[Rob80b]

What music sharing service is that?

........

The above link was from Bandcamp https://bandcamp.com, a great place if one wants to explore new and exciting alternative music but I'm streaming with Tidal.....I've no doubt it all sounds spacious on many phones, rack that up to the boys in the studio
Was surprised by the IE900 release as I was just recently contemplating if I should pick up the IE800S to replace my IE800 I forfeited a while back.

If you are interested in alternative soundscapes I've a few of my pieces from the 80s that I posted on youtube awhile back.

"Interactive tape loops & electronics II"​

 

[angelus55]

Hi all, anyone have any guide/guidance on how to get started doing some basic EQ for the HD800s?

Running from PC

Sure! look up peace apo, that is a system wide eq software that is free and is seems to be the most recommended/best in terms of software that is system wide and has the most customization that i can tell and it has other features like cross feed settings and such

and for hardware options there is the monoprice thx 788 amp/dac unit which has a low and high shelf function and 5 parametric eq settings, there is also the rme adi amp/dac unit which makes the eq functions more robust then the monoprice but the rme is double the price or more if i recall so i went with the monoprice and that is what i use now instead of any software since i needed not just pc system wide eq but eq that works with anything i connect to the unit like my ps4 and switch consoles

the only limit that the monoprice has it that it can not decrease or increase more the 6 db while the rme can go to 12 db both ways

if you have heard of the Harman target and it seems interesting to you, look up oratory eq settings and he has settings for this headphone for both peace and the rme unit which also works on the monoprice, i tried the harman target and preferd the bass but the changes to the mids i did not like and prefer the mids unchanged on this headphone and the treble still seemed a bit much on modern types of music that i listen too

if you want to try my settings which i prefer over everything i found so far, they are the following

i have a low shelf bass filter of +6 db at 100hz which is basically the same as what the Harman target is for bass according to what oratory measured/made

and for treble i have the following

peakfilter of -4 db with a q value of 2 at 7000hz

and another peakfilter of -4 db with a q value of 2 at 10000hz

and that makes the treble seem better for more modern types of music like edm, pop, hip hop and so on

please let me know if you tried this and what you think as i have not shared these settings yet and i am curious as to what others think of it

 

[Whazzzup]

Im flat as a beer left out for a week.

 

[P+D-MI]

Im flat as a beer left out for a week.

Ditto. The only EQ I need is S.E.T.

 

[Bazaar]

I used these as a starting point (oratory 1900) and tweaked to my liking on my RME. They have settings for PC/Mac clients (like peace apo as mentioned above) as well.

 

[HTSkywalker]

Hi all, anyone have any guide/guidance on how to get started doing some basic EQ for the HD800s?

Running from PC

Why don't you try the new Schiit Loki Mini Plus, it's out now and been upgraded to Audiophile level of performance

 

[Rob80b]

Misodiko leather headband pad. I was waiting for someone to do this and as soon as I saw it I quickly jumped on it. Now it matches the misodiko leather earpads. The fit is a pain as the holes were quite different from the og pads. I barely got it on and still, the ends were a little loose. So while it looks great, there's still some room for improvement around the fitting holes. A good alternative minus the fit issue and it only cost me $10 from where I ordered it.

For those who didn't catch this on the HD800 thread.
https://www.head-fi.org/threads/the-new-hd800-impressions-thread.650510/page-1902#post-16390294

 

[HTSkywalker]

For those who didn't catch this on the HD800 thread.
https://www.head-fi.org/threads/the-new-hd800-impressions-thread.650510/page-1902#post-16390294

 

[Rob80b]

While checking for something else on Sennheiser's site I see they've a few special offerings on hand.

US
https://en-us.sennheiser.com/high-resolution-headphones-3d-audio-hd-800-s

Canada
https://en-ca.sennheiser.com/high-resolution-headphones-3d-audio-hd-800-s

 

[HTSkywalker]

While checking for something else on Sennheiser's site I see they've a few offerings on hand.

US
https://en-us.sennheiser.com/high-resolution-headphones-3d-audio-hd-800-s

Canada
https://en-ca.sennheiser.com/high-resolution-headphones-3d-audio-hd-800-s

Good deal on the 880S

 

[mclover]

Anyone else use HD800s for pop/edm?.. also are they considered summit fi?

 

[Tanalasta]

Pop yes. EDM you can find better.
Summit-Fi is dependent on perception. With the right pairing, the layering, soundstage width and transparency compete Summit-Fi. As an overall package it depends on how high the summit is.

 

[Whazzzup]

Anyone else use HD800s for pop/edm?.. also are they considered summit fi?

sure is, throw in th900 as a perfect compliment and see why

 

[angelus55]

Anyone else use HD800s for pop/edm?.. also are they considered summit fi?

i feel like they are great for pop/edm with the a low shelf filter of 6 db at 100hz, look at my eq settings above a few posts, you can take or leave the treble settings as even i myself do not always turn those on, but the bass eq i always have on for the most part when listening to those type of genres or playing certain games

if you want a headphone that is strictly for bass centric music but still great at everything else also, there is nothing better then the lcd-2 (or lcd-x but that was to heavy for me), i have tried more expensive options like the sony z1r (i have not tried the th900 mentioned above for what its worth) but the lcd-2 had the best overall tonal balance between it and the z1r while still having the best bass i have experienced so far in a headphone

sometimes for the lcd-2 i will apply a +4 db low shelf filter at 100hz for bass but its not needed that much as the bass filter for the hd 800 s is for that type of music imo

something worth mentioning like Tanalasta said, this headphone is unmatched for soundstage and imaging, so that in itself is a completely unique experience that i have not heard anywhere else, and if you play video games like i do in an equal amount that you listen to music or even more then you listen to music like i do you cant do better imo for games

a song like linked below sounds really special on the hd 800 s with or without eq

 

[Giru]

Hey guys!
I'm wayyy late to the party but I just had to come here and say it.

The HD800S is probably THE BEST DD driver Headphone I've heard.

A bit of background: I have never liked Sennheiser Headphones much except for the HD600 which have been with me for quite a long time (about 8 years, not the same unit tho). I've owned/used multiple senns over the years and although I've appreciated the overall quality of the sound; there was nothing phenomenal about any of the models and therefore I never had em for a long time. This was even true for the HD650; it was a bit veiled and thick sounding for my tastes.

A few years ago I got a chance to listen to the HD800 (stock, non modded) at a meetup. It was a bad experience to say the least. Don't get me wrong; the layering, separation and imaging were pretty dope but despite all this the headphone was not one for long listening sessions (or even moderately shorter ones). It was splashy, sibilant and too aggeessive, definitely not meant for universal use. The bass was there but the upper mids and highs just drew too much attention. This was the case with almost all amps (even the gooey SETs).

Since then I've always scoffed at the 800 series and almost disregarded them for use in a reference/summit-fi setup.

When the HD800S came out I never wanted to audition them, knowing too well what I was gonna get. Boy was I wrong.

A few weeks ago a friend asked me to borrow my Erzetich Phobos and I agreed to loan it to him. He had the Utopias and the 800S and since I had already heard (and didn't like) the Utopias extensively, I asked him to send me his 800S.

Lo and behold; the mail man drops in the senns last Tuesday. Long story short, I've had them on every night for a minimum of three hours since that very day.

These are not at all like the old 800. This is just something so different that it has made me question quite a few of my headphone purchases over the last few years.

The 800S is without a doubt the most resolving and spatially wide headphone I've heard yet. Not counting the overly expensive electrostats like the SR009, the 800S images like nobody's business. I've recently overhauled my amplification and there were more than a few times when I heard quite a lot of new details that I couldn't appreciate in my Phobos, TH909 or Odin.

The fun didn't end here either. What I have noticed is that if you like a lot of genres, the 800S suits most if not all. I would never like to listen to classical on my 909, similarly, I wouldn't use the Odin for faster music. But the 800S was quite happy churning out decent performances all the time. Not to say it was perfect; It definitely is not. But its a great compromise between universality and engaging sound for more than most types of music.

But ofcourse, there's no free lunch. Although it's not sibilant like its older brother, it is still dry and pretty crunchy up top. The only saving grace is that the overall quantity of this signature is now very very tolerable and adds a sense of detail and air.

The bass is better but it's not something to write home about. Its presence is almost like "there when you need it" sort of way. Switching amplification to tubes does mitigate some bass thirst and things do get rosy and romantic but still, it doesn't woo you like some others do (a nod to Phobos; wink wink).

I've also had a chance to read and watch a lot of reviews on these, retrospectively ofcourse; and although most reviews have been positive; I feel that the number one complain people talk about is the apparent "artificial" sound stage. I'm not sure if I can agree though. Yes the soundstage is pretty wide but frankly there is no reference in terms of what soundstage should really feel like (or rather sound like) in a headphone. I went back to a lot of my previously recorded and mastered mixes and heard them on these. I'm happy to report that my recordings sounded true to source and I never felt instruments were panning too far or wide. Infact I'm now seriously considering them for studio work.

I want to make a comparison here and it is with the Focal Utopia. Mind you I'm just comparing these off my memory so don't take my word to the bank. The Utopias' are focal's flagship headphones and they certainly sound like one. They are more fuller sounding than the HD800S especially down low. The bass is tighter, more extended and well controlled while that on the Senn is just meh in comparison. But that's probably the only area where the Focals are better. The HD800S trumps the Utopia on absolute detail and dynamics. The transient response and decay of notes is also much more nuanced on the 800S. The senns also scale very well with better gear especially when switching to tubes. The 800S comes into its own with my 300B. The Utopias used to become too colorful with the 300. The senns however, become lush and smooth while still retaining that level of detail and realism. Frankly, this makes for some really revelatory listening experience.

I want to make more comparisons but unlike IEMs which have seen a reprise of DD based flagships, There aren't many DD Headphone flagships anymore. Its mostly just Planars. While there is nothing wrong with planars though, I think DD headphones are still hard to beat for their universality and relative amplification independence.

So will I buy these? Hmmmm. Maybe not. But its only coz I've got too many headphones already. If I had been looking for a headphone, this one gets all my thumbs and fingers up. If there was anything like a "Reference Headphone"; the 800S would be it.