[Alexander01]

Anyone have these? Is it a good combination? No listening fatigue (Harsh, Loud, Aggressive or too bright) when using the integrated Headphone AMP? Does it sound amazing for electronic music like Trance/Techno/Dance/Hardcore? Or do you think are better headphones for these genres to use with the STX? Curious to your opinion

 

[jeycam]

Get Ultrasone Pro900 instead, the STX definitely isn't a source for an HD800.

 

[Currawong]

I think you're wasting your time using a $1400 pair of headphones with just a sound card. The buying a Ferrari to just drive down to the shops analogy comes in here. If that's what you want, go for it though, but unless you're planning to buy some very serious gear to use with the HD-800s in the future, you're wasting your money.

 

[Alexander01]

Ultrasone has a midbass hump:

If i find a mid-bass hump awful with electronic music. It make the sound too bassy/muddy/warm. I like headphones with a low-end hump (30-50 hz) for a good vibrating subwoofer feeling/foundation. But I really need a tight mid-bass.

Right now I have a very slow/bassy/muddy headphone together with a Creative X-Fi Titanium and use this EQ setting in Windows Media Player to get tight-mid bass, slamming deep sub-bass and airy high's for improved soundstage/clearness:

I'm searching for a headphone that have this sound by default.

 

[DC5Zilla]

I definitely do not recommend that pairing. HD800s are extremely detailed and they will catch all the flaws from your source. Better upgrade the source first.

 

[Alexander01]

But are they laidback? Because that compensates the detail. I don't really like a too forward sound because I can't listen harsh/sharp trebles at high volumes. I like a big sound with soft airy trebles. All my music is 320 Kbps MP3 btw.

 

[peanuthead]

HD800 is very revealing. In my opinion, it is more picky about the recorded material than the source gear.

 

[Shahrose]

Instead of trying to find headphones for the STX, why don't you instead try to find different sources for the HD800? That would be more fruitful IMO.

The STX BTW is a decent source/amp and the HD800 will still sound good out of it, but you'll be missing the last 15-20% that the HD800s are capable of.

 

[DC5Zilla]

If you like laidback big sounds, I think HD650 will suit you much better. I don't recall HD800 having "any" laid back signature IMO

 

[joomongj]

Well I just happen to own HD800 coupled w/ an Auzentech Forte soundcard which isn't too far different from your prospective setup and my advice to you as someone who pondered upon the equivalent question is get the cans first and see if you find yourself satisfied w/ it and take it from there. Reason why I use 800 w/ my Forte is b/c being a heavy fps gamer, I prefer Forte's CMSS-3D support for emphasized enemy pinpointing in CW (Crysis Wars). I modify the EQ such that I up the treble by 4dB and even w/ 4dB treble boost, there's strong sibilance in songs which I would not hear otherwise w/ flat-lined EQ or my DAC1 Pre. I don't know how much boost your customized EQ will give rise to the 16k frequency zone. But if I can hear obvious sibilance as someone who's relatively new to the world of audiophiles w/ mere 4dB boost, I don't know how extremely piercing it will sound w/ your maxed out setting at 16k. Of course the problem depends on how much tolerant you're to it. Granted, as others have noted I would wholeheartedly recommend that you consider a better dac/amp device as I would take my DAC1 Pre over the Forte w/o a ray of doubt when it comes to music. The gist I'm trying to make is get the cans 1st but do remember in the back of your head that your soundcard may be bottlenecking the maximum performance one would desire given the not-so-average price of the dynamic cans. A good analogy is someone who tries to run a GTX 295 on a P4 machine and complains 295 sucks. And ya, 800 is very revealing alright. Personally I find the 800 + Forte do wonders which was very surprising on my end given I pretty much received the same comments from other head-fiers that my soundcard needs be upgraded at the time when I was thinking of getting the HD800. Do I regret forking out $1700 on a separate dac/amp even w/ the perceived satisfying sound $150 Forte already gives? No I don't regret it at all and in fact I'm thinking of getting a better dedicated amp sometime later this year. At the end of the day it's your money and decision. I don't think you will be discontent driving 800 off Xonar and of course there're a couple of underlying assumptions I'm making here (such as your Xonar is similar to Forte SQ wise which isn't accurate) so please do take my words w/ some grain of salt.

 

[Currawong]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Alexander01 /img/forum/go_quote.gif But are they laidback? Because that compensates the detail. I don't really like a too forward sound because I can't listen harsh/sharp trebles at high volumes. I like a big sound with soft airy trebles. All my music is 320 Kbps MP3 btw.

In my experience, the HD-800s can have a very unpleasant treble with cheaper solid-state gear. As someone already suggested, the HD-600 or HD-650 would be a better bet for you.

 

[MrGreen]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Currawong /img/forum/go_quote.gif HD-600 or HD-650 would be a better bet for you.

I tried these with electronic music and to be frank it was awful.

In fact, if you aren't going to go HD800 or better, I'd probably skip sennheiser all together for electronic music and look towards ultrasone and beyer for bass heavy response or etymotic and <still trying to fill in the blank> for fairly even response.

FWIW etymotic ER4s sound fantastic with electronic as do AD900s which would pair very nicely with the STX (assuming you dont mind the bass light air-focused sound of the AD900 that is). Although I am still investigating this myself something liket he SA5k or AD2k might be up your alley and far easier to drive satisfactorally than the HD800. Then again, theres no problem going the HD800 if you plan to upgrade source + amp later IMO.

Headphones will never give you the subwoofter type sound you are looking for at the lower end. You should probably consider an external sub and/or going to speakers and/or tactile transducers to produce that.

 

[kuben]

As joo said there is alot of sibilance. STX is not good with 800's.

 

[InFn-0]

For the genres you mentioned, HD800 will probably be an overkill. You maybe able to cure some of the sibilance with opamp rolling; but for bass oriented music, closed headphones are much better, they can give you the slam open headphones cant.

 

[kuben]

Hey Alex try this HDJ-2000: New Flagship Professional DJ Headphones - Pioneer Europe