[.Sup]

Why no one mention the fostex th900. This looks like an interesting headphone according to the reviews.
And it looks much better than the hd800, with that "urushi paint".

Are the cups made of wood or plastic?

 

[extrabigmehdi]

Quote:

 
You mean apart from this being the HD800 thread, perhaps the bloated bass, recessed mids, lack of air, inferior imaging, less resolution, closed in presentation and poor isolation for a closed can?  I have no idea.  I'm going to go to a Porsche forum and ask them why they don't talk about Land Rovers. Bye guys.

Well I meant the hd800 was recently compared to  the LCD2, stax 009, He-6. I was surprised there was no mention of the TH900.
Just for a more exhaustive comparison with high end models. So obviously you didn't like the TH900.

 

[Anaxilus]

Quote:

So obviously you didn't like the TH900.

 
Actually it has it's charm but it's completely different.  There are a lot of TH900 comparisons out there, this just isn't the thread for it.  For me, if the bass were faster and less bloated, perhaps damped better.  Mids just a smidge more forward and some specific treble glare fixed it would be the best closed headphone you could buy on the market.  It may still actually be even w/ those issues. Not easy to make brilliant closed phones to compete w/ the big boys.

 

[Anaxilus]

Quote:

Are the cups made of wood or plastic?

 
They are wood.

 

[MorbidToaster]

To my ears I consider the 009 the evolution of the HD800. While soundstage shrunk somewhat I find the signatures pretty similar. I think the 009 is pretty much flat out better than the HD800 from the LL though. 
 
Before hearing the 009 I was never a fan of the stats I had heard mainly because they just didn't thump like a dynamic can. The 009s blew my mind when I felt that kick from a stat driver. I had to have them after a few days with them in my home. 
 
HD800: Huge soundstage (to a fault sometimes), great bass extension, tilted towards the high end.
009: Big soundstage, fantastic extension, tilted towards the high end (it actually sounded a bit brighter than the HD800 to me but for some reason it was much smoother if that makes sense). 
 
Both do mids really well, both have excellent positioning. 
 
They're both great, but to my ears the 009s are just better.
 
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I tend to find a lot of the disparity between HD800 and 009 impressions to be more indicative of quality of upstream components with the HD800 often coming out on the shorter end of that stick for obvious reasons.  I only know of 2-3 stat amps that can do justice to the 009 and the same is true for the HD800.  More people w/ 009s are usually in possession of one of those.  Not so much the HD800 owners.
 
There are some distinct differences between that Stax sound and a dynamic like the HD800 though.  One usually likes one better than the other based on that sonic 'flavor'.  I actually find Sennheiser stats to sound more like that dynamic flavor than Stax flavor and it's a sound I prefer.  One reason I don't have a 009 and am waiting to see if the Senn stat resurrection is real or fake.

 

[Anaxilus]

I agree w/ a substantial portion of that. ^  
 
Depending on situation, genre, track I can prefer one over the other though often the HD800 with my more ecclectic breadth of tastes on my rig.  I'd need to experience total domination to not feel I was performing a sidegrade at almost 4x's the cost.

 

[Maxvla]

Surprised to hear you describe the 009s as having thump when the 007 I brought to Austin last time are considered to be the most bassy of the stat phones out there. When I heard the 009 I felt they were extremely smooth and likeable but ultimately too polite and clinical. The closed in soundstage is also a deal breaker, but if everything else had been great I might have gone for them anyways.

The HD800 don't really thump persay, but their bass is truly primordial as if it comes from thin air with any hint of a 'start bass' type sound most other headphones exhibit. The 009 and 007 both feel like there is a bottom to the bass, but it is very low and better than most. This is a leading factor, imo, in people's sensation of one-note bass.

 

[Anaxilus]

The 007's bass is bassier to me in a bloomier, softer way.  The 009 is more impactful (thumpy?) and punchy when amped right.  I find the HD800 even more so.  It can get viceral/primordial as you say.  

 

[extrabigmehdi]

Quote:

HD800: Huge soundstage (to a fault sometimes), great bass extension, tilted towards the high end.
009: Big soundstage, fantastic extension, tilted towards the high end (it actually sounded a bit brighter than the HD800 to me but for some reason it was much smoother if that makes sense). 

 
Sometimes I'm wondering if the boosted treble is not intended, i.e so that it sounds more "audiophile" or "high end".
Or perhaps the headphone perform particularly well on treble, and the producer is afraid that we don't notice it.
Or it's about getting more treble for the buck

.
It works pretty well on classical music though.

 

[MorbidToaster]

See I wouldn't call it total domination vs the HD800 but it was noticeably better to my ears. To the point where switching back made me sad. 
 
Quote:

I agree w/ a substantial portion of that. ^  
 
Depending on situation, genre, track I can prefer one over the other though often the HD800 with my more ecclectic breadth of tastes on my rig.  I'd need to experience total domination to not feel I was performing a sidegrade at almost 4x's the cost.

 
I really didn't hear that. I don't know if it was the meet conditions or what but while the extension was fine they sounded thin (then again I was rolling with a LCD 2.2 and LF at that meet). 
 
Side bar. The most impressive part of the 009 for me is well recorded drums. I've posted it a few places (including this thread before I think) but the track that blew me away was Hey Jude. It might be Ringo but as far as 'what drums actually sound like' the 009 put the HD800 on blast.
 
Quote:

Surprised to hear you describe the 009s as having thump when the 007 I brought to Austin last time are considered to be the most bassy of the stat phones out there. When I heard the 009 I felt they were extremely smooth and likeable but ultimately too polite and clinical. The closed in soundstage is also a deal breaker, but if everything else had been great I might have gone for them anyways.
The HD800 don't really thump persay, but their bass is truly primordial as if it comes from thin air with any hint of a 'start bass' type sound most other headphones exhibit. The 009 and 007 both feel like there is a bottom to the bass, but it is very low and better than most. This is a leading factor, imo, in people's sensation of one-note bass.

 

[dallan]

Quote:

Why no one mention the fostex th900. This looks like an interesting headphone according to the reviews.
And it looks much better than the hd800, with that "urushi paint".

Urushi is a laquer treatment that is very time extensive.  I actually have a fountain pen i got about a year back, just loved the urushi treatment.  It is translucent looking, absolutely beautiful.  A silly buy actually, if i had known about the TH900 about to be released the money would have funded over a quarter of the cost.....
Here it is-
http://www.nibs.com/NakayaPortableAkaTamenuri.html
 
Pretty amazing that they thought to do such an intense treatment to a pair of headphone cups.  I do like the way they sound out of my Zana Deux but don't know if they overtake the HD800s for me.

 

[extrabigmehdi]

Quote:

Urushi is a laquer treatment that is very time extensive.  I actually have a fountain pen i got about a year back, just loved the urushi treatment.  It is translucent looking, absolutely beautiful.  A silly buy actually, if i had known about the TH900 about to be released the money would have funded over a quarter of the cost.....
Here it is-
http://www.nibs.com/NakayaPortableAkaTamenuri.html

 
It reminds me a fat model of Creeks 'n Creeks pens. I  loved it, but it was discontinued . The price is off course not the same (plastic).
 
Quote:

Pretty amazing that they thought to do such an intense treatment to a pair of headphone cups.  I do like the way they sound out of my Zana Deux but don't know if they overtake the HD800s for me.

 
There's an obvious problem with the HD800: there's no isolation. It's hard to enjoy the hd800 when there's some background noise.

 

[dallan]

Problem is the TH900s are not isolating either.  That is one reason i made a stop at the W3000anv to take over the isolation position from my Ed8 and DX1000 when it is noisy and the HD800 can not be used.  Of course with the way my system is set up i can't see anything topping the HD800 unless i came into a bunch of money and invested in a Blue Hawaiian amp and pair of electrostats.........and what percentage of improvement for that extra ten grand or so?

 

[rawrster]

Anax, I'm curious but what amps would you consider those that can do justice to the HD800?
 
on a side note I went to Michael's this afternoon and picked up materials for the mod to the HD800. Only a matter of time before I actually do the mod lol

 

[MorbidToaster]

LF. 
 
Quote:

Anax, I'm curious but what amps would you consider those that can do justice to the HD800?
 
on a side note I went to Michael's this afternoon and picked up materials for the mod to the HD800. Only a matter of time before I actually do the mod lol

 
Extra ten grand? Unless you're running without an amp it's a bit less
 
You should also consider that there's plenty of other good stat amp offerings for less. LL, Craig's new amp, Stax own stuff, Woo Audio, etc.
 
Quote:

Problem is the TH900s are not isolating either.  That is one reason i made a stop at the W3000anv to take over the isolation position from my Ed8 and DX1000 when it is noisy and the HD800 can not be used.  Of course with the way my system is set up i can't see anything topping the HD800 unless i came into a bunch of money and invested in a Blue Hawaiian amp and pair of electrostats.........and what percentage of improvement for that extra ten grand or so?