Sennheiser HD820
Sep 16, 2018 at 7:05 AM Post #2,376 of 4,346
So you're one of those people on public transport with open backs? Or do you spend all your time at home with headphones on?

Mmm...selected public spaces where listening to closed-backs are viable. I ve posted earlier where those places are: airport lounges when traveling abroad, my relatively quiet office, riding the bullet trains (Taiwan, China, Japan) for long, intercity train rides.....in addition: coffee shops, library, museums, some restaurants, listening while being driven in my car and traffic is just absolutely hellish or using Uber, patient’s waiting lounge in hospital.........with the HD820. No open backsoutside home. Only crazies do that. At home, I use the HD 820 while cooking, while tending to my bonsai trees and orchids in my garden. For relaxation, it is open backs (utopia, hd 800s, stax 009 and the HE 1) at my headphone room while sitting on my LaZ boy.

Yes, I listen to headphones a lot. Keeps me sane.
 
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Sep 16, 2018 at 7:55 AM Post #2,377 of 4,346
Mmm...selected public spaces where listening to closed-backs are viable. I ve posted earlier where those places are: airport lounges when traveling abroad, my relatively quiet office, riding the bullet trains (Taiwan, China, Japan) for long, intercity train rides.....in addition: coffee shops, library, museums, some restaurants, listening while being driven in my car and traffic is just absolutely hellish or using Uber, patient’s waiting lounge in hospital.........with the HD820. No open backsoutside home. Only crazies do that. At home, I use the HD 820 while cooking, while tending to my bonsai trees and orchids in my garden. For relaxation, it is open backs (utopia, hd 800s, stax 009 and the HE 1) at my headphone room while sitting on my LaZ boy.

Yes, I listen to headphones a lot. Keeps me sane.

I’ve never heard the HE 1. I’d imagine if I had them my other open back headphones wouldn’t get any use. I go back and forth between the 009S and Susvara right now when I don’t have to wear closed back because of GF.

How come no two channel or surround sound setup listed in your profile? There’s nothing like a solid two channel or surround setup in a dedicated and acoustically treated room for realistic sound playback and musical immersion, IMO. Though, if you don’t have any rooms with decent wall dimensions and the ability/permission to place the speakers in the best locations for sound propagation, it’s not worth it to even try, IME.

That’s the greatest advantage of headphones, IMO. The scale and dimension may not approach the realism of speakers, but you can put them in even the worst rooms, sit anywhere, place the setup/HPs anywhere, and still hear great sound.
 
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Sep 16, 2018 at 8:24 AM Post #2,378 of 4,346
OT: Mm...am not interested in two channels. No vinyls either. Not interested in vinyls. I do have a 5.1 speaker system, floorstanders, satellite, sub) for use with my dedicated cinema room (4K projector, 300” screen, Apple TV 4K, 4K bluray etc.) Basic stuff. Nothing fancy. For music, it is headfi, all the way.
 
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Sep 17, 2018 at 2:37 AM Post #2,380 of 4,346
I think it's safe to say that turning this into a open vs closed discussion is going to lead to the obvious in short just enjoy what you have and stop worrying about what's better.

I actually think that’s an important conversation to have. Just look at the price variation between 820 and the 800S it’s pretty darn big, obviously it would come down to what suits ones needs more and if you require a closed setup because of your living situantion and not wanting to annoy others with sound leaking.

In saying that however a lot of us are just looking for great sound which then puts these two headphones up against each other if you like the sennheiser house sound in general, and for the hd820 to come in over $2k more (here in Australia anyway) what are you getting for that extra cash apart from a nicer box and glass enclosure? Obviously reviews, listening session and general research will give us the answers we’re looking for and personal taste will play a key part. But from the general consesus I’ve been hearing these do not sound that much, if any better than the hd800S which as mentioned is $2k less and a open headset with larger sound stage.

My personal impressions are, if you don’t absolutely require a closed back experience then the HD820 which is still a good headphone don’t get me wrong but they’re simply not worth it and you’re just better off getting the hd800S and put the $2k towards a nice dac/amp or save it all together if you’re on the fence.
 
Sep 17, 2018 at 3:55 AM Post #2,381 of 4,346
Mm....no way a closed-back can outperform an open back ever.. Immutable law of headfi. That’s why I am not keen on comparing open vs. closed. No contest. Every single time. When I started in this hobby in 2013, with my measly Apple earbuds, I learnt from others here that open sounds better than closed. That was in 2013. Now that I have access to almost all the flagship open and closed HPs and a lot of top-tier in-ears, the hierarchy still stands: open beats closed. Electrostatics beats dynamic and planers. Headphones beats in-ears. CIEM beats universal in-ears. But two channel beats all of the above. Hard and expensive lessons that I’ve learnt.
 
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Sep 17, 2018 at 11:49 PM Post #2,383 of 4,346
People that own a hd820 don't need to hear that there is better out there. We already know that, what we got it for again isn't for "better" but for practical use, for us that have more faster paced lives. The hd820 offers audiophiles a high fi sound on the go and that in itself is an amazing thing. So yes when you look at it from that perspective then the hd820 is worth it for the asking price.
 
Sep 17, 2018 at 11:56 PM Post #2,384 of 4,346
People that own a hd820 don't need to hear that there is better out there. We already know that, what we got it for again isn't for "better" but for practical use, for us that have more faster paced lives. The hd820 offers audiophiles a high fi sound on the go and that in itself is an amazing thing. So yes when you look at it from that perspective then the hd820 is worth it for the asking price.

Listening in bed when I can’t sleep and my GF is asleep (and not waking her up) to me is priceless. Do I wish their sound quality was at the level of the Susvara or 009S, of course. I still think the 820 sounds noticeably better than the 800S, which I returned after two weeks without thinking twice.

Listening to them right now, because I spent a few hours looking at potential art acquisitions and now my mind is racing and I can’t fall asleep... lol
 
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Sep 18, 2018 at 6:32 AM Post #2,385 of 4,346
Listening in bed when I can’t sleep and my GF is asleep (and not waking her up) to me is priceless. Do I wish their sound quality was at the level of the Susvara or 009S, of course. I still think the 820 sounds noticeably better than the 800S, which I returned after two weeks without thinking twice.

Listening to them right now, because I spent a few hours looking at potential art acquisitions and now my mind is racing and I can’t fall asleep... lol
More expensive doesn't always have to be better people often have difficulty to accept this
 

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