Review of the Senheiser HD800S
- Thread starter Gregadd
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Awesome! Which tubes are you using? Most interested to hear and read more!
On our side, we have just about agreed a price on an EAR Yoshino HP4...I want to hear it with our current HD650s first...and then also know there is a clear upgrade path to your HD800S. Despite its still very high price, ithe 800S also seems consistently to be a reference that is compared regularly with the likes of the Meze Empryean and the Focal Utopia, as well as the ZMF Verite...all of which are much more expensive (2-2.5x more).
And there is consistent feedback that to hear the 800S with tubes particularly those that have a slightly higher output impedance means you 'can' get a slight push in the mids and stronger bass response...that is what I have read anyway.
One step at a time! Not quite there yet on EAR, but expect to hear tomorrow.
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I own the 800 and had the s a few times to compare
both are very good. the amp pairing is more critical then many other headphones. they are high imp and need some
output imp above 10 ohms
oddly this need makes such amps a poor choice on low imp headphones and very bad on IEMS. great review
I think the s was made to calm down setups not ideally suited for the 800 model. it does have great attributes over all.
both are very good. the amp pairing is more critical then many other headphones. they are high imp and need some
output imp above 10 ohms
oddly this need makes such amps a poor choice on low imp headphones and very bad on IEMS. great review
I think the s was made to calm down setups not ideally suited for the 800 model. it does have great attributes over all.
Very interesting...I have heard [a few] say that once the 800 is modded and/or set up with the right amp, they marginally PREFER the original 800 over the 800S.
Have you ever heard the 800 or 800S with the EAR Yoshino HP4 which has numerous articles, reviews, comments about how well they pair? The EAR has 2 output impedances (low Z and high Z)...10ohms and 40ohms where the latter is for something like the 800S, and I have heard, between its 'slight voicing' and its impedance, gently pushes the mids forward on the 800(S) and also bolsters the bass significantly in comparison with a number of other amps which also benefits the 800S.
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Thank you and understood! We are focusing on nailing down the amp first, and then will turn to the 800S of which there appear to be quite a few on the demo/second hand market.
Headphones.com is having a sale on the Senheiser headphone. Most notably the 820 and 800s.
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The color matching uses a unique matte gold, and through the use of laser engraving different serial numbers on the headband, so that each unit becomes truly unique. The excellent frequency range of 4 to 51,000 Hz is just one aspect of HD800S's hotness. The other is the diaphragm of the 56mm transducer, which is made of Sennheiser's patented duofol transducer material, which can reduce the total harmonic distortion to less than 0.02%. . In addition, Sennheiser's innovative absorber technology reduces the so-called "masking effect". This patented technology is expected to neutralize the resonance energy, thereby preventing any unwanted peaks in the frequency response. Even the development of earmuffs pays great attention to detail. The design guides sound waves to the ears at a small angle to create a natural and spatial sound experience. The HD800S Anniversary Edition is handmade at the Sennheiser headquarters in Wedemark, Germany. Sennheiser uses glass fiber reinforced plastic to make lightweight and durable headphones. The ear pads are made of soft velvet material for optimal comfort, while the mesh and grille are made of stainless steel mesh. The frosted gold yoke, decorative ring, and shell ring really bring a unique and eye-catching appearance to the HD800S Anniversary Edition.
I want to know if you have any good recommendations for cheap earphones. I have looked at several brands of earphones such as Naenka, Jabra, Jlab.
I want to know if you have any good recommendations for cheap earphones. I have looked at several brands of earphones such as Naenka, Jabra, Jlab.
Found a reputable dealer who was having his own special sale on the last 3 in stock. Took the last one. Should arrive in 2 weeks. EAR HP4 2nd hand due to arrive later this week and then will have it picked up to go to EAR for a complete check up/retube. Getting there. Last thing is headphone cable...have spoken with Moon Audio. Extremely responsive and helpful. Likely to go with their Black Dragon cable...25 foot length. They felt confident if the amp drives the headphone as well as all the reviews, owners say...then there will basically be no difference between the stock 10 foot length and a 25 foot length. Altogether, while expensive, this still cost a lot less than just the standalone EAR retail by itself. We shall see. Very exciting. Thanks for all your guidance.
At one time I was a headphone freak
I still own 5 pairs I keep. I use them as a reference on setting up systems
I own the hd800 and had the 800s a few times it is nice but looses some clarity to my ears
for the 800 to shine you don’t need tubes but you do need a clean system feeding them
I had one fri come over with his modded 800 and after hearing my stock ones on my setup he removed the Mods at my place lol. in the end it’s about what you like. an example I own stax 009 and to me the 007 is blurred or a bit vailed. but this is my view and if I use the 007 For a day a day or two it’s fine until I put back the 009. some love super details some like a laid back sound
Thank you! You certainly seem to have some significant experience.
Yes, I think the 800S was 'dialed down' in the 6khz and 10khz range relative to the original 800 to enable more systems to use the 800 series without having excessive treble (which was more system-related than headphone-only related). Plus, they apparently played with the distortion in the lower bass (where the original 800 is quite clean) and tweaked it to give it a bass boost but at the expense of some apparently very very minor increase in distortion.
In any event, when I looked at the potential risks of 800 and not being able to manage the 'peakiness'...I went with the still-world class reference 800S...and THEN in parallel went with tube headphone amp (EAR Yoshino) and am thinking the Moon Audio which according to their own website is organic, neutral but a touch warmer in treble.
I am not averse to slightly dark sound if the opposite is a risk (which I would NOT want). But I am NOT going to order the headphone cable until I have heard the combination with stock cable first...and then will either go slightly darker Black Dragon...or more neutral Blue Dragon.
I suspect you set up your 800 headphones really well...which is what truly matters to get it right. Look forward to hearing it. Currently listening to HD650 and Arcam rHEAD which is for me an excellent headphone system (Cardas 20' cable).