[ThePianoMan]

  Haha, I always end up with a creepy grin on my face, One that I can't do on purpose even if I tried. I just can't stop smiling as I enter into audio nirvana.
 
And.... I'm going to post my impressions on the HD-800 that a gentle-man was nice enough to let me listen to. It was at the Calgary meet back in September, so it was a while ago and unfortunately I don't remember his name (or the amps name that I used.... sorry). But those HD-800's man. Right off the start I was impressed, they were just so comfy (I find my UE6000 pretty comfy, but those were on another level). But those things are huge too. I remember sitting there on a chair, trying to hide my grin and just listen to the music (I played some MJ and The Beatles) lol. Unfortunately at the start the room was pretty loud so I didn't get to hear all that well, but it got quieter and I played "Hey Jude" (my fav Beatles song). Lets just say, I didn't listen to that song for the better part of a month after that lol. It was so good. I asked him how much he spent on it all (headphones plus the amp) and he said he got a good deal on them and paid something like 1200 for the 800 and 700 for the amp. I was speechless lol. I had an idea of how much the HD-800 cost, but the amp with it is insane. I listened to some other headphones, both high-end and mid-range, but that's the one experience I still remember quite fondly lol. Hopefully, I can afford something like that in the near future (you know, the time between parents not caring and not being married because after that it's good bye disposable income)

I couldn't stop chuckling the first time I heard the HD-800 (pretty good test conditions at a store)  Man that headphone.  I can see where people come from saying it's too clinical, and I don't know that it's my first choice in the over $1000 category, but it's so darn GOOD.  I remember going nuts when I heard some Wilson Sofia's with Boulder monoblocks a few weeks back.  Someone with me asked If I was ok, or if I was experiencing a brain relapse.  I get that way when I go musical instrument shopping too (That's how I always know if a piano or horn is good for me, it passes the laugh test!)
But anyways, the HD800 was the first summit-fi headphone I heard.  Always kind of chasing that high... XD

 

[62ohm]

+1 I also had a sort of similar reaction when I audition it 5 months ago. 

 

[White Lotus]

  I actually stitched a crude headband that velcros over my SR325is and has some soft foam inside.  Does wonders for comfort!

 
Ooh. Any photos? I've been looking for a way to mod mine, the headband is too thin.

 

[ThePianoMan]

  +1 I also had a sort of similar reaction when I audition it 5 months ago.

Looks like you picked it up!

 

[ThePianoMan]

 

 

 

 

 

 

 
I'm not the most brilliant person you'll ever meet with a needle but this turned out pretty nice!  The felty material I used is super soft.  I was gonna try to rip up a memory foam pillow and find some leftover double-thickcrushed velvet I had from forever ago, but I decided it was too much work (considering its a Grado and I'm dealing with sponges anyways) and this headband is stellar.  Couldn't ask for better.  and It cost me nothing!
 
(Also sorry for the crappy picture quality, All I had on hand was my phone)

 

[White Lotus]

That looks really comfortable! Kudos! 
 

 
Just incase you are interested in earpads:
 
I also had those pads originally, but found the Sennheiser 414 pads to be far more comfortable (and I preferred the sound, too)
 
When I was really bored and hungover one Sunday, I used fabric dye to get rid of the gross yellow of the pads.
 

 

 

[ThePianoMan]

  That looks really comfortable! Kudos!
 

 
Just incase you are interested in earpads:
 
I also had those pads originally, but found the Sennheiser 414 pads to be far more comfortable (and I preferred the sound, too)
 
When I was really bored and hungover one Sunday, I used fabric dye to get rid of the gross yellow of the pads.
 

 

Wow gorgeous wooden cups!  (Who are those modified by, and what model were they originally?)  And those look really excellent.  The HD414 pads are a rather unfortunate shade of yellow to begin with.  Such a funny looking headphone, I really have no idea what they were thinking.  And in all honesty I have a fairly large (some have said huge ) head and medium-smallish ears, so the L-cush pads on the 325 are actually totally circumaural for me.  Man, those really do look gorgeous though!  (have I said that already?  XD)

 

[62ohm]

  Looks like you picked it up!

 
Yeah I did, after hearing it in person I immediately think "I could NOT live without this" lol

 

[ThePianoMan]

   
Yeah I did, after hearing it in person I immediately think "I could NOT live without this" lol

Man, I had that reaction when I listened to some Wilson audio stuff... too bad that system cost $200,000 for the speakers alone.  I'm glad headphones are reasonable XD

 

[Dark_wizzie]

  Haha, I always end up with a creepy grin on my face, One that I can't do on purpose even if I tried. I just can't stop smiling as I enter into audio nirvana. 
 
And.... I'm going to post my impressions on the HD-800 that a gentle-man was nice enough to let me listen to. It was at the Calgary meet back in September, so it was a while ago and unfortunately I don't remember his name (or the amps name that I used.... sorry). But those HD-800's man. Right off the start I was impressed, they were just so comfy (I find my UE6000 pretty comfy, but those were on another level). But those things are huge too. I remember sitting there on a chair, trying to hide my grin and just listen to the music (I played some MJ and The Beatles) lol. Unfortunately at the start the room was pretty loud so I didn't get to hear all that well, but it got quieter and I played "Hey Jude" (my fav Beatles song). Lets just say, I didn't listen to that song for the better part of a month after that lol. It was so good. I asked him how much he spent on it all (headphones plus the amp) and he said he got a good deal on them and paid something like 1200 for the 800 and 700 for the amp. I was speechless lol. I had an idea of how much the HD-800 cost, but the amp with it is insane. I listened to some other headphones, both high-end and mid-range, but that's the one experience I still remember quite fondly lol. Hopefully, I can afford something like that in the near future (you know, the time between parents not caring and not being married because after that it's good bye disposable income)

Yeah well... I don't hear a difference between different amps and dacs. I own the HD800.
 
Comfort is important for me... I could be wearing these for 12 hours straight on a few days.

 

[ThePianoMan]

  Yeah well... I don't hear a difference between different amps and dacs. I own the HD800.
 
Comfort is important for me... I could be wearing these for 12 hours straight on a few days.

I'd say its usually between 85% -- 95% headphone, and 13% -- 3% amp, and about 2% DAC.  I heard someone once who said 98% driver/headphone, and 2% amp.  It's how you want the sound shaded, or what gaps you want filled in.  DACs are even less a part of the sound, maybe just a bit above cables (no pun intended)
I tend to think the headphone is about 95% of the equation on average, and 5% is "everything else, mostly the amp" but its the whole system working in synergy with good files that really makes a great listening experience.  I'd rather have a thousand quality, well-recorded FLACS I enjoy with an adequate amp, than a really good amp and a bunch of 128kbps files that were recorded in someone's garage on their jury-rigged potato-clock microphone.  But that's my two cents.

 

[Koolpep]

  I'd say its usually between 85% -- 95% headphone, and 13% -- 3% amp, and about 2% DAC.  I heard someone once who said 98% driver/headphone, and 2% amp.  It's how you want the sound shaded, or what gaps you want filled in.  DACs are even less a part of the sound, maybe just a bit above cables (no pun intended)
I tend to think the headphone is about 95% of the equation on average, and 5% is "everything else, mostly the amp" but its the whole system working in synergy with good files that really makes a great listening experience.  I'd rather have a thousand quality, well-recorded FLACS I enjoy with an adequate amp, than a really good amp and a bunch of 128kbps files that were recorded in someone's garage on their jury-rigged potato-clock microphone.  But that's my two cents.

 
I agree. A good headphone is paramount. However, I realized that  my T90 really needs a good TOTL amp to shine. Without it, it's bass shy and not as "round" - with it, the bass is plenty an, finely textured and with perfect balance - I checked with a really totally non-audiophile co-worker and the difference is massive between two amps, even for the untrained ear.
 
In this case it's probably 80/20 or even 70/30 HP/Amp
 
Cheers,
K

 

[Zojokkeli]

I'd say there's at least somewhat noticeable difference between DACs. I just upgraded my Schiit Modi to HRT Music Streamer II+, and now the music sounds much more airy, lively and refined than before. And I have to stress I don't consider myself an audiophile, nor do I think I have golden ears to spot some minor changes in SQ.

 

[deciBel23]

Edit: Oops.

 

[SomeGuyDude]

  I'd say its usually between 85% -- 95% headphone, and 13% -- 3% amp, and about 2% DAC.  I heard someone once who said 98% driver/headphone, and 2% amp.  It's how you want the sound shaded, or what gaps you want filled in.  DACs are even less a part of the sound, maybe just a bit above cables (no pun intended)
I tend to think the headphone is about 95% of the equation on average, and 5% is "everything else, mostly the amp" but its the whole system working in synergy with good files that really makes a great listening experience.  I'd rather have a thousand quality, well-recorded FLACS I enjoy with an adequate amp, than a really good amp and a bunch of 128kbps files that were recorded in someone's garage on their jury-rigged potato-clock microphone.  But that's my two cents.

 
DACs are an enormous part of the sound.
 
Headphones are just speakers. They don't actually make the sound on their own, they're just there to transmit the bits of data being fed to them after it's been translated into analog. It doesn't matter how amazing your headphones are if the music being fed to them is bad or the signal is weak. You can throw FLAC files at a crappy source without enough output power all day long and it's never gonna sound any better than those 128s. 
 
Remember, everything you listen to through your headphones comes via a DAC and an amplifier. Everything. The question is whether the INTERNAL hardware on whatever source you're using is adequate. Plugging your headphones into a Mac Pro is going to yield a wildly different experience than plugging them into a $200 Chromebook. Suggesting that DACs and amps are unimportant is foolish. It'd be like making a car audio system in your 1987 Civic and acting like you can still keep the stock dash unit an expect everything to sound great.