At times this thread has been more a review of Skylab or of reviewing in general, than it has been a review of the HD800. So let me add to the customary disclosure that I am a fan of Skylab. I should also admit that I am over 60, and my treble sensitivity is less than it once was, although my last audiologist exam showed that my hearing is well within the normal range.
For the last couple of years I have been listening primarily through UE 10s and then, when they came out, UE 11s. Some of you may scoff at the notion of IEMs for other than portable use, but I find each of them to have significantly better sound quality than my balanced HD 600, not to mention that wearing them is effortless. That is not something even the HD 800 can claim, although, thank God, unlike the HD 600, it is comfortable to wear for extended periods.
I mainly compared the HD 800 against the UE 10s, since their reputation is for being fairly neutral; the UE 11s clearly have more bass emphasis, along with an increased treble clarity that somewhat offsets the additional bass.
In all kinds of recordings, it was clear that the UE 10s had more emphasis on bass than does the HD 800. That is, on piano music such as Gilels' playing of the Pathetique sonata on DG, the lower part of the keyboard sounds louder relative to the upper registers on the UE 10s than on the HD 800. In both cases the music sounded as if it was coming from a real piano. I am inclined to say that the HD 800 was more "natural," at least to my taste. I base this on listening to a Brautigam rendition of the same piece on a fortepiano on a Bis recording. The UE 10s tended to make the fortepiano sound like piano, while the differences between the instruments were much more apparent on the HD 800. In any case I have personally come to the conclusion that I prefer the HD 800 for piano music. I feel similarly about orchestral work.
When it comes to the human voice, I think the HD 800 is the clear winner. Two CDs I happen to have in front of me, Etta James's Blues to the Bone, and Bad Influence's Love at the Bad Habits Cafe, show this clearly to me. Also, I find that on jazz and blues albums, even though the bass is relatively less loud, the clarity and naturalness of harmonicas, saxophones, etc. more than make up for it. And it is not as if the bass disappears by any means; it is just not as up front. But I can see how others might not feel the same way.
There are, however, some downsides to the relative treble emphasis of the HD 800. I frequently use Santana's Black Magic Woman to test the sound of new equipment, especially the great percussion sounds. I previously noticed that the voice track on this song was either modified electronically or had two recordings combined, I am not sure just what. Through the HD 800, there was annoying sibilance on it; through the UE 10s, there was borderline sibilance which was not annoying. The UE 11s were similar to the UE 10s, no problem there either.
I see this as largely corroborating what Skylab found. I have a high end source, and a number of headfiers have reported that my amp is a good fit with the HD 800, and so I think that what I heard represents good overall synergy with the HD 800. Anyone considering the HD 800 should be aware that its presentation of bass and treble might not be to his or her liking. That said, I differ from Skylab in that I think the HD 800 is fully worth its $1,400 price, and it is now what I reach for first. But I will still grab the UEs when I want greater bass presence; nothing I am ashamed of there.
