[Dysanix]

Hello everyone,

I am very new to these forums, and I am looking for some advice. After doing a month of research and trying multiple headphones in real-life, and expecting that research would make me feel more informed and decisive... I am now starting to realize more and more that the opposite is very true. Something that seemed simple ("I just want the best"), has become extraordinarily complicated and feels like every decision has it's major drawbacks and compromises no matter how much money you are willing to spend. I truly hope these forums and everyone in here can help me out so my head can finally be at rest and my heart at peace with any purchase I make.

Basically; I am in the market for a new pair of cans. My budget is €850 (or $1000), but I can go a little lower or higher if the headphones are truly amazing. This is what I want to use them for:

Music production:
I mainly produce drum and bass, hip-hop and classical music.
Bass: I am looking for headphones that give a very accurate representation of bass without drowning out the mids and highs (so it shouldn't be pounding, just very accurate, punchy, fast and full of detail). That would make my life a lot easier when it comes to texturing bass and kicks.
Mids: The mids need to be full and rich for things like guitars, pads and vocals, but in a very neutral, natural and true-to-recording way (nothing artificial).
Highs: The highs need to be sparkly, deep and realistic, especially for pianos, violins and hihats.
Soundstage: I recently tried the HD650's, and their main drawback for me was the absolute lack of a soundstage. I had my eyes on the HD800, but I am scared that their soundstage is too artifical and things will sound distant even if they are not meant to (I am not sure if this is true, though). I am looking for a wide soundstage that is true to how things are recorded and how I composite things. I want to be able to place things very close, very far and anything in between those two extremes.

Music listening:
My music taste is all over the place, here are the genres I listen to and example artists;
Rock: Queen, Led Zeppelin, Nirvana, Europe, Tame Impala.
Pop: Michael Jackson, Bruno Mars.
EDM: KOAN Sound, Culprate, Camo & Krooked.
Hip-Hop: Eminem, Shahmen.
Trance: Infected Mushroom.
Jazz: Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Alicia Keys.
Classical: Chopin, Bach.

Futher listening: I will also enjoy movies on these, play games with 3D spatial audio like First Person Shooters and make Skype/Discord calls using an external studio microphone.

I am able to get mint-condition HD800's for €760 (or €891) with the following frequency response chart:

Spoiler: Open Me

Do you think the HD800's paired with the correct Amp (another $500 budget) and some EQ would give me what I need, or are there better options out there?

Thanks so much in advance!!

Sincerely,
Dysanix

 

[ahmadfaizadnan]

I have HD6XX (Hd650) and HD800 and both are amazing with great setup. I agree that the 650 lack in soundstage, the reason why I mod the HP. Based on your description, HD800 might be a better option but some songs (like Thriller by Michael Jackson) might hurts your ear because I find that the treble is quite hot. I applied SDR mod to mine and it kill the 6k peak highs. For the amp, I haven't tried a lot but did pair the can with mojo, iDSD BL, schiit (bifrost+valhalla) and xduoo xd05 in the past (for sub $500 pair). This is how I would rate the amp/dac:

Schiit > mojo > iDSD BL > xduoo xd05

 

[Dysanix]

I have HD6XX (Hd650) and HD800 and both are amazing with great setup. I agree that the 650 lack in soundstage, the reason why I mod the HP. Based on your description, HD800 might be a better option but some songs (like Thriller by Michael Jackson) might hurts your ear because I find that the treble is quite hot. I applied SDR mod to mine and it kill the 6k peak highs. For the amp, I haven't tried a lot but did pair the can with mojo, iDSD BL, schiit (bifrost+valhalla) and xduoo xd05 in the past (for sub $500 pair). This is how I would rate the amp/dac:

Schiit > mojo > iDSD BL > xduoo xd05

Thank you so much for the response! For the DAC I was thinking of getting a Nuprime uDSD or a Schiit Modi 2. For the Amplifier I was thinking about the Schiit Valhalla 2. Do you think this would be a good combination with the HD800's?

The main things I am scared of with the HD800's are that I heard the soundstage is unnaturally big and nothing can really come close and intimate to you, is this true?
The other thing I am scared for is that some people say the bass is punchy and quite full, and others say it sounds thin and subpar.

What do songs with quite some heavy bass like "Culprate - Dawn" sound like to you? (Make sure to listen till the drop). Is it a hard hitting experience, or does is sound kinda meh and hollow with the HD800's?

And with the song "Culprate - Whispers (Part I)", how does the combination of Pink Floydd-like high-pitched guitar and deep bass sound (guitar starts at 0.34).
(I understand if you don't like the songs, probably not many here will, but just for testing purposes.)

I think minor problems like the 6k peak (if my model will have it) or too much treble can be easily solved with an EQ or mod, So it's not too much of a concern for me.

 

[ahmadfaizadnan]

I just played your song (Culprate - Dawn) through my system with HD800. I would say the bass is accurate but not as punchy as you might expect. The soundstage is not really artificial but it might with different amp; so far, in my system, it's just about right.

I never heard the nuprime uDSD DAC so can't really say anything about it. But for Valhalla 2, note that the stock tube is not really warm so if you aim for that, you can change the stock tube with ecc88 and it's perfect for hd800.

 

[Dysanix]

I just played your song (Culprate - Dawn) through my system with HD800. I would say the bass is accurate but not as punchy as you might expect. The soundstage is not really artificial but it might with different amp; so far, in my system, it's just about right.

I never heard the nuprime uDSD DAC so can't really say anything about it. But for Valhalla 2, note that the stock tube is not really warm so if you aim for that, you can change the stock tube with ecc88 and it's perfect for hd800.

Alright thank you very much, also for taking the time to listen and give your opinion! My last concern is if sound can come really up close, or if it's kind of locked in a distant location like some people say. Which do I believe?

 

[ahmadfaizadnan]

The sound is not as far as think. The HD650 sounds quite close to your ear like it sings right at your ears but the HD800 is like several meters away. Amp/DAC plays an important role in shaping the soundstage and it also depends on the music that you listen to. In general, HD800 is an awesome headphone and you will not be disappointed especially in the long run when you decide to upgrade your amp/DAC at some point. It is highly regard here in head-fi and other places even after years in the market competing with more expensive TOTL headphones.

 

[Dysanix]

The sound is not as far as think. The HD650 sounds quite close to your ear like it sings right at your ears but the HD800 is like several meters away. Amp/DAC plays an important role in shaping the soundstage and it also depends on the music that you listen to. In general, HD800 is an awesome headphone and you will not be disappointed especially in the long run when you decide to upgrade your amp/DAC at some point. It is highly regard here in head-fi and other places even after years in the market competing with more expensive TOTL headphones.

Thank you! Do you think 760 euros (+ 26 euros shipping + 23 euros paypal fees) for a mint-condition HD800 is too much, just right or a bargain?

 

[ahmadfaizadnan]

Thank you! Do you think 760 euros (+ 26 euros shipping + 23 euros paypal fees) for a mint-condition HD800 is too much, just right or a bargain?

How long has it been used? I've bought mine with SDR mod from a headfier who bought the headphone new around april this year for a lesser price. I saw someone selling it for $650 here in head-fi. Not sure if it a still there.

 

[chimney189]

I'd consider auditioning the Mr. Speaker's Alpha Prime. They come up in classifieds every now and then.
It is basically a closed headphone version of the HD-800 with a more accurate bass response, soundstage and doesn't have such sharp highs, yet they are well-extended.

In my humble opinion this hobby has made me realize that I will not be satisfied with just trying out one headphone and then calling it quits.
The amount of options available in this field is pretty staggering, but therein lies the fun of it.