[gimmeheadroom]

I'm in the UK.

customcans.co.uk all the way

 

[Amberlamps]

3 days late,I frigging hate Fed EX!
Straight out of the box & right into the Burson Conductor3P(160mW@300ohms),absolutely NO issue with the Burson driving the almost 700 ohm load..I wasn't going to listen until they had at least 10 hours on them,yea right.SOOTB they seemed ok,treble was peaky,mids recessed,bass one note..Put them down & ran a few errands,about 2 hours later they were already different.Treble had smoothed out,mids seemed still a touch recessed,bass MUCH better,nice definition.
Fixed some dinner while doing laundry,another 2 hours & OMG.The VERY first thing that hits you is they actually show depth of stage.No longer is the sound coming from inside the skull,it's like the sound starts inside the skull but extends out & back,giving the illusion of being able to see instruments out in front of you,live recordings are AMAZING in this sense,crowd noise envelopes you,whistlers from hundreds of feet apart interplay as clearly as if you were there between their locations..You can picture drums set back & straight out from your face.
Tonealy they seem cut from the same HiFIMan Sundara cloth,nuetralish with a natural warmth that is more like good SE Class A Pentode running UL than it is the VERY slightly veiled warmth of a SET(ala HD650)...
Build quality is good BUT IMO the $350.00 Sundara could teach the HD800S a few things about a REALLY nicely built headphone..
Value for $ spent?Maybe,they certainly do some things no other cans do but compared to how much a $350.00 can like Sundara offers I would say no.Compared to TOTL from other makers then absolutely high value..
Oh 1 other thing,the cables..Most everyone HATES the LONG cables but my listening station is 12' from my chair,I LOVE the cable length,BRAVO Sennheiser!

These headphones are so good that if my HD800S broke, I would buy a new pair without hesitation on the same day.

There is just something special about the HD800S.

 

[elisiX]

Starting out in this hobby 5-6 months ago, aside from starting with the HD6XX, my first TOTL was the HD800S. I don't think I knew what I had when experiencing this headphone for the first month that I had them.I then bought Utopia as I kept feeling like the HD800S wasn't the right match for my EDM music preference. The Utopia was a better choice here. However in making that change I didn't realise what i'd be letting go. Soundstage is one thing, but the HD800S also exhibit this angelic sound to me.

I've missed that and as such, i'm buying them again

In a 1 or 2 headphone collection I can understand the HD800S seeming a bit thin to some, especially those who love EDM. That said, in a 3-5pc headphone collection, the HD800S absolutely has a place!

 

[Amberlamps]

customcan.co.uk all the way

Cool, I will check them out as I'm sick of the rubber splitting after the Y part. I have headphones with similar rubber and none of them have split, and some are more than 10+ years old.

Thats the only part of the HD800S that I don't like, well that and the fabric earpads, misodiko make excellent lambskin pads for the HD800/S and they are much comfier than the original pads and they don't distort the sound, also they won't get minging like the fabric pads will

 

[gimmeheadroom]

Cool, I will check them out as I'm sick of the rubber splitting after the Y part. I have headphones with similar rubber and none of them have split, and some are more than 10+ years old.

Thats the only part of the HD800S that I don't like, well that and the fabric earpads, misodiko make excellent lambskin pads for the HD800/S and they are much comfier than the original pads and they don't distort the sound, also they won't get minging like the fabric pads will

Yeah I remember you mentioned the pads. When it's time to replace the pads on mine I'll be looking into some leather ones.

 

[bluenight]

What the tonekraft cable adds reminds me of some slight hint of tube warmth. Yeah pretty sweet sound.

 

[Lay.]

I'm in the UK.

I have bought cables from customcan.co.uk and Forza Audio Works. My next cable will be FAW cable. They will cost a bit more but are well worth the money.

 

[Whitigir]

These headphones are so good that if my HD800S broke, I would buy a new pair without hesitation on the same day.

There is just something special about the HD800S.

The same thing here! In fact, I am going to buy one to save on a reserve. So in the future when production run has stopped, I can still have a box laying in the closet so I can keep enjoying it. The performances and the pricing is ways better than any other.....ripoff out there !! Not to mention the timeless design and comfortability it provided.

 

[elisiX]

Picked up my second HD800S.

Last time, when it was my only high-end headphone, it was easily outdone by the Utopia.

Now that i've added a few more headphones to the stable, I know that the HD800S has a place.

Paired with my recently acquired WA2, i'm really excited to burn this sucker in

 

[TazedMarquis]

Recently picked up a used Massdrop x Eddie Current ZDT Jr. transformer-coupled tube amplifier to better compliment my HD800S after using the THX 789 for the past year or so. Thankfully the hum issue that plagued the initial run was not present in my unit, and the improvement in the soundstage -- so important for the HD800S -- is immediate and obvious; much more depth and holography to the sound. The THX sounds wider but flatter in comparison.

Tube synergy FTW!!!

 

[Moak]

Again, it's not difficult. It's like the woman who goes for breakfast at the smorgasbord and can't decide what to eat. Sometimes more choices just make things worse

I had the Meier Jazz FF and I had the Valhalla2 for weeks. I selled both.
The best amp for the HD800 I ever had...I have it, now.
It is a Beyerdynamic A1. It is for me a great milestone....I doesn‘t search, now further.
Thanks.

 

[mvule]

Get the feeling that Beyer's amps are underestimated.

 

[Moak]

Get the feeling that Beyer's amps are underestimated.

..Yes, I have that feeling too. Beyerdynamic amplifiers do not even appear at headfi.org. I was surprised myself how well the A1 fits the HD800. I had a.o. tried several recommendations from forum members, including also a Valhalla2, Meier Jazz FF and more ...none harmonized as well as the Beyerdynamic A1.

 

[mvule]

I have found the Beyer A20 to be a decent little amp with the HD800S, although the Lake People G-111 is my current choice.

 

[Moak]

I have found the Beyer A20 to be a decent little amp with the HD800S, although the Lake People G-111 is my current choice.

..but the cheap A20 is not a good compare to the A1. The A1 cost 3-4x more money than the A20. The A1 is much better.