[Svatopluk]

   
That would be a clear sonic downgrade from his Mojo, though.

I'm just an old guy with unbalanced hearing, give me a brake.

 

[Energy]

  Hmmm, so there is no way to add bass quantity this HD 800S with lets say compared to LCD X ?
 
what a pitty.. is any solid state amp (balanced) can add PRAT to this lovely headphone ?

 
You can make the bass more pronounced by changing out the stock silver plated ofc cable to a pure copper cable. That's a start.
 
EQ will help some, but like previous stated, It's the sound of the HD800. You might want to take a journey into planar headphones or other dynamics that do better for bass.
 
Even my slightly warmer Balanced Beta 22 is still not warm enough for the HD800/HD800S. I would recommend Woo Audio W22. To me, it sounds more pleasing. Tubes really does it justice, but who knows. Added THD may sound fuzzy to you or too smooth.
 
Perhaps the anaxilus mod might even tame the already tamed 6-7kz peak further in your HD800S where the bass will start to sound more dominating but honestly maybe by 5-10% at most. I recommend trialing other headphones with your current setup. You can always return them. You miss all the shots you don't take. 

 Make a choice. Never settle.

 

[JaZZ]

 

   
As I said, you can't bypass the Mojo's (and Hugo's and DAVE's) headphone output – it's the same signal path as the line output, since there's no dedicated headphone amp built in. Other DACs have a different topology, and you can bypass their headphone output (if available). So if you don't need higher power, it makes no sense to add an amp if you're looking for higher sound quality and accuracy (objectively spoken). You can't improve a signal by re-amplifying it.

 
I'm not sure if I follow you. What is the difference between Chord Hugo output stage and other DAC's like the Auralic Vega which make it a problem? If Auralic simply added a headphone port directly onto the output stage of the Auralic Vega so that you can plugin headphones on your DAC, you basically have the same thing the Chord Hugo does?
 
Since I'm not using the headphone output port, but the line out ports on the Chord Hugo like I would use on the Auralic Vega, I don't see the issue here regarding the headphone port that I don't use. It's simply the same signal / output stage you would have used with a DAC that doesn't have a headphone port (even if I would have used the headphone port into the amplifier, it's still the same signal also like a regular DAC)

 
There's no problem with an external amp for the Mojo, but at the same time it makes no sense. Given the Mojo as a basis, you can't improve its output signal by amplifying it, so having the Mojo itself driving the headphone will provide the highest accuracy and transparency. The only exception being the need for higher power (which I don't see with the very efficient HD 800). Note: The poster wanted more substantial bass, something I can absolutely reproduce, even though I'm not a basshead. The only way to get at least louder bass from the mere addition of an amp is to use one with high output impedance – at the price of compromized transient response, since that will lower the electrical damping of the resonance frequency – or an otherwise heavily coloring amp.
 

HD 800 S                                                             [graph from Inner Fidelity]
 
As you can see, there's quite some low-frequency drop-off which would benefit from corresponding equalizing. Whereas no amp in the world is able to fix this specific low-frequency characteristic. Personally I felt the need for a stronger low bass since the launch of the HD 800. And I found a way to get it even before I had the opportunity to use a software equalizer. I'm speaking of a damping modification. It not only addresses the treble spike, but also kills some of the inner reflections (thus also recommendable for the «S») and perceivedly increases the bass. Not to the degree an equalizer is capable of, but still...
 
 
 

 

  Hmmm, so there is no way to add bass quantity this HD 800S with lets say compared to LCD X ?
 
what a pitty.. is any solid state amp (balanced) can add PRAT to this lovely headphone ?

 
You can make the bass more pronounced by changing out the stock silver plated ofc cable to a pure copper cable. That's a start.
 
EQ will help some, but like previous stated, It's the sound of the HD800. You might want to take a journey into planar headphones or other dynamics that do better for bass.
 
Even my slightly warmer Balanced Beta 22 is still not warm enough for the HD800/HD800S. I would recommend Woo Audio W22. To me, it sounds more pleasing. Tubes really does it justice, but who knows. Added THD may sound fuzzy to you or too smooth.
 
Perhaps the anaxilus mod might even tame the already tamed 6-7kz peak further in your HD800S where the bass will start to sound more dominating but honestly maybe by 5-10% at most. I recommend trialing other headphones with your current setup. You can always return them. You miss all the shots you don't take. 

 
That's an understatement. If it's just about the bass, you'll get all you want from equalizing (if done right). Well, I haven't heard the HD 800 S yet, so don't really know how it will react to an increase by say 5 dB at 30 Hz in view of the measured 2nd-order harmonic distortion. However, usual basshead headphones show even higher low-frequency distortion.

 

[ufospls2]

I posted this in the LCD-4 thread but I thought I would post it here for those who are interested. Just some quick impressions of the 800S.
 
" WOW! I used to own the regular HD800 and these are a clear improvement. They take all of the good about the HD800 and keep it, and add in a bit something extra. They are warmer, have more bass, and have better treble than the originals. I wouldn’t say the treble annoyed me on the original HD800 like it does some people, it never did, but the S’s treble is just smoother, and more refined. The soundstage and imaging are fantastic, just like the originals. Tall and very wide. I ALMOST bought these, they were that god damn good. With the prices headphones are commanding these days in the high end market, these are a god damn bargain. Highly recommended listen if you get a chance. Of course, fit and finish are typical sennheiser. Wonderful. I can’t say enough good about these headphones."

 

[Julsjazz07]

Hmmm i think mojo alone can not bring magic of HD 800S. Just a few minutes, paired it with hugo tt, it sound quite impress me, but still lack of bass slam.

But too bad, hugo tt is not balanced...

Still do not know what balanced amp that will bring magic to hd800s

 

[JaZZ]

Hmmm i think mojo alone can not bring magic of HD 800S. Just a few minutes, paired it with hugo tt, it sound quite impress me, but still lack of bass slam.

But too bad, hugo tt is not balanced...

Still do not know what balanced amp that will bring magic to hd800s

 
Whatever the magic is that you want, Mojo can't deliver, apparently. If an amp adds it, then it's fake, not accuracy. But what if you increase the low bass? Isn't the magic there, then?
 
I have Mojo, Hugo and DAVE. In terms of mere bass slam, they're about equal – driven directly and properly equalized. I don't think you can get more magic than from DAVE...

...of course without extra (coloring/magifying) amp!

 

[Energy]

That's an understatement. If it's just about the bass, you'll get all you want from equalizing (if done right). Well, I haven't heard the HD 800 S yet, so don't really know how it will react to an increase by say 5 dB at 30 Hz in view of the measured 2nd-order harmonic distortion. However, usual basshead headphones show even higher low-frequency distortion.

 
I use J-River but the band isn't that large at all. Raising the bars changes the entire spectrum thus no longer sounding like an HD800 anymore. 
 
What do you use? I just want to raise the low end slightly and further remove some sibilance. 

 

[JaZZ]

 

That's an understatement. If it's just about the bass, you'll get all you want from equalizing (if done right). Well, I haven't heard the HD 800 S yet, so don't really know how it will react to an increase by say 5 dB at 30 Hz in view of the measured 2nd-order harmonic distortion. However, usual basshead headphones show even higher low-frequency distortion.

 
I use J-River but the band isn't that large at all. Raising the bars changes the entire spectrum thus no longer sounding like an HD800 anymore. 
 
What do you use? I just want to raise the low end slightly and further remove some sibilance. 

 
I use xnor's graphic equalizer for foobar2000 (¹/₃-octave/31 bands) – but mainly the 10-band octave equalizer of my FiiO X5 II, the center of my main system.
 

 
Here's my foobar settings. Note: it's for a HD 800 classic with damping mod.

 

[Energy]

   
I use xnor's graphic equalizer for foobar2000 (¹/₃-octave/31 bands) – but mainly the 10-band octave equalizer of my FiiO X5 II, the center of my main system.
 
Here's my foobar settings. Note: it's for a HD 800 classic with damping mod.

 
Thanks for the link. Have you tried the Anax mod before (must have) before switching over to this one? Seems like the design is to cover the metal mesh to add more dampening for bass increase lowering the treble slightly i assume?
 
Have you ever used J.River? If i can't find a way to get more bands on here I'll switch over to Foobar2000.

 

[Mediahound]

Hmmm i think mojo alone can not bring magic of HD 800S. Just a few minutes, paired it with hugo tt, it sound quite impress me, but still lack of bass slam.

But too bad, hugo tt is not balanced...

Still do not know what balanced amp that will bring magic to hd800s

I'm quite happy with the Schiit Mjolnir 2 with my HD800 S, balanced. I can't imagine another amp being much better actually. 

 

[Energy]

 
I'm quite happy with the Schiit Mjolnir 2 with my HD800 S, balanced. I can't imagine another amp being much better actually. 

 
I didn't think so to until I upgraded from the Mjolnir to other amps. It gets better my friend.

 

[Mediahound]

   
I didn't think so to until I upgraded from the Mjolnir to other amps. It gets better my friend.

I've tried other amps including Cavalli Liquid Carbon, Oppo HA-1, Burson Conductor. None of them were near the performance MJ2 with the HD800 S. Well, the Cavalli was, but with some slight loss of detail. 

 

[JaZZ]

 

  I use xnor's graphic equalizer for foobar2000 (¹/₃-octave/31 bands) – but mainly the 10-band octave equalizer of my FiiO X5 II, the center of my main system.
 
Here's my foobar settings. Note: it's for a HD 800 classic with damping mod.

 
Thanks for the link. Have you tried the Anax mod before (must have) before switching over to this one? Seems like the design is to cover the metal mesh to add more dampening for bass increase lowering the treble slightly i assume?
 
Have you ever used J.River? If i can't find a way to get more bands on here I'll switch over to Foobar2000.

 
No, this is the original damping mod, the Anaxilus mod is adapted from this one. The strategy was to lower the reflexive content of the sound, which primarily affected high frequencies, to gain accuracy – this by lining all bare surfaces with absorbing material. It may in fact address the 6-kHz resonance at the source, but since this (velvet) version has never been measured by Inner Fidelity, I can't say for sure. However, the Anaxilus mod has little effect on the 6 kHz peak, more or less reduces the treble, after all what's removed is reflections as well, so basically not a bad thing. But I believe velvet is a much better material for this purpose than foam, felt or velours.
 
I tried to cover just a tiny piece of the steel mesh for gaining some low-frequency energy (by minimally impeding phase cancellation from the rear sound waves), which worked very well, but not in the ideal form of primarily increasing lowest frequencies, so covering a larger surface wouldn't have been beneficial. Finally I decided to renounce it completely. Moreover, as I see it, the steel mesh also acts as a partial reflector for mid and high frequencies mimicking a wave front affecting the whole outer ear passably uniformly instead of the usual point-source known from headphones, so covering it would corrupt this effect which I consider responsible for the HD 800's spectacular soundstage (apart from the angled drivers).
 
Sorry, I have no experience with JRiver (just Winamp and foobar2000), but as far as I know there's a parametric equalizer plugin for it.

 

[Energy]

 
I've tried other amps including Cavalli Liquid Carbon, Oppo HA-1, Burson Conductor. None of them were near the performance MJ2 with the HD800 S. 

 
That is very interesting. When i switched from Gungnir/Mjolnir stack to using the same DAC, but with Beta 22, it was an immediate difference. Listening out of the HD800 and HD800S of course. There was much more detail, bigger sound stage, punchier bass, and mid-range was more forward.

 

[Mediahound]

   
That is very interesting. When i switched from Gungnir/Mjolnir stack to using the same DAC, but with Beta 22, it was an immediate difference. Listening out of the HD800 and HD800S of course. There was much more detail, bigger sound stage, punchier bass, and mid-range was more forward.

Are you talking the original Mjolnir or Mjolnir 2? They are totally different animals. Not to mention the MJ2 can run tubes. I'm very happy with Amperex Orange Globes in the MJ2. Makes the HD800 S sound sublime.