[Nikorasu]

But how much better is the tonal balance of HD 800 S is over the HD 800?

 

[FLTWS]

  I'm sure nobody can convince you that the 800S is better than the 800 other than yourself.
 
If you don't hear the 6khz spike, then it could a few reasons.
1. You have a very nice tube amp/high end SS amp setup. I didn't hear the spike on my Rag/Yggy
...

 
I find the same, my Ragy / Yggy is smoother (as in less peaky) up top than my Joti, MJ2 (tube dependent), or HA-1 with the HD800. Recordings that sound bright on my Ragy / Yggy also sounded bright when the recordings were released (some 60's, 70's, 80's, and 90's) on the equipment available to me and that I owned during those decades.

 

[Dadracer]

I'm not sure the difference is substantial, but those are just my thoughts. In either case these are not cheap headphones, so I would do what others have suggested already and that is go and listen to both with a decent headphone amp that will allow you to try balanced and single ended and then see what your own conclusions are.
 
Just because I don't think there is a massive difference between them does not mean you will agree when you hear them.

 

[EvenR]

  But how much better is the tonal balance of HD 800 S is over the HD 800?

I'd say it's much better for me at least. Bass and treble is more even and the original HD800 has a slight metallic sound to it, where the HD800S sounds more natural.

 

[Nikorasu]

Originally Posted by EvenR
I'd say it's much better for me at least. Bass and treble is more even and the original HD800 has a slight metallic sound to it, where the HD800S sounds more natural.

How is the mid-range?

 

[MacedonianHero]

  But how much better is the tonal balance of HD 800 S is over the HD 800?

 
Hard to quantify. They still share a lot of similar characteristics and are more alike than not. But as some have mentioned, there can be a fatal flaw on that 6kHz spike that can become quite tiresome over time; especially with brighter recordings. So while not a big change in eliminating that glare, it does completely remove that fatal flaw completely...so quite profound in the end. Throw in a bit more heft down low (something the HD800 was a bit short on) and you have a winner in my books. 

 

[guguplex]

I had HD 800 and sold them. Now I have HD 800S, better,  but IMO I feel both are .... just boring, no extended bass, no music foundation, not engaging, rest asleep very soon. Not a problem related to my audio chain because I have a dCS Vivaldi dac + Neo 430 as amp. Different thing are the LCD-4 and HiFiMan 1000, both very engaging and funny. I don’t think that Focal Utopia be my cup of tea, either. 

 

[SP Wild]

Well I think without the blizzard of treble obscuring the soundscape, the HD800S lets you hear into the music more.

It is definitely an improvement to the horrible, nasty, ice queen HD800. To my whacked out tastes.

 

[SP Wild]

I had HD 800 and sold them. Now I have HD 800S, better,  but IMO I feel both are .... just boring, no extended bass, no music foundation, not engaging, rest asleep very soon. Not a problem related to my audio chain because I have a dCS Vivaldi dac + Neo 430 as amp. Different thing are the LCD-4 and HiFiMan 1000, both very engaging and funny. I don’t think that Focal Utopia be my cup of tea, either. 

It's still a bright headphone, but good bright, with warmth and body.

Going by trends I probably would find the Utopias, lean in the mids...You can almost say bright mids. What I heard in Andromeda IEMs, Ether Flow. People find a lean-ish midrange to give better 'soundstage' and 'imaging'.

A tube amp can inject a bit of fun into things. I found this helped a little with the HD800S. Then again, I believe all voice coil dynamic headphones sound better with tubes....For treble reasons.

 

[TexasBuck]

  I had HD 800 and sold them. Now I have HD 800S, better,  but IMO I feel both are .... just boring, no extended bass, no music foundation, not engaging, rest asleep very soon. Not a problem related to my audio chain because I have a dCS Vivaldi dac + Neo 430 as amp. Different thing are the LCD-4 and HiFiMan 1000, both very engaging and funny. I don’t think that Focal Utopia be my cup of tea, either. 

I can understand this take.  I'm not particularly fond of neutral headphones.  However, I don't find the 800S boring at all.  The sound-stage and the incredible detail/clarity are it's "novelties" of sorts for me.

 

[SP Wild]

Right agreed also. The clarity, soundstage size, speaker like imaging. Nothing else in my collection comes close.

Then my HF2, HD650,LCD2. To have so many different perspectives of the same music, releases different music structures on different soundscapes. To be able to match virtually all recordings to any volume. Life's good. Which reminds me, I should check out this V20 thing.

 

[Svatopluk]

  I had HD 800 and sold them. Now I have HD 800S, better,  but IMO I feel both are .... just boring, no extended bass, no music foundation, not engaging, rest asleep very soon. Not a problem related to my audio chain because I have a dCS Vivaldi dac + Neo 430 as amp. Different thing are the LCD-4 and HiFiMan 1000, both very engaging and funny. I don’t think that Focal Utopia be my cup of tea, either. 

I'm quiet pleased with the HD-800S (believe it or not) using the SE jack on my Yamaha A-S701 integrated amp and my Oppo BDP-105 as the source. It's anything but boring and in my opinion, very engaging.

 

[Dvdlucena]

I can understand this take.  I'm not particularly fond of neutral headphones.  However, I don't find the 800S boring at all.  The sound-stage and the incredible detail/clarity are it's "novelties" of sorts for me.

I'm sorry...

But The HD800S can be many things, but not boring.

 

[Whazzzup]

Yup, one needs some upstream gear but its a detail monster. I have la 900 for effect so get it, but neither is boring.

 

[Gamergtx260]

  I had HD 800 and sold them. Now I have HD 800S, better,  but IMO I feel both are .... just boring, no extended bass, no music foundation, not engaging, rest asleep very soon. Not a problem related to my audio chain because I have a dCS Vivaldi dac + Neo 430 as amp. Different thing are the LCD-4 and HiFiMan 1000, both very engaging and funny. I don’t think that Focal Utopia be my cup of tea, either. 

I guess the LCD 4's spoiled you