[Whitigir]

The hd800 is the king of rock, not electronic. King of electronic to me is the Lcd-x. 007mk1 is the best all arounder I have ever heard but I have only had it for a few days.

My personal favorite is the hd800 with rock and I'm more of an electronic fan, though the 2 are close along with rap. Oldschool, none of this modern day crap. The hd800 has this goosebump inducing quality that the other 2 headphones do not. There is just so much speed, detail, realism and layering that it just let's the song take you away and its so comfortable you feel like you aren't wearing headphones.

I'm just pissed that sennheiser did not offer up an upgrade package for original owners first, they would not be able to build this if it was not for original owners buying 40,000 units at a profit of around $500 for them. That's allot of people and money to turn your back on imo. I do not care about the black paint and I already have btg cable so neither cable is going to do me any good.

I guess the headphone has not been released yet so sennheiser has some time to correct this. I would be willing to shell out $199, $299 if they replace the earpads. That is $100 more than Lawton charges so I think it is more than fair. Getting raped for $6-700 selling my original hd800 for the hd800(s) is just something I'm not going to do, nor should sennheiser put me in that situation. I bought the original 2 times now, that should more than enough.

I can't imagine what someone who bought the original hd800 and then the balanced cable for a whopping $380 is felling like right now. $380 down the toilet and that is before they get raped another $600 selling off the hd800. $1k in the hole before they even buy the hd800(s).

Why don't you do some mods to your original hd800 then ? Ofcourse modding will change the way it will produce sound, but that is for people who want to tinker with their properties. For folks who rely on the manufacturers, I will have to say that it virtually makes no senses in offering an upgrade package. Because the labor, and who would ? If those that would, they would have already done it with mods, and upgrade from 3rd party sources. It makes more senses to release an upgrade version. Ofcourse both will sound just good, so why discontinue one for another ? It comes down to tastes and preferences.

For all that said, even if you mod it using 3rd party sources, it would easily be a package of 500-700$ depend on how, and what you want. . But by buying 800s, you get the best from Sen., and a brand-new one

 

[jibzilla]

I'm sorry, but I just can't see any ripoff here... It's not that the original product had a fatal flaw that was corrected by a revision. Yes, there's a new version becoming available -- it does not devalue the older model. It's not even cheaper (to the contrary actually).

 
I never said it was a ripoff one way or the other, just that I'm not a fan of being on the receiving end. For non hd800 owners I would not doubt this is the best deal out there. Like I said it is my favorite, even over the 007mk1 and lcd-x.  However for those that already own the original, that already have a cable that they enjoy it is pretty hard to take the plunge.
 
I have already been through this with stax and it was not pleasant. The airbow sr-sc-11 was much more preferable than the stax sr-407 and 507 for that matter and all airbow did was place some stickers on it and not very good ones I might add, peeled off in a week. Still it seemed more forgivable on stax's end cause they are a much smaller company, with less units sold, much less time in between, and with a price half of the hd800, at least through pricejapan.
 
The hd800 however have a very large company behind it, tons of units sold, a very long time between upgrades and much heftier price tag and subsequent profit. At least for me I would have liked to see sennheiser take care of the "OG's" first before the new kids on the block.
 
I'm sorry, but I just can't look at the for sale forums and not see the original hd800 being devalued. Can't get much for a used hd800 anymore and the cables forget about it, dimes on the dollar if your lucky. Just me but getting dimes on the dollar for something you just bought new is a ripoff. and at least for that particular part of the hd800(s) it is a ripoff. I guess I should have been more clear that it's one particular aspect, selling the original hd800 and se and balanced cables. 
 
Maybe if sennheiser came out with an actual successor instead of a sidekick, maybe if it had not been 6 freaking years, maybe if they did not release a new $55k uber setup I could be more forgiving.

 

[kapanak]

There will never be an upgrade option. The HD800S has a different driver, and each driver pairs cost $500-$600 for the HD800 drivers when bought as parts, which I expect to be the same for the HD800S. It is not a mod to the enclosure, so it cannot be offered as an upgrade. If you want the HD800S sound, buy the HD800S drivers once available as parts, and replace your HD800 drivers. You'll have the HD800S without the black colour.

 

[SayHi]

looks great. When is it avaliable?

 

[obsidyen]

 

Spoiler: Whether HD800S a ripoff by jibzilla.

 
I never said it was a ripoff one way or the other, just that I'm not a fan of being on the receiving end. For non hd800 owners I would not doubt this is the best deal out there. Like I said it is my favorite, even over the 007mk1 and lcd-x.  However for those that already own the original, that already have a cable that they enjoy it is pretty hard to take the plunge.
 
I have already been through this with stax and it was not pleasant. The airbow sr-sc-11 was much more preferable than the stax sr-407 and 507 for that matter and all airbow did was place some stickers on it and not very good ones I might add, peeled off in a week. Still it seemed more forgivable on stax's end cause they are a much smaller company, with less units sold, much less time in between, and with a price half of the hd800, at least through pricejapan.
 
The hd800 however have a very large company behind it, tons of units sold, a very long time between upgrades and much heftier price tag and subsequent profit. At least for me I would have liked to see sennheiser take care of the "OG's" first before the new kids on the block.
 
I'm sorry, but I just can't look at the for sale forums and not see the original hd800 being devalued. Can't get much for a used hd800 anymore and the cables forget about it, dimes on the dollar if your lucky. Just me but getting dimes on the dollar for something you just bought new is a ripoff. and at least for that particular part of the hd800(s) it is a ripoff. I guess I should have been more clear that it's one particular aspect, selling the original hd800 and se and balanced cables. 
 
Maybe if sennheiser came out with an actual successor instead of a sidekick, maybe if it had not been 6 freaking years, maybe if they did not release a new $55k uber setup I could be more forgiving.

 

 
HD800S is not an upgrade to HD800. It's a completely new headphone even if it contains the same basic DNA. New drivers, new everything, just similar looks. What you're asking for would the same for LCD-3 owners wanting an upgrade LCD-4 or Beyer T1 owners wanting an upgrade to Beyer T1 V2... Can't be done, unless you change everything except the shell.

 

[jibzilla]

There will never be an upgrade option. The HD800S has a different driver, and each driver pairs cost $500-$600 for the HD800 drivers when bought as parts, which I expect to be the same for the HD800S. It is not a mod to the enclosure, so it cannot be offered as an upgrade. If you want the HD800S sound, buy the HD800S drivers once available as parts, and replace your HD800 drivers. You'll have the HD800S without the black colour.

That would not make sense at $5-600, that would make sense if it were a $50-60 acoustic absorber which I thought all it was. 

 

[plakat]

If the S indeed has a different driver the discussion is moot anyway, but even if its just modifications there's no immediate need to switch to the S model. It might not be an upgrade for everybody and if one liked the original model enough to buy it, the new one will not make the old one sound any less good. See new T1.2 vs. original T1 -- mostly I still like my original T1 a bit better (enough to not intending to sell it anymore).
 
Regarding falling resell prices: thats in my opinion just the usual hype... if one decides he just *has* to get rid of the old one, prices fall. You'll always loose money... and hopefully gain musical enjoyment along the way. Yes, prices for used items tend to fall when a new revision appears. But that potential loss is only realized if one does indeed sell that item.
 
I think Sennheiser did this not for the owners of the original version, assuming they bought it because they liked the sound signature, but for those who did not like the original HD800... At this level of performance its not about 'better' but more about 'fits my taste'.

 

[obsidyen]

  If the S indeed has a different driver the discussion is moot anyway, but even if its just modifications there's no immediate need to switch to the S model. It might not be an upgrade for everybody and if one liked the original model enough to buy it, the new one will not make the old one sound any less good. See new T1.2 vs. original T1 -- mostly I still like my original T1 a bit better (enough to not intending to sell it anymore).
 
Regarding falling resell prices: thats in my opinion just the usual hype... if one decides he just *has* to get rid of the old one, prices fall. You'll always loose money... and hopefully gain musical enjoyment along the way. Yes, prices for used items tend to fall when a new revision appears. But that potential loss is only realized if one does indeed sell that item.
 
I think Sennheiser did this not for the owners of the original version, assuming they bought it because they liked the sound signature, but for those who did not like the original HD800... At this level of performance its not about 'better' but more about 'fits my taste'.

Great explanation... I guess the joke's on whoever made that Spanish guy video.

 

[Rob80b]

 
... I guess the joke's on whoever made that Spanish guy video.

Yep...that "Spanish Guy" has been used multiple times....
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KEAAajFZXzs

 

[elvergun]

   
HD800S is not an upgrade to HD800. It's a completely new headphone even if it contains the same basic DNA. New drivers, new everything, just similar looks. What you're asking for would the same for LCD-3 owners wanting an upgrade LCD-4 or Beyer T1 owners wanting an upgrade to Beyer T1 V2... Can't be done, unless you change everything except the shell.

 
Linky, please.
 
 
New everything?   Besides the drivers, what else could be new?   The cables are the same and the frame is the same.   The only  new everything (if indeed the drivers are new) in the new model is the color of the paint and the addition of "acoustical absorbers".   If the acoustical absorber is built into the driver, then it is indeed a new, modified driver...if not, it is just the same old model with the addition of Sennheiser's version of the Anax mod.

 

[NigelJ]

There are pictures that show that the the sound absorber is integrated with the driver on another headphone site, it is not clear if there are other driver changes. I don't believe that I am allowed to provide a link here as it is the successor site to that which can't be quoted on head-fi.

 

[shabta]

   
Linky, please.
 
 
New everything?   Besides the drivers, what else could be new?   The cables are the same and the frame is the same.   The only  new everything (if indeed the drivers are new) in the new model is the color of the paint and the addition of "acoustical absorbers".   If the acoustical absorber is built into the driver, then it is indeed a new, modified driver...if not, it is just the same old model with the addition of Sennheiser's version of the Anax mod.

It clearly isn't the Anax mod, although it may be inspired by it...

 

[TMRaven]

I'm not sure how integrated the absorber could be.  The HD800 driver is a large doughnut with a hole in the middle.  Cutting the dust cover over that hole doesn't even affect the integrity of the dust cover over the diaphragm, as the cover is also glued onto the plastic structure.  Stuffing a tuned resonator in there isn't that hard.  Finding the right dimensions and material for the tuning and performance of the resonator is the hard part.
 
I too am interested about this new driver notion for the HD800S.

 

[elvergun]

  It clearly isn't the Anax mod, although it may be inspired by it...

 
But then we are not talking about "new everything".   The only thing new here is a modification that might have been inspired by the Anax mod.
 
If they changed the manufacturing process to incorporate the acoustical absorber, then we have a new driver.   If they are placing the acoustical absorber on top of an old HD800 driver, then what we have is the "Sennheiser mod".   Nothing new then, except for the absorber and the paint.  
 
 
 

 

[kapanak]

But then we are not talking about "new everything".   The only thing new here is a modification that might have been inspired by the Anax mod.

If they changed the manufacturing process to incorporate the acoustical absorber, then we have a new driver.   If they are placing the acoustical absorber on top of an old HD800 driver, then what we have is the "Sennheiser mod".   Nothing new then, except for the absorber and the paint.  

People need to spend time actually looking around before talking. It is an absorber/resonator specifically to remove the 5-7KHz hump (6K peak) incorporated directly into the middle of the driver during manufacturing. The driver is different and will have a different part number.