[YoengJyh]

No need to mess around, just get the HD800. 
 
You will love it. The performance could be scaled far from what u know later after you upgrade your amp. Better than you buy HE500 + Hi-end amp...
 
You won't regret.
 
Enjoy~
 
Edit: Draygonn is selling his HD800. Grab it fast!

 

[anetode]

Quote:

i have a simple querry... i have a budget of about 2k$ which would also include shipping etc..... should i buy something like hd800 with would only leave me a small amount for amp and dac combo, something like o2/odac combo or audio-gd nfb 11.32... or should i go with a lesser headphone like he500 and buy a powerful amp like schiit lyr and a dac etc.... which should i choose? i am interested in music with a lot of flute and violin with these... i have plenty of fun headphones for other purposes... o2/odac are known as good entry level equipment which is very neutral but i doubt that it will mask the brightness of hd800's detailed treble... and also that they are okay with hd800 if not good...

 
Both are very good headphones though I would prefer the HD800 for listening to acoustic instrumentation. Don't worry too much about the amp/dac, you can find something for the remaining 500-900$ which would work quite well.

 

[Instrumental]

I listened to "Kid A" on my HD800s for the first time and it was like a completely different experience. I've listened to that album countless times before but I was still in awe with it. The detail and staging was phenomenal especially. Idioteque was probably the most impactful in that regard. I can't wait until I get my new DAC and WA22 so that I can experience the effects from those on the music.

 

[Tassie Devil]

Question for all the knowlegable HD800 buffs here (and please forgive me if it has been asked before as I could not find it) on IMPEDANCE MATCHING.
 
I've just purchased a M2Tech Vaughan and have balanced Warren leads connected into the XLR out - nominally 600 ohms. To these ears the sound is superb & described in another thread.
 
But another headfier has chastised me for a bad impedance match - the 300 ohm HD800 should meet a much lower amplifier impedance load, not higher.  I'm told that the bass will be ill defined and poor yet that is not what I hear!!
 
Research suggests there is a lot of myth about the topic and I've read contradictory reports, although none specifically addressing the HD800.  Impedance varies with frequency so I guess my critic is extrapolating that to mean the bass is likely to be compromised. But to these ears it is not. And there is heaps of power reserve and no distortion detected so no problems with the Vaughan therer.
 
I'm happy with what I hear and am not worried so please do not misinterpret - I'm not getting paranoid about the impedance, but am curious to find out a bit more.
 
So what is the experience of HD800 owners on this?
 
TIA
 
John

 

[johnjen]

Normally a DAC is designed to drive a high impedance load (like 10KΩ or greater).
 
And normally you want, generally speaking, a 10:1 ratio (or greater) between the input to output rated impedances. 
 
And again normally you don't drive headphones from line level outputs, mostly due to the (in)ability of the line level amplifiers to deliver power (current).
 
And if you look at the impedance curve for the HD-800's you'll see that they dip well below 600Ω, which in effect is a reverse ratio relationship to the line level outputs from your dac.
 
Now having stated all of the above, will the headphones make music?  Yes.
 
Will the electrical relationship be matched properly?  No.
 
If you look at the specs for your dac, pay attention to the output impedance of the headphone output. "Output impedance 600 Ohms (XLR), 0,5 Ohm (RCA), 10 Ohms (headphones)"
 
As an experiment try plugging in your headphones into the 1/4" jack on the front (you'll need an adapter, or just use the stock cable) and pay attention to the sonic differences.
 
Power amps are designed to deliver the power to drive dynamic loads (headphones and speakers etc) where line level outputs are designed to drive non dynamic loads (inputs to power amps etc.).
 
JJ

 

[sphinxvc]

Both are very good headphones though I would prefer the HD800 for listening to acoustic instrumentation. Don't worry too much about the amp/dac, you can find something for the remaining 500-900$ which would work quite well.

Bingo.

 

[kawee]

I am using Phonitor and M2tech Young Dac with MBA.  how do you guys think if HD800 will be good with these combination? 

 

[danik97]

Does anybody tried ALO Audio Copper 8 cable for HD800?
 
I just took a Q Audio for HD800 and hear that it is a worse than stock HD800 cable. Less dynamics, timbers is "lighter". And less bass.
 
 
Dan

 

[johnjen]

I am running the Q cables even as I type this.
 
They are not bass shy nor worse than stock, at least in my system.   The big kettle drums (let alone the howitzers) I'm hearing in the 1812 Overture are testament to that.
 
And they are 'better' than the Cardas cables I was using.
 
The Q cables did need ≈ 50 hours of break in before they opened up.  And they do deliver more mid-range and up energy than the Cardas balanced cables.
 
JJ

 

[Shroker]

I have had my HD800 for about a year now I think. However, last night, they have truly come alive. I don't know what happened but the sound stage is wide open, detailed and accurate.

Truly a clean, clear and pure listening experience. I finally and truly understand what people mean by the majestic beauty of reproduction the HD800 achieve.

I think people really need to sit down and just run their HD800s and keep running them.

I am truly blown away but how wonderful and amazing the HD800s are. I already was blown away by them and this is a whole new level.

Lost in love and music.

 

[Acix]

Quote:

I am using Phonitor and M2tech Young Dac with MBA.  how do you guys think if HD800 will be good with these combination? 

 
With the Phonotor I'll highly recommend the k-702 over the 800s...I'm too sensitive to the 800s artificial treble spikes.

 

[danik97]

Quote:

I am running the Q cables even as I type this.
 
They are not bass shy nor worse than stock, at least in my system.   The big kettle drums (let alone the howitzers) I'm hearing in the 1812 Overture are testament to that.
 
And they are 'better' than the Cardas cables I was using.
 
The Q cables did need ≈ 50 hours of break in before they opened up.  And they do deliver more mid-range and up energy than the Cardas balanced cables.
 
JJ

I have about 24 hours of burn-in by a Tara Labs White Noise aidio track. 
From first minutes notable than Q gives a "lighter" sound than stock.
Ok, I'll try to burn-in it so much as possible up to Monday before returning.
I think Steve need more focusing on HD800's sound, not only on LCD-2.
 
Furthermore I had an experience to compare Q and Norse cables on LCD-2 and HD800. Norn Series v2 gives a more bassy sound, but muddy than Q in HD800. With LCD-2 Norn is darker and more bassy.

 

[dukeskd]

Quote:

 
With the Phonotor I'll highly recommend the k-702 over the 800s...I'm too sensitive to the 800s artificial treble spikes.

Depends on the person, but that doesn't change the fact that the HD800 + Phonitor is an amazing setup. I am more lenient on the treble as I grew up with headphones that accentuated the treble nearly all the time so you could say I am really used to it. I still think the Phonitor powers the HD800 remarkably well and is extremely neutral. The treble is part of HD800s stock signature and to change that I wouldn't want to use an amp as it would mean the neutrality is gone and some big modifications are happening. YMMV

 

[Acix]

Quote:

Depends on the person, but that doesn't change the fact that the HD800 + Phonitor is an amazing setup. I am more lenient on the treble as I grew up with headphones that accentuated the treble nearly all the time so you could say I am really used to it. I still think the Phonitor powers the HD800 remarkably well and is extremely neutral. The treble is part of HD800s stock signature and to change that I wouldn't want to use an amp as it would mean the neutrality is gone and some big modifications are happening. YMMV

 
If you have to, maybe you can get used to the HD-800 treble, but still it's very hard for me to see them as a extremely neutral hps.

 

[dukeskd]

Quote:

 
If you have to, maybe you can get used to the HD-800 treble, but still it's very hard for me to see them as a extremely neutral hps.

I was referring to the amplifier, there's no such thing as a neutral headphone (or maybe I haven't heard one yet).