[subtle]

Quote:

Originally Posted by robm321 /img/forum/go_quote.gif I'm already seeing signs of it by the denials of sibilance and that it lacks impact, etc now that the flaws are starting to be realized. You could almost set your watch by it at headfi.

It's most definitely justified to be skeptical, but you and Beagle have to be the two most vocal doubters at the moment and I really can't understand all the negativity when you two haven't even heard them yet. They are definitely not "the best evar" IMO but they are clearly high end upper tier headphones and made me an actual believer in the Sennheiser line. After owning the HD600 and HD650, and very much disliking both, I was hesitant to place a pre-order for the HD800. I assumed that the HD800 would simply be an improvement on the Sennheiser house sound and they are just nothing like that at all. They are on another tier entirely with a completely unique sound signature.

After spending the last few weeks with them I can clearly see why people wouldn't hesitate to sell off their K701/702, HD600, HD650, and even some of their higher end gear. They are simply that good, believe it or not. I personally feel that at their level it is clearly just a matter of preference in terms of sound, which is why I still favor some of the L3000s attributes over the HD800, but there is nothing to doubt when it comes to this headphone. The pair I had did not show a trace of sibilance or a lack of impact. I believe that once you are finally given the opportunity to hear them for yourself you will quickly realize why there has been so much hyperbole surrounding them.

 

[Drumonron]

Quote:

Originally Posted by robm321 /img/forum/go_quote.gif I completely agree. There seems to be a lot of blind decision making from newcomers lately caught up in the hype - which by the way will happen again when new releases from other companies come out. PS-1000 is an example - AKG, Beyer and others will follow too. Headfi has gotten a bit silly for those looking for actually information and not hype or "the greatest phone ever" "headphone killer" blah blah blah, it's all been said over and over, year after year for each new model and means nothing in the end, so I feel sorry for the newcomers who are trying to navigate all this silliness. I guess selling headphones that are in production might be okay, so when the newness wears off and they get tired of the analytical nature of the phone and want something more musical, they can get their phones back. But the ones that have sold the more rare non production phones may have to pay more than they sold them for or not get be able to get them back at all. I expect those people to try really hard to defend the HD800 as the greatest thing in the world, while in the back of their heads saying "Dang, what did I do". I'm already seeing signs of it by the denials of sibilance and that it lacks impact, etc now that the flaws are starting to be realized. You could almost set your watch by it at headfi.

Interesting take...so how do YOU feel about the hd800...are you on the fence?...have you heard them?.

Listen, I'm 42 years old and hardly a noobie to audio/music and don't need a bunch of folks(with several hundred or even thousands of posts) on a forum to tell me what I like. I can only judge from what I've heard with my own ears and from what exists on the market(at a reasonable price, of course(say less than 2000.00)). I've heard the gs1000, rs-1, k701, w5000, ety er4s, k501, hd600, hd650 and many more and imho, compared to these...no contest. Now, again...I won't be changing my mind as what I hear is clearly a better class of a headphone that has been thoughtfully engineered.

Now, having said all that, you folks with many posts can continue with your FOTM talks and setting the watches by stuff talk but your all in denial of the HD800s or perhaps you haven't lived with them or cannot fork over the money for them. But, Please, have a little logic in your statements about the HD800s...I mean, Sibilance on the 800s...your out of your minds...and I don't care how many blasted posts you have or how long you've been lurking on an internet forum.

If your gonna spew such sophomoric statements, please state your reasons for believing that the hd800 is a FOTM already. Many people have spent a great deal of time on reviews and for you to go on like this is ridiculous.

Okay, I'm done and no, you can't borrow my hd800s.

 

[number1sixerfan]

Quote:

Originally Posted by robm321 /img/forum/go_quote.gif I guess selling headphones that are in production might be okay, so when the newness wears off and they get tired of the analytical nature of the phone and want something more musical, they can get their phones back.

And here's where I disagree with you most. Indeed they are analytical. Analytical just means detailed, so is the K1000, K501, HE60, W5000 and the list goes on. Where they differ though, and which is one of their strong suits, is the fact that they have a slightly warm midrange which makes them very musical in addition to a very natural presentation. I mean, you are making such vivid statements without having heard them, and most of them are simply inaccurate. It would be different if you heard them and disliked them, but at this point it seems that the only thing driving your negative opinions about them is the amount of hype that surrounds them.

Quote:

Originally Posted by subtle /img/forum/go_quote.gif It's most definitely justified to be skeptical, but you and Beagle have to be the two most vocal doubters at the moment and I really can't understand all the negativity when you two haven't even heard them yet. They are definitely not "the best evar" IMO but they are clearly high end upper tier headphones and made me an actual believer in the Sennheiser line. After owning the HD600 and HD650, and very much disliking both, I was hesitant to place a pre-order for the HD800. I assumed that the HD800 would simply be an improvement on the Sennheiser house sound and they are just nothing like that at all. They are on another tier entirely with a completely unique sound signature. After spending the last few weeks with them I can clearly see why people wouldn't hesitate to sell off their K701/702, HD600, HD650, and even some of their higher end gear. They are simply that good, believe it or not. I personally feel that at their level it is clearly just a matter of preference in terms of sound, which is why I still favor some of the L3000s attributes over the HD800, but there is nothing to doubt when it comes to this headphone. The pair I had did not show a trace of sibilance or a lack of impact. I believe that once you are finally given the opportunity to hear them for yourself you will quickly realize why there has been so much hyperbole surrounding them.

For once, I undoubtedly agree with you.

Very good point.

Some people simply want to dislike them or discredit them because of the amount of hype.

And it doesn't make much sense when you have very established head-fiers(who have heard many of the top tier headphones) affirming that they are indeed a top tier performer, comparable to other high-end cans.

All the negativity is completely unwarranted from people who haven't heard them. If you hear them and think they are crap, then that is another story although I would wholeheartedly disagree.

And also, I agree about your points on the L3000. I like the intimacy and thick, weighted sound of the L3000 more, whereas I prefer the soundstage, imagining, and tonal balance of the HD800. The HD800 is not going to replace every top tier can out there, rather it will simply stand amongst them as one of the best ever.

 

[feifan]

Quote:

Originally Posted by kelvinz /img/forum/go_quote.gif Actually I sold the pair you sole me awhile back and bought a new pair from J+R a year ago or so

Funny how we keep returning to the HD650. I think the K701s are like that, too. You just don't notice them until you no longer have them. For editing audio and video recordings, I find my hand going to the K701, first. The HD800 and others, I turn to for pleasure. But for work, I naturally gravitate to the K701. I think it's because it doesn't get in the way of the sound. It's almost as though it's not there, leaving you alone with the sound.

The HD650 comes closest to a universal reference than any other cans. Everyone's heard it, and many pro/am reviewers use it as a standard for equipment and music reviews. Without it, you feel as though a basic tool is missing from your rig.

 

[Acix]

Quote:

Originally Posted by feifan /img/forum/go_quote.gif Funny how we keep returning to the HD650. I think the K701s are like that, too. You just don't notice them until you no longer have them. For editing audio and video recordings, I find my hand going to the K701, first. The HD800 and others, I turn to for pleasure. But for work, I naturally gravitate to the K701. I think it's because it doesn't get in the way of the sound. It's almost as though it's not there, leaving you alone with the sound.

Very interesting...so, they are not monitor hps, means they still have a sound coloration, I mean more than the K701?

 

[feifan]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Drumonron /img/forum/go_quote.gif Interesting take...so how do YOU feel about the hd800...are you on the fence?...have you heard them?. Listen, I'm 42 years old and hardly a noobie to audio/music and don't need a bunch of folks(with several hundred or even thousands of posts) on a forum to tell me what I like. I can only judge from what I've heard with my own ears and from what exists on the market(at a reasonable price, of course(say less than 2000.00)). I've heard the gs1000, rs-1, k701, w5000, ety er4s, k501, hd600, hd650 and many more and imho, compared to these...no contest. Now, again...I won't be changing my mind as what I hear is clearly a better class of a headphone that has been thoughtfully engineered. Now, having said all that, you folks with many posts can continue with your FOTM talks and setting the watches by stuff talk but your all in denial of the HD800s or perhaps you haven't lived with them or cannot fork over the money for them. But, Please, have a little logic in your statements about the HD800s...I mean, Sibilance on the 800s...your out of your minds...and I don't care how many blasted posts you have or how long you've been lurking on an internet forum. If your gonna spew such sophomoric statements, please state your reasons for believing that the hd800 is a FOTM already. Many people have spent a great deal of time on reviews and for you to go on like this is ridiculous. Okay, I'm done and no, you can't borrow my hd800s.

Drumonron, well said.

 

[feifan]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Acix /img/forum/go_quote.gif Very interesting...so, they are not monitor hps, means they still have a sound coloration, I mean more than the K701?

Yeah, for me and my rigs, the HD650 is definitely not a monitor HP.

 

[Uncle Erik]

Quote:

Originally Posted by robm321 /img/forum/go_quote.gif I completely agree. There seems to be a lot of blind decision making from newcomers lately caught up in the hype - which by the way will happen again when new releases from other companies come out. PS-1000 is an example - AKG, Beyer and others will follow too. Headfi has gotten a bit silly for those looking for actually information and not hype or "the greatest phone ever" "headphone killer" blah blah blah, it's all been said over and over, year after year for each new model and means nothing in the end, so I feel sorry for the newcomers who are trying to navigate all this silliness. I guess selling headphones that are in production might be okay, so when the newness wears off and they get tired of the analytical nature of the phone and want something more musical, they can get their phones back. But the ones that have sold the more rare non production phones may have to pay more than they sold them for or not get be able to get them back at all. I expect those people to try really hard to defend the HD800 as the greatest thing in the world, while in the back of their heads saying "Dang, what did I do". I'm already seeing signs of it by the denials of sibilance and that it lacks impact, etc now that the flaws are starting to be realized. You could almost set your watch by it at headfi.

Hey, you and I have pretty similar tastes in headphones. I think you'd enjoy the HD-800, I really do. Are you coming to the 8/8 meet? You can camp out with my pair - run a full reference disc or two through them. I think the transparency will put a big hook in your ear and you'll end up with a pair. I also want you to give the DT48 a listen.

Yes, you can hear sibilance on recordings. It's the same thing I hear with other headphones, my ribbons, Quads and AMTs. It doesn't bother me. It bothers some people, though. The highs are very extended and I don't know if people are used to hearing everything that's there.

 

[olblueyez]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Uncle Erik /img/forum/go_quote.gif Hey, you and I have prett similar tastes in headphones. I think you'd enjo the HD-800, I really do. Are you coming to the 8/8 meet? You can camp out with my pair - run a full reference disc or two through them. I think the transparency will put a big hook in your ear and you'll end up with a pair. I also want you to give the DT48 a listen. Yes, you can hear sibilance on recordings. It's the same thing I hear with other headphones, my ribbons, Quads and AMTs. It doesn't bother me. It bothers some people, though. The highs are very extended and I don't know if people are used to hearing everything that's there.

So this would be a shock for someone like me comming from a 650? Would you say they are brighter or less bright than the DT880/250?

 

[kelvinz]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Drumonron /img/forum/go_quote.gif Interesting take...so how do YOU feel about the hd800...are you on the fence?...have you heard them?. Listen, I'm 42 years old and hardly a noobie to audio/music and don't need a bunch of folks(with several hundred or even thousands of posts) on a forum to tell me what I like. I can only judge from what I've heard with my own ears and from what exists on the market(at a reasonable price, of course(say less than 2000.00)). I've heard the gs1000, rs-1, k701, w5000, ety er4s, k501, hd600, hd650 and many more and imho, compared to these...no contest. Now, again...I won't be changing my mind as what I hear is clearly a better class of a headphone that has been thoughtfully engineered. Now, having said all that, you folks with many posts can continue with your FOTM talks and setting the watches by stuff talk but your all in denial of the HD800s or perhaps you haven't lived with them or cannot fork over the money for them. But, Please, have a little logic in your statements about the HD800s...I mean, Sibilance on the 800s...your out of your minds...and I don't care how many blasted posts you have or how long you've been lurking on an internet forum. If your gonna spew such sophomoric statements, please state your reasons for believing that the hd800 is a FOTM already. Many people have spent a great deal of time on reviews and for you to go on like this is ridiculous. Okay, I'm done and no, you can't borrow my hd800s.

LOL so true.



Quote:

Originally Posted by feifan /img/forum/go_quote.gif Funny how we keep returning to the HD650. I think the K701s are like that, too. You just don't notice them until you no longer have them. For editing audio and video recordings, I find my hand going to the K701, first. The HD800 and others, I turn to for pleasure. But for work, I naturally gravitate to the K701. I think it's because it doesn't get in the way of the sound. It's almost as though it's not there, leaving you alone with the sound. The HD650 comes closest to a universal reference than any other cans. Everyone's heard it, and many pro/am reviewers use it as a standard for equipment and music reviews. Without it, you feel as though a basic tool is missing from your rig.

I gave my HD650's away to my father, after comparing them back to back there is just no reason why I need to keep the 650's anymore.

 

[Acix]

Quote:

Originally Posted by feifan /img/forum/go_quote.gif Yeah, for me and my rigs, the HD650 is definitely not a monitor HP.

I meant to the HD800.

 

[nullstring]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Oggranak /img/forum/go_quote.gif Maye I'm wrong, but somehow I doubt that there would be so much of this enthusiasm from newbies if it wasn't from Sennheiser.

Yeah, Senn is like the Bose of the computer enthusiast world.
Not that they are bad (unlike bose), but they seem to be rather overhyped (well at least hyped) and overpriced... and from what I've read, their lower end (anything below HD580/600) seems to poor in performance vs. other things in the price range.

Don't get me wrong though. I just bought a pair of HD580's.

 

[number1sixerfan]

Quote:

Originally Posted by olblueyez /img/forum/go_quote.gif So this would be a shock for someone like me comming from a 650? Would you say they are brighter or less bright than the DT880/250?

It indeed would be very much different coming from the 650. Much more alive and also more brighter sounding. The midrange is slightly warm and the highs are extended. This could be too much for an HD650 user, it depends on your taste. I really liked the HD650, but liked the HD600 better. To my ears, the HD800 are like the HD600 on steroids. But even with that said, the highs are brighter and more extended than the HD600 which could be a problem for some.

As for brightness in the highs, it depends on the track for my ears. On certain tracks it is indeed too much, but on most of my tracks it is perfect. I think you will have to use them with your collection to decide. But I am a fan of brighter cans so I may be more tolerant to cans like the K1000, HFI-780, Grados, HD800, etc.

 

[rangen]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Drumonron /img/forum/go_quote.gif But, Please, have a little logic in your statements about the HD800s...I mean, Sibilance on the 800s...your out of your minds...and I don't care how many blasted posts you have or how long you've been lurking on an internet forum.

I don't hear sibilance either, granting that I don't have the recordings on which most have reported it. But Skylab does, and that's not logic, it's his ears. I've read a lot of his posts, and I have plenty of reason to trust that he hears what he says he does. The open question in my mind is the amp factor. Skylab has more amps than practically anybody, but he doesn't have a Woo 6SE, as I do. Is it possible that those who, like me, are blissfully happy with their HD800s, just happen to have the right amps for this headphone, which may be unusually sensitive to amp choice (IpodPJ thinks so). Then, too, Skylab has called the HD800 "phenomenal," and hasn't, to my knowledge, weighed in with a final review. My impression is that he's working to characterize this headphone, not denigrate it.

Quote:

Originally Posted by olblueyez /img/forum/go_quote.gif So this would be a shock for someone like me comming from a 650? Would you say they are brighter or less bright than the DT880/250?

Yes, it's a shock. It's really different, more opened up, taking more risks, and there is a lot more treble energy. I haven't heard the phones you mention (except the HD650), but I have heard some bright stuff like Grados, and I can't stand them because of the treble. There's plenty of treble, and it's so Sennheiser-smooth (once they break in), that I can enjoy it despite my sensitivity. There are a few bright recordings for which I still break out the 650s, but mostly it's fine, and the extra sense of reality is worth it. It's not primarily about detail-worship that leads some to bright phones.

Quote:

Originally Posted by number1sixerfan /img/forum/go_quote.gif As for brightness in the highs, it depends on the track for my ears. On certain tracks it is indeed too much, but on most of my tracks it is perfect.

+1. Exactly.

Quote:

Originally Posted by number1sixerfan /img/forum/go_quote.gif But I am a fan of brighter cans so I may be more tolerant to cans like the K1000, HFI-780, Grados, HD800, etc.

I'm not, and I still love the HD800s.

 

[j2kei]

having heard the hd800 at canjam, can definitely say that are not what my taste of sound. hearing the 600 then the 800, it is clearly obvious that the 800 is a good step up. the 800 is a lot of clearer, airy, transparent, however despite this the sound seems unnatural to me. for similar money, i would keep my eyes set on the stax o2 mk1 instead, as i feel it produces a much more natural sound to me w/ the same or better clarity. now if the price of the hd800 went down considerably (under 1k), it would definitely be a great competitor in the headphone market