[Canadian411]

  I was having an email discussion with an audio buddy and decided to share my thoughts here regarding the comparison of HE-560 to the HD800:
 
I have been listening well into the early morning hours last four nights with the Teac HA-501, comparing the HD800 and HE-560 cans. I am extremely impressed with the amp, which seems to be opening up more and more. It find it bizarre that it seems to require a very long break in time.
 
So far, I have to give the edge to the HD800 and that lead is by a baby's hair. If the HD800 had more deep bass it would be a clear winner. OTOH, the HD800 has a slight rise in that sibilance region that excludes favor with much recorded material. When I go back to the 560, I am floored at how damned neutral it is, and how perfect the bass! It is truly a fantastic headphone. And the HD800 is breathtaking at conveying with precision the recording details - soundstaging, imaging, low level details, lower midrange naturalness, and everything about the "bones" of the recording. It is extremely revealing.
 
People want to compare these two headphones which is a little unfair to me for the simple reason they are state of the art examples of two operating types: Dynamic (HD800) and Planar Magnetic (HE-560). The HD800 excels at some dynamic "snap" and imaging/soundstaging while the HE-560 excels at neutrality and very wide bandwidth with extremely well controlled and low distortion deep bass.
 
In short, with the right amp (and I think I found a good match for both in the Teac), they are to me equal.


 

 
I don't have a very expensive amps but from what I've read better amp will scale lot more for HD800, I was looking at this teac amp, looks very good nice design by the way
 
I ordered a balanced cable from plussound so I can maybe share how hd800 improves SE vs balanced out.

 

[Roth_s]

   
I don't have a very expensive amps but from what I've read better amp will scale lot more for HD800, I was looking at this teac amp, looks very good nice design by the way
 
I ordered a balanced cable from plussound so I can maybe share how hd800 improves SE vs balanced out.

This is what I found out. The HD800 is - not just picky - but extremely picky about what you put in front of it: amp, wires, source, etc. With the Teac it is quite a different headphone.
 
Before the Teac HA-501 I was using a very modified Heed Canamp and thought it was so-so, also I use a newly-built Bottlehead Crack w/Speedball and found this helped the overall balance of the HD800 and much more engaging, yet I still thought the HD800 was far from living up to its potential. (Anyone want the Crack amp?)
 
The Teac is a real sleeper. 

 

 

[Wildcatsare1]

Just got a new custom cable from Trevor at Norne Audio. Beautifully built and sounds good as it looks. Very flexible, zero microphonics and soft as a babies butt. 

Matt, how are you liking your Norne? Wrong thread, but thinking about a Norne Vanquix for my Alpha Dogs, what kind of sonic impact did you hear/find?

 

[MattTCG]

Matt, how are you liking your Norne? Wrong thread, but thinking about a Norne Vanquix for my Alpha Dogs, what kind of sonic impact did you hear/find?

 
I had the Vanquish with the AD and now the 800. Again I not a huge proponent of sonic improvements with cables, but I was very impressed with what I heard with both of those hp's over the stock cable. It's a very very good cable and well worth the cost IMO. 
 
Oh, for me the hd800 is like an special glass of red wine...pinot noir. There is so much complexity and flavor that must be savored and appreciated slowly...patiently. Beer drinkers need not apply. 

 

[TwoEars]

Oh, for me the hd800 is like an special glass of red wine...pinot noir. There is so much complexity and flavor that must be savored and appreciated slowly...patiently. Beer drinkers need not apply. 

 
As a fellow wine aficionado I get where you're coming from, and completely agree! The HD800 is the pinot noir of the headphone world, no doubt.
 
Although I do also enjoy a really good czech beer every now and then.

 

[reddog]

I had the Vanquish with the AD and now the 800. Again I not a huge proponent of sonic improvements with cables, but I was very impressed with what I heard with both of those hp's over the stock cable. It's a very very good cable and well worth the cost IMO. 

Oh, for me the hd800 is like an special glass of red wine...pinot noir. There is so much complexity and flavor that must be savored and appreciated slowly...patiently. Beer drinkers need not apply. 

Thanks for your views on the Va squish cables as well as your words on the HD800. I am tempted to save up for a pair of HD800, and your opinion on those cans are convincing me. Thanks .

 

[MattTCG]

Thanks for your views on the Va squish cables as well as your words on the HD800. I am tempted to save up for a pair of HD800, and your opinion on those cans are convincing me. Thanks .

 
I was put off of the hd800 for a couple of years by the nay sayers. Now, I have found so many of the things I've been looking for this whole time in this hp. 

 

[troymadison]

All i can say so far is HD800 > HD580/HD650

 

[preproman]

   
I had the Vanquish with the AD and now the 800. Again I not a huge proponent of sonic improvements with cables, but I was very impressed with what I heard with both of those hp's over the stock cable. It's a very very good cable and well worth the cost IMO. 
 
Oh, for me the hd800 is like an special glass of red wine...pinot noir. There is so much complexity and flavor that must be savored and appreciated slowly...patiently. Beer drinkers need not apply. 

 

   
As a fellow wine aficionado I get where you're coming from, and completely agree! The HD800 is the pinot noir of the headphone world, no doubt.
 
Although I do also enjoy a really good czech beer every now and then.

 
 
If the HD800 is the Pinot Noir of the Headphone world - the HE-6 has to be the Old Vine Zen..  I like my wine Big and Bold..  

 

[TwoEars]

   
 
 
If the HD800 is the Pinot Noir of the Headphone world - the HE-6 has to be the Old Vine Zen..  I like my wine Big and Bold..  

 
Ever tried a good quality argentinian merlot? Hard to find as most imported stuff from Argentina is crap, but if you ever find one... they are the real deal. And the Argentina's are proud of them too! Meaty red pampas steak and Argentinan merlot.... hard to beat, very hard to beat.
 
But to be fair the HD800 could also be a Italian amarone wine, as the HD800 can be meaty AND complex when called for. Just like a good italian amarone. It's not a cheap wine, but it's very, very good. Everyone should try it at least once.

 

[Canadian411]

   
 
 
If the HD800 is the Pinot Noir of the Headphone world - the HE-6 has to be the Old Vine Zen..  I like my wine Big and Bold..  

 
I really like HE6, so far I say as good as HD800, but I know HE6 can be better with more powerful amp.
I was afraid of the HE6 weight but it's actually manageable, unlike Audeze angled pads which give me horrible frontal pressure due to uneven pressure, HE6 with flat pad design is lot more comfortable.
 
Not really sure what is the purpose of the angle pads on Audeze when HE6 with flat pads have better wider/deeper soundstage.
 
One thing I don't like about Hifiman is the quality, everything looks so cheap compare to similar priced product.

 

[TwoEars]

One thing I don't like about Hifiman is the quality, everything looks so cheap compare to similar priced product.

 
Yupp, I liked the sound of my HE-500. Sold it d-t lack of comfort, quality and soundstage compared to HD800. Had high hopes for the HE-560 but it lacks the "meatiness" that made the HE-500 so attractive in the first place.
 
BTW - isn't it time for Sennheiser to introduce a new flagship headphone already? The HD800 was introduced in 2009, that's 5 years ago now. Surely they must be up to something? Not that I don't like my HD800 you know...

 

[Canadian411]

   
Yupp, I liked the sound of my HE-500. Sold it d-t lack of comfort, quality and soundstage compared to HD800. Had high hopes for the HE-560 but it lacks the "meatiness" that made the HE-500 so attractive in the first place.
 
BTW - isn't it time for Sennheiser to introduce a new flagship headphone already? The HD800 was introduced in 2009, that's 5 years ago now. Surely they must be up to something? Not that I don't like my HD800 you know...

 
I read somewhere that Senn is working on the new flagship or "HD800 successor", that will be amazing !. I will line up depend on the price.
Hope they keep the same price.  and they should really discontinue HD700, not doing good IMO.

 

[TwoEars]

   
I read somewhere that Senn is working on the new flagship or "HD800 successor", that will be amazing !. I will line up depend on the price.
Hope they keep the same price.  and they should really discontinue HD700, not doing good IMO.

 
I wouldn't be surprised if a HD800 successor comes in at $1995-2495, the LCD-3 has set the bar in this respect.
 
The HD700 is a strange animal, in tonality it's more like the HD650 than the HD600/800. But overall I'm not really sure if it's that much better than the HD600/650, or if it's worth holding back and save a couple of hundred bucks compared to the HD800. The HD800 is in my mind superior to the HD700 unless you have some very poor recordings. And then I'm also not a huge fan of the looks of the HD700, the HD600/650 look classy in an old school kind of way. The HD800 is space age.. and the HD700 looks like it could cost $200-300 bucks or so - certainly not $800. I think the HD700 would have been recieved differently if it retailed at $450 and was meant to eventually replace the HD600/650. Overall the HD700 is not a bad headphone, just in a weird place in the market. Of course - from my point of view I'd be more than happy if they'd kept the HD600/650 around for another 20 years with minute adjustments here and there.. they are still all time greats in my book. Just like the B&W 801... all time classics. You could say the HD600/650 are the kalashnikov's of the headphone world, and if it works why change it?

 

 

[SilverEars]

Hi guys, I gave the HD800 lots more time and I realized that it does indeed put out lots of resolution.  I got my NT6 back from refit so I could not directly compare, but now that I have it back, it doesn't compare to HD800.  HD800 is just super detailed.  Also, what I recently realized is that heavily compressed files(loudness wars?) are very harsh sounding.  Given that HD800 plays the better masted files that are uncompressed to the minute details, I would have to agree with you all that it's unforgiving of certain genre and recordings.  I also realized why my other headphone doesn't sound so harsh with compressed files, it's because the treble is rolled off.  Anyway, HD800 is indeed a very accurate phone and it's my cup of tea.  I like hyper details.  

  There was nothing wrong with my DAC or Amp after all, it's was the compressed recordings the whole time, that was giving HD800 a bad rap.  Apologies if I've offended your favorite phone, I should have researched more of what was going on before I made such hasty conclusion on it.
 

 
Here are comparisons of compressed and uncompressed:
 
Uncompressed and sound very good.


 
 
Compressed pop/electronica music:
 
yup, I was surprised with this one because lots of audiophiles likes RAM.