[drez]

I tried my HD800 with E09K + HRT MSII.  It sounds too harsh...couldn't listen to it.  My WA6SE came home and made night and day different on HD800.

But I still refer D7000 for vocal musics...more softer high-mid and treble with more bass punch.  But HD800 kicks asses with classical musics though!   

For me the speed of the hd800 is revelatory for vocals, every nuance of expression is captured.

 

[extrabigmehdi]

Quote:

For me the speed of the hd800 is revelatory for vocals, every nuance of expression is captured.

Yeah, the hd800 are outstanding for vocals. I listened less to instrumentals after realizing it.

 

[FlySweep]

My HD800 arrived earlier today.. I've done quite a bit of listening with it today.. exclusively w/ the ODAC & G109.. the resulting sound I experienced was simply jaw dropping.  Everything that the numerous detailed reviews I read & impressions I gathered from members I trusted was laid forth in glorious fashion right before my ears.
 
It didn't take long to realize this was an absolute 'end game'-type phone for me.  The quality with which the G109 drove the HD800 was spectacular.. it drove them with the kind of grace, control, and synergy the HD800 seem to (ruthlessly) demand.  I wasn't playing much, if any, reference-grade material either (mainly a variety of well recorded music from my MOG.com subscription).  Playing plenty of non-reference grade material, I was pleasantly surprised to hear how -listenable- (pun unintended) it all still sounded with the ODAC/G109/HD800.  The areas the recordings lacked were clearly noticeable.. but those irregularities weren't served in quite the brash, unforgiving, and clinical manner that I feared they would be and render the music unlistenable.  I wondered if all that talk about the HD800 being a merciless beast that spotlights poorly recorded material without restraint was overblown?  What I really need to do is credit the G109 here.. it presents oodles of detail, but keeps the HD800 from sounding harsh & non-listenable with less than perfectly recorded material.  When I play well recorded material, the ODAC/G109/HD800 steps up to the plate to deliver a quality presentation that brings tears to my eyes.
 
The G109 downright shows off when it comes to displaying bass depth, texturing, extension, and detail.  The words 'visceral', 'effortless,' & 'lifelike' keep coming to mind.  The mids are as clear, remarkably transparent, and effortlessly delineated as I've ever heard.  Coming from the HD600 (arguably my favorite full sized headphone), the HD800's mids aren't positioned as forward (but still remain the focal point of the sound).. the HD800's mids sound more transparent, coherent, and multidimensional, too.  The quality in which vocals sounded delicately 'lifted' above the surrounding midrange instrumentation while being portrayed with stunning accuracy & ease was simply hypnotizing.  Sennheiser's flagships have always been known to possess lovely midrange presentation.. but what I'm hearing from the H800 is unlike most anything I've heard before.  Truly one of a kind.. and a new benchmark for Sennheiser.  The treble is bursting with detail, air, and brilliance.. the G109 seems to offer an elegant tinge of smoothness that maintains the HD800's terrific transparency while gently taking the 'edge' off the 8K spike.  Being that the G109 shares a very similar pedigree to the Violectric V200 (an amp that's said to pair exquisitely well with the HD800), I guess I shouldn't be surprised by how satisfying I found the G109 to pair with the HD800.
 
The ODAC fulfills it's duties admirably in that it offers terrific clarity & transparency... quite worthy of what the HD800 demands.  I've always admired the ODAC's excellent soundstaging & imaging capabilities.. the HD800 most certainly abides as synergy & interplay here is quite apparent.  Well recorded live sets are downright distracting to listen to.. in that they're so thoroughly engrossing.  I can't concentrate on reading a book or do work-related activities with live sets playing in the background as I'm continually drawn into the sublime presentation & spatial queues the HD800 so realistically portrays.
 
I might be in the minority of HD800 owners as far as this is concerned.. but I don't really listen to any FLAC or high-res material.  99% of what's stored locally on my NAS/hard drives is ripped to 320Kbps MP3s.. while most all my (daily listened to) music is streamed from MOG, Soundcloud, and elsewhere on the web.  I've found the mixing & mastering quality of music to be far more important than the format (lossy vs lossless) that said music is ripped in.  Sure, the appropriate rig will offer slightly(?) better sound quality if fed a lossless rip vs a 128 Kbps rip of identical records (w/ mainly dynamics and "leading edge" detail improving on the former format, I suppose).. but I listen to a lot of instrumental hip hop, jazz, blues, soul, funk, electronica, etc... music that simply doesn't (consistently) have reference grade recording quality that many classical pieces and (reissued/remastered) vintage collectors albums have.  So, the hassle just isn't worth it to me.  I don't mention this to spark controversy.. it's intended to be informative for those in a similar situation to me who might shy away from the the HD800 cause they assume it only sounds good with certain genres & that the music must be of the type that traditionally dominates the remastered/reissued market.. I'm here to tell you that's not true.. the HD800 sounds jaw dropping good with a very wide variety of music.. regardless of genre or digital format.
 
I'll have more thoughts on the HD800 in time.. but what I can say is that in the very short time I've had the HD800.. a phone I bought without ever having heard once (I bought it off the strength of reviews, impressions, and a sneaky premonition I would enjoy it's sound).. is that it's an 'end-game' (full sized) phone for me.  The hype is deserved!

 

[extrabigmehdi]

Quote:

Originally Posted by FlySweep /img/forum/go_quote.gif
 
the resulting sound I experienced was simply jaw dropping

I'm glad for you.
 
Quote:

the G109 seems to offer an elegant tinge of smoothness that maintains the HD800's terrific transparency while gently taking the 'edge' off the 8K spike.

Could it be interpreted, that the amp is doing for you a subtle eq-ing near 8k ?
 
Quote:

The G109 downright shows off when it comes to displaying bass depth, texturing, extension, and detail.  The words 'visceral', 'effortless,' & 'lifelike' keep coming to mind.

I don't find the hd800, offers visceral bass at all.  Or at least, it can't compete on that department with closed headphones.
Anyway my reference test is the album Heresy by Lustmord, that rely on low bass to induce scary feelings.
 
Quote:

it's intended to be informative for those in a similar situation to me who might shy away from the the HD800 cause they assume it only sounds good with certain genres & that the music must be of the type that traditionally dominates the remastered/reissued market.. I'm here to tell you that's not true..

Well take the particular case of Techno. I  think the level of brightness, prevent to fully enjoy the bass.
Because it's tempting to  pump up the volume , and feel better the bass.
For instance the album "Beware of the Bird" by Claude VonStroke
I'm not saying that the bass of hd800 cannot be impressive though, sometimes it's quite surprising.
 
Otherwise I also suggested before on this thread  the album Dopethroone by "Electric Wizzard" (doom metal).
Someone said  he got a headache after few minutes of listening on the hd800
 

 

[wudai_e]

So long story short: 
 
New HD800 around new year -> First listen with my Benchmark DAC1 -> treble hurt my ears a little with my favorite playlist -> thought about returning my pair -> bought a Bryston amp -> start to like it -> play LP through it  -> where are the shrieking peaks? OMG they sound so freaking awesome with vinyl -> now looking for better turntables and phono amps -> repeat the stupid/retard/crazy gear cycle until I'm satisfied -> My wallet dies.
 
Merit of the story is, These headphones are so transparent and you hear everything. Some of the songs I used to love I can't listen to them with these cans, some of the tracks I use to hate, now I love them with these cans. My music folder is 2Gb less than before thanks to HD800. I have really grown with these cans and my taste really evolves because of the transparency. Give these time and you will love these. My short 1 month with the HD800 for what it's worth.  

 

[fejnomit]

Yes.  That's why this debate about whether they "have bass" or not makes little sense.  All of this is source/amp-contingent.  I can give my HD800s massive deep thumping bass with my George Wright amp.  I was able to do that with the maxxed WA-6SE as well.  In fact, I find judgments about headphones without mention of source and amp to be pointless.

 

[Frank I]

The hd800 has great bass just not thumping tilted bass like the Denon D7000 had. The HD800 with proper amplification and source really let you hear all the bass notes. I cant her the pedal of the pipe organ but thats 16HZ so not many if any can hear that note. it not tipped bass but its very accurate bass and I dont feel like I am missing the whack of the D7K I owned. The HD800 is a very accurate and detailed headphone with great bass IMO. My Dexcware and V200 has great bass and are not bass light amps either.

 

[extrabigmehdi]

I think that the paradox that some  people miss, is that  you feel more the bass of hd800,
when the treble is tamed. So obviously some source are taming more treble than other,
but  I  don't think that strictly speaking  that sources that tame treble can be called "transparent" .
 
Regarding the bass impact, the hd800 definitely  can be quite "showy" and interesting .
I  was impressed while listening for instance to claude von stroke , chimps ;
but taming treble with an eq helps.
 

 
 
And regarding "visceral bass", I have in mind this, and the intended ambiance fail
a bit on the hd800:
 

 

[MorbidToaster]

The HD800 shine with Ambient music like Lustmord, IMO. Great, great stuff. What do you think it's missing on the HD800?

 

[Shahrose]

That Lustmord track is your test for bass? You need to find new music... (extrabigmehdi)
 
Even with the TH900 and HE6 that doesn't have much sub-bass. Find some proper organ music like Frank mentioned. There's also a lot of electronic music these days that really show off the low-end.

 

[Hun7er]

Hitting bass on this song 
 

 

[MorbidToaster]

Here are 2 of my go-to bass tests. Both hit low low. So low that cheaper headphones can't quite get there. Even cheaper subs.
 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r8YRg_LK_PU 
 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oOT2-OTebx0
 
EDIT: That James Blake track on vinyl is what I used to pick my new speakers bass wise. I told my dealer it was my bass test and since it doesn't come in until later he looked at me like I was crazy. It dropped and he said 'Oh, there it is. Damn.'
 
Quote:

That Lustmord track is your test for bass? You need to find new music... (extrabigmehdi)
 
Even with the TH900 and HE6 that doesn't have much sub-bass. Find some proper organ music like Frank mentioned. There's also a lot of electronic music these days that really show off the low-end.

 

[extrabigmehdi]

 I  really liked the example of James Blake , "Limit to your voice." I  can't deny  I  heard some sub bass.
 
Regarding Lustmord, it's an extreme example, let me explain.
The artists use actually very low bass, in fact infra-sounds, that goes below the threshold of hearing (and this,
according to the artist himself).
But I  think you can't really understand that music without feeling it :
it's all the difference between the thought "it's a work  of art", and "there's something deep and disturbing".
I  found that the with hd800, that it sounded "distant", and not so convincing.
 
Sorry for the nitpicking. But the James Blake example was great.

 

[MorbidToaster]

That is what Lustmord does but I don't think it's the HD800. It's probably partially YouTube and partially the fact that those techniques (IMO) don't come across very well at all on headphones. 
 
There is absolutely something that makes you feel uncomfortable and uneasy when listening to Lustmord on good speakers, and that's it. I've never been as moved by his work on headphones at all. 
 
Limit To Your Love is a real workout for those low frequencies partially just on extension and also because it changes so quickly. It's a good 'speed' test as well.
 
Quote:

 I  really liked the example of James Blake , "Limit to your voice." I  can't deny  I  heard some sub bass.
 
Regarding Lustmord, it's an extreme example, let me explain.
The artists use actually very low bass, in fact infra-sounds, that goes below the threshold of hearing (and this,
according to the artist himself).
But I  think you can't really understand that music without feeling it :
it's all the difference between the thought "it's a work  of art", and "there's something deep and disturbing".
I  found that the with hd800, that it sounded "distant", and not so convincing.
 
Sorry for the nitpicking. But the James Blake example was great.

 

[Maxvla]

I couldn't find any examples, but the most impressive bass I get from the HD800 tends to be watching TV episodes or movies on my computer. Occasionally there will be an explosion or strong impact that literally makes me look over my shoulder to the window to see if it was real or not, as if something blew up in front of my house. That is why I say the HD800 has no problem with bass extension or definition.