Hugo TT 2 by Chord Electronics - The Official Thread
Aug 25, 2019 at 9:44 AM Post #6,631 of 18,851
I checked out the few HD800S reviews. They are all complimentary.

I did think about the HD800S a while ago. Knowing Sennheiser's reputation for excellence, I had no reason not to consider the HD800S. (I heard that they had addressed the brightness of the HD800.) Then I saw a flurry of remarks calling it thin sounding, especially in comparison to other headphones like the Focal Clear. They say the Clear is balanced and no mention of thin tone.
I owned the Clear and auditioned the HD800S from TT2/MScaler.

None of these headphones are for me personally, as I can't live without that perfect planar bass. No dynamic driver will be able to deliver that final bit of bass extension and authority.

That said, out of the Clear and HD800S I actually preferred the HD800S which was a pleasant surprise to me. The Clear is quite forward, occasionally aggressive.
You can read a lot of negative comments on the HD800 (less on the 800S) but they are actually quite good. Impressively spacious and they sound what I would define as 'classic Hi-Fi' sound. Quality, detailed but not much of a character apart from being spacious.
Both the Clear and the HD800S treble can be a bit bright, but on the Clear it is more bothering to my ears due to the more forward presentation.

IMO a good planar beats both of them, at least to my ears, but if I had to pick one between the Clear and HD800S that would be the Sennheiser. (Personal opinion of course.)
 
Aug 25, 2019 at 9:48 AM Post #6,632 of 18,851
I checked out the few HD800S reviews. They are all complimentary.

I did think about the HD800S a while ago. Knowing Sennheiser's reputation for excellence, I had no reason not to consider the HD800S. (I heard that they had addressed the brightness of the HD800.) Then I saw a flurry of remarks calling it thin sounding, especially in comparison to other headphones like the Focal Clear. They say the Clear is balanced and no mention of thin tone.
I have not heard focal products but lets be honest tyll said the hd800S was thin in the middle a bit before he pulled it from his wall of fame. most hd800S users that have an excellent source may disagree but we try and be honest and say hd800S isn't perfect right, so i guess thats its fault? But sure its not as harmonious as susvara but it has faster and wider dynamics so how do you compare a can at 4 times the PP. If you want thump and recessed mids you can find closed back HP. but for just about any genre at this PP its tough to get better than hd800S
 
Aug 25, 2019 at 9:55 AM Post #6,633 of 18,851
I owned the Clear and auditioned the HD800S from TT2/MScaler.

None of these headphones are for me personally, as I can't live without that perfect planar bass. No dynamic driver will be able to deliver that final bit of bass extension and authority.

That said, out of the Clear and HD800S I actually preferred the HD800S which was a pleasant surprise to me. The Clear is quite forward, occasionally aggressive.
You can read a lot of negative comments on the HD800 (less on the 800S) but they are actually quite good. Impressively spacious and they sound what I would define as 'classic Hi-Fi' sound. Quality, detailed but not much of a character apart from being spacious.
Both the Clear and the HD800S treble can be a bit bright, but on the Clear it is more bothering to my ears due to the more forward presentation.

IMO a good planar beats both of them, at least to my ears, but if I had to pick one between the Clear and HD800S that would be the Sennheiser. (Personal opinion of course.)

Had a meet last year wherein we setup a Utopia and a teac ud503 and cavalli liquid carbon... the Clear was on a Qutest and Cayin iHa-6... and even being on a Chord DAC, the Clear was waaaay to hot and agressive to what I’m used to. That being said, I once owned an hd800S on a HA-300 and Qutest. It was the best I’d heard them, but I agree, if you like vocals and bass they could be pretty thin. Very resolute but on the thinner side. This was on a Norne Draug v2 cable too. :) The highlight to me was how light and comfortable they are (looking at you Audeze’s!) and the staging-imaging capabilities.
 
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Aug 25, 2019 at 10:00 AM Post #6,634 of 18,851
What got me looking again was possibly the latest edition of Hifi Choice. In a headphone shoot-out, the HD800s won.

The round-up was the:
Denon AH-D7200
Focal Clear
Focal Elegia
Mr Speakers Voce
Sennheiser HD800S
Sennheiser HD820

HD800S took 'editors choice'.

However what started the debate was someone said that the HD800S was thin with Hugo 2. It was said that it was the Hugo 2's fault. Thus preferred with TT2.

I wonder if it was because TT2 has more headphone driving power. Although I thought the Hugo 2 had way enough power for HD800S. I thought Mojo did.
 
Aug 25, 2019 at 10:04 AM Post #6,635 of 18,851
What got me looking again was possibly the latest edition of Hifi Choice. In a headphone shoot-out, the HD800s won.

The round-up was the:
Denon AH-D7200
Focal Clear
Focal Elegia
Mr Speakers Voce
Sennheiser HD800S
Sennheiser HD820

HD800S took 'editors choice'.

However what started the debate was someone said that the HD800S was thin with Hugo 2. It was said that it was the Hugo 2's fault. Thus preferred with TT2.

I wonder if it was because TT2 has more headphone driving power. Although I thought the Hugo 2 had way enough power for HD800S. I thought Mojo did.
As was the same with TT. the answer is impart better analogue components, but rob has said its also technicals like flip flops , super caps, milled block design... n schit. But TT is just a bit darker and more dynamic presentation that hugo. but its a desktop not a portable.
 
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Aug 25, 2019 at 10:20 AM Post #6,636 of 18,851
Had a chance to listen to the likes of utopia, lcd4, he1000 and hd600 with tt2 and HMS combo few months back in Singapore. He1000 was most balanced and open sounding without any compression or brightness etc. Hd600 was a pleasant surprised and my second choice. As compared to he1000 it lacked the extension on both side but very balanced overall like he1000. Both Utopia and LCD 4 has details but did not have open and balanced sound of he1000. I am not much into headphones so happy with hd650 for occasional listening. Hd650 are warmer than hd600 but perform the exceptional trick of getting out of picture. After few minutes you forget that you are listening through headphones ( with x feed 1)
 
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Aug 25, 2019 at 10:29 AM Post #6,637 of 18,851
...but I agree, if you like vocals and bass they could be pretty thin.
I agree, it depends on what you compare them to.
For vocals I would pick ZMF Verite or Empyrean.
For bass I would pick planar, LCD4z or Empyrean. :)
 
Aug 25, 2019 at 2:40 PM Post #6,638 of 18,851
I just can’t stop playing this, especially tracks 1 and 2. I hope others may discover they like it too.

(I like your sincerity about highlighting the first two tracks.)

Thank you for the post. I just bought their second album from 7-Digital UK, and the EP Remixes of Big Picture.

I think I will also end up buying their first album too. However I only listened to it once so far (today). I like to listen to music at least twice before I deicide to buy. (First listenings can be a bit dazzling.)


Just as a heads up. If you have not heard of Wolf Alice, you might like them. (Don't be put off by the slightly aggressive second track, on their second album.) Both their albums are very good.

EDIT: I just bought their first album too.
 
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Aug 25, 2019 at 2:52 PM Post #6,639 of 18,851
When reading the web whilst listening to music and then a track comes on that just makes you drop everything and just close your eyes and......those are the moments that make all this worthwhile for me. Total consumption with total absorption. Call it figs or lychees i care not.
 
Aug 25, 2019 at 5:00 PM Post #6,640 of 18,851
I just can’t stop playing this, especially tracks 1 and 2. I hope others may discover they like it too.

I have tried this album few times with TT2 and or MScaler and have failed to really appreciate it or its production. I know this is probably more to do with me than the album.

Have you tried any of these? I think they sound great with solo TT2 or with MScaler.

D12E92DE-31FF-4D67-9B1B-E29477F424BF.jpeg
 
Aug 25, 2019 at 5:09 PM Post #6,641 of 18,851
Roon radio has been amazing of late, for a long time it had stopped pulling tracks from qobuz to mix in, but a quick poke fixed it.
Now it’s really bringing life into my music rig, as my music selections had got a bit stale.
 
Aug 25, 2019 at 5:38 PM Post #6,642 of 18,851
I am demoing very expensive Tellurium Q Silver Diamond rca interconnect cables at the moment conneted between streamer and HP amp and they really reduce the brightness and sibilance which fits the HD 800S. Now i can play it louder with out fatiguing my ears more grain free and smooth.

Still the cables manage to dig out details i never heard before with extended highs.

If you think your Chord dac/amp is to bright i recomend trying Tellurium Q Usb or Spdif cables or whetever you use becsuse i dont think they ever make bright sounding cables.

https://www.futureshop.co.uk/tellurium-q-silver-diamond-rca-interconnect

https://www.futureshop.co.uk/brands-category/tellurium-q#page=1

If you doubt there skils i think they have made one of the best analogue cables in the world. Just read the expert conclusion in the text.

https://www.futureshop.co.uk/tellurium-q-statement-rca-interconnect-pair

Yes power cleaning and cabeling up is the boring part of audio but everythings ads up. Hopefully i can have the same cables and powercleaning serving me rest of the life without wanting to uppgrade. Boring part done.
 
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Aug 25, 2019 at 5:49 PM Post #6,643 of 18,851
I am demoing very expensive Tellurium Q Silver Diamond rca interconnect cables at the moment conneted between streamer and amp and they really reduce the brightness and sibilance which fits the HD 800S. Now i can play it louder with out fatiguing my ears more grain free and smooth.

Still the cables manage to dig out details i never heard before with extended highs.

If you think your Chord dac/amp is to bright i recomend trying Tellurium Q Usb or Spdif cables or whetever you use becsuse i dont think they ever make bright sounding cables.

https://www.futureshop.co.uk/tellurium-q-silver-diamond-rca-interconnect

https://www.futureshop.co.uk/brands-category/tellurium-q#page=1

If you doubt there skils i think they have made one of the best analogue cables in the world. Just read the expert conclusion in the text.

https://www.futureshop.co.uk/tellurium-q-statement-rca-interconnect-pair

Yes power cleaning and cabeling up is the boring part of audio but everythings ads up.
£4320 for RCA interconnect cables? That's almost 10% more than a new TT2.
Perhaps the target audience for such cables is owners of £100K+ systems... Sounds like a niche section of a niche hobby.
 
Aug 25, 2019 at 5:51 PM Post #6,644 of 18,851
£4320 for RCA interconnect cables? That's almost 10% more than a new TT2.
Perhaps the target audience for such cables is owners of £100K+ systems... Sounds like a niche section of a niche hobby.
Once you done it you probebly can have them rest of your life though.
 

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