[Silent Xaxal]

He did say that he needed a shorter cable.

 

[Mad Max]

I'm not really hearing that much of a difference between HD7 and 8.  HD8 has more subsonic rumble and a weightier sound, could just be a little variance due to manufacturing tolerances, or the extra weight of the metal parts helps slightly.
They are also very, very similar to K545 with SRH750 pads, 545 just has a bit less bass, is a bit leaner, and more upper mids and lower treble emphasis with a bit of dryness.  545 is lighter and more comfortable, and it isolates a little less.
I've only used the pleather pads so far.
 
Someone called these dark and muffled in the treble?  Wut?
"[Overkill] roll-off" in the treble?  Wut?
Does not compute.
 
I'm also amazed by how much they changed in the first couple of hours.  They sounded like craptastic flatus cannons out of the box, I even felt a little let down.  I set them aside with a diverse music playlist playing for a few hours while I did other things and then they sounded about as good as K545 when I checked them again.  Daaang.
 
Fuzziekiwi, have you modified your M50?  I really don't think these sound like M50 in the least, heck, I wish M50 sounded like a lesser version of these or something at the very least.  I like M50 better with HM5 pads, but that changes their sonic signature quite a bit.
 
So the 598 cable doesn't fit because its molded casing is slightly larger in circumference.  They should have just used the same plug anyway, the shorter 598 cable would be compatible with it then.  It strikes me as a little pointless to have two connectors that are only 0.1% different.
 
Headband cushion needs to be a little thicker, I think.  Or I need more hair on my head.  =X
 
 

 

[hekeli]

  I'm not really hearing that much of a difference between HD7 and 8.  HD8 has more subsonic rumble and a weightier sound, could just be a little variance due to manufacturing tolerances
 
.....
 
Someone called these dark and muffled in the treble?  Wut?
"[Overkill] roll-off" in the treble?  Wut?
Does not compute.

 
All these "wut wuts" and HD8 rumble are clearly seen (and heard) from several independent measurements.
 
What do you call a ~5-10dB drop (compared to "neutral") on treble then?? I like to call it subdued, since there's still some spark so it's not exactly "muffled". Dark is fine also.

 

[Mad Max]

I saw the innerfidelity graphs.  Microphones hear it one way, the human ear hears things a little differently.  I don't hear that much of a drop anywhere.

 

[hekeli]

  I saw the innerfidelity graphs.  Microphones hear it one way, the human ear hears things a little differently.  I don't hear that much of a drop anywhere.

 
And my (identical) graphs are in my sig.
 
Either you are comparing to whatever (or not even comparing at the same time) but all the things seen in these particular graphs are clearly heard, including the "muffiness".

 

[Stereolab42]

The HD8 does not sound nearly as dark as the graphs indicate.

 

[Fuzziekiwi]

I'm not really hearing that much of a difference between HD7 and 8.  HD8 has more subsonic rumble and a weightier sound, could just be a little variance due to manufacturing tolerances, or the extra weight of the metal parts helps slightly.
They are also very, very similar to K545 with SRH750 pads, 545 just has a bit less bass, is a bit leaner, and more upper mids and lower treble emphasis with a bit of dryness.  545 is lighter and more comfortable, and it isolates a little less.
I've only used the pleather pads so far.

Someone called these dark and muffled in the treble?  Wut?
"[Overkill] roll-off" in the treble?  Wut?
Does not compute.

I'm also amazed by how much they changed in the first couple of hours.  They sounded like craptastic flatus cannons out of the box, I even felt a little let down.  I set them aside with a diverse music playlist playing for a few hours while I did other things and then they sounded about as good as K545 when I checked them again.  Daaang.

Fuzziekiwi, have you modified your M50?  I really don't think these sound like M50 in the least, heck, I wish M50 sounded like a lesser version of these or something at the very least.  I like M50 better with HM5 pads, but that changes their sonic signature quite a bit.

So the 598 cable doesn't fit because its molded casing is slightly larger in circumference.  They should have just used the same plug anyway, the shorter 598 cable would be compatible with it then.  It strikes me as a little pointless to have two connectors that are only 0.1% different.

Headband cushion needs to be a little thicker, I think.  Or I need more hair on my head.  =X

I borrowed my friends m50 and they are not modded

 

[dynarec]

I bought thes HD8's the other day.  Overall impressions are I like them quite a bit, very deep controlled bass but not too punchy that doesnt shroud the mids and highs.  Occasionally on vocals they seem to hit a mid or treble spike that's quite unpleasant to listen to and somewhat screechy, maybe its my matrix m-stage amp compatibilty I don't know.  Has anyone else noticed this or is it just me?
 

 

[Mad Max]

It might just need burn-in or your particular HD8 may have one of the treble peaks stronger than others'.  It might also be your music, I wouldn't know.
If the issue persists, try exchanging your headphone for another HD8.

 

[Head-Fried]

[attach]1075737[/attach]
I had spent 2 weeks with the HD8 DJ headphones. To be honest. They didn't fit my preference at all. To me they were a bit too dark and muffled. I even burned them in by letting them blast with static over nights. About 35 hours total. They seemed to brighten a bit after tht but still didn't fit my preference. I was wanting headphones for mixing productions and it seem like Sennheiser was trying to push the headphones to the max with promotions like it tops all 3 headphones in the HD DJ line. I even called them and asked which one out of the 3 shouldI choose for my application. Which is mixing. Most of them pointed out the HD8s. So I try them out and wasn't happy. So I returned them and exchanged for the HD6 MIX. The sound is extremely crisp and clean. I would say they are the most transparent headphones I ever owned. The sound quality remind me of the ATH-M50s but without the hollow airy mids tht makes the sound quality sound a lil thin. The HD6 is like the ATH-M50s on steroids. Thts the best way to describe them. But they are more balanced with tht in your face sound tht just makes it more present in your ears. I guess the Sennheiser guys are really trying to push the HD8s harder because of its strong and unique build quality which is eye catching. Think of these headsets like Mic pre amps. SOLID STATE = HD6 MIX. TUBE = HD7 & HD8 DJs. I am more than satisfied with the HD6 sound quality. I'm soo anxious to hear wht they sound like after been broken in. :grin:[/quote]

How would the hd6's go for just listening to music, not mixing. (Stuff like rjd2 - smoke and mirrors, dj krush - lost voices, latyrx - latryx, no doof doof). I only want to buy one pair of headphones so looking for a balance between trying to make beats and taking these to uni etc. I don't mind having to fit an amp in my pocket..

 

[Mad Max]

HD6 is a small step down from HD7/8 in overall sound quality. You'll probably need a portable amp. Almost the same sound, but more balanced, and probably suited for actual production if you use the velour pads as they balance the sound out even more. It is definitely good for music and a bit more of a jack-of-all-trades as far as how well it suits different kinds of music because of its balanced sound.

I really don't find HD7/8 to resemble tube sound in the slightest. ATH-ESW9 definitely does, but not any Senns.
Or I misunderstood Beat Head there.

 

[MrRockliffe]

The HD8s, to my ears are far from dark. If anything, a little too much treble - for me listening to them for long periods of time makes them a little degrading. It can hurt my ears after a few hours, something I've never encountered before from a pair of headphones.
 
At first, I thought I preferred them to my custom one pros, but after them having burned in I'm not so sure. They're certainly not 100 pounds better.

 

[Fuzziekiwi]

  The HD8s, to my ears are far from dark. If anything, a little too much treble - for me listening to them for long periods of time makes them a little degrading. It can hurt my ears after a few hours, something I've never encountered before from a pair of headphones.
 
At first, I thought I preferred them to my custom one pros, but after them having burned in I'm not so sure. They're certainly not 100 pounds better.

Again, keep in mind the build quality and lightweight of these + the pads, case, and swiveling cups. 
Seriously guys, you are paying a lot for the features here.
 
They are pretty dark headphones imo. 

 

[Fuzziekiwi]

Here's the way I see my headphones. 
$229 -> $30 Case + $20 Pads + $15 Extra straight cable + Headphone Itself $164 

 

[MrRockliffe]

My headphones are plain squeaky - I wouldn't call them amazing build quality. They pair very well with a Fiio E07k.