[Slim1970]

finally ordered me a HD800S, gonna drive it with Audio-GD NOS11 and V200 (sold my HD650)

my only worry is the treble, since I'm some what sensitive in this regard ..

Personally, I don't find the treble to be problematic at all. The HD800S does a much better job with treble than original HD800's did. I just think the HD800S are very revealing. If the recording sounds like crap that HD800S will affirm this. But if the recording is well done the HD800S will bring a smile to your face.

 

[simorag]

finally ordered me a HD800S, gonna drive it with Audio-GD NOS11 V2 and V200 (sold my HD650)

my only worry is the treble, since I'm some what sensitive in this regard ..

I am driving my HD800S through a NOS 11 V2, via an optimized PC and a USB regenerator (as per my signature). I am really appreciating the combo. I am very sensitive to treble as well, but in general I find the HD800S presentation smooth and transparent in my setup.

That said, on some material (even audiophile recordings) I occasionally hear more energy and glare in the highs than I would like to. In these cases, by playing with HQPlayer filter settings and some light EQ I get a satisfactory fix.

 

[networkn]

Does anyone have experience with the HD800S and the Liquid Carbon 2.0 Amp? Massdrop have the Massdrop X which is essentially the same thing, for $299, trying to determine if it's better/same/worse than my Crack Amp+Speedball and or Chord Mojo.

 

[groovyd]

Sonarworks verified the calibration and drivers are fine so I guess that is just what the 800S sounds like corrected, a bit loose in the bass and sharp up top. Might have to correct it by lowering the wet/dry mix 20% or so. It just feels a little over compensated to me as compared to the 650 and my X.

 

[ubs28]

Sonarworks verified the calibration and drivers are fine so I guess that is just what the 800S sounds like corrected, a bit loose in the bass and sharp up top. Might have to correct it by lowering the wet/dry mix 20% or so. It just feels a little over compensated to me as compared to the 650 and my X.

That sounds correct. The HD 800 S rolls off the treble too early.

Both the Utopia and the HD 650 (latest version with silver drivers) have more upper treble than the HD 800 S.

(yes i know that the HD 650 sounds veiled, but somehow I do not hear it diving in the extreme treble regions)

 

[Brooko]

Define upper treble please. Actual measurements say that the HD800S has more than the 650.

 

[ubs28]

Define upper treble please. Actual measurements say that the HD800S has more than the 650.

If you isolate the treble and then look if it stays straight or it drives. I definetly hear a treble roll off on the HD 800S as it does not stay straight in the upper treble regions. The upper treble of the HD 650 annoys me a bit sometimes and I would have preffered a little roll off.

I am currently on the airport on my iPad so I cannot look for some measurements. But I am pretty sure I saw some measurements of the HD 650 where the upper treble even increases.

Well, managed to copy paste a picture (i find that super annoying on the iPad). You see that in the upper treble region (so after 10khz) the HD 650 does not dive. It even increases. That is also what my ears are telling me.

 

[Swiftfalcon]

If you isolate the treble and then look if it stays straight or it drives. I definetly hear a treble roll off on the HD 800S as it does not stay straight in the upper treble regions.

The upper treble of the HD 650 annoys me a bit sometimes and I would have preffered a little roll off.

I am currently on the airport on my iPad so I cannot look for some measurements. But I am pretty sure I saw some measurements of the HD 650 where the upper treble even increases.

Could this Explain why I can't appreciate the so called brightness everyone keeps talking about in reference to HD800S. I hear the mids and trebles as at par and neutral.
HD650 treble sounds smooth and less prominent compared to HD800S at least to my ear.
Disclaimer: I can only hear upto 16khz.

 

[peter123]

Define upper treble please. Actual measurements say that the HD800S has more than the 650.

So does my ears

 

[ubs28]

So does my ears

Treble extension does not equal total brightness.

My Shure SE846 seems to be more brighter and harsher than my CA Andromeda sometimes while the Shure SE846 has a really big treble roll off.

 

[Slim1970]

Not to pile on, but the HD800S does have more upper treble to my ears as well. When I had the HD650’s even with a balanced cable I thought they sounded dark to my ears. The HD800S’s sound much more open with a much better bass response that somewhat helps balances out the treble IMO.

 

[ubs28]

The HD 650 is a darker headphone. But that is not what I was talking about. Treble extension and being a bright / dark headphone are different things.

 

[peter123]

Treble extension does not equal total brightness.

My Shure SE846 seems to be more brighter and harsher than my CA Andromeda sometimes while the Shure SE846 has a really big treble roll off.

Thanks for the education but to my ears the HD650 are too rolled off while the HD800S are not. I believe you're on a lost cause trying to convince me otherwise

 

[Brooko]

Here's the HD800 vs HD650, and we already know that the modifications to the HD800S centered around lowering the 6 kHz spike and increasing the mid-bass response

Its pretty clear which has the greater upper treble

For the record, Innerfidelity's graphs (this time with the HD800S) they show the same thing - when looking at these pay close attention to the raw data.

 

[Slim1970]

The HD 650 is a darker headphone. But that is not what I was talking about. Treble extension and being a bright / dark headphone are different things.

You are right they are different things. But the HD800S treble doesn’t sound rolled off when compared to HD650’s treble either to my ears.