[Music Alchemist]

This. More than $400 on a headphone and more than $600 on IEM is impractical. The best headphones are the ones you like the most, and most high end headphones aren't worth the money or have drawbacks.

 
YKYAAW you trade your closed headphones for an open headphone that, according to this review, is better than the HD 800 and 95% as good as the STAX SR-007MK2! (Can't believe the Schiit Fulla can drive a 660 ohm headphone...)

 

[Allucid]

This. More than $400 on a headphone and more than $600 on IEM is impractical. The best headphones are the ones you like the most, and most high end headphones aren't worth the money or have drawbacks.

YKYAAW you trade your closed headphones for an open headphone that, according to this review, is better than the HD 800 and 95% as good as the STAX SR-007MK2! (Can't believe the Schiit Fulla can drive a 660 ohm headphone...)

The HD800 sounds like a live performance on a few select songs. It's good, but you could spend half on a decent speaker setup and get a better effect. And also, I have the beyer 800 600ohm too, and it's the best headphone I've tried (i've tried audeze, higher beyers, foxtex, you name it) but the 880 win because they can play multiple sounds accurately at once, and make it realistic... All from a FiiO E17. Imagine what a high end amp would do.

 

[Music Alchemist]

The HD800 sounds like a live performance on a few select songs. It's good, but you could spend half on a decent speaker setup and get a better effect. And also, I have the beyer 800 600ohm too, and it's the best headphone I've tried (i've tried audeze, higher beyers, foxtex, you name it) but the 880 win because they can play multiple sounds accurately at once, and make it realistic... All from a FiiO E17. Imagine what a high end amp would do.

Oh, sweet, I didn't even realize you had it!

 
Yeah, I'm gonna order the Fulla today (it should be able to get plenty of volume) and upgrade to a better amp later on.

 

[Dobrescu George]

well, my end game rig is all about ultrasone signature dj and ie800 as headphone/iem, with maybe a paird of hd800, depending on what i will think about them when i test next time.
 
i tested things that were much cheaper, and much more expensive, the only other things i liked were ultrasone dj one pro, sennheiser ie8, sennheiser hd650.
 
i had tested beyerdynamic, but dt770pro, it was muffled, not enough separation. 
 
YKYAAW you ask yourself if a samsung galaxy note 4 can sound the same or better as a fiio e18, or if you should get an e18 for AMV watching purposes.

 

[Music Alchemist]

I am so depressed, guys...I have to wait a week or more to receive my two new headphones.

 
And when my Schiit Fulla arrives (probably in two days), I will only have the V-MODA Crossfade LP to use with it...and that headphone sounds like mud. Only other thing I have is my cheap USB speakers, which I'll have to make do with...

 

[Allucid]

well, my end game rig is all about ultrasone signature dj and ie800 as headphone/iem, with maybe a paird of hd800, depending on what i will think about them when i test next time.

i tested things that were much cheaper, and much more expensive, the only other things i liked were ultrasone dj one pro, sennheiser ie8, sennheiser hd650.

i had tested beyerdynamic, but dt770pro, it was muffled, not enough separation. 

YKYAAW you ask yourself if a samsung galaxy note 4 can sound the same or better as a fiio e18, or if you should get an e18 for AMV watching purposes.

Try the DT880 before you get he HD650. The 880s so much better. It also is more balanced across the range than the HD800, which is mostly for acoustic / accapellas.

 

[drez]

   
YKYAAW you trade your closed headphones for an open headphone that, according to this review, is better than the HD 800 and 95% as good as the STAX SR-007MK2! (Can't believe the Schiit Fulla can drive a 660 ohm headphone...)

 
Review stated he preferred that headphone over the HD800 - needs to be taken with a grain of salt like all reviews.  
 
Higher end headphones tend to scale better, but don't necessarily work better in all systems or to all ears.
 
For the price though I don't think there is too much competition apart from K7XX.

 

[Music Alchemist]

  Review stated he preferred that headphone over the HD800 - needs to be taken with a grain of salt like all reviews.  
 
Higher end headphones tend to scale better, but don't necessarily work better in all systems or to all ears.
 
For the price though I don't think there is too much competition apart from K7XX.

 
Right under that, he says this:
 

They sound much better than Ultrasone Edition 8 and Sennheiser HD800.

 
But, of course, this is all personal preference in the end.

 

[drez]

   
Right under that, he says this:
 
 
But, of course, this is all personal preference in the end.

 
Yep, it does all comes down to preference, system used, criteria of evaluation, YMMV etc.  Don't forget the salt! 

 

 

[TRapz]

YKYAAW a headphone that you previously disregarded is considered better than other good headphones you tried, so now you start searching for a meet to go to
 
Honestly, the HD800 was a bit of a disappointment. I guess I had high standards for it, and I tried it early in the meet so that it would be very impressive compared to my other headphones. It was great, but didn't blow me away. The first and only headphone to truly blow me away was the first open-backed one I tried, the Sennheiser RS180 (basically a wireless HD598). At the meet, the ZMF Blackwood and HE-400i really impressed me, but neither one really blew me away like the RS180; it was likely the soundstage and tonality of the RS180 that impressed me because it was my first time hearing something so clear with such a soundstage. After trying that, the headphones got better, but not 3 times better like going from my iPod + SRH440 to the RS180 set up.

 

[Music Alchemist]

YKYAAW this actually happened:
 

The audio hobby is a journey, not a destination, and the directions we travel change as we buy equipment and gather more experience. Slow down and take some time to smell the roses (i.e. enjoy the equipment you have) along the way instead of rushing to find the penultimate experience, as if such a thing actually exists. There will always be something better (the grass is always greener). Take your time more before moving onto the next thing

  And just for that remark...
 
Behold the wrath of the Alchemist:
 

 
mwahaha!

 
(But really, I'm getting this because I have to wait weeks to receive the JVC and a week to receive the beyers and I'm really impatient and have wanted to try the Sony MDR-7506 for awhile anyway because it's one of the most popular studio monitor headphones and the headphones I have with me right now sound like mud.)

 

[Allucid]

YYAAW you amp your IEMs through a 3 chain setup just to see what happens.
Source -> preamp -> Denon amp

It was good for 10 minutes, then the treble kicked in...

 

[TheGoldenEars]

When you sell your car to buy a piece of Sennheiser Orpheus HE90!

 

[399942]

When you sell your car to buy a piece of Sennheiser Orpheus HE90!

That's dedication right there

 

[Dobrescu George]

ok, for the first time something i did not do.
 
YKYAAW you mail CERN asking if they could lend you a superconductor from LHC to give a try with headphones as a cable, and see if it sounds better.