[wolfetan44]

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Is the WA6 good with the HD800?

Barely acceptable. There is a lot of room for improvement. I had to listen to this combo for about three months while I was waiting for my BHA-1 to be delivered and I was glad to see it go.

 Whats a good combo then?

 

[Dubstep Girl]

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 Whats a good combo then?

 
Woo Audio 2 

 

[wolfetan44]

:eek:  Whats a good combo then?

Woo Audio 2 

What about the WA7

 

[autoteleology]

Whats a good combo then?

 
Sennheiser Orpheus and HEV90.

I took it to its logical endgame. We can stop now. 

 

[MorbidToaster]

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 Whats a good combo then?

 
Liquid Glass with Coin Base RCA 6SN7s

 

[MDCLXVI]

 
 

 

[olor1n]

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 Whats a good combo then?

Woo Audio 2 

What about the WA7

 
There are countless threads dedicated to discussing ancillary components for the HD800. Why not pose these questions there?
 
Fwiw, It's a demanding headphone, infamous for highlighting deficiencies in a chain. Your source also has to be equal to the task. It baffles me that so much focus is placed on amping requirements. Sure, the HD800 demands (a relatively high minimum level) of quality amplification compared to other headphones, but too often people put all their eggs in that basket. The possibility that the source component is the culprit is often overlooked. Careful consideration has to be taken with all components when building a system around the HD800. Anyone who has spent time with this headphone knows this. Those who haven't will regurgitate the old myths of grating treble, lack of bass and unnatural imaging.

 

[lukEM22]

Listening to a 320kbps Busta rhymes and Chris Brown song that came on my Nexus (Why Stop Now) and I just discovered the amp in my Bose companions is better than straight out of the Nexus, plugged in my XB500's and actually smiled at the bass. Whenever I would read reviews and somebody would say something like "uncontrollable grin" or something when they listen to a new pair of cans, I would categorize them as weird. Well, there is more bass through the XB's and this Bose amp than I get in my car with the bass all the way up (which I can't stand anyways).
Albeit, I may be hysterical because I'm on some heavy meds for the flu right now, but wow. I did not think I could achieve this much bass in a headphone. If I could find a pair of headphones that sound the same as the XB500's, and fold I think I would be set for life.
 
I don't even want to imagine what this would sound like through a ZO2.3, or an iBasso, or any other bass boost amp. This is so incredible to me I turned on my computer, went straight to this thread and typed this. This is a basshead's dream!
And yes, this is all the headphone equipment I have. Right now I'm trying to find a 1/4in. adapter so I can plug these bad boys into a Denon home reciever I have, and turn the bass boost all the way up (out of curiosity)
 
 

 
 
Apologies for low quality picture, I cant find the cord that hooks my camera up to my computer.
 
I could probably put this in the "Non audiophile reactions" thread too

 

[RamblinE]

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Jobs? And this time of year tax returns. I got mine already. New turntable.

I'm on the fence about spending ANY of my tax return money on gear. I need to put a new roof on my convertible. If I do get gear though I'm on the fence between a Maverick Audio D1 Plus or a Matrix M-Stage

 

[LugBug1]

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Far too tidy... Need some beer bottles and used tissues. Be more believable
 
(apart from that, bloody nice set up!)

 

[MDCLXVI]

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Far too tidy... Need some beer bottles and used tissues. Be more believable
 
(apart from that, bloody nice set up!)

 
Haha.. thanks very much!
 
And don't worry, it only looks that tidy in the photo.. the other side of the room is a mess 

 

[longbowbbs]

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That's a lot of work time. I hope you can listen to your headphones while you work.

Here are last weeks travel toys....
 
 

 

[wolfetan44]

:eek:  Whats a good combo then?

Liquid Glass with Coin Base RCA 6SN7s

That's a lot of money.. No HD800 for me I guess..

 

[LugBug1]

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Fwiw, It's a demanding headphone, infamous for highlighting deficiencies in a chain. Your source also has to be equal to the task. It baffles me that so much focus is placed on amping requirements. Sure, the HD800 demands (a relatively high minimum level) of quality amplification compared to other headphones, but too often people put all their eggs in that basket. The possibility that the source component is the culprit is often overlooked. Careful consideration has to be taken with all components when building a system around the HD800. Anyone who has spent time with this headphone knows this. Those who haven't will regurgitate the old myths of grating treble, lack of bass and unnatural imaging.

I'd say thats the same with all good headphones. If any of the above (bolded) is happening with a modern mid price dac and amp, then it has to be a fault of the headphone (and maybe recordings) and not the equipment. Theres far too many comments on the HD800 needing certain requirements to calm the treble and boost the bass to ignore; And that would be called coloring the headphone, which is different to pursuing super high end transparency.  But as you say.. this is for another thread.

 

[olor1n]

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Fwiw, It's a demanding headphone, infamous for highlighting deficiencies in a chain. Your source also has to be equal to the task. It baffles me that so much focus is placed on amping requirements. Sure, the HD800 demands (a relatively high minimum level) of quality amplification compared to other headphones, but too often people put all their eggs in that basket. The possibility that the source component is the culprit is often overlooked. Careful consideration has to be taken with all components when building a system around the HD800. Anyone who has spent time with this headphone knows this. Those who haven't will regurgitate the old myths of grating treble, lack of bass and unnatural imaging.

I'd say thats the same with all good headphones. If any of the above (bolded) is happening with a modern mid price dac and amp, then it has to be a fault of the headphone (and maybe recordings) and not the equipment. Theres far too many comments on the HD800 needing certain requirements to calm the treble and boost the bass to ignore; And that would be called coloring the headphone, which is different to pursuing super high end transparency.  But as you say.. this is for another thread.

 
It's actually the opposite of your assumption from my experience. The HD800 is such a transparent headphone that it demands the same from the ancillary components. Other headphones are just not as capable at rendering everything fed to it. Case in point, the LCD-2. Sounds great from the Gungnir/Mjolnir stack. Very little to complain about. The HD800 however exposed the Gungnir as inadequate and replacing it with the NAD M51 confirmed this. The M51 is a touch warmer than the Gungnir but the Schiit is hardly the last word in neutrality and you'd be hard pressed to find anyone who has heard the M51 label it as coloured. What it is is a natural sounding DAC that actually imposes less of its inherent signature on the presentation than the Gungnir. So in essence it's more transparent and allows the HD800 to do its thing.
 
I think people that go down the path of tubes, EQ and mods to colour and tame the HD800 are those who find issue with its inherent FR signature. Ask those people to listen to the HD800 from a neutral (whatever that means) and transparent setup and I'd suspect you'd find very few who would still claim "grating treble, lack of bass and unnatural imaging". If they're honest, some may say the treble is still too extended, or the bass lacks some colouration and emphasis for their preference.
 
Bending the HD800 to your preference and getting the best from it can be two separate pursuits, you're right in that regard. It's not a fault of the HD800 though if some people want a different FR signature from it and use gear to achieve that. Not everyone with the HD800 has this goal though. Deficiencies in a chain still need to be addressed however to alleviate the HD800's capacity to spotlight weaknesses.