[exdmd]

While you can certainly enjoy HD800S with a SS amp they scale better with tubes and you are rewarded with a better soundstage. The only SS amp I have heard I could use long term with the HD800S is the Eddie Current Black Widow (discontinued now.) The usual recommendation for a budget amp for HD800S is Vali 2 and save your money for a great tube amp. Have not heard Lyr 3 yet though. Vali 2 with an Amperex 6DJ8 is great value for under $300 but you have to replace that stock tube.

 

[donlin]

As somebody who has owned numerous tube amps over the years and always ends up going back to solid state, I have had great results with the Simaudio Moon HAD 230 and Musical Fidelity MX-HPA.

 

[Rob80b]

While you can certainly enjoy HD800S with a SS amp they scale better with tubes and you are rewarded with a better soundstage. .......

Not to argue but why would that be...nothing against tubed based amps but they give that "perception" as a result of a lot more harmonic distortion...thank god it's second order, which is musical sounding creating a possible and usually a richer tone (warmth).... and maybe more "perceived" but false detail.....but a sound-stage is not made up with more musically sounding harmonics but actual reproduced audio cues and fine detail that define the perimeters of the recording space be it depth, layering and width. This IMHO experience is better served by a properly designed solid state amp with extremely low distortion numbers so that it has an impartial finger print on the overall reproduced sound waves.

 

[peter123]

While you can certainly enjoy HD800S with a SS amp they scale better with tubes and you are rewarded with a better soundstage. The only SS amp I have heard I could use long term with the HD800S is the Eddie Current Black Widow (discontinued now.) The usual recommendation for a budget amp for HD800S is Vali 2 and save your money for a great tube amp. Have not heard Lyr 3 yet though. Vali 2 with an Amperex 6DJ8 is great value for under $300 but you have to replace that stock tube.

I think that you may take your own personal preference as a fact when in fact it's not

 

[rutter]

How do these sound with electronic, dance, rap, and alternative?

 

[Whazzzup]

Great, bass is fast, mids pop

 

[rutter]

I've been told it's not a good headphone for more aggressive music. False?

 

[donlin]

I've been told it's not a good headphone for more aggressive music. False?

I never listen to any of the music genres you listed but if they require a basshead type of headphone, the HD800S may not be the best choice. They provide accurate and extended bass but don’t exaggerate it.

 

[rutter]

It greatly amuses me that headphones that are found to lack bass are described by some reviewers and owners as just not having exaggerated or unrealistic bass. Cut that crap out, please. No, I don't require a basshead headphone. Just a headphone that sounds good across genres. For this much money wading through this sort of thing gets rather tiresome and pathetic.

 

[donlin]

It greatly amuses me that headphones that are found to lack bass are described by some reviewers and owners as just not having exaggerated or unrealistic bass. Cut that crap out, please. No, I don't require a basshead headphone. Just a headphone that sounds good across genres. For this much money wading through this sort of thing gets rather tiresome and pathetic.

Glad you’re amused. If you’ve found found them to lack bass why do you bother asking.

 

[Whazzzup]

It greatly amuses me that headphones that are found to lack bass are described by some reviewers and owners as just not having exaggerated or unrealistic bass. Cut that crap out, please. No, I don't require a basshead headphone. Just a headphone that sounds good across genres. For this much money wading through this sort of thing gets rather tiresome and pathetic.

Hd800S drawback could be around its strength. The mids pop so vocals are intimate, toms, effects, kick drum benefit. Helps groove edm downbeat hip hop. Not sure how it handles speed metal, edm shrillex style and the like as this can seem thin a little and not recessed that these types of genres could benefit from. Granted eq can solve anything just about

 

[rutter]

The Schiit Loki compensate well enough?

 

[Whazzzup]

The Schiit Loki compensate well enough?

or any parametric equalizer

 

[Rob80b]

It greatly amuses me that headphones that are found to lack bass are described by some reviewers and owners as just not having exaggerated or unrealistic bass. Cut that crap out, please. No, I don't require a basshead headphone. Just a headphone that sounds good across genres. For this much money wading through this sort of thing gets rather tiresome and pathetic.

The HD800 are definitely not full range...that becomes painfully obvious especially when I'm asked polity to switch over from my speaker system when listening to music or watching movies.
Physically its impossible to achieve the same results (see pic) with any headphone where relatively flat lower base becomes a visceral experience and less auditory...the HD800 would need to be forced to veer greatly from neutrality and not what they were designed for and still not going to happen...yes there are a lot more headphones that can give you that "more perceived base" experience by boosting certain frequencies.... the Senns are not one of them....
Having said that I greatly enjoy the HD800S across a wide range of genres...EDM, classical (large and small ensemble), pop, jazz...etc....just appreciate their capabilities and accept their limitations.... .just a fact of life : )

My current in room calibrated base response for speakers with sub.

 

[rutter]

The Focal Clear are supposed to be neutral and their bass is fine. Think the same applies to the LCD-X. Is there any other drawback besides bass for certain genres? I've read this headphone sucks for rock. That true?