[magiccabbage]

  Well, looks like my HD800S headphones have left Germany (or soon will) for Canada. Can't wait...I know expecting them before Christmas is a stretch...but before New Years is a definite possibility!
 
Thanks again to Jan Meier from Meier Audio...seriously guys, dealing with Jan is a pleasure (he had them shipped out literally within an hour of receiving payment)! He's been around Head-Fi for a long time and is definitely one of the good guys! 

Do let me know if the sound-stage is effected - I trust your opinion Peter. 

 

[13cashewnuts]

  Dear headfellows,
 
I just had a conversation with Sennheiser. All the headphones that were ordered have been shipped yesterday and I hope to receive them today or on Monday.
 
They made it till X-Mas!!!  
 
Of course all the customers who have placed a pre-order will be served as fast as possible.
 
Cheers
 
Jan

 
Ordered mine and can't wait to receive the new cans.
Would be keen to pair it with the Phatlab Phantasy Class A SE triode amp. Was a great match with the HD800 at a recent local meet in SG
 
Thanks Jan!

 

[Gandah]

.

..

 

[mark1993]

  Well, looks like my HD800S headphones have left Germany (or soon will) for Canada. Can't wait...I know expecting them before Christmas is a stretch...but before New Years is a definite possibility!
 
 

Hi
Do you have to pay custom duty if you are getting them from Germany?
I'm thinking about ordering from Meier audio
Thanks 

 

[iDesign]

  Hi
Do you have to pay custom duty if you are getting them from Germany?
I'm thinking about ordering from Meier audio
Thanks 

 
Meier Audio states, 

"Any import duties are on account of the customer. If you want to minimize charges please ask us for information" http://www.meier-audio.homepage.t-online.de.
 
You are legally required to pay customs duties and should always expect to do so when importing goods to the United States. If a US Customs and Border Protection agent does the due diligence on the package, the delays and accurate assessment of duties can become a nightmare. Marking the item as a gift, item for repair, declaring a lower value, etc. to avoid customs fees is against the law and they are triggers for US CBP to detain and further inspect the package and customs forms. When you purchase items online, you are the importer, and held responsible for any inaccurate information and could be subject to fines and prosecution  (especially if you willfully conspired to commit and defraud the US). Packages are typically opened during inspection and items are sometimes damaged as a result-- filing a tort claim with the US CBP for damaged goods is a slow process and they are rarely successful, particularly in cases of minor scratches, torn cartons, box cutter slices, lost manuals/parts etc. You should also keep in mind that companies like FedEx and UPS will add hefty brokerage fees on top of the US import duties to clear packages through customs if you do not do it yourself. Although there may be some Head-Fi members that purchased from international dealers and were not saddled with import duties, that is not a guarantee, they simply skirted the law and slipped through.  

 

[Jan Meier]

Dear Mark1993,
 
for questions on import duties please simply send me a mail.
 
Cheers
 
Jan

 

[obsidyen]

  Well, looks like my HD800S headphones have left Germany (or soon will) for Canada. Can't wait...I know expecting them before Christmas is a stretch...but before New Years is a definite possibility!
 
Thanks again to Jan Meier from Meier Audio...seriously guys, dealing with Jan is a pleasure (he had them shipped out literally within an hour of receiving payment)! He's been around Head-Fi for a long time and is definitely one of the good guys! 

I'll buy them VAT-free when I go to Vienna on February. So awesome.

 

[MacedonianHero]

  Do let me know if the sound-stage is effected - I trust your opinion Peter. 

 
Thanks Paddy. They have left Germany and are now on their way to me in Canada...fingers crossed that they show up in 2015!

 

[ubs28]

Congrats to everybody who got their HD800S.  Shame none of my dealers can get these HD800S before Christmas. I guess I'll have to buy other things on my Christmas list. 

 

[plakat]

Congrats to everybody who got their HD800S.  Shame none of my dealers can get these HD800S before Christmas. I guess I'll have to buy other things on my Christmas list. 

Unfortunately it seems my source has failed me as well and it'll take some time until I get them as I'll be on vacation for some time. Maybe I'll still pick up the HDVD800 before I leave. Would have been nice to take the HD800S with me, but oh well...

 

[seehee2k]

I received mine today from Jan Meier and spent a couple of hours listening. Right now I am using a Corda Cantate (amp+dac), which is fairly dark and warm in my experience (coming form someone who does not believe too much in amp colouration). It won't be my end game, but it must do for a first test. I only heard the HD800 briefly, so I can't offer much of a comparison, but I wanted to share some initial impressions.
 
My head/earphones for a bit of background:
 
- Sennheiser HD650 (don't like it's veil and colouration)
- AKG K702 (used to find them boring but come to like them a lot, only dislike their lack of sub bass) -> actually a bit similar to the HD800S imho
- Beyerdynamic DT990 pro (only use them for gaming, like the bass and the treble is great for positional audio but I find the peak atrocious for music)
- Yamaha HPH-MT220 (fairly neutral but still fun with a decent low end, bargain headphone)
 
- Shure SE846 (warmer tone, but unlike the HD650 not too warm for my taste, great sub bass for BA IEM)
- Compact Monitors Stage 3 (cIEM, neutral with a slight bass emphasis, sound very natural)
 
 
I enjoy a large variety of genres, but focus on electronic music (not EDM though).
 
 
General first impressions (most likely the same for the HD800):
 
Nice packaging and great build quality. This does not come across on the pictures and with the black coating they look better than their sibling. But overall, I still don't like the design aesthetics 

. Haven't had a chance to look at the frequency response plot but could post it later if requested.
 
They seem to be rather efficient and less power hungry than some of my other headphones, which I did not expect given their impedance and the notions of them being hard to drive (i.e. HD800).
 
Sound:
 
I would describe them as neutral but slightly bright. From memory I can kind of hear that the 6k peak is reduced compared to the HD800, and maybe in direct comparison they could be perceived slightly warmer. However, there is still some peak left, that can be a bit harsh depending on the track. Too early for a final verdict on that, but so far it is definitely not a deal-breaker for me. Sound stage is amazing and they are fast and detailed. The music feels quite natural to me. Don't find the mids recessed, but that might be very subjective. Some say the HD650 have neutral mids, which I wholeheartedly disagree with.

  What I am missing a bit is the sub bass (~around and below 30 Hz). So far this is the only "weakness" that is apparent to me.

 

[Deftone]

Sounds good! Waiting for somine to try them out with metal or heavy rock.

 

[Swolern]

Sounds good! Waiting for somine to try them out with metal or heavy rock.

Swerve City!!

Although 800s always sounded better with acoustic guitar over electric.

 

[Mentis]

  I received mine today from Jan Meier and spent a couple of hours listening. Right now I am using a Corda Cantate (amp+dac), which is fairly dark and warm in my experience (coming form someone who does not believe too much in amp colouration). It won't be my end game, but it must do for a first test. I only heard the HD800 briefly, so I can't offer much of a comparison, but I wanted to share some initial impressions.
 
My head/earphones for a bit of background:
 
- Sennheiser HD650 (don't like it's veil and colouration)
- AKG K702 (used to find them boring but come to like them a lot, only dislike their lack of sub bass) -> actually a bit similar to the HD800S imho
- Beyerdynamic DT990 pro (only use them for gaming, like the bass and the treble is great for positional audio but I find the peak atrocious for music)
- Yamaha HPH-MT220 (fairly neutral but still fun with a decent low end, bargain headphone)
 
- Shure SE846 (warmer tone, but unlike the HD650 not too warm for my taste, great sub bass for BA IEM)
- Compact Monitors Stage 3 (cIEM, neutral with a slight bass emphasis, sound very natural)
 
 
I enjoy a large variety of genres, but focus on electronic music (not EDM though).
 
 
General first impressions (most likely the same for the HD800):
 
Nice packaging and great build quality. This does not come across on the pictures and with the black coating they look better than their sibling. But overall, I still don't like the design aesthetics 

. Haven't had a chance to look at the frequency response plot but could post it later if requested.
 
They seem to be rather efficient and less power hungry than some of my other headphones, which I did not expect given their impedance and the notions of them being hard to drive (i.e. HD800).
 
Sound:
 
I would describe them as neutral but slightly bright. From memory I can kind of hear that the 6k peak is reduced compared to the HD800, and maybe in direct comparison they could be perceived slightly warmer. However, there is still some peak left, that can be a bit harsh depending on the track. Too early for a final verdict on that, but so far it is definitely not a deal-breaker for me. Sound stage is amazing and they are fast and detailed. The music feels quite natural to me. Don't find the mids recessed, but that might be very subjective. Some say the HD650 have neutral mids, which I wholeheartedly disagree with.

  What I am missing a bit is the sub bass (~around and below 30 Hz). So far this is the only "weakness" that is apparent to me.

Sounds like there's practically no difference from the original HD800...

 

[seehee2k]

Take my comparison with a grain of salt, please. I never owned HD800 and only heard them once with my music, but I guess they share some DNA after all.