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Originally Posted by sling5s /img/forum/go_quote.gif
Can Jam HD800 impressions:
1. 701 family: I know some people will hate me but the HD800 had more in common and sounded more like a refined 701 than HD600 or HD650. More upper midrange and treble presence. It's got all details and clarity to die for but it's got no body and warmth to them. To me it lacked the upper bass that warms up the sound and gives all the details the body it needs to sound musical. (it maybe because my ears have been accustomed to ue11 and ah-d7000)
2. Bad on solid state: I didn't like them with any solid states. Even with the best I heard, apache, headroom's top of the line. They sounded thin, dry and even harsh at times. Again, lack the warmth and musicality.
3. Shines with tubes: I will say that they sounded great with tubes. I think tubes are a must for these. They need the upper bass, lower midrange increase that tubes give to make them sound warm and musical. I tried the raptor, b52 (which sounded really amazing) and woo's on them. I found myself liking them only with tube set ups.
Overall, I now wish I had tubes; always been a solid state man... now I may have to change or give up the hd800.
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Yes, I was disappointed at canjam. I would not have admitted than, but I was expecting an euphonic experience. I wanted the HD800 to blow me away with mind-blowing revelations.
To me at the Headroom/Senneheiser room, at Canjam, listening out of Headroom’s set up, the sound from the HD800 sounded thin and dry.
Yes, I did hear details, clarity and nuances that beat everything I ever heard, but I was too disappointed to enjoy it and appreciate then.
It was not until I heard the HD800 out of tube amps from woo audio and ray’s b52 did it begin to occur to me the rare and superior qualities of these headphones.
But again, because I knew I would go back home to my solid state Corda Symphony, and not to a tube amp that made these headphones so shine and sing, that I was even more let down.
So consequently, even though I knew it’s excellent qualities, my impressions and reviews were negatively colored.
Well now having had the HD800 for two days, I don’t know if it was because I got over the initial let down and just had to relax a bit; or because I was not demanding so much anymore for these headphones to be “the all perfect headphones”; or because I had to acclimate to a different kind of presentation;
or because the HD800 had to re-teach me how to listen after having listened to bass heavy phones like AH-D7000, UE11pro and HD650 and had to accept that these were bass recessed or neutral phones but things begin to happen.
I’m still adjusting to the bass presentation. With some music, not all, sometimes I feel like I’m in the same room with the midrange and treble, but the bass is coming from the next room. It’s all there but it’s more distant, more recessed than the midrange and treble. It’s more in the background and treble and midrange more in forefront. That’s the best way I can put it. But like I said, it’s not with all recordings and I am getting used to it.
Having spent some time with the HD800, I am becoming more and more impressed and I can even say, moments where I’m blown away. For example, in Diana Krall’s Live in Paris, “A Case of You”, with my AH-D7000, UE11pro and even from my memory of GS-1000, I heard all the little vocal qualities of her voice as she sang; but the HD800, you hear her breath coming out to the microphone before she begins to vocalize and sing. You hear the inhaling before she sings and breath into the microphone before the voice comes out.
That’s the difference. It’s pretty darn amazing.
I think what I find with the HD800 is that you will have two different kinds of groups. The first group will be like Jude and Tyll who loved it from the get go.
Then the second group will be like me who grew to love it. And honestly the reason I purchased it without hearing is because I really do trust their ears and opinions more than my own. I’m still new at this so I know that I will come to agree with them over time. In HD800 case, it proved to be true.
PS: I did purchase woo 6 to compliment my corda symphony. The HD800 sounds amazing with tubes.
