[yonson]

Or....



Zoom...Zoom!

That's a GREAT price and an amazingly fun car (in the right conditions)...

 

[yonson]

Slumming? You daft?

Absolutely...

 

[QueYo]

That's a GREAT price and an amazingly fun car (in the right conditions)...

I've listened to that car. No plankton.

 

[FLTWS]

Welcome to the Gumby world ... a great DAC, IMO.

I started at the transducers and worked backward. Once I'd heard the HD800, properly driven, I was hooked on them.
That with Dan Clark's (Mr. Speakers) rigs - Yggy A1 + Rag and WA5. Killer SQ. At a Nashville headphone meet (thanks @Theogenes).

Took me several DAC + amp iterations, but finally got there and mid-priced as well. Gumby at $1,249 is a real value.
Once you're happy enough with the music to be happy - a good place to stop. Just tweak from there, eh @Pietro Cozzi Tinin

I've been A/B'ing my HD800 against my Utopia the past few days comparing a number of recordings of Mahler 5 using my Formula S. They are different in sound presentation for sure but my HD800 is not outclassed by my Utopia at all including in the bass (maybe the reach and control of the "S"?). And that new phone smell is long gone from both of these so there's no "new toy" syndrome at play. I bought both new at list price and its easy for me to be objective about the plus's and minus's of each from my perspective. I kept both so I must like both, but for different reasons.

 

[dieslemat]

Well, that is for sure - the Stellia are lovely cans, and only $3,000.
However, they are closed-back cans. May not provide an equivalent listening experience to your HD600.
Perhaps consider the Focal ... they're only $4,000?

ps. I've never heard either of those HPs. Always best to try B4 you buy

I’ve heard the Stellia. They are really really good.

 

[RCBinTN]

I've been A/B'ing my HD800 against my Utopia the past few days comparing a number of recordings of Mahler 5 using my Formula S. They are different in sound presentation for sure but my HD800 is not outclassed by the my Utopia at all including in the bass (maybe the reach and control of the "S"?). And that new phone smell is long gone from both of these so there's no "new toy" syndrome at play. I bought both new at list price and its easy for me to be objective about the plus's and minus's of each from my perspective. I kept both so I must like both, but for different reasons.

Great comment. My HD800 present a very wide spectrum of music, very enjoyable!
And especially on classical orchestras. Just amazing.
If the Utopia can survive (even excel) with Mahler, they are damn fine cans

We have two pair of HD800 as me & Annette listen together.
Ours are quite new, SN around 33,500, their SQ is identical (I switch them out each session, if it's just me listening).
Sad that Sennheiser stopped making that can. To me, neither the HD800S nor HD820 come close.

If ours fail, we will be forced to look for a "bright" HP such as Utopia. Annette has tinnitus and she benefits from brighter treble.
May be back in touch with you, at that point ... thank you.

Cheers!
RCB

 

[RCBinTN]

I’ve heard the Stellia. They are really really good.

Have you heard the Utopia?

 

[FLTWS]

Great comment. My HD800 present a very wide spectrum of music, very enjoyable!
And especially on classical orchestras. Just amazing.
If the Utopia can survive (even excel) with Mahler, they are damn fine cans

We have two pair of HD800 as me & Annette listen together.
Ours are quite new, SN around 33,500, their SQ is identical (I switch them out each session, if it's just me listening).
Sad that Sennheiser stopped making that can. To me, the HD800S nor HD820 come close.

If ours fail, we will be forced to look for a "bright" HP such as Utopia. Annette has tinnitus and she benefits from brighter treble.
May be back in touch with you, at that point ... thank you.

Cheers!
RCB

My 800 SN is almost to 42000.
I agree, working back from the transducer seems right. It's easier than getting the best regarded, best measuring equipment up front only to hear that the phones you've auditioned and liked the best don't mesh well with the stuff in front of it. After my initial "baseline" phone was set, I needed to audition a lot of different phones in home to make sure they were what I wanted sound-wise. I'm fairly certain I've gone through 20 different phones after the 800 and found the Utopia and Abyss worked just fine with most of my gear and ears. The others I rejected for one reason or another.

 

[ScubaMan2017]

Now THIS is one of the best posts you ever wrote!

THEY are going to burn him at the steak, you know. Seriously, this was indeed an excellent & timely post for users like me. Now, about that Valhalla2 as a wingman for my Frankensteined-Vali.

 

[artur9]

I have to say, I always feel ambivalent when I buy gear. There's the sidegrading, there's the OMG, it costs what, there's the will it do what I'm looking for.

And yet, I'm always looking for the next thing I "need." HST, I think I'm done/reached end-game with my last 2 purchases: new (to me) speakers and the Vidar for my subwoofer. Unless I need another Vidar for my other subwoofer. Then, really, I'm done. For a while, I think. Dammit!

 

[caenlenfromOCN]

I mean, I agree with his latest post, but on the same hand I had a lot of fun trading and buying and trying new stuff last 4 years or so especially. I am glad I don't do nearly as much anymore, but on the same hand it was a fun little hobby for awhile, but I have moved on to other hobbies now mostly... but I will get bored of them, so on and so forth. I don't see anything wrong with it as long as it doesn't become an addiction. It almost did with me, but I found it to be easy to leave when I did.

I'm still not totally retired from this hobby, but I am mostly pretty chill about it now.

 

[ScubaMan2017]

The phones are in the mail. You like "Beats" right?

This reminds me of an 7-year-old-episode of InnerFidelity... when our man with the bright shirts tried on his very first 'Beats' headphone. Audiophile humour at its finest?

 

[dieslemat]

Have you heard the Utopia?

Yes. But fatiguing for me.

Though looking at the price per value. The Raal sr1a is worth every dollar

https://raalrequisite.com/sr1a-earfield-monitors/

Although you need a vidar or a 100W speaker amp to drive it.

I melted listening to the Raals.

 

[Lurker0918]

I thought the latest chapter was an April Fools Day joke, but sadly realized it is not April 1st anymore and instead is depressing commentary of society today. The wait begins for the chapter where we're told not to stick metal forks into electric sockets or not to climb into the lion den at your local zoo for a selfie.

 

[winders]

I thought the latest chapter was an April Fools Day joke, but sadly realized it is not April 1st anymore and instead is depressing commentary of society today. The wait begins for the chapter where we're told not to stick metal forks into electric sockets or not to climb into the lion den at your local zoo for a selfie.

Give it a rest....if you don't like what Jason has to say about life and buying audio gear, just move on.