[haveblue]

I just received my HD800's and am running balanced out of a LD DAC_I via USB and LD MKVII+ amp. I was pretty amazed by the accuracy and the huge soundstage, but I certainly didn't wear a big smile the first time I fired them up. There's just too little bass making the treble too bright. The bass is very precise, but the sheer lack of it is extremely unsatisfactory. Not fun to listen to.
 
Now I added Electri-Q equalizer to foobar DSP. Put a gradual 5dB difference between bass and treble. Now they're fun to listen to!
 

 
I have the Foobar preamp set at -2.0dB and volume control also set at -2.0dB. Buffer is set at 350ms and ReplayGain with clipping detection is on. At a comfortable listening volume with the knob at 12 o'clock and the amp on high gain, I hear absolutely no distortion.
 
Say what you want about EQ's (not to mention freeware-based ones), but they made me extremely happy with my HD800's without overextending my budget and spending thousands more on better amps and dacs.
 
If you want to copy this, the two points are 1.5dB CulteQ LowShelf and -3.5dB CulteQ HighShelf both at 632.5Hz (midway log between 20Hz and 20kHz).
 
Now if only they were constructed from brushed aluminum or titanium

instead of painted plastic...

 

[aimlink]

Many here would purchase a different amp or even different cans to get the sort of satisfaction you've got yourself.  Bravo!!
 
ATM, the crossfeed on my amp adds some warmth to my HD800's sound.  I, at times, add a subtle EQ setting that boosts the bass a tad.  It makes them so much more enjoyable.

 

[Danz03]

'Pretty amazed by the accuracy + just too little bass making the treble too bright' and 'The bass is very precise, but the sheer lack of it is extremely unsatisfactory' seem a bit contradictory to me. :-S

I just received my HD800's and am running balanced out of a LD DAC_I via USB and LD MKVII+ amp. I was pretty amazed by the accuracy and the huge soundstage, but I certainly didn't wear a big smile the first time I fired them up. There's just too little bass making the treble too bright. The bass is very precise, but the sheer lack of it is extremely unsatisfactory. Not fun to listen to.

 

[Chimera-se]

Hey, I remember you posting about this a couple weeks ago...glad your gear is to your liking! The HD 800s will settle down a bit I think over time, you might find. Hope they offer the "soundstage and stuff" you were looking for!

. Cheers!

 

[Shahrose]

To the OP: Stick with the HD650s....

 

[bisayaboi]

Sweet, I literally just downloaded the same EQ for mediamonkey; much better than the stock EQ.
 
By the way... wanna post your settings here?
 
http://www.head-fi.org/forum/thread/518176/post-your-headphone-eq-settings/45#post_7010249
 

 

[aimlink]

Quote:

To the OP: Stick with the HD650s....

I disagree.  There's a lot more to the HD800's than an issue with the balance.  As a result, an EQ setting that admittedly will make it share a similar balance to the HD650's does not make it mean that the HD650's are the cans to stick to.  I EQ my own HD800's and love them MORE for it.

 

[Shahrose]

Quote:

I disagree.  There's a lot more to the HD800's than an issue with the balance.  As a result, an EQ setting that admittedly will make it share a similar balance to the HD650's does not make it mean that the HD650's are the cans to stick to.  I EQ my own HD800's and love them MORE for it.

 
There's something wrong with a setup when a $1400 pair of headphones needs EQ'ing of 6dB on the extremes like that...

 

[Chimera-se]

 
There's something wrong with a setup when a $1400 pair of headphones needs EQ'ing of 6dB on the extremes like that...

I agree with that statement. The HD 800 are notoriously "picky" about how they are amped, and source certainly can't be over looked either. That said, the headphones aren't the weakest link in the OP's rig, IMHO, so EQing is a quick and easy solution probably. Just my .02

 

[OnFireAlive]

Excuse me for being a bit dumb, and not very relative to the subject(the HD800, I guess?),
but is the Electri-Q to work regularily as a computer EQ, or is it being used mainly for amps?
I don't have much knowledge about what I am trying to talk about, I hope someone will understand what I tried to ask here @__@

 

[Shahrose]

Quote:

Excuse me for being a bit dumb, and not very relative to the subject(the HD800, I guess?),
but is the Electri-Q to work regularily as a computer EQ, or is it being used mainly for amps?
I don't have much knowledge about what I am trying to talk about, I hope someone will understand what I tried to ask here @__@

Use the search feature please (very easy). Don't derail this thread.

 

[aimlink]

Quote:

 
There's something wrong with a setup when a $1400 pair of headphones needs EQ'ing of 6dB on the extremes like that...

I don't think so and that's why EQ's exist.  Way too much purchasing or recommendation of purchasing new amps to fix balance issues going on around here.  Just my $0.02.  Of course, if you wish to buy different amps or cans etc. to 'tune' your system to the way you like, then fine, that's your prerogative and I'd never advise you not to if you've made the decision to go that route.  Afterall, it can be fun.  However, a far more cost-effective approach and which works a treat is some EQ'ing.  That's a solution that's undervalued here.  My only problem with the HD800's have been with regard to tonal balance and I've fixed that with the warmth introduced by crossfeed and some mild EQ'ing.  I'd rather do that that find an amp that will produce that effect as it's native balancing effect.

 

[haveblue]

Quote:

To the OP: Stick with the HD650s....

I'm pretty sure that HD800's EQ'd to approach the freq response of HD650's sound totally different than than HD650's. Until my B22 and Buffalo II project gets off the ground, this will suffice for now, although I most likely won't see that drastic a difference after that upgrade.
 
 
Quote:

I don't think so and that's why EQ's exist.  Way too much purchasing or recommendation of purchasing new amps to fix balance issues going on around here.  Just my $0.02.  Of course, if you wish to buy different amps or cans etc. to 'tune' your system to the way you like, then fine, that's your prerogative and I'd never advise you not to if you've made the decision to go that route.  Afterall, it can be fun.  However, a far more cost-effective approach and which works a treat is some EQ'ing.  That's a solution that's undervalued here.  My only problem with the HD800's have been with regard to tonal balance and I've fixed that with the warmth introduced by crossfeed and some mild EQ'ing.  I'd rather do that that find an amp that will produce that effect as it's native balancing effect.

Agreed.

 

[nierika]

Too bad they couldn't add more bass and reduce the sibilance while they were designing them.

 

[khaos974]

So what do you think of big studios EQing their 50000 $ monitors?

 
Quote:

There's something wrong with a setup when a $1400 pair of headphones needs EQ'ing of 6dB on the extremes like that...