[ruthieandjohn]

  I'm so enthused by the HD800 that I now have two sets of HD800 (one at work and one at home).
 
Out of 10 DACs tested, only the HDVD 800 gave me the sound I had always wished for from the HD800. The HDVD 800 widened the sound stage dramatically, both at lower and higher volumes.
 
However, I had to change the cable and I'm using the Sennheiser balanced cable.  The cable made a big difference in the lower frequencies.  
 
Good luck with the $$, but this combo is really excellent. 

 

Can you indicate which other DACs you tested and compared to the HDVD 800?  I also have the HDVD 800 with my HD 800 and love it, but I am always curious in comparisons to other DACs.  
 
Thanks!

 

[hermosabeachdud]

Hey guys,
 
Just wanted to give a quick impressions of the new HD800 paired with the hdvd800 and balanced cables coming from a musician and not necessarily an audiophile.
 
First off all I can say is WOW. These cans delivered exactly what I expected them to... as a musician I wanted something super accurate to bring me into the room so that I can get "involved" in the music, and they did that exceptionally.
 
I don't know why everyone said bass is lacking with these because the bass gets STUIPID low with these and is VERY WELL BALANCED. 
 
as far as bad recordings... I found these cans completely fine to listen to bad recordings. It is what it is, obviously its not as enjoyable as listening to good recordings.
 
So I'd say as a musician, I really enjoyed these because they bring me into the room with the band and inspire my creativity! 

 

[elvergun]

  Hey guys,
 
Just wanted to give a quick impressions of the new HD800 paired with the hdvd800 and balanced cables coming from a musician and not necessarily an audiophile.
 
First off all I can say is WOW. These cans delivered exactly what I expected them to... as a musician I wanted something super accurate to bring me into the room so that I can get "involved" in the music, and they did that exceptionally.
 
I don't know why everyone said bass is lacking with these because the bass gets STUIPID low with these and is VERY WELL BALANCED. 
 
as far as bad recordings... I found these cans completely fine to listen to bad recordings. It is what it is, obviously its not as enjoyable as listening to good recordings.
 
So I'd say as a musician, I really enjoyed these because they bring me into the room with the band and inspire my creativity! 

 
Thanks for sharing.   Another satisfied customer. 
 
As to people saying these lack bass...well, those who say this like tons of bass and anything that does not satisfy them is going to be bass light to them.     Kinda like a Lamborghini user saying that a Mustang is not a fast car because it is not as fast as a Veneno...or a Hennessey Venom owner saying that a Lamborghini is lacking speed because it is not as fast as his car.    Gotta love those subjective opinions. 

 

[hermosabeachdud]

PS, one other thing to note. Yes these are very involving headphones, and as such, you get tired listening to them much faster than say apple earbuds...
 
TO me its like driving my M3 on the limit, vs driving my dads toyota... obviously your going to get worn out much faster driving the M3!

 

[Sennophile]

I couldn't agree more.  I'm myself an ex-musician:  I used to play the piano at the Conservatory and am still today very moved by the touch of "romantic pianists".  No wonder great composers relied on the piano to sketch out their greater masterworks.
 
The HD 800 really left me aghast from the very first moment I heard them.  I have proudly owned Sennheiser 580, 600 and 650 headphones.  I still cherish them today.  However, the HD 800 remain of a class of their own and still astound me every time I put them on.  Indeed, they drove me to sell my pair of Tannoy Kingdom 15 !! 

 

[Sennophile]

Interesting question.  I was in Sharm El - Sheikh, Egypt for a conference where I met a loudspeaker designer for KEF (UK).  He was an audio freak and, when he saw the HD 800, he went nuts!
 
Chemistry being what it is between humans, we had a long discussion about audiophile tastes and listening experiences.  He was naturally more inclined to loudspeakers.  When I told him I owned a pair of KEF Reference MK IV, he bowed in respect.  However, the HD 800 literally brought him to his knees.  The quality was incredible, the soundstage outstanding, the presence impressive, the details crisp without being painful or unnatural, and the warmth was heart-taking!  He agreed, albeit reluctantly, that these were a listening tool that went beyond anything else he had heard ever before.  It was there and then that he showed me his own listening "kit", which was a Beyerdynamic Tesla T1.
 
He was testing several headphone amps: 
a) Oppo HA-1 + Oppo HA-2
b) Chord Hugo
c) Marantz HD-DAC1
d) Resonessence Labs Concero HP
e) RME Babyface
f) Aurender Flow
g) Grace M902
 
Sorry, I can't remember the other 2, but then they were hardly worth it.
 
The experience of comparing them was thrilling, but each had its flaws:
Oppo HA-1 + HA-2 >> Mellow sound
Chord Hugo >> Metallic sound
 
Marantz HD-DAC1 >> Very good, but leaves you 'missing something' at the end of your listening session
Resonessence Concero >> Very good, but sounds as if equalized
 
RME Babyface >> Lacks punch
Aurender Flow >> Arguably, the strongest contender to the HDVD 800
 
Grace M902 >> Sound too analog, flat and 'lame'

 

[shultzee]

  Hey guys,
 
Just wanted to give a quick impressions of the new HD800 paired with the hdvd800 and balanced cables coming from a musician and not necessarily an audiophile.
 
First off all I can say is WOW. These cans delivered exactly what I expected them to... as a musician I wanted something super accurate to bring me into the room so that I can get "involved" in the music, and they did that exceptionally.
 
I don't know why everyone said bass is lacking with these because the bass gets STUIPID low with these and is VERY WELL BALANCED. 
 
as far as bad recordings... I found these cans completely fine to listen to bad recordings. It is what it is, obviously its not as enjoyable as listening to good recordings.
 
So I'd say as a musician, I really enjoyed these because they bring me into the room with the band and inspire my creativity! 

I agree with the above sentiments.  Having come from some other high end cans I am highly satisfied with HD800's.   I appreciate the accuracy of these things both good recordings and bad.  On another note the Concero dac/amp does a very nice job. I have owned higher end stuff but the concero hp/hd800 is pretty amazing.

 

[shultzee]

 
PS, one other thing to note. Yes these are very involving headphones, and as such, you get tired listening to them much faster than say apple earbuds...
 
TO me its like driving my M3 on the limit, vs driving my dads toyota... obviously your going to get worn out much faster driving the M3!

I don't find them fatiguing.  They just make me not want to listen to inferior cans.

 

[johnnylexus]

Can anyone recommend a relatively inexpensive amp for these?  Something less than $1,000 new or used

 

[JamieMcC]

  Can anyone recommend a relatively inexpensive amp for these?  Something less than $1,000 new or used

If your budget is a $1000 I would suggest you might consider saving just a little longer while waiting for a promotion deal on the Bottlehead Mainline you would most probably only need another $99 to secure one of the top tier amps for the HD800.

 

[jlbrach]

i love the 800,the more i listen to it the more i have trouble listening to other headphones....i have the LCD3-f which i love but i must say there is something about the 800 that sets it apart

 

[elvergun]

  Interesting question.  I was in Sharm El - Sheikh, Egypt for a conference where I met a loudspeaker designer for KEF (UK).  He was an audio freak and, when he saw the HD 800, he went nuts!
 
Chemistry being what it is between humans, we had a long discussion about audiophile tastes and listening experiences.  He was naturally more inclined to loudspeakers.  When I told him I owned a pair of KEF Reference MK IV, he bowed in respect.  However, the HD 800 literally brought him to his knees.  The quality was incredible, the soundstage outstanding, the presence impressive, the details crisp without being painful or unnatural, and the warmth was heart-taking!  He agreed, albeit reluctantly, that these were a listening tool that went beyond anything else he had heard ever before.  It was there and then that he showed me his own listening "kit", which was a Beyerdynamic Tesla T1.
 

That is a little bit of an exaggeration on his part.  I think the HD800 is just a little bit better than the T1.  On the other hand, depending how you look at it, the HD800 did go beyond the T1 since I sold my T1 after I bought the HD800.   

 

[elvergun]

  Can anyone recommend a relatively inexpensive amp for these?  Something less than $1,000 new or used

 
 
Try finding the HDVA600 used on the sales forums -- I've seen them go for less than $1000.  It is an incredible amp which works great with all my headphones, not just the HD800.

 

[Gr8Desire]

I doubt you can find this dream amp under $1000. And the synergy of hd800 setup not only with the amp, but also with the source, either analog or digital.

IMO, better look for other headphone than hd800. Having hd800 was like a journey to me. I enjoy the journey, whether tweaking with mod, try or audition or even trades source or amp etc. It's been almost 3 years and counting. There's no instant result.

My advise would be getting other phone. Lcd-x would be nice. Soundstage is quite big, easier to match, great bass and smooth treble. Buy one used maybe, so it could be sold without much loss.

Almost any $1000 amp with EQ is equivalent to so called state of the art at 10X the cost.

It is not the lack of money holding listeners back.  

 

[pervysage]

Anyone want to give some impressions on the HD800 with Audio-gd amps? Thinking of getting myself a Master 11.

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