[GigArt]

Neutral ODAC\O2 + neutral HD800... Does this dead neutral type of sound bring pleasure? For me - definitely not. It's a matter of taste and musical preferences though.

 

[James-uk]

For some it doesn't i completely agree. I like neutral so the music does the work. That said I sometimes reach for my Hd650s to add a bit of warmth to some of the colder sounding albums I own. I blame the producer/sound engineer for this problem though not the HP.

 

[adydula]

The O2 can drive the HD800s just wonderfully....
 
A.

 

[Peti]

I think the whole point of the HD-800 is to present everything the way the producer and artist intended to sound. The reason I'd like to pair'em with the O2+Odac is that this amp-dac combo is well-known for its neutrality and my aim is to listen the music exactly the way it meant to be...no coloartion whatsoever.
 
I fail to understand the logic behind having 1200-1550$ spent on the neutral HD800 and combine it with an amp which colors its sound. I think, and please take issue with me if i'm not correct - if the O2 can properly drive the HD800 in the bass territory (~640 Ohms!) then the infamous treble issue" of these headphones will vanish, or at least significantly reduced.
 
To be correct, I have never tried this combination, so it is only specualtion from my side. However, I strongly contemplate this combination for the future for myself as the "ultimate rig". So all opinions are welcome.

 

[ostewart]

I personally dont like the HD800 for its unforgiving nature.

I much prefer the HE-6 or T1 for their more musical yet detailed sound. The T1 sounds fantastic with the O2, it can't quite power the HE-6 though.

I have come to learn that total neutrality does not mean listening pleasure. I enjoy a more neutral sound, but the HD800 is just too clinical, I want to enjoy my music, not analise every bit of it.

 

[Peti]

I'm sure its unforgiving nature comes handy when you have quality lossless audio material with high dynamic range to pair with!

 

[James-uk]

I want to hear every last bit of music as the artist intended. That's why I love the HD800 paired with a transparent amp such as the O2. This pairing does exactly that . I can see how this is transparency isn't for everyone though, we all have a flavour when it comes to the sound we like, when I buy a new album from a favourite band or artist I always hope that is been recorded /mastered to my taste but ultimately The goal of high fidelity sound is transparency .

 

[James-uk]

Yes dynamic range is very important , I used to think lossless also but I've since discovered that to my ears well done compression , like mastered for I tunes, is as good as lossless to my ears. But that's for another thread!

 

[ostewart]

Its such a subjective hobby.

I prefer my german maestro GMP 400 with my tube amp, but my final audio design piano forte X-G with the O2 or iCan+iTube rig.

Personal preferences. Valve amps colour the sound, but the colouring helps the GMP but not the PF X-G.

 

[James-uk]

Yes it is. A mate of mine has some ie8s and whenever he sticks the 800s or 650s on he takes them off and says 'not enough bass' . Funny enough his 'favourite albums for the ie8s ' are always what I would consider bass light albums. The bass heavy ie8s make up for the mastering shortcomings. Makes sense.

 

[Peti]

You're talking sense here. According to my experiences though, modern pop music (hard rock and metal included) are way too compressed thus they are no-no for the HD800  + O2 combo I'm afraid. Naturally, there are exceptions, but the vast majority of the pop music since the early 90's are not meant to be listened via hi-end, neutral gears like the HD800 & O2.
 
That's a lesson I've learned through my Ultrsone Pro750.

 

[tomb]

  You're talking sense here. According to my experiences though, modern pop music (hard rock and metal included) are way too compressed thus they are no-no for the HD800  + O2 combo I'm afraid. Naturally, there are exceptions, but the vast majority of the pop music since the early 90's are not meant to be listened via hi-end, neutral gears like the HD800 & O2.
 
That's a lesson I've learned through my Ultrsone Pro750.

O2 is high-end?

 

 

[James-uk]

If hi-end means the highest possible fidelity then yes.

 

[tomb]

If hi-end means the highest possible fidelity then yes.

No

 

[miceblue]

I want to hear every last bit of music as the artist intended. That's why I love the HD800 paired with a transparent amp such as the O2. This pairing does exactly that . I can see how this is transparency isn't for everyone though, we all have a flavour when it comes to the sound we like, when I buy a new album from a favourite band or artist I always hope that is been recorded /mastered to my taste but ultimately The goal of high fidelity sound is transparency .

Technically that's impossible unless you use the exact same equipment the artist used to create the album in the first place.

For all you know, the artist could have made the album using a Beats Studio headphone and your HD800 makes the album sound unusually bass-light from what the artist intended it to sound like.

Objectively, the HD800 isn't neutral either.
http://www.innerfidelity.com/images/SennheiserHD800.pdf
Bass roll-off at 70 Hz and the brightness at 4-8 kHz are pretty noticeable to many people, myself included.

I tend to find the Objective 2 to be a great headphone amplifier overall, but synergy with certain headphones makes it a not-so-good choice. Brighter headphones like the AKG K 701 and HD800 don't sound too nice with the O2 in my experience.