[PleasantSounds]

Probably a better interpretation would be that the problem is with reproducing the loud signals with proper impact. But I wouldn't worry too much about not being able to hear the details: if the recording has been properly engineered, the details will be there. More often the opposite is happening: the original is dynamically compressed to the extent that it sounds unnatural.
 
Also, keep in mind that the perception of details is usually related to the mid to high frequencies, while dynamics are more likely to fall at the extremes.

 

[ag8908]

  Probably a better interpretation would be that the problem is with reproducing the loud signals with proper impact. But I wouldn't worry too much about not being able to hear the details: if the recording has been properly engineered, the details will be there. More often the opposite is happening: the original is dynamically compressed to the extent that it sounds unnatural.
 
Also, keep in mind that the perception of details is usually related to the mid to high frequencies, while dynamics are more likely to fall at the extremes.

Thanks I'll look out for this characteristic in music.
 
In general, when I listen to songs, I almost always find myself wishing x instrument were quieter, x voice was louder etc. but that was probably not an issue of dynamics and more an issue of the engineer's subjective decisions of how much volume to give to each instrument etc. when recording.
 
Overall I like how the HD800 makes some poorly recorded songs sound really bad. For example, I just discovered that on spotify, 320kbps, Valerie by Steve Winwood from The Finer Things album sounds really awful. Some of Lady Gaga's songs also often sound terrible, which makes sense because I read that she literally recorded some of them using her Apple computer's microphone (after which they were engineered in the studio, see e.g. Paper Gangsta).

 

[PleasantSounds]

There's one more side effect of the HD800 being superbly resolving:
 
I have just used them at mastering a small video production. On the headphones the sound was just perfect, but when played on speakers the background music turned out way too loud. Ended up re-doing the sound mix.

 

[koiloco]

  There's one more side effect of the HD800 being superbly resolving:
 
I have just used them at mastering a small video production. On the headphones the sound was just perfect, but when played on speakers the background music turned out way too loud. Ended up re-doing the sound mix.

+1.  That's why I don't use strictly HPs for mixing/mastering, especially final master.  HD800 is great to catch little errors and get a somewhat accurate initial mix though.

 

[ag8908]

  There's one more side effect of the HD800 being superbly resolving:
 
I have just used them at mastering a small video production. On the headphones the sound was just perfect, but when played on speakers the background music turned out way too loud. Ended up re-doing the sound mix.

Yup. You really need to master based on the most common method of listening to what you're making. I guess that's why lady gaga can get away with recording multiple songs on her macbook's built in microphone. Her fans are just going to listen to it on crap any way so what does she care.

 

[koiloco]

 
Yup. You really need to master based on the most common method of listening to what you're making. I guess that's why lady gaga can get away with recording multiple songs on her macbook's built in microphone. Her fans are just going to listen to it on crap any way so what does she care.

That's because those people really just listen to the "music".  Nothing's wrong with that.  I often enjoy an old small boombox in the garage while working on my bike.  Let's not be pretentious.   The sound quality from laptops these days is really not that horrible.

 

[ag8908]

  That's because those people really just listen to the "music".  Nothing's wrong with that.  I often enjoy an old small boombox in the garage while working on my bike.  Let's not be pretentious.   The sound quality from laptops these days is really not that horrible.

 
That's fair, but it's fun to relisten to songs with the HD800 to see how well they were recorded. For example,I just listened to Madonna, a person compared to Lady Gaga, and her 1980s hits were recorded very professionally and they sound great. Even her first 1983 album.

 

[koiloco]

   
That's fair, but it's fun to relisten to songs with the HD800 to see how well they were recorded. For example,I just listened to Madonna, a person compared to Lady Gaga, and her 1980s hits were recorded very professionally and they sound great. Even her first 1983 album.

Absolutely.  Overall, modern recording/mixing/mastering are not the same as in the old day anymore.

 

[Lucky87]

   
That's fair, but it's fun to relisten to songs with the HD800 to see how well they were recorded. For example,I just listened to Madonna, a person compared to Lady Gaga, and her 1980s hits were recorded very professionally and they sound great. Even her first 1983 album.

Check out this old school in the 80's when MJ recorded Thriller album and when MTV was just starting out. To somewhat present Dave Grohl from FooFighters making one of his songs inside his garage on old tape. See both videos below..
I am looking forward when I get my new HD800 I bought today to relive my music..
 
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e-H1mCEAoiA&list=WLA062D5FAF6D8C7F1
 
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=INFIOJQ8lmk&list=PLB5C1B855F7C4352F

 

[LugBug1]

With a headphone as transparent as the HD800, hearing the capabilities of amp/source is relatively easy compared to other hp's. Having said that, 'dynamics' is one of those terms that gets used a lot and is often misunderstood. And is even harder to understand when you are not listening to the 'headphone' but examining your amp for e.g. 
 
Some amps can be crystal clear most of the time and excel at keeping everything tight, fast and focused. All is well until the music calls for that extra push (or reserve of power). An amp that doesn't have this will blur or smear at sudden outbursts of complex music. I.E soft to loud in a split second. A solo violin to full orchestra. It may sound slow or lack the clarity and speed that it had when the music was more constant. This will not be that noticeable unless you are listening to very dynamic music such as classical. But this is what you pay for with better power implementation. 
 
So, with that in mind and for fear of sounding like a musical snob. If all you listen to is pop music or music that isn't very dynamic. Buy an O2 or similar and live happily ever after! 

 

[Swolern]

 
Check out this old school in the 80's when MJ recorded Thriller album and when MTV was just starting out. To somewhat present Dave Grohl from FooFighters making one of his songs inside his garage on old tape. See both videos below..
I am looking forward when I get my new HD800 I bought today to relive my music..

I admit Thriller 176kHz/24bit sounds amazing on the HD800.

 

[Boss429]

  I have tried almost every possible input on the Daccord and Classic, very good but not great with the HD800. Much better with the T1.
 
I recently ran a balanced XLR cable directly from my OPPO BDP-105> Daccord via a balanced RCA Y> coax and the upgrade in imaging and soundstage blew me away.  

 
Thanks RUMAY408

 

[palmfish]

  I admit Thriller 176kHz/24bit sounds amazing on the HD800.

 
Thriller 320 kbps MP3 sounds amazing on the HD 800 too.

 

[elvergun]

Haha...Michael Jackson...they still have a shrine to the dude in Munich.
 

 

[ALRAINBOW]

One of my many jobs way back when was a DJ. At clubs playing DISCO. And the majority of that music genre was recorded very well. It had to be. It was playing at jet plain volumes right at you. So it does stand to reason that Madonna
Cd,s are very well done and they are. The level of quality mixing is very good till this day. Now as I do not know the entire process that goose into recording and how it ends up on the cd we hear. But it always amazed me that some use headphones or speaker monitors. None use a really good hi quality speaker setup. Meaning something that would reproduce the music at highly accurate and loud levels. They do not. And it begs the question why not. I think the answer is most people do not such systems and maybe since the masses are the target this is what we get.

Al