[BunnyNamedCraig]

I couldn't agree more. I did the SDR mod as soon as I got them, but I'm wondering if I really needed to. My other cans are the LCD-X, which I also am madly in love with.

I have found with certain amps there is nothing I want to change about the HD800 (mind you, thats my ears we're talking about...) I have always been curious about the mod since I have not heard it yet...

Right now messing around with Chord Mojo and Elemental Watson with the 800. Listening to "The Wizard" by Uriah Heep. Got me toe tapping

Please excuse my messy "work" station.

 

[ahmadfaizadnan]

I have found with certain amps there is nothing I want to change about the HD800 (mind you, thats my ears we're talking about...) I have always been curious about the mod since I have not heard it yet...

Right now messing around with Chord Mojo and Elemental Watson with the 800. Listening to "The Wizard" by Uriah Heep. Got me toe tapping

Please excuse my messy "work" station.

That looks quite good.

 

[twiceboss]

Got my Heron 5, first impression: this is too warm sometimes, lack details. Then at night i realized that, my hd800 is modded with two different mods, one is SDR and one more is using shelf liner to reduce more highs. I used iCan SA before. So it is not warm enough, these two mods solved the issue with iCan.

But, i forgot to remove the shelf liner before i tried my heron resulting lacking a lot of details.

So tonight, i removed the shelf liner and the sound is spectacular!

Source: X Sabre as a DAC

 

[twiceboss]

tbh, this heron 5 seems near to my end game
i just need a lil boost bass eq since im just loving bass of ifi can do before. But this heron has everything better than iCan so far except the bass boost.

EDIT: fyi, this heron never distort the sound even I didnt reduce the gain in eq when i increase the lows till 8db. No bass distortion... ok im amazed now

 

[Shetzu]

Ever since I modded my HD 800 with Super Dupont Mod, I have been really swept away with the sound. Currently With mojo as the Dac and Burson Soloist MK II as my amp the combination is just out of the world. This is the best desktop rig I can think of so far. I never thought of going for a desktop Dac as Chord Mojo solves my portability requirement too along with my A&K Kann as the DAP.
I just ordered the Alex Cavalli CTH Hybrid amp on Massdrop. This would be my first tube sounding amp. If things go right my target tube amp would be Wood Audio Wa6 SE or the Felix Audio-Elise.

Anyone having impressions with these two tube amps please let me have your inputs.

 

[Shetzu]

I have serious doubt over the whole USB noise issue. Not if you're running a good desktop DAC, which will have all the signal-cleaning circuitry you'd ever need already inside. For those still worried, there's things like the AudioQuest JitterBug, or that Schiit USB Hub which cleans power and signal.

My setup is as simple as this:
PC>foobar2k>USB>NFB-28>BalancedOut>HD800

I hear zero noise, or jitter, or anything remotely messy. It's supremely clean-sounding.

I too have never faced any USB issues. I use Audivarna on my iMac and have Audioquest cable to my Chord Mojo which I link with my Burson and finally to my Hd-800. Its awesome.

 

[mickerru]

Anyone here compared the matrix 3b and the nfb 1amp? My mojo seems thin with the hd800

 

[DavidA]

Ever since I modded my HD 800 with Super Dupont Mod, I have been really swept away with the sound. Currently With mojo as the Dac and Burson Soloist MK II as my amp the combination is just out of the world. This is the best desktop rig I can think of so far. I never thought of going for a desktop Dac as Chord Mojo solves my portability requirement too along with my A&K Kann as the DAP.
I just ordered the Alex Cavalli CTH Hybrid amp on Massdrop. This would be my first tube sounding amp. If things go right my target tube amp would be Wood Audio Wa6 SE or the Felix Audio-Elise.

Anyone having impressions with these two tube amps please let me have your inputs.

If going with the stock tubes in the Elise you might want to make your HD800 stock again, the SDR mod might make it a bit too warm, the owner of the Elise agree and with the even warmer HD650 it was way too warm. Good news is that great tubes in the Elise does not seem to cost an arm and a leg from what I've reading in the Elise thread compared to some of the tubes that are recommend for the Woo amps. I pretty much stay with my slightly modded BH Crack for the HD800, its "good enough" for me.

 

[Shetzu]

If going with the stock tubes in the Elise you might want to make your HD800 stock again, the SDR mod might make it a bit too warm, the owner of the Elise agree and with the even warmer HD650 it was way too warm. Good news is that great tubes in the Elise does not seem to cost an arm and a leg from what I've reading in the Elise thread compared to some of the tubes that are recommend for the Woo amps. I pretty much stay with my slightly modded BH Crack for the HD800, its "good enough" for me.

Thanks for your inputs. It has ben a great help. Maybe I need to look at other options too. I would not want to make my HD800 stock again.

 

[thecrow]

Ever since I modded my HD 800 with Super Dupont Mod, I have been really swept away with the sound. Currently With mojo as the Dac and Burson Soloist MK II as my amp the combination is just out of the world. This is the best desktop rig I can think of so far. I never thought of going for a desktop Dac as Chord Mojo solves my portability requirement too along with my A&K Kann as the DAP.
I just ordered the Alex Cavalli CTH Hybrid amp on Massdrop. This would be my first tube sounding amp. If things go right my target tube amp would be Wood Audio Wa6 SE or the Felix Audio-Elise.

Anyone having impressions with these two tube amps please let me have your inputs.

Having heard the mojo separately and having owned the soloist before i too would think that would be a good combo

Re tubes amps i have and love the wa2. Silky smooth and great step up from soloist.

Only downside of wa2 is that it does limit what headphones match well with it due to high output impedance.

I had a demo listen to wa6se and found it to lack the silky magic of the wa2. The 6se was more of a brighter/punchy style (closer to solid state)

I feel the wa2 is superb if wanting an amp purely for the hd800. My lcd2 comes up (a bit surprisingly) well with the wa2 - nicely warm on the bottom end and not bloomy as some lower impedance headphones come up

 

[Shetzu]

Having heard the mojo separately and having owned the soloist before i too would think that would be a good combo

Re tubes amps i have and love the wa2. Silky smooth and great step up from soloist.

Only downside of wa2 is that it does limit what headphones match well with it due to high output impedance.

I had a demo listen to wa6se and found it to lack the silky magic of the wa2. The 6se was more of a brighter/punchy style (closer to solid state)

I feel the wa2 is superb if wanting an amp purely for the hd800. My lcd2 comes up (a bit surprisingly) well with the wa2 - nicely warm on the bottom end and not bloomy as some lower impedance headphones come up

Thanks for your reply. I too was told WA2 is perfect match for the Hd800. I will try to take a demo of it and check it out

 

[ardilla]

I recently posted a review where I compare a range of amplifiers with the HD800:

THE BEST AMP FOR SENNHEISER HD800?
A BIG AMPLIFIER COMPARISON REVIEW

Hope someone finds it useful - and am curious if others share my observations =)

 

[ruthieandjohn]

Fabulous comparative review. Thank you for all your efforts.

 

[ardilla]

Fabulous comparative review. Thank you for all your efforts.

Thanks - I'm glad you liked it =)

 

[Thenewguy007]

I recently posted a review where I compare a range of amplifiers with the HD800:

THE BEST AMP FOR SENNHEISER HD800?
A BIG AMPLIFIER COMPARISON REVIEW

Hope someone finds it useful - and am curious if others share my observations =)

That's a huge list of amps you tested & compared. Was it done cumulatively or did you have all that gear at the same time?