[kkcc]

I am not sure about the SQ difference. But there is a very big price difference with Stax 009 setups costing from $7000-$12000. If you have that much money to burn, then it seems to be one of the best HP systems.

Of late, one headphone that reviewers seem to be comparing to Stax 009 is the Abyss AB-1266. It seems to have the best of HD800 (imaging) and the LCD-3 (Bass and easy to listen). It's of course $5495 and seems to need an Amp as powerful as the Taurus Mk2. I plan to borrow it for a while to see what all the fuss is about.

Personally, I have the HD800 and the LCD-3, which complement each other very well. HD800 for Orchestral and Big Band music and LCD-3 for all my other genres.

Lol our posts are like seconds apart, and like you also, I am loving my hd800+lcd3 combo.

 

[Crashem]

How close is the HD800 to Stax 009 sound in terms of SQ?

I have both setups. I don't think it is necessarily that one is obviously better than other. The sr009 measure better and probably are a bit better overall. But there is some kind of magic with sr009 in particular and electrostats in general where there is an effortlessness to the music. Hard to describe, but it feels somewhat like seeing a master musician who barely seems to be trying to play the most complicated piece. The hd800 or the abyss or any other top end headphone doesn't have that quality. The hd800 does however have this unnaturally large soundstage and instrument definition that the sr009 can't reproduce, although with some music (think rock), the holistic vibe of the music is lost while with other music (large ensemble pieces) that same soundstage is incredible and makes the hd800 the first choice. If I had to have one setup, it would be hi end electrostat setup. Live with high end electrostat for a couple of weeks and everything else will seem artificial and awkward to some extent or another.

 

[drez]

I think I have changed my mind about the Rabid Dawg mod (shelf liner version).  It sort of occurred to me that my system had a reached a stage where it was no longer bright, brittle or edgy, and that it might be worth returning my HD800 to stock.
 
Now I tend to see the mod as more of a bandaid that a long term solution - in as much as it fixes the resonance at 6k or whatever, it holds the headphones back in other areas.  I think part of the problem was he size of the felt ring - this caused an unnatural bloom in the mid-bass, and a general warming of the tonal balance - in fact I wouldn't be surprised if much of the difference is down to frequency response.
 
In any case - once your system is well behaved enough - any need for the mod is greatly reduced, in my case reduced to zero.  But if your system is on the keen side, and maybe lacking in refinement or control in the treble, then the mod can be a lifesaver.
 
Funny thing is I was using exactly the same equipment when I found issue with the HD800 treble (my ears used to physically ache), pretty much only changing tweaks like equipment rack, cables, computer hardware/software - so either my brain has burned in over the past couple of years, or my system has actually changed substantially without swapping a single major component.  Shame there is no real way to verify this without any common landmark, but anyway.
 
EDIT: overuse of punctuation.

 

[ALRAINBOW]

I have both setups. I don't think it is necessarily that one is obviously better than other. The sr009 measure better and probably are a bit better overall. But there is some kind of magic with sr009 in particular and electrostats in general where there is an effortlessness to the music. Hard to describe, but it feels somewhat like seeing a master musician who barely seems to be trying to play the most complicated piece. The hd800 or the abyss or any other top end headphone doesn't have that quality. The hd800 does however have this unnaturally large soundstage and instrument definition that the sr009 can't reproduce, although with some music (think rock), the holistic vibe of the music is lost while with other music (large ensemble pieces) that same soundstage is incredible and makes the hd800 the first choice. If I had to have one setup, it would be hi end electrostat setup. Live with high end electrostat for a couple of weeks and everything else will seem artificial and awkward to some extent or another.

Crasmim is getting it perfect. Spoken from an owner not a listener for an hour.
The stax 009 is just different but gives dentils that only my big speakers can give but lacks the body . The hd800 is more full of body and beyond that full ness is the HE 6
The lcd3 are a bit of a disappointment for me as they are a bit receded in sound and slower than the hd800 even if I EQ them. The abysse info not own so only a listener and to me they are nit on my list to buy . As he said it's not better it's different. There are many categories to judge our headphones with and some just trade off for others .
Al

 

[kkcc]

Crasmim is getting it perfect. Spoken from an owner not a listener for an hour.
The stax 009 is just different but gives dentils that only my big speakers can give but lacks the body . The hd800 is more full of body and beyond that full ness is the HE 6
The lcd3 are a bit of a disappointment for me as they are a bit receded in sound and slower than the hd800 even if I EQ them. The abysse info not own so only a listener and to me they are nit on my list to buy . As he said it's not better it's different. There are many categories to judge our headphones with and some just trade off for others .
Al

I think this is so true. At this level it's all about side-grade and getting different flavors. The "solution" is to really own/try them all haha! Also, another real plus for me with headfi vs boxes is that I can own multiple systems and use them whenever I want without moving stuffs in and out of the warehouse or storage.

 

[sathyam]

Compared to the HD800, LCD-3s have a condensed head stage.

But when you use the HD800 with Treble heavy music, like Vivaldi's Four Seasons or Herbie Hancock's Head Hunters, it's very painful. At this point I find myself switching to the the LCD-3. I also switch to the LCD-3 when I need oodles of fast and punchy bass.

If you are listening to Symphonies (Mozart, Beethoven et al) or Big Band music (Duke Ellington, Oscar Peterson, et al), LCD-3 have a very condensed soundstage and you don't hear all the little details. But when you switch to the HD800, the transformation is stunning! You hear every little detail. Of course,as soon as you hear a forward sounding Violin or Piano high note, you get a headache and want to rip the HD800 off your ears

That's been my personal experience with the two headphones complementing each other extremely well.

 

[jsgraha]

I like Max Richter version of Vivaldi Four Season very much. Both LCD-X and hd800 on my setup are really good, but much prefer hd800.

http://www.hdtracks.com/recomposed-by-max-richter-vivaldi-the-four-seasons

ATM, my guilty pleasure for hd800 actually is Iggy Azalea New Classic (Black Widow track)

 

[Zoom25]

I like Max Richter version of Vivaldi Four Season very much. Both LCD-X and hd800 on my setup are really good, but much prefer hd800.

http://www.hdtracks.com/recomposed-by-max-richter-vivaldi-the-four-seasons

ATM, my guilty pleasure for hd800 actually is Iggy Azalea New Classic (Black Widow track)

 

[Twangsta]

I like Max Richter version of Vivaldi Four Season very much. Both LCD-X and hd800 on my setup are really good, but much prefer hd800.

http://www.hdtracks.com/recomposed-by-max-richter-vivaldi-the-four-seasons

ATM, my guilty pleasure for hd800 actually is Iggy Azalea New Classic (Black Widow track)

That's a gorgeous rewrite!
 
Thanks.

 

[Kyle 491]

But when you use the HD800 with Treble heavy music, like Vivaldi's Four Seasons or Herbie Hancock's Head Hunters, it's very painful. At this point I find myself switching to the the LCD-3.

Try Giuliano Carmignola's Venice Baroque Orchestra rendition of the Four Seasons. Very realistic and engaging performance on the HD800, with no fatigue.

 

[MattTCG]

I like Max Richter version of Vivaldi Four Season very much. Both LCD-X and hd800 on my setup are really good, but much prefer hd800.

http://www.hdtracks.com/recomposed-by-max-richter-vivaldi-the-four-seasons

ATM, my guilty pleasure for hd800 actually is Iggy Azalea New Classic (Black Widow track)

 
Very nice!! I'd like to see more hdtracks/hi-res suggestions that people enjoy with the hd800...

 

[ALRAINBOW]

Try Giuliano Carmignola's Venice Baroque Orchestra rendition of the Four Seasons. Very realistic and engaging performance on the HD800, with no fatigue.

It's pretty rare that the hd800 are as you describe and I have head hunters. It's either the DAC or the amp giving you this .
The amp I use often is the hdvd800 as an amp. It is a very neutral sound but my dacs pro trey the music in a way to not be harsh . But with that said you can tame it with a little negative EQ .
Al

 

[PinkLed]

Are there any headphones from what anyone has seen that go around the ear like the HD800s? They are by far the most comfortable headphones that I've tried for long listening (and short listening) since they put 0 pressure on your actual ear. Just wondering if anyone has found a headphone that accomplishes the same thing.  

 

[Eee Pee]

The Senn 700s are even more comfortable in my opinion.  Take the larger diameter dispersion of softness™ of the 800 and make it smaller and softer, then that's the 700.
 
That seems to be a consensus at meets I bring them to.

 

[SoupRKnowva]

The Senn 700s are even more comfortable in my opinion.  Take the larger diameter dispersion of softness™ of the 800 and make it smaller and softer, then that's the 700.


 


That seems to be a consensus at meets I bring them to.

 


Now if only they sounded as good....I don't even find the 800s to be all that comfortable, though after owning them for a while, I have gotten quite a bit better at knowing how to put them on so they dont bother me as much. The 009s are still quite a bit more comfortable to me.