[DavidA]

That is fine ofcourse since we all hear things differently. According to my ears, there is something technically wrong with the HE-1000. The HE-1000 was too smooth and veiled yet it can turn harsh out of nowhere. Also the build quality was quite underwhelming for a $3000 headphone.

I know I am in the minority since the HE-1000 gets so much praise on this site and was on the wall of fame. My ears tell something different which is why it is overhyped for me.

Maybe the HE-1000 V2 will impress me. I will try them
out once they are available.

I'm another that didn't care for the HE-1k, I actually like the HE-560 better and felt that the HE-1k has a Sennheiser "veil" that makes it sound lifeless to me.

 

[Oldfella]

I use the HE1000,HD800,among others. To me, it does not matter, if it has fallen, OR been thrown off the "Wall of fame".Thin veiled,lacking in Bass extension etc.?, not to my ears, and this is what counts, my ears. People who use Beats,Apple ear pods,fine by me. Hopefully, they are enjoying their music, and surely, thats whats counts. I respect all the reviewers on here, and am generally guided by them,BUT, i then listen, and decide for myself. I think age, also plays a part. My 76 year old ears, after listening on earphones for 62 years, will not hear what everyone one else does. So perhaps in some cases, its not the headphones that become thin and veiled, but your ears!. Happy listening.

 

[Sorrodje]

HEK Was hyped last year.
 
Nowadays it's a very good headphone amongst very good headphones.  It's not my cup of tea neither but it's the favourite of a few friends and I perfectly understand why.  I highly suspect the Utopia will fall in that category as well but maybe it's the game changer we're all waiting for and Tyll and some other praised as such. Mine will hopefully come soon. Wait and see what my ears tell me. 

 

[fapman]

Well, atleast they offered free upgrade to the current hek-owners.... 3 per/month 

 
I think Sennheiser whole brand might suffer from fiasco like that. Heck, even some of current loyal owners of HE-1000 and fans of hifiman in general, are cursing the whole Hifiman-brand right now.  

And lets be honest here. In the pc-world i know from personal experience that "spying" and leaking stuff from company to company is common. They are very aware what competition is doing and when they are releasing stuff. Fact that utopias is using beryllium, indicates that testing of that headphone has been extend. If ONE customer gets poisoned by the beryllium, it's total scandal to the whole company. I bet Sennheiser did have a clue that Focal is planning to release beryllium - headphone.

 

[LarryMagoo]

Hey Fapman,
 
Just wanted you to know that short of taking the Beryllium material out of the Headphone, grinding it to a powder and then snorting it, No one will get poisoned by those headphones....They might die from their wallets being $4k lighter though

 
 
And yes discussing Tyll's opinion over and over

  He removes the 800S from the wall but leaves up the 25 year old HD 600's???   Can we say lacking consistency???
 
I simply love my 800S (got about 200 hours on them) and with my Oppo HA 1/XLR connection driving them gives all the bass I need....
 
C'mon folks trust your own ears not someone's else ....

 

[Whazzzup]

  Hey Fapman,
 
Just wanted you to know that short of taking the Beryllium material out of the Headphone, grinding it to a powder and then snorting it, No one will get poisoned by those headphones....They might die from their wallets being $4k lighter though

 
 
And yes discussing Tyll's opinion over and over

  He removes the 800S from the wall but leaves up the 25 year old HD 600's???   Can we say lacking consistency???
 
I simply love my 800S (got about 200 hours on them) and with my Oppo HA 1/XLR connection driving them gives all the bass I need....
 
C'mon folks trust your own ears not someone's else ....

Back  before tylll loved the 800S, i joked glad i was  among the first to order them in canada that i felt better now after reading his review. (sarcasm off) course ill read what he, others, and common head fiers think about something, no slam intended.  

 

[Sonic Defender]

Seriously, can people just get past this Tyll stuff already. So he doesn't really like the 800S for his taste, that really shouldn't be a surprise. This whole "expert" worshipping culture in audiophile circles is at times rather detrimental. As has been said here nurmerous times, use your own ears, if you agree with Tyll and others who do not like the 800 or the 800S, sell them, nothing wrong with that, but don't start hearing flaws that Tyll or others tell you to hear. Nobody is a better expert than you when it comes to what you like than you are. I respect Tyll and share some of his positions, but I make up my own mind and so should you.

 

[Edric Li]

I trust my ears: HD800S is better than HE1000, Utopia and LCD3. 

 

[Rob80b]

  Seriously, can people just get past this Tyll stuff already. So he doesn't really like the 800S for his taste,

Say no more.........
".........bound for InnerFidelity's "Wall of Fame." The LCD-2 clearly bests the Sennheiser HD 800 for listening pleasure, and at a lower price."
http://www.innerfidelity.com/content/spectacularly-yummy-audeze-lcd-2-and-lcd-3-page-3#dtTeFxoHDcIardPv.99
 
 
Funny thing though....if memory doesn't fail me....way back when Tyll had high praise for the AKG K701s

 

[Rob80b]

and yet.......now we are talking March of this year...yes????.

 
"The HD 800 S will knock its predecessor off the Wall of Fame. .....................
Fresh out of the box in stock form, the new HD 800 S provides a terrific listening experience; I don't think I've ever heard clarity expressed so musically before."

Read more at http://www.innerfidelity.com/content/sennheiser-hd-800-s-tweaked-and-delightfuland-french-diy-response-page-2#I67drzjU6J9HewVY.99

 

[Sonic Defender]

Okay, I'm drawn in again, but only briefly; I agree that Tyll has been rather inconsistent. So either he praises stuff at first out of a perceived need to, or he is becoming more fickle in his old age. I will say that for a majority of users, I could see the LCD2F being more approachable and listenable across musical genres (I have the LCD2F, 2016 manufacture) but the HD800S offers a very special window deeper inside the music. Yes it does lack some warmth by way of direct comparison, but it draws you in with it's extremely listenable version of clarity. I like warm, I like bass, I like easy to listen to, despite that, I like the 800S.

 

[Rob80b]

  Okay, I'm drawn in again, but only briefly; I agree that Tyll has been rather inconsistent..............
.......despite that, I like the 800S.

Think we've all been there..

...my K501s were king, then my HD580 and 600s....along came my Grados...OMG...then more AKGs... K701s and Senns..HD700s....etc...etc...
Never say never....but I believe my 800S and LCD2.2s will be around for a while.

 
 
and  I quote  lol...
2004 Quote:

Took the plunge and got a new pair of HD580 a few weeks ago, curiosity got the better of me. As an AKG die hard I’ve got to admit that I find these better than the K501’s in everyway. ..............

2006 Quote:

....................
But these Grados are addictive and their top to bottom fullnes have put the HD580's and the K501's on the shelf for a while.............................

 

[Sonic Defender]

  Think we've all been there..

...my K501s were king, then my HD580 and 600s....along came my Grados...OMG...then more AKGs... K701s and Senns..HD700s....etc...etc...
Never say never....but I believe my 800S and LCD2.2s will be around for a while.

I'm going to need some more time with the 800S to be sure despite how good it is. I have been treading the dark path for so long now it seems that my tastes have shifted. Still, I'm listening to the 800S now and they are engaging and hard to take off. And like you, my LCD2 will be staying put.

 

[DWbirdseye]

There are so many variables involved in judging the sound quality of a headphone: quality of recording/master, type of music, personal biases, personal mood, did the reviewer imbibe, etc.... Now a professional should be able to withstand these influences, but they're nevertheless there.
I rarely hear Tyll talk about headphones in the context of live music, the standard by which all transducers are measured. In his review of the Utopia he says cymbals sounded more realistic, but how much time has he spent listening to cymbals in a live performance. Is he simply comparing one headphone to another and judging them based on how he thinks the cymbal should sound.Tyll rarely talks about the music, the song, the passage, the verse, so it's difficult for me to verify his analysis. For me the overall listening experience has to be good, but the details are what separates one headphone from another.
I credit Tyll for getting me involved in enjoying music through headphones and I respect his opinion, but in the end I enjoy music through my ears, not his.

 

[Sonic Defender]

Not to be an AHole mate, but I don't think live music is actually the ruler. Live venues differ dramatically, where you sit, how tall you are can also affect sound. Not to mention many live venues still used DSP at the board, amps, electric instruments. As well, a great deal of music is conceived and designed mainly in the studio and for consumption on devices and only performed live as promotion. I get what you mean, and I'm not saying that I don't also value live venues, I just don't see them as a ruler, but just an opinion.