[Rob80b]

Sunday evening….Claudia Chan.
https://tidal.com/album/187296771

 

[erics75]

I know personally next to nothing about ZMF, only that they have very elaborate artsy ear-cups and their drivers are farmed out, so the exact opposite of Sennheiser who are highly sophisticated in their R&D with regards to microphone capsules, headphone drivers and acoustic design for over half a century. But ZMF do appear to have their followers, so maybe one day if the opportunity arises will need to take a listen.

Funny, I had the exact same experience when they initially came out, and yet once I was able to re-audition them against direct competition their strengths and technical abilities could not be ignored.
Sennheiser do IMHO make one of the most competent drivers around, reproducing harmonically correct sound and although headphones have as yet to replicate the speaker experience, I applaud Sennheiser's continuing efforts in acoustic design to integrate cup, transducer and ear should be commended and not ignored.
The HD820 with a fuller body over the HD800S does complete the picture and makes for a very satisfy and enriched listening experience from classical, jazz to bass driven EDM, and when properly driven, source and amp wise, entices one to turn up the volume.

Yeah if you get a chance give ZMF a listen. I get why people look at them and scoff at times, given so much attention is on the wood cups. But the sound is excellent IMO. At the end of the day bling factor will only take you so far and last so long. If they didn't back up the bling with top notch sound quality they would have eventually failed. But given how they're growing and thriving speaks volumes for the sonics. I'm an unapologetic ZMF fanboy, though I appreciate many other brans as well

I brought the 820 to the office where I listen with a MicroZOTL 2, a more neutrally tuned OTL amp. I definitely notice the upper mids are more present vs the Stratus, but still not fatiguing me. It's a fine line though, I'm at the edge of what I can tolerate for long listening. Had them on most of the day so far from 7am and still doing fine. But at times I get a bit tense expecting the treble to zing me. But thankfully it approaches that point but never crosses the line. For example on Styx - Come Sail Away around the 4:10 mark things get pretty intense in the treble leading to a crescendo. If a headphone is too much for me this track shows it. No issues with the 820 at all. Try that with a DT 990......

I do miss the warmer tone of the Stratus, but the MZ2 is still quite enjoyable. Higher male vocals like Styx's Dennis DeYoung have wonderful presence, taking center stage and leading the songs. On my ZMF Atticus his vocals fall back into the mix more as it's a darker headphone, muting some of the emotion from Dennis' voice. Very different presentations. I'm really enjoying the 820 on classic rock. Did a few The Who and Zeppelin tracks and was enthralled. The opening of Baba O'Riley sounds spectacular in particular on the 820. Vivid and spacious with just enough percussion when it hits to remain engaging, without making things sound congested or muddy.

 

[Rob80b]

Had them on most of the day so far from 7am and still doing fine.

Not sure I could that, for me my listening is at most an album or 2 and only a few times a week....so a few hours max...I'm sure wearing and listening for extended periods is fatiguing enough for any phone to eventually be bothersome regardless of initial comfort or sound.

Did a few The Who and Zeppelin tracks

I've moved on from classic rock but out of curiosity did revisit Frank Zappa and the Mother of Invention's "Freakout" early this morning...not too bad on the HD820 after my inaugural introduction back in the 60s on a mono record player with a few quarters taped to the tonearm to stop it from skipping.......as the saying goes "we've come a long way baby" lol.

 

[pbui44]

So for most this year, I was seriously contemplating on purchasing an AKG K340 from the glowing reviews of its cult fanbase. I already did my HD250 Linear I and HD820 comparison and said that the HD820 really shows how far Sennheiser have come in advancing the sound quality, soundstaging, and overall perceived imaging in their closed-backs, so I thought, "Could I find this in the K340?" So it took a while, but I did find this thread and feel free to read all three pages to get some interesting and amusing banter on the K340:

https://www.head-fi.org/threads/wha...he-world-in-the-scale-s-q-price-ratio.967336/

So for now, I really am going to keep my ENIGMAcoustics Dharma D1000 as the K340/HD800 all-rounder in drivers and genres. Man, I could have gotten an AKG K872 instead of the D1000, but I did audition the D1000 more than a year before trading for it, so there we go.

 

[Rob80b]

Man, I could have gotten an AKG K872 instead

Coming from the grapevine, there may be something in the works from the from the previous AKG team.

According to @Nomax the Austrian Audio team are set to release a giant killer headphone soon. If it's anything like the K812, (in construction and sound), but with the top end dialled a trifle back, it's an automatic buy!

We will see.

the HD820 really shows how far Sennheiser have come in advancing the sound quality, soundstaging, and overall perceived imaging in their closed-backs

....believe I can agree on that.....and with a slightly different flavor I'd say the same thing for the K872s. : )

 

[erics75]

Scary moment with the 820. Was drinking from a can and at the end when I did the deep head tilt back to empty the can, the 820 slipped right off my head! thankfully I was able to stop it when i panic clutched and managed to snag the cable on it's way down. But woo that was way too close for comfort. I really wish the clamp was tighter. working up my courage to do a little headband bending ala ZMF. Works wonders on those, hoping it works here. Just worried about that plastic slider guide thingy. first world problems, i know.

 

[Rob80b]

I really wish the clamp was tighter.

Maybe you missed this...works wonders, mine feels totally secure now, even put one on my HD800S.

Suffer from a lose fit or wanting your HD820 feeling more secure while reclining, or a simple solution for tighter seal for best bass performance....
......help is just a hair tie away.
https://www.amazon.ca/Goody-Ouchless-Womens-Braided-Elastic/dp/B00DFSHD5O


Fully adjustable up or down, but not to tight or the earcups will begin to lose their seal at the top of the ear. (then you'll need a small bungee cord at the top of your head)

 

[erics75]

Maybe you missed this...works wonders, mine feels totally secure now, even put one on my HD800S.

i got a million of those laying around from my daughter, i'll try it! dont like the idea of having it tight under the chin, but maybe it won't feel so bad when i actually try it. i still might try the bend though. when i get home i want to look at some headband disassembly videos or pics if there are any to see how it all comes together. ideally i'd pull the plastic bits off and just have the bare metal of the band, give it a nice bend, and put it all back. just worried the arch will be too steep and the sliders won't work right or wont go back on at all.

 

[Rob80b]

i'll try it! dont like the idea of having it tight under the chin

It's not, too tight doesn't work, breaks the seal at the top.
Just bring the loop up high enough to keep the cables from separating to maintain the seal and enough to feel comfy. I'm also finding the overall sound is slightly improved, more consistent in the frequency response if that makes sense. : )
Also works on my Focal Elegia.

 

[exhale]

Just wanted to chime in after ~1 month of using the HD820 to write that i simply love these headphones. The clamp issue has solved itself (somehow) and unless i want to listen to some specific songs which the HeKse renders close to perfection, i always reach for the HD820 (even if that means i have to wait for the tubes to warm up a while). I still find it unbelievable that so many prolific reviewers bashed on these headphones. I had the chance to listen to a Focal Radiance and besides the bass (which at least in quantity, is way more than on the HD820 - that's if you don't squeeze the cups on your head; then it gets close to a tie), there is nothing that they do better than the Senns. Well, nothing except a proper clamp force which you don't have to wait for it to solve itself . I might have the chance to listen to a pair of Focal Stelia (fingers crossed because i really want to see how they stack against each other) so i'm quite curious how it will turn out. Regardless, the dynamic Sennheiser duo (pun intended) of HD820 and HD800S are, without a shadow of a doubt, some of the best headphones i have ever had the chance to listen to and i consider myself really fortunate to own both.

 

[Rob49]

Just wanted to chime in after ~1 month of using the HD820 to write that i simply love these headphones. The clamp issue has solved itself (somehow) and unless i want to listen to some specific songs which the HeKse renders close to perfection, i always reach for the HD820 (even if that means i have to wait for the tubes to warm up a while). I still find it unbelievable that so many prolific reviewers bashed on these headphones. I had the chance to listen to a Focal Radiance and besides the bass (which at least in quantity, is way more than on the HD820 - that's if you don't squeeze the cups on your head; then it gets close to a tie), there is nothing that they do better than the Senns. Well, nothing except a proper clamp force which you don't have to wait for it to solve itself . I might have the chance to listen to a pair of Focal Stelia (fingers crossed because i really want to see how they stack against each other) so i'm quite curious how it will turn out. Regardless, the dynamic Sennheiser duo (pun intended) of HD820 and HD800S are, without a shadow of a doubt, some of the best headphones i have ever had the chance to listen to and i consider myself really fortunate to own both.

I have been considering the HD820’s & i was put off by reviewers - i think they can be very influential - sometimes too influential. I have also been considering the Focal Stellia’s for sometime now. I am concerned about the comfort of the HD820’s, when I find my Senn HD 660S clamp a fair bit.

I’m considering either, for my DMP-Z1 player.

 

[exhale]

I have been considering the HD820’s & i was put off by reviewers - i think they can be very influential - sometimes too influential. I have also been considering the Focal Stellia’s for sometime now. I am concerned about the comfort of the HD820’s, when I find my Senn HD 660S clamp a fair bit.

I’m considering either, for my DMP-Z1 player.

If too much clamp is your fear then let me put it to rest: the HD820 not only does not have excessive clamp, it has too little, depending on your head’s shape and size. They are extremely comfortable and at least I, personally, can use them for hours upon hours without the slightest hint of fatigue.

 

[pbui44]

I have been considering the HD820’s & i was put off by reviewers - i think they can be very influential - sometimes too influential. I have also been considering the Focal Stellia’s for sometime now. I am concerned about the comfort of the HD820’s, when I find my Senn HD 660S clamp a fair bit.

I’m considering either, for my DMP-Z1 player.

Assuming that your location is in Birmingham U.K. (That is what a search comes up), call up the Audio Affair in that location and see if you can audition the HD820 yourself, as pictures from April and May of last year show one for display.

 

[Vamp898]

I have been considering the HD820’s & i was put off by reviewers - i think they can be very influential - sometimes too influential. I have also been considering the Focal Stellia’s for sometime now. I am concerned about the comfort of the HD820’s, when I find my Senn HD 660S clamp a fair bit.

I’m considering either, for my DMP-Z1 player.

I am not an reviewer. I bought the HD820 with my own money and listened to it. They the reviewers say is true. No matter how influenced they are, they match exactly what o experienced too.

When listen to Adam Agee and John Sousa, the violin and guitar often change drastically in volume and start to sound unbalanced while, in reality, they should have the same and almost constant volume.

I then listened to a frequency response test file and then noticed, that after the bass, the signal just suddenly disappears and then slowly creeps upwards again. The headphones just play almost no sound at certain frequencies. They are almost completely blind in the lower mids to mids for a very large fraction and you can hear that.

Beside that, they have been awesome and I liked them a lot, but this outrageous sound signature just broke too many songs for me

 

[Rob49]

If too much clamp is your fear then let me put it to rest: the HD820 not only does not have excessive clamp, it has too little, depending on your head’s shape and size. They are extremely comfortable and at least I, personally, can use them for hours upon hours without the slightest hint of fatigue.

Yes, just because I find one Senn headphone clamps, it doesn’t mean to say they all will.

Assuming that your location is in Birmingham U.K. (That is what a search comes up), call up the Audio Affair in that location and see if you can audition the HD820 yourself, as pictures from April and May of last year show one for display.

I’m just under 10 miles from Birmingham, but unfortunately i’m housebound, so i can never audition & have to decide by reviews & take a chance. ( Of course, there’s returns, but that in itself would be a hassle for me. ) I have purchased from before & i find them very good, with points rewards, for further purchases.

I am not a reviewer. I bought the HD820 with my own money and listened to it. They the reviewers say is true. No matter how influenced they are, they match exactly what o experienced too.

When listen to Adam Agee and John Sousa, the violin and guitar often change drastically in volume and start to sound unbalanced while, in reality, they should have the same and almost constant volume.

I then listened to a frequency response test file and then noticed, that after the bass, the signal just suddenly disappears and then slowly creeps upwards again. The headphones just play almost no sound at certain frequencies. They are almost completely blind in the lower mids to mids for a very large fraction and you can hear that.

Beside that, they have been awesome and I liked them a lot, but this outrageous sound signature just broke too many songs for me

This is basically what one reviewer said, not the reviewer’s you mentioned. As I said, they’re influential. That’s why we all watch / read reviews. It is a pity I’m not in a position to audition.