FOUNDERZERO
100+ Head-Fier
Sounds really good on the HoloAudio Bliss in HI-Z mode.
Sennheiser HD800 S Impressions Thread (read first post for summary)
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UntilThen
Headphoneus Supremus
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Sounds really good on the HoloAudio Bliss in HI-Z mode.
I did not criticize s/s but tube amps are still my preference. I just heard this setup on the weekend with Susvara and Raal sr1b and they are very good !
https://www.whathifi.com/features/s...moment-for-headphones-and-beyond-its-hd-800-s
The interview with Sennheiser's product manager Jermo Koehnke ..
Nothing surprising. The following excerpts however hinds that Senn is more focusing on introducing new entry level close back, something like the close back versions of the HD560, the HD600 series ..
On top he kinda suggests that a newer version of HD800S and a "trim down" version, a cheaper Orpheus HE 1! No plan / timeline in sight though .. but I believe many audiophiles and many Senn fanboys wouldn't mind Senn put this in action ..
The interview with Sennheiser's product manager Jermo Koehnke ..
Nothing surprising. The following excerpts however hinds that Senn is more focusing on introducing new entry level close back, something like the close back versions of the HD560, the HD600 series ..
On top he kinda suggests that a newer version of HD800S and a "trim down" version, a cheaper Orpheus HE 1! No plan / timeline in sight though .. but I believe many audiophiles and many Senn fanboys wouldn't mind Senn put this in action ..
UntilThen
Headphoneus Supremus
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ZMF pads ordered and will get to me in 7 days time.
UntilThen
Headphoneus Supremus
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Leather
I finally managed to pick up a pair of HD800S, was waiting for a decent sale. Without going into too much detail, I am extremely impressed running off my WA2 amp. This is the third pair of headphones I've ever owned that I am immediately happy with (LCD-X, Verite Closed are the others).
I'm not sure how anyone can say these lack macrodynamics and maybe it is different coming off a SS, but I can't fault them in any regard. They don't have planar sub bass, but I didn't expect that.
RME ADI-2, Woo WA2, Verite Closed, and HD800S are my temporary endgame.
I'm not sure how anyone can say these lack macrodynamics and maybe it is different coming off a SS, but I can't fault them in any regard. They don't have planar sub bass, but I didn't expect that.
RME ADI-2, Woo WA2, Verite Closed, and HD800S are my temporary endgame.
MasterHead
100+ Head-Fier
Fully agree. HD800S works really well with tubes. This gives them unique character.
RME ADI-2 and Feliks Audio Elise with HD800S and Final D8Kpro LE is my best setup so far.
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Has anyone purchased a Hart Cable for the 800S? Wondering how the quality of the connectors are.
Nicolas Yance
100+ Head-Fier
They are great. I bought mine a couple of years ago with zero problems.
The connectors are a bit tough to pull out the first couple of times, then they loose enough to be a non issue.
Awesome, gonna pick up a cable with 3.5, 1/4 and XLR terminations for the 800s. Would rather not have to keep messing with the HD800S's connectors when switching cables, since I've seen far too many pics of the sockets being ripped out.
Nicolas Yance
100+ Head-Fier
I have the 800S since 2017, remove the cable every time I put the HP back to its case. No problem at all.
Glad to hear it! I'm just babying my new (and most expensive) headphones. Absolutely loving them so far coming from 6xx and LCD-X (Audeze have since been sold).
phthora
Headphoneus Supremus
Very solid connectors, but easier to remove than the stock Sennheiser ones. And, having the ability to swap the termination out to match the amp is well worth the money. I don't remove my cables when storing, but that's mostly because the Hart cable is so flexible it adds very little bulk to what needs to fit into the carry case.
exhale
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So this is my 2nd foray into the HD800/S universe. First time, i had an audio chain that was less than great (for them, at least) and i returned them after 2 days. Couldn't stand the anemic bass, the harsh peaks and thanks to this, i couldn't enjoy them at all. Got them 4 days ago and have been testing them on 2 separate amps: a WA6 2nd gen with NOS tubes (tailored for a warm sound) and a Violectric 202. Both are being fed signal by a SMSL D400ex (wanted the latest AKM chip and couldn't be more happy with its performance).
It took me a while to get accustomed to their timbre and overall sound. Coming from planars exclusively, i missed the bass. A lot. The HD800S can't hold a candle to the Arya SE in the bass department. It's not even a contest. But, unlike the first time i heard them, now they do have bass. Quite a lot of it. Some songs make me think it's anemic, others make me think "F*ck, it's just right" while others simply wow me. They are less harsh than i remember them but the soundstage is still as impressive. Coming from the Aryas, i'm not as impressed as i first was but it is still a different presentation. I dare say "airier". Wide but not as tall (yet, still tall enough to give me a sense of true three dimensional sound). What first stroked me was how much more forgiving they seem to be. I first thought it was the tube amp's doing but i get the same impression while listening via the V202. I know, it's still a rather warm amp but not as warm as the WA6 is (at least with the tubes i'm currently using it).
The Aryas are more harsh in the upper frequencies than the HD800S. I never thought this to be possible but after listening to songs that i could barely tolerate on the Arya, on the HD800S i could not only listen without grimacing but actually enjoying them. What i noticed is that now, i'm back listening to more trance music than i used to. At my origins, i am a die-hard trancer but without noticing, i floated away from this genre. Somehow, the way it sounded on the Arya as well as the LCD-2s made me... stop and wonder: "This didn't use to sound like this". Maybe a difference in timbre, presentation, who knows? I have more than a few tracks which are VERY low quality (192 kbps and the likes) which i was expecting to not make it more than 10 seconds into. Surprise, surprise! I can go the whole duration without being taken out of the music.
I wondered if the new models, made in Ireland, have gone through some sort of silent tweaks / revisions. When i first listened to them, a few days ago, being used to listen to a lot of progressive (goa / psy / trance), i immediately remembered that their bass was lacking but it was just me being used to something else. Not necessarily liking it but also not disliking. It's true, there are only a hand full of progressive tracks that i can enjoy on the HD800S, compared to the Arya or the IE 900 (which are Sennheiser's BEST product by a HUGE margin).
In my ideal scenario, i'd have either the HD800S / Arya SE for everything that requires a big scene, good detail retrieval and a true-to-life presentation while a 2nd pair of headphones for all my EDM / rock needs. That's why i ordered a pair of Beyerdynamic T1.3 (especially since most of the people seem to hate them for their bass and "lack" of highs). I am still well within the return window for the HD800S and will have all 3 side by side for a week (until the return window for the Senns expires). At the begining, i thought i'd keep the Aryas and choose between the Beyers or the Senns. Now, i am afraid that i will have to part ways with the Aryas, if the Beyers are what i hope to be. My way of testing is to listen for a week solely to the new pair. Never going back to another pair (except in the very first day, when trying to figure out the differences at the high frequencies, of which i am HIGHLY sensitive). If after a week, when putting another pair of headphones on my ears, i realize it's an upgrade - back they go. If not and i feel it's more of a downgrade - welcome HD800S. It always worked for me and i never second guessed my decisions.
All in all, regardless if i end up returning the HD800S or not, after my second experience, i can now understand what the whole fuss is about. Unlike what most people say, that they are genre specific headphones, i've found them to be more than adequate for a LOT of genres. Besides the usual jazz/acoustics, they are amazing for (classic) trance, modern pop (Rubio, Sya, etc.), ambiental music (both electronic and purely orchestral), hard trance (yes, i know, that's a bass head's genre but hell, it actually works) and a few others that escape my mind at the moment. They are more versatile than most of the reviews / comments have made me think they are. Truly, a work of art and a timeless piece of audio equipment.
Edit: spelling
It took me a while to get accustomed to their timbre and overall sound. Coming from planars exclusively, i missed the bass. A lot. The HD800S can't hold a candle to the Arya SE in the bass department. It's not even a contest. But, unlike the first time i heard them, now they do have bass. Quite a lot of it. Some songs make me think it's anemic, others make me think "F*ck, it's just right" while others simply wow me. They are less harsh than i remember them but the soundstage is still as impressive. Coming from the Aryas, i'm not as impressed as i first was but it is still a different presentation. I dare say "airier". Wide but not as tall (yet, still tall enough to give me a sense of true three dimensional sound). What first stroked me was how much more forgiving they seem to be. I first thought it was the tube amp's doing but i get the same impression while listening via the V202. I know, it's still a rather warm amp but not as warm as the WA6 is (at least with the tubes i'm currently using it).
The Aryas are more harsh in the upper frequencies than the HD800S. I never thought this to be possible but after listening to songs that i could barely tolerate on the Arya, on the HD800S i could not only listen without grimacing but actually enjoying them. What i noticed is that now, i'm back listening to more trance music than i used to. At my origins, i am a die-hard trancer but without noticing, i floated away from this genre. Somehow, the way it sounded on the Arya as well as the LCD-2s made me... stop and wonder: "This didn't use to sound like this". Maybe a difference in timbre, presentation, who knows? I have more than a few tracks which are VERY low quality (192 kbps and the likes) which i was expecting to not make it more than 10 seconds into. Surprise, surprise! I can go the whole duration without being taken out of the music.
I wondered if the new models, made in Ireland, have gone through some sort of silent tweaks / revisions. When i first listened to them, a few days ago, being used to listen to a lot of progressive (goa / psy / trance), i immediately remembered that their bass was lacking but it was just me being used to something else. Not necessarily liking it but also not disliking. It's true, there are only a hand full of progressive tracks that i can enjoy on the HD800S, compared to the Arya or the IE 900 (which are Sennheiser's BEST product by a HUGE margin).
In my ideal scenario, i'd have either the HD800S / Arya SE for everything that requires a big scene, good detail retrieval and a true-to-life presentation while a 2nd pair of headphones for all my EDM / rock needs. That's why i ordered a pair of Beyerdynamic T1.3 (especially since most of the people seem to hate them for their bass and "lack" of highs). I am still well within the return window for the HD800S and will have all 3 side by side for a week (until the return window for the Senns expires). At the begining, i thought i'd keep the Aryas and choose between the Beyers or the Senns. Now, i am afraid that i will have to part ways with the Aryas, if the Beyers are what i hope to be. My way of testing is to listen for a week solely to the new pair. Never going back to another pair (except in the very first day, when trying to figure out the differences at the high frequencies, of which i am HIGHLY sensitive). If after a week, when putting another pair of headphones on my ears, i realize it's an upgrade - back they go. If not and i feel it's more of a downgrade - welcome HD800S. It always worked for me and i never second guessed my decisions.
All in all, regardless if i end up returning the HD800S or not, after my second experience, i can now understand what the whole fuss is about. Unlike what most people say, that they are genre specific headphones, i've found them to be more than adequate for a LOT of genres. Besides the usual jazz/acoustics, they are amazing for (classic) trance, modern pop (Rubio, Sya, etc.), ambiental music (both electronic and purely orchestral), hard trance (yes, i know, that's a bass head's genre but hell, it actually works) and a few others that escape my mind at the moment. They are more versatile than most of the reviews / comments have made me think they are. Truly, a work of art and a timeless piece of audio equipment.
Edit: spelling
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