[Moonhead]

Hey guys, finally joined the HD-800 club. I've always been interested in these headphones, but never actually pulled the trigger until now. 

Currently running from a Vali, which is okay for the moment. At some point though, you start to wonder about possible improvements. I'll probably be seeing a Bottlehead Crack or Schiit Valhalla 2 sometime in my future...

Comfort is amazing, easily the best I've ever had with headphones, alongside the Paradox Slants. Perfect companion headphone imo. 

Do note that my pair has the Anax 2.0 mod, which actually seems to suit my tastes better. Imaging seems to be more accurate, and the treble is at a more acceptable level for me. 

Some people may rather stick knives in their ears then pair the HD-800 with a Sabre DAC, like the Anedio D2 I'm using, but it's surprisingly not terrible. Of course, the Anax mod may help, but I'm not having any major treble harshness or sibilance issues. 

Definitely glad to have joined the HD-800 club. It's one of those things I feel that you can't just audition at meets. I really had to spend some time on my own with these. 

Congrats No One

HD800 is one stunning headphone with lots of detail, but I guess you know that already.

All I can say is Schiit Mjolnir is a very poor pairing, I know I'm no the only one in here with that opinion.
I Haven't tried the Vali2, but it seems like a no-brainer

Questyle CMA800R is a match made In heaven, a few guys In here have that exact pairing too, I'm not saying you should run out a buy one,
But differently try to audition one if you can

 

[Somphon]

  I generally listen to classical music, with some electronic music and mostly female vocals. 
 
On comfort alone, I prefer the HD-800 to any of the Audeze headphones. While none of them sound bad to me, the fit and form factor definitely start to annoy me after a while. 
 
Stock HD-800 without the Anax mod is also acceptable. I definitely wouldn't mind just having the stock headphone. I simply prefer having the mods there. To each his/her own. Biggest thing is that you should just experiment. 
 
In my case, the seller I bought from had previously performed and applied the mods himself. It was pretty easy for me to compare. 

 
I will definitely try the mods, but first I want to experiment with as much desktop amp including some tubes as possible to see how it goes. Luckily dealers will let you try everything they have, so it will be a long journey.

 

[No_One411]

Congrats No One

HD800 is one stunning headphone with lots of detail, but I guess you know that already.

All I can say is Schiit Mjolnir is a very poor pairing, I know I'm no the only one in here with that opinion.
I Haven't tried the Vali2, but it seems like a no-brainer

Questyle CMA800R is a match made In heaven, a few guys In here have that exact pairing too, I'm not saying you should run out a buy one,
But differently try to audition one if you can

The HD-800 certainly is an amazing headphone. It's probably the one headphone I was very curious about, but the high price point and rumored pickiness with high end equipment put me off until now. 
 
It's easily one of the best headphones for classical music, which is what I mainly listen to. 
 
Thanks for the suggestions with amps. I have read that the Questyle Current Mode amps are a great match for the HD-800. Will definitely try to audition one if possible. 
 
Valhalla 2 seems to be the best low cost suggestion so far. Seeing how well it does with the Schiit Vali, I'd be hard pressed to disagree. 
 

   
I will definitely try the mods, but first I want to experiment with as much desktop amp including some tubes as possible to see how it goes. Luckily dealers will let you try everything they have, so it will be a long journey.

The journey certainly has been long...Even though I have a low post count, I've actually been in this hobby for quite some time. Took a little hiatus when I thought I was perfectly happy with a personal modified T50RP, and a Yamaha YH-100. 
 
I suppose that now I have a working salary as well, and came out of college with no loans, there are a whole bunch of options open to me now....
 
Good luck with your personal journey! xP

 

[doyouknowSBmean]

Does a dedicate hd 800 cable influence the headphone that much?

 

[Moonhead]

Does a dedicate hd 800 cable influence the headphone that much?

Save your Money on a quality AMP, not on High priced hoax cables, imo.

 

[kokushu]

Of all my high end headphone (LCD 2, TH 900, JH 16 Pro) the only headphone I don't mind buying another pair is hd 800.  You could argue which one of the high end sound better but for comfort and what high end should sound like I favor the hd 800 the most.  Sennheiser certainly created a classic for me.

 

[Justin_Time]

Does a dedicate hd 800 cable influence the headphone that much?

 


How much difference a new cable makes depends largely on YOU, your sonic/musical taste, hearing acuity and tolerance for imperfection, and most important of all, how much you like the current HD800 sound

Different DAC, amps and cable can always improve the sound--from a little to a lot--but if the HD800 with the stock cable sounds fine to you now, then perhaps you do not need those changes.

One thing I learned the hard way: just because a change can improve your gear, not making that change does not make your gear sound any worse.

 

[skeptic]

  Audio rabbit hole is a perfect description.  The quality vs cost curve on the HD800 is more exponential than logarithmic, just a tougher call. Agree the meets are the way to go.
 
How tough was the mainline to assemble?

 
Not bad, just a bit time consuming.  No individual step is any harder than what is required to build up a crack + speedball (whcih is to say, basic ability to solder, through-hole solder and to carefully follow step by step directions), there are just a lot more components and connections to make.
 
I wouldn't recommend it as a first diy project just because it would likely feel overwhelming, but it probably would still be doable.  Watching a youtube video on through-hole, and building a cheapie O2 board as a warm up (a $40 exercise), would give you all the skills you need though.  Necessary tools for the mainline, IMO, are a decent temperature controlled soldering station, rosin core eutectic solder, auto wire strippers (Ideal 16-26awg are good), and a multimeter.

 

[Currawong]

Guys, please keep cable discussion to the cable forum. 

 

[LargoCantabile]

I am an absolute tech ignoramus. Bought my HD800 as a result of watching Covert Affairs on TV and the "blind" guy Gorham always yakking about his Grado Headphones, which lead yo online research which lead to Hi-fi.org which lead to David Mahler which lead me to HD800, my first "cans" and the guy in the shop actually online in Bkk suggested additional purchase of cardas cbales, which I went along with and it sure made a difference for the better. recently I tried being smart ordering silver cables online from HK for my IE80s. They sound hideously shrill and I immediately replaced the old ones. Listening done with an first edition Ak100 and ALO headphone amp. Urg sorry I wrote this while Currawong was posting.

 

[drez]

.

 

[Pepper]

Hey guys,
 
I just ordered a Bryston BHA-1. So, that means I'm broke. But it also means I have a lot to be excited about!
 
If you've heard the setup, what do you guys think I should expect? Is there anything I should know ?
 
Does this count as a fairly end-game setup?
 
Thanks! 

 

[lin0003]

From what I've read, it is a bit bright and is near the top. Not quite "end game", but what is? 

 

[Kiats]

Hey guys,

I just ordered a Bryston BHA-1. So, that means I'm broke. But it also means I have a lot to be excited about!

If you've heard the setup, what do you guys think I should expect? Is there anything I should know ?

Does this count as a fairly end-game setup?

Thanks! 

Congratulations, Pepper!

I run the amp off a Bricasti M1 DAC from a modded Mac Mini. After the burn in period of at least 100 hours, you can expect a refined and transparent sound. Of course, the other parts of the chain will affect how it sounds. But otherwise, it is a good but underrated amp.

While I would not characterize it as end game in absolute terms, because that depends on your needs and wants, it is an amp capable of keeping you very contented for quite a while. Do try the balanced output of the BHA-1: you will be surprised how it will add to the sound.

Happy listening!

 

[Maxvla]

Balanced on the BHA-1 is definitely better. I owned one before upgrading to the two amps I have presently. Very good, but not a bargain unless you paid a lot less than sticker.