[Currawong]

What was saying to someone who asked me about balanced is: It's really something we only consider because it affects how we connect the headphones. When we buy an amp, most people don't think about anything much more than whether it is a tube amp, who made it and what people said about it. We don't think about the topology/circuit beyond that. We don't even realise that "balanced" can mean a number of different things, as can "tube amp" or "solid state". There are about a dozen common types of amp, but we don't realise that. If headphones had had a 4-pole plug to begin with, we probably wouldn't be asking the question most of the time.

 

[MickeyVee]

When I heard them at the Toronto HeadFi meet last year with my system at the time I found the bass was deeper and cleaner and that the highs where much smoother. The HD700 and HE500 went up for sale the next day to fund the HD800.  No looking back
 
Quote:

Ah.. MickeyVee, I remember you had the HD700, welcome to HD800 club

Why you sold it ? (I never liked HD700 by the way).

 

[purrin]

Just a minor correction, the ZDSE is not transformer coupled. Pretty much the same thing as a ZD except with different output caps and a toggle switch for increased feedback / lower output Z / lower gain. The ZDT is the one which is transformer coupled. The Eddie Current house sound tends to be less "tubey" than most Woo amps.

 

[Zoom25]

What's the best DAC+AMP combo you guys have ever heard with the HD800?

 

[Sorrodje]

  What's the best DAC+AMP combo you guys have ever heard with the HD800?

 
TotalDAC D1 dual + Eddie Current Balancing Act .

 

[62ohm]

   
TotalDAC D1 dual + Eddie Current Balancing Act .

 
What about the DaVinci DAC? 

 

[Zoom25]

   
TotalDAC D1 dual + Eddie Current Balancing Act .

I meant as a one piece combo thing, rather than separates, but thanks for that too

 

[Sorrodje]

   
What about the DaVinci DAC? 

 
 
Wayyyyy too expensive.

 

[MickeyVee]

The ones I've heard are the HDVD800 (need to try balanced), Naim DAC-V1 which I own and the McIntosh D100.  They are all  really good but will not get near a separate DAC/amp combo, even in the same price range.
The new McIntosh MHA-100 may be killer but at $5K, it would have to be.
Quote:

  I meant as a one piece combo thing, rather than separates, but thanks for that too

 

[rptlead]

Hello,
 
Not sure if this will be out of topic, if yes, please let me know so i can take it down.  Would i be able to appreciate HD800 with the ifi products as per this thread?
http://www.head-fi.org/t/714057/ifi-product-set-to-drive-hd800

I mostly listen to vocals, instrumentals/guitars, occasionally rock - I appreciate good amount of bass but i cant say i am a bass head.

any opinion will be greatly appreciated. 

 

[TwoEars]

  Hello,
 
Not sure if this will be out of topic, if yes, please let me know so i can take it down.  Would i be able to appreciate HD800 with the ifi products as per this thread?
http://www.head-fi.org/t/714057/ifi-product-set-to-drive-hd800

I mostly listen to vocals, instrumentals/guitars, occasionally rock - I appreciate good amount of bass but i cant say i am a bass head.

any opinion will be greatly appreciated. 

 
Contrary to popular belief I think the HD800 sounds fine even on modest equipment, it's not a hard headphone to drive and it has high sensitivity.
 
I've tried my HD800 with computer soundcards and it's definitely not bad sounding. In my mind a HD800 driven by $300 equipment still sound better than the vast majority of $300 headphones driven by high-end equipment.
 
The problem with the HD800's is that they are super-revealing and have a slight treble peak, so if you match them with a bright dac, a bright amp and have poor recordings they're going to sound absolutely awful.
 
Match them with neutral/warmer/darker/non-aggressive equipment and have good source material and you'll be fine even on low budget stuff.
 
The HD800's are not that hard to drive and personally I think the HD800's is one of the few headphones where it's more important to pick a really good DAC than a good amp.

 

[elvergun]

   
Contrary to popular belief I think the HD800 sounds fine even on modest equipment, it's not a hard headphone to drive and it has high sensitivity.

 
+1

 

[62ohm]

I tried plugging the HD800 straight into FiiO X3. While the volume may be loud enough for me even without high gain, to me it sounds unbelievably thin and lifeless. The lows were weak and highs were harsh. Interestingly, I didn't find the mids to be recessed, but that's about it. Soundstage do suffer as well..

 

[BournePerfect]

They do sound 'fine' on lesser equipment. Just-nowhere near their potential.
 
-Daniel

 

[LugBug1]

For me they show you how good your amp is rather than synergy. But impedance matching will always effect performance as well and this has to be taken into consideration - as they will no doubt sound thin and lifeless with a low powered low impedance amp that is designed more for IEM's and 32ohm can's. They maybe very sensitive but they require voltage to gain any weight to the sound, simply because of their resistance.