Sennheiser HD 800 VS Grado PS 1000
Sep 6, 2011 at 11:13 AM Post #92 of 202


Quote:
Ok, so done. I'll either go for HD 800 or LCD-2.
 
Thanks for the suggestion guys, that's more than enough Info.



all of this headphones(ps-1000, and hd-800) need a good amplification and an excellent matching.
otherwise the result is poor.
lcd-2, in my opinion, need a lot of current.
 
Sep 6, 2011 at 11:20 AM Post #93 of 202


Quote:
blade007, I strongly recommend again that you try to audition these headphones if possible. Each sounds quite different from the other. There's no way that I would consider buying any of them without an audition. Seeking the impressions and opinions of others can be helpful but it can also be confusing. There is a divergence of experiences, preferences and opinions in this thread as you have seen. If you want to make an informed choice about which of these headphones you should buy, then you owe it to yourself to listen to them with your own ears and music selection. Do you rely on someone else to taste your food for you in order to ascertain if you would like it? Well maybe you do so just ignore that analogy. Good luck with it anyway.  

Thanks bruv, yes I'll try to audition it.
I'll let you know when I get the headphones.
 


Quote:
all of this headphones(ps-1000, and hd-800) need a good amplification and an excellent matching.
otherwise the result is poor.
lcd-2, in my opinion, need a lot of current.



All good man, I know about amplification. Not a problem. :D
 
Sep 6, 2011 at 11:57 AM Post #94 of 202


Quote:
 




All good man, I know about amplification. Not a problem. :D


well...
i express myself in a better way:is difficult to find the right combination with these headphones because they are not neutral and balanced
 
 
Sep 6, 2011 at 9:33 PM Post #95 of 202


Quote:
This is my experience as well. The PS1000's highs are extended but smooth. Admittedly, I am using mine with tubes. I honestly found the HD800's treble spike more concerning.  


You sure about that?
 

 
 
 
I've heard the PS1000 on several occasions (and on some very good gear) and it was always brighter with more strident treble than the HD800s. The Headroom graphs confirm my personal experiences too. The PS1000s are relatively easy to drive, but the HD800s are VERY revealing of your upstream gear. YMMV.
 
 
 
 
Sep 6, 2011 at 9:46 PM Post #96 of 202


Quote:
Here bruv -
 
Grado SR60i
 
Pros - Punchy bass, open wide dynamic sound, warmth compared to other ones, lows more defined and fuller, highs were slightly less tinny and mid range flowed perfectly/ no seams.
 
Cons - Uncomfortable, thick cord/ bulky
 


If you don't see any cons to the sound of the SR60i other than comfort, then I'm not sure you need to spend so much on headphones.  I'm sure people can recommend a more comfortable headphone with similar sound to the SR60. 
 
I think the AD2000 should be very much to your liking.  Similar sound, but much more refined, open, spacious, and very comfy.  Bam.  Get'm and go home happy. 
 
I'll elaborate here. 
 
Similarities between SR60 and ath-AD2000 "air"
quick sounding bass with good impact, transitions nicely from mids down to the upper bass and is pretty flat until it starts to roll off a bit.
neither headphone has outstanding bass extension 
gorgeous midrange that has natural warmth when called for but is not overly rich or lush
upper midrange and treble that is elevated to give a pronounced sense of detail and air
 
Differences between SR60 and ath-AD2000 "air"
AD2000 has a much bigger soundstage, maybe 5x bigger or something
AD2000 has much better imaging and separation
AD2000's elevation in the upper mids and treble is less extreme, so they are less fatiguing and harsh and sound more even and balanced.  The AD's upper mid/treble emphasis is rather subtle, but still achieves the same or similar effect as the Grados
AD2000 is more resolving and more refined, with better tone, subtlties, texture, etc. 
 
 
Sep 6, 2011 at 11:19 PM Post #97 of 202
The PS1000 don't need an amp for sufficient listening levels, and we all know that. To put a flagship headphone into a system that doesn't have an amp whose performance is appropriate for a flagship headphone is always a mistake. I'm going to assume that there wasn't an implication that the PS1000 aren't very revealing of upstream gear based on 32 ohm impedence. The HD800 measures very well and has a lot of technology behind it and will of course require the best gear to achieve the best performance. The last statement holds for the PS1000 as well. Every change to my system from source to interconnect to power cable to vibration isolation/damping has been revealed by the PS1000.
 
Nearly every headphone's frequency response will be influenced by fit. I found that I preferred to bend the headband of the PS1000 so that I get a tight clamp. The pads have some good spring to them and this fit puts the drivers a bit closer. This also makes a good seal with the pads which also impacts the sound. This tight fit decreases the extremes and brings out the midrange a bit compared to a loose fit which accentuates the top end and pushes the midrange back. It's hard to say what kind of fit was in place for the measurements or during brief meet auditions, but I wouldn't argue against a Grado being brighter than a Sennheiser. That's always been the case, and I'd trust it to be true between these two flagships. Anyway, I've read a good number comments about the HD800 being bright, and even needing a cable replacement to fix it, but maybe those are from people coming from the HD600/650.
 
As far as the HD800 vs PS1000 frequency response measurements go, I don't know what to believe. GoldenEars.net measurements below tell a different story than those from Headroom. Maybe someday Tyll will add PS1000 measurements to the data collection on InnerFidelity so we have another perspective.
 
 
Here's another fun comparison unrelated to the current discussion. The K701 and HD800 track very closely below 1k and from 3k-11k. Anyone find that the K701 and HD800 actually have that similar of a frequency response?
 


 
 
 
Sep 6, 2011 at 11:32 PM Post #98 of 202


Quote:
 
I have both the PS1000 and the HD800 running them both out of an EAR HP4 modded headphone amp...
 
I also have the Audeze LCD-2 rev.2...
 
 Just taken delivery of my WES with upgraded tubes and capacitors, and now just waiting for the arrival of the SR-009s !!! Using the WES with the Omega II Mk1 for the time being...


Jerseyboy, best first four posts on head-fi ever.  I can only imagine how much gear and comparisons you'll be able to give us 100 posts in...
 
"Having every in production headphone and amp, I am currently awaiting the arrival of every discontinued out-of-production headphone and amp.  A definitive answer to "best ever" question coming shortly..."
 
 
Sep 6, 2011 at 11:40 PM Post #99 of 202


Quote:
The PS1000 don't need an amp for sufficient listening levels, and we all know that. To put a flagship headphone into a system that doesn't have an amp whose performance is appropriate for a flagship headphone is always a mistake. I'm going to assume that there wasn't an implication that the PS1000 aren't very revealing of upstream gear based on 32 ohm impedence. The HD800 measures very well and has a lot of technology behind it and will of course require the best gear to achieve the best performance. The last statement holds for the PS1000 as well. Every change to my system from source to interconnect to power cable to vibration isolation/damping has been revealed by the PS1000.
 
Nearly every headphone's frequency response will be influenced by fit. I found that I preferred to bend the headband of the PS1000 so that I get a tight clamp. The pads have some good spring to them and this fit puts the drivers a bit closer. This also makes a good seal with the pads which also impacts the sound. This tight fit decreases the extremes and brings out the midrange a bit compared to a loose fit which accentuates the top end and pushes the midrange back. It's hard to say what kind of fit was in place for the measurements or during brief meet auditions, but I wouldn't argue against a Grado being brighter than a Sennheiser. That's always been the case, and I'd trust it to be true between these two flagships. Anyway, I've read a good number comments about the HD800 being bright, and even needing a cable replacement to fix it, but maybe those are from people coming from the HD600/650.
 
As far as the HD800 vs PS1000 frequency response measurements go, I don't know what to believe. GoldenEars.net measurements below tell a different story than those from Headroom. Maybe someday Tyll will add PS1000 measurements to the data collection on InnerFidelity so we have another perspective.

 
 


Certainly not based on 32 ohm impedance...simply based on what I heard with different great and not so great amps/sources with the PS1000s. I always seemed to manage to hear exactly what John Grado wanted me to hear. FWIW, the HD800 and K701 (except for the sense of expansive sound stage) don't really sound the same to me. I find they (HD800s) are more in-line with the HD600s in terms of tonal balance.
 
Here's Tyll's HD800 measurements, and they do match up quite well to the Headroom graphs:
 
http://www.innerfidelity.com/images/SennheiserHD800.pdf
 
I found the PS1000s, less bright than the GS1000s, but still bright overall (and brighter than my HD800s and T1s).
 
 
Sep 7, 2011 at 12:12 AM Post #100 of 202
Quote:
Here's another fun comparison unrelated to the current discussion. The K701 and HD800 track very closely below 1k and from 3k-11k. Anyone find that the K701 and HD800 actually have that similar of a frequency response?

 
Nice post. Personally, the PS1000 gives me zero treble spikes. The HD 800 a bit. (My amplification is all solid state: m902, BCL, A1, and DAC1).
 
Sep 7, 2011 at 4:30 AM Post #102 of 202
the hd800 is the clear winner on paper if you consider hi-fi as being true to the source. however, given the right amp i find the ps1000 much more enjoyable. i think a lot of the negative comments about the ps1000 stem from not having the right amp. the problem is the amp i found that works with them wonderfully is no longer produced. never saw one for sale either. it is the cullen gcha. i suppose you could get the new chinese inexpensive gcha and diy the mod or there is another place that does it. it is not the same as the cullen mod though and may render completely different results. i can't say since i have not heard that one. the stock gcha was not so good. i used a lot of different amps with it and those particular headphones like it better than some beasts such as the p1u and hp4. so, to most people i could not recommend the ps1000 since they may have a very hard time procuring an appropriate amp. if one can get an amp that works they will know it when they do. i have scd1>da924>gcha all with crystal cable on a suspension platform and it competes with the o2 and he90. they are different but certainly in the same league. now, please don't bash me because you all have not heard my system and besides we all hear differently at that. the best thing about the whole rig is very low volume listening. i'd go so far as to say it is sublime at very low spl. btw, i feel the soundstage and placement is exactly what it should be. close to the source. no hyped treble,no midbass hump. goes very low. my ps1000 also have my own cable on them which costs several times what the headphones do. if anything i feel it made the bass go lower and tighter. now of course we are not talking about $1,700 headphones but a $30,000 dedicated rig. i don't feel that is a waste because i immensely enjoy them. i mentioned the shock platform. the gcha and scd1 especially need very good isolation and the gcha needs a power cord six times it's price too. this may seem absurd but in the end it worked great for me. you could put the hd800 on the hp4 and some nice stuff upstream and get darn good results for a lot less money too. still, i'd look at other headphones and not buy anything without hearing it. if i heard a ps1000 hooked up to any given $1,000 amp(that did not compliment them) i'd say they suck. which is why i think they have garnered such bashing around here. the hd800 is hard to drive but there are many amps to choose from that will do the job. all at much lower cost if one chooses. of course you will get a different sound than i feel i have but it should be very good nonetheless. for the record i do have the hd800 but i have not used them in months. i do not think i ever a/b'd my ps1k rig against the hd800 though. i think i know them well enough to support my post however.
 
Sep 7, 2011 at 6:18 AM Post #103 of 202


Quote:
Can't believe you guys are wasting your time on this "birthday boy" here, who refers people by "bruv".
 
While the OP might very well be serious about getting a set of flagship headphones, I can't help but to see him as somewhat of a immature person:  The OP is for sure a lot more interested in the image and the bragging right of acquiring $1000+ headphones than actually appreciating the music reproduced by them.
 
Let's just let this thread die shall we?  There is better things to talk about than this...  But no, the LCD-2 r1 vs. r2 debate is not one of them.
 
 
 
For all seriousness OP, get a pair of LCD-2 or hell, even the M-50 will do it for you, if you can live with the somewhat less noteworthy price tag. 



Yea I say "bruv". What's wrong with that? Do you only see gangsters saying that? Immature, I doubt that. You don't even know me "bruv". Stop judging me based on my comments. And you're matured eh? No wonder you're making a comment which has no base or substance, completely irrelevant, basically you're interfering. I know year 10 kids who talk better than you. Perhaps they are matured than you? Could be, my bad I didn't notice.
 
Oh yea, you can close the thread now. I have gained more than enough information and I'm getting either HD 800 or LCD-2, so no more suggestions needed.
 
Sep 7, 2011 at 6:26 AM Post #104 of 202
My friend bought once the Sony MDR-R10 BH to compliment his electrostatic collection. He bought the HP-4 and the Earmax Anniversary at the same time to have the "right" amp for them. Shortly after he sold both because they were inferior to the Accuphase C-2800 headphone out that he had owned. I know the quality of this headphone out from both this device and the C-3800. They are better than most headphone amps discussed here but unpopular most probably due to price and their primary function which is preamplifier. However, these are devices at the level where comparing headphones starts making sense. You can plug 600 ohm T1, 62 ohm Q701 or 32 ohm PS1000 to it and they will be all equally well served. I have impression that in this forum most of the time win headphones working well with tubes and the PS1000 is not the case. You can like what you hear but they don't show their full potential and the bass goes crazy or partly absent. I don't recommend this headphone from any other point of view than sound. There was many driver failures which I suppose was caused by overloading headphones with little mileage. They need thorough burn-in starting with low volumes to become more current-resistant and sounding good. Their construction leaves much to desire - unstable on the head (only the K1000 is worse here), heavy, the rods sometimes don't keep fixed positions due to no lock, and transducers falling off the headband sometimes, literally. This is why my friend bought the Edition 10 and is happy, conforming the same rules to obtain good sound that refer to the PS1000.
 
Sep 7, 2011 at 7:11 AM Post #105 of 202


Quote:
My friend bought once the Sony MDR-R10 BH to compliment his electrostatic collection. He bought the HP-4 and the Earmax Anniversary at the same time to have the "right" amp for them. Shortly after he sold both because they were inferior to the Accuphase C-2800 headphone out that he had owned. I know the quality of this headphone out from both this device and the C-3800. They are better than most headphone amps discussed here but unpopular most probably due to price and their primary function which is preamplifier. However, these are devices at the level where comparing headphones starts making sense. You can plug 600 ohm T1, 62 ohm Q701 or 32 ohm PS1000 to it and they will be all equally well served. I have impression that in this forum most of the time win headphones working well with tubes and the PS1000 is not the case. You can like what you hear but they don't show their full potential and the bass goes crazy or partly absent. I don't recommend this headphone from any other point of view than sound. There was many driver failures which I suppose was caused by overloading headphones with little mileage. They need thorough burn-in starting with low volumes to become more current-resistant and sounding good. Their construction leaves much to desire - unstable on the head (only the K1000 is worse here), heavy, the rods sometimes don't keep fixed positions due to no lock, and transducers falling off the headband sometimes, literally. This is why my friend bought the Edition 10 and is happy, conforming the same rules to obtain good sound that refer to the PS1000.


i have used my ps-1000 with the beta-22(no tubes).
i like the ps-1000 but in my opinion this grado have a serious problem with the low frequencies when the pot rises.
for the rest is like a hot woman
biggrin.gif

 
 

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