[johnjen]

You're not alone in your impressions. The HEK are pleasant, but too smoothed over and polite.

Great points! Also, one of the best metaphors I've seen for the HD800 and other TOTL headphones

That was one of the things I noticed about the HE1k's, they were so smooth that it didn't seem to matter what drove them.
Which is great for some because they become much less system specific than 800's.
But also much less resolving.

And that is a great metaphor…

And because 800's scale so well they will improve along with the signal being fed them, but that’s the counterpoint in that sometimes they FORCE you to feed them a 'suitable' signal, either that or you sell them off .

It 'cuts' both ways… :atsmile:

JJ

 

[Sorrodje]

Anyone compare to HE1000?

 
http://www.head-fi.org/a/list-of-major-hifiman-he1000-reviews-impressions-and-videos  lot of useful read here; 

 

[johnjen]

So is anyone else using the Sonarworks Plug-in?

I've been fussing with the controls for a bit now and after this last set of 'adjustments', this is THE BEST I have ever heard my 800's.
Period.

Their plug-in requires DSP to run so a s/w player is needed (I use Jriver) and the Ref 3 plug-in comes with 25 other headphone "average" compensation curves, along with several other Senns, such as the HD650, HD600 and a few others.
Check out the full list on their site if interested.

They can also measure your HP's for a 'custom curve' which is what I'm aiming for.
This custom curve actually measures each channel independent of the other for a true balancing of the output level for the entire 20-20K spectrum.
To within a claimed ±0.9dB.

If that is truly what can happen, that would be an astounding achievement, regardless of it being a speaker or a headphone.
THAT is channel gain matching.
Channel gain matching does wonderful things for the entire acoustic presentation in so many ways.

But having even this degree of FR accuracy (±3dB) on 800's is truly wonderful.
And really since my 800's are modded I can't even claim that tight of a FrqResponse match up.

I hope to perform an experiment with a modicum of measurement backing, AND wind up with hopefully Truly Flat response from 20 to 20K.

As it is you really should try this plug-in if you can.
It’s free to try for 21 days.
And I doubt many won’t wind up buying it.

And no I don't work for these guys.
In fact I've been a bit of a pain in their backside, what with all of my questions.
And to cap it all off they accommodated my rather odd request and as a result, this is THE BEST I've ever heard my 800's.

JJ

 

[hekeli]

Yap Sonarworks is the shtnitzz for a lazy EQ'er, zero fatique, also best quality bassboost I've heard with HD800. Doesn't mean you couldn't do similar things yourself, but I don't have to time mess around and learn FIR filters and stuff and try make them sound good. Alltogether the UI and complete package is very honed, this is one of the few software I'm willing to pay for. 

 

 

[johnjen]

I have tried in the past to come up with an EQ that actually works and other than achieving a decent bass boost, nothing has come this close to being well 'balanced'.
And I'm probably not all that close, yet.

But thus far I'm VERY pleased with the results.

And I figure those with stock 800's might get results that are within that ±3dB window.
And for the price this is the single best improvement with but a very few exceptions.

JJ

 

[TokenGesture]

Sonar works sounds interesting but I have no idea what it 'plugs in' to... Im using iTunes/Amarra, will that work? I downloaded the free trial installer and nothing happens after restart...  

 

[johnjen]

I'm not familiar enough with Amarra to know if it deals with DSP internally, or not.
But I think it does support DSP.

But that is what the plug-in plugs into, DSP (Digital Signal Processing).

And once Ref 3 is installed into DSP then you load the specific compensation curve for your headphones inside the plug-in and away you go.

JJ

 

[SearchOfSub]

I am not getting download link and it's been 30 mins since signed up - I've also used dsp programs for my speakers in the past and it improved bass but always degraded transparency..

 

[joespride]

  has anyone had an instance where the HD800 seems to reveal like mic feedback and other weird noises in various tracks of music ??
 
 
I keep hearing things that are making me look for issues but Nothing is showing up as an issue with testing, I know the HD800 are MUCH more revealing but this is rediculas

Below is an explination I recieved from another forum and it makes sense
 
"You're likely listening to line noise in the recordings: generally speaking, 50/100 Hz in the EU and the rest of the "old world", 60/120 Hz in the Americas--wherever the recording was originally made.  I find that I'm using notch filters on about every third track to remove low level hum that is spread laterally across the Spectrogram log(f) view at low level.  Often times, the noise is on one channel but not the other channel.  I also see a lot of instances of 25 Hz (EU) and 30 Hz (Americas) subharmonics in these recordings.  This noise is not limited to just a certain class of recordings, but rather it seems to invade almost every disc that I own.  A lot of the time, the noise shows up on the spectrograms once I restore the bass to each track, something that the mastering guys left there as an artifact of not actually cleaning up the recording and mixing processes.
 
The most interesting thing that I've found is that once you remove the hum using extremely narrow notch filters (Q=20), the track seems to get much more transparent and open in the exposed sections, even though the hum wasn't really audible beforehand.  I'm going to have to read up on my psychoacoustics texts on this phenomenon to further understand this.
 
If you use Audacity, you can easily clean up your recordings from line noise--free of charge.  All you have to do is to bring up your ripped tracks under the Spectrogram log(f) view, and you can see it.  Then after you apply a notch, you can see the effects of that notch on both the Spectrogram log(f) view and on the "Plot Spectrum" views for the entire track.
 
Chris"
 
 
The HD800 is Brutal in its retrieval of information, I have had and heard some speakers the cost over $30,000.00 with sensitivity up over 110 db 1 watt at 1 meter running amps that were $20,000.00 and the detail retrieval was crap compared to these things...........Albums I have long used as reference and considered superb recordings now have all type of noise even my 
Chesky Ultimate Ears demo.............all this is apparent using mid / low level dacs......Bifrost uber & MHDT Havana,  Looks like uber may have to get the multi bit upgrade for an endgame setup
I can not see nor would I want any further detail retrieval as  it would just equal destraction at some point

 

[Dadracer]

 

Anyone compare to HE1000?

 
http://www.head-fi.org/a/list-of-major-hifiman-he1000-reviews-impressions-and-videos  lot of useful read here; 

There's also a big comparison test going on over at Tylls Innerfidelity site where a group of folk have done a series of tests on HE 1000 vs LCD3 vs Abyss vs Mr Speakers vs Stax 009 vs HD 800s and also with a wide variety of the top headphone amps and DACs which all makes fascinating reading and especially if you work out which headphone has had highest overall marks!!!  

 

[Sorrodje]

Yup . Innerfidelity's Big sound 2015 is a fascinating experience and deserve much praise indeed.  Tyll's work has always been fantastic IMO but what he just did there is absolutely stellar. 

 

[RudeWolf]

I am not getting download link and it's been 30 mins since signed up - I've also used dsp programs for my speakers in the past and it improved bass but always degraded transparency..

 
PM me the e-mail address you signed up with. I'll get you everything you need to get going!

 

[headwhacker]

All the tallk that this phone is bass lite and thin is far from what my ears can here. Although, maybe it's true Sennheiser change the bass on later batches (21xxx). But this can is far from bass lite.

 

[Dadracer]

  Yup . Innerfidelity's Big sound 2015 is a fascinating experience and deserve much praise indeed.  Tyll's work has always been fantastic IMO but what he just did there is absolutely stellar. 

It is/was clearly a massive undertaking and Tyll should be congratulated along with all the other contributors. I am hanging on like crazy for his final concluding statements to have an overall wrap up. It must be the biggest in depth TOTL headphones review since David Mahler did that mega 50 + battle of the flagships a couple of years back.  

 

[rawrster]

Can anyone tell me best solid state amp for he800? - I come to find out after countless times of buying and selling and losing money, tubes are just not for me.

 
The best I've heard would be the Headamp GSX mk2. I own a Auralic Taurus which comes second however I've never had them both side by side to see how big (or small) a difference they are but they do seem to be in the same playing field.