[Frank I]

  I have the WA5/HD800 here - the pairing is amazing even with stock tubes. I'm not getting any harshness in the treble so far even with Wynton Marsalis trumpet in the high registers. I will try a few more treble heavy tracks later. 
 
Really surprised with the bass and fullness of the WA5 with stock tubes and can only imagine what the EML300b - TS6f8g - CV593 will sound like 
 
It sounds so different from the WA2 - A LOT BETTER - even though the WA2 is maxed it can't compete with the WA5

when you get those tubes you will see a major difference in the performance . Huge differences in transparency and dynamics.

 

[SilentFrequency]

A good way is to try to go to a meet and hope it's not loud or if you have a hifi audio shop that has different types of amps that they could let you try with the HD800. I've never heard them but they don't seem to be very popular here.

Ok, thanks

I can't speak for you as I have not heard the M8 amplifier. But I can tell you that it took me almost a year of trying different top of the line amps and DAC combinations before I became entirely happy with the HD800s. My current HD800 setup (MSB Analog, EC 4-45, HD800 plus tubes and cables) costs well over US$10,000. In my experience, the HD800 can scale very high when you improve your upstream equipment. That said, the most important thing is your own budget and how much you are content with the sound you are getting from the HD800s. Very often people end up with a mid-fi set up and stay there for a very long time. Sometimes people attend meets or try out amplifiers and start getting ideas about how much more their HD800 can improve. In fact, listening to a better setup with the HD800s was the very reason why I partook this endless journey to harness the full potential of the HD800.

In short, if you are happy with what you are hearing, and do not have the time, interest or budget to upgrade, do not bother. Otherwise, welcome to a wild ride of a journey!

Yeah, maybe I'm pretty happy now and don't have anywhere near the finances for a over $10K set up!

Maybe in the future sometime though

Thank you

 

[MickeyVee]

You don't have to have a $10K setup ton enjoy the HD800.  There are a lot of awesome setups for much, much less than that. If you're enjoying them with what you have, then keep enjoying!! I do agree with the recommendations to audition with other dacs/amps if the upgraditius bug ever hits you.
 
Quote:

Yeah, maybe I'm pretty happy now and don't have anywhere near the finances for a over $10K set up!
 

 

[lojay]

I agree, people now are a lot luckier than when the HD800 first came out in the sense that there's a lot more information as to cheaper amps for the HD800. They are amazing headphones. If only they had the lush mids and vocal rendition of the HE6... I still find the HD800 lacking a bit of flesh and soul when it comes to vocals. Even with my presumable TOTL setup.

 

[lin0003]

I just checked this and omg, that is so totally expensive!

I mean, you would seriously expect those headphones to be amazingly the best sound quality ever for that price!

How do these Abyss AB-1266 headphones compare to the HD800 or even the sr009?

One thing I can say straight away about the Abyss AB-1266 is, they are totally ugly looking headphones for their cost!

I was actually really underwhelmed by the Abyss. It sounded good, but not better than the HD800 and it kept feeling like it was going to fall off my head. 

 

[Sorrodje]

@lojay and paradoxper : great posts.

 
I've the same feelings about mids. A few month ago, I would have said that the HD800 offer the best mid in the world. That's not true . SR009 has the best mids In my opinion. Fortunately, as far as I remember, I've always listened mostly to instrumental music and I had always problems with (even slighly) forward mids. I think that's one of the reason why I love so much the HD800. I must add that the Metrum dac helps to bring more meat in the mids and its a fact I'm listening to more vocals since I have this dac and the Sonett 2. Fortunately it seems i can live with that combo even if I know it's not the last word for resolution. With my current Budget I made a choice and i've traded a bit of resolution for a bit more smoothness.
 
I've compared  the 009 and the HD800 (ED Electra for the SR009, Sonett for the HD800, My Metrum for DAC) during an hour. Too short to be really affirmative but I least, I was at home in an perfectly quiet environment and I listened to my music. Both cans are two of the three greatest headphones I heard thus far ( the third one is the Abyss and I never listened the HE-6 so my personal Ranking can't take it into account) . SR009 wins for mids , neutrality, fastness, accuracy IMO & the HD800 wins for bass, soundstage, imaging, impact and "wow" effect. I find these headphones are more similar than different but at this level differences matters . For my tastes in sound and music, I wouldn't trade my HD800 for a SR009 despite the fact I consider the SR009 a notch above the HD800 for its accuracy & transparency  which is IMO the most important point to rank objectively headphones . I think the SR009 would fail to involve me in the music as much as the HD800 do (mostly because of the soundstage) .  I wouldn't care to have both though

 
I fully agree with Lojay's assesments about HD800 treble. Edge, sharpness, hardness are more adequate words than Brightness IMO.  This edge tends to diappear with the best amps (My best experience was with an Eddie Curent Balancing Act)  but still remains.

 

[Canadian411]

Sorrodje you are really missing he6 it's a very special headphone.
Level of enjoyment on he6 is different than hd800 imo, he6 sounds to me 3d.

And I really like the bass on he6.

 

[Sorrodje]

@Canadian411 : Know that.
 
but the HE-6 is hard to drive and I haven't the opportunity yet to find one at a good price. 
 
I currently begin my journey in the e-stat route because I add both the money and the opportunity to buy a Koss ESP950/E90 and Stax SR404/SRM1-MKII for not much more money than a used HE-6 here in France.  But I didn't forget at all the HE-6 even more if I consider I loved the HE-4 and liked the HE-500. 
 
An AKG K812 will come at home in the next days and will stay during january too. I'll have the time to make my own opinion about this AKG before he goes to its final buyer.  I had the same opportunity for the Ultrasone Edition 12  a few weeks ago.
 

 

[Canadian411]

  @Canadian411 : Know that.
 
but the HE-6 is hard to drive and I haven't the opportunity yet to find one at a good price. 
 
I currently begin my journey in the e-stat route because I add both the money and the opportunity to buy a Koss ESP950/E90 and Stax SR404/SRM1-MKII for not much more money than a used HE-6 here in France.  But I didn't forget at all the HE-6 even more if I consider I loved the HE-4 and liked the HE-500. 
 
An AKG K812 will come at home in the next days and will stay during january too. I'll have the time to make my own opinion about this AKG before he goes to its final buyer.  I had the same opportunity for the Ultrasone Edition 12  a few weeks ago.
 

Oh !! congrats on K812, must be nice ! will be nice to hear your impression vs HD800

 

[Samuel777]

Hello,
 
I would like to order one Headphone to be coupled with AK120 II / or Titan + Centranse HI M8 LX XL4.
And i'm hesitating between HIFIMAN 400i / HIFIMAN 560 and Sennheiser HD 800 (my preference is going to HD 800) but would like to get confirmation ... as i have never listen to any of them.
 
Please, which on could you advise me ?
I listen Reggae, Zouk, lets say general music (african ...) i think you catch me.
 
Thx.  

 

[Dopaminer]

Hello,

I would like to order one Headphone to be coupled with AK120 II / or Titan + Centranse HI M8 LX XL4.
And i'm hesitating between HIFIMAN 400i / HIFIMAN 560 and Sennheiser HD 800 (my preference is going to HD 800) but would like to get confirmation ... as i have never listen to any of them.

Please, which on could you advise me ?
I listen Reggae, Zouk, lets say general music (african ...) i think you catch me.

Thx.  

I have 120ii, and hd800. My 120 can drive my HD 800 in lower power single-ended mode reasonably well and sounds reasonably fantastic, however when I demoed the 560 at a headphone show I basically had to max out the volume and therefore I believe you would definitely need an amplifier

 

[BirdManOfCT]

Re-importing some of my CDs at lossless rates. These headphones really show a lot. Wish all my albums were high-res. Gonna need a larger hard drive soon....

 

[analog'd]

...

 

[Acapella11]

  Hello,
 
I would like to order one Headphone to be coupled with AK120 II / or Titan + Centranse HI M8 LX XL4.
And i'm hesitating between HIFIMAN 400i / HIFIMAN 560 and Sennheiser HD 800 (my preference is going to HD 800) but would like to get confirmation ... as i have never listen to any of them.
 
Please, which on could you advise me ?
I listen Reggae, Zouk, lets say general music (african ...) i think you catch me.
 
Thx.  

 
Please, take this post with grain of salt because I haven't listened to the HE-400i and HE-560 but the HE-400 and I am owning the HE-500. Well, I heard the HE-560 briefly to be perfectly true but would have needed to more time for a proper evaluation. However, my guess is that the HD800 are sounding a bit more "higher end" than the Hifimans (IMO, as compared to HE-500), which is why I would suggest the HD800. I read that the AK only fits mediocre (http://www.digitalaudioreview.net/2014/11/astellkern-ak120-ii-review/) but I think Jude found HD800 and Centrance quite good together. My credo is to buy the best headphone you like and can afford and then set up the system around it. The HD800s excel most at classic but I love them for every genre.

 

[ubs28]

   
Please, take this post with grain of salt because I haven't listened to the HE-400i and HE-560 but the HE-400 and I am owning the HE-500. Well, I heard the HE-560 briefly to be perfectly true but would have needed to more time for a proper evaluation. However, my guess is that the HD800 are sounding a bit more "higher end" than the Hifimans (IMO, as compared to HE-500), which is why I would suggest the HD800. I read that the AK only fits mediocre (http://www.digitalaudioreview.net/2014/11/astellkern-ak120-ii-review/) but I think Jude found HD800 and Centrance quite good together. My credo is to buy the best headphone you like and can afford and then set up the system around it. The HD800s excel most at classic but I love them for every genre.

 
I think the HD800 excels with high quality recordings rather than a particular music genre.
 
My Access Virus TI (one of the best synthesizer in the world which is used in many modern recordings) sounds much darker than what you hear in songs on the radio. So producers generally add alot of sparkle and brightness in the final mix most of the time which the HD800 picks up. I heard other reference speakers and headphones that show this brightness with certain songs.