[sghound]

  I think I agree with what you say about the LCDs but its so hard to know with them making model tweaks every ten minutes and seeming variations between different instances of the same model. I think with the LCD 3F that I heard the treble is extension okish, but way too polite for me.

 
this

 

[shabta]

I just read your review and..... no mention of Magma, Triangle or Voyage in your music/headphone analysis? Ha.

@DWbirdseye
 just for you:

My copy, a 2010 reissue of Triangle 2 from the French prog rock group Triangle, has unfortunately been pretty badly compressed. Maybe that's how the vinyl is, I sold off all my vinyl, computer audio is where it's at man, so can't really say.

This amusing period piece covers the gamut from the emerging Jazz Rock of the day, to 60s psychedelia, and more typically early 70s progy stuff. It's a fun time capsule, which has some good tracks if you can get into the kitchen sinkish, retro hodgepodge vibe. Recreation is a favorite track, a mostly instrumental in contrast to many of the tracks on the album. In general, the more lit up presentation of the HD800 seems to work against the overly compressed sound, a bonus compared to the youngster. It does come with added graininess compared to the S which is readily apparent in the "AAAAAHHHH" vocals the emerge in various places throughout the track. Overall, on this track, I like the HD800 a bit more as it seems to liven things up relative to S, you just have to put up with the grain factor. And this is interesting because in my earlier writeup, I generally didn't listen to anything that was this dynamically  compressed.

For Magma, I chose their '76 classic, Üdü Ẁüdü, partly because I just wanted type Üdü Ẁüdü a few times. I like how it sounds and then each time I type Üdü Ẁüdü, I get to hear the syllables echo in my mind once again. Also a French ProgRock band, this music has stood the test of time much better then the just mentioned euclidian brothers. Elements of Rock, Jazz, Carl Orff inspired Choral music come together in an marvelous coherent whole. on the title track Üdü Ẁüdü the S does a pretty convincing rendering of the track in all it crazy glory. Starting with the African Jazz intro, the percussion is missing a little bit of punch, but I think that's the recording. The horns come in sounding perfect, hanging in space above the percussion,  the S convincingly portrays not just the width of the recording but depth. Then the vocals swing into gear, singing in Kobaïan a self created language. The male and female spin around eachother in a dizzying display of zany abandon, the S seems to render every nuance of voices perfectly, they soar when they should and growl as appropriate, wow! Switching to older bro, it's nearly as convincing. The track is not especially bright, and the main difference being in the bottom end where a smidge more oomph is heard with the younger dude. Either way, on Üdü Ẁüdü the listener is in for a thrill!

p.s. not into Voyage, sorry

 

[dharma]

  ...
 
Anyway, I don't think we are hearing things very differently. There is a reason that a lot of classical labels in Europe are using HD800 as a montoring/mixong headphone these days, it gives a pretty accurate reproduction of what the live thing sounds like. The S has improved the proposition. 

 

 
Europeal label 2L was using HD800 extensively. For my ears (with iFi Micro iDSD and HD800) their recordings are spot-on with HD800. Not sure how it is with HD800S? Can anyone comment their recordings with HD800S?
Images from 2L recordings sessions (with Sennheiser hp's)
http://www.2l.no/media/2L-115-session-photos/2L-115_session-photos-15.jpg
http://www.2l.no/media/2L-115-session-photos/2L-115_session-photos-2.jpg
http://www.2l.no/media/2L-116_session-photos/2L-116-Cikada-Bauckholt_recording-sessions-14.jpg
http://www.2l.no/media/2L-110_session-photos/2L-110_Cantus_recording-sessions-2014-15.jpg
http://www.2l.no/media/2L-105-session-4.jpg
http://www.2l.no/media/2L-099_recording-sessions/2L-099-11.jpg

 

[Sorrodje]

@shabta & @TonyNewman : Don't forget that the HD800 sound is a kind of acquired taste . Once used to that sound, a lot of headphones become muddy as hell. that not make the HD800 a reference of neutrality IMO. Measurements proves it's a kinda bright headphone with an obvious peak. debates on that are pointless and You can consider me as a die hard fan of the HD800 I owned as my reference headphone during the 3 last years . i used it mostly unmodded.
 
The fact is , the HD800S is bit closer to neutrality and it's great improvement. taming the 6khz peak itself is not the whole story. the most important point IMO is the combination of the improved midrange ( especially high mids) and the tamed low treble hence a far better mid/treble articulation. and this without any drawbacks I can detect.
 
I don't hear the HD800S as more bassy at all though; despite what I read here or there and despite the lolilol individual Curves provided by Senn with each HD800/S. 

 

[dharma]

   
Europeal label 2L was using HD800 extensively. For my ears (with iFi Micro iDSD and HD800) their recordings are spot-on with HD800. Not sure how it is with HD800S? Can anyone comment their recordings with HD800S?
Images from 2L recordings sessions (with Sennheiser hp's)
http://www.2l.no/media/2L-115-session-photos/2L-115_session-photos-15.jpg
http://www.2l.no/media/2L-115-session-photos/2L-115_session-photos-2.jpg
http://www.2l.no/media/2L-116_session-photos/2L-116-Cikada-Bauckholt_recording-sessions-14.jpg
http://www.2l.no/media/2L-110_session-photos/2L-110_Cantus_recording-sessions-2014-15.jpg
http://www.2l.no/media/2L-105-session-4.jpg
http://www.2l.no/media/2L-099_recording-sessions/2L-099-11.jpg

 
Another good Europeal label is using HD800 for mixing too -
Sound Liaison
http://www.soundliaison.com
as was mentioned about nearly all their recordings:
'Mixing headphones: Sennheiser HD800'

 

[seehee2k]

  I am using my HD800S with my Sony ZX2 and Mojo and so far I am really enjoying the sound. However I would ideally like to get a desktop amp/dac with a balanced output socket and have in mind the Oppo HA-1 or Sennheiser HDVD800 but just wondered if there are any cheaper options out there?

 
I second that. The Oppo HA-1 looks compelling feature wise, but I am looking for something that has a smooth treble and I am not sure if that is the case with the Oppo.
 
@plakat do you prefer the Benchmark DAC2 HGC over the Sennheiser?

 

[shabta]

 
@shabta
 ">@TonyNewman
 : Don't forget that the HD800 sound is a kind of acquired taste . Once used to that a lot of heapdhones become muddy as hell. that not make the HD800 a reference of neutrality IMO. Measurements proves it's a kinda bright headphone with an obvious peak. debates on that are pointless and You can consider me as a die hard fan of the HD800 I owned as my reference headphone during the 3 last years . i used it mostly unmodded.

The fact is , the HD800S is bit closer to neutrality and it's great improvement. taming the 6khz peak itself is not the whole story. the most important point IMO is the combination of the improved midrange ( especially high mids) and the tamed low treble hence a far better mid/treble articulation. and this without any drawbacks I can detect.

I don't hear the HD800S as more bassy at all though; despite what I read here or there and despite the lolilol individual Curves provided by Senn with each HD800/S. 

Good points Sorrodje!  As an opposite example, I was roaming around the US all last summer. I listened mostly to NAD HP50s which sound great out of my phone. They are also way warmer and a tilted towards the bassier end of the spectrum. When I finally returned to France, and listened to my home rig, I needed a good half hour to readjust my ears to the HD800.


I am surprised you don't hear a wee bit more bass though on the S. I'll concede that I don't hear it on lots of tracks, and maybe sometimes my brain is fooled because the S sounds a smidge warmer and less airy. But on the Kendrick Lamar and other hip hop tracks I played it was pretty damn obvious to me that the S went lower. But maybe it's expectation bias? Dunno.
I really don't know what neutral is. I do know what certain instruments should sound like and their the best I have heard is on the HD800  & HD800 S and the SR009. Admittedly they are all really on the bright side.As you say debate is pointless about that. And it is interesting that labels like 2L are using the HD800 to monitor/mix, so others are reaching a similar conclusion about what headphone renders classical instruments most accurately. 

 

[Sorrodje]

Consider my opinion is built with the HD800 and HD800S plugged on a Meier Corda Jazz that offers (very tight bass with the HD800. I'm waiting a Vali2 and a bit later a DNA Stratus, my impressions could change then. 
 
I don't listen so much to Hip hop but I listen to a lot of EDMs . 

 

[dharma]

  I am using my HD800S with my Sony ZX2 and Mojo and so far I am really enjoying the sound. However I would ideally like to get a desktop amp/dac with a balanced output socket and have in mind the Oppo HA-1 or Sennheiser HDVD800 but just wondered if there are any cheaper options out there?

 
If sound and equipment compatibility is important, then maybe NAD C 510 Direct Digital Preamplifier-DAC is good choice. As Thom Moon wrote: '...The C 510's reproduction of recorded sound was as nearly perfect as I’ve heard in 50 years of serious listening...'

 

[magiccabbage]

   
The fact is , the HD800S is bit closer to neutrality and it's great improvement. taming the 6khz peak itself is not the whole story. the most important point IMO is the combination of the improved midrange ( especially high mids) and the tamed low treble hence a far better mid/treble articulation. and this without any drawbacks I can detect.
 
 

 I really like the sound of that... ill probably end up buying one soon. ill sell my HD800 with Draug 2 cable.

 

[Mentis]

  I think I might be more treble tolerant than most. I can't stand the Audeze LCD-whatever range as they kill the treble for me (but have excellent bass and mids).
 
For my ears and my tastes, the HD800S is just about bang on dead neutral, but still has a hint of brightness I can detect at some points in some tracks. HD800 unmodded is way too much. Modded I like it a lot. HD800S builds on the modded version and makes for a better result (IMHO).
 
I am definitely feeling a bass bump in the HD800S. Nothing intrusive, and only when the track calls for it, but it is there - a bass punch that is almost "planar-like". That's something new over the HD800.

Any impressions on HD800S vs the Ether C's?

 

[Energy]

  @shabta & @TonyNewman : Don't forget that the HD800 sound is a kind of acquired taste . Once used to that sound, a lot of headphones become muddy as hell. that not make the HD800 a reference of neutrality IMO. Measurements proves it's a kinda bright headphone with an obvious peak. debates on that are pointless and You can consider me as a die hard fan of the HD800 I owned as my reference headphone during the 3 last years . i used it mostly unmodded.
 
The fact is , the HD800S is bit closer to neutrality and it's great improvement. taming the 6khz peak itself is not the whole story. the most important point IMO is the combination of the improved midrange ( especially high mids) and the tamed low treble hence a far better mid/treble articulation. and this without any drawbacks I can detect.
 
I don't hear the HD800S as more bassy at all though; despite what I read here or there and despite the lolilol individual Curves provided by Senn with each HD800/S. 

 
Still glad you were able to hear the treble/mid differences nonetheless so it confirms with the other two's findings.
 
All i listen to is kpop and EDM. Occasionally other genre's when I hear a compelling song.
 
To me even with a warmer amplifier such as the Beta 22 (balanced), using the stock HD800 i find myself twitching my eyes whenever female vocals hit a climatic high or even on the verge of getting there. Electronic instruments just sound overall sibilant. Most people at this point would say to get something even warmer like Audeze or HiFiMAN but its just a no can do. Once you fall for the HD800's sound stage and clarity, there's little to turn back to.
 
I catch myself a couple times changing EQ to "Hip Hop" setting which got rid of the sharp treble but in that, took away all good things this headphone provided. Because of it, i went for the Anaxilus mod. Surprisingly just like purrin's energy buildup measurements. The sound I was hearing after the modifications matched. 100% piercing high's before the mod. 30% after the mod. Sucky part here is that the pieces added inside the cups to reduce the simbilance took away from the sound stage and airyness. If the HD800S could fix this that would be amazing.
 
I just ordered the 800S hehe.

 

[DWbirdseye]

  @DWbirdseye
 just for you:

My copy, a 2010 reissue of Triangle 2 from the French prog rock group Triangle, has unfortunately been pretty badly compressed. Maybe that's how the vinyl is, I sold off all my vinyl, computer audio is where it's at man, so can't really say.

This amusing period piece covers the gamut from the emerging Jazz Rock of the day, to 60s psychedelia, and more typically early 70s progy stuff. It's a fun time capsule, which has some good tracks if you can get into the kitchen sinkish, retro hodgepodge vibe. Recreation is a favorite track, a mostly instrumental in contrast to many of the tracks on the album. In general, the more lit up presentation of the HD800 seems to work against the overly compressed sound, a bonus compared to the youngster. It does come with added graininess compared to the S which is readily apparent in the "AAAAAHHHH" vocals the emerge in various places throughout the track. Overall, on this track, I like the HD800 a bit more as it seems to liven things up relative to S, you just have to put up with the grain factor. And this is interesting because in my earlier writeup, I generally didn't listen to anything that was this dynamically  compressed.

For Magma, I chose their '76 classic, Üdü Ẁüdü, partly because I just wanted type Üdü Ẁüdü a few times. I like how it sounds and then each time I type Üdü Ẁüdü, I get to hear the syllables echo in my mind once again. Also a French ProgRock band, this music has stood the test of time much better then the just mentioned euclidian brothers. Elements of Rock, Jazz, Carl Orff inspired Choral music come together in an marvelous coherent whole. on the title track Üdü Ẁüdü the S does a pretty convincing rendering of the track in all it crazy glory. Starting with the African Jazz intro, the percussion is missing a little bit of punch, but I think that's the recording. The horns come in sounding perfect, hanging in space above the percussion,  the S convincingly portrays not just the width of the recording but depth. Then the vocals swing into gear, singing in Kobaïan a self created language. The male and female spin around eachother in a dizzying display of zany abandon, the S seems to render every nuance of voices perfectly, they soar when they should and growl as appropriate, wow! Switching to older bro, it's nearly as convincing. The track is not especially bright, and the main difference being in the bottom end where a smidge more oomph is heard with the younger dude. Either way, on Üdü Ẁüdü the listener is in for a thrill!

p.s. not into Voyage, sor !tula​s

Salut! I was the original drummer for Voyage and one of the founding members. We were a part of the birth of hard rock in France and it was an exciting time. We toured with Magma and Christian Vender was quite the character, great drummer with impeccable taste and pedigree. Anyone that was into Tony Williams I held in high esteem. Highlights were playing on the same stage with Pink Floyd, Ginger Baker's Air force, Atomic Rooster, Soft Machine, Joan Baez and Eric Clapton. I could write a book, but I won't.... All this to say, that I have placed a reservation with Dr. Jan Meier for the HD 800 S.
Bob

 

[vlach]

I am using my HD800S with my Sony ZX2 and Mojo and so far I am really enjoying the sound. However I would ideally like to get a desktop amp/dac with a balanced output socket and have in mind the Oppo HA-1 or Sennheiser HDVD800 but just wondered if there are any cheaper options out there?

The Marantz HD-DAC1 is under $1k. Not that I've heard it.

 

[TonyNewman]

  Any impressions on HD800S vs the Ether C's?

 
Will do some A/B this weekend and post some thoughts. Pity my 300B amp is currently busted. The HD800 was fantastic from tubes - HD800S should be even better.