[Gamerphile]

Without have read my electronic issue yet I would say that thought they seem not to be as much experts on this stuff as many of us would like they do put alot more efford and spec tests within their tests than most if not all others I've seen in magazines etc. Also yeah - we would all like the speaker 90 some procentage of the audiophile communities in total to open their eyes to use of headphone for audiophilia but we should just be glad for what we get. We need to be a lot more organised for more to happen and then still alot of them simply won't believe us: Snake-oil, overpriced components & stubborn old men are just all the more commen there to put it on an edge

Think about it: We don't have the room problem, we have many times more younger members and such... its a hole other gulf couse.

 

[jude]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Beagle /img/forum/go_quote.gif Wes Phillips gave a Sennheiser a great review? Wow, what a surprise Totally predictable. Wonder how much he got paid for it by certain advertisers?

Sorry, Beagle, but this is absurd. I don't think Sennheiser is a big advertiser on Stereophile. (I haven't looked at my back-issues to see how regularly they come up, but I don't recall too many big Sennheiser ads.) Also, many feel it's a great headphone, so it's not like Wes' review says anything that hasn't been said by many others--it is also, in my opinion, an even-handed review, and I'm wondering if you even read it.

This issue's equipment reports cover products by these manufacturers:

1. Boulder
2. Grado
3. Avantgarde
4. Nucore
5. Sennheiser
6. Audio Valve

Equipment follow-ups in this issue include gear by:

1. AKG
2. Cardas
3. Audio Valve
4. Ayre

Of those, only Ayre and Boulder have advertised in this issue.

Also, Stereophile, whether you like it or not, reviews positively many products that I don't recall ever seeing ads for. (I do enjoy my Stereophile subscription a great deal, and have for many years.)

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jeff Wong /img/forum/go_quote.gif I feel like this comment is really unwarranted and unfounded; Stereophile takes a lot of bashing with regard to being in the pocket of advertisers on the Internet, but, they go out of their way to be ethical--people should be so lucky to have guys with the integrity of John Atkinson around. I know Wes and John personally, so you can feel free to dismiss my thoughts on this as being prejudiced, but, it bothers me to see these falsehoods perpetuated.

Agreed.

Quote:

Originally Posted by The Monkey /img/forum/go_quote.gif ....As far as I can tell, Wes has been a friend to Head-Fi, and he has generally championed headphones to an audience much of which dismisses them.

Agreed.

 

[LAMark]

Quote:

Originally Posted by k3oxkjo /img/forum/go_quote.gif If the UPS guy repossessed my HD-800 (what was up with that?), I'd live.

But he wouldn't, at least in my case...

 

[kelvinz]

I don't think I've ever really read a negative review in Stereophile everything sounds good to them.

 

[Mudshark]

Any one else got love for the RSA XP-7 with the Senn HD800's?

Connected to my XP-7 with matching DPS and AD-797 op amps, the HD800's sound fast, detailed and neutral, with heart-racing PRaT, full-extension deep bass, joyous mids, and crystal-clear but non-shrill highs. Sources include:

Squeezebox v3 > Quad 99 CDP-2 > Quad 99 Pre > XP-7

Rega Planar 25 w/Dynavector DV-20XH > Quad 99 Pre > XP-7

Sony SCD-C222ES > Quad 99 Pre > XP-7

As far as gain goes, on most recordings I cannot turn the volume past 12 O'clock without causing eardrum pain. Perhaps even more impressive to me is that the HD-800's sound stupendous with the XP-7 even at very low volume settings (@ 7 to 9 O'clock).

I have yet to try my XP-7 on battery power with the Senns. Using batteries could lower the XP-7's already-low noise floor, but my guess is that it would not be worth the anticipated loss in slam. (Time to charge up the batteries and check it out!)

I also plan to connect my Esoteric DV-60 Universal Player directly to the XP-7 and see how it all sounds with the HD800's. I am waiting to do this, though, until I am sure the cans are fully broken in.

 

[IPodPJ]

Quote:

Originally Posted by greggf /img/forum/go_quote.gif Editor Atkinson measures them, and says that, "The HD800 will therefore be very easy to drive," and that the iPod will make them plenty loud for any sane person.

Well then he's not too bright. The iPod only has a 1/8" input and the HD800 have a 1/4" plug. Using the stock HD800 with an iPod is not an option.

 

[AudioDwebe]

Quote:

Originally Posted by kelvinz /img/forum/go_quote.gif I don't think I've ever really read a negative review in Stereophile everything sounds good to them.

They generally don't come right out and say a product sucks. They voice it more like, "...for the money, there are better products available."

 

[woof37]

Quote:

Originally Posted by kelvinz /img/forum/go_quote.gif I don't think I've ever really read a negative review in Stereophile everything sounds good to them.

My one major frustration with them is the fact that everything that's not megabucks is a relative bargain. "It sounds almost as good as anything two or three times the price". And I mean everything. What exactly have they thought is as good as it costs? Those types of techniques really subtract from their credibility imho.

 

[AlanY]

The written reviews in Stereophile need to be carefully parsed, but I really like the measurements and the associated discussion. JA isn't usually afraid to mention when a product measures poorly. There have been plenty of expensive products, often sold by advertisers, that have been thrashed in measurements (the McIntosh music server comes to mind as one example).

Stereophile is generally worth buying. I thought the comparison of jitter measurements for various USB-to-SPDIF converters last month was pretty exceptional.

 

[XXII]

Quote:

Originally Posted by kelvinz /img/forum/go_quote.gif I don't think I've ever really read a negative review in Stereophile everything sounds good to them.

x2 Actually I think this is a problem in general with audiophile reviews. You can't make an informed decision if EVERYTHING is rated highly. You see this phenomenon a lot with some reviewers on HF as well.

 

[fallsroad]

Quote:

Originally Posted by kelvinz /img/forum/go_quote.gif I don't think I've ever really read a negative review in Stereophile everything sounds good to them.

Years ago they savaged a speaker (not sub, but speaker) from Velodyne. Velodyne pulled all their advertising and stopped sending them products for review. I don't know if that situation has changed.

As others have said, they generally don't publish outright negative reviews any longer, choosing to use less loaded language and saying "there are better products out there for the price". JA, OTOH, will take his measurements and if they suck, he'll say so. He was quite critical in his follow up measurements of the Eminent Technology EMT-16, which John Marks had highly praised.

If you apply a critical eye to the reviews and get past some of the overwrought prose, you can usually ascertain the basic sonic signature of a given piece of gear. It can be a lot to wade through, though.

 

[kool bubba ice]

Quote:

Originally Posted by jude /img/forum/go_quote.gif Sorry, Beagle, but this is absurd. I don't think Sennheiser is a big advertiser on Stereophile. (I haven't looked at my back-issues to see how regularly they come up, but I don't recall too many big Sennheiser ads.) Also, many feel it's a great headphone, so it's not like Wes' review says anything that hasn't been said by many others--it is also, in my opinion, an even-handed review, and I'm wondering if you even read it. This issue's equipment reports cover products by these manufacturers: Boulder Grado Avantgarde Nucore Sennheiser Audio Valve Equipment follow-ups in this issue include gear by: AKG Cardas Audio Valve Ayre Of those, only Ayre and Boulder have advertised in this issue. Also, Stereophile, whether you like it or not, reviews positively many products that I don't recall ever seeing ads for. (I do enjoy my Stereophile subscription a great deal, and have for many years.) Agreed. Agreed.

The HD800 seem like the real deal. A lot of experienced head fiers seem to be amazed by them.

 

[kool bubba ice]

Quote:

Originally Posted by k3oxkjo /img/forum/go_quote.gif I have only had my HD-800's for 3 days and I don't really like to shoot from the hip, but I will say that that so far the phones that come to mind are my few days with a pair of Sony R-10 (long story). Keep in mind that I have almost no experience with the Orpheus (a few mins at a show), or with any of the modern hi-end Stax, modded hi-end Denons or other hi-end Sony's etc. I did have a pair of K-1000 (another long story) for a few weeks and owned HP-1000 and Stax Lambdas w/ss amp. And a bunch more of the "usual suspects" (K-340, DT-990, HP-1, 7506, HD-414 etc etc...) FWIW. I do think they are better than the DT-48. They are dimensionally more open, have better detail (true detail, not brightness-related), harmonic beauty and general sonic impact. The treble is brighter than my older DT-48, but about the same in overall balance as my new ones. The bass is better on the HD-800, as far as the mids... well lets just say there are no losers in this contest! This has not dimmed my respect for the DT-48 at all, in fact it has raised it! Consider that they can be bought new for about 25% of the HD-800 and are easier to drive. The fact is that they are not disgraced in this comparison. If the UPS guy repossessed my HD-800 (what was up with that?), I'd live. But I can live better with them, so far.

The HD800 should be better then the DT48. I'm not suprised. Fair analysis. I'm hoping for more DT48/HD800 comparisons to see how much headphone technology has improved since 1937. Just makes me want the HD800 even more. The DT48 already had a disadvantage going in since they are closed.

 

[tohenk2]

Well - after a long session (some 4 hours) at Qables I bought me a HD800. I listened to it on a few different amps and alongside some familiar headphones. (Including my own AT L3000). The source was in all cases a Naim CDP*. This one sold itself.

And now I have to wait because this particular HD800 was not for sale ...
BTW Coupling to the Lehman Audio Black Cube Amp worked best for me - haven't bought that (yet . After that amp came the AT-HA5000 and a Naim.
The Phonitor SPL closed the parade - it worked better for the Ultrasone 8, but I still liked the HD800 much more and besides, I was looking for an open headphone. Once I decided I didn't like a particular combo I did not listen any further to it - so I ended up with quite a bit of time on the Lehman and the HD800 until other listeners came in (another Head-fi-er, nice meeting you!)

* Well... I also listened to one other transport with the AT-HA5000 and the HD800. Still lovely.

 

[k3oxkjo]

Quote:

Originally Posted by IPodPJ /img/forum/go_quote.gif Well then he's not too bright. The iPod only has a 1/8" input and the HD800 have a 1/4" plug. Using the stock HD800 with an iPod is not an option.

I must not be too bright (fill in your favorite affirmation here) then, I am using my HD-800 with a Zune. In fact, I was listening to them on the train on the way home tonight, so I guess it MUST be an option. My plan is to get a portable amp, but until then...