[Dopaminer]

Fellas,

I am leaving this party; really I am.  I was just grazing Ebay to see what`s going on with HD800 prices there, and I came across this auction for an pretty damned gorgeous cable: 
 
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Q-Audio-HD-800-Balanced-Headphone-Cable-for-Sennheiser-Upgrade-92-Retail-280-/171662746566?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item27f7e5a3c6
 
The seller has a good rep.  The price is just nuts and there`s only 13 hours remaining . . .   
I`m almost thinking to buy it just to add as a sweetener for my HD800 sale !  
 
d

 

[pearljam50000]

Humm the earcup hinge looks fragile. 
Has anyone had any problem with it?

 

[icebear]

Apparently the HD800 is the most reliable of any TOTL headphones with the highest production number (serial # about 33k now?).
I have not seen any reports of driver failures, channel imbalance or broken hinges for that matter. I have mine for  a little over a year and no issues

 

[pearljam50000]

That's good news 

 

[maibuN]

  Apparently the HD800 is the most reliable of any TOTL headphones with the highest production number (serial # about 33k now?).
I have not seen any reports of driver failures, channel imbalance or broken hinges for that matter. I have mine for  a little over a year and no issues

 
35k 

 

 

[knowhatimean]

How rough or careless are you going to be w/ a $1500 TOTL headphone ?
 
You can always save $300 & get those headphones that want to "really" squezze  your head & "they may appear sturdy" but your neck may not appear to feel sturdy after a while ? R&D for this company are probably 2 guys named Rob & Dave that pack the HPs in boxes

 

[pearljam50000]

Thanks.
I read  a post over at the Abyss thread that says they are better than some 70,000$ speakers he heard.
Are the HD800 also comparable to 50,000$ +- speakers? or even 10,000$
They would have crazy value  it that's the case 

 

[Justin_Time]

Thanks.


I read  a post over at the Abyss thread that says they are better than some 70,000$ speakers he heard.


Are the HD800 also comparable to 50,000$ +- speakers? or even 10,000$


They would have crazy value  it that's the case 

 


Listening to IEM/headphones is a different experience from listening to stero speakers in a room and different from listening to live, un-amplified music in a concert hall.

One is not necessarily better than the other, just different. But even so, if forced to compare, I do not have to go very far. I enjoy my Magnapan 3.7 at a mere cost of $5,500 new far more than I enjoy the Abyss. Of course associated components make the Magnapan system more expensive than the Abyss system but the whole thing would come well under $70,000!

There is a small kernel of truth in the over statement above: home stereo systems are more expensive than personal IEM/headphone systems. I would leave it at that.

 

[kapanak]

Originally Posted by pearljam50000 /img/forum/go_quote.gif
Humm the earcup hinge looks fragile. 
Has anyone had any problem with it?

 

Originally Posted by icebear /img/forum/go_quote.gif
Apparently the HD800 is the most reliable of any TOTL headphones with the highest production number (serial # about 33k now?).
I have not seen any reports of driver failures, channel imbalance or broken hinges for that matter. I have mine for  a little over a year and no issues

 

Originally Posted by maibuN /img/forum/go_quote.gif
 
35k 

 

 
My nearest headphones dealer just told me his shipment of three HD800 on Friday were all in the serial # 36020's range. So serial # 36K now

 
No other $1000+ headphones has sold this many units, not even close.
 
And in terms of quality control, I can't think of any other headphones, except for perhaps the TOTL STAX that has the same rigorous testing as the HD800.
 
There are quite a few factory tour videos of the Germany plant where the HD800 is made, the latest one by LinusTechTips: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5es8zggYM7A
 
First half of the video is purely HD800

 

[V-DiV]

Today it was back to the office rig.  But yesterday I got to spend time with my HD800s yesterday wandering through my music from Brahms & Dvorak to Diana Krall and Nora Jones to Gary Burton and Dominick Farinacci, to Doobie Brothers and Led Zeppelin.  Happy!   Getting more amped to plunk down some money on a DAC.  What will make me and my HD800 happier: a new Metrum Octave, NAD M51 (used?), PWD II (definitely used), or even the W4S Dac 1 Limited Ed (happy credit card)?  As I was shutting down to go watch some old guys Get the Led Out on TV with the wife, something caught my eye on my desk (pic below).  Was it a sign???
 

 

[bearFNF]

On the TOTL Stax there have been numerous issues of headbands breaking, I have seen three personally on the 009 that were broken (plastic clip for the adjustment mechanism). Then there is the whole imbalance issue that has been reported and argued about...

 

[kapanak]

  On the TOTL Stax there have been numerous issues of headbands breaking, I have seen three personally on the 009 that were broken (plastic clip for the adjustment mechanism). Then there is the whole imbalance issue that has been reported and argued about...

That just shows my ignorance for electrostats I suppose. I was not aware of such issues. All I had ever seen were assembly and disassembly of the 009 that showed such beautiful worksmanship and industrial design. Thus, I stand corrected. HD800 is the only TOTL without issues

 

[Zoom25]

Beyer T1?

 

[johnjen]

  Thanks.
I read  a post over at the Abyss thread that says they are better than some 70,000$ speakers he heard.
Are the HD800 also comparable to 50,000$ +- speakers? or even 10,000$
They would have crazy value  it that's the case 

As a general rule a HP system will be much less expensive than 'comperable' SQ in a speaker system, for a whole bunch of reasons.
And it would seem that as you delve deeper into TOTL systems this $$ difference tends to get larger.
 
Of course there will be exceptions, but depending upon what attributes are important for choosing the components for systems such as these, will also significantly influence the net $$ results.  
 
Still, if 800's are the HP of choice and are fed 'properly', the multiplier factor can be 10x as much (or more) for a speaker system of comperable SQ.
 
YMMV
 
JJ

 

[bearFNF]

 
That just shows my ignorance for electrostats I suppose. I was not aware of such issues. All I had ever seen were assembly and disassembly of the 009 that showed such beautiful worksmanship and industrial design. Thus, I stand corrected. HD800 is the only TOTL without issues

Well actually the HD800 has been reported to have paint issues, that is some think it scratches easily, Mine have some minor scratches, but then I don't treat them with white glove type of handling...

 
I guess the bottom line is there really are no "perfect" headphones...
 
Oh yeah, there was also the report of an HD800 on here somewhere that had a very loose headband.  Mine is somewhat loose, to the point where I had to mark the headband position for easier re-adjustment as it would slide out of position too easily.  There was even a guide made on how to disassemble and reassemble it after "tweaking" some parts to make it tighter.  I never did take mine apart, though.