[Drumonron]

The HD800...these things are a time machine....I put them on and I lose time...all track of time. I mean, they bring me into the music performance like no other headphone ever did. I'm hearing the acoustics of where the music was recorded, details and resolution to levels I never experienced before or thought possible. These are the best headphones I own, I know this for sure. You know how?...after listening to the hd800s I tried the 650s and gs1k and they now sound so different...so much less than I thought they were-they all sound substandard against the hd800.....never heard the R10s or the electrostatics and probably won't so I think I found IT....I reached the mountaintop and can only throw my jaw open and gasp at what Sennheiser Developers/engineers have done for me...I'm getting emotions from the music that I've never felt before....like that feeling you get when you attend a concert and listen and then feel the performers heart in their performance...impressive, very impressive.

 

[tangerine]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Drumonron /img/forum/go_quote.gif The HD800...these things are a time machine....I put them on and I lose time...all track of time. I mean, they bring me into the music performance like no other headphone ever did. I'm hearing the acoustics of where the music was recorded, details and resolution to levels I never experienced before or thought possible. These are the best headphones I own, I know this for sure. You know how?...after listening to the hd800s I tried the 650s and gs1k and they now sound so different...so much less than I thought they were-they all sound substandard against the hd800.....never heard the R10s or the electrostatics and probably won't so I think I found IT....I reached the mountaintop and can only throw my jaw open and gasp at what Sennheiser Developers/engineers have done for me...I'm getting emotions from the music that I've never felt before....like that feeling you get when you attend a concert and listen and then feel the performers heart in their performance...impressive, very impressive.

Are you sure you got the SENNHEISER HD-800 headphone

 

[donlin]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Drumonron /img/forum/go_quote.gif The HD800...these things are a time machine....I put them on and I lose time...all track of time. I mean, they bring me into the music performance like no other headphone ever did. I'm hearing the acoustics of where the music was recorded, details and resolution to levels I never experienced before or thought possible. These are the best headphones I own, I know this for sure. You know how?...after listening to the hd800s I tried the 650s and gs1k and they now sound so different...so much less than I thought they were-they all sound substandard against the hd800.....never heard the R10s or the electrostatics and probably won't so I think I found IT....I reached the mountaintop and can only throw my jaw open and gasp at what Sennheiser Developers/engineers have done for me...I'm getting emotions from the music that I've never felt before....like that feeling you get when you attend a concert and listen and then feel the performers heart in their performance...impressive, very impressive.

I would have to agree. The others really sound weak in comparison.

 

[subtle]

Quote:

Originally Posted by IPodPJ /img/forum/go_quote.gif But the real question is....... is that cable worth $1400? How much better do you believe it might be in comparison to, oh, let's say a $400-$500 cable?

I don't even have to hear it to know the answer to that question is a definitive NO. The gall of SAA having an asking price for a cable equivalent to the cost of the headphone itself is a complete joke. For that sheer fact alone, were I considering an aftermarket cable for my HD800, I would give Apuresound my business. I will never own an SAA product.

 

[robm321]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Drumonron /img/forum/go_quote.gif The HD800...these things are a time machine....I put them on and I lose time...all track of time. I mean, they bring me into the music performance like no other headphone ever did. I'm hearing the acoustics of where the music was recorded, details and resolution to levels I never experienced before or thought possible. These are the best headphones I own, I know this for sure. You know how?...after listening to the hd800s I tried the 650s and gs1k and they now sound so different...so much less than I thought they were-they all sound substandard against the hd800.....never heard the R10s or the electrostatics and probably won't so I think I found IT....I reached the mountaintop and can only throw my jaw open and gasp at what Sennheiser Developers/engineers have done for me...I'm getting emotions from the music that I've never felt before....like that feeling you get when you attend a concert and listen and then feel the performers heart in their performance...impressive, very impressive.

Sounds like someone had an eargasm.

 

[Drumonron]

Quote:

Originally Posted by tangerine /img/forum/go_quote.gif Are you sure you got the SENNHEISER HD-800 headphone

Let's see, yup, it's the Sennheiser HD800...sn 000459. Why? Where are you going with this?

 

[Godziltw]

Just ordered my HD800. Can't wait to put it on my head

 

[IPodPJ]

He's trying to say he doesn't like them. I understand his reservations if he heard it on poorly matched gear. I had the same initial reaction. But after you've heard them on well matched gear your other headphones pretty much become doorstops. At least mine did.

 

[mbd2884]

Quote:

Originally Posted by IPodPJ /img/forum/go_quote.gif He's trying to say he doesn't like them. I understand his reservations if he heard it on poorly matched gear. I had the same initial reaction. But after you've heard them on well matched gear your other headphones pretty much become doorstops. At least mine did.

Definitely. It's amazing to see how your posts progressed from saying HD800 were disappointing and what not. And now just overjoyed and content with them.

 

[The Monkey]

How do you know that's what he's saying?

 

[IPodPJ]

Because it's obvious. It was a sarcastic reply to someone saying the headphones are the best ever. Surely you know this and you're just trying to be difficult.

But we'll wait and see what his response is so it clarifies it.

 

[The Monkey]

Quote:

Originally Posted by IPodPJ /img/forum/go_quote.gif Because it's obvious. It was a sarcastic reply to someone saying the headphones are the best ever. Surely you know this and you're just trying to be difficult. But we'll wait and see what his response is so it clarifies it.

I'm actually not trying to be difficult; I think the post is difficult to understand. I also think that if you're correct, then it is incredibly hypocritical of that poster to criticize someone else for waxing rhapsodic about gear given some of the posts of his that I have seen in the silvercore thread.

 

[IPodPJ]

I haven't read much of the Silvercore thread, but they sure are beautiful amps aren't they?

 

[gordie]

Canman, you hit the nail on the head.

I picked up a Benchmark DAC USB today, and it is a great match with the Sennheiser 800s. My reservations about the bass are eradicated after hearing the Senns through the Benchmark - the bass is clean and tight. Still warm, but definitely not too warm as I stated above, they are sounding fantastic. Will listen through a bevy of other amps soon as well, but clearly I can see what these are capable of with the Benchmark, and they are extremely impressive.

You were right it wasn't fair to compare without having the right equipment in the chain. I'm quite relieved that's what it was, as I thought either I was crazy, everyone else was, or I was getting punk'd. With this amp it is fair to compare

and the 800s are faring quite well!

Quote:

Originally Posted by Canman /img/forum/go_quote.gif @ gordie: The dynamic amps in your sig are VERY warm sounding. Just wonder if that makes it unfair to compare the HD800 to K1000 and Stax. The Earmax is classic tubey syrup, the Headroom micro is round and warm. The Grado HPA-1 is more neutral but lacks detail and dynamics. It is designed specifically for low impedance headphones...I remember it sounding less than stellar with an HD600.

 

[feifan]

I've been listening to the HD800 for the last 3 hours or so, and out of the box, I'm impressed. The lineup I'm using is computer as source, coaxial to the HRD-Ultra (with DPS). I have the gain at medium, and the volume at 4 o'clock. With my other cans, it's usually at 1:00 or 2:00.

(Correction 6.13.09: The volume setting on the HRD-Ultra is at 12:30 instead of 4 o'clock as stated earlier. When I originally posted, I had been listening with the source volume far short of max and therefore had to crank up the volume on the amp.)

In the SQ, nothing sticks out as irritating or somehow wrong so there's absolutely no fatigue after 3 hours. The fit and comfort is perfect from the get-go. No need to constantly adjust. I've been listening to my favorite music and haven't had a moment when I felt the need to turn to another lineup for comparison. This tells me that the sound that's reaching me isn't wanting.

Trying to put my finger on what it is about the HD800, two thoughts come to me. One is accuracy. Like no other cans I've heard, it allows a clear "view" into all the elements that make up the sound. And this clarity extends into the bass, allowing me to "peer" into it to hear it with absolutely no coloring. Thus, the bass can be soft yet clear, well-defined, and powerful. In other words, the HD800 makes me realize that the bass doesn't have to dominate with volume to be there. It can be just as dynamic when it's relatively quiet. For the first time, I could actually feel my wooden desktop vibrate from the bass as it passed through my arm to the desk. Yet the bass was relatively quiet in terms of volume. The HD800 seems able to tap into the multiple dimensions of bass, and it delivers energy through more than just volume. I think I'm seeing the complexity of bass for the first time.

The second thought is dimensionality. The HD800 is truly 3-dimensional in representing sound. The different elements are separated and defined in all 3 dimensions so each is uniquely positioned and pinpointed by the ear. But what's crazy is that the dimensions shift and the elements move according to the demands of each passage, creating a very real sense of a dynamic stage.

With the HD800, I don't find myself wondering if my other cans or lineups are better. It's like being prepared to experiment with different arrangements, but once you sit down to listen, you don't change anything and just end up enjoying the music.

So how good is the HD800? It's not so much what's good as what's not bad. I think head-fiers are fine-tuned to hear problems in SQ. With the HD800, I simply don't hear any problems. How good is that? In my book, nothing has come this close to being problem-free.

Re the HR Desktop Ultra -- I think the HD800 brings out the strengths of this amp that other cans just haven't been able to.

Re the brightness that some have mentioned -- I think it's more a function of accuracy than coloration. We're just not used to having the mids detailed so accurately. The result is that the HD800 makes your music come alive in ways that are unexpected. It's as though you hearing all the nuances for the first time.