[hekeli]

Yeah that's just stupid snobbery. Modern AAC and MP3 are already near transparent at 128kbit. I don't get what HD800 has to do with it. I can hear the artifacts even with my $15 cans. It's not like better ones magically blast the "defects" to you at +10dB level (edit: well... they might if the cheap cans are REALLY rolled off. 

)

 

[magiccabbage]

Quote:

Yeah that's just stupid snobbery. Modern AAC and MP3 are already near transparent at 128kbit. I don't get what HD800 has to do with it. I can hear the artifacts even with my $15 cans, better ones don't magically blast them out of proportion.

i agree that you can hear differences with cheaper gear to an extent but better cans are a lot more unforgiving

 

[hekeli]

Quote:

i agree that you can hear differences with cheaper gear to an extent but better cans are a lot more unforgiving

"Unforgiving" - such an audiophile statement. 

 
 
I downloaded an really old encoder for fun (BladeEnc from 2004, supposed to be pretty poor?) and made some 128kbit encodes. Even that is still very listenable (quite subtle change to newest lame actually). But what do I know, there are people that even can't stand to listen some specific cables..

 

[wink]

Hearing acuity can be a curse...

 

[LugBug1]

words like 'brutal, harsh, bloated.... from 128kbps...? The sound can be 'wobbly' with poor decay using bitrates as low as this. But the sound will only be harsh etc if the original recording is. Low bit rates don't add anything unwanted. 

 

[wink]

Quote:BugLug1

Low bit rates don't add anything unwanted.

They just take away some of the goodness.

 

[extrabigmehdi]

Quote:

Yeah that's just stupid snobbery. Modern AAC and MP3 are already near transparent at 128kbit. I don't get what HD800 has to do with it. I can hear the artifacts even with my $15 cans. It's not like better ones magically blast the "defects" to you at +10dB level (edit: well... they might if the cheap cans are REALLY rolled off. 

)

I disagree. I managed recently (it was not so easy) to abx some sample encoded at vbr 0 to lossless.
Also I think that some headphone exaggerate the transients for some frequencies range or make them smoother.
I know some dj mix that sounds ok on the hd25, and are unbearable with the hd800.
I don't think it's only lossy compression, but a combination of factors, such like limited dynamic range,
and V shaped eq applied during the mastering. I guess Skrillex is not pleasant with the hd800 , although it's not my kind of music.

 

[LugBug1]

Quote:

They just take away some of the goodness.

yup. 

 

[hekeli]

Quote:

I disagree. I managed recently (it was not so easy) to abx some sample encoded at vbr 0 to lossless.
Also I think that some headphone exaggerate the transients for some frequencies range or make them smoother.
I know some dj mix that sounds ok on the hd25, and are unbearable with the hd800.
I don't think it's only lossy compression, but a combination of factors, such like limited dynamic range,
and V shaped eq applied during the mastering. I guess Skrillex is not pleasant with the hd800 , although it's not my kind of music.

 
 
Good for you, but identifying vbr0 doesn't mean much. Pretty much indistinguishable from the real thing, especially if casually listening.
 
We were talking about  compression artifacts, but yes, generally crap in crap out. If Skrillex is crap, I'd still probably prefer it with HD800 over say XB500s, but thats just me. I have  no problem listening to harsh metal either, there's more to gain with good cans than to lose.

 

[extrabigmehdi]

Quote:

 Pretty much indistinguishable from the real thing, especially if casually listening.

I don't think you'd buy the hd800 for casual listening. It's a mistake/ waste of money otherwise.
 
Quote:

If Skrillex is crap, I'd still probably prefer it with HD800 over say XB500s,

 
Not obvious. As I've already stated, I prefer some dj  mix with my hd25, than the hd800. 
Well for instance:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6a7T-IirSvc
And what you call "crap", might be just be mastering optimized for "average" audio systems.
Radio doesn't sound better, than in the car, but that's just me.
 
Quote:

I have  no problem listening to harsh metal either, there's more to gain with good cans than to lose.

I don't think the hd800 are best for metal, although it's still interesting to listen.
The problem is not that it sounds "harsh", but I don't find the hd800,  that good for fast paced music.
My finding is confirmed by the review from headfonia, in their comparison with the T1.
I quote few statements by mike:
"Anyway, I know people who listen to Hard Rock and Metal most of the time, and the HD800 just wouldn’t be able to keep up with the pace of their music"
or
"If I can generalize, is that the HD800 is not suitable for fast-paced music, but for medium to slow-paced music, the HD800 is almost always better than the T1."
http://www.headfonia.com/hd800-t1/7/
Traditional recommendation for hd800 , is classical music.

 

[BournePerfect]

The HD800 is significantly 'faster' than the T1...it's just that the somewhat distant soundstage makes us perceive it differently. My biggest gripe with the T1 was in fact, that it seemed slow...my .02. -Daniel

 

[NightFlight]

Quote:

I have been listening to music through my IEMs today and noticed that vocals are located dead center between my ears, however with
my HD800 I notice vocals shifted to the right channel. I cant´s seem to get the left driver to shoot directly to my left ear and am constantly
fiddling with the position. Anybody else have this issue that can offer advice.
 
Thanks, Riq

Test all switches and buttons. You could have bad contact anywhere affecting signal path on the left.

 

[extrabigmehdi]

Quote:

it's just that the somewhat distant soundstage makes us perceive it differently.

 
Whatever , the hd800 doesn't often  provide a sensation of speed, with genre like metal or psytrance,  either it's a subjective or objective matter.
A bit annoying to hear something that feels "relaxed", while the original intent of music is to provide something that is "in a hurry".

 

[NightFlight]

So.
 
I was away for a week or more from all things audiophile. I didn't even listen to my little RE-400s I had with me. On return I found my HD800s a bit underwhelming. After a couple hours of listening, they seemed to open up and impress again. You know, do their thing.
 
Could this be the brain attuning to fidelity? The amp/tubes just needed to warm up? I don't know anymore. The brain is a fickle thing. Mine... doubly so.

 

[magiccabbage]

Quote:

So.
 
I was away for a week or more from all things audiophile. I didn't even listen to my little RE-400s I had with me. On return I found my HD800s a bit underwhelming. After a couple hours of listening, they seemed to open up and impress again. You know, do their thing.
 
Could this be the brain attuning to fidelity? The amp/tubes just needed to warm up? I don't know anymore. The brain is a fickle thing. Mine... doubly so.

I wreckon the brain. when i went from hd595 to hd650 at first i could only hear slight differences. now when i look back i say to myself "what was i thinking the differences a so huge"