[amham]

 

Thanks, I guess HD800 is the one for me. Cause I don't want very dark, muddy sound either. I'll try them soon. It'll be quite an investment but at least I won't regret paying for them the way I do for Q701s. Cheap but bad.

Some people say HD800s were slightly changed by Sennheiser, removing any harsh treble and also increasing bass quantity... Is that true? Does a 2010 HD800 sound different to an 2014 one?

I had 2 hd800 earlier one eith 19xxx serial and didn't like it that much. Now my new hd800 with 24xxx has better bass and smooth trebles.

People say it hasn't changed so I can be wrong. But I like the newer one better

As I stated, my pair of HD800's are detailed yet smooth with very neutral and strong bass.  Serial number 28xxx.  If they changed the tone I cannot say but the phones are  literally "holographic" to my ears.  Couple them with a nice Woo amp (any well regarded tube amp) and possibly a softer DAC (Grace 903 but a detailed DAC such as a Benchmark works too) and you have a fine match.

 

[obsidyen]

  Are you saying that neutral, like in a studio, isn't the ideal way to listen to music?

 
Neutral as in dry sound which mastering engineers listen to in order to make the music sound good on speakers, headphones is not the ideal way to listen to music, not to me. It might be the ideal way to do mastering. It's not musical. I know many people here like that sound. I don't. Head-fiers may not care about hi-fi setups but I have an alright hi-fi setup in my living room, Hegel H80 amplifier, Hegel CDP4A cd player, KEF R500 speakers. This is good stuff and they sound amazingly musical. KEF R series has amazing bass but also clear treble, superb mids. No, nothing sounds dry. It's neutral and musical. Not neutral and dry.
 
These are only my thoughts. I know more about hi-fi than headphones. But it seems lots of headphone enthusiasts prefer dry sound thinking it's magical. I disagree.

 

[TwoEars]

I very much like my HD800's. It's my #1 headphone and I've owned or tried pretty much everything except Stax.
 
But I will be realistic and say that the HD800 probably isn't for you. All things considered the HD800 is on the dry and holographic side of things.
 
If you want smooth and organic best look at HD600/650, LCD-2/3/X or Hifiman HE-500/HE-6.

 

[James-uk]

I very much like my HD800's. It's my #1 headphone and I've owned or tried pretty much everything except Stax.

But I will be realistic and say that the HD800 probably isn't for you. All things considered the HD800 is on the dry and holographic side of things.

If you want smooth and organic best look at HD600/650, LCD-2/3/X or Hifiman HE-500/HE-6.

I agree , I'm listening to HD600s now and they sound wonderful!

 

[amham]

  I very much like my HD800's. It's my #1 headphone and I've owned or tried pretty much everything except Stax.
 
But I will be realistic and say that the HD800 probably isn't for you. All things considered the HD800 is on the dry and holographic side of things.
 
If you want smooth and organic best look at HD600/650, LCD-2/3/X or Hifiman HE-500/HE-6.

Excellent advice!

 

[kugino]

  I very much like my HD800's. It's my #1 headphone and I've owned or tried pretty much everything except Stax.
 
But I will be realistic and say that the HD800 probably isn't for you. All things considered the HD800 is on the dry and holographic side of things.
 
If you want smooth and organic best look at HD600/650, LCD-2/3/X or Hifiman HE-500/HE-6.

i have the hd800 and love them for various recordings. but for fun and every-day listening, i still love my d7000. i had the alpha dogs and while they were good, they didn't come close to the d7000, IMO. one person's opinion, of course. i'm trying to get used to my he-500, too, but find that it's great with female vocals, but so far it sounds a bit narrow/compressed to me. need more time with them. 

 

[punit]

   i'm trying to get used to my he-500, too, but find that it's great with female vocals, but so far it sounds a bit narrow/compressed to me. need more time with them. 

Please try the grill mod, really opens up the sound stage
 
http://www.head-fi.org/t/619447/hifiman-regrilling-mod

 

[LugBug1]

^^^ plus the HE500 may be low impedance but they aren't the most sensitive (compared to the HD800) and they like lots of power to open up. I would seriously consider a vintage integrate/receiver to fuel them. It can be a cheap experiment. 

 

[SONYES]

HI 
I HAVE  HD800  159XX
VERY VERY OPEN
MY FREIND  HAVE  122XX
 
WE COMPER  WHIT LUXMAN P=1U   ONE WEEK AGO
 
WE FOUND  THAT  THE OLDER  HD800
 
HAS  LITEL MORE CLER MID /HI  LASS HARSH DIGITAL  UP SOUND !!!
 
AND
MY  HD 800  HAVE MORE OPEN  TO ALL DERCTIOS  ALL RECORDINGS HAS ALL THE WAY UP
 
WHEN THE RECORDING IS HARSH   IN MY HD   800  NO  159XX  IS MORE OPEN 
 
HIS 
IS MORE  ANALOG  
 
 SO 
I HAVE RED  THAT  FROM 24000  THAY HAVE  DEFERNT  GEAF  IN HD800
 
DO  ALL ONERS  OF HD800  HAVE  ALL THE WAY UP SOUND 
 
I HAVE ALSO T1  FROM THIS WEK IT SOUND VERY VERY GOOD 
 
I MADE  CABEL MOD  

 

[BournePerfect]

AB, CD goldfish?
LMNO goldfish!
SMR2 goldfish-CMPN?!
 
-toodles

 

[Sonido]

^ Broken caps lock keyboard ftw! Checking his profile proves this

Nimzerz

 

[LugBug1]

Bless.. 

 

[Zoom25]

   
Neutral as in dry sound which mastering engineers listen to in order to make the music sound good on speakers, headphones is not the ideal way to listen to music, not to me. It might be the ideal way to do mastering. It's not musical. I know many people here like that sound. I don't. Head-fiers may not care about hi-fi setups but I have an alright hi-fi setup in my living room, Hegel H80 amplifier, Hegel CDP4A cd player, KEF R500 speakers. This is good stuff and they sound amazingly musical. KEF R series has amazing bass but also clear treble, superb mids. No, nothing sounds dry. It's neutral and musical. Not neutral and dry.
 
These are only my thoughts. I know more about hi-fi than headphones. But it seems lots of headphone enthusiasts prefer dry sound thinking it's magical. I disagree.

 

Neutral as in dry sound which mastering engineers listen to in order to make the music sound good on speakers

Neutral can't be wet or dry. I think the main reason why people keep associating studio gear with dry is not actually based on the speakers performance but rather the room. Most people usually listen to their speakers in room. So by the nature of the typical rectangular room, you're going to get lot of reflections and just get accustomed to a wet sound. Put monitors in an untreated room and  you get the same thing but to a lesser extent. My room is pretty tight with only a minor wet sound.
 

headphones is not the ideal way to listen to music, not to me.  It might be the ideal way to do mastering.

Agreed. Speakers throw a better centerstage as well as a sound coming from the front. The HD800 in this regard are probably the best compromise I've heard to date. People only use headphones for bass checks or monitoring. Mixing purely on headphones is annoying as hell.
 

 It's not musical.

More on that later.
 

Head-fiers may not care about hi-fi setups but I have an alright hi-fi setup in my living room, Hegel H80 amplifier, Hegel CDP4A cd player, KEF R500 speakers. This is good stuff and they sound amazingly musical. KEF R series has amazing bass but also clear treble, superb mids.

I thought head-fi is mostly for hifi setups.

Gearslutz is more for studio stuff. I don't know about your Hegel stuff but I have extensively heard all the Q series and the R series as well as the LS50 and I definitely agree that the R series is pretty decent. I like them a lot more over the PSB stuff.
 
 

It's neutral and musical. Not neutral and dry.

 
 

 
If neutrality is done right, it will not be wet or dry. Regarding musical factor, that's preference I suppose.
 
The reason why I love studio gear is because it does neutral the proper way. So not just having a neutral FR but ALSO having a neutral presentation. I think the latter is equally as important and is something that usually gets lost. I've heard gear that sounds neutral but the presentation is either way too laid back or too forward in your face. If a gear can do the FR and the presentation down the middle, it allows for a very easy going, unforced, relaxed, yet still full of life and dynamics experience. I rarely get tired of listening to any of my studio gear for this reason. Music sound like music because it doesn't try to throw an artificial boost in any aspect of the sound or the way it fills up the room.
 
If a gear is neutral in sound but presents a forward sound (think Marantz), it's obviously going to suck the air out and make it sound dry and warm. I had this experience with Bryston and NAD (to a lesser extent).

 

[obsidyen]

   
Neutral can't be wet or dry. I think the main reason why people keep associating studio gear with dry is not actually based on the speakers performance but rather the room. Most people usually listen to their speakers in room. So by the nature of the typical rectangular room, you're going to get lot of reflections and just get accustomed to a wet sound. Put monitors in an untreated room and  you get the same thing but to a lesser extent. My room is pretty tight with only a minor wet sound.
 
Agreed. Speakers throw a better centerstage as well as a sound coming from the front. The HD800 in this regard are probably the best compromise I've heard to date. People only use headphones for bass checks or monitoring. Mixing purely on headphones is annoying as hell.
 
More on that later.
 
I thought head-fi is mostly for hifi setups.

Gearslutz is more for studio stuff. I don't know about your Hegel stuff but I have extensively heard all the Q series and the R series as well as the LS50 and I definitely agree that the R series is pretty decent. I like them a lot more over the PSB stuff.
 
 
 
If neutrality is done right, it will not be wet or dry. Regarding musical factor, that's preference I suppose.
 
The reason why I love studio gear is because it does neutral the proper way. So not just having a neutral FR but ALSO having a neutral presentation. I think the latter is equally as important and is something that usually gets lost. I've heard gear that sounds neutral but the presentation is either way too laid back or too forward in your face. If a gear can do the FR and the presentation down the middle, it allows for a very easy going, unforced, relaxed, yet still full of life and dynamics experience. I rarely get tired of listening to any of my studio gear for this reason. Music sound like music because it doesn't try to throw an artificial boost in any aspect of the sound or the way it fills up the room.
 
If a gear is neutral in sound but presents a forward sound (think Marantz), it's obviously going to suck the air out and make it sound dry and warm. I had this experience with Bryston and NAD (to a lesser extent).

Yes, head-fi is also a type of hifi, you're right. English is not my mother tounge so sometimes I make mistakes. I meant amplifier+speakers+etc...
 
In speaker terms, you know Adam Audio or Focal monitoring speakers. Now these are for music production purposes. But some consumers like that sound, even though most audiophiles do not. I'm not trying to belittle people who use monitors just for listening to music. But go to a high-end store, and you'll see lots of guys trying to buy the most neutral yet at the same time musical speakers. Of course, the pricier the better. For instance, I listened to a pair of Sonus Faber Aidas last week (I went to buy the Meridian Explorer, the same dealer was selling high-end stuff). A rich guy was auditioning them, asked if I could accompany him and he accepted (I guess you gotta be rich to even audition them). They were absolutely amazing. I felt my heart pounding whilst listening to them. But then I tried to erase the memory so that I'd love my KEFs again.
 
Hegel is a Norwegian audio company, their products are very good. Look up Hegel Super, you might like it.

 

[obsidyen]

  I very much like my HD800's. It's my #1 headphone and I've owned or tried pretty much everything except Stax.
 
But I will be realistic and say that the HD800 probably isn't for you. All things considered the HD800 is on the dry and holographic side of things.
 
If you want smooth and organic best look at HD600/650, LCD-2/3/X or Hifiman HE-500/HE-6.

Thanks. I'll still try them though. I love my Sennheiser IE800s. I was hoping to hear a similar sound signature.