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Taowolf51
Headphoneus Supremus
- Joined
- Jul 6, 2009
- Posts
- 1,878
- Likes
- 202
I picked up a used pair of the HD800's a few weeks back and have been glued to them ever since; I'm so utterly impressed with these headphones. I think they may be the first high-end headphone I've owned that doesn't have any kind of downside or drawback, they're really the full package, and it seems like Sennheiser put tons of thought into just about every aspect of these headphones.
The ergonomics are excellent, probably the best of any headphone I've ever tried. They have big earcups, which are very welcome, there is no contact with my ears whatsoever. They're extremely light but still rigid, which is a huge help when it comes to comfort, and the clamp is just perfect. And most importantly, they've created an absolutely excellent headband design. I frequently hate on the poor headband design of a lot of (most) headphones, and Sennheiser has really nailed it with this headband. With the exception of the inset in the middle of the headband (to reduce pressure on the tip top of your head, which is the most sensitive area), the entire headband makes full and even contact on my head. This is very important for distributing weight properly, which substantially helps with comfort. No stupid bumps, no small contact area, and no inadequate padding. They don't disappear on my head quite like the appallingly light Koss ESP-950 'stats, but they provide an extremely comfortable experience with no hot spots, no headaches, and no obvious pressure. I have to give huge props to Sennheiser for nailing just about every aspect of headphone ergonomics, when you lay down over a grand on a high-end headphone, you deserve a headphone that is comfortable enough to enjoy for hours, not just tolerate.
Also, I think the headband adjustment mechanism is super clever, and the fact that the headband (and all fabric parts) can be easily removed for cleaning is just a nice bonus.
Their sound is easily just as impressive as their ergonomics. I did need to make some changes to the frequency response to dial it in for my needs, but I do that with pretty much every headphone. I increased the subbass to be a bit above flat (instead of the gentle curve down they usually have), and reduced the treble spike. With the exception of those small necessary frequency response changes I really love every other aspect of the sound of these headphones.
Their detail is absolutely incredible, and is something you need to hear to believe. I thought I knew what detail was, I didn't. I did have a decent amount of on-ear time with the HD800 before buying my pair, but I never really noticed how much of a detail monster these headphones were until I had the pleasure of living with them. The detail is slightly exaggerated from what is realistic, though (smaller details are more obvious), but I personally enjoy that, it makes things a little more exciting and fun.
On top of the detail, the soundstage, imaging, and separation are excellent, of course. The soundstage size isn't mindblowing, but it is a headphone and it's the best I've ever heard in a headphone so I have to give props for that. The separation I think is the most impressive aspect of the three IMO. Everything sounds wonderfully distinct.
The decay is a little short of natural, but it adds to the separation, detail, and texture of the headphone. I prefer it this way personally.
They perform exceedingly well in complicated sections of music. Because of their short decay, excellent separation, and great detail ability, they passed my "complicated music" test ("The Bridgeport Run" by The Flashbulb) with flying colors, a test that has thus far only been passed by 'stats and high end planar headphones. Personally, I think the HD800's may have surpassed every other headphone I've tested in this test. I don't own all the headphones I've tested, so I can't do a side by side to confirm, however.
The texture is just wonderful, I'm a huge texture nut and these have texture throughout the frequency range. Most headphones have texture in one part of the spectrum (bass, mids, or treble), and a few have texture in two of the three. The HD800's are incredibly tactile throughout and I absolutely love it.
I'm actually very surprised people consider these to be clinical sounding, I don't really hear it (though the FR changes may have changed the tone of the headphone). I also don't think they're unforgiving of sources or music mastering quality. Sure, better sources and better mastered music sounds better, but that's true of pretty much any good headphone. My Thiels are unforgiving, if the music isn't excellently well mastered, they're not that amazing, but with really well mastered music they're a completely different beast. I don't feel as though the HD800's are that way (personally).
At the moment, I'm using an ODAC>M-Stage combo on them. My next upgrade will most likely be a Valhalla 2, then a Bifrost Uber.
The ergonomics are excellent, probably the best of any headphone I've ever tried. They have big earcups, which are very welcome, there is no contact with my ears whatsoever. They're extremely light but still rigid, which is a huge help when it comes to comfort, and the clamp is just perfect. And most importantly, they've created an absolutely excellent headband design. I frequently hate on the poor headband design of a lot of (most) headphones, and Sennheiser has really nailed it with this headband. With the exception of the inset in the middle of the headband (to reduce pressure on the tip top of your head, which is the most sensitive area), the entire headband makes full and even contact on my head. This is very important for distributing weight properly, which substantially helps with comfort. No stupid bumps, no small contact area, and no inadequate padding. They don't disappear on my head quite like the appallingly light Koss ESP-950 'stats, but they provide an extremely comfortable experience with no hot spots, no headaches, and no obvious pressure. I have to give huge props to Sennheiser for nailing just about every aspect of headphone ergonomics, when you lay down over a grand on a high-end headphone, you deserve a headphone that is comfortable enough to enjoy for hours, not just tolerate.
Also, I think the headband adjustment mechanism is super clever, and the fact that the headband (and all fabric parts) can be easily removed for cleaning is just a nice bonus.
Their sound is easily just as impressive as their ergonomics. I did need to make some changes to the frequency response to dial it in for my needs, but I do that with pretty much every headphone. I increased the subbass to be a bit above flat (instead of the gentle curve down they usually have), and reduced the treble spike. With the exception of those small necessary frequency response changes I really love every other aspect of the sound of these headphones.
Their detail is absolutely incredible, and is something you need to hear to believe. I thought I knew what detail was, I didn't. I did have a decent amount of on-ear time with the HD800 before buying my pair, but I never really noticed how much of a detail monster these headphones were until I had the pleasure of living with them. The detail is slightly exaggerated from what is realistic, though (smaller details are more obvious), but I personally enjoy that, it makes things a little more exciting and fun.
On top of the detail, the soundstage, imaging, and separation are excellent, of course. The soundstage size isn't mindblowing, but it is a headphone and it's the best I've ever heard in a headphone so I have to give props for that. The separation I think is the most impressive aspect of the three IMO. Everything sounds wonderfully distinct.
The decay is a little short of natural, but it adds to the separation, detail, and texture of the headphone. I prefer it this way personally.
They perform exceedingly well in complicated sections of music. Because of their short decay, excellent separation, and great detail ability, they passed my "complicated music" test ("The Bridgeport Run" by The Flashbulb) with flying colors, a test that has thus far only been passed by 'stats and high end planar headphones. Personally, I think the HD800's may have surpassed every other headphone I've tested in this test. I don't own all the headphones I've tested, so I can't do a side by side to confirm, however.
The texture is just wonderful, I'm a huge texture nut and these have texture throughout the frequency range. Most headphones have texture in one part of the spectrum (bass, mids, or treble), and a few have texture in two of the three. The HD800's are incredibly tactile throughout and I absolutely love it.
I'm actually very surprised people consider these to be clinical sounding, I don't really hear it (though the FR changes may have changed the tone of the headphone). I also don't think they're unforgiving of sources or music mastering quality. Sure, better sources and better mastered music sounds better, but that's true of pretty much any good headphone. My Thiels are unforgiving, if the music isn't excellently well mastered, they're not that amazing, but with really well mastered music they're a completely different beast. I don't feel as though the HD800's are that way (personally).
At the moment, I'm using an ODAC>M-Stage combo on them. My next upgrade will most likely be a Valhalla 2, then a Bifrost Uber.
