Official Unofficial 8XX Discussion Thread - UPDATE SENNHEISER HAS BEEN SOLD!!! GT(heck)IH
Mar 4, 2022 at 10:01 AM Post #1,156 of 1,479
Hey Friends, Tomorrow morning at 9am PST, we are releasing the DROP + Sennheiser HD 8XX. This headphone is the result of hundreds of thousands of community posts and four years of collaboration between the teams at DROP and Sennheiser. Analyzing discussions around the HD 800S, we saw clear mandates from the community around bass extension and midrange balance. The HD 8XX incorporates two novel changes to accommodate those mandates. Where the HD 800S uses a single resonator, Sennheiser developed a dual resonator system for the HD 8XX, creating bass extension down to 10hz (+5db @ 10hz vs 800 S). Sennheiser’s team, lead by Jermo Koehnke, reached the bass solution pretty quickly, but our goals for the midrange proved demanding... bordering impossible. After significant research, Sennheiser reached a solution; altered acoustic impedance in the transducer's dampening material to smooth the FR from 2.5k to 8k. This means the transducer in the HD 8XX is unique, it’s a new ring driver. The HD8XX goes live tomorrow at 9am PST with 3000 units available, shipping in November. These 3000 units represent the full production we anticipate for 2021. We’ll make more available if the capacity increases, but this launch is the only guaranteed HD 8XX availability until 2022. Launch pricing for the HD 8XX is $1100 and you’ll receive $200 worth of drop points (20,000 points) with purchase. For future units, HD 8XX pricing will increase to $1200+.
So basically any apples-to-apples comparison between the 8XX and 800s is warranted and should be treated as such when reviewed. I do hope that they recant their decisions and keep it priced at 799USD and not offer any of their stupid store credit for the purchases. It will open up a whole market of people.
 
Mar 4, 2022 at 10:26 AM Post #1,157 of 1,479
Another tinkered version. So dual resonator, but no tapes? Will see :smile_phones:
 
Mar 4, 2022 at 11:29 AM Post #1,158 of 1,479
Mar 4, 2022 at 11:49 AM Post #1,159 of 1,479
Not sure any amp is going to give you the bass you seek with the HD 8XX. You need to EQ for that.
I am not looking for subwoofer bass and only need the HD8XX to be strong at 40hz. I have a HD700 on hand and need the HD8XX to match that for bass. If it can’t outclass it’s own sibling with bass content with the Drop bass boost then it’s the most overrated headphone on the market, but I doubt that is the case.
 
Mar 4, 2022 at 12:04 PM Post #1,161 of 1,479
Feels like I'm in the minority in that I love the HD8xx stock tuning. Its warm, full, non-fatiguing and has really good treble performance. I notice the slightly recessed vocals on some tracks, and on others its a non-issue, but compared to them EQ'ed to sound like the HD800s, I'll take the slight vocal range recession over excessive brightness thats fatiguing any day of the week.

These things float on my head, have details for days, and don't give me any fatigue even after a few hours of listening. I love them just the way they are lol.
 
Mar 4, 2022 at 12:07 PM Post #1,162 of 1,479
Feels like I'm in the minority in that I love the HD8xx stock tuning. Its warm, full, non-fatiguing and has really good treble performance. I notice the slightly recessed vocals on some tracks, and on others its a non-issue, but compared to them EQ'ed to sound like the HD800s, I'll take the slight vocal range recession over excessive brightness thats fatiguing any day of the week.

These things float on my head, have details for days, and don't give me any fatigue even after a few hours of listening. I love them just the way they are lol.
Same. Mine are in the bedroom and I use them to fall asleep to music with. I'll often wake up in the middle of the night to pee with them still on my head. I may invest in slightly more comfy pads, but otherwise, they're fine to me.
 
Mar 4, 2022 at 12:09 PM Post #1,163 of 1,479
Feels like I'm in the minority in that I love the HD8xx stock tuning. Its warm, full, non-fatiguing and has really good treble performance. I notice the slightly recessed vocals on some tracks, and on others its a non-issue, but compared to them EQ'ed to sound like the HD800s, I'll take the slight vocal range recession over excessive brightness thats fatiguing any day of the week.

These things float on my head, have details for days, and don't give me any fatigue even after a few hours of listening. I love them just the way they are lol.
In the minority but certainly not wrong.
 
Mar 4, 2022 at 12:33 PM Post #1,164 of 1,479
Feels like I'm in the minority in that I love the HD8xx stock tuning. Its warm, full, non-fatiguing and has really good treble performance. I notice the slightly recessed vocals on some tracks, and on others its a non-issue, but compared to them EQ'ed to sound like the HD800s, I'll take the slight vocal range recession over excessive brightness thats fatiguing any day of the week.

These things float on my head, have details for days, and don't give me any fatigue even after a few hours of listening. I love them just the way they are lol.
No, if you have been following the thread then you should know that you are not alone.

And no, we are not the minority.
 
Mar 4, 2022 at 12:58 PM Post #1,167 of 1,479
I'd not be so drastic. It depends on the music, the taste, and what headphones you are used to listen to,
There are lots of variants, is good that somebody enjoy the 8xx.
 
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Mar 4, 2022 at 1:06 PM Post #1,168 of 1,479
The overall performance, if released as a standalone product from another company, is actually quite acceptable. The problems lie with Drop's overhype, the weird changes after the great prototype, and Drop's response kept saying that people preferred 8XX than 800S when IRL 95% of the buyers probably never owned a 800S before.
 
Mar 4, 2022 at 1:32 PM Post #1,169 of 1,479
Astonishing! this is the stormbringer, unbelievably aweinspiring.

Decided to listen some music for breaking in the headphone and all I did differently was to use my work phone which is a iPhone 13 as source vs my iPhone XS and “bam”. I almost fell from my chair, had to scoop my jaw from the floor:gs1000smile:
 
Mar 4, 2022 at 2:13 PM Post #1,170 of 1,479
Astonishing! this is the stormbringer, unbelievably aweinspiring.

Decided to listen some music for breaking in the headphone and all I did differently was to use my work phone which is a iPhone 13 as source vs my iPhone XS and “bam”. I almost fell from my chair, had to scoop my jaw from the floor:gs1000smile:
What’s the difference between listening from and iPhone XS vs the 13?
 

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