[kapanak]

  Does anybody now if there will be soon a new hd 800. I mean it's now six years old.
 
I'm considering of buying one...or the new model...

Does it have any serious competitor that beats it in every aspect across the board? If not, Sennheiser is doing just fine with this model. Once Anax 3.0 mod is released, HD800 will be even better.
 
And come on, we're just at 37,000 serial number now. Any other top of the line headphones or ANY TOTL audiophile product that has sold as much?

 

[olor1n]

 @wink
 Do you use the Schiit Wyrd with the NAD M51? Does the NAD benefit much from it?

I have tried it once, but I was distracted with other things at the time.

I will have to take the time to do a proper test in the near future.

Keen to read your findings. Thanks wink.

 

[James-uk]

I'm currently having a session with 800s via tidal > MacBook air>O2/odac. Absolutely flawless combo! The detail/ clarity / accuracy is unbelievable . Nothing is missing, It's so revealing and clean I kind of get where the O2 haters come from, this kind of accuracy and detail is a little bit disconcerting ! I love music and I want to hear it in its purist form , warts and all! That's why I love this combo! It is delivering the purist music I've ever heard. I wouldn't want it any other way !!!!

 

[pearljam50000]

Anyone else also likes the O2/odac with the HD800?
It's so weird reading so much contradicting opinions, some think it's great and some think it's crap

 

[guido]

  Anyone else also likes the O2/odac with the HD800?
It's so weird reading so much contradicting opinions, some think it's great and some think it's crap

If you have never heard the HD800 with anything else it may sound great at first....just never compare it on a better amp...

 

[James-uk]

If you have never heard the HD800 with anything else it may sound great at first....just never compare it on a better amp...

I've owned / own v200 , burson amps, hdvd800, several receivers and have auditioned a few more. The O2 gets the most out of the hd800 imo. Now if you want to 'tame' the beast that is the hd800 then I can understand using high output inpedance tube amps etc to dumb it down but I didn't spend £1000 on one of the finest headphones ever made to them try and turn it into a hd600. I own the hd600 for when I want that sound and its simultaneously running on my dac1 usb for whenever I want to quickly swap things up

 

[deuter]

I've owned / own v200 , burson amps, hdvd800, several receivers and have auditioned a few more. The O2 gets the most out of the hd800 imo. Now if you want to 'tame' the beast that is the hd800 then I can understand using high output inpedance tube amps etc to dumb it down but I didn't spend £1000 on one of the finest headphones ever made to them try and turn it into a hd600. I own the hd600 for when I want that sound and its simultaneously running on my dac1 usb for whenever I want to quickly swap things up

Does high impedance amp tame the hd800 treble?

 

[James-uk]

Does high impedance amp tame the hd800 treble?

Well due to damping factor and the hd800s impedance characteristics , high output inpedance will have an effect on the frequency response . It basically drops some of the higher frequencies down a little bit and boosts the mid bass a tad , this combination 'masks' the supposed slight brightness of the HD800. I personally now feel the hd800 is pretty much bang on neutral so this would make it a little bit warm . To others who think it's bright it would make it sound more neutral. One thing I will say is a lot of an amps 'sound signiture' is down to your expectation of what it should sound like , it happens To us all! If I have a massive , powerful , warm running expensive tube amp that I have been told is killer with the hd800 and then the lowly little black box that is the O2 next to it , my brain is already expecting a clear winner!!!! Take that aspect out of the equation ie listen to them whilst blindfolded , and the difference becomes much smaller if at all! again high output inpedance DOES actually change the sound but if those 2 amps have a similar output inpedance then they would pretty much sound the same . My advise is do some research, try to remove bias from your experiments and get the amp that you think makes the hd800 sound good. At the end of the day even if you can't hear a difference blind but it makes you feel better with amp A rather than amp B then you will enjoy the music more .

 

[deuter]

My case is a little strange, I had the Leben CS300X and was told you have to try the hd800 with it as it's a match made in another galaxy.
So I did, and what do I hear?
A very detailed headphone across the frequency range.
Am I missing the plot? As I fail to understand why numerous people are doing all these mods.

 

[zilch0md]

  Have people been having issues with recent runs of HD800?  Amazon is currently not selling them due to customer issues???
 

 
That notice is horribly ambiguous.  What "problem" are they working to fix as quickly as possible?
 
I suspect I know what the problem is (just a hunch):  One too many Amazon customers have "rented" the HD800 for a few days then returned it with a trumped up excuse to get a full refund. Amazon doesn't want to be in the business of lending out flagship headphones for free trials. (Again, that's just my suspicion.)
 
If anyone in the U.S. wants to borrow several flagship headphones at a time, for up to two weeks, with the earnest intent of selecting and buying a pair, look no further than this site:
 
http://www.thecableco.com/Product/NEW-Headphone-Lending-Library
 
 

That's what I felt too.
My Leben CS300X gives me all that you have described and yes I do use a Luxman da 06 for a dac.
But like everyone I was curious.

 

My case is a little strange, I had the Leben CS300X and was told you have to try the hd800 with it as it's a match made in another galaxy.
So I did, and what do I hear?
A very detailed headphone across the frequency range.
Am I missing the plot? As I fail to understand why numerous people are doing all these mods.

 
Hi deuter,
 
I don't think you're missing anything - not with a $3000 DAC and a $2500 amp.  I suspect your HD800 rig indeed sounds wonderful.
 
And I agree that mods can be avoided with the right combination of DAC and amp, even with a few combinations that cost less than yours.

 

[Kyle 491]

 Some people like their amps to colour the presentation though. Nothing wrong with that, but it highlights the futility of attempting to rate a component with the authority of a "Nope" "Not even close" when individual preferences differ so starkly.

The man asked a question if the Ragnarok was the best amp period for the HD800, I put forward my input. From my response, it should be obvious what my preferences and priorities for the HD800 are; namely staging, bass weight & impact and tonal balance. I've owned the Ragnarok for a few months now, and its strengths IMO lie elsewhere with the HD800. To fully exploit those strengths (Resolution & microdynamics), you need a top DAC. For someone who prioritises these things above all else, has a suitable DAC and is perfectly content with the stock HD800 tonal balance, the Ragnarok may be the best choice for a solid state amp. Maybe you're annoyed that I'm claiming to be an ultimate authority on the HD800/Ragnarok pairing, or maybe you're rationalising your purchase by pontificating about the subjectivity of opinions, but the fact that there is already strong disagreement from Ragnarok owners should tell you something about the Ragnarok's claim of best amp for the HD800.

 

[preproman]

 

 
 
I don't know much about the O2, never heard one.  Is this a discrete circuit or does it use op-amps?

 

[wink]

Quoterepoman

 Is this a discrete circuit or does it use op-amps?

I think it uses biscuit tins......

 

 

[Priidik]

My case is a little strange, I had the Leben CS300X and was told you have to try the hd800 with it as it's a match made in another galaxy.
So I did, and what do I hear?
A very detailed headphone across the frequency range.
Am I missing the plot? As I fail to understand why numerous people are doing all these mods.

The Leben CS300XS to my ears removed all nastiness in treble of HD800,
but in comparison to some other amplifiers it was clear to me it makes everything too romantic for my tastes. 
I thought its technical weak spot was bass performance. It couldn't resolve complex orchestral passages in lower registers.

 

[Taowolf51]

  Transparent is a strong word.

 
Transparent in the sense that it satisfies the specific measurements specifications outlined by some as "audibly transparent".