[GaryJW]

OK, I did it; just bought a pair of HD-800s.

Initial impressions;

In the shop;

I tried out the pair that I was buying against an IPOD feeding a headphone amp (Beyerdynamic A1). Unfortunately with the amp being fed from the IPOD headphone socket rather than the line out (the shop not having such a cable). I compared them against the HD-650 and AKG-K701 (both of which I own).

The amp/IPOD combination was clearly warmer, perhaps less detailed and did not go to a high volume compared my home setup (with the HD-650s).

However I could determine the following;

• Blew the HD-650's out of the water on detail - especially bass and midrange. In comparison the HD-650's were clearly veiled and although giving a good impression of the music did not clearly delineate instruments compared to the HD-800. The HD-800s seemed maybe a little bass light compared to the HD-650, but, I think that this can also be explained by the fact that it was much easier to differentiate different bass lines on the hd-800s compared to the impression (in comparison) that these are all delivered together with the HD-650's.
• I would say that the overall balance and transparency on the HD-800s is much higher that the HD-650's.
• I also compared against the AKG-K701's. The reason being my concern that the HD-800's may be revealing by being bright (which in my opinion the K701's are). I found the HD-800's to be still more revealing that the K701's and even made the 701's sound muffled from the mid range down.

Shop conclusion; interested enough to buy with the promise that I can return them after a week if I do not like them with my home setup (worries on brightness that I could not eliminate with the setup in the shop).

At home;

I do not see me returning these 'phones........

Home setup; Squeezebox feeding Cambridge DacMagic feeding Little Dor mk III.

My assessment in the shop against the HD-650's is confirmed. The HD-800's are much more transparent and balanced. It is much easier to forget that one is listening with headphones.

Against Denon D5000s; The HD-800's are brighter and do not have the warmth of the Denons, but do control their bass much better (not the Denon's strongest point). They share with the Denon's the much better midrange and lack of veiling of the HD-650's. The HD-800's are more transparent.

K701's; have not directly compared (packed up to sell - I really do not like these phones). However no sign of the (to me (and with my setup)) overbright presentation that can be immediately painful with music that has a lot of treble. Clearly more bass.

Conclusion; incredibly transparent and balanced. I do not think that these are bass light, but they may at first seem so since the bass really is clearly delineated rather than having the feeling that it is all delivered together as with some other phones.

Caveats. It is possible that the HD-800s may be slightly more fatiguing than either of the other two that I directly compared against.. However bear in mind that they are not yet burnt in and I have been listening more in continuous comparison and testing mode rather than just sitting back with a piece of music at reasonable volume. There is also the issue of learning how to treat and use a new set of phones (volume for listening, which amp and even which music). I am making no conclusions on this yet.

Keepers for sure.

Give me some weeks to burn them in and to fully acquaint myself with them and I will report my conclusions then.

 

[Uncle Erik]

Thank you for the review! Your impressions are much like mine - I heard the HD-800 at CanJam in May. Comparing them directly to the HD-650 got me to thinking about buying a pair. It took me a couple of weeks to make the decision, but I sold several pairs (including the HD-650) and bought the HD-800. They've been here for about six weeks and I've barely listened to anything else during that time. The HD-800 is wonderful - I especially love their controlled bass and transparency.

 

[feifan]

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Originally Posted by GaryJW /img/forum/go_quote.gif OK, I did it; just bought a pair of HD-800s.

Congrats!
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Blew the HD-650's out of the water on detail - especially bass and midrange. In comparison the HD-650's were clearly veiled and although giving a good impression of the music did not clearly delineate instruments compared to the HD-800. The HD-800s seemed maybe a little bass light compared to the HD-650, but, I think that this can also be explained by the fact that it was much easier to differentiate different bass lines on the hd-800s compared to the impression (in comparison) that these are all delivered together with the HD-650's.

x2
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I also compared against the AKG-K701's. The reason being my concern that the HD-800's may be revealing by being bright . . .

Good point. I wondered the same.
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The HD-800's are much more transparent and balanced. It is much easier to forget that one is listening with headphones.

x2
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I do not think that these are bass light, but they may at first seem so since the bass really is clearly delineated rather than having the feeling that it is all delivered together as with some other phones.

x2. Well said!
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Caveats. It is possible that the HD-800s may be slightly more fatiguing than either of the other two that I directly compared against.

I had this experience after the first few minutes of listening straight out of the box. Couldn't figure it out. I futzed with the volume, lowering it. When the irritation didn't subside, I continued lowering. I stopped when the irritation disappeared. I learned that I was listening at a level that was too high. My instinct is to raise the level to get more of a good thing, and I had unwittingly raised it much too high. The HD800s are so smooth and balanced that raising the volume doesn't give you instant slam so you keep turning it higher. The only sign that I got that the level was too high was irritation, or fatigue. At a lower level, I found that the dynamics were exceptional for even the softest passages so volume is really not needed. At the right level, there's no fatigue even after hours of listening.
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However bear in mind that they are not yet burnt in and I have been listening more in continuous comparison and testing mode rather than just sitting back with a piece of music at reasonable volume. There is also the issue of learning how to treat and use a new set of phones (volume for listening, which amp and even which music). I am making no conclusions on this yet.

Yeah, the fun begins with the HD800. As you say, you can begin to test it in an endless array of lineups just to see what works, what doesn't, and why. I find that when it doesn't work, I'm challenged to try different gear, different conditions, etc. I have a feeling that the HD800 may be the ultimate reference tool for fine-tuning equipment to determine the best lineups. It's that revealing. Right or wrong, it gives me the sense that, whatever the problem I'm hearing with a specific lineup, it is not in the 'phone but somewhere else, upstream. I never had this kind of confidence with the HD650 or K701.
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Keepers for sure.

x2
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Give me some weeks to burn them in and to fully acquaint myself with them and I will report my conclusions then.

Looking forward to your follow-ups.

 

[Currawong]

I've dropped my listening level by half as well, almost, with the HD-800s. Having a high-end amp helps with that too, along with high-quality recordings, as the impact of the music is in the details.

The good thing for the OP, if you'd call it that, is as he upgrades his gear, he'll clearly notice the improvements.