[Liu Junyuan]

My 2 cents on my recent audition of the HDV820 amp/dac. I have been getting the itch to upgrade my WA22 lately thanks to the HD800S.

My new reference is the He1 I heard a month ago. It is the best sound I have ever heard. The He1 is fast, natural, warm, detailed, dynamic... times a hundred. It literally disappears and you are left alone with the music. It's not a headphone system instead it's a teleportation device. It is that good. When I first heard the He1, I became confused. My initial reaction to hearing the He1 was utter disappointment. 'This sounds boring, let alone a $55,000 headphone'. Then Frank Sinatra came on and started singing the song 'Say it' and that's when I finally started listening. I left the store after listening to that song. My brain took at least a day to understand what had happened. I couldn't forget that sound. It finally dawned on me that the ultimate fidelity in Audio would be to having all the gear disappear. Just you and music left alone.

Getting the HD800S closer to that sound signature for me is the ultimate goal. Even if I get to 80% of that sound, I consider it a massive success. I honestly think the HDV820 has the capability of achieving this goal.

A summary of my current system. I have had the WA22 for almost three years. In that time, I have upgraded the valves, the capacitors and the resistors (the ones in the signal path). The source is a MacBook playing FLAC files playing through Audirvana upsampled to 256DSD and then fed to the Holo Spring DAC lvl 3 via a SU-1 transport. The signal stays balanced from the DAC to my ears. I listen to a variety of music; classic rock, female vocals, Jazz to a little bit of symphony orchestra. The last two absolutely shine on the HD800S.

So I decided to take some Dave Brubeck and Dvorak Symphony stuff to audition the HDV820. I spent a good hour listening to the HDV820. The HDV820 was connected via USB to the PC. The Flac files were played via Winamp (more about this setup later on). The following notes are my impressions.

Bass: Better on the HDV820. More prominent with a tiny bit more punch and maybe a little more detailed. If I was to give the HDV820 a 9/10 on the scale for bass, the WA22 is 8/10.

Mids: The WA22 has a little more midrange emphasis. We are talking about a heavily modded WA22 with valves that are known to make it sound closer to a Solid State amp. The difference was subtle. The standard WA22 has a more gooey, warm or lush kinda sound. I am not a fan of this. The HDV820 has beautiful mids, with the right amount of smoothness/warmth. The clarity of the HDV820 along with it's general presentation really make it sound like you are listening to a baby He1. The WA22 does exhibit a little sibilance on some tracks. The tracks I used to evaluate the HDV820 didn't have vocals so couldn't compare the two. I would give them both a 9/10. Could be a DAC issue perhaps?

Treble: Both extended wonderfully without any harshness. Again both deserve a 9/10.

Clarity: The HDV820 clearly wins. But I am comparing a Solid State amp to a Valve amp here. The WA22 had a tiny bit of distortion in comparison. 9 for the HDV820 and 8 for WA22.

Soundstage & imaging: Both were on par. More impressive with the HDV820 being a solid state and able to match a tube amp that's known to present a big soundstage. 9/10 for both.

Details: HDV820 would get the nod.

Speed: HDV820 is not fast or either slow. This is where the He1 was clearly better. The transients are amazingly fast on the He1 and so they should be considering it is an electrostatic setup. I was more impressed with WA22 not lagging too far behind the HDV820.

Back to the setup of the HDV820. I honestly think if I was playing upsampled DSD files into the Holo DAC and then feeding it to the HDV820, this thing would go up another level. A very good DAC/source into the HDV820 is what is required to get to that 80% margin.

I left the shop with a smile on my face. Not because I had found my next amp but because Sennheiser is definitely going in the right direction with the HD800S and the HDV820. My next audition will be the Apex Teton. Unfortunately, this is a tough ask as I don't know of any owners in New Zealand. But if I was asked for a amp recommendation for the HD800S, the HDV820 would be my first choice.

I would have a look at the DNA Stellaris if you're serious about absolutely maximizing the HD800S.

 

[Contrails]

I have heard the Stratus has a very laid back presentation. Does the Stellaris have a similar sound? I wish I could audition one here in Nz. I have a recent Melbourne trip coming up and will try to audition the WA33.

 

[ToTo Man]

I wonder if the HD820 ear pads fit the HD800S? Has anyone tried?

 

[Hifiearspeakers]

I wonder if the HD820 ear pads fit the HD800S? Has anyone tried?

Last time I checked, the HD820 hasn’t been released yet. How would anyone know?

 

[ToTo Man]

Last time I checked, the HD820 hasn’t been released yet. How would anyone know?

My bad, last time I checked orders were supposed to be shipping June 15th, but it now seems they have been postponed 1 month?

 

[ubs28]

Last time I checked, the HD820 hasn’t been released yet. How would anyone know?

I know someone who owns the HD 820. So they are selling. No idea where he got them from though.

 

[Hifiearspeakers]

I know someone who owns the HD 820. So they are selling. No idea where he got them from though.

That’s great news!

 

[Hifiearspeakers]

My bad, last time I checked orders were supposed to be shipping June 15th, but it now seems they have been postponed 1 month?

It looks like there are a few people who own them already. My mistake.

 

[iDesign]

My 2 cents on my recent audition of the HDV820 amp/dac. I have been getting the itch to upgrade my WA22 lately thanks to the HD800S.

My new reference is the He1 I heard a month ago. It is the best sound I have ever heard. The He1 is fast, natural, warm, detailed, dynamic... times a hundred. It literally disappears and you are left alone with the music. It's not a headphone system instead it's a teleportation device. It is that good. When I first heard the He1, I became confused. My initial reaction to hearing the He1 was utter disappointment. 'This sounds boring, let alone a $55,000 headphone'. Then Frank Sinatra came on and started singing the song 'Say it' and that's when I finally started listening. I left the store after listening to that song. My brain took at least a day to understand what had happened. I couldn't forget that sound. It finally dawned on me that the ultimate fidelity in Audio would be to having all the gear disappear. Just you and music left alone.

Getting the HD800S closer to that sound signature for me is the ultimate goal. Even if I get to 80% of that sound, I consider it a massive success. I honestly think the HDV820 has the capability of achieving this goal.

A summary of my current system. I have had the WA22 for almost three years. In that time, I have upgraded the valves, the capacitors and the resistors (the ones in the signal path). The source is a MacBook playing FLAC files playing through Audirvana upsampled to 256DSD and then fed to the Holo Spring DAC lvl 3 via a SU-1 transport. The signal stays balanced from the DAC to my ears. I listen to a variety of music; classic rock, female vocals, Jazz to a little bit of symphony orchestra. The last two absolutely shine on the HD800S.

So I decided to take some Dave Brubeck and Dvorak Symphony stuff to audition the HDV820. I spent a good hour listening to the HDV820. The HDV820 was connected via USB to the PC. The Flac files were played via Winamp (more about this setup later on). The following notes are my impressions.

Bass: Better on the HDV820. More prominent with a tiny bit more punch and maybe a little more detailed. If I was to give the HDV820 a 9/10 on the scale for bass, the WA22 is 8/10.

Mids: The WA22 has a little more midrange emphasis. We are talking about a heavily modded WA22 with valves that are known to make it sound closer to a Solid State amp. The difference was subtle. The standard WA22 has a more gooey, warm or lush kinda sound. I am not a fan of this. The HDV820 has beautiful mids, with the right amount of smoothness/warmth. The clarity of the HDV820 along with it's general presentation really make it sound like you are listening to a baby He1. The WA22 does exhibit a little sibilance on some tracks. The tracks I used to evaluate the HDV820 didn't have vocals so couldn't compare the two. I would give them both a 9/10. Could be a DAC issue perhaps?

Treble: Both extended wonderfully without any harshness. Again both deserve a 9/10.

Clarity: The HDV820 clearly wins. But I am comparing a Solid State amp to a Valve amp here. The WA22 had a tiny bit of distortion in comparison. 9 for the HDV820 and 8 for WA22.

Soundstage & imaging: Both were on par. More impressive with the HDV820 being a solid state and able to match a tube amp that's known to present a big soundstage. 9/10 for both.

Details: HDV820 would get the nod.

Speed: HDV820 is not fast or either slow. This is where the He1 was clearly better. The transients are amazingly fast on the He1 and so they should be considering it is an electrostatic setup. I was more impressed with WA22 not lagging too far behind the HDV820.

Back to the setup of the HDV820. I honestly think if I was playing upsampled DSD files into the Holo DAC and then feeding it to the HDV820, this thing would go up another level. A very good DAC/source into the HDV820 is what is required to get to that 80% margin.

I left the shop with a smile on my face. Not because I had found my next amp but because Sennheiser is definitely going in the right direction with the HD800S and the HDV820. My next audition will be the Apex Teton. Unfortunately, this is a tough ask as I don't know of any owners in New Zealand. But if I was asked for a amp recommendation for the HD800S, the HDV820 would be my first choice.

You’re on the right track with the HDV 820. I feel it is the best solution for the HD 800 S and that shouldn't be surprising. I think adding an outboard DAC can affect the excellent balance and collapse dimensional sense of space that Sennheiser worked so hard to create. I also think adding an outboard DAC thrusts it into the category of diminishing returns. I wish I had gone straight to the HDV 820 instead of having purchased other extreme high end solutions that I’ve sold over the years. The HD 800 S and HDV 820 are truly the end of my HeadFi journey.

 

[Redcarmoose]

You’re on the right track with the HDV 820. I feel it is the best solution for the HD 800 S and that shouldn't be surprising. I think adding an outboard DAC can affect the excellent balance and collapse dimensional sense of space that Sennheiser worked so hard to create. I also think adding an outboard DAC thrusts it into the category of diminishing returns. I wish I had gone straight to the HDV 820 instead of having purchased other extreme high end solutions that I’ve sold over the years. The HD 800 S and HDV 820 are truly the end of my HeadFi journey.

The “End” is always cheerful to hear about. Congratulations!

 

[swspiers]

The “End” is always cheerful to hear about. Congratulations!

Red: do I sense some gentle sarcasm?

 

[Redcarmoose]

Red: do I sense some gentle sarcasm?

I meant that with complete sincerity; though your response is hilarious.

 

[smodtactical]

You’re on the right track with the HDV 820. I feel it is the best solution for the HD 800 S and that shouldn't be surprising. I think adding an outboard DAC can affect the excellent balance and collapse dimensional sense of space that Sennheiser worked so hard to create. I also think adding an outboard DAC thrusts it into the category of diminishing returns. I wish I had gone straight to the HDV 820 instead of having purchased other extreme high end solutions that I’ve sold over the years. The HD 800 S and HDV 820 are truly the end of my HeadFi journey.

Hdv 820 is an amazing pairing with the hd800s running balanced. I was blown away by the sound.

IDesign aren't you selling your hdv?

Did you try the hdv with a separate dac?

 

[iDesign]

Hdv 820 is an amazing pairing with the hd800s running balanced. I was blown away by the sound.

IDesign aren't you selling your hdv?

Did you try the hdv with a separate dac?

Yes, I am and no I don't recommend using an outboard DAC with the HDV 820.

 

[crayons23]

I would recommend using an outboard dac personnly