[TwoEars]

It's more that the HD600 is several steps below the HD800 in any category. An HD600 on a decent rig vs a HD800 on a cell phone, I'd take the HD800 any day.

 
I'm the oppsite

 
On a cell phone I prefer the HD650.
 
On my meridian explorer I prefer the HD650.
 
Powered straight from my Anedio D1 it takes a lot of EQ'ing before I'm happy with the HD800 over the HD650. The HD650 I can listen to bone stock.
 
Powered by the Violectric V200 it's close, but the HD800 eventually wins and is good without EQ.
 
Powered by my Sonett 1 the HD800 wins hands down.
 
....but... the combo of Anedio D1 + DNA Sonett + HD650 is still a damn fun combo. If the source material is mediocre i prefer it.
 
Each to his own

 

 

[Canadian411]

Lol Al. I will be honest to. HD800 doesn't sound good on any portable gears.

Portable is just not, not and NOT!

Go with the full desktop amp / dac. Trust me on this.

Now I am get ready to be bashed.

 

[verber]

It's more that the HD600 is several steps below the HD800 in any category. An HD600 on a decent rig vs a HD800 on a cell phone, I'd take the HD800 any day.

 
I agree that I would rather have the HD800 + m-stage hpa/dac (or several other budget dac/amp combos) over the HD650 + better electronics, but I draw the line at driving the HD800 from a cell phone... that's just too painful.  The trick is to select components that don't do things really wrong (e.g. irritating such as really off tone) while giving up things you would like, but there absence isn't in your face such as good micro detail.  I think the only thing that would give the HD800 + m-stage a run at the same price point would be the HIFIMAN HE-500 + appropriate electronics. What electronics? I don't know because I haven't spend time trying to identify what budget components have optimal synergies with the HE-500, but the Schiit Bifrost into the Lyr might be good combo while keeping the total price below HD800 + m-stage.
 
 

Lol Al. I will be honest to. HD800 doesn't sound good on any portable gears.

Portable is just not, not and NOT!

Go with the full desktop amp / dac. Trust me on this.

Now I am get ready to be bashed.

 
I would disagree.  You don't get maximum performance out of the HD800, but I have found it quite enjoyable with a number of portable options.  The best was the Chord Hugo, but that's $2.5k!!  While not as good as the Hugo, I have found the CEnterence HiFi-M8 enjoyable as has been a decent source feeding a Headamp Pico Power amplifier.
 
--Mark

 

[pearljam50000]

Is it possible to live with the O2/ODAC with the HD800? because i read in many posts here that it rivals much more expensive gear.
So basicaly my question is, is it possible to enjoy, say 90% of the HD800 sound with a budget rig or is it a waste of time and money? Thanks.
 
Edit: good info the replys, thanks, but it's still hard to decide because some yes, and others say no

 

 

[ALRAINBOW]

I have that combo. It drives the headphones fine if you like needles in the ears. The headphones shows you everything so anything in the chain you are going to hear . So if you play really well recorded music ifs not bad but nothing like the same on a really good setup. Now of you play less than really well recorded music this is where it gets really bad fast.
I read all that hype and even bought the stuff . It's as time goes on you start to realize how bd it was when you get better .
Al

 

[TwoEars]

I think the new Hifiman HE-560 might be a more interesting option if you're going to stick with a low budget dac/amp. That's what I'd be looking at myself if I was in the market for something like that.
 
The HD800 scales like crazy when you feed it better, but with low budget gear, less than stellar recordings and fairly high volume it might prove a painful and expensive lesson.
 
Read my review of the HD800 if you want. I called it the F1 car of headphones... needs careful setup.
 
My 2 cents of course.
 
And like everything it depends. Low volume and classical you can listen to the HD800 from a phone on and it will be decent. 70's rock, not so much.

 

[Stapsy]

The HE560's don't really compare to the HD800.  The 560 still have that weird diffuse, kind of veiled sound that the HE500 have.  Think of it as a more neutral HE500 and you will be pretty close.
 
Personally I would take a Vali/cheap DAC/HD800 combo over the HE560s.

 

[Maxvla]

Is it possible to live with the O2/ODAC with the HD800? because i read in many posts here that it rivals much more expensive gear.
So basicaly my question is, is it possible to enjoy, say 90% of the HD800 sound with a budget rig or is it a waste of time and money? Thanks.

Edit: good info the replys, thanks, but it's still hard to decide because some yes, and others say no  

Objective stack sounds quite good with the HD800, but it lacks dynamics greatly. Basically it sounds like high end radio, all the same volume (exaggerating, a little).

 

[TwoEars]

  The HE560's don't really compare to the HD800.  The 560 still have that weird diffuse, kind of veiled sound that the HE500 have.  Think of it as a more neutral HE500 and you will be pretty close.
 
Personally I would take a Vali/cheap DAC/HD800 combo over the HE560s.

 
That's a bummer if that's true, I haven't been following the updates on the HE-560 too closely.
 
I did like the HE-500 I had quite a lot but that was mostly for it's "dark electric flavor", which is a bit weird since the LCD-2/3/X are also somewhat dark but I mostly find them boring. The HE-500 was darkish but also somehow energetic. The comfort, build quality and poor soundstage made me sell them though.
 
So, ok ok. I give up. Get the HD800 and m-stage or schiit vali then. But that's the lowest I'd go in terms of amping.
 
Then when you upgrade get a better dac first, something neutral to darkish would be good.
 
 
And then when you upgrade again a tube amp for the HD800 is not a bad option. DNA sonett 1 & 2 are very nice with it... as is the bottlehead amps from what I hear.

 

[kugino]

Not a fan of the he-500. Have them now, am trying to give them a chance, but they sound great with female vocals and that's about it. Not worth putting up with their weight, IMO. Mine will probably go up for sale in the next day or two.

 

[Stapsy]

The 560's aren't bad.  My point is that they are an extension from the HE500 and not really that similar to the HD800.  I prefer the HE5 to the HE560 because they have a more HD800 type sound.  The Code-X is closer to the HD800 than any of the Hifiman's or LCD2/LCD3

FWIW I wouldn't bother with the HD800 either if you plan to only get a Vali or m-stage as it seems like there is little point.  If you don't mind a more forward sound just get the HD600.  The HD800 will always trade off graininess for detail with lower end gear.

 

[TwoEars]

Not a fan of the he-500. Have them now, am trying to give them a chance, but they sound great with female vocals and that's about it. Not worth putting up with their weight, IMO. Mine will probably go up for sale in the next day or two.

 
I liked them with electronica. Depeche Mode, Massive Attack, Infected Mushrooms, that kind of thing. You could give that a try. But overall I don't think the HE-500 beats the HD800 either. But it has some charms I think.
 

  The 560's aren't bad.  My point is that they are an extension from the HE500 and not really that similar to the HD800.

 
Roger, roger. I had hoped that the HE-560 would be able to take the nice juicy flavor of the HE-500 and add better soundstage, comfort and less weight. Maybe I was dreaming.

 

[UNIFi]

I had a demo of the HD800 today, with a variety of songs.
They were
Submotion Orchestra - Backchat
The Future Sound of London - Lifeform Ends
Howard Shore - Helms Deep
Russell Brower - New Tristam
Shpongle - Divine Moments of Truth
Massive Attack - Inertia Creeps
King Crimson - In The Court of the Crimson King
Pink Floyd - Money
Om - Haqq Al-Yaqin
Alice in Chains - Over Now (acoustic)
 
I wished I could have tried out more, as the HD800 lived up all the hype surrounding it for sure. I didn't try testing it with my metal, punk, EDM stuff at all as I didn't feel they'd replace what I've got now for those styles. Looks like the HD800 is going on the "in consideration to buy" list.
 
Like many always say, the soundstage and imaging were well beyond anything I had heard up until now, and the detail level was very very good. The treble never bothered me at all in any of the tracks, and I didn't find it lacking in bass at all. Yes the bass is not powerful like the TH600/900/DX1000/Sig DJ or Audeze, but its very well extended and didn't feel particularly weak to me at all - this coming from someone with mostly bass heavier headphones. I find the stock Alpha Dog to share some similarities in frequency response to the HD800 - mainly the treble, although without the same level of detail, stage or imaging.

 

[SilverEars]

   
I liked them with electronica. Depeche Mode, Massive Attack, Infected Mushrooms, that kind of thing. You could give that a try. But overall I don't think the HE-500 beats the HD800 either. But it has some charms I think.
 
 
Roger, roger. I had hoped that the HE-560 would be able to take the nice juicy flavor of the HE-500 and add better soundstage, comfort and less weight. Maybe I was dreaming.

 90's guy here.  I'm a fan of the music style of the 90's, but don't find too many good recording besides the unplugged.  Smashing Pumpkins are pretty good rock recordings.  Actually, the Cure isn't bad recording wise, and love the music style. My music taste has drastically changed when I went HiFi(maybe it's the age

).  I didn't think would get into Jazz and classical and Eva Cassidy.  I think it's because I don't notice sound scaling up with high end gear with 90's and electronic music to my ears.  

 

[Stapsy]

   
I liked them with electronica. Depeche Mode, Massive Attack, Infected Mushrooms, that kind of thing. You could give that a try. But overall I don't think the HE-500 beats the HD800 either. But it has some charms I think.
 
 
Roger, roger. I had hoped that the HE-560 would be able to take the nice juicy flavor of the HE-500 and add better soundstage, comfort and less weight. Maybe I was dreaming.

 
I think you will probably like them then. 
 
Comfort is improved immensely.  I honestly think the new design could equal the comfort of the HD800. I can't quite say on the soundstage because it has been a while since I heard the HE500, but the FR of the 560 is very flat to my ears. 
 
It is more the lack of clarity that bugs me.  I find the 560 lacks realism and makes it hard to differentiate instruments when compared with the HD800.  This has always been my complaint with the HE500 as well.