[Music Alchemist]

  Sure, if you're talking about small scale pieces, solo violins and the like, I could prefer the SR-009 over the HD800. But for anything large scale, the HD800 is far more convincing; the more instruments playing and sound reflections in the auditorium, the more the HD800 pulls away from the Stax. Lets not get into guff regarding the DAC and source quality, none of these have more of an impact of the sound than a transducer does itself. Listening to the exact same recordings on the HD800 and the SR-009 is enough to get a good idea of your preferences.

 
So is the main difference soundstage for you? Because like I mentioned a few posts ago, I don't care much about soundstage in headphones, since there's almost no difference at all. If I cared about things like soundstage, imaging, physical impact, and the like, I'd use loudspeakers. But I prefer headphones, partially due to their more intimate presentation that makes me feel at one with the music.
 
Or is the "ethereal coloration" (as you put it) more noticeable for you than the soundstage aspect? Do you think you could elaborate on that? In what ways does it sound weak to you?
 
Could you list the genres of music you were able to compare with too?

 

[icebear]

  Everyone hears things different, but for me - I have to be able to turn up a HP to a volume that sizes the music correct to get that being there feel of full sized band members and instruments. And no, I do not like to listen to overly loud music. I find that when I am able to turn up the volume without damaging the SQ, the added dynamics feels natural and the sound gets full. Top tier SQ for me is when I can turn up the volume without the HP or equipment sounding loud/distorted/piercing, but just increasing richness and adding fullness while dialing in staging/dynamics.
 
This is where the HD800 fails for me in its stock state. The treble becomes piercing quickly before I get the volume up to the right level because it is not a correctly balanced HP. It is called neutral or analytical because the lower registers have taken a back seat - not because the frequency is evenly distributed per the recording. The intense detail comes mainly from the brightness in the stock tuning. This becomes readily apparent when corrected with the SonarWorks plugin that removes the forward treble shelf and balances the frequency response to neutral. Toggling it on and off allows you to see exactly what the plugin is doing to the SQ. Now, when turned up to get the correct dynamics, it no longer hurts the ears allowing it to have exotic level SQ. The HD800 is good enough to have the same detail retrieval without the forward treble going to a new level with the added dynamics the new balanced signature allows. Yes, you have to turn up the volume louder than stock, but the new signature and added dynamics take the HD800 to Abyss levels.
....

 
OK, interesting. I can only speak from my own experience and once I finally arrived at my current set up which is balanced all through with the final piece added being the GSX-Mk2, suddenly there was like a direct view to the performance and not the "yeah it's just a recording" impression. Everything is just there, all the details of the music, the ambience of the room and the spacial placement of the performers in that room. Obviously this works only properly with live recordings and not with recordings where several individually recorded channels are mixed together.
 
AND the most important thing is that I don't have to crank up the volume to get this natural impression.
I rarely listen beyond 1 o'clock of the volume pot in the low gain setting of the amp.

 

[nemomec]

I heard many Sennheiser HD-800 and HD-800S over the last years on different setups in unbalanced and balanced mode with such amps like Audio-GD Master 9, Bryston BHA-1, Schiit Lyr and many others. In my experience a well driven SR-009 on a very good source is in every aspect much better than the HD-800 models. Also the soundstage with SR-009 sounds real vs. this artifical from the HD-800, the bass of the SR-009 goes extrem deep without any distortion and Voices and Instruments sounds very natural. I know many prefer the HD-800 but i think the main reason is that the SR-009 on the false amps and poor sources sounds badly. The HD-800 is easier to handle and overall cheaper than a strong SR-009 setup and better for the mass market.

 

[murphythecat]

to be clear, I even prefer hd650 to hd800 in stock form.
you have to eq the hd800 for full potential.

 

[Pokemonn]

interesting thread..I prefer Denon D7000 over these sometimes lol... don't kill me bro!

 

[Peti]

There are plenty of threads comparing these two headphones, but none I know of specifically focusing on those who prefer the HD 800 over the SR-009. Hopefully this one will make that information easier to find without having to sift so much through endless other topics.

So here we go! If you like the HD 800 more than the SR-009—whether overall or just in certain categories or with certain music—please share your impressions here.

If you think it is higher fidelity in one respect or another as opposed to merely preferring it subjectively, try elaborating.

It would also be helpful if you can include background info, such as the equipment you used with the headphones, which types of music you compared with, how long you were able to compare them, whether there were modifications or DSP involved, and so on—whatever you feel is necessary to give others a better idea about your experiences.

I think it'd be more appropriate to bring the focal utopia up instead of the hd800. As much as I love the sennheiser flagship, the utopia is the better dynamic headphones. As soon as they will be more widely available, I think people will agree.

 

[MikePio]

  to be clear, I even prefer hd650 to hd800 in stock form.
you have to eq the hd800 for full potential.

 
I find EQ not necessary at all for the HD800 (mine is completely stock) when using the Marantz CD6005 as source and the AT-HA5000 amplifier. Not trying to bash the HD650 since it is an amazing headphone but unless you enjoy a "darker" sound signature with warm undertones throughout and a higher emphasis on bass quantity rather than quality, there isn't really much to compare between both headphones. The HD800's have superior detail retrieval, expansive sound stage, higher quality bass, phenomenal spacial separation and the ability to recreate music with amazing realism. When I hear people say that the HD800's are cold, lifeless and analytical I always end up baffled, since from my experience it is the complete opposite. If the album I play has a warm and cozy vibe to it, the HD800's replicate that to perfection, same as if the album is sterile and cold. I find the sound of the HD800's are largely dependent on the quality and synergy of your system. I tried the HD800's via my EF5 hybrid amplifier and the sound was drastically more aggressive and had a greater tendency toward brighter treble. In the end EQ is not necessary to reach the full potential of these headphones, in my opinion that can only be attained by optimizing the rest of the audio chain. 

 

[jibzilla]

I think allot of this is what do you want to spend for the headphone/amp/source.
 
Just getting the headphones is only half the battle. Especially these 2 headphones. For the hd800 I would say $2.5k is the minimum you want to go in with before purchasing if the amp and source are not in place already. That is less than the 009 from pricejapan at $3.5k so up until at least $3.5k the hd800 is the better value. After that it is kind of a grey area but I would say around $7.5k is where the 009 takes over and well the sky is kind of the limit with that headphone.
 
For the 009. $7.5k does sound like allot of money but unless you are good at d.i.y. that is probably what you need to spend and not only that but spend it on well built, well researched products. That is my guesstimate where you will start to notice a significant improvement over the hd800. Same goes for the 007mk1.
 
Before the hd800 I like the hd600,650 and lcd-2 from $1k-$2.5k.

 

[fifa17sara]

thanks ,that is very useful for me!

 

[ToroFiestaSol]

Didn't heard the SR-009, but I've heard the HD800 and the Stax SR-207, and the SR-207 is a far better transducer regarding tonality, balance and the presentation of detail (all the detail but smooth without throwing detail at your face), so I suspect that SR-009 whipes the floor with the HD800.
HD800 is unberable for me because of treble, is like a torture device for my ears.
 
EDIT: Also, I wouldn't consider a headphone that needs modding, eq and a non linear tube amplifier with high distortion to be enjoyable, that's not a reference audio transducer, that's a pig with lipstick.
I don't know if HD800S solved all the problems but the HD800 is not my cup of tea.

 

[Kyle 491]

You haven't heard the headphones in a comparison setting yet you felt compelled to post anyway due to your intense dislike of the HD800? Very useful post.

 

[murphythecat]

   
I find EQ not necessary at all for the HD800 (mine is completely stock) when using the Marantz CD6005 as source and the AT-HA5000 amplifier. Not trying to bash the HD650 since it is an amazing headphone but unless you enjoy a "darker" sound signature with warm undertones throughout and a higher emphasis on bass quantity rather than quality, there isn't really much to compare between both headphones. The HD800's have superior detail retrieval, expansive sound stage, higher quality bass, phenomenal spacial separation and the ability to recreate music with amazing realism. When I hear people say that the HD800's are cold, lifeless and analytical I always end up baffled, since from my experience it is the complete opposite. If the album I play has a warm and cozy vibe to it, the HD800's replicate that to perfection, same as if the album is sterile and cold. I find the sound of the HD800's are largely dependent on the quality and synergy of your system. I tried the HD800's via my EF5 hybrid amplifier and the sound was drastically more aggressive and had a greater tendency toward brighter treble. In the end EQ is not necessary to reach the full potential of these headphones, in my opinion that can only be attained by optimizing the rest of the audio chain. 

its really a matter of taste here. I find that without eq, hd800 bass is not present enough for the music I listen and hd650 bass is maybe not as accurate but more groovy. with eq, I find the hd800 bass simply better. same with highs, hd650 less accurate but sweeter and more musical vs hd800 stock. with eq, hd800 better. mids of hd800 is simply always better though eq or not.
 
thing is it really matters the music you listen to. with classical, theres so very little instruments exciting the 6khz and so very little instruments that has a lot of under100hz content that all the shortcomings from hd800 are not shown. with modern music with tons of treble over 4 khz and tons of bass under 100hz, the hd800 may not be perfect. EQ solve all the problems. with electronica/idm/ambient and pop and jazz, eq for me. classical and modern classical, eq not needed

 

[Music Alchemist]

  Didn't heard the SR-009, but I've heard the HD800 and the Stax SR-207, and the SR-207 is a far better transducer regarding tonality, balance and the presentation of detail (all the detail but smooth without throwing detail at your face), so I suspect that SR-009 whipes the floor with the HD800.
HD800 is unberable for me because of treble, is like a torture device for my ears.
 
EDIT: Also, I wouldn't consider a headphone that needs modding, eq and a non linear tube amplifier with high distortion to be enjoyable, that's not a reference audio transducer, that's a pig with lipstick.
I don't know if HD800S solved all the problems but the HD800 is not my cup of tea.

 
Although as a former SR-207 owner I agree with you to an extent, the main thing I'm wondering about are the ultimate capabilities of the HD 800, beyond the stock tuning. If that involves mods, EQ, and/or tubes, so be it. When I see that someone has experience with the SR-009 and still prefers the HD 800, it intrigues me, since it's not the norm.
 

thing is it really matters the music you listen to. with classical, theres so very little instruments exciting the 6khz and so very little instruments that has a lot of under100hz content that all the shortcomings from hd800 are not shown. with modern music with tons of treble over 4 khz and tons of bass under 100hz, the hd800 may not be perfect. EQ solve all the problems. with electronica/idm/ambient and pop and jazz, eq for me. classical and modern classical, eq not needed

 
My experience of the HD 800 is exactly the same! (Except I haven't been able to equalize it.)

 

[Barra]

Here is where I think there is confusion in this comparative HD800 vs. 009 discussion:
 
Stock Version: IMO, the stock HD800 and the 009 have similar signatures making them easy to compare. In this case, the 009 wins without any doubts being an exotic compared to the top tier HD800. Two different tiers of performance. 
 
Triple Tweaked Version: What is harder to compare is that the modded, SonarWorks, triple tweaked HD800 changes in signature to be more like an Abyss - then performing in the exotic range. Therefore, the comparison then becomes which signature works better for your preferences - or do you prefer the Abyss or the 009 signature when listening to YOUR music.
 
Bottom line: The stock HD800 and triple tweaked HD800 are basically two different HPs with completely different signatures.
 
Just my 2 cents.

 

[Music Alchemist]

  Here is where I think there is confusion in this comparative HD800 vs. 009 discussion:
 
Stock Version: IMO, the stock HD800 and the 009 have similar signatures making them easy to compare. In this case, the 009 wins without any doubts being an exotic compared to the top tier HD800. Two different tiers of performance. 
 
Triple Tweaked Version: What is harder to compare is that the modded, SonarWorks, triple tweaked HD800 changes in signature to be more like an Abyss - then performing in the exotic range. Therefore, the comparison then becomes which signature works better for your preferences - or do you prefer the Abyss or the 009 signature when listening to YOUR music.
 
Bottom line: The stock HD800 and triple tweaked HD800 are basically two different HPs with completely different signatures.
 
Just my 2 cents.

 
Which reminds me...if the HD 800 is tweaked, then it would only be fair to also tweak the 009, at least with EQ, ya know?