The other possibility could be that because listening impressions can be very easily influenced by preemptive bias, many people went into their first time listening to them expecting to hear the "awful" mid range dip and weird frequency response. Bias can be a very powerful thing in this hobby. People will swear up and down that they can hear huge improvements moving to better source gear, but time and again in blind listening tests it's shown that people can't really tell the difference beyond sources past a certain baseline bar of "good enough".
Perhaps the two initial reviews from Crin and DMS poisoned the well so to speak, so people are hearing what they are expecting to hear, where you went into your first listen "blind" so to speak and have come away impressed and actually enjoying them.
Thats why you really have to listen to a headphone yourself and try to remain as open minded as you can. Easier said than done unfortunately. People will instead look at a fr graph and decide a headphone is good or sucks before even listening to it.
Also, people have declared they made purchase decisions based off the recording "demos." Inherently flawed, listening to a real HD 8xx is significantly different from listening to an HD 8xx that has been distorted by the "ears" on a microphone head (remember, this will impart a change to the sound), AD conversion, YouTube compression, whatever DAC you use, whatever Amp you use, whatever headphone or speaker you use, the FR altering effects of your own ears (on top of the measurement microphone's "ears"), etc etc. It's a really deep rabbit hole of how many things are distorted in a recording demo.
Listening to my HD 8XX, with HDV 820, stock cable and an inexpensive Belkin Gold USB cable to my Mac Mini, playing Mr Blue Sky in Apple Music, I think this track is actually nice on the headphone, with nice bass and electric guitar strings and not too much shouty mids (Mr Blue Sky is a well mastered song, but the percussive sting of the track is somewhat in your face).
Listening to one of those YouTube demos, Mr Blue Sky sounds much more tinny and fatiguing than just listening to the HD 8XX straight through Apple Music Lossless, or even just AAC. What stands out the most are that the highs are much more emphasized, so the clapping and piano dominate in the YouTube video, the drums are more distorted, the soundstage is smaller... the YouTube demo honestly sounds like a smartphone speaker played from inside a cardboard box. And yet, people make purchase decisions after listening to these demos for 30 seconds. Some people claim to be using these recordings purely for comparison between the HD 800S and HD 8XX recordings... here, differences would be exaggerated due to double-dipping on how the outer ear reflections and resonances affect certain frequencies to a greater extent and others to a lesser extent.
Just to drop another HD 8XX impression, "Pressure" by Muse stood out to me with the reverberant kick drum that begins around 29 seconds in having a really nice, tight texture that I can feel tickling the hairs just inside my ear canal, and "Kiss Me More" (and other Doja Cat tracks) vocals are easier on the ears on the HD 8XX than my HD 800. I still wouldn't reach for the HD 8XX when I want big bass drops... I would actually reach for a lower end headphone with looser bass for that. I will say, taking a DAC entirely out of the equation and listening to my HD 800 with vinyl has taken a certain glare off, without blunting the punch and piercing quality needed in some songs, but lately the HD 8XX has been my go-to all day streaming companion while working from home.
I went to an audio shop yesterday to get some comparison impressions with the hd800s before the 8xx return window closes.
And I think it convinced me to keep the 8xx.
1. Yes 800s is much more clear and realistic sounding. But it gets very loud in the upper mids. Really uncomfortable for even the short session I had with it. As you may know, the 8xx does not have that issue, and as a result I'm able to crank the volume more on the 8xx without causing pain.
2. I felt like the recording conditions and skill levels of the engineers are much more apparent on the 800s. Which is really cool and a great resource for engineers but not so great for enjoyment. The 8xx smooths out the harshness while keeping the detail. Though tonality is off, and a bit unnatural, I'd still prefer the 8xx for a nice listening session, and 800s for audio work. (I did try some audio mixing on the 8xx and the results, as expected, were not good.)
3. Classical music is absolutely perfect on the 800s. If that's what you're into, I can't recommend the 800s enough. But I don't listen to much classical, so not really a factor for me.
4. Treble is also more tiring on the 800s. It sounds amazing too, but can get really abrasive.
5. If I'm planning on listening to music, I want to forget the headphone is even there. And the 800s doesn't let you forget for very long. One track will sound perfect, like its performed right in the room with you, and then another track will have you reaching for that skip button or eq dial. The 8xx doesn't have that issue. Everything kinda sounds good and detailed and pleasant. And the frequency flaws of the 8xx (such as the lower mid swell) er on the side of incorrect but not painful.
In summation:
The 800s is more impressive. And as an audio tool, more useful.
The 8xx is a better rounded headphone, more enjoyable more of the time.
There is a trade off either way. Neither is perfect. I think the 8xx is a great headphone, especially at the price. And I think I'll be happier with the 8xx over the 800s in the long run.
Hear Hear! While tuned differently, the HD 800(S) vs HD 8XX compliment each other in a similar way as the HD 600 and HD 650 compliment each other... the HD 8XX and HD 650 are high performing but easier to listen to long-term than their more studio-tool focused siblings.
I don't know if I shared it here, but I think these songs fit the HD 8XX well, showcasing the strengths and highlighting the difference to the HD 800S:
...general people who bought them but there is no way of knowing if they are or aren't critical listeners...owners who maybe want to justify their purchases...the list goes on.
