[Exacoustatowner]

  Just wondering if anyone else found the HD800 to be too bright for most violin music? I sometimes find the very high notes almost painful.
 
e.g.
Partita No. 2 In D Minor, BWV 1004.: Ciaccona (http://youtu.be/aBQkRzZYN8I)
Beethoven violin concerto http://youtu.be/YIB03fS179s
 
It's even more apparent if you use higher quality recordings.

I am curious if you regularly attend Classical concerts. I've been to 3 this year-and I remember thinking to myself (with a chuckle) a few times-WOW those violins (35 of them!) can be BRIGHT sometimes. Not very familiar with the HD800 but I do recall the LCD-2 to be "rolled off" in the treble (to my ears).

 

[nixir]

  I am curious if you regularly attend Classical concerts. I've been to 3 this year-and I remember thinking to myself (with a chuckle) a few times-WOW those violins (35 of them!) can be BRIGHT sometimes. Not very familiar with the HD800 but I do recall the LCD-2 to be "rolled off" in the treble (to my ears).

I play the violin from time to time myself, admittedly not very good and I rarely reach the very high notes, but to my ears it sounds nothing like the HD800.. After some more listening and reflection I've decided perhaps the fault lies in the poor mastering, as I found the high notes to be unbearable without all texture in poor recordings, while some recordings sounds more natural.
 
My old LCD-2r2 was very dark, I enjoyed them for metal music but not much else, and it's very uncomfortable so I got rid of them recently and got the HD800 instead. It seems I've jumped to the opposite end of the sonic spectrum and still adjusting to the sound.

 

[icebear]

I heard the performance of Janine Jansen in Zankel Hall recently.
Duo pieces for violin and piano w. Itamar Golan.
 
When the music calls for it, the sound can be almost piercing.
I was as close as you can get not being on stage yourself

 
When I listen to this recording at home via the HD800 it does sound like the original sound of her instrument.
 
 

 

[nixir]

  I heard the performance of Janine Jansen in Zankel Hall recently.
Duo pieces for violin and piano w. Itamar Golan.
 
When the music calls for it, the sound can be almost piercing.
I was as close as you can get not being on stage yourself

 
When I listen to this recording at home via the HD800 it does sound like the original sound of her instrument.
 
 

 
Haha I was JUST listening to her performance of Souvenir de Florence (http://youtu.be/vulKECq4r60).
 
Out of curiosity, which amp are you currently using? I keep on hearing other people's claim that amps make such a huge difference in HD800's sound so I'm looking into auditioning a few, LCD-2s were my first serious headphone and honestly I couldn't hear any audible difference with different amps with that one, adjusting the ear pads made a bigger difference...

 

[Exacoustatowner]

 
I play the violin from time to time myself, admittedly not very good and I rarely reach the very high notes, but to my ears it sounds nothing like the HD800.. After some more listening and reflection I've decided perhaps the fault lies in the poor mastering, as I found the high notes to be unbearable without all texture in poor recordings, while some recordings sounds more natural.
 
My old LCD-2r2 was very dark, I enjoyed them for metal music but not much else, and it's very uncomfortable so I got rid of them recently and got the HD800 instead. It seems I've jumped to the opposite end of the sonic spectrum and still adjusting to the sound.

Mastering and recording is very important of course! One "issue" with higher end Head phones seems to be that any imperfections are more apparent.

 

[Exacoustatowner]

   
Haha I was JUST listening to her performance of Souvenir de Florence (http://youtu.be/vulKECq4r60).
 
Out of curiosity, which amp are you currently using? I keep on hearing other people's claim that amps make such a huge difference in HD800's sound so I'm looking into auditioning a few, LCD-2s were my first serious headphone and honestly I couldn't hear any audible difference with different amps with that one, adjusting the ear pads made a bigger difference...

Nice! 

 

[Makarov Andrei]

HD800 is very selective. Bad writing just hard to listen. This relates to two things: how did the recording, and how it was spelled on the media. This applies to both CD, and vinyl, and WAV, and DSD. There are records perfectly recorded with normal DR, but absolutely disgusting-sounding and blame this specific manufacturer of the drive. Unfortunately for HD800 all this clearly. As a clear day, cut into trably is hard!))

 

[icebear]

   
Haha I was JUST listening to her performance of Souvenir de Florence (http://youtu.be/vulKECq4r60).
 
Out of curiosity, which amp are you currently using? I keep on hearing other people's claim that amps make such a huge difference in HD800's sound so I'm looking into auditioning a few, LCD-2s were my first serious headphone and honestly I couldn't hear any audible difference with different amps with that one, adjusting the ear pads made a bigger difference...

First Watt M2, HD800 directly hooked up to speaker terminals via DIY dual 3 pin XLR cables