Artificially perhaps not. However the soundstage will sound wider or more separated than another headphones. Likely a combination of the headphones design, large ring drivers and fibre pads.
Not for me. I find realistic perceived venue size from recording to recording, not exaggerated. Intimate recordings, Gillian Welch and David Rawlings, for example, sound like they’re at my listening chair, with the “close up” cues very alive.
Unless one attended the recording it's IMHO difficult what to know what narrow should actually be, but the HD800/S do breath more air around performers and instruments but close miked recordings will still be perceived up close and intimate but one will get the sensation that the actual venue/space has expanded outward. Unlike a stereo speaker set-up where the speakers can be spread out to the point where the recording can become artificially wide the drivers on headphones are set, Sennheiser have purposely optimized the 800 series drivers and baffle design to get the recording out of the head as much as possible and are one of the top phones for recreating unique playback spaces for each and every recording. If we take the much beloved HD600/650s, by design they are tagged with their own sonic signature and are inept at making one feel otherwise, there is always an intimacy and somewhat warmth to the recording. While the 660S, while being more similar to the 650 than 800 series, are IMHO with the newer drivers, cleaner sounding and a nice compliment to the 800 when one wants the sensation of a smaller or more intimate venue while retaining some of the 800s signature traits. Think of it as if an ensemble was moved from an auditorium to a lounge.
i own the hd 800 s and just got a lcd-2 a week or so ago for more bass heavy music like edm
i own the monoprice AAA-788 which is both and amp and dac but the power output for single end seems kind of low when i looked at other amps but balances out put seems decent but i dont know much about this stuff and how much power is really needed, also i got this because i needed a built in eq so i can use eq even when i use my playstation and not just pc and this was the only unit that had built in eq i could find besides the rme unit i found and the rme was too much money
and i own the schiit magni 3 that came out before the + and heresy model
what would you recommend under 500$ for a better audio experience and would it be worth getting a balanced cable since balanced provides more power from what i can tell? or iyo maybe i would not gain any benefit from getting a more powerful amp as i do not know much about amps
i was looking at the asgard 3 and Jotunheim 2 if i balanced would be worth it for more power iyo, but im not sure i want to buy a balanced cable for both my headphones
My understanding is the more power the better when it comes to headphone amps if you want maximum dynamics, slam and bass impact.
In the ideal world you'd hook them up to some 100W bully beast that would physically obliterate your headphone's drivers if you turned the volume pot up past 10 o' clock. So then you'd run it at 9 o' clock and the amp would find your headphones such a joke to drive that there wouldn't be even a hint of strain or compression in the presentation.
But unfortunately, that amount of power doesn't come cheap, so the max power you really find at 500 dollars is about 7 watts.
i own the hd 800 s and just got a lcd-2 a week or so ago for more bass heavy music like edm
i own the monoprice AAA-788 which is both and amp and dac but the power output for single end seems kind of low when i looked at other amps but balances out put seems decent but i dont know much about this stuff and how much power is really needed, also i got this because i needed a built in eq so i can use eq even when i use my playstation and not just pc and this was the only unit that had built in eq i could find besides the rme unit i found and the rme was too much money
and i own the schiit magni 3 that came out before the + and heresy model
what would you recommend under 500$ for a better audio experience and would it be worth getting a balanced cable since balanced provides more power from what i can tell? or iyo maybe i would not gain any benefit from getting a more powerful amp as i do not know much about amps
i was looking at the asgard 3 and Jotunheim 2 if i balanced would be worth it for more power iyo, but im not sure i want to buy a balanced cable for both my headphones
thanks would that be enough power then for the lcd-2 and maybe focal clear mg even? i have not decided between lcd or focal yet but am leaning towards the lcd
or would an amp with even more power be better like the schiit Jotunheim 2 via balanced? or is the amount my monoprice give off in balanced enough?
thanks would that be enough power then for the lcd-2 and maybe focal clear mg even? i have not decided between lcd or focal yet but am leaning towards the lcd
or would an amp with even more power be better like the schiit Jotunheim 2 via balanced? or is the amount my monoprice give off in balanced enough?
I think the 788 is more than adequate for all the headphones you mentioned. Since that unit is the one you own right now, the simplest option is to get the balanced cable. I use the 788 at my bed with software EQ using a -8db pregain on my HD6xx and HD800s and it sounds exactly the same as my su8/a90 setup at my desk.....same source all balanced.
More power is better for various reasons, but getting something more powerful is not going to make anything that you have right now sound "better".
May seem like an odd thing to ask but... how is the stability of the HD800s on the head?
I have a medium-sized head, and it really annoyed me when I tried the HD800s on, that when I looked up at the ceiling (i.e. nose pointed at the ceiling) - it would just slide backwards off my head. Since then, I've noticed that when I have short hair the earpads and/or the headband of my various headphones 'grip' my head (probably by digging into the short, stiff hairs) and prevents the headphones sliding around like they would do when I have long hair. I can't remember whether I had long or short hair when I tried the HD800s but they were so loose-fitting I'd imagine they'd slide off my head regardless of long or short hair.
So, can anyone tell me if they can look up at the ceiling (nose pointed at the ceiling) without the HD800s sliding backwards out of position? And, whether they have a small/medium/large size head and short/long/no hair for reference?
Medium head/short hair here. It doesn't slide out of position. However, the 820 does slide out of position for me, one of the reasons I've opted for the 800S (wider soundstage being more important to me) for the long term.
If you want a 100 w whatever. Gsxmk2 dual monoblock balanced preamp is way more that sufficient For hd800S In med gain. Course the cost per watt in the thousands but you get the quality for the pleasure
These are comfortable headphones without a strong clamp force. If you wish to move your head … I suggest IEM’s.
They slide a heck of a lot less than Empy’s.
23 inch head circumference. 5 clicks each side on the band adjustment.
I can move around but I wouldn’t want to tilt my head all the way to stare at the ceiling. Yes. It moves. Just happened to be listening to Hans Zimmer using the HD800S at the moment.
Cheers, yeah it's kinda annoying how the really expensive headphones haven't got that mix of comfort and stability down. For example, I love the Sennheiser HD650's fit - I could hang upside down and they wouldn't budge an inch. And for those who say the clamp is uncomfortable (I don't, I love it), there is the Shure SRH1840 which are very lightweight and barely clamp, yet you can move your head as much as you want, and they stay put exactly where they are.
I'm just not a big fan of having to consciously be really still just so my headphones won't slip out of position - especially if being relatively active around my desk (such as mixing a song or playing a keyboard)...
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