[exhale]

There are number of ways to approach bass. There is the bass that our ear hears and then there is the bass we feel. When it comes to headphones, a more diffuse-field tuning will have a low amount of bass as you experience it in the Sennheiser (though with lifted sub-bass). For a lot of general music applications, it can be pleasing to have more of bass presence so that it makes up for the bass we aren't receiving in a tactile sense. Thus, if you research you will see the newer Harman curves, which are going to be more for your liking - especially for dance music.

Listening to classical music, the tuning of these headphones is excellent, and creates a large spacious stage. But that may not be what you are looking for.

The HD800 has been around since 2009, and we are all aware of their issues, strengths and the fixes for them. The HD800S is newer but very similar. Tinnitus inducing devices they are not... that may be something unique to perhaps how you set them up.

One thing to keep in mind, is that a lot of dance music, the production actually isn't that great - at least for dynamic range. Commercial dance music often is compressed to heck to be loud and impactful on the dance floor, but mix that with a dynamic headphone like the HD800 and it will sound retched. Not all electronic music is mastered this way though - but many older dance tracks are poor from a dynamic range perspective.

You may have wrote the HD800 off a bit too quickly though, and had you taken a bit more time, listening to range of music, your perception may have changed - and you may have discovered something new.

For a headphone that can really reproduce sub-bass and simulate more of a room feel. Consider looking into a Campfire Cascade. Check out its frequency curve compared to the HD800.

I listen to a very wide range of music. I specified that one dance/EDM track because that's when it happened, sadly. But i listen to Buddha Bar, chillout, orchestral, oldies (like the real `70's and `80's), ambient, EDM (as stated above), rock, pop, folk (especially celtic folk music). I think i've spent around 50 hours with the headphones and i do agree that with certain recordings, they are breathtaking. No doubt or arguing here. I especially loved them with everything Enigma (all of which is ripped from CD's because i'm a huge Enigma fan).

I will not post here after ending today's discussions, since i no longer own the headphones but again, i do not wish to harm anyone's feelings regarding them. This is just my experience with them.

 

[llcook51]

Interesting comments. It appears that your ears and perception are quite atypical, so the HD800S isn't a good choice for you, even though so many people love them and don't find them to be weak on bass nor too bright or sibilant. Perhaps you could tell us more about which other headphones you like and dislike, so that we can put your comments in context. I personally consider myself to be quite averse to excessive brightness, and I'm not forgiving of weak bass, and I find myself loving the HD800S after listening to them every day for the past two weeks.

I agree with Phronesis. I enjoy my HD800S immensely. People hear differently and enjoy different types and styles of music. That is one big reason that there are so many TOTL HPs with different sound signatures. No one-size fits all.
Whatever HPs you decide on, may they please you and your ears.

 

[Phronesis]

I stated that i have highly accurate hearing and this comes down to the way my ear canals are "built". While "normal" people have their ear canals at an angle, towards their brain, my ear canals go straight up, in a vertical line, immediately after the eardrums. This alters my perception and sensibility of and towards sounds around me, improving it.

I don't see how you can conclude that your hearing and perception are more "accurate" because your ear anatomy is atypical. What reference for "accuracy" are you using, and how are you testing? How do you know that you perceive things in the environment which others typically don't? Seems much more likely that the driver geometry and angled alignment of the HD800S doesn't work for your ears because your anatomy is atypical.

 

[metsat]

I have listened to the HD800S for about an hour now since I received them and it is probably to early to make a judgment but to my ears I have never heard a headphone with better soundstage and instrument separation.

 

[exhale]

I don't see how you can conclude that your hearing and perception are more "accurate" because your ear anatomy is atypical. What reference for "accuracy" are you using, and how are you testing? How do you know that you perceive things in the environment which others typically don't? Seems much more likely that the driver geometry and angled alignment of the HD800S doesn't work for your ears because your anatomy is atypical.

Because i have been told so . At one point, i thought i was going crazy because i kept hearing little things which others could not. I could hear the giggle of a small child around the corner with wind blowing in my face. I could hear the small sneezes of my neighbors while my whole family was looking strangely at me. When i joined the army, during the compulsory medical tests, i was told about this and the doctor asked me: "Do you think you've been hearing things others around you could not?" and before i got the chance to answer, she quickly switched to "How many times have people looked at you like you were crazy" .

Edit: i've done several tests which were supposed to show my ability to hear 3D (positional audio, i think). I did a lot of tests and even today, when i go and see a new doctor, whenever that doctor sees how my ear canals are, smiles and asks me the same things.

 

[Phronesis]

Because i have been told so . At one point, i thought i was going crazy because i kept hearing little things which others could not. I could hear the giggle of a small child around the corner with wind blowing in my face. I could hear the small sneezes of my neighbors while my whole family was looking strangely at me. When i joined the army, during the compulsory medical tests, i was told about this and the doctor asked me: "Do you think you've been hearing things others around you could not?" and before i got the chance to answer, she quickly switched to "How many times have people looked at you like you were crazy" .

Edit: i've done several tests which were supposed to show my ability to hear 3D (positional audio, i think). I did a lot of tests and even today, when i go and see a new doctor, whenever that doctor sees how my ear canals are, smiles and asks me the same things.

Very interesting, thanks for sharing. Seems that your anatomy gives you added hearing acuity of a certain type, but since that's atypical relative to the normal population, it may come with some drawbacks (such as the HD800S not sounding good to you), and of course human hearing has generally evolved to meet survival and reproduction needs in past evolutionary environments.

I hope you recognize that, because your ear anatomy and hearing is atypical, it would be probably be a good idea for you to neither give nor take advice regarding headphones. You especially need to listen for yourself, and need to assume that what you perceive may be quite different from what most other perceive.

 

[exhale]

Very interesting, thanks for sharing. Seems that your anatomy gives you added hearing acuity of a certain type, but since that's atypical relative to the normal population, it may come with some drawbacks (such as the HD800S not sounding good to you), and of course human hearing has generally evolved to meet survival and reproduction needs in past evolutionary environments.

I hope you recognize that, because your ear anatomy and hearing is atypical, it would be probably be a good idea for you to neither give nor take advice regarding headphones. You especially need to listen for yourself, and need to assume that what you perceive may be quite different from what most other perceive.

And this is exactly the conclusion i've came to. I bought these headphones at the (rather insistent) advice of a close friend, who thought he knew what i like and/or want and kept on insisting that these are perfect, for me. My lesson is learned. Thank you and to each and every other HD800 S owner out there (or here...?), enjoy your headphones!

 

[Arniesb]

After a quick stint with the HD800S, i had to return them. While they do offer superior soundstage, instrument separation and whatnot over other, usually less expensive dynamic headphones, i find that it lacks a lot to be considered a pleasant or musical pair of headphones. After 3 or so days of listening to music, i realized i actually skipped and / or ignored more than 80% of my music library. And no, i'm not only talking about low quality files. I had to skip and or ignore FLAC or PCM files which were ripped from CD's i own. I never got the chance to audition the HD800s but I dread to think of how they sound. Bass is lacking. I know you audiophile people would try and categorize it into being "tight" and "precise" and whatever...for me, it's simply lacking. As a small time bedroom producer, i learnt that bass is, mainly, the soul of a song. These headphones do not have bass. Excuse me, proper sub bass. And i remember one Sennheiser engineer stating that these headphones were meant to portray the sound of a song just as the creator / artist intended. Nope. False. But i digress.

The real reason i had to return them is that i actually ended up with tinnitus, courtesy to Sennheiser's flagship HD800S. I'm in the army for close to 15 years now. Been to countless shooting ranges and i've fired with a lot of guns. Never have i experienced what these headphones have put me through. My home setup is a DYI amplifier with a tube dac, the Aune T1se. The tube i'm using is one of the rarest out there, an E88CC Valvo cca. tube. Basically, my music sounds warm even through cold(er) headphones. I was listening to Dance 4 Life, the 12" mix (a rather muffled recording on its own). When Faithless starts to sing, all of a sudden, BOOM. I get this piercing feeling in my left ear. Instantly took the headphones off, stopped the music and tried to relax for a second. Yup. Tinnitus was there. Went to an ORL doctor (that's how we call them here, in Romania), to have my ears checked. Luckily, my eardrums are ok. So a huge "thank you" to Sennheiser for this piece of technology. The volume was at a moderated 50% from the amp, no gain selected. I was actually afraid to listen to high volume due to those unbelievably piercing and sibilant "ssssssss"-es i'd constantly hear when listening to various recordings.

These don't deserve to be called neutral. Or flagships. Certainly they do not deserve their asking price. I've read a lot of articles on how people **** on Beyerdynamic for their treble peaks but holy cow, the Amirons are like a bandage, after this short adventure with the HD800S. Sorry for the rant but i'm pretty sure i'm not the only one who ever owned these headphones and actively TRIED to like them, ignoring their shortcomings and trying to justify keeping them. A word of advice: don't. At 1100 EURO (Black Friday price), these should be not perfect but without major flaws. Those ****ing "sssssssssss"-es are unbearable. I literally lived in fear while listening to music, constantly en garde, cringing at recordings i had no clue they could sound so bad.

Again, do excuse my venting but i'm pretty pissed at what i've been gifted for buying these. To everyone else, do enjoy yours as maybe my hearing is way too sensitive for their sound signature (truth be told, i do have a highly accurate and sensitive hearing).

Cheers.

These headphones can sound warm, harsh and bassy. It depends on system, also it can sound really harsh with noisy source. I would audition different setups too see if headphones is the problem.

 

[llcook51]

These headphones can sound warm, harsh and bassy. It depends on system, also it can sound really harsh with noisy source. I would audition different setups too see if headphones is the problem.

From my listening experience, the HD800S is more sensitive to the source than many other HPs. While that can be a problem, it is also a reflection of its ability to discern minute differences and details. The "easy" solution: only listen to great material!

 

[Arniesb]

From my listening experience, the HD800S is more sensitive to the source than many other HPs. While that can be a problem, it is also a reflection of its ability to discern minute differences and details. The "easy" solution: only listen to great material!

Honestly man. In my present system it sounded harsh regardless of music quality. Topping Dx 7 as a dac or dac/amp combo. Had Arcam Irdac but it sounded way too colored. Later on Tried ifi nano usb 3.0 to bring more natural Sound and lower noise floor. It kinda sounded rounder in bass and lower mids, but very thin mids and highs. With Ifi nano usb 3.0 everthing sounded unbearably harsh even with amp like Violectric V280. My last chance before changing dac was to try usb cable that have separeted power line from signal line with good insulation and great quality conductor.
So i got Wireworld Starlight Platinum 7 Usb cable yesterday and my God...
I dont remember last time i didnt skip song, but now i barely had sleep after my nigh shift, because music sounded so organic so real so alive, resolving and detailed...
I was laughing when reading about cables back in the day, but now i am truly a believer...
If i would start my journey again i would buy quality usb cable after dac and amp.
What you feed dac is what you get...
Yes expensive cable, but it make music sound real which cannot be achieved with amp. Whith crappy usb music will sound flat regardles of amp.

 

[martyn73]

I'm not sure if a hyper-expensive USB cable made to industry specifications can improve signal quality to any measurable degree. A comparison can be made with an HDMI cable; no cable exists which can measurably improve signal quality and in the case of HDMI cables, improve acting. Perhaps using a tube amplifier to add second order harmonic distortion or using EQ software would be more effective than a DAC (which is supposed to be neutral) or a USB cable (which is simply required to transfer signal without loss)? If such a cable could be used to enhance output from my DSLR or improve my printed text then I'm a believer. Until then, my trusty Poundland USB cable will continue to heroically transport supply noughts and ones.

 

[billerb1]

I'm not sure if a hyper-expensive USB cable made to industry specifications can improve signal quality to any measurable degree. A comparison can be made with an HDMI cable; no cable exists which can measurably improve signal quality and in the case of HDMI cables, improve acting. Perhaps using a tube amplifier to add second order harmonic distortion or using EQ software would be more effective than a DAC (which is supposed to be neutral) or a USB cable (which is simply required to transfer signal without loss)? If such a cable could be used to enhance output from my DSLR or improve my printed text then I'm a believer. Until then, my trusty Poundland USB cable will continue to heroically transport supply noughts and ones.

Uh oh, here we go.

 

[martyn73]

Just my opinion, but I'd like to hear my HD800S or even SR-007A with a super-duper cable which features a bass de-flabifier, spun-silver plankton generator and an organic resolution de-encabulator.

 

[Whazzzup]

Well mine being a chord company Sarum t digital super array USB would fall in the premium category and sound quality enhancement is sidelined by skittle dispersion as well as a rf wave bubble that leaves my dac clean and shiny.

 

[Matez]

Just my opinion, but I'd like to hear my HD800S or even SR-007A with a super-duper cable which features a bass de-flabifier, spun-silver plankton generator and an organic resolution de-encabulator.

Challenge accepted. On top of your wishlist it'll also distort space time continuum. Going to be pricey, you've been warned!