Do it! 8th time is the charm!Again with the "coloured" and "warmer" terms. You are making me want to try these bad.
I have owned seven pairs of Senn headphones and if I had to use one word to describe any of them, it would not be coloured, warm, fun or bassy.
More like smooth, neutral , transparent, etc.
Hmmmm...
What's that old joke about the definition of insanity? Doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result.Do it! 8th time is the charm!
Interestingly...the S2 did put my HD800S on the sidelines.... but my recent HD820, which I intended on using when needing a closed phone, have now done the same with my S2s (temporarily though
)....technically so far IMHO the 820 do have a cleaner driver, fuller sound and deeper and more authoritative base and relatively speaking a wide deep sound stage.
Funny how that happens...
Interesting Rob. I’ve never found a meaningful comparison between any closed back and open back headphone possible. For me it’s like comparing IEM’s to closed backs or open backs to speakers. They’re just different animals. But that’s just me I suspect.Interestingly...the S2 did put my HD800S on the sidelines.... but my recent HD820, which I intended on using when needing a closed phone, have now done the same with my S2s (temporarily though
I've been fortunate with the HD820 fit so really content with their performance and getting immersed in the music but they are not to everyone's liking so really a try before you buy.....but the HD660S no such problem.
Funny how that happens...
)
The Sony Z1R is also comparable to any open headphone even to the HD800. I has a very special cup construction to be like that. I compared it to the HD820 and preferred the bass on the Sony back in the day. Now I prefer the bass and erverything else but the soundstage on the HD660S2 to the Sony. Actually the HD660S2 renders the Z1R obsolete now.Interesting Rob. I’ve never found a meaningful comparison between any closed back and open back headphone possible. For me it’s like comparing IEM’s to closed backs or open backs to speakers. They’re just different animals. But that’s just me I suspect.
You might just prefer the 820 to the S2 of course - that’s perfectly legitimate. (Not that I’m giving you permission or anything
I imagine that it’s simply the case that I haven’t ever heard a closed back that’s quite on that level. I was extremely close to buying the Sony at one point I have to admit. But, as you know, I have another headphone which has rendered everything else obsolete!
The AKG K872, relatively speaking, do not sound like a closed back at all and are almost identical to their open back sibling the K812 except the 872 have slightly fuller base and more forgiving highs and of course the sound isolation.
With regards to the HD800S and the 820, unlike the AKGs, these 2 are quite different.
Nothing to be taken away from the S2, the HD820 are just the newer kid on my block. : )
You're making me want to revisit the 820 now! How do you find the midrange on the 820 vs the S2? From bad audio memory I remember being slightly turned off by the mids, but now I can't remember why or what bothered me. My system is totally different now and I'm thinking much more synergistic for the 820...
The HD820 was killed for a lot of people by the frequency graphs, which looked rather wonky. I found in reality it sounded very good. For me the release price of 2400€ was the killer.
As good as some of us find the S2 midrange, for me the 820 (remember its pedigree) has slightly more dimensionality (better resolve of delicate harmonics?) and higher quality and is pulled back more, staging sitting somewhere between the HD800S and the S2. Although I mentioned the S2 and 820 share somewhat similar tonality, the S2 is still warmer, more intimate and while showing some layering more 2 dimensional in its presentation, the 820 to me sounding overall more sophisticated on its delivery, there just appears to be more happening.
