[LostChild1]

So, I swapped out the Sophia Princess today for the original 5AR4, which I've pretty much never even tried before, except for a few hours when I first got the amp.

I see what you guys were saying about it being bright, and the bass is very "hidden", so I find I have to turn it up louder than I want to get the amount of bass that I want (Which isn't a crazy amount. ) So, I figure maybe the change of rectifier will help bring things into place.

The Mullard will still have to wait a few weeks, so I hope this improves my situation a bit.

I was also wondering,HeadphoneAddict & K_19, around where do you keep the volume pot on your Woo when you're listening to the HD800s?

 

[K_19]

With most music I typically never go past the 9 o'clock range... sometimes 10 o'clock if the album is mastered in lower volume. Past that is WAY too loud for anything from my experience.  This is with WA6SE though and I do remember going a bit higher than that when I had my WA6... perhaps about an hour more IIRC (so 10 o'clock position usually I guess). Not sure if your PDPS version would be any different though since I only had the base WA6 at the time.

 

[HeadphoneAddict]

Quote:

So, I swapped out the Sophia Princess today for the original 5AR4, which I've pretty much never even tried before, except for a few hours when I first got the amp.

I see what you guys were saying about it being bright, and the bass is very "hidden", so I find I have to turn it up louder than I want to get the amount of bass that I want (Which isn't a crazy amount. ) So, I figure maybe the change of rectifier will help bring things into place.

The Mullard will still have to wait a few weeks, so I hope this improves my situation a bit.

I was also wondering,HeadphoneAddict & K_19, around where do you keep the volume pot on your Woo when you're listening to the HD800s?

Well, I tend to put the volume at 3 o'clock and control everything with the Apogee mini-DAC volume, which I usually don't take past 12 o'clock.  But if the Apogee were at max, then usually it would be between 10-11 o'clock on the WA6.

 

[Phasey]

Quote:

Oh, and I nearly forgot to mention, the attention to detail just in packaging was incredible. The velvet, the serial number etched into the headband of the phones themselves, the manual was beautiful too. They just exude quality!

 
Remember to register and request the individual frequency response certificate from Sennheiser. 

 

[LostChild1]

 
Remember to register and request the individual frequency response certificate from Sennheiser. 

Did it the day I bought them. And I'm curious to see what it looks like in the low end, because even without the Sophia Princess, there really isn't any bass to speak of coming from them... This might just be a characteristic of the headphones, but it's not something I like at this point. I'm working hard to burn them in ASAP to see if it evens out, but if it stays this way, I might see myself selling them sooner rather than later (I kept the 650s for two years or so.)

I'm jumping from Genre to Genre, looking for where they fit best. Still keeping my mind open, and will still be trying that Mullard before I even think about selling them. And again, I think I'm getting ahead of myself, and should just watch and see how they settle.

 

[Audio-Omega]

Is the stock cable made of copper ?  I like silver because it has a bit more detail with tighter bass, and music resonates slightly better.

 

[Char]

Quote:

Is the stock cable made of copper ?  I like silver because it has a bit more detail with tighter bass, and music resonates slightly better.

According to Sennheiser the cable is silver-plated, oxygen free (OFC), copper cable, symmetrical, and Kevlar reinforced.
 
Thus I guess it is made of copper with silver coating?

 

[Shahrose]

Quote:

According to Sennheiser the cable is silver-plated, oxygen free (OFC), copper cable, symmetrical, and Kevlar reinforced.
 
Thus I guess it is made of copper with silver coating?

Yes, SPC.
 

 

[Mambosenior]

Quote:
“...there really isn't any bass to speak of coming from them...”

.
 
 
Only my two cents, OK?
 
The Woo 6 is a very fine amp, but not for the HD-800. You need more power, so burn-in is not going to get you closer to experiencing the optimum sound of this 'phone. Since you seem to like tubes, try the Woo 2 (at least) or 5LE. If too much money for your wallet, then Darkvoice 337 or LaFigaro 339. There are other choices, of course, if you went with an SS amp.
 
You'll regret selling the HD-800 without trying it with, at least, one of the above.
 
Best regards.


 
 

 

[grokit]

THe WA2 sounds a lot like my WA22, very nice with the HD800.

 

[donlin]

Quote:

 
The Graham Slee Solo Ultra Linear is excellent with the 800's and really helps with the bass.  Not very popular on Head Fi, but a great SS amp and my current favorite.
 

 

 

[skeptic]

My HD800's landed on Thursday, and I am simply loving them paired with my diy Bottlehead Crack.  Picking up on HPA's comments regarding tubes, I rolled in a Bugle Boy 12au7 (Holland made), in place of the RCA clear top I had been using with my HD650's, to take a tiny bit of brightness out of the top end.  For me, this wasn't so much about taming trebles as it was about finding a tube complement that would best facilitate the HD800's reproduction of the timbre and texture of treble instruments (violins in particular) when critically listening to a couple of my benchmark classical recordings.  The Bugle Boy had just the desired effect in my setup.  With a Tungsol 5998 in the rear, this has turned out to be a marvelous combo that I am sure I will love for years to come (particularly once I find the time to complete my mods/upgrades to the Crack).  
 
In any event, based on my experience (and ears), it certainly doesn't take a WA5 to make the HD800's shine - although I will note that this was my favorite combo at LA CanJam.  If you have an extra 3-5k sitting around, there is something simply magical about the way the Woo's 300b tubes interacted with the HD800's, capitalizing on their amazing low level resolution and incredible sound stage, to create one of the most immersive listening experiences I can recall.

 

[complex]

Quote:

there is something simply magical about the way the Woo's 300b tubes interacted with the HD800's, capitalizing on their amazing low level resolution and incredible sound stage, to create one of the most immersive listening experiences I can recall.

This is nice to hear since I have a WA5 on the way (replacing the WA2 I have now).
 
I would also recommend a good hardware EQ for anyone who wants more bass impact out of the HD 800. They are absolutely capable of deep, powerful bass (while still being extremely accurate). I recently bought a Behringer DEQ2496 and it has been pretty awesome.

 

[TheManko]

I've had my HD 800s for almost a year now and I'm very happy with them. I also own the Beyerdynamic T1s and I go back and forth every 2-3 weeks or so between them as my mood seems to change. Every time I switch between them I'm convinced that they're the best until I switch back again.
 
They're obviously different where the HD 800s feel technically superior in design as they remove the headphone chassi from the equation better and don't muddy upp the soundstage and overall sound less congested than the T1s. Also the HD 800 have a much bigger sound (thanks to the bigger drivers?) and have better deep bass. Also the comfort of the HD 800s is much better as I feel that the earpads are too close to my ears with the T1s. I feel the same thing with the DT 990s as well while the HD 800s keep the pads well away from the ears. The HD 800s are probably the most comfortable headphone I've ever worn and I have a big head since I use them with the biggest size setting. I do that with almost all headphones like the 701s and the Beyerdynamic T1s on 8/9 notches.
 
The T1s however do despite having a more congested presentation seem to have more detailed treble and really shine when playing electronic guitars. Their presentation overall work better with a wide variety of music while the HD 800s are clearly the best with some music but sound more dull than the T1s with other. Every time I move to the T1s I want to buy a Woo Audio 6 to really maximize their sound potential and style and when I move to the HD 800s I want to balance them and buy an Audio GD Phoenix and maybe the Audio GD Reference 7.1 DAC as well to maximize their more technical superiority as well. I feel it's inevitable that I get both setups since I can afford them if I just save for a bit. The only question is what I get first!

 

[Subsequence]

I just bought the HD800 or so i thought, i came home and the box was empty 

Luckily the store owned up and said it was an inventory mistake and offered to bring over the demo model and order a new one for me and exchange it when it comes in. Good damage control but still holy *%$@ that gave me a good scare 

 
I remember thinking when i carried it hmm pretty light box but hey i guess it's bad luck....