[Rossliew]

  My experience with HD800 is a bit bright and thin in sound. I tuned it by using a cropper RCA cable (Crimson audio) from DAC to Tube amp. After that, everything is fine and starting to enjoy music more than 1.5years.

Which tube amp are you using? I'm still trying to get my ears around the brightish sound...

 

[YoengJyh]

  Which tube amp are you using? I'm still trying to get my ears around the brightish sound...

 
I am using EarMax Pro Silver Edition OTL tube amp. Is about 850euro new.

 

[Frank I]

  My experience with HD800 is a bit bright and thin in sound. I tuned it by using a cropper RCA cable (Crimson audio) from DAC to Tube amp. After that, everything is fine and starting to enjoy music more than 1.5years.

The HD800 is very amp and source dependent because it is so transparent and accurate and let you hear what aever is not right in the chain. Its needs good component matching to get the best out of it. I think it still the best overall dyabnamic headphone on th eemarlket and gives me everything IO want in a reference product

 

[Rossliew]

  The HD800 is very amp and source dependent because it is so transparent and accurate and let you hear what aever is not right in the chain. Its needs good component matching to get the best out of it. I think it still the best overall dyabnamic headphone on th eemarlket and gives me everything IO want in a reference product

Frank, I would appreciate advice, please. I'm very close to putting these up for sale as I have a limited budget to get the right combo. Basically I listen to metal a lot and whilst I can tolerate treble, a lot of music when played through both my Little Dot Mk III or Lyr sound very sharp. Tuning with tubes don't really help. I currently only have the Modi as DAC. Question - do I need to change BOTH Dac and amp or would changing just the Dac suffice? 

 

[YoengJyh]

  Frank, I would appreciate advice, please. I'm very close to putting these up for sale as I have a limited budget to get the right combo. Basically I listen to metal a lot and whilst I can tolerate treble, a lot of music when played through both my Little Dot Mk III or Lyr sound very sharp. Tuning with tubes don't really help. I currently only have the Modi as DAC. Question - do I need to change BOTH Dac and amp or would changing just the Dac suffice? 

 
How you connect the dac to tube? Do you have a better cropper cable? It helps.

 

[Rossliew]

   
How you connect the dac to tube? Do you have a better cropper cable? It helps.

I use Wireworld copper interconnects. Doesn't really make much of a difference to my ears. I suppose it is just the sound signature of the cans. 

 

[Frank I]

  Frank, I would appreciate advice, please. I'm very close to putting these up for sale as I have a limited budget to get the right combo. Basically I listen to metal a lot and whilst I can tolerate treble, a lot of music when played through both my Little Dot Mk III or Lyr sound very sharp. Tuning with tubes don't really help. I currently only have the Modi as DAC. Question - do I need to change BOTH Dac and amp or would changing just the Dac suffice? 

If you want to keep the HD800 and are limited for funds the Matrix solid state amp i a terrific match for the hd800. I would also look to upgrade the dac but realize most metal is recorded poorly and no matte rhow much you improve your gear the HD800 will let you know exactly what the recording is doing.

 

[Rossliew]

  If you want to keep the HD800 and are limited for funds the Matrix solid state amp i a terrific match for the hd800. I would also look to upgrade the dac but realize most metal is recorded poorly and no matte rhow much you improve your gear the HD800 will let you know exactly what the recording is doing.

Thanks, Frank. In that case, it will be quite futile to spend more money upgrading the source/amp if the recording itself is flawed. I should then purchase a more forgiving pair of headphones. In any case, which Matrix amp are you referring to? Sorry I have not heard of it before.

 

[Feynman]

I believe he is referring to the Matrix M-stage amp. 
 
On a side note I bought the HD800 two weeks ago and are already considering buying the CMA800R when I got the dough for it. Seems like a great amp and something you can use for a long time.
Then it's the DAC's turn to be upgraded, though I feel that the discussion regarding DAC's here contain a bit to much black magic for me to believe in the differences people claim to notice...

 

[magiccabbage]

  If you want to keep the HD800 and are limited for funds the Matrix solid state amp i a terrific match for the hd800. I would also look to upgrade the dac but realize most metal is recorded poorly and no matte rhow much you improve your gear the HD800 will let you know exactly what the recording is doing.

+1 most metal bands have terrible recording. 

 

[Rossliew]

Looks like the HD800 will be put up for sale. Anyone interested, please PM me. Need the funds to look for a more forgiving pair of headphones. All in all, it was a good experience despite the short time I spent with the 800.

 

[Frank I]

  Thanks, Frank. In that case, it will be quite futile to spend more money upgrading the source/amp if the recording itself is flawed. I should then purchase a more forgiving pair of headphones. In any case, which Matrix amp are you referring to? Sorry I have not heard of it before.

M stage

 

[TwoEars]

  Looks like the HD800 will be put up for sale. Anyone interested, please PM me. Need the funds to look for a more forgiving pair of headphones. All in all, it was a good experience despite the short time I spent with the 800.

 
Try the HD650, Fidelio X1, Hifiman HE-500 or Audeze LCD-2/3.
 
Those are my personal favorites for a more forgiving sound.
 
If you want to give the HD800 one last chance try a pure copper cable (doesn't need to be fancy), and some mild EQ'ing of the 6kHz band, does wonders for taming the HD800 in my opinion. See my sig for an EQ setup to try if you're interested.

 

[amham]

I've just received my new HD 800's ser.no. 28xxxx. Yes, they are are "bright" compared to Senn 650's or Audeze (owned LCD2/3 and sold them for the terrific LCD-X which is a keeper). however this can easily be rectified with a little judicious EQ in JRiver 19. The holographic nature of the sound is an easy trade off for their bright tendency. Mine seem to have a good native bass response enhanced by a EQ rise of +3 at 60Hz, +2.3 at 170Hz, +1.5 at 310Hz, -1.2db at 6khz and flat thereafter. Amp is Woo WA22 (assorted tubes) with Benchmark DAC2 HGC. So, yes I've spent a "bit" (that is why I've worked hard my entire life) but to my ears worth even penny in enjoyment. BTW, how do you get that freq. response graph? No check box on the on-line registration form as Senn customer service indicated.

 

[Eee Pee]

How is the sound thru the Mjolnir?

 
 

 
I would like to know this also.

 
Great!  Good enough answer?  

 
It's as if the Mjolnir has very little or almost no sound of its own.  It's powerful, it's free from anything that bugs me and seems to have a nice grip on the drivers making the bass just that little bit better.  It's as close to nothing as I've ever heard in my headphoning years, except for maybe one or two other solid state amps that was a Beta22 or GS MkI or something of that level.  
 
Edit:  The headphones sound like they're known to sound if you're bugged by brighter headphones.
 
Sidenote: my 800s have Creatology foam in them, like an early version of the Anax mod.  The ring and the trapezoid.  Nothing over the metal mesh.  I tried the shelf liner and took it back out.  I'm 38 and can't hear over 14k and like it a bit on the loud side, like party mode sometimes.
 
I really enjoy the Mjolnir with the 600s also.  That's like the daily driver set up, and the 800s are for a night out on the town.  650s for Sunday morning after the night out.