[TwoEars]

So... Funny Story....
 
I've been listening to the toslink output on my Create HD Titanium for ages. That way I've been getting both eax effects for gaming and wasapi push in foobar.
 
Today I couldn't really seem to relax and get into the music, I was also wondering why so many of my recordings seemed so poorly mastered all of a sudden. Were my ears becoming hyper-sensitive? Was this some kind of trick my brain was playing on me?
 
So I dug up my HD650 and plugged that in instead.... hmm.... yupp that sounds a lot more relaxing and non-fatiguing.
 
I know I prefered the HD800 for these songs before! Hmmmm....What's going on here....

 
About 30 min of head scratching later I ditch the optical toslink interface and plug in a usb cable into my computer instead.
 
That did it, the bass became firmer, deeper and tighter. The overall sound presentation mellowed down a bit. And a lot of glare went away. HD650 once again dethroned....
 
Bad toslink cable causing lots of jitter? Sound card optical out slowly dying on me?
 
Interesting non the less! And glad I found the problem!

 

 

[roguegeek]

  @roguegeek, would you like more of the $ you pay for the HD800 to go into packaging vs. the build and sound quality of the HP?  I know which one I would prefer.  My $60k car comes with the same plastic gas cap as a Toyota corolla but I am more than fine with it.  

That comparison is horrible. There's nothing special or unique, comparatively in the market, about your $60k car. Move up to +$250k and then you start seeing things like assembly factory visits, custom luggage, driving lessons, etc... Things you will never get with your Lexus (I'm assuming). These cans and their asking price, there is something special about them and the packaging has a lot to be desired. The bottom line is at this price point and compared to cans in the same market, objectively, you get more material. When you compare A vs B vs C in this one aspect, the Sennheisers come up short. Now, I think that also says something about these cans when I dig for criticism and can only find packaging materials to ding. If it has to come up short someplace, I'd prefer it to be on a superficial level.

 

[roguegeek]

 
Dang was totally gonna make some prop bets on whether you or roguegeek sold HD700 first. O well, we can still take bets on how long it will take him to sell his.

haha Maybe I'll keep them just out of spite for you! 

 

[Sonido]

  That comparison is horrible. There's nothing special or unique, comparatively in the market, about your $60k car. Move up to +$250k and then you start seeing things like assembly factory visits, custom luggage, driving lessons, etc... Things you will never get with your Lexus (I'm assuming). These cans and their asking price, there is something special about them and the packaging has a lot to be desired. The bottom line is at this price point and compared to cans in the same market, objectively, you get more material. When you compare A vs B vs C in this one aspect, the Sennheisers come up short. Now, I think that also says something about these cans when I dig for criticism and can only find packaging materials to ding. If it has to come up short someplace, I'd prefer it to be on a superficial level.

The Bugatti belt buckle costs more than his car lol. http://www.autoweek.com/article/20140106/CARNEWS01/140109957

 

[koiloco]

  That comparison is horrible. There's nothing special or unique, comparatively in the market, about your $60k car. Move up to +$250k and then you start seeing things like assembly factory visits, custom luggage, driving lessons, etc... Things you will never get with your Lexus (I'm assuming). These cans and their asking price, there is something special about them and the packaging has a lot to be desired. The bottom line is at this price point and compared to cans in the same market, objectively, you get more material. When you compare A vs B vs C in this one aspect, the Sennheisers come up short. Now, I think that also says something about these cans when I dig for criticism and can only find packaging materials to ding. If it has to come up short someplace, I'd prefer it to be on a superficial level.

There, we got an agreement and no, it's not a Lexus.  I see that you just need something to pick on when it comes to your HD800.  
I don't like the stock cable either.  It's too long and low quality for a $1500 pair of HP.  

 

[TwoEars]

  There, we got an agreement and no, it's not a Lexus.  I see that you just need something to pick on when it comes to your HD800.  
I don't like the stock cable either.  It's too long and low quality for a $1500 pair of HP.  

 
Is that why it says "Not a cable believer! I might be deaf and can't hear the difference." in your profile?

 
 
 

 

[koiloco]

   
Is that why it says "Not a cable believer! I might be deaf and can't hear the difference." in your profile?

 
 
 

 you are very observant, sir.  

 

[bearFNF]

I did not like the ergos of the stock cable either, too stiff.  Much more flexible and lite with the 'Q'...ergos and function (adapters)

 

[TwoEars]

I for one like the stock cable.
 
I've had about $1000 or so of aftermarket cables in my home at the same time and I decided to keep the stock one and sell on the aftermarket ones...
 
You can get a little bit more warmth into the system by using a pure copper cable, but it's at the cost of detail retrival and speed. All in all I found the stock cable to be a very nice compromise.
 
As for improved soundstage by using rectangular cores and what not... well, not everything they write in the newspaper is true either lol.

 

[Maxvla]

Stock cable: Too long, lumpy, looks like panty hose, and the plug is a mile long.

 

[akhyar]

^ the plugs on both ends are longer. On the headphone end, it's the shrink wrapped that makes it longer.

 

[TwoEars]

Stock cable: Too long, lumpy, looks like panty hose, and the plug is a mile long.

 
BUT I LIKE.....
 
oh darn it. Nevermind.

 

[MickeyVee]

You guys are too funny... 

1. Who cares about the packaging? I just keep it in case I want to sell which I don't.  The only company who does it right is Audeze with their rugged travel case. Gotta go to HeadFi meets in style.
2. The stock cable is the best that I've seen on any headphone I've purchased. PIA when it comes to kinking but what the heck, I much prefer my Q and ADL cables.
3. Who reads instructions?
4. Mine didn't come with a factory tour of Sennheiser either, oh well.

HD800 are awesome headphones.
Sit back and enjoy! 
Just my POV 

 

[Sonido]

The K812 comes with a wooden omega stand. Wished they shaved $200 off instead.

 

[elvergun]

   

1. Who cares about the packaging? I just keep it in case I want to sell which I don't.  The only company who does it right is Audeze with their rugged travel case. Gotta go to HeadFi meets in style.

 
And Beyerdynamic...with the metal case they come in, your T1s can survive a nuclear holocaust (you wont survive, but your headphones will be around to the delight of future anthropologists).