[Mike F]

 
The difference is that it MUCH easier to deliver 90dB to the ear via a headphone than it is via a monitor. 
 
90dB from a monitor is loud, but that's 90dB as measured at a distance of one meter from the monitor, and you don't sit right next to a monitor. This is exactly why headphones are so potentially dangerous - they're right next to your ear......

 
 

   
Some experiences here

 
6.10 in that video!

 

[dharma]

most referred 'research' here
Preventing Hearing Damage When Listening With Headphones
 
and here
Are There Any Studies On Headphones And Hearing Damage?
The risk appears to increase with time, suggesting a possible cumulative effect for hearing damage....
Study Shows How Earphones, Headphones Cause Underlying Cell Damage Leading to Long-Term Hearing Loss
Article about how certain foods can actually help prevent hearing loss...

 

[Mike F]

   
Indeed. The listening room. They say it's better if you build your house for your hi-fi, rather than vice versa .
However, it can be assumed that you choose the system given your listening rooms properties. It's part of the choosing process and doesn't necessarily affect your budget ratio, but indeed it may rob you from otherwise good speakers, and if you want them, then indeed we need to factor in the room treatment costs. Is that included in the speakers' cost?
 
However, there are some simple and often cheap rules (*) for choosing or treating the room and placing speakers. One of my friends managed to fix a really bad room pretty well with smartly placed and quite decorative acoustic panels, all DIY so it didn't break the bank. 
 
(*) There are a multitude of links for this, but to summarize some:
http://www.acoustics.salford.ac.uk/acoustics_info/room_sizing/?content=best
http://www.acousticfields.com/ode-to-the-dedicated-listening-room/
http://www.audioasylum.com/scripts/d.pl?audio/faq/audiophysic.html
http://www.audiocircle.com/index.php?topic=69766.msg648853#msg648853
http://audiophilereview.com/room-acoustics/6-dos-when-setting-up-your-hi-fi-system.html
Two common examples for optimal (modal) room dimensions: 7m x 5m x 3m (large) and 6m x 4m x 2.6m (medium). The latter is quite common living room size here and the room height of 2.62 presents a thermal+physiologic optimum (ventilation systems are mandatory here). Also, quite often the ceiling is slanted, following the roof.
In my experience, the best sounding structure is a log house. When I took my system into a Honka log house, I was amazed by the difference. Next, sandwich structures. Next, light structures. The worst: concrete cubes. 
When it comes to room treatments, I use mainly bookshelves and draperies for "acoustic treatment", plus some panels (wood + wool felt + wool structures).
I place the speakers at the 1:1.6 dividing line (more into the room as usual), if possible on the wide side, and make the listening triangle from there, so that there is room behind the listening point as well. This gives an almost near-field experience with very good sound stage. BTW it's the same what John Dunlavy and Audio Physic advised for setting up their speakers.
 
Why is this relevant in a headphones forum? Because I think it's worth having a speaker system besides headphones, and as such, will influence investment ratios .
1. No headphone, not even the HD800(S) has sound stage anything near to that of properly set up speakers (at least with small chambers, jazz, instrumental, and symphonic). For rock, pop, hiphop etc headphones are just fine.
2. No headphone has anything near the bass energy shaking your body cells that comes from a good speaker system.
3. It is healthier to listen to speakers than to headphones.
 
There are also good reasons why to have a headphone system besides speakers.
1. Quality/price ratio.
2. Lack of room modes. Headphones are tonally more pure, exactly because room acoustics, even in a near-perfect room.
3. Less disturbing to others, more intimacy. When I have a choice, I use the speakers. But in the office, for late night movies, and for evening listening (children sleeping) headphones are a necessity. That leaves me listening to speakers about 10-20% of the time... and the speakers + bass modules + subwoofer + amps cost way much more than my headphone systems (Stax and dynamic).
 
Finally, we can be grateful that our biggest problem is to discuss how to spend the money well on audio reproduction... ... . I feel guilty.
OK, no more off-topic .

 
I did! The one demand I made to my wife when we were considering moving to Finland (her home country) from London is that if we moved I would have a purpose built studio and listening room separate from the house. The listening room is 4.8 X 3 X 7.2 meters, almost exactly these dimensions:- http://www.acousticfields.com/ode-to-the-dedicated-listening-room/ (your second link)!
 
I also agree with your last point!

 

[Mike F]

  most referred 'research' here
Preventing Hearing Damage When Listening With Headphones
 
and here
Are There Any Studies On Headphones And Hearing Damage?
The risk appears to increase with time, suggesting a possible cumulative effect for hearing damage....
Study Shows How Earphones, Headphones Cause Underlying Cell Damage Leading to Long-Term Hearing Loss
Article about how certain foods can actually help prevent hearing loss...

From the first link:- 
 
Moreover, the risk of hearing damage from headphones is higher than with loudspeakers at comparable volumes, due to the close coupling of the transducers to the ears. 
 
Sorry if it seems that dharma and myself are labouring the point, but it is a serious matter, and although I'm sure many are aware I personally think it's worth repeating from time to time........

 

[dharma]

   
I did! The one demand I made to my wife when we were considering moving to Finland (her home country) from London is that if we moved I would have a purpose built studio and listening room separate from the house. The listening room is 4.8 X 3 X 7.2 meters, almost exactly these dimensions:- http://www.acousticfields.com/ode-to-the-dedicated-listening-room/ (your second link)!
 
I also agree with your last point!

 
Good for You - true 'music-cave' !
[Kiitos vaimollesi ]

 

[Whazzzup]

I have a music cave, but its not separate, just a door.
 
I have a separate drum room that has no windows in the basement. perfect for drumming or if under attack.

 

 

[dharma]

Next 'meeting' there is live music band 'HD800S' from head-fi members too, cool?!

 

[blacknile]

   Anyway, i do not like much the singer voices in the HD800, i find them too cold and recessed, maybe it's an amplifier problem (I'm having some problem at high volume with the voice of the singer of the "Empire of the Sun", too sharp in some passages).
 
I've managed to add some body to the bass and an hotter punch (i listen pop, discomusic, electronic) [...].

 
 
I do not think you are experiencing an amplifier or headphone problem. I think it is more likely that the issue is with the poor quality (high dynamic range compression) of the recordings you are listening to. If you visit the Dynamic Range Database and input "empire of the sun", for example,
 
http://dr.loudness-war.info/album/list?artist=empire+of+the+sun&album=
 
You will notice that the dynamic range scores for "Ice on the Dune" and "Walking on a dream" are abysmal. These are really strongly DR-compressed albums (google "loudness wars") and your HD800 will expose their failing *ruthlessly*. 
 
Unfortunately (and I say it as someone who loves electronic and ambient music) the music genres you like are not always well recorded or mastered and an HD800 will often reveal their faults. Try with some well recorded classical or acoustic CDs and you will rediscover your headphones.

 

[yates7592]

Man those DR figures are BAD. It would sound like **** on any system.

 

[fapman]

Any news on when the new "black" HDVD 800 will be released? 

 

 

[The Third]

All this ruckus about a new HD800S and it's necessary place in the audiophile world, makes we want to share
this true argument held by one of our finest in the audio industry;
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BkZPj9F0y18
 
And man O man is my gut being tormented with the terrible naming of this can. Someone in the marketing team should be fired.
how am I supposed to find a comparison between the HD800s and HD800S? AH forget it..

 

[Hammy]

  All this ruckus about a new HD800S and it's necessary place in the audiophile world, makes we want to share
this true argument held by one of our finest in the audio industry;
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BkZPj9F0y18

 
Only watched the first 40 seconds and already in tears.
 
@Mike F Nice to see another audio loving expat over here. 

 

[iBrian]

All this ruckus about a new HD800S and it's necessary place in the audiophile world, makes we want to share
this true argument held by one of our finest in the audio industry;
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BkZPj9F0y18.

And man O man is my gut being tormented with the terrible naming of this can. Someone in the marketing team should be fired.
how am I supposed to find a comparison between the HD800s and HD800S? AH forget it..

The destiny one is great as well

 

[dharma]

  Any news on when the new "black" HDVD 800 will be released? 

 

Shuren21 knew that black HDVD820 is coming in May-June.

 

[dharma]

   
 
[...] Dynamic Range Database ...]
http://dr.loudness-war.info...
[...]

 
Rock music recordings (CD, Bluray audio, DVD-audio) lacking 'real low frequency and strong bass on recording' - get typically better points
Rock music LP-vinyls lacking 'real low frequency bass' but have better psychoacoustic model for 'showing' bass and have careful mastering - get better points than alternative 'digitals'
 
and briefly looking, it seems that 'loudness database' ratings and some well known music reviewers ratings don't fit...
 
most funny is that new Sennheiser Orpheus is (on public shows) almost always playing only EAGELS 'Hotel California' SACD version... look database ratings about this SACD versions ))