The (new) HD800 Impressions Thread
May 21, 2015 at 10:52 AM Post #18,706 of 29,056
 Originally Posted by pearljam50000 
   
So, i'm not look for an exact number , just to know where i stand 
happy_face1.gif

Stop obsessing, and enjoy what you've got.
 
May 21, 2015 at 12:35 PM Post #18,707 of 29,056
May 21, 2015 at 12:51 PM Post #18,709 of 29,056
HD800 is a mid-fi headphone nowadays.. not expensive enough to deserve its place here. 
tongue.gif

 
No need to complex about your GO. 
 
May 21, 2015 at 12:52 PM Post #18,710 of 29,056
May 21, 2015 at 8:29 PM Post #18,715 of 29,056
Detailed Listening Comparison with HD800:  HDVD 800, Sony PHA-1, CEntrance HiFi M8
 
About five weeks ago, in my search for a DAC/amp that would support the portable use of my HD 800s, I produced the following table of comparison:
 
Manufacturer
Model
iPod?
Battery?
Output imp (ohms)
Output power, sum 2 channels (at ohms)
Power into 300 ohms, 2 ch (est if in parens)
Trusted reports for
Size (mm)
Weight (gr)
Price
CEntrance
HiFi M8
Y​
Y​
1, 2 11​
1,400 mW (8 ohm)​
166​
HD 800​
127x82x33​
 ​
$699​
CEntrance​
DACPort​
CCK​
N​
 ​
1,500 max​
(166)​
 ​
114x25x25​
 ​
$250​
Aurender​
Flow​
Y​
Y​
0.06​
380 (32)​
174​
HD 800​
137x80x28​
450​
$1,295​
Chord​
Hugo​
Y​
Y​
0.075​
700 (8)​
140​
HD 800​
132x100x20​
400​
$2,500​
iFi Audio​
Micro iDSD​
CCK​
Y​
<1​
4,000​
(250)​
HD 800, HE-6​
177x67x28​
310​
$500​
Sony
PHA-1
Y​
Y​
10​
350 (8)​
52​
 ​
130x67x28​
220​
$250​
Sony​
PHA-1A​
Y​
Y​
 ​
296 (8)​
33​
 ​
109x62x19​
145​
$300​
Sony​
PHA-2​
Y​
Y​
 ​
330 (8);180 (32)​
50​
 ​
140x68x29​
270​
$409​
Sony​
PHA-3​
Y​
Y​
 ​
640 (32 ohm balanced)​
(150)​
NOT for HD800​
141x80x29​
300​
$999​
JDS Labs​
CSD​
CCK​
Y​
0.62​
4.146 V (600)​
(50)​
 ​
100x62x14​
116​
$249​
Fostex​
HP-P1​
Y​
Y​
 ​
160​
(160)​
 ​
130x75x25​
260​
$450​
iQube​
V5​
CCK​
Y​
<0.1​
160 (16); 80 (32); 12 (200)​
(8)​
NOT for HD800​
126x70x23​
190​
$699​
LH Labs​
GeekOut1000​
CCK​
N​
.47, 4.7​
1000 (16)​
(140)​
HD 800 (PTAF)​
78x35x13​
36​
$299​
FurutechADL​
X1​
Y​
Y​
 ​
60 (16)​
36​
 ​
118x68x17​
147​
$479​
HeadAmp​
Pico USB​
CCK​
Y​
<1​
700 (32)​
(340)​
"the difficult"​
70x51x20​
 ​
$468​
Leckerton​
UHA-6S.MKII​
CCK​
Y​
<0.5​
55(32)[8610 op amp];140(32)[8620]​
40 (either op amp)​
 ​
106x70x20​
170​
$279​
Headstage​
Arrow​
CCK​
Y​
 ​
"Max 10 V P-to-P"​
 ​
 ​
98x56x8.5​
100​
$399​
Oppo​
HA-2​
Y​
Y​
0.5​
300 (16); 220 (32), 30 (300)​
30​
HD 800​
157x68x12​
175​
$299​
Cypher Labs​
Theorem 720​
Y​
Y​
< 1​
205 (32); 320 (50)​
68​
 ​
120x64x29​
300​
$699​
 
Since then, I have performed a detailed comparison of the portable CEntrance HiFi M8 and the Sony PHA-1, bolded above, to the Sennheiser HDVD 800 desktop DAC/amp.
 
I used 10 acoustic events in four songs, played from lossless files via digital output into the DAC section of each amp.  I used the HD 800 headphone to listen in each case.
 
Further details about the songs and the acoustic events are given in this post.  A summary description of each acoustic test is given in the right-most column of each row in the table of results, below.
 
The goal was to compare two portable DAC/amps' quality to that of the HDVD 800 in driving the HD 800, using the HDVD 800 (designed by Sennheiser for the HD 800) as a reference.
 
For each of the 10 tests, the three amps (one per column) were ranked first (blue), second (red), or third (yellow, like prize ribbon colors at the fair.  Ties for first place were colored purple (i.e., blue + red) and ties for second place were colored orange (red + yellow).  Points were given for each place... 3 for first through 1 for third, also shown in the table.  Differences of less than three points are probably not too significant.
 
Of course, these acoustic features merely reflect what I listen for in good headphones.  Though transparency, sound stage, and bass impact rank high, there are no features for quality of vocals, for example, which some may value highly.
 
Here are my results.  You can click on the table to enlarge it.
 

 
My qualitative impression, mentioned earlier on this thread, was that the Sony PHA-1 was spectrally indistinguishable (for me(!)) from the Sennheiser HDVD 800 -- its main difference was its smaller sound stage as compared to the HDVD 800.
 
That comment also applies to the CEntrance HiFi M8.  It is interesting to observe that the HiFi M8 for me outperforms the HDVD 800 in the areas of "bass finger pluck" and "'Ripping of organ/brass."  Folks have observed elsewhere that the HDVD 800 tends to tame a 6 KHz - 8 KHz hump in the spectral response of the HD 800.  Perhaps the HiFi M8 does not, and as a result, these two features, which emphasize transients and high frequency response, come through more strongly.
 
In short, I am entirely satisfied in using either the PHA-1 or the CEntrance HiFi M8 for portable listening to the HD800.  Portable use is on the move, which is not particularly conducive to the ultra-critical listening with full attention focused on the music that seated listening, with a desktop amp such as the HDVD 800, often involves.
 
May 21, 2015 at 8:35 PM Post #18,716 of 29,056
lol
I'm not even sure I'm allowed to stay on Summit-Fi with my crappy Geek Out.

Ha im kinda in the same boat - my NFB15 drives the HD800 just fine, volume pot never goes above 11oclock (high gain) so i think it has no problem giving the power the hd800 needs. But knowing that the hd800 is "finicky" with amps, im debating whether or not i should get a Valhalla 2 or even a Cavalli Liquid Carbon - im gonna need to go to a meet and do some double blind testing or something hah
 
May 22, 2015 at 5:22 AM Post #18,719 of 29,056
The price increase on the HD800s is strange considering the age and also the respective price drop on the HD700s  In the uk the HD700s can be had for £360 vs the HD800 at £1100.  Used to be a far closer margin.
 
May 22, 2015 at 5:56 AM Post #18,720 of 29,056
  The price increase on the HD800s is strange considering the age and also the respective price drop on the HD700s  In the uk the HD700s can be had for £360 vs the HD800 at £1100.  Used to be a far closer margin.

 
There are deals to be had online and if your patient a few hours spent online hunting can save a you shed load of cash. I picked a brand new sealed in box HD800 about a month ago for £630 fully warrantied the two links below are the same retailer they often run some nice deals on their ebay shop I had seen them sale several small batches of HD800 in the past prior to taking the plunge myself the phones arrived a couple of days later by courier complete with their shop receipt for warrantee.
 
http://www.avclass.nl/
 
http://www.avclass.nl/hifi/hifi-headphone/sennheiser-hd800.html
 
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/SENNHEISER-HD800-headphone-Nieuw-NEW-2-year-warranty-/301638325017?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_146&hash=item463b0b9319
 

Users who are viewing this thread

Back
Top