[djentbat]

I’ve been using an hifiman Ananda for almost two months now and enjoy the signature, imaging, and soundstage.

I would describe the soundstage as vertical/tall sounding. But not a lot of action from left to right.

I got to demo the HD800s yesterday for about 30 minutes and was left a bit unimpressed in that the soundstage while it was great felt like it was mainly just horizontal (left to right) and the instrument separation wasn’t as good as the anandas.

With that being said at first at thought the HD800s would be my endgame but I was left a little disappointed.

Are there any headphones that excel at a “360” soundstage?

 

[msing539]

Maybe earspeakers are for you.

 

[Hifiearspeakers]

ZMF Atrium

 

[Hiker816]

Maybe earspeakers are for you.

Yep, RAAL-requisite SR1b, with the drivers swung fully perpendicular to your ears.

 

[djentbat]

ZMF Atrium

I was actually looking into this, what’s the signature like besides staging???

 

[djentbat]

Yep, RAAL-requisite SR1b, with the drivers swung fully perpendicular to your ears.

These look so alien, I’m intrigued lol

 

[dunring]

Audio Technica adh1000x which always impresses me with the ability to hear behind me in games. I've had the hd800s and it's technically great but wouldn't use them every day. If it's all directions sound stage the 1000x will do it.

 

[bagwell359]

I’ve been using an hifiman Ananda for almost two months now and enjoy the signature, imaging, and soundstage.

I would describe the soundstage as vertical/tall sounding. But not a lot of action from left to right.

I got to demo the HD800s yesterday for about 30 minutes and was left a bit unimpressed in that the soundstage while it was great felt like it was mainly just horizontal (left to right) and the instrument separation wasn’t as good as the anandas.

With that being said at first at thought the HD800s would be my endgame but I was left a little disappointed.

Are there any headphones that excel at a “360” soundstage?

Was the amp driving 800's an OTL and/or of high quality? They are very fussy.

 

[djentbat]

Was the amp driving 800's an OTL and/or of high quality? They are very fussy.

It was a chord huge 2

 

[djentbat]

Audio Technica adh1000x which always impresses me with the ability to hear behind me in games. I've had the hd800s and it's technically great but wouldn't use them every day. If it's all directions sound stage the 1000x will do it.

Thank you for this rec!

 

[Hitorijanae]

I'd definitely recommend either the ZMF Atrium or Vérité, depending on how much width you want. Both are imaging monsters, but the Atrium's is wide and tall while the Vérité's is more intimate but with more forward and backward imaging

 

[bagwell359]

It was a chord huge 2

It's not an ideal combo. Any of the cheap OTL's I used on the 800 and 800S would do better (BHC stock, BHCs modded, XDUOO T-26). They also easily outdid the Rag 1 and Bryston BHA-1 - desktop SS amps that are great for planars.

 

[djentbat]

It's not an ideal combo. Any of the cheap OTL's I used on the 800 and 800S would do better (BHC stock, BHCs modded, XDUOO T-26). They also easily outdid the Rag 1 and Bryston BHA-1 - desktop SS amps that are great for planars.

I’ll probably have to demo them again at a different shop. I have the TA-26S at home, but I figured the hugo would be good because it’s more higher end than any of the amps I own.

 

[jokervn91]

I’ll probably have to demo them again at a different shop. I have the TA-26S at home, but I figured the hugo would be good because it’s more higher end than any of the amps I own.

It's more about the synergy between the amp and the headphone than "higher end". A clean bright high end can sounds like crap with HD800S while a "lower end" tube amp can compliment it very well.

 

[whitedragem]

totally fake; DSPing some HRTFs; but Audeze Mobius nails this in ways that just shouldnt be possible.


of course in doing so, musical pitch and tonality takes a hit...
great for gaming though.