[cfranchi]

Maybe bright wasn't the right term but thin.
Everything sounds perfect, and I don't find them lacking in the low end. But there is certainly more energy from 6K up than in other headphones, and I'm prone to treble fatigue.
I'm pairing it with the new Soloist 3XP, I don't think that's a bright amp at all.

I see, 800s is an engaging headphone and I can understand how you fell with it.

 

[Terriero]

Maybe bright wasn't the right term but thin.
Everything sounds perfect, and I don't find them lacking in the low end. But there is certainly more energy from 6K up than in other headphones, and I'm prone to treble fatigue.
I'm pairing it with the new Soloist 3XP, I don't think that's a bright amp at all.

That's strange, because in the Conductor 3XP headfonia review, the reviewer said that it has a very good sinergy with the HD 800, making them so musically
(but he also said to better use them balanced).

* Ya te había visto en el hilo del Soloist. Un saludo desde las islas, espero que estés bien

 

[CTR640]

Can some explain why the HD800S is very good? What are the differences between the HD800S and HD820 except the latter is closedback.
Difference in spaciousness?

 

[surfgeorge]

Are the Clears a good complement to the HD 800? Or are them similar?

IMO there are good reasons to own both. I tested the Focal Clears, Hifiman Arya, HD-800S and each has it's strengths.
I loved the huge and deep soundstage and detail of the HD-800S, phenomenal with Classics, feels like in a concert. But yes, I also found them thin/brightish.
Arya had the second best soundstage, very good layering and separation, some slightly sharp sparkle and very well extended bass.
Focal Clear is really coherent and balanced yet also clear and detailed. Very versatile. But the image is much more in the head, soundstage is behind Arya and especially HD-800S.
All tested with the Chord Hugo 2

If price were no object, I'd have gone for the Focal Utopia, if the HD-800S, Arya and Clears were all the same price it would be a hard decision. At the current price of <€1000 the Clears are really good value though.

@ishmaelk Do you have a chance to test the 800s with a tube amp?

 

[ishmaelk]

IMO there are good reasons to won both. I tested the Focal Clears, Hifiman Arya, HD-800S and each has it's strengths.
I loved the huge and deep soundstage and detail of the HD-800S, phenomenal with Classics, feels like in a concert. But yes, I also found them thin/brightish.
Arya had the second best soundstage, very good layering and separation, some slightly sharp sparkle and very well extended bass.
Focal Clear is really coherent and balanced yet also clear and detailed. Very versatile. But the image is much more in the head, soundstage is behind Arya and especially HD-800S.
All tested with the Chord Hugo 2

If price were no object, I'd have gone for the Focal Utopia, if the HD-800S, Arya and Clears were all the same price it would be a hard decision. At the current price of <€1000 the Clears are really good value though.

@ishmaelk Do you have a chance to test the 800s with a tube amp?

I think I won't go down the tube road for the time being.
I'm listening to all kinds of styles right now, using the HD800S balanced and after a couple of hours, no sign of fatigue at all and it's just sweet!
Where have you seen the Clears for under 1000€? I would be very VERY interested to check that out.
@Terriero ¿Qué tal? Encantado y un abrazo desde Madrid. ¡Aquí estamos, aguantando! Cuídate mucho.

 

[surfgeorge]

I think I won't go down the tube road for the time being.
I'm listening to all kinds of styles right now, using the HD800S balanced and after a couple of hours, no sign of fatigue at all and it's just sweet!
Where have you seen the Clears for under 1000€? I would be very VERY interested to check that out.
@Terriero ¿Qué tal? Encantado y un abrazo desde Madrid. ¡Aquí estamos, aguantando! Cuídate mucho.

Focal Clear Professional: https://www.auditorium.de/hifi/komp...ofessional-offener-referenzkopfhoerer-schwarz
2% discount if you pre-pay
I bought from them and they are great to deal with. Pro version has the advantage of including a 2nd pair of pads and the bordeaux red pads don't look dirty as quickly as the light grey ones of the regular Clears. I also like the Spiral cable for moving around. Much better than the stiff, regular cable.

Regular Clears here: https://www.sg-akustik.de/shop/focal-clear
3% discount if you pre-pay

 

[jbarrentine]

Can some explain why the HD800S is very good? What are the differences between the HD800S and HD820 except the latter is closedback.
Difference in spaciousness?

I wasn’t partial to the 800S. It’s thin/airy. If you like a lot of body or fullness avoid it.

 

[HiFiHawaii808]

I own HD800S headphones and I pair them with a Bottlehead Crack and it is fantastic for classical and jazz. It's decent with other genres as well. I also have a Hugo 2 and in fact I use the Hugo 2 as the DAC with the BHC. It's almost like the BHC is an enhanced filter for the Hugo 2 giving it a warmer sound signature while maintaining most of its soundstage and detail retrieval. It's a really great sound.

 

[HiFiHawaii808]

I see that there is a decent sale going on at Amazon for new HD800S. $1336 with return until 1/31/21.

eBay has open box or 30-day returned units for around $1000 right now.

 

[ubs28]

I've been waiting for years for the price to come down but it's stuck at £1400 and has been forever.

The flagships of its era from Beyerdynamic and AKG have literally halved in price by now. Newer headphones in the price range have come along and since been discounted by £400 (i.e. Focal Clear), yet the HD800s has not been discounted by a single penny since the day it came out.

Do you forsee it ever being discounted?

After all, the HD650 is actually roughly the same price as it was on release 30 years ago. So are we going to have to wait for Drop to produce a blacked-out HD800x to get it at a discounted price?

Nope, the Sennheiser HD 800S is priced lower than it’s competition. So I don’t see any reason why Sennheiser should discount it.

I don’t think the Focal Clear beats the HD 800S.

 

[ishmaelk]

I noticed my HD800S came without the pendrive.
Is the content in the pendrive really important to me if I choose to keep the HD800S?

 

[GU1DO]

I noticed my HD800S came without the pendrive.
Is the content in the pendrive really important to me if I choose to keep the HD800S?

it contain the measurement of your headphone

 

[MisterButthead]

I noticed my HD800S came without the pendrive.
Is the content in the pendrive really important to me if I choose to keep the HD800S?

The usb drive would only be important if you decided to sell your HD800S on the used market.

 

[ishmaelk]

The usb drive would only be important if you decided to sell your HD800S on the used market.

Well, that's always a possibility. Maybe not now, but who knows if in a couple of years I'd decide to sell them.
So, after all, it's important if that's going to affect the resale value.

 

[vkenz]

The HD800/S seems to be on a lot of audiophiles headphone collection. So they could be on a lot of used market.