Eva would have some pretty powerful treble notes. She has a set of pipes and can belt it out in the upper registers. or so it sounds, I've never had the opportunity to see her live, but would really like to some day. "Live at Blues Alley" is a pretty amazing performance and well mastered for a live recording from a very small venue. The HD800 does a pretty good job of representing the physical dimensions of the venue and the relative position of the very well behaved audience.

Thanks for your impression for this track. I'm testing from the Songbird one. Yes, this track has a very light bass and is really a good test for hot treble performance.

 

[vpivinylspinner]

Quote:

Originally Posted by bada bing /img/forum/go_quote.gif from "Live at Blues Alley" -or- "Songbird" ? Both are pretty hot tracks. The lack of a strong bass line tends at accentuate the treble as well. I don't get the feeling that the HD800 presents either as unrealistically hot though. I imagine that sitting at the front table at a live performance of Eva would have some pretty powerful treble notes. She has a set of pipes and can belt it out in the upper registers. or so it sounds, I've never had the opportunity to see her live, but would really like to some day. "Live at Blues Alley" is a pretty amazing performance and well mastered for a live recording from a very small venue. The HD800 does a pretty good job of representing the physical dimensions of the venue and the relative position of the very well behaved audience.

Sorry to break it to you but she has been dead for over a decade. She was definitely a fantastic talent that died way too young.

To keep with the topic my HD-800s are still well behaved and sibilance is not significantly different than any of my other headphones.

 

[pompon]

Good news ...

After 120 hrs burn-in all my sibilance is gone now.
The first 6 hrs have smooted the highs a bit.
After was same till 80 hrs ... after that it's much smooter.

Mid range is much warmer too (effects of the highs) and bass is more articulated and warm too.

It's much better now ...

I am testing out my X-Meridian soundcard.

If you have less than 80-100 hrs ... keep burning them.
I took 20 min pink noise, 3 min silence after 1 track of pop like madonna after 1 track of classical music and looped all the way to 120 hrs.

I am listening at 30/100 on my soundcard normal listening level. I put at 40-43 for burn-in (normal listening level when have some noise in the home).

Don't get discouraged seem to work.

 

[SmellyGas]

After 100 hours of burnin, the sibilance is still there. It's honestly not much better than before burnin, so back they go to the store. For $1400, I can pay somebody to scratch their nails on a chalkboard rather than have my headphones do it for me.

 

[Drumonron]

Your comparing the hd800s treble to someone scratching their nails on a chalkboard? I can't even dignify this comment with further discussion but only respond to counterpoint for interested parties to make an objective decision that you are way off base and now I have doubts that you've even heard the hd800. I know you must be trolling now for the sake of stirring the pot....have a good day now and I really am disgusted at people who get a thrill at wasting other's time...move on, please.

 

[nor_spoon]

SmellyGas, just like your nick says, crap in crap out. If they sound like someone is scratching their nails on a chalkboard, you should seriously take a look at the rest of your audio chain, and stop bashing the HD800 everytime you get the chance.

 

[mopps]

Quote:

Originally Posted by SmellyGas /img/forum/go_quote.gif After 100 hours of burnin, the sibilance is still there. It's honestly not much better than before burnin, so back they go to the store. For $1400, I can pay somebody to scratch their nails on a chalkboard rather than have my headphones do it for me.

Which amp do you use?

 

[SmellyGas]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Drumonron /img/forum/go_quote.gif now I have doubts that you've even heard the hd800.

If it makes you feel better to believe this, then be my guest.

Quote:

I know you must be trolling now for the sake of stirring the pot....have a good day now and I really am disgusted at people who get a thrill at wasting other's time...move on, please.

Nah, I'm just adding another data point to a thread seeking people who have a sibilance problem with their HD800. If nobody reports it, then how will people know?

Quote:

Originally Posted by nor_spoon /img/forum/go_quote.gif SmellyGas, just like your nick says, crap in crap out.

That is clever. You should write that one down.

Quote:

If they sound like someone is scratching their nails on a chalkboard, you should seriously take a look at the rest of your audio chain, and stop bashing the HD800 everytime you get the chance.

I just did. It looks pretty good. None of my loudspeakers or other headphones have this problem. Just the HD800.

Quote:

Originally Posted by mopps /img/forum/go_quote.gif Which amp do you use?

An amp that doesn't have a treble tone control that I can't turn counterclockwise 45 degrees.

 

[tako_tsubo]

Quote:

Originally Posted by johnwmclean /img/forum/go_quote.gif This has become a issue and a topic for debate, there could be a myriad of issues at play. From the original recording, source, amp, solid state vs tubes and burn in. One thing for sure is that the HD800 is extremely revealing of amp and source. For me the HD800 has been both a blessing and a curse in my current set-up (see sig). It has a wonderful midrange that wallops the HD650, excellent bass that is recording dependent, if it’s not there you won’t get any unlike the 650’s. The treble for me though borders on sibilance, my phones have had very low hours (don’t know for sure as they were bought from another head-fier.) This is not meant to be a HD800 bashing, just constructive insight, issues remedies whatever. Lets discuss...

Even the OP has requested from the beginning constructive insight so take your trolling elsewhere. Get something else and be done with it.

 

[mopps]

Quote:

Originally Posted by SmellyGas /img/forum/go_quote.gif An amp that doesn't have a treble tone control that I can't turn counterclockwise 45 degrees.

Okay. Seems my question was too imprecise. Or don't you want to solve your problem?
Now one more try: Which amp do you use? Many thanks in advance.

 

[nor_spoon]

Quote:

Originally Posted by mopps /img/forum/go_quote.gif Okay. Seems my question was too imprecise. Or don't you want to solve your problem? Now one more try: Which amp do you use? Many thanks in advance.

It is of no use, he does not want any help:

I'm returning my HD800's - What else should I try?

 

[Kees]

Quote:

Originally Posted by nor_spoon /img/forum/go_quote.gif It is of no use, he does not want any help: I'm returning my HD800's - What else should I try?

It is striking how people that need help the most very often don't want it.
There's a patern in that.

 

[SmellyGas]

Quote:

Originally Posted by nor_spoon /img/forum/go_quote.gif It is of no use, he does not want any help: I'm returning my HD800's - What else should I try?

Let me summarize it succintly. I did not ask people whether I should buy a new amp. I asked what other headphones I should try. It's even in the thread title you cut/pasted.

I realize that I could spend $1400 for the HD800 + $1000 or more for another amp. I could easily spend several thousand dollars and days/weeks looking for the perfect amp combination. *OR* I could just try out some other headphones that sounds great on the equipment I have, and save a lot of time and money.

I know a lot of people think that amps make dramatic differences difference in SQ. Some might even think you can power some $10 earbuds with a $10,000 exotic tube amp and make them sound amazing. I don't. And based on published material, it is certainly not true for loudspeaker power amplifiers.

People apparently cannot accept the fact that I don't think the HD800's are the holy grail of headphones. They get very defensive about it. The angriest posts are the ones who have "HD800" in their sig. It's both amusing and sad at the same time.

THEY'RE JUST HEADPHONES, PEOPLE. RELAX.

 

[cswann1]

Quote:

Originally Posted by SmellyGas /img/forum/go_quote.gif For $1400, I can pay somebody to scratch their nails on a chalkboard rather than have my headphones do it for me.

Smelly, statements like this scream "flame-bait". You'll have a hard time being taken seriously this way. Just FYI

 

[nor_spoon]

Quote:

Originally Posted by SmellyGas /img/forum/go_quote.gif I know a lot of people think that amps make dramatic differences difference in SQ. Some might even think you can power some $10 earbuds with a $10,000 exotic tube amp and make them sound amazing. I don't.

SmellyGas, I do not think people got offended by you not liking the HD800. We all have different taste, and most people on this board understand that.

To turn what you wrote in the quote above around, which I think is the whole essence of all this, I have a question for you:

Do you think you can power a $10,000 exotic headphone with a $10 amp/source and make them sound amazing?