[FiGuY1017]

My 800 had started taking a back seat to my Hekv2>Taurus so I've decided to dedicate the last few days to appreciate my original endgame set up, 800>Heron 5 and I have to say its as beautiful as I remember, really a musically pleasing, 3d sound. I did this because i had really considered selling it, but im glad I rediscovered it, it'll be staying, for good now.

 

[Peti]

I have had my pair modded by Stefan Audio and got the Cardas Clear cable hard-wired. Currently using them in my transportable rig with a Fiio M11Pro feeding a tube upgraded Woo WA8 via analog. The player has the all to dsd function turned on which is a big improvement indeed.

No more sibilance and ringing ears. I have been having these headphones since 2013 and the best rig I have heard them with was a Primaluna Evo100 DAC and DNA Stellaris amp combo. That is what I am aiming for once I get settled and don't have to travel anymore for my job. Then my trusty Woo will be up for sale and I get my dream stationery rig.

 

[JamieMcC]

There was a bit of controversy related to a review posted of the original Beyerdynamic T1 headphones a good few years ago. The review that was posted was clearly not seen by many as reflective of the T1 abilities and essentially a long moan about how the T1 was over priced and over hyped and the review wasn't experiencing what they expected.

It turned out the reviewer posted their review opinions based on istening to MP3 and using a iPhone 4 to drive the T1 which are totally inadequate to drive the T1.

Many here I suspect have ended up finding contentment with the HD800 after a substantial time with many headphones, amps and dacs under there belt. So there's a wealth of knowledge on the BB to tap into for anyone looking to improve their experience of the hd800.

 

[491838]

There was a bit of controversy related to a review posted of the original Beyerdynamic T1 headphones a good few years ago. The review that was posted was clearly not seen by many as reflective of the T1 abilities and essentially a long moan about how the T1 was over priced and over hyped and the review wasn't experiencing what they expected.

It turned out the reviewer posted their review opinions based on istening to MP3 and using a iPhone 4 to drive the T1 which are totally inadequate to drive the T1.

Many here I suspect have ended up finding contentment with the HD800 after a substantial time with many headphones, amps and dacs under there belt. So there's a wealth of knowledge on the BB to tap into for anyone looking to improve their experience of the hd800.

Except that there are people with expensive sources that complain about the HD800 too.

Even if you get past the sharpness and try to alleviate the issue with EQ (and it can be done for sure) the lack of bass is still a problem. ALL open dynamic drivers seem to tap out under 100 Hz except for Focal stuff (but even those) and they still can't quite perform on the level of top of the line planars like the LCD-4 or Abyss. Although the Audeze stuff doesn't seem to compete at all in terms of FR with the big dips in the treble and weird as hell timbre. I'm fairly convinced that the LCD-2 could have defeated the HD800 if it had better FR. That thing does a crappy job of rendering pianos and voices in a way that doesn't **** with your ears EVEN with EQ correction. Pianos sound klangy and lack clarity in particular.

That's why I switched to the HD800. It simply blows everything away in terms of clarity and you might just accept that the treble is a bit sharp at times and bass a bit weak.

 

[Thenewguy007]

The HD800 can have more bass & a sound fuller than the Audeze cans with the right high end equipment.

People just don't know how well they scale. It goes beyond just headphone stuff, but high power amplifiers & higher end sources. They'll still be a bright headphone, that can't be changed, but it won't sound thin, lacking in bass or piercing.

 

[491838]

The HD800 can have more bass & a sound fuller than the Audeze cans with the right high end equipment.

People just don't know how well they scale. It goes beyond just headphone stuff, but high power amplifiers & higher end sources. They'll still be a bright headphone, that can't be changed, but it won't sound thin, lacking in bass or piercing.

You can make it boomier but that doesn't mean it's quality bass. I know tubes can fatten up the bass with distortion.

I think it's pretty clear that the lack of bass is an inherent problem with the design. It might be possible to elevate the sub bass with aftermarket pads but those typically affect more than just the bass. It also seems that the HD800 has a bit of that 100-200 Hz bass bloat that the lower end Sennheiser have but less annoying.

 

[Thenewguy007]

I got the HD800 with stock pads to have more sub-bass rumble than Audeze LCD2, Fostex TH-X00 & a Hifiman HE1000.

It won't happen on low to mid-tier equipment, but it's possible.

 

[491838]

I got the HD800 with stock pads to have more sub-bass rumble than Audeze LCD2, Fostex TH-X00 & a Hifiman HE1000.

It won't happen on low to mid-tier equipment, but it's possible.

I'm interested how so many people correlate price with sound quality when it comes to source gear. What part of the design suggests better performance or does the hefty price tag reflect anything superior at all?

I actually checked and even on my inferior gear I can hear 28 Hz fairly well (with a 3 dB boost that's part of my EQ profile) but planars have bigger/thicker sounding bass. Well, Audeze planars at least. Though I found that the LCD-2 in particular had weird timbre in the bass as well. Kick drums in particular sounded a bit unclear so the HD800 at least has better clarity but I'm unsure about bass punch or slam. I can hear more on some songs but other songs sound less punchy on them vs the LCD-2 (from memory).

 

[elvergun]

I got the HD800 with stock pads to have more sub-bass rumble than Audeze LCD2, Fostex TH-X00 & a Hifiman HE1000.

This is hard to believe.

Not saying it's impossible...



What high-end equipment did you use to achieve this miracle?


Edit: I don't think the HD800 is lacking in sub-bass -- it just does not have a substantial mid bass boom. But even so, more rumble than a TH-X00 and the LCD2? Hmm. If this is so, what kind of sub-bass did you get from the Fostex plugged in to that same equipment? Did the TH-X00 blow you away like that old Memorex commercial?

 

[491838]

This is hard to believe.

Not saying it's impossible...



What high-end equipment did you use to achieve this miracle?

I think the difference is more so in timbre than quantity. I can kinda match Audeze levels of bass with EQ but it doesn't sound as thick as a planar. Why? The HD800 doesn't have big leather pads for starters.

 

[JamieMcC]

Dealux,

fyi I have been running both hd800 and Hifiman he-6 for around 5 years off of numerous dacs and amps. Hd800 can't compare to HE6 bass wise but its certainly not far behind and has very good bass compared to many other cans imho.

As for price Vs performance you generally get what you pay for with off the shelf equipment but of course you need to do the homework if it's the right kit for your personal requirements The real price Vs performance is in the DIY world and it's often possible (with the good designs) to end up at the same destination for a quarter of what it might cost for an off the shelf amp.

 

[Ichos]

I have been using HD800 and HD800S for years with various amps and dacs , ss and tube up to 2K €.
The bass was the same with all equipment.
Maybe with some tube gear was more warm or distorted or with good ss amps was very dynamic and clean and very technical.
Quantity though was always the same.
This things start to roll off at 100Hz.
Compare them to Focal Clear or Meze Empyrean or even Hifiman Ananda and then you realize what bass is.
And of course I am not talking about boosted bass but at bass that doesn't roll off compared to the rest of the spectrum.
OK this are great cans with a lot of virtues but with also a lot of negatives.
And they don't change even with the most expensive gear in the world.
This is an audio myth.
The only way to alter the sound profile is with physical mods to some extent.
And that's it.
You can't teach an old dog new tricks.

 

[johnjen]

In my experience, detailed, extended, and powerful subsonic bass (and up) is possible from 800's even at 'normal' SPL's, but especially at elevated SPL's (95dB+).
Their ability to let me feel the thump/concussion/rumble in my head and body, that's in the music, is remarkable.

Yes it does take much fussing with dialing in the entire system, but the musicality, tonality, spatial cues, stability of the acoustic presentation etc, is better than any other I have ever heard, including and especially with speakers.
A speaker based playback system that can 'properly' reach to even 25Hz let alone to 15Hz (or lower) is, while possible, VERY rare and expensive.

Yeah that sounds like an eye rolling statement but as contrast the absolute worst SQ I've ever heard was from a ≈60K+$ system.
It had NO bass down low, except for it's 'one note bass' response, and nothing else, the mids were dead, flat, receded and barely even 2d, and the top end was screechy.

IOW it's not just about the synergy of the gear itself but also the remainder of the setup in it's entirety.

The thing that really amazes me about the 800's is that while they are not perfect (is anything?), they scale so well and continue to reveal subtle nuances with increases in inner focus and details (especially in the very bottom end, and as they couple with that instruments upper frequecies) as the rest of the system is improved and the signal handed to them becomes less 'veiled'.

Just my 2¢

JJ

 

[Ichos]

Agreed but you can't increase bass quantity.
It is not possible.
It is physics.
Driver limitations
Can't go deeper.
It is like asking from a 6" bookshelf speakers to reproduce 20Hz.
Can't be done.

 

[johnjen]

The Senn published FR listed as "Transmission Range" is 6Hz - 51KHz (-10dB) & 14Hz - 41KHz (-3dB).
And the "Frequency response" is listed as 8hz - 50KHz.

JJ