[B0b]

HD800s are painful, literally. I received them 3 days ago. This evening, while listening a bit louder than usual for a couple minutes, my right ear, for the first time ever, got really painful. Enough to have to stop listening immediately and still feel it for several hours. Now that my ear feels better, I'm A/B'ing with my HD595 and I realize just how less fatiguing they are. The HD800 is somehow instantly fatiguing my ears.
 
Would the HD800 produce a lot more pressure? Abusive treble, extreme sound definition? Either way, that musn't be good for our hearing?

 

[mythless]

Try burning them in for a while.  Is it the clamping that's painful, or is it the treble (the sharp sound and sibilance) or both?

 

[Jalo]

A lot of burn in (like couple of hundred of hours) and may be getting some nice pure OCC recable will help. My 800 does not have that problem at all. No bright treble or sibilance at all.

 

[KingStyles]

Burnin will only do so much. The hd800 will reveal the faults of a system. If your system is bright and sibilant, thats what you are going to get out of the hd800. They are pretty neutral so extreme highs causing discomfort might not be the headphones fault.
 
What is the rest of your system?

 

[ford2]

Quote:

HD800s are painful, literally. I received them 3 days ago. This evening, while listening a bit louder than usual for a couple minutes, my right ear, for the first time ever, got really painful. Enough to have to stop listening immediately and still feel it for several hours. Now that my ear feels better, I'm A/B'ing with my HD595 and I realize just how less fatiguing they are. The HD800 is somehow instantly fatiguing my ears.
 
Would the HD800 produce a lot more pressure? Abusive treble, extreme sound definition? Either way, that musn't be good for our hearing?

Get ready for "your source is no good' where upon you will be advised to buy a $5000 dac followed by a $5000 amp,and to get rid of that disgusting cable that comes with them.
 
In all Honesty they do NOT suit everyone and if you do not like them then get some that you do.

 

[SolidVictory]

I think he means physical pain, not sonic pain.

 

[ford2]

 
 
Yes Physical pain caused by the sonics.

 

[kingtz]

Quote:

HD800s are painful, literally. I received them 3 days ago. This evening, while listening a bit louder than usual for a couple minutes, my right ear, for the first time ever, got really painful. Enough to have to stop listening immediately and still feel it for several hours. Now that my ear feels better, I'm A/B'ing with my HD595 and I realize just how less fatiguing they are. The HD800 is somehow instantly fatiguing my ears.
 
Would the HD800 produce a lot more pressure? Abusive treble, extreme sound definition? Either way, that musn't be good for our hearing?

I think there's your answer. Your "a bit louder" was probably too loud for your ears, so turn that volume knob back down? Also,  you might like to give your ears a couple of days' break and see how they are. The last thing you want is permanent damage.

 

[Ashirgo]

Almost every measurement of HD 800 shows a considerable treble spike in 8-9kHz region, so if you're sensitive to high frequency content, it might be an issue. Psychoacoustically speaking, the balance should be fine as long as the treble spike is on the same level with the bass bump.
 
 HD595 represents the HD6xx philosophy of balance, with recessed highs and slightly pronounced lows; the newest offerings such as T1/HD800/etc. seem to all have implemented so called equal loudness curve (to an extent).
 
 
... now another option. There is a  chance the manufacturer hasn't got it right with your unit and you're getting a lot of 5500-6800 Hz frequency information. Try reducing that with some equalizer and see if that helps (a dip centered on 6kHz, at least -5dB, surely).

 

[Frank I]

 
Quote:

HD800s are painful, literally. I received them 3 days ago. This evening, while listening a bit louder than usual for a couple minutes, my right ear, for the first time ever, got really painful. Enough to have to stop listening immediately and still feel it for several hours. Now that my ear feels better, I'm A/B'ing with my HD595 and I realize just how less fatiguing they are. The HD800 is somehow instantly fatiguing my ears.
 
Would the HD800 produce a lot more pressure? Abusive treble, extreme sound definition? Either way, that musn't be good for our hearing?

Bob what source and amp are you using. I think you may like a high quality tube amp with them. I did not find in my short time listening to the HD800 that they were bright. Source and amp are very important with high end headphones.

 

[Danz03]

The only pain I got from my HD800 was in my wallet. 

 
But seriously, I do agree with Ashirgo, the HD800 do sound a little too bright to me; but then some would call that 'very detail' instead. If it didn't have that treble spike, the HD800 would have been prefect!

 

[David.M]

HD595 to 800 series is a HUUUUUUUUUGE step. You should have thought this through.
 
Many have reported the HD800's fatigue to be quite problematic, so you're not the only one ! Return them and get the HD650's if burn in still doesn't help. What's the source and amplification being used? 

 

[TheWuss]

Quote:

HD800s are painful, literally. I received them 3 days ago. This evening, while listening a bit louder than usual for a couple minutes, my right ear, for the first time ever, got really painful. Enough to have to stop listening immediately and still feel it for several hours. Now that my ear feels better, I'm A/B'ing with my HD595 and I realize just how less fatiguing they are. The HD800 is somehow instantly fatiguing my ears.
 
Would the HD800 produce a lot more pressure? Abusive treble, extreme sound definition? Either way, that musn't be good for our hearing?

i wouldn't worry too much for the first week or so.
my T1s did this to me the first few times i listened to them.
 
it's just that your ears are hearing a sound presentation that they are not accustomed to.
we have an amazing ability to adapt, tho.  and your ears should adapt to the hd800.
 

 

[Acix]

Yes, the 800's can be painful with overpower highs / treble spike ( if this what you mean by painful ). Better to go with tubes that can roll off the treble.

 

[David.M]

Quote:

Yes, the 800's can be painful with overpowering highs / treble spike ( if this what you mean by painful ). Better to go with tubes that can roll off the treble.

yeah,
 
better go with the warmest RCA tubes money can buy and never look back. Or just take the fail-proof approach with the Senn HD650's