[Rossliew]

Anyone spent some time with the Cavalli Liquid Glass and HD800 combo? Appreciate your impressions, please : )

 

[pdrm360]

I am using the Modi but i suspect this is holding back the cans. Everything sounds bright, even thru the Lyr. Only when I roll in some Amperex Golden Globes do they sound warmer. Am I on the right track here? Am also mulling if the Valhalla might have been a better amp choice..any thoughts, guys?

 
That's because of the Modi. Change your DAC or try BH Crack without the Speedball.

 

[Rossliew]

   
That's because of the Modi. Change your DAC or try BH Crack without the Speedball.

Yeah, guessed as much but I'm holding it back till I sort the amp. Now using the Little Dot Mk III to drive the cans and still waiting for some tubes to arrive. Mulling over whether I should just go Gungnir instead of Uberfrost or perhaps the MiniMax Dac Plus.

 

[preproman]

  Just stick with your current DAC. And no reason to entertain the Anax mod, it takes too much away. Way overrated.

 
I agree with you on this.  The two I heard took away what I liked about the HD800s.  I have no problem at all with this so called peak.  

 

[MIKELAP]

  Thanks guys!! I've got the hd800 on my shortlist now.

Started out a couple years ago with a Lawton modded pair of Denon's D5000 and since i got the HD800 i hardly listen to the D-5000 anymore  you wont regret your purchase i would think.

 

[Rossliew]

After some experimentation with my Schiit and the HD800, i found a satisfying combo which (to me) preserves the expansive soundstage and superb clarity of the 800s whilst fleshing out more of the bottom end which makes the music fuller bodied and more fun to listen to :
 
Acer Aspire 5745G laptop running Spotify Premium > Audioquest Cinnamon USB cable > Schiit Lyr as pre-amp (with GE 6BQ7A tubes / Supra Lorad 2.5 power cords) > Schiit PYST RCA interconnects > Schiit Vali > HD800 (stock cabled, no Anax mod)
 
Need to try different tube combos with the Lyr later. 
 
As an aside, I also tried the Lyr as pre-amp into the LD Mk 3, which sounded pretty good but I somewhat prefered the LD as a pre-amp into the Lyr. 
 
But the first mentioned combo goes to show how versatile and impressive the Vali is. Definitely should be on anyone's buy list.

 

[LugBug1]

   
I agree with you on this.  The two I heard took away what I liked about the HD800s.  I have no problem at all with this so called peak.  

Same here regarding the so called peak. This thread keeps going round in circles with the same subject but I suppose it has to when new peeps join in. 
 
The HD800 aren't as peaky in the treble as say - Grado, Denon, AKG, Beyerdynamic in general and so to be fair they aren't really a peaky headphone at all. They will sound brighter up top compared to hp's with rolled off treble however - HD650, LCD2 for e.g. They have about the same brightness level as the higher end Hifiman's. Balanced with the rest of the freq response. They are transparent - and will sound bright if your source is. If you source is warm then they will sound warm.    
 
I can understand some being sensitive to the transparency of the HD800 however, and so a bit of EQ or a modification to calm the treble for young or just sensitive ears can make a lot of sense. Also there a lot of bad or hard edged recordings out there and the Senn's will never comfort you from those. 
 
But this is how it is when you buy a super transparent high end headphone. Your bad recordings get banished to a box in the attic haha

 

[Failed Engineer]

The "you can't listen to poorly mastered albums with the HD800" is a myth too.  With the right chain, today's R&B and pop sound damn good on the HD800.

 

[James-uk]

I personally think it just takes getting used to. I've just had a few weeks away from them and have been listening to my speakers /hd600/ momentums and coming back to them is a revelation! They are so much better than the others. The sound is so clean/ clear/ detailed/ airy/ focused it's truly remarkable . I can understand how this can be perceived as bright etc but I just find it amazing that a headphone or any transducer can sound this good.

 

[MickeyVee]

After a session with the Grado RS1i and then going to the HD800, the HD800 sound dark.
I find no peak with the HD800 and for me, it has absolutely fabulous exteded and detailed treble and I have no fatigue, ever.  Can't say that about the RS1i eventhough I really like them.
 
When reading other peoples comments/criticisms/praises, you really have to take into consideration their source, amplification and personal listening preferences.  For the new peeps.. you hear what you hear and should judge for themselves on their own equipment.  Our opinions are just that, opinions other than the fact that the HD800 are one if the best headphones around .. if they suit your listening style and preferences.
 
Running off a WA6, I'm a bit on the dark side and that suits me. I've read priaises with other amplifiers that people love, listened for myself and they simply did not do it for me.
Trust your ears!
 
Quote:

   

 

[listen4joy]

i plan to build a setup with my future HD800.
do i need amp and dac toghter?
my amp will be Headamp GSX-MK2 
and the source will be OPPO BDP105 and my pc (foobar2000) and Asus Xonar D2X
i need a good DAC like PWD or AUDIO GD MASTER 7?
amp is not enough? and maybe the oppo source is not good enough?
suggestions? i am confused (noob)

 

[preproman]

That combo will work just fine.  No need to be confused. 

 

[MickeyVee]

Actully sounds like it would be a pretty awesome setup.  BD105 would be a wonderful source and the GSX is a pretty respected amplifier.
Enjoy!

 

[listen4joy]

so i dont need DAC?

 

[bearFNF]

Fully agree on the oppo as a good source. The GSX is good, also. Like has been said, no worries with that setup.