[ac500]

All I'm gonna say is the HD800 vs AD2000 is NO comparison in terms of technical quality. The only reason anyone would prefer the AD2000 would be due to sound signature/coloration. IMO the HD800 is just stunning for acoustic (and pretty much anything else). The AD2000 was very good, with technical quality about the same level of the HD650 IMO, but a distinctly different sound signature obviously. The HD650 has a midbass hump which the AD2000 does not have.

In terms of impact, I find the HD800 to have much more bass impact than the AD2000. The HD800 has always impressed me with its bass impact even vs. the HD650 (therefore even more vs. the AD2000), but I typically define bass impact in the sub-bass range. If you like midbass, go for the HD650 -- the AD2000 is great for mids but lacks midbass vs the HD650. If you like flat with a touch of treble, go for the HD800. The AD2000 as I see it is a sort of hybrid between the HD800 and HD650 except that it lacks sub-bass and lacks the detail of the HD800 by a huge margin (again, the AD2000 is about on par with the HD650 in terms of detail, no more).
 
If I was to chart the sound signatures vs. my ear's interpretation of "flat", I'd put the HD800 at dead neutral except a few dbs more treble, and the AD2000 at neutral but lacking some deep bass (20-40hz) and just slightly less upper treble than what would be optimal.

 

[sphinxvc]

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I actually think the Audezes just have cleaner performance in the low to sub bass regions (when they operate optimally).  You can see the the distortion climb on the 800's around 100hz and below.  I just have a fetish for kick drums.  =P  Hearing kick drums more prominently is one thing, hearing the textured detail of how the beater strikes the skin is another matter altogether.  But in this case I think we are both right objectively and subjectively.

Precisely how I feel.

 

[ZenErik]

I don't think anyone would argue that the AD2000 is technically better or even technically on par with the HD800. But it does have a very pleasing sound signature for certain styles of music. I find the HD800 much more versatile. It's not even close. Regardless of its' weak technical merits, the AD2000 is an enjoyable listen for me.
 
I am still mulling over options to compliment the HD800 with a more "fun" sound for trance, j-pop, etc. The ATH-W1000X and ATH-W3000ANV both interest me a bit. Denon's headphones interest me. I've heard that they have fantastic bass but not necessarily a lot of impact. Hmm.
 
My HeadAmp GS-1 will not be here until next Wednesday. Won't be able to use my HD800 until then. No 1/4" to 1/8" adapter to even try them un-amped.

 

[akwok]

If possible, could you go into detail as to what's required to make that stand?  Would love to make one since it's exactly like the Woo Audio stand, but probably cheaper and definitely a lot more ergonomic due to the potential cable hangers.
 
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I'm using an Ikea Hack one and its working well. 

 

 

[Questhate]

 
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If possible, could you go into detail as to what's required to make that stand?  Would love to make one since it's exactly like the Woo Audio stand, but probably cheaper and definitely a lot more ergonomic due to the potential cable hangers.

Sure. I actually used this tutorial here; http://www.head-fi.org/t/249671/the-diy-headphone-stand-thread/360#post_5596818
 
I think materials ended up costing about $35 to $40 per stand. And you have to have a drill to make a hole in the brackets. Add about 10 bucks to the total cost if you don't already have the correct drill bit size. In the end, you may not even save much money but it's not a bad way to spend an afternoon. 
 
If you have any questions, feel free to PM me. Good luck. 
 
 

 

[ImperialX]

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I am still mulling over options to compliment the HD800 with a more "fun" sound for trance, j-pop, etc.

Personally I don't like how my HD800 sound with most of the ARIA OST, be it vocals or instrumentals. Or the piano pieces for that matter. It's not really the HD800's fault but the fact that they were poorly recorded. A shame, really.

 

[maverickronin]

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Personally I don't like how my HD800 sound with most of the ARIA OST, be it vocals or instrumentals. Or the piano pieces for that matter. It's not really the HD800's fault but the fact that they were poorly recorded. A shame, really.

The HD800s almost seem designed to exaggerate, rather than merely present, flaws present in the source.

 

[ImperialX]

 
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The HD800s almost seem designed to exaggerate, rather than merely present, flaws present in the source.

I don't think it's exaggerated. Most Japanese music, especially in the anime sector are not recorded in expensive studios. I believe that most headphones are just not as accurate as the HD800, and the money necessary to remove these defects are not worth it to the producers in most cases, since most headphones can't hear them...

 

[maverickronin]

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I don't think it's exaggerated. Most Japanese music, especially in the anime sector are not recorded in expensive studios. I believe that most headphones are just not as accurate as the HD800, and the money necessary to remove these defects are not worth it to the producers in most cases, since most headphones can't hear them...

I listen to some of that stuff too so I know what you're talking about but its more than just the HD800 being a good headphone.  It's got a peak around 6Khz that emphasizes those kind of flaws and not just because it has a real clean decay that lets you hear lots of detail. 
 
Get a parametric equalizer and try adding 9dB at 6kHz with a half octave bandwidth to your =863&graphID[1]=563&graphID[2]=&graphID[3]=&graphType=0&buttonSelection=Compare+Headphones]HD555 or take away the same from your HD800 and see what they sound like with the same recordings.  You can make nearly anything sound more "detailed" and "revealing or poor source material" that way.

 

[zeroakuma]

Hm...I'm just warming up to my T1, but I believe that my amp is the main problem. I wanted something affordable, so I bought the NuForce Icon HDP. It pairs well with the D7000 and the T1 goes well with it for gaming, but it feels to me that something is missing.
 
I thought I should have traded it for the HD800, but I think the first step is to upgrade my desktop amp.
 

 

[ImperialX]

 
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Get a parametric equalizer and try adding 9dB at 6kHz with a half octave bandwidth to your HD555 or take away the same from your HD800 and see what they sound like with the same recordings.  You can make nearly anything sound more "detailed" and "revealing or poor source material" that way.

I would if I had one.

 

[maverickronin]

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I would if I had one.

I have no clue how to use this on a Mac but there are plenty of free ones.

 

[ImperialX]

 
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I have no clue how to use this on a Mac but there are plenty of free ones.

I might install Windows and try it out. This is somewhat interesting, but I wish there was a native one that's free.

 

[Anaxilus]

Well, not all flaws and detail reside at 6khz.  But certainly those that do will be accentuated giving false detail as Mav said.  I consider many other phones to be falsely detailed more so than the HD800 since detail flows in spades all over the spectrum.  If we want to play Eq games, try rolling off the bass response on most phones and hear the details flow.  Many phones come like this out of the box.  

 I'll take the 6khz peak over the absence of low end.

 

[purrin]

Over-sharpened but with extremely good resolution > over-sharpened low resolution.