[ALRAINBOW]

I just emailed mike at lyric USA in NYC to get update on my unit
When I rec it I will do a review both before and after burn in
And I have at least four other hi end amp dacs to compare
So we will c

 

[TheManko]

Yeah unfortunately it's only available in print form and in Swedish. But since they got a review unit I assume we'll see more reviews popping up soon from various sources.

 

[ALRAINBOW]

Swedish is fine please

 

[Luxembourger]

http://hifilounge.tumblr.com/post/48205921616/at-long-last-the-sennheiser-hdvd-800-is-now-with-us

 

[hedphonz]

Quote:

I just emailed mike at lyric USA in NYC to get update on my unit
When I rec it I will do a review both before and after burn in
And I have at least four other hi end amp dacs to compare
So we will c

that would be great to get an independent opinion especially as you have several other amps to compare with
 
 the review below is from a reseller so has to be taken with that in mind
Quote:

http://hifilounge.tumblr.com/post/48205921616/at-long-last-the-sennheiser-hdvd-800-is-now-with-us

i did like his photos though especially those sennheiser amp and headphone stands - they would look great on my listening station !!

 

[CDWMcInSpots]

Quote:

Thanks for the post. Can you put up a link to article please.
I very much would like to read it.
And if I were you I would go and listen. But bring your own music files so you may
Be more attune to want you are hearing

 

 
Swedish Hifi & Musik is a paper magazine that doesn't publish most of its articles on the web. They publish a select few, and you may order old issues. You can search for product tests in old issues on their site (http://www.hifi-musik.se/sok-gamla-nummer-artiklar/).

 

[MacedonianHero]

Quote:

The Swedish magazine "Hifi & Musik" did a group test of headphone amps and the HDVD 800 got top marks. They compared it together with the April Music Eximus DP1, Beyerdynamic A1, Harmony Design Ear 909, Lehmann BlackCube Linear and Pathos Aurium. They thought the HDVD 800 was a perfect match for the HD 800.
 
It seems at least one store in Stockholm has it in stock, so I'm curious enough to go listen to it at some point. I've been looking at a new dac and amp, and it seems like a nice combo unit. As with all things I guess everyone won't find it optimal for their needs, but I like the idea of a combined dac and amp, and I like how it looks.

But I wouldn't necessarily call the other headphone amps testes were fantastic options for the HD800s. 

 

[ALRAINBOW]

I agree with your comment . But we need to consider the fact that' those headphones are a major pain to please. So in the end I guess it's the only amps they had to compare it with.

Here is an irony . The oldest high end DAC amp I own is a Denon receiver 5805 CI fit is at least 6 years old maybe more as time goes by so fast I am a poor judge of it.

When I bought the headphones it was at the time what i thought was the best i had. i believe it has a burr brown DAC 24 bit processing . No bull it sounds really good . And the kicker is I cannot ever find any info on the headphone amp ...nothing . I must have spent 15k in amps DAC,s . And yea I have improved them but only marginal .

Food for thought in this never ending obsession it's really not a hobby really...

 

[Yog]

I will have my HDVD 800 by Tuesday and will post my remarks then

 

[fatwombat]

My HDVD800 finally arrived today! Just some thoughts:
 
I'm running the balanced Cardas Clear 4pin headphone cable that I got custom made from Cardas.
 
My tracks are around 1500kbps - 3000kbps.
 
Well, put simply, it sounds absolutely fantastic!!!
 
Previously, I was using my Cambridge Audio Dacmagic Plus, with cardas clear interconnects to Brocksieper Earmax SE (unbalanced 1/4inch) with Siemens and Telefunken 1960 Holy Gail tubes. 
 
The sound seems clearer, and the sound stage is definitely more extended and feels more "precise" than it did before. Details and reverb extend much further "outside my head" than they did before and the experience is very 3 dimensional.
 
I plug my GS1000i into the 1/4inch socket, and they sound the best they have ever sounded too, but for sheer sound experience, the HD800 / HDVD800 combo blows them clean out of the water.
 
I have picked up a pair of Cardas XLR/RCA convert plugs to connect the Earmax to the balanced output of the HDVD800, but I havent tried this combo yet.
 
I can't be sure yet - especially considering the unit has only been running for 5 hours, but I did somehow wonder if I was missing some of the creaminess and of the tubes - is it the bass? - certainly the moment I switched it on this thought occurred to me. But even as I listen 5 or so hours later, I think I am feeling this a little less.
 
Wow, with classical music I'm hearing clothing moving and floor boards creaking! It does feel like I'm in the Albert Hall!
 
Pink Floyd fans are in for a treat - Pulse Shine on You Crazy Diamond @ 2000kbps puts you in row 2 staring straight up at David Gilmour. The Earmax combo always rendered this beautifully, but I feel my HDVD800 combo is placing me in a different position - like I'm closer to the stage.
 
And the guitar that you hear on the far left in Progeny from the Gladiator soundtrack I can hear clearly is actually a loop! I never realised that before!  

 

[ALRAINBOW]

Very cool I can start to feel better about my purchase again

Thanks for the mini review
How are the grados I would like to demo them
I demoed the Breyer tesla but it was fast and Brite
But no low end as was the stax 009 and the lcd3
To me was ok but dull not Brite as I like.
Both were very detailed but the hd800 blows them away
Again just my opinion
Again thanks

 

[hedphonz]

Quote:

My HDVD800 finally arrived today! Just some thoughts:
 
I'm running the balanced Cardas Clear 4pin headphone cable that I got custom made from Cardas.
 
My tracks are around 1500kbps - 3000kbps.
 
Well, put simply, it sounds absolutely fantastic!!!
 
Previously, I was using my Cambridge Audio Dacmagic Plus, with cardas clear interconnects to Brocksieper Earmax SE (unbalanced 1/4inch) with Siemens and Telefunken 1960 Holy Gail tubes. 
 
The sound seems clearer, and the sound stage is definitely more extended and feels more "precise" than it did before. Details and reverb extend much further "outside my head" than they did before and the experience is very 3 dimensional.
 
I plug my GS1000i into the 1/4inch socket, and they sound the best they have ever sounded too, but for sheer sound experience, the HD800 / HDVD800 combo blows them clean out of the water.
 
I have picked up a pair of Cardas XLR/RCA convert plugs to connect the Earmax to the balanced output of the HDVD800, but I havent tried this combo yet.
 
I can't be sure yet - especially considering the unit has only been running for 5 hours, but I did somehow wonder if I was missing some of the creaminess and of the tubes - is it the bass? - certainly the moment I switched it on this thought occurred to me. But even as I listen 5 or so hours later, I think I am feeling this a little less.
 
Wow, with classical music I'm hearing clothing moving and floor boards creaking! It does feel like I'm in the Albert Hall!
 
Pink Floyd fans are in for a treat - Pulse Shine on You Crazy Diamond @ 2000kbps puts you in row 2 staring straight up at David Gilmour. The Earmax combo always rendered this beautifully, but I feel my HDVD800 combo is placing me in a different position - like I'm closer to the stage.
 
And the guitar that you hear on the far left in Progeny from the Gladiator soundtrack I can hear clearly is actually a loop! I never realised that before!  

thats a good initial impression and sounds promising -
there is a big jump from the cambridge dac magic and a lot of the improvement will have come from the dac performance alone - still its another positive impression 

 

[HiFiGuy528]

How many mW does the 800 puts out and at what impedance range?  What's the output impedance?  The spec sheet doesn't say any of that.

 

[fatwombat]

 



The HDVD800 manual shows these specs:
 
 
output power:                       approx. 480 mW @ 1 kHz and 600 Ohm load at the XLR-4 output
Frequency response:            < 10 Hz to > 100 kHz
Crosstalk attenuation:          min. 93 dB @ 1 kHz
THD+N:                               < 0.001%
Dynamic range:                    > 115 dB @ 600 Ohm load (A-weighted)
 
Headphone outputs (XLR-4)
Impedance:                          min. 16 Ohm
 
Headphone outputs (1⁄4“)
Impedance:                          min. 16 Ohm

 

[putterolf]

My HD800 and HDVD800 is on its way =) should have it on monday next week