[WraithApe]

  Perhaps, the lifeless, sterile sound of SS amps is commonly blamed on the huge amount of negative feedback that they require and negative feedback inherently reduces all types of distortion.
The problem is, the HD800s are inherently lifeless themselves because their strength is their weakness, that being the fact that they are super neutral and have no real personality of their own, they are like a blank slate, they sound like what you feed them. So if you feed them an amp that has huge amounts of NFB then they will probably sound sterile as a bone.

 
I'm sorry, but that just isn't the way I perceive the 800 - inherently lifeless - and in so much as you "hear" an amp, I don't think of SS amps in those terms either. Neutral or flat isn't necessarily the same thing as sterile or lifeless. Maybe it's just me, but I don't really want my headphones to have 'personality' - the personality is in the music, and I just want the most accurate reproduction of that music possible.

 
A tube amp like the one I have now can literally sound like the singer is physically in front of you depending on the quality of recording. So even though solid state amps have technically less distortion, the perceivable realism just isn't there compared to a good tube amp.

 
This notion of realism seems quite a subjective to me. What makes something real for one person, may not be the case for everyone. Personally, I've never felt the imaging of headphones placed a singer or instrument outside of my head-space. I only really get that kind of feeling from a full speaker setup. You say I have to see for myself re: tube amps, but I've been there, done that. I owned a Woo Audio and an Icon Audio tube amp for some time previously when I started getting into higher-end gear and used to pay too much heed to the audiophile press. I doubt I will go back to tube amps myself as I'm not convinced of their benefits but more than that, the endless tube rolling is a real PITA!

 

[coinmaster]

I'm sorry, but that just isn't the way I perceive the 800 - inherently lifeles

Like I said it's all relative, something that sounds good today will be revealed as bad if you find a superior amplifier.
Playstation 1 graphics were amazingly realistic when it was released and now it looks like utter garbage.
Downloading a file in 5 minutes was viewed as fast at one point, now anything more than a couple seconds seems slow.
When I compared the HD800s to the MHP1000s the HD800s sounded paper thin and tinny where previously I would never have known.
You can't imagine a color you haven't seen yet.

This notion of realism seems quite a subjective to me. What makes something real for one person

I'm talking about real real, not "real". As in if I was standing in front of you right now talking to you. I often get freaked out because it sounds like someone is in the room with me and my brain gets confused because it sounds like there is someone there but I cannot see them. Depends on the recording though but it's difficult to find a recording that is not convincingly real, at least in my collection.
Again, my amplifier is not something you can buy stock on the market, at least not for mere mortal prices, this does not apply to most amps. But even ridiculously expensive SS amps could not come remotely close to doing this and I've tried many.
In fact, realism aside the most expensive SS amp could not come close in any aspect of their sound.

 

[Mortalcoil]

Regardless of all the SS bashing the 800 sounds fantastic from the 430HA that much I know.

 

[ubs28]

The HD 800 S with the Chord Hugo + Taurus MKII + high-end RCA cable sounds perfect for me. It doesn't sound lifeless or sterile at all. It is super smooth without any harshness or sibilance in this setup with great imaging and soundstage. The dynamics are very good too. 
 
I don't see why a tube amplifier would be better. Especially since they can't drive every headphone good. The Taurus MKII even works with my Shure SE846 (IEM).

 

[Mortalcoil]

  The HD 800 S with the Chord Hugo + Taurus MKII + high-end RCA cable sounds perfect for me. It doesn't sound lifeless or sterile at all. It is super smooth without any harshness or sibilance in this setup with great imaging and soundstage. The dynamics are very good too. 
 
I don't see why a tube amplifier would be better. Especially since they can't drive every headphone good. The Taurus MKII even works with my Shure SE846 (IEM).

 Agreed..... a good SS amp can work wonders with the 800, bringing out the best it has to offer all the while taming some of the brighter elements.

 

[MacedonianHero]

The HD 800 S with the Chord Hugo + Taurus MKII + high-end RCA cable sounds perfect for me. It doesn't sound lifeless or sterile at all. It is super smooth without any harshness or sibilance in this setup with great imaging and soundstage. The dynamics are very good too. 

I don't see why a tube amplifier would be better. Especially since they can't drive every headphone good. The Taurus MKII even works with my Shure SE846 (IEM).

Simply because some prefer the added warmth (distortion) from tubes.

 

[TwoEars]

I have to agree that tubes are much prefered to get the best out of the HD800, one can probably debate all day about why this is the case but it has simply been my experience. Granted - I haven't heard every high-end SS amp on the market (who has), but of what I've heard I've much prefered what I've heard from similarly priced mid- to high-end tube offerings. The usual recommendations are all great but Eddie Current and Donald North are my personal favorites for the HD800. Now - if money was no object and I had to choose between the super 7, zana deux, balancing act, sonett or stratus.... that's where it gets really tricky. One would probably have to buy them all and a boatload of tubes to figure it out, and maybe a couple of DACs too.

 

[MacedonianHero]

  I have to agree that tubes are much prefered to get the best out of the HD800, one can probably debate all day about why this is the case but it has simply been my experience. Granted - I haven't heard every high-end SS amp on the market (who has), but of what I've heard I've much prefered what I've heard from similarly priced mid- to high-end tube offerings. The usual recommendations are all great but Eddie Current and Donald North are my personal favorites for the HD800. Now - if money was no object and I had to choose between the super 7, zana deux, balancing act, sonett or stratus.... that's where it gets really tricky. One would probably have to but them all and a boatload of tubes to figure it out, and maybe a couple of DACs too.

 
IMO, tubes are best for adding the right amount of distortion to tune the HD800s for those looking for a warmer sound. But at the expense of some detail retrieval, quickness and transparency. That said, I've been toying with the idea of adding a tube amp back into my mix. 

 

[TwoEars]

   
IMO, tubes are best for adding the right amount of distortion to tune the HD800s for those looking for a warmer sound. But at the expense of some detail retrieval, quickness and transparency. That said, I've been toying with the idea of adding a tube amp back into my mix. 

 
I would agree with this, I personally don't like tube amps which are too slow or dark sounding (many woo audio amps) since they take away so much of what makes the HD800 great in the first place. My own humble sonett is very close to SS sounding (fast and musical) but softens the treble just a bit, I think it's a very nice amp for the HD800. Maybe not end of the road material but it's very inexpensive to run in regards to tubes and runs cool. Both things which are important to me, in comparison the balancing act and stratus and not cheap and cool runners. Not the Zana Deux either.

 

[MacedonianHero]

   
I would agree with this, I personally don't like tube amps which are too slow or dark sounding (many woo audio amps) since they take away so much of what makes the HD800 great in the first place. My own humble sonett is very close to SS sounding (fast and musical) but softens the treble just a bit, I think it's a very nice amp for the HD800. Maybe not end of the road material but it's very inexpensive to run in regards to tubes and runs cool. Both things which are important to me, in comparison the balancing act and stratus and not cheap and cool runners. Not the Zana Deux either.

 
Depends on the headphones I guess. I'm not a fan of syrupy tube amps either.   Might add one more amp into my mix...and if I do, it'll most likely be a tube amp. I was really tempted to pick up The Kenzie by ampsandsound that I reviewed late last year. One great amp!

 

[TwoEars]

   
Depends on the headphones I guess. I'm not a fan of syrupy tube amps either.   Might add one more amp into my mix...and if I do, it'll most likely be a tube amp. I was really tempted to pick up The Kenzie by ampsandsound that I reviewed late last year. One great amp!

 
Interesting, I'm going to read your review of it. But personally I think everyone should have a tube amp in their collection, if nothing else it's fun and a bit different. The super 7 is great because you can experiment a lot with inexpensive tubes and many people think it's almost as good as the balancing act. I haven't compared them enough myself to make that claim but I've heard that said from more than one source. The Zana Deux I'm personally a big fan of with the HD800 since it lifts up the midrange a bit, it might not be the best allround amp for other headphones but for the HD800 it's a fantastic pairing. Runs pretty hot though, OTL and all that.

 

[P+D-MI]

   
I would agree with this, I personally don't like tube amps which are too slow or dark sounding (many woo audio amps) since they take away so much of what makes the HD800 great in the first place. My own humble sonett is very close to SS sounding (fast and musical) but softens the treble just a bit, I think it's a very nice amp for the HD800. Maybe not end of the road material but it's very inexpensive to run in regards to tubes and runs cool. Both things which are important to me, in comparison the balancing act and stratus and not cheap and cool runners. Not the Zana Deux either.

I have to agree about the sonett, I've had mine for 6 years and haven't found anything I like better with the hd800. Maybe the new stellaris, but I've not heard that yet.

 

[TwoEars]

  I have to agree about the sonett, I've had mine for 6 years and haven't found anything I like better with the hd800. Maybe the new stellaris, but I've not heard that yet.

 
I know right. Many people don't seem to "get" the Sonett because "it doesn't sound like tubes". I.e. it's not warm and syrupy. The Sonett is the kind of amp which gets out of the way and lets the system play great music, it doesn't put on a big show but it's a winner in the long run.
 
Anyway - this is turning into another HD800 amp thread, I'd better stop posting. Haha.

 

[Sonic Defender]

@coinmaster, I am not trying to be an ass, but if I'm reading correctly, and I could be wrong so forgive me if I am, but how can you possibly form any opinion of headphones you don't own that you only briefly demoed? You mention listening to the HE 6 and MHP1000 for extremely short periods of time, one Linkin Park song (which would be a pretty rough recording at that). Am I missing something here, or did you form these impressions and comparisons from a short session at a store? I'm confused about this point.

 

[coinmaster]

All of your questions are answered on first page. I also specifically stated that they are impressions and comparisons. Many people seem to think the word impression means review.