[vai-777]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Beagle /img/forum/go_quote.gif Wow. That is scary. That is even scarier..

name one better than Hysteria....just one.

 

[HeadphoneAddict]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jarmel /img/forum/go_quote.gif So you would say that the HD800's aren't being driven by the Balancing Act or it was just a different sound signature? I'm going to be highly annoyed if I pay more for the BA and it sounds worse than the ZD. A different sound signature is fine but if it's not being properly driven than that is another story altogether.

It was a different sound signature.

 

[IPodPJ]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Richter Di /img/forum/go_quote.gif Very interesting. Did you have a chance to listen to the Lehmann Black Cube Linear? Prof. Sennheiser claims that this is their favorite headphone amp. The also used them at their Europea press events. I know you have Jan Meier's Opera as I did. You wrote that you find this amp less convincing for the HD 800. Did you allready tried the HD 800 with the new Symphony from Jan Meier? I personally think the Symphony is a huge step coming from the Opera.

I did not try it with a Black Cube Linear. I didn't see one there.

I would not buy another Meier product because of many reasons, but mainly because the sound is slightly on the warmer side. However, I did talk to Meier about the Symphony and he said it is pointless that I upgrade to his newer amp since I already use my own DAC. So that tells me the amp section of both units are the same. And there have been too many problems reported with the Symphony, you can look at the threads and find out. And there were problems with the Opera, too. It seems like he rushes these units into production and leaves us consumers to become the beta testers.

 

[IPodPJ]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Fafner /img/forum/go_quote.gif Balanced out but no balanced input?

Correct. You can ask Donald himself to explain to you how this works. I don't understand the technical aspects of transformer windings.

 

[Oggranak]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Fafner /img/forum/go_quote.gif Unable to calculate how much it would cost, but I'd gladly pay up to 100-200$ to immediately have my headphones at their best.

I buy headphones for $100-$200 less and they come fully burned-in.

Buying used FTW.

 

[IPodPJ]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Fafner /img/forum/go_quote.gif Unable to calculate how much it would cost, but I'd gladly pay up to 100-200$ to immediately have my headphones at their best. I know some amp manufacturers let their products burn in before shipping, and the cost is included in the amp's price. Now, it's obvious that Sennheiser usually works with different product quantities, still...it could be done and would be a bonus for the product (at least for those who can understand the value of burn in). But it's not a rant against Sennheiser: I know no manufacturer which does this. Was thinking more about end users reviewing here, not about professional reviewers. I'm pretty sure manufacturers are intelligent enough to burn in their products before giving them to a professional reviewer. But I wouldn't underestimate the influence ppl posting on forums like this could have on potential buyers. Some simply don't believe in benefits of burn in, or don't know about it:they just get an headphone and "aaah, it's harsh, it's dry, it's unbalanced, will send it back". Even if there will ever be ppl who simply won't like the HD800, it's a matter of taste and applies to every headphone. From reports here, it looks like I'll really like them, and it looks like I luckily own one of the amps which seem to pair best with them. Now if only I could get mine. Silly that a german product is available in the USA before than in Europe (or in Germany, at least).

Sorry, if you don't like the sound signature of a headphone before burn-in, you will not like it after burn-in either. Burn-in does not magically transform a headphone into a different headphone. All the talk of the 300 hours for the K701/K702.... I burned my K702 in for 350 hours. It's still the same sound it was before, just a tiny bit smoother. Oh, don't tell me. I need 1200 hours on it, right?

Running them balanced is a totally different matter because that has to do with the way the amplifier is physically driving them, with more individual amps. This is a true improvement, and with the HD800 it is huge.

 

[IPodPJ]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Schrute /img/forum/go_quote.gif Has anyone heard these single ended on a HeadRoom amp? Didn't HR have an HD800 with an Ultra Desktop Amp/DAC at CanJam?

Yes. I listened on several of the HeadRoom amp/DAC combinations in single ended and balanced. I wasn't pleased with any of them. The DAC sounded very digital, edgy.

 

[foo_me]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jarmel /img/forum/go_quote.gif So you would say that the HD800's aren't being driven by the Balancing Act or it was just a different sound signature? I'm going to be highly annoyed if I pay more for the BA and it sounds worse than the ZD. A different sound signature is fine but if it's not being properly driven than that is another story altogether.

You're looking for a black and white answer in a grey world.
Hearing is so very subjective
I think the BA sounds better than the Zana...which is why I ordered it and sold my Zana.
I think it offers another level of performance above it.
That doesn't mean others can't feel differently, but I would be surprised if most people did not feel it was an improvement.

One thing about Craig's room in CJ, I believe it was the loudest and hardest to really get good impressions due to the large number of vendors, members, and the Smyth demo going on in there.

 

[IPodPJ]

Quote:

Originally Posted by bizkid /img/forum/go_quote.gif Hi Richter Di, i wouldnt overrate these amp choices. The way i see it, and i'm here since 2003 and have heard dozens of amps: Most people on head-fi are looking for coloration in their amplification, especially for headphones in the broad "neutral" category. So tube amps, amps with output transformers and balanced amps are very popular. I guess that Prof Sennheiser likes to listen to his headphone and not his amp, so he likes the Black Cube Linear. From most HD800 posts till now and earlier posts regarding headphones like the K701 or W5000 and especially the K1000, people are just looking for the biggest "wow" effect to mate their headphone with. This has nothing to do with how well controlled a headphone is. Just how much of a, for the particular listener, pleasent coloration it introduces to the audio signal so that it makes "click, thats it!" in the head of the listener. Thats a perfectly allright way to choose your amp but it just doesnt say anything about these amps quality. Sorry i couldnt help you any further but i would be surprised if the HD800 sounds much different on any of the uncolored solidstate amps (Black Cube, Symphony, Lake People G100, SPL Phonitor etc).

You're assuming wrong. You have not personally tried the HD800 on 40 different amps, so until you have it is not fair of you to say we are overrating the amp choices.

Have you heard the HD800 at all? If not, you shouldn't make assumptions.

 

[IPodPJ]

Quote:

Originally Posted by The Monkey /img/forum/go_quote.gif Why are people surprised that a headphone like the HD800 would be demanding with respect to upstream components? Why am I even bothering asking this?

Only because it is more so than any other headphone to come before it.

And it's not nearly so much the source as it is the amp. Wish you could have made it to CanJam.

 

[The Monkey]

Quote:

Originally Posted by IPodPJ /img/forum/go_quote.gif Only because it is more so than any other headphone to come before it.

Not sure I agree with you there, but then again I haven't heard it yet, so who am I to say? So I just had to order one.

Quote:

Wish you could have made it to CanJam.

You and me both. Sounds like you guys had a great time. I'm really glad it was a success.

 

[subtle]

Quote:

Originally Posted by The Monkey /img/forum/go_quote.gif Not sure I agree with you there, but then again I haven't heard it yet, so who am I to say? So I just had to order one.

Awesome and congrats!

Really looking forward to your input on how they stack up to what you've heard in the past. How soon might you receive them?

 

[atothex]

Quote:

Originally Posted by IPodPJ /img/forum/go_quote.gif You have not personally tried the HD800 on 40 different amps

Why would anyone bother trying it on some $200 POS? The number of amps that I would even consider with the HD800 is in the single digits.

 

[The Monkey]

Thursday, although the amp situation is in flux right now.

 

[Richter Di]

Quote:

Originally Posted by IPodPJ /img/forum/go_quote.gif I did not try it with a Black Cube Linear. I didn't see one there. I would not buy another Meier product because of many reasons, but mainly because the sound is slightly on the warmer side. However, I did talk to Meier about the Symphony and he said it is pointless that I upgrade to his newer amp since I already use my own DAC. So that tells me the amp section of both units are the same. And there have been too many problems reported with the Symphony, you can look at the threads and find out. And there were problems with the Opera, too. It seems like he rushes these units into production and leaves us consumers to become the beta testers.

Off topic: The Symphony is clearly very different to the Opera comparing the amplifier. Higher resolution, more authority, no warmth at all. To my knowledge there were only issues when using the digital coax input (not the optical input) and simultaneously high switching impulses happened in the house power system.