Sennheiser HD800 S Impressions Thread (read first post for summary)
Aug 16, 2019 at 9:30 PM Post #4,877 of 8,574
I was disappointed with the Empyrean. In my opinion 800S > Empyrean

I own both and love both, but I'd go Empyreans >> HD800S. Especially if I take valuable "head-time" into account. My HD800S just sits in the drawer most of the time.
 
Aug 18, 2019 at 11:54 AM Post #4,880 of 8,574
Wow ok. That saves me 4k.
Don’t make up your mind based on some random comment and give it a try before you make up your mind and you can get Empyrean for like $2600
 
Aug 18, 2019 at 12:47 PM Post #4,881 of 8,574
Just keep in mind this guy change his profile of different headphone picture every month or few. Just try it for yourself.

What the hell does a picture have to with audio? So don’t listen to the guy that has actually heard almost every flagship headphone and gives his reviews for free?

Sure. Listen to the other guy who gets paid for his reviews and gets his headphones for free...
 
Aug 18, 2019 at 1:13 PM Post #4,883 of 8,574
But make sure you listen to this guys random comment. Too funny.
At least I am suggesting it to try it out himself before passing judgement as something his better then other.
As has been noted by many headfier, your opinion on headphones and what’s best changes every month.
 
Aug 18, 2019 at 1:20 PM Post #4,884 of 8,574
But make sure you listen to this guys random comment. Too funny.
However I do apologize if my comment offend you in anyways but still using signs like greater then or equal to in subjective things is like misguiding.
You have to say what gear you used, which area you felt was lacking and your issues with headphones. May be whatever issues you had with any headphone maybe a strength for someone else.
 
Aug 18, 2019 at 1:36 PM Post #4,885 of 8,574
However I do apologize if my comment offend you in anyways but still using signs like greater then or equal to in subjective things is like misguiding.
You have to say what gear you used, which area you felt was lacking and your issues with headphones. May be whatever issues you had with any headphone maybe a strength for someone else.

I was not offended, but I still thank you for the apology.

Anything anyone says about a headphone is going to be subjective. That’s all we can offer on a discussion forum and that’s also what Head-Fi was designed for. Not everyone can afford a $3000 headphone.

I’m just one person offering one opinion and it’s totally fine to disagree with me. The thing about Head-Fi lately, is that instead of just offering a different opinion, people feel the need to try and discredit or put down someone else’s opinion!

That’s what bothers me. Why can’t people just say what they think without the need to trash someone else's view? It is possible for people to have different preferences. That doesn’t make one wrong and the other right. At the end of the day, it’s just two different opinions.
 
Aug 18, 2019 at 1:54 PM Post #4,886 of 8,574
Out of curiosity, what do you like better about the 800s over the Empyrean? I apologize if you've already explained it, I didn't see that post anywhere.
 
Aug 18, 2019 at 1:58 PM Post #4,887 of 8,574
At least I am suggesting it to try it out himself before passing judgement as something his better then other.
As has been noted by many headfier, your opinion on headphones and what’s best changes every month.

My opinion does not change every month. I enjoy trying out new gear, so when I buy something new, I post my impressions here so others can benefit from my experience. Is that not what Head-Fi was designed for?

So the more gear we try, the more knowledge we gain along the way, right? And since everything is relative, sometimes our opinions will change when we get new information. If the best headphone you’ve ever heard was a Bose QC35, how do you talk about the price to performance of the LCD 4Z compared to the Abyss Diana Phi? But after you hear many TOTL flagships, you then have a better understanding for just how good or bad the classic HD650 is or the classic Beyerdynamic dt770. Right?

So my gateway into the audiophile world was the Sennheiser 800S which I first bought around 4 years ago. Since then, I’ve been chasing the planar version of that signature ever since. And after trying most of the current high end headphones like the Empyrean, 4Z, HEK V1, HEK V2, HEK SE, Edition X V1, Edition X V2, Ether 2, Final D8000, Ananda, Arya, etc., I’ve ended up right back where I started.

So after my journey of headphones that range from below $1000 up to $4000, I now realize just how awesome the 800S is. Because you can buy it used now for under $1000 and it still sounds as good or better than headphones that cost 4X as much.

But here’s the thing. I’m not a dealer, I’m not a professional reviewer, I’m not a sponsor, and I don’t even work in audio. I offer my findings and reviews for free! I have nothing to gain by being deceptive. I don’t care if you buy from Audeze, Meze, Sennheiser, Audio Technica, or if you never buy another headphone again. So the only thing that offends me is when someone questions my motives, because I don’t have an agenda.
 
Aug 18, 2019 at 2:08 PM Post #4,888 of 8,574
Out of curiosity, what do you like better about the 800s over the Empyrean? I apologize if you've already explained it, I didn't see that post anywhere.

To me it comes down to price to performance plus a little bit of preference, because we all like what we like. The Empyrean is one of the best looking headphones ever made and one of the best built headphones ever made. I literally hungered for it for over 2 years! When it first came out as a prototype, I knew I wanted to try it, but its release was delayed multiple times. When I finally got one, it came with the right driver dead on arrival. But Meze promptly sent me a new one and it worked fine. It had a pleasing signature but I was disappointed with its somewhat narrow soundstage and I just didn’t find it resolving enough for the cost. It’s not a bad headphone by any means, but I expected more (in terms of sound only) for $3000. The mid bass is a little too elevated and wooly for my preferences. I like impactful bass, but it has to be tight and articulate. Again, that is my preference.

If it sounded as well as it was built, then it could be an endgame purchase. But the lowly 800S provides a much larger soundstage, more details, and more resolution for a third of the cost.
 
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Aug 18, 2019 at 7:29 PM Post #4,889 of 8,574
Any of you guys recommend a decent portable amp to drive my HD800S . My desktop amp has died on me and I don’t think I will replace it . So looking for an amp to pair with my iPhone XR

Any help appreciated

ifi micro BL - can drive just about anything, loaded with features. Can snag for about 500 USD. Great little item.
 

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