[mysticstryk]

HD800 is a must buy if you're into the Sennheiser house sound.  It's not even worth debating.  They will scale with future upgrades unlike the HD600, which are great headphones, but have limits.  If you're curious, just buy a used 800, and if you don't like it, you can turn around and sell it for the same price very quickly.  

I have found the 6x0 series scales just as well as the 800 with gear upgrades. Though unlike the 800, the 6x0 isn't as picky with gear.

 

[DarktoreS]

 

[bearFNF]

I just saw an unboxing video on YouTube, the guy claims there is a 6.3 mm to 3.5mm adapter included in the box ,my old HD800 didn't include one, did anyone get one?

I bought mine a few years ago and it had the adapter in the box.

None on mine too..  which I got about 3 weeks ago.  Had to buy it separately.

 

[JamieMcC]

 

 
Nice where did you find those carbon fibre connectors?

 

[DarktoreS]

It's my Furutech iHP-35hx cable http://www.magazine-audio.com/headphone-cable-adl-ihp-35hx/

 

[ColtMrFire]

I have found the 6x0 series scales just as well as the 800 with gear upgrades. Though unlike the 800, the 6x0 isn't as picky with gear.

 
I didn't mean to imply the 600 doesn't scale.  I meant its not going to scale to the heights of the 800, in terms of technical ability.

 

[fjrabon]

HD800 is a must buy if you're into the Sennheiser house sound.  It's not even worth debating.  They will scale with future upgrades unlike the HD600, which are great headphones, but have limits.  If you're curious, just buy a used 800, and if you don't like it, you can turn around and sell it for the same price very quickly.  

I actually think the HD800 was a bit of a departure from the Sennheiser "house sound". Previously Sennheiser had always relaxed 6-8kHz and instead pushed 3-4kHz. The HD800 does the exact opposite. In some ways the HD800 was more like the AKG house sound than the traditional Sennheiser house sound.

 

[Ani1000]

It's odd some of them come with an adapter and some don't.
I hope mine will also will come with one, thanks.

I bought mine a few years ago and it had the adapter in the box.

 

[bosiemoncrieff]

I've always found discussion of a 'house sound' unhelpful, but in Sennheiser's case, there are only three notable headphones in the last two decades. Two of them have a similar (though distinct) sound; the third is quite different. If you want to draw a line between HE400, 400i, 400S, 5, 500, 560, 6, X, 1000 and call that a "house sound," fine, but two is not a pattern.

 

[Hansotek]

I actually think the HD800 was a bit of a departure from the Sennheiser "house sound". Previously Sennheiser had always relaxed 6-8kHz and instead pushed 3-4kHz. The HD800 does the exact opposite. In some ways the HD800 was more like the AKG house sound than the traditional Sennheiser house sound.

 
I find the concept of "house sound" to be a little more subtle and complex than FR differences. Really, I think where you see it play out is in timbre. In that regard, the HD800, 650, 600, 598, etc. all share some definite similarities. Same with all Beyers, AKGs, etc. Compare a Senn to a beyer, and guitars will always sound more woody on the Senn, regardless of FR. I think some of this stems from the shapes of their housings, cup physics and the choices of materials. 

 

[Me x3]

HD800 is tuned like a DT880 Pro, except for some subtle but still relevant differences in the treble region.
 
Pink is DT880 Pro - Green is HD800

 
AKGs have a bump around 2kHz which make them quite different from the HD800 in terms of tonality.
Most of the times AKGs are less extended in the highest treble, givng a more opaque/less airy sound.

 

[fjrabon]

I've always found discussion of a 'house sound' unhelpful, but in Sennheiser's case, there are only three notable headphones in the last two decades. Two of them have a similar (though distinct) sound; the third is quite different. If you want to draw a line between HE400, 400i, 400S, 5, 500, 560, 6, X, 1000 and call that a "house sound," fine, but two is not a pattern.

Nah, the HD600, HD650, HD580, HD414 and HD598 all more or less adhered to the Sennheiser house sound. Even the Orpheus (original, haven't heard the II) more or less adhered to the Sennheiser house sound, just as an extremely refined version.

HiFiMan is also interesting in that the HE1000 and edition X shifted away from the rest of the "house sound" of the HE6, HE500, HE400i and HE560.

 

[Yoga]

 
I wonder if this is why some people are genuinely finding the HD 800 to be that good, because it is their best reference point. Monitors have kind of spoiled my experience with headphones. I don't get that same joy as I used to with headphones in the past. Bittersweet part of audio and life in general.

 
Same, I only use headphones when I can't use monitors now (hence the HD800 and SWR3). Not touched my Abyss rig in a while. Ever heard those? 

 

[Zoom25]

   
Same, I only use headphones when I can't use monitors now (hence the HD800 and SWR3). Not touched my Abyss rig in a while. Ever heard those? 

 
No haven't tried the Abyss yet. I don't know of any place locally here in Canada where I think I can even audition them. The chatter about the Elear and Utopia has gotten me interested though. I am going to try them out sometime soon at a local place.
 
I'm gravitating towards high-end headphones that will work well out of the headphone jack on my iPad and Macbook Pro as well. If the headphones absolutely need to be tied to a full system all the time, then I'd rather pick speakers, which is what I do. This is why I have started using my HD 598 more and more nowadays.

 

[Yoga]

   
No haven't tried the Abyss yet. I don't know of any place locally here in Canada where I think I can even audition them. The chatter about the Elear and Utopia has gotten me interested though. I am going to try them out sometime soon at a local place.
 
I'm gravitating towards high-end headphones that will work well out of the headphone jack on my iPad and Macbook Pro as well. If the headphones absolutely need to be tied to a full system all the time, then I'd rather pick speakers, which is what I do. This is why I have started using my HD 598 more and more nowadays.

I'm quite tempted by the Utopia too (and Ether Flows), all being well I'll be auditioning them this coming week, although I'm more interested now in how well a headphone responds to EQing. How they sound stock is quite irrelevant (for my needs).