[GustavMahler]

Well, I don't quite like reviews that give too much importance to the technical aspects of a certain headphones than its musicality.
We all want to listen to music after all!
So, Let me compare the PS1001Ks to the HD800 like a musician and music lover like me would.
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Imagine a pianist that has played the piano for thirty years. He has acquired a splendid control over the keyboard-His stacato his so precise, His legato so smooth. He can play all of the scales with an astonishing speed and precision as well. 
He plays all of the excersices so well and accurate, Not compared to anyone else.
 
And then comes the moment when he gets to play real music-A beethoven's sonata.
And it's so accurate and exactly as its written. But there is something missing.
Why is there something missing you ask? The technical abillities of the pianists are incredible!
Well, It's music, Not science. It should move you and bring you to tears. There is another thing that's supposed to be there that you cannot really explain-But you know when you hear it. If the technical abillity is all it worths nothing.
 
-Then, What does it have to do with the headphones, Ask the not very bright guy who hasn't understand it already

?
 
The HD800 have a great technical abillity. But it cannot bring music into life. It doesn't have any emotion.
 
On the other hand the ps1000e technically is far less better than the HD800! It colors the sound, It's not neutral etc.
But it's musical. It makes you cry, It makes you laugh and feel the music, Not hear it as it's "supposed" to sound.
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I hope you can understand what i mean. 
And if you don't, Try to listen to a robot playing Beethoven's pathetique sonata with no mistakes of course, And then to Kempff playing it with some mistakes but a lot of musicallity-And tell me what you liked more 

.
 
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This short artistic review is subjective and is my personal opinion.
 
I wish you all the best even though my wish scientifically won't change anything in your life,
Gustav.

 

[mcteague]

The "artistry" should all be on the recording side of things. I would not expect a transducer to be able to produce that. I should hope that it would accurately reproduce whatever the musicians and recording engineers were able to put down.
 
Tim

 

[GustavMahler]

Well, The HD800 is considered to be accurate, But it doesn't sound like real music should sound (It sounds hissy).
If there was a single pair of headphones that could produce the sound as the recording engineer intended it to sound (Like real, Live music) I would say go for it. But since there is no such headphone i am looking for headphone that give life to the music.

 

[Shaffer]

Well, The HD800 is considered to be accurate, But it doesn't sound like real music should sound (It sounds hissy).
If there was a single pair of headphones that could produce the sound as the recording engineer intended it to sound (Like real, Live music) I would say go for it. But since there is no such headphone i am looking for headphone that give life to the music.

It doesn't seem like you have the media, the source, and the amplifier that are congruent with the HD800's performance envelope. Relatively transparent transducers will only sound as well as they're fed.

 

[notsimar]

its an interesting philosophical argument, the flavored vs the bland.  It all comes down to what you like, if the flavoring matches what you are adding it to, then you have nivana.  Otherwise it will feel off, and you may not enjoy it as much.  I think both have a time and place where they are useful.

 

[GustavMahler]

And it'snot that there is a really neutral headphones. The hd800 don't sound like real, live music to me. 
As i said, If there was a really neutral and natural headphones, I would say go for it (Even though colored headphones may add more fun to some people). But since there isn't-I am looking for the one that is feeling more musical.

 

[mcteague]

But what does "feeling more musical" mean? More mid-range? Bass? Less treble? This is all about frequency response and distortion. That is pretty much all headphones do. Reminds me of guys taking about motorcycle engine designs that have more soul.
 
Tim

 

[GustavMahler]

More musical may be less cold, More soothing sound that reminds me more of real instruments. Too analytical exceeds the real sound of instrumens. I do know how live music sounds like, And it doesn't sound like the hd800 IMO.