[Fastnbulbous]

Left channel drops out on the HE-6. Will have to try switching out to other cable I have to test. Also the other night it freaked out with some noisy distortion -- it was a random video online so I can't duplicate, hope it was content and not my iFi amp or headphone. Testing amp with my beyerdynamic 1990 right now, so far no incidents.

 

[Monsterzero]

Hmmm...I had two drivers fail on me and neither time did it give any kind of advance notice...Both times sound just stopped playing in the middle of a song.

Im curious of the HD820 as well. Are you still hell-bent on the Mr.Speakers e-stat?

 

[Fastnbulbous]

Not only am I hell-bent, but money is spent, order made! I spent a good half hour with it at Axpona last year, and I think the bass extension will be just fine on those for most of my music. I will need until end of year to replenish funds to get anything else!

 

[Hansotek]

Left channel drops out on the HE-6. Will have to try switching out to other cable I have to test. Also the other night it freaked out with some noisy distortion -- it was a random video online so I can't duplicate, hope it was content and not my iFi amp or headphone. Testing amp with my beyerdynamic 1990 right now, so far no incidents.

That sounds like a cable or wiring problem with your he-6. Either way, it should be fixable.

 

[socks mk2]

HD820—making it closed is magically worth $1100 more than an HD800S? I simply don't understand the logic behind the pricing. If the Ether C was $1100 more than the Ether, who would justify that? End mini rant.

 

[shuto77]

HD820—making it closed is magically worth $1100 more than an HD800S? I simply don't understand the logic behind the pricing. If the Ether C was $1100 more than the Ether, who would justify that? End mini rant.

There's a business argument to be made. (It's not a particularly compelling one, however.)

1) Considering all the segments Sennheiser plays in, I assume they spend a lot on R&D, and someone has to pay for it.
2) I'm sure the manufacturing cost of Gorilla Glass adds to the cost of materials.
3) The high-end market tolerates - and I use this word deliberately - products up to $6,000 (Audeze, Focal and Hifiman all sell headphones $4000 or more). So products "need" to cost more than $2,000 so they're considered truly hifi. At least that's my impression as someone who's never spent more than $700 on a headphone.

Now, personally, I think all three arguments are terrible. But it's the best I could come up with.

I'm just shooting from the hip based on what I'm seeing. But if anyone has any good explanation why that headphone is so darn expensive, I'd love to hear it.[/QUOTE]

 

[Pharmaboy]

I'm just sad as hell that gorillas are being sacrificed to manufacture this headphone.

"but seriously" last night heard HD800s for 1st time. They'd been (lightly) modded, but the mods must have worked--I heard no treble spike, a ton of soundstage and detail, and pretty decent (if not concussive) bass--an altogether different "voicing" than I've heard from other headphones. Reminded me a little of the pristine sound of electrostatic speakers.

Back to the point here: not sure a closed version of this thing is even necessary.

And even more back to the point: are HD800s considered good for metal? I find it hard to imagine that...

 

[Monsterzero]

I'm just sad as hell that gorillas are being sacrificed to manufacture this headphone.

"but seriously" last night heard HD800s for 1st time. They'd been (lightly) modded, but the mods must have worked--I heard no treble spike, a ton of soundstage and detail, and pretty decent (if not concussive) bass--an altogether different "voicing" than I've heard from other headphones. Reminded me a little of the pristine sound of electrostatic speakers.

Back to the point here: not sure a closed version of this thing is even necessary.

And even more back to the point: are HD800s considered good for metal? I find it hard to imagine that...

@akg fanboy used to be active in this thread and loved the HD800 for metal...

Do you know what mods were done and was it the original or the 'S' version? I need a sound stage headphone back in my collection.

 

[Pharmaboy]

@akg fanboy used to be active in this thread and loved the HD800 for metal...

Do you know what mods were done and was it the original or the 'S' version? I need a sound stage headphone back in my collection.

The modded headphones (HD800s, not "S") & the person who modded them have gone home. But here's what I remember (I did ask about the mods):

1. If you look inside either earpad, you'll see an oval, reflective piece of flat metal, ~6-7mm wide, that surrounds/outlinee the driver (or front of driver enclosure?). He had ultra-carefully cut out masking tape and affixed it to this oval piece of metal. It was so exactly cut out/profiled that at first I couldn't see what he meant...couldn't actually see the metal (then finally I got it). This apparently is a significant reflective surface, and damping those reflections, even w/something as benign as masking tape, clarifies the sound.
2. I believe he put some kind of thin foam or other dampening over the center portion of the driver (again, looking into an earcup). Whatever material was used, it must be pretty small in circumference & subtle, since I really couldn't visualize it (the HD800s have that beautiful "skeletonized" framework where you see pretty much everything...very handsome).

FYI, I'd heard this same person's mod of an HD650 earlier this year and was very impressed. Last night he left me a stock & updated/modded HD650 w/me for more listening, then a review to be posted here. I mention this because he's obviously onto something w/his mods...the sonic results seem subtle, quite effective, and respectful to the core sound profile of each headphone.

 

[socks mk2]

There's a business argument to be made. (It's not a particularly compelling one, however.)

1) Considering all the segments Sennheiser plays in, I assume they spend a lot on R&D, and someone has to pay for it.
2) I'm sure the manufacturing cost of Gorilla Glass adds to the cost of materials.
3) The high-end market tolerates - and I use this word deliberately - products up to $6,000 (Audeze, Focal and Hifiman all sell headphones $4000 or more). So products "need" to cost more than $2,000 so they're considered truly hifi. At least that's my impression as someone who's never spent more than $700 on a headphone.

Now, personally, I think all three arguments are terrible. But it's the best I could come up with.

I'm just shooting from the hip based on what I'm seeing. But if anyone has any good explanation why that headphone is so darn expensive, I'd love to hear it

Indeed. Whatever the reason, it's not a good one. Lol. Then again, if you've ever watched 'Most Expensivest', people are selling $100k bottled water and $10k bottled air. Makes $10k audio cables and $6k headphones look like a steal to me. Hahaha.

 

[Dobrescu George]

There's a business argument to be made. (It's not a particularly compelling one, however.)

1) Considering all the segments Sennheiser plays in, I assume they spend a lot on R&D, and someone has to pay for it.
2) I'm sure the manufacturing cost of Gorilla Glass adds to the cost of materials.
3) The high-end market tolerates - and I use this word deliberately - products up to $6,000 (Audeze, Focal and Hifiman all sell headphones $4000 or more). So products "need" to cost more than $2,000 so they're considered truly hifi. At least that's my impression as someone who's never spent more than $700 on a headphone.

Now, personally, I think all three arguments are terrible. But it's the best I could come up with.

I'm just shooting from the hip based on what I'm seeing. But if anyone has any good explanation why that headphone is so darn expensive, I'd love to hear it.

[/QUOTE]

Your arguments are mostly valid tho

Tho

A closed back HD800S will have more impact and dynamics, will probably be better for metal as well due to the attack being even better than on HD800S, which is a fundament of metal music.

 

[Fastnbulbous]

Years after the Abyss broke the $4K barrier, I didn't expect the price tag to be the main topic on the 820! Of course I'd love if it had the same price as the 800, but 9 years after the original 800 was released and apparently 6 years in development, that's a big ask. Right now I'm just curious how successful it is in producing sound agreeable for us metalheads, not whether or not I can actually afford it before 2020, heh. Grell talks about what went into the development here, and talks about the bass around 3:05.

 

[YtseJamer]

I have finally received my LCD-2C and thank god, they don't sound dull, grainy and non-engaging like all the LDC-2 Fazor that I have heard in the last 2-3 years. The comfort is much improved because of the new headband and the sound quality is like a typical 'old school' Audeze LCD-2.

Overall, the LCD-2C classic is a fantastic heaphones and a steal for $599!

 

[lugnut]

Overall, the LCD-2C classic is a fantastic heaphones and a steal for $599!

Where have you been, last I seen you you had a pair of Atticus, what happened ? I have seen a few post in the Prog-Rock, but that's about it.
I have been thinking about a pair of LCD-2C, weight has me a little put off.

 

[Dobrescu George]

Where have you been, last I seen you you had a pair of Atticus, what happened ? I have seen a few post in the Prog-Rock, but that's about it.
I have been thinking about a pair of LCD-2C, weight has me a little put off.

Their weight is their only issue actually, they sound nice!