[Dopaminer]

  I am giving the HD800's a workout with the new Cavalli Audio Liquid Crimson. What a great combination!
 

Cables are the new Toxic Cables 22ga Silver Widows.

 
That amp has me droooooooling.   I thinki it`s the same Cavalli Mr. Speakers was demo-ing the Alphadog Primes on, at the Tokyo show last autumn.  Want/Need . . . . 

 

[longbowbbs]

 

  I am giving the HD800's a workout with the new Cavalli Audio Liquid Crimson. What a great combination!
 

Cables are the new Toxic Cables 22ga Silver Widows.

 
That amp has me droooooooling.   I thinki it`s the same Cavalli Mr. Speakers was demo-ing the Alphadog Primes on, at the Tokyo show last autumn.  Want/Need . . . . 

This is a pre-production unit. Dan usually shows with the Cavalli Audio Liquid Glass. That is the tube rollers dream amp. This is a hybrid amp using a single 6922. Retail units should be available by Early March of 2015. Either amp will treat the HD800's to a sweet ride!

 

[AlanHell]

I have stopped my headif gear hunt after I got my HDVD800 system.
Now I am trying to use the same amount of money to construct a speaker system.
Today I might end up picking an amp between sony TA-1AES and Regel H80 to pair with my KEF LS50.
 
Then we can see how different or similar speaker and headphone with the same price range are sound.
Up till that point, my headphone collections still wins the battle without question.

 

[ubs28]

   
  There are qualities inherent to hp-s that speakers can't do and vice versa. Like phase coherency is better with hp-s because of their single driver. Where as single driver speakers never cover full freq range adequately. Speakers offer real soundstage unlike hp-s, which do headstage. And the fr problems in HD800 are mainly caused by the transducer being too close to the ear as is the case with all hp-s.
 
 Can't put a price tag to taste. Some people just like hp-s better than speakers. 

 
The problem is the recordings themselves, not the HD800. The songs you hear on the radio are hyped and heavily compressed. Neutral speakers like the Adam A7 will sound bright too on bad recordings, because that's how those songs are engineered for some strange reason.

 

[whirlwind]

 

  Should have my Draug 2 for my HD800 , next week.
 
Can't wait to give it a listen.

 
Great! Just give the cable 20 - 30 h to settle, you won't regret a penny.

Thanks for that info.....i am really looking forward to it.

 

[icebear]

  I have stopped my headif gear hunt after I got my HDVD800 system.
Now I am trying to use the same amount of money to construct a speaker system.
Today I might end up picking an amp between sony TA-1AES and R [H?]egel H80 to pair with my KEF LS50.
 
Then we can see how different or similar speaker and headphone with the same price range are sound.
Up till that point, my headphone collections still wins the battle without question.

I'm not sure about the sensitivity of the KEF but if they don't require a lot of power then take a look at First Watt.
The M2 was still available from Reno Hifi for $1.5k a couple of weeks ago, so quite a bit less than the H80.
 
Here my personal experience with the M2 that transformed my Sonus Faber Cremonas.
I also was rock solid that a speaker could never even come close to the detail retrieval of the HD800.
The M2 showed what a good amp can do...
 
http://www.head-fi.org/t/650510/the-new-hd800-impressions-thread/14940#post_11024047

 

[kazsud]

^
I personally prefer HE-500's bass over HD800's.  Overall, HE500 offers a different sound signature.  
There're not many headphones that could technically compare with HD800 but when it comes to personal preference and listening taste, HD800 might not be everyone's cup of tea.

The HE500 sound linear compared to the HD800 to me.

 

[kapanak]

I think I posted my question in the wrong place. I shall repost it here if that's okay.
 
Alright, so I'm nowhere new to Headphones or High Fidelity audio.
 
Here's my current dilemma: 
 
I owned a 97XX serial number HD800 from 2009 to 2012, and I used it in conjunction with a Violectric V100 and then V181 for amp, and a Naim DAC.
 
Unfortunately, all of that along with about 15K worth of audio equipment was sold due to a financial crisis in my life near the end of 2012 (and my car and a majority of my camera collection as well as my Canon professional kit lol ...)
 
So fast forward to December 2014, and I see the HD800 brand new from a reputable, authorized dealer for only $1200. Of course I bought it since I was in better financial situation. Serial 34XXX.
 
So far, I have used it with my Asus Maximus VII Formula on-board sound card (Cirrus Logic CS4398 DAC/Texas Instruments LM4562 Amp/Realtek drivers), my Audioengine D3, and then my Audioengine D1. I also have the Bottlehead Crack w/ Speedball that is used as the amp with the Audioengine D1. Unfortunately, that's all the audio source equipment I posses at this time.
 
Perhaps my memory is skewed, but I remember the HD800 sounding quite a bit better on my old setup.
 
I can't afford that setup anymore. For me, I know the HD800 sounds great with Violectric V281, Auralic Taurus MKII or Schiit Ragnarok, along with a Auralic Vega DAC, and for me that's considered end-game. Unfortunately, those are out of my budget for the foreseeable future.
 
So, I turn to you, my fellow HF'ers. Please recommend me something within a budget of under $1000 that's either one DAC and one Amp under that budget, or a combo, that will pair well with my HD800. I really wish to hear what I used to hear. And I'm pretty darn young, so it's not hearing loss lol ...

 

[MattTCG]

  I think I posted my question in the wrong place. I shall repost it here if that's okay.
 
Alright, so I'm nowhere new to Headphones or High Fidelity audio.
 
Here's my current dilemma: 
 
I owned a 97XX serial number HD800 from 2009 to 2012, and I used it in conjunction with a Violectric V100 and then V181 for amp, and a Naim DAC.
 
Unfortunately, all of that along with about 15K worth of audio equipment was sold due to a financial crisis in my life near the end of 2012 (and my car and a majority of my camera collection as well as my Canon professional kit lol ...)
 
So fast forward to December 2014, and I see the HD800 brand new from a reputable, authorized dealer for only $1200. Of course I bought it since I was in better financial situation. Serial 34XXX.
 
So far, I have used it with my Asus Maximus VII Formula on-board sound card (Cirrus Logic CS4398 DAC/Texas Instruments LM4562 Amp/Realtek drivers), my Audioengine D3, and then my Audioengine D1. I also have the Bottlehead Crack w/ Speedball that is used as the amp with the Audioengine D1. Unfortunately, that's all the audio source equipment I posses at this time.
 
Perhaps my memory is skewed, but I remember the HD800 sounding quite a bit better on my old setup.
 
I can't afford that setup anymore. For me, I know the HD800 sounds great with Violectric V281, Auralic Taurus MKII or Schiit Ragnarok, along with a Auralic Vega DAC, and for me that's considered end-game. Unfortunately, those are out of my budget for the foreseeable future.
 
So, I turn to you, my fellow HF'ers. Please recommend me something within a budget of under $1000 that's either one DAC and one Amp under that budget, or a combo, that will pair well with my HD800. I really wish to hear what I used to hear. And I'm pretty darn young, so it's not hearing loss lol ...

 
If you are looking for a budget amp that will pair well with the hd800, please consider:
 
$100: Schiit Vali-really nice detail with a hint of tube wetness. Early models were prone to ringing when the amp or desk was taped too hard.
 
$350: Schiit Valhalla 2 IMO this amp is very tough to beat south of a grand. Allows the beauty and strengths to come through effortlessly. Stock tubes are actually very nice and I never felt the need to upgrade them. A versatile amp that can drive other hp's, even some planar mags, quite well.
 
Also at this price point the Crack was a good amp when the speedball kit was installed. The Crack will "color" the hd800 more and give it a more organic and warmer tonality. But...you'll loose some speed and treble is a little smoothed over for my taste. Still a good option for DIY'ers.
 
These are the amps that I've owned and had personal experience pairing with the hd800

 

[Zoom25]

  I think I posted my question in the wrong place. I shall repost it here if that's okay.
 
Alright, so I'm nowhere new to Headphones or High Fidelity audio.
 
Here's my current dilemma: 
 
I owned a 97XX serial number HD800 from 2009 to 2012, and I used it in conjunction with a Violectric V100 and then V181 for amp, and a Naim DAC.
 
Unfortunately, all of that along with about 15K worth of audio equipment was sold due to a financial crisis in my life near the end of 2012 (and my car and a majority of my camera collection as well as my Canon professional kit lol ...)
 
So fast forward to December 2014, and I see the HD800 brand new from a reputable, authorized dealer for only $1200. Of course I bought it since I was in better financial situation. Serial 34XXX.
 
So far, I have used it with my Asus Maximus VII Formula on-board sound card (Cirrus Logic CS4398 DAC/Texas Instruments LM4562 Amp/Realtek drivers), my Audioengine D3, and then my Audioengine D1. I also have the Bottlehead Crack w/ Speedball that is used as the amp with the Audioengine D1. Unfortunately, that's all the audio source equipment I posses at this time.
 
Perhaps my memory is skewed, but I remember the HD800 sounding quite a bit better on my old setup.
 
I can't afford that setup anymore. For me, I know the HD800 sounds great with Violectric V281, Auralic Taurus MKII or Schiit Ragnarok, along with a Auralic Vega DAC, and for me that's considered end-game. Unfortunately, those are out of my budget for the foreseeable future.
 
So, I turn to you, my fellow HF'ers. Please recommend me something within a budget of under $1000 that's either one DAC and one Amp under that budget, or a combo, that will pair well with my HD800. I really wish to hear what I used to hear. And I'm pretty darn young, so it's not hearing loss lol ...

Dangerous Music Source. I've been using it with HD800 for a long time and never have I gotten fatigued with it. The DAC and pre-amp capabilities are excellent. The headphone amp is surprisingly powerful as well. Out of all the high end headphones I've tried on it (HE-500, LCD-2, LCD-3, HE-6, T1, D2000, DT990, HE-400 etc) the HD800 pairs with it the best. Perfectly transparent, quick deep bass with decent impact. Never shrill in the treble but dark blackground. Completely dead silent on all inputs and outputs. If you can try it personally, I'd highly recommend it.

 

[thomascrown]

Somewhere I read that the asgard 2 is considered a v200 killer, now I don't know how true it is but you could consider it as an option... When I had the hd650 I was surprised by the qualities of the vali compared to my hdva600, and that's supposed to be the hd800 amp. I would give them a try...I forgot the dac: I'm happy with my hrt streamer hd, I don't see why I shouldn't recommend it.

 

[longbowbbs]

HD800's with Nordost Heimdall 2 cables through the new Cavalli Audio Liquid Crimson.
 
It is a good day for tunes!

 

[Mach3]

  I owe all of you an apology. 
 
 
A couple of months ago I came in here to give my opinion on the HD800's and it was met with ill-concealed hatred and ultimately my comments being deleted.
 
 
The first part of my review was mostly praising them, for their soundstage/imaging, and how amazing they were with classical music. The second part consisted of me basically s****** all over them; their inability to sound good with any other genre, and their tendency to spotlight treble and sibilance.
 
Over the last few months I have bought the 650's, and sold my Grado ps500's in exchange for the HD700's. I've spent the last 2 weeks getting used to 700's' spiky treble response and (imo) amazing bass, imaging and soundstage. They have become to most exciting headphone I have ever owned and used. I look forward to using them everyday. A feeling I have never had with any kind of audio or entertainment equipment.
 
Today I went to audition the HD800's (for a third time). 
 
I wen't - macbook, hd700's and o2 in hand - armed with over a hundred of the highest quality audio files I could download. Binaural, orchestral, acoustic, EDM, rock, classical, pop. You name it, I had it.
 
After the first two auditions of the HD800 I left the shop thinking  ''wow, they are amazing - but are way too bright for me, and ps500's are half the price!''
 
I was wrong.
 
I was so wrong it makes me sick. (Intentional dramatics).
 
I could continue writing about my experience but I won't. You all own a pair of these so you know (on any given day) what these sound like, and how good they are.
 
It took me 3 auditions to finally get the HD700's. It won't take me 4 to get the HD800's.
 
I 've read many times how headphones should NEVER be judged on one listen, and how placebo and psychosomatics can play a huge part in audio. This is something I should have paid attention to - and thats to my shame.
 
I want to apologise to all those I lashed out at and all of the ignorant statements I made. I don't think I was rude. I don't think anybody matched my arguments very well, and I don't think my opinion was given much respect, especially my thoughts getting deleted by admins. (You'd think they'd be made of sterner stuff).
 
But that means nothing now.. Because, at the very heart of it, I was wrong.
 
So, fellow HD800 owners -
 
 
(please quote - or do whatever you have to do to this comment so others see it please)
 
Regards,
 
 
Lee.

 
Funny how I notice quite a few people in your boat. Knocks the HD800 on first few impression. Then, bammm.... I see HD800 in their headphone collection LOL
I had a friend declared he was saving up for the LCD3 because the HD800 wasn't his cup of tea (too bright). So I ask him if you wanted to compared my LCD3 and HD800 side by side.
Next minute, he told me "you just might have saved me $800 bucks" LOL.

 

[kapanak]

 
HD800's with Nordost Heimdall 2 cables through the new Cavalli Audio Liquid Crimson.
 
It is a good day for tunes!

How's the Nordost cables? I am very interested in this as a long term upgrade, not for the sound quality, but rather for the unwieldiness of the stock cable. Is the Nordost one less heavy and easier to manage?

 

[SoupRKnowva]

  I owe all of you an apology. 
 
 
A couple of months ago I came in here to give my opinion on the HD800's and it was met with ill-concealed hatred and ultimately my comments being deleted.
 
 
The first part of my review was mostly praising them, for their soundstage/imaging, and how amazing they were with classical music. The second part consisted of me basically s****** all over them; their inability to sound good with any other genre, and their tendency to spotlight treble and sibilance.
 
Over the last few months I have bought the 650's, and sold my Grado ps500's in exchange for the HD700's. I've spent the last 2 weeks getting used to 700's' spiky treble response and (imo) amazing bass, imaging and soundstage. They have become to most exciting headphone I have ever owned and used. I look forward to using them everyday. A feeling I have never had with any kind of audio or entertainment equipment.
 
Today I went to audition the HD800's (for a third time). 
 
I wen't - macbook, hd700's and o2 in hand - armed with over a hundred of the highest quality audio files I could download. Binaural, orchestral, acoustic, EDM, rock, classical, pop. You name it, I had it.
 
After the first two auditions of the HD800 I left the shop thinking  ''wow, they are amazing - but are way too bright for me, and ps500's are half the price!''
 
I was wrong.
 
I was so wrong it makes me sick. (Intentional dramatics).
 
I could continue writing about my experience but I won't. You all own a pair of these so you know (on any given day) what these sound like, and how good they are.
 
It took me 3 auditions to finally get the HD700's. It won't take me 4 to get the HD800's.
 
I 've read many times how headphones should NEVER be judged on one listen, and how placebo and psychosomatics can play a huge part in audio. This is something I should have paid attention to - and thats to my shame.
 
I want to apologise to all those I lashed out at and all of the ignorant statements I made. I don't think I was rude. I don't think anybody matched my arguments very well, and I don't think my opinion was given much respect, especially my thoughts getting deleted by admins. (You'd think they'd be made of sterner stuff).
 
But that means nothing now.. Because, at the very heart of it, I was wrong.
 
So, fellow HD800 owners -
 
 
 
 

 
 
(please quote - or do whatever you have to do to this comment so others see it please)
 
Regards,
 
 
Lee.

 
Haha i think this happened to a lot of us...The first several times I heard them i also didn't enjoy them at all. You can go back and read what i wrote about them in 2010 and it wasn't very nice. But like many of us, I finally came around after a few extended listening sessions...
 
 

  I think I posted my question in the wrong place. I shall repost it here if that's okay.
 
Alright, so I'm nowhere new to Headphones or High Fidelity audio.
 
Here's my current dilemma: 
 
I owned a 97XX serial number HD800 from 2009 to 2012, and I used it in conjunction with a Violectric V100 and then V181 for amp, and a Naim DAC.
 
Unfortunately, all of that along with about 15K worth of audio equipment was sold due to a financial crisis in my life near the end of 2012 (and my car and a majority of my camera collection as well as my Canon professional kit lol ...)
 
So fast forward to December 2014, and I see the HD800 brand new from a reputable, authorized dealer for only $1200. Of course I bought it since I was in better financial situation. Serial 34XXX.
 
So far, I have used it with my Asus Maximus VII Formula on-board sound card (Cirrus Logic CS4398 DAC/Texas Instruments LM4562 Amp/Realtek drivers), my Audioengine D3, and then my Audioengine D1. I also have the Bottlehead Crack w/ Speedball that is used as the amp with the Audioengine D1. Unfortunately, that's all the audio source equipment I posses at this time.
 
Perhaps my memory is skewed, but I remember the HD800 sounding quite a bit better on my old setup.
 
I can't afford that setup anymore. For me, I know the HD800 sounds great with Violectric V281, Auralic Taurus MKII or Schiit Ragnarok, along with a Auralic Vega DAC, and for me that's considered end-game. Unfortunately, those are out of my budget for the foreseeable future.
 
So, I turn to you, my fellow HF'ers. Please recommend me something within a budget of under $1000 that's either one DAC and one Amp under that budget, or a combo, that will pair well with my HD800. I really wish to hear what I used to hear. And I'm pretty darn young, so it's not hearing loss lol ...

 
Used Gungnir and a Valhalla 2...not that I'm biased towards this combo or anything I really really fell in love with the Gungnir the first time I heard it, something about the intensity it brings just does it for me, and then the Valhalla 2 is well known as a superbly high value amp, specially for high impedance cans like the HD800s