Impromptu Mini-Meet in Detroit...Featuring the Sennheiser HD800's!
Feb 10, 2009 at 9:36 PM Post #17 of 45
Thank you, elrod-tom! I'm looking forward to the comments from the others at the mini-meet.
 
Feb 10, 2009 at 11:16 PM Post #18 of 45
Hopefully I'll hear it at the Charlotte meet. I'd like to see if my Bryston can drive it.
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Feb 11, 2009 at 2:13 AM Post #19 of 45
Quote:

The Raptor and Gilmore Lite did a good job driving them


So my GS-1 should be fine then. I don't suppose anyone tried it with an extension cable?
 
Feb 11, 2009 at 3:50 PM Post #25 of 45
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Originally Posted by Snacks /img/forum/go_quote.gif
Impressions thusfar have been in-line.


Now I have listened to them myself, I have to say that I think Jude has it spot-on with what he has posted so far.

Though the pair I have are not run-in yet, I am enjoying listening to them so much I can't take them off my head to set them up for the 24-hour burn-in.
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Quote:

Originally Posted by Snacks /img/forum/go_quote.gif
I wonder how much longer til these babies hit the streets?!


It's still on track to start full production next week - so still looks OK for next month in the shops.
 
Feb 11, 2009 at 4:13 PM Post #26 of 45
Quote:

Originally Posted by elrod-tom /img/forum/go_quote.gif
OK...here's a few impressions of the HD800


Thanks alot for the impressions!
Sure sounds like Sennheiser are on to something here.
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Feb 11, 2009 at 4:50 PM Post #27 of 45
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Originally Posted by Piotr Ryka /img/forum/go_quote.gif
Slowly, Robm, slowly. Sennheiser HD 650 and AKG 701? That is all what Head-Fi elite use to compare potentially best headphones of the world? Shame.


Good point. I am getting a bit ahead of myself. After not listening to the K-1000s for a week, I put them on and would have written a more glowing impression than Jude did about the HD800s when he first heard them - and that's after owning them for years now, so I guess I should keep things in perspective.

~~~

I guess I am a bit worried as well about the bass. The HE-60 fell short for me mainly because of how thin the sound was. I preferred the K-1000 and O2 to the 60. Although, I do like many aspects of the 60 sound overall.

While getting everything so neutral is honorable, let's not forget that high end audio is about trickery. Whatever needs to happen to trick us into thinking we are hearing and feeling bass gets us closer to the music. While the GS-1000 bass doesn't extend to the very very bottom and does have a hump in FR (which serves a purpose), it does give the feeling of rumble that is experienced by speakers and live music... at least a great attempt for headphones anyway. I much prefer that to the sterile and weightless, yet neutral and extended bass of the K701.

I'm just wondering if getting things too neutral may take away from the experience. As Tyll stated on his site, a good headphone should have a bump in the bass to give it some weight. Any comments on that from those who've heard them? Just curious as this may become a big deal... for me anyway.
 
Feb 11, 2009 at 6:41 PM Post #28 of 45
robm123

Last week I went to my friend to Katowice. We have had Omega II Mk1 (he prefer over Mk2) with both amplifiers - tube and solid state - 2x AKG K1000 with Accuphase pure A class amplifier/preamplifier, Grado GS-1000 and Ultrasone E9. Also two sources - vintage Denon gramophone and Accuphase DP-800 SACD. What can I say? Only one: four different ways of presentation and each splendid. K1000 most natural, Omega most hot, GS-1000 near to K1000 with fantastic, fabulous space, E9 near to bass and on its own way. I think HD 800 will be the next gorgeous headphones, but nothing else.
 
Feb 12, 2009 at 11:19 AM Post #29 of 45
Quote:

Originally Posted by robm321 /img/forum/go_quote.gif
I'm just wondering if getting things too neutral may take away from the experience. As Tyll stated on his site, a good headphone should have a bump in the bass to give it some weight. Any comments on that from those who've heard them? Just curious as this may become a big deal... for me anyway.


OK - I am not allowed to post subjectively, but I will say what I can.

A small hump at the bass end (1dB is enough) fools the ear into thinking that the unit goes lower than it really does - but if the unit really *does* go all the way down you don't need the hump to fool the ear that something is there that isn't.

Several years ago I wrote an article about a loudspeaker manufacturer and had long conversations with the owner/designer and this was one of the things that came up in our conversations. Works just as well for headphones as it does for loudspeakers.

the -3dB point of the HD 800 is 14Hz, so it does go all the way down.

For me personally, I don't like hyped headphones; I like them to be open and neutral and give me what is really there - if the recording is crap I, want to hear it's crap - that means that if it is magnificent it will show me it's magnificent.

What I hear in the HD 800 I'm not allowed to say, so you will have to listen for yourself and make your own decision - sorry.

For many headphones Tyll is correct, but not for all headphones.

Getting back to the neutrality point - the Quad electrostatic speakers were renowned for their neutrality and yet they were wonderful to listen to - probably the best set-up I have ever heard was a pair of the original electrostatics in a stacked arrangement (ie: 4 units, one on top of the other each side to really move the air and extend the bass) back in the 1970's. So accuracy and neutrality need not mean a lack of excitement and involvement - but the excitement and involvement will come more from the original performance and how it was recorded rather than how you play it back; and that's how it should be.
 
Feb 12, 2009 at 11:41 AM Post #30 of 45
John, It's a pity you can't write subjectively, because you've demonstrated a high degree of professionalism and integrity as far as I've seen.

Now if only you had a blog we could read...
 

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