[MorbidToaster]

Sure is sad you guys are missing out on good music because it's not dynamic enough for you.

 

[MelvinV]

Quote:

Sure is sad you guys are missing out on good music because it's not dynamic enough for you.

There are exceptions for sure, but usually new music with low dynamic range is also overcompressed and just doesn't sound good.
If you have music you like though, do tell me the names if you can. I'm always looking for new music.

 

[MorbidToaster]

The very dynamic minded might want to check out vinyl. Most modern vinyl is more dynamic than their CD counterparts. 
 
Either way I quite like Mumford & Sons but their production level is awful. Purity Ring would be another one. 
 
Quote:

There are exceptions for sure, but usually new music with low dynamic range is also overcompressed and just doesn't sound good.
If you have music you like though, do tell me the names if you can. I'm always looking for new music.

 

[rgs9200m]

Lately, after experience (very good experience) with other flagship phones, dynamic and stats, I have returned to the HD800s (3 years of ownership) as primary phones.
After tweaking my system slightly to avoid things that could make it extra bright, the HD800s now give me supreme musical enjoyment where I can't stop listening to them.
And this is on strong, brash music (all sorts of rock and pop from the past 5 decades) along with some other types.
The are great for what they don't do:
The HD800s are honest but are not grainy and do not seem to have any artifice. And they don't muddle things at any frequency. They don't pump up the bass. 
They aren't too liquid or syrupy and they aren't too dry. They don't have too-sharp image boundaries--the images blend to the surroundings to just the right amount.
So these are basically the results after a 3 year test, so I think that's significant.
 
I basically don't notice audiophile characteristics like detail, staging, depth, width, definition, warmth, bass depth, silkiness, out-of-head imaging or anything when
I listen, I just feel a great intimacy with the music and groove to it and let the good times roll. I don't find myself thinking that some aspect of the sound could or should be better or that anything is painful. And for me, that's the ultimate test.
 
For what it's worth, I love them.
 
My system is completely CD-based with a neutral sound signature, with no computers or equalization. Amplification is via tube headphone amplification.

 

[MelvinV]

Quote:

The very dynamic minded might want to check out vinyl. Most modern vinyl is more dynamic than their CD counterparts. 
 
Either way I quite like Mumford & Sons but their production level is awful. Purity Ring would be another one. 
 

I'm not necessarily dynamic minded, but from my own experiences most music that lacks dynamic range is also overcompressed nowadays.
Most SACD releases are fine as well. I just can't stand overcompression (or hypercompresion actually), you can hear the distortion in the really loud parts.
 
I like music such as the entire Thriller album except the last three songs, Money for Nothing, Cannonball, What Is Love, Roundabout.
If you guys can recommend anything similar please do so.

 

[dleblanc343]

Quote:

Lately, after experience (very good experience) with other flagship phones, dynamic and stats, I have returned to the HD800s (3 years of ownership) as primary phones.
After tweaking my system slightly to avoid things that could make it extra bright, the HD800s now give me supreme musical enjoyment where I can't stop listening to them.
And this is on strong, brash music (all sorts of rock and pop from the past 5 decades) along with some other types.
The are great for what they don't do:
The HD800s are honest but are not grainy and do not seem to have any artifice. And they don't muddle things at any frequency. They don't pump up the bass. 
They aren't too liquid or syrupy and they aren't too dry. They don't have too-sharp image boundaries--the images blend to the surroundings to just the right amount.
So these are basically the results after a 3 year test, so I think that's significant.
 
I basically don't notice audiophile characteristics like detail, staging, depth, width, definition, warmth, bass depth, silkiness, out-of-head imaging or anything when
I listen, I just feel a great intimacy with the music and groove to it and let the good times roll. I don't find myself thinking that some aspect of the sound could or should be better or that
anything is painful. And for me, that's the ultimate test.
 
For what it's worth, I love them.
 
My system is completely CD-based with a neutral sound signature, with no computers or equalization. Amplification is via tube headphone amplification.

So in the past few months you've passed from LCD3 to HE500 and back to the HD800? Aha, that's kind of like me! That's why I can't live with just one headphone 

 

[rgs9200m]

Yes I have. I have certainly not abandoned the other phones, but I rediscovered the HD800s and now feel guilty about negative comments I made about them over the last few months. I was wrong.

 

[extrabigmehdi]

Quote:

There are exceptions for sure, but usually new music with low dynamic range is also overcompressed and just doesn't sound good.
If you have music you like though, do tell me the names if you can. I'm always looking for new music.

 
Well , in the category of overcompressed music, but that might still be interesting:

1.  I  like "Dopethrone" by Electric Wizard.  It's one of these genre I usually hate  (i.e "doom metal") , but I  found genuine artistic work. 5/5 rating at allmusic, and popular at last.fm
2. Well, it quite popular on last.fm (but not my taste), the album "King Night" from band "Salem" get roughly 100 000 listeners. I think there was some hype regarding the "new" musical genre "witch house".

 
I just listened to the "Dopethrone" album through the hd800, it might sound fine and detailed but I believe it's quite  more fatiguing than listening it through the hd25 II 1, and even with eq.  I  think some of the muddiness of the hd25 II  1 helps to hide the harsh sounds;  this headphone is much more adapted to "modern"/mainstream  music.

 

[MelvinV]

Quote:

 
Well , in the category of overcompressed music, but that might still be interesting:

1.  I  like "Dopethrone" by Electric Wizard.  It's one of these genre I usually hate  (i.e "doom metal") , but I  found genuine artistic work. 5/5 rating at allmusic, and popular at last.fm
2. Well, it quite popular on last.fm (but not my taste), the album "King Night" from band "Salem" get roughly 100 000 listeners. I think there was some hype regarding the "new" musical genre "witch house".

 
I just listened to the "Dopethrone" album through the hd800, it might sound fine and detailed but I believe it's quite  more fatiguing than listening it through the hd25 II 1, and even with eq.  I  think some of the muddiness of the hd25 II  1 helps to hide the harsh sounds;  this headphone is much more adapted to "modern"/mainstream  music.

I get your point, but after 3 minutes of listening to Dopethrone I was getting a headache, it's way too overcompressed.
I'm not looking for great music within the category, I meant that it's fine if the dynamic range isn't that high as long as the music itself is good.

 

[draven5494]

So, I've had the HD800s for a few days now and I can safely say they are the best headphones I have had the pleasure of hearing. I won't break it down by highs, mids and lows but I trust my ears and they are telling me that these are definitely at the top of my list.

However, I am having a bit of buyer's remorse. $1500 is a chunk, a big chunk of change for me. Although, on the other hand as long as I have the HD800s I don't have the urge to try other headphones, as I know that they most likely can't match the HD800s.

So, here I am sitting on the fence contemplating returning them and then attempt to wipe them from my memory as they have spoiled me. They sound so good, but $1500 good... I really don't think so.

Yeah yeah, I know... first world problems.

 

[Dubstep Girl]

Quote:

So in the past few months you've passed from LCD3 to HE500 and back to the HD800? Aha, that's kind of like me! That's why I can't live with just one headphone 

 
+1
 
i jump around from headphone to headphone and i'm always changing my opinions on whats best or what i find most enjoyable

 

[dleblanc343]

Quote:

So, I've had the HD800s for a few days now and I can safely say they are the best headphones I have had the pleasure of hearing. I won't break it down by highs, mids and lows but I trust my ears and they are telling me that these are definitely at the top of my list.

However, I am having a bit of buyer's remorse. $1500 is a chunk, a big chunk of change for me. Although, on the other hand as long as I have the HD800s I don't have the urge to try other headphones, as I know that they most likely can't match the HD800s.

So, here I am sitting on the fence contemplating returning them and then attempt to wipe them from my memory as they have spoiled me. They sound so good, but $1500 good... I really don't think so.

Yeah yeah, I know... first world problems.

Well, I saved up my money and got my HD800's at 19. Once I had them, I was able to keep living life just fine and thought to myself hey; is the money that important for the sheer amount of enjoyment I am getting from the headphone. If I use them on a day-to-day basis, it's totally worth it in the long run; especially if I keep them for years. It's in no way materialistic to get the best, if I want that kind of satisfaction I may as well just get it and appreciate it and never look back.

 

[MDCLXVI]

Agreed.. you think they can't be matched by other headphones so I would say keep them, and they'll pay for themselves with the musical enjoyment you get from them

 

[Dan S]

Yeah, there's no reason they can't last a long time, which takes a bit of the bite out of the cost. I'm still using the Grado SR-60s I bought in 2000, and the Sennheiser HD-650s I bought in 2006.
 

 

[al10]

Hi all! Just purchased HD 800. Own good headphones for the first time,guess everything is OK,but when tried to check authentication on Sennheiser website appears :

Authentication failed!

Unfortunately we cannot identify the number you have entered. Please give us the following information so we can contact you to help authenticating your product.