[treebug]

I got mine new at a reduced price here in the UK. Doesn't have a golden serial number though.

 

[zakazak]

I got mine new at a reduced price here in the UK. Doesn't have a golden serial number though.

Care to share a link via PM?

 

[DavidA]

It's not backtracking, it's taking into account the subjective nature of the hobby. For every "drastic change" there are people who call it "barely audible". There are people who believe all DACs and cables sound the same. In this environment it's important to keep them level headed about what to expect because not everyone hears the same.

My opinion on the matter hasn't changed one iota. I'm just warning you not to take what I say deadly seriously so that you are disappointed they don't sound exactly how I described. The hobby is subjective. YMMV is a term created for a reason.

If you are warning me not to take you deadly serious then why do you keep insisting that the V2 with 6CG7 tubes are so good even when almost everyone says the V2 wasn't very good. FWIW I don't think all DACs sound the same, haven't heard a difference with various cables for headphones only, my scale of a drastic change is something that anyone who can still hear will notice and to me there is a fairly easy to notice difference between my BH Crack, Lyr2 and Ember and my HD800, T1gen1, HD700, DT-990 premium (slightly modded) and HD650, differences that are not good or bad, just different IMO where the V2 was just a bad pairing most of the time even with tube changes, not just to me but even to the owners of the V2, which is the reason I've taken an interest in your insistence that its the 6CG7 tubes make all the difference since its one that no one I know as tried.

 

[ColtMrFire]

If you are warning me not to take you deadly serious then why do you keep insisting that the V2 with 6CG7 tubes are so good

Is this really that difficult to understand? If it is, I can't help you any further.

 

[AutumnCrown]

Sennheiser HD-800 S/N 50000 numbers are marked in gold ,proud owner here, very nice gesture from Sennheiser

Congratulations on landing 50000! That's quite remarkable. Was that intentional?

Also, can you upload the FR graph? It seems there is substantial variability in treble response for the HD800 from unit to unit. I'm guessing this unit has less of a 6 khz peak than some others.

 

[zakazak]

HD800 offers seem to decrease but the price won't.

Curious if there is any better alternative for the same price. But as I understand even after all those years the HD800 counts as the top for its price?

 

[connieflyer]

zakazak, I know what you mean, they are not plentiful on the used market, I am looking to buy another one as a backup to mine. The new ones have gone up in price a bit, and the 800s has come down a little. When driven with the right amp, they are really great. The last tube roll I did brought the 800 up to a new level for me. Very satisfied with them now, the bass is even heavier.

 

[zolkis]

Curious if there is any better alternative for the same price. But as I understand even after all those years the HD800 counts as the top for its price?

IMHO it's one of the top ones and you can even extend the price up.
Some others to check out (which I prefer over the HD800, except for the sound stage, mainly since the HD800 sounds a bit dry and a little metallic to my ears):
modded Denon D7200 - more linear, more extended bass with higher impact, richer tonality, no treble issues, high resolution, but less high and slightly less wide sound stage
stock D7200 depends on the unit, I heard ones with midrange peak, others sounding fine
stock Denon D9200 - very linear and extended, but has a small treble peak, not disturbing, otherwise similar to the modded D7200.
Various Stax alternatives:
- SR Lambda
- Lambda Signature
- L700
- used SR-007 (Mk1, and latest)
- Phenomenon Canorum, Libratum (currently these are the best headphones IMHO, including the Orpheus 2, but still in prototype stage).

One can also check MrSpeakers and ZMF offerings which I don't know well, and Audeze which I tend to try and still prefer the HD800.

BTW Thinker's HD800 with his Abbas Audio DAC and amp was one of the best headphone systems I've heard, very nearly on par with a Stax SR-009 + BHSE system. His Lambda Sig is perhaps even better, and his Phenomenon Canorum is yet even better, actually another class. My dearest is the Phenomenon Libratum (about the same level as Canorum but I prefer round), followed by the later Stax SR-009's and 007's driven by tubes, followed by thinker's HD800. My modded D7200 and the D9200 are not far behind or more or less on similar level, with different strengths. If it has to be one headphone for all, in my case it has to be a closed one, leaving the D9200 (and modded D7200) being the only/best choice at the moment, at the HD800 price range. YMMV.

 

[zakazak]

Ansone knows how the Feliks Elise pairs with the HD800?

I have read that the Euforia isn't really a good match with the HD800 for its price and so I wonder about the Elise?

Will order my HD800 by the end of this year and still need a decent DAC+Amp with esthetics and quality

 

[connieflyer]

I had an Elise, before I bought the Euforia, used both with the Sennheiser 800, and I can tell you that the upgrade was worth it to me. I love the sound, much better with the Eurforia than the Elise. With these latest tubes, the El 38 Mullard's exceptional FR, sound stage, and like I said the bass is much better than previous tubes. We have one member that has an Elise and just bought the El 38's and he confirms that it was a great upgrade for him. Find the amp you like , if tube, then make sure it can be rolled, just because a designer settles on a tube, does not mean it is the best the amp can do.

 

[FiGuY1017]

New Dac I can give huge recommendations for with the 800 is the M2tech Young Mk3 amazing stuff!

 

[Deftone]

So its HD800's 10 year anniversary (this month?) Anyone think they will do anything special or announce new flagship at CES?

... I think its about time

 

[nephilim32]

So its HD800's 10 year anniversary (this month?) Anyone think they will do anything special or announce new flagship at CES?

... I think its about time

I hope so.

Happy New Year .

 

[omniweltall]

Happy new year!

 

[JamieMcC]

For the HD800 I think tubes are the way to go, more specifically an OTL amp since most OTL amp have slightly higher output impedance it better matches the HD800 but there are a few SS and hybrid amps that I've heard that really pair well with the HD800. Its more a matter of personal preference at this level but I can understand why some will stay away from tubes, it can be quite a rabbit hole but it also can be really fun and rewarding. I like my BH Crack paired with my HD800, T1gen1, HD700, etc and while I've heard my HD800 on better (higher priced) amps (Liquid Glass, DarkStar, EC Balancing Act, EC ZDS2, MicroZOTL, Elise and a few others I'm really happy with the BH Crack since its fairly cheap and sounds great to me. Yes the other higher end amps might sound better to others but to me its just a different flavor, not better IMO.

Thanks guys... so:

Burson Soloist SL Mk2 (Non-Tube) - 350€
Not many reviews, not many comparisons, some say yes, some say no.

Schiit Valhalla 2 (Tube) - 400€
Widely known, seems to be often recommended for the HD800.

Bottlehead Crack Speedball (Tube) - 700€
High impedance for HD800

Whats else could I add to the list? So far I would prefer either the Soloist or the Valhalla 2.

Just catching up here my notifications have not been updating

Noticed a few post of a similar vein to the ones I have quoted above.

So from a view point of someone who has built a number of Cracks both stock and modified and currently has a Bottlehead Mainline if you looking for a superb amp on a tight budget for using with the hd800 be sure to take a serious look at the Pass diy Whammy headphone amp its a pretty easy build and designed by Wayne Colburn (Nelson Pass's co designer and right hand man for 20 odd years) and its really rather good.

The kit (minus enclosure but designed to fit an inexpensive Hammond one) is $169 in the diy audio store or you can purchase just the pcb for $29.

More info in the links

https://www.head-fi.org/threads/pass-diy-headphone-amp-whammy.877569/

https://diyaudiostore.com/collections/printed-circuit-boards/products/whammy?variant=12917913813026

There is also a quickly growing thread in the Pass Labs section of Nelsons Diyaudio site,

https://www.diyaudio.com/forums/pass-labs/317803-whammy-pass-diy-headphone-amp-guide.html