Would see this as a welcome tip for possible synergies moving forward with the hobby at some point in time, not as a push to spend more money now. HD800S was always very good with classical music (and for FPS gaming, as we all know). And yes, you can elevate the HD800S for other music with a solid state amp, in my case the Schiit Mjolnir 3. This was an unexpected but welcome extra, I bought the Mjolnir 3 originally for my Empy II endgame. Coming from a neutral Topping A90D I would not have thought this jump could be possible. It is so nice reaching a setting with several synergies between signal chain and several headphones, a plateau, and focus after implementation more on pairing HPs with playlists. Concerning DAC I think one of the ASR top20 DACs below 1K price, which are as neutral and clean/distortion-less as possible, do the trick (e.g. D90LE) for any good amp. If the DAC tweaks the sound, too, there are too many parameters in the signal chain (at least for myself).
It can result in distortion, for sure. But only if you really over-do the EQ changes like crazy. (and depending on your headphone ofc) After watching this video for 5mins i think its more an AD for Shiit and maybe he wanted to downplay how great EQing is, dont know... For me EQing has one big downside, for some headphones you really loose some quality/resolution overall. I sometimes love a certain EQ setting but after listening to it for a long time and then trying it without the eq setting its sometimes really really noticable that you loose some overall resolution/soundquality. At least thats my experience. The more i watch hardware "hifi/audiophile" youtubers the more i notice how much snakeoil is sold and how much their oppinion depends on their subjective mood on the day they tried the gear, or if they just like a brand or got a deal with them etc pp... so i dont really trust any hifireviewer anymore. You can have crazy fun with 40€ superlux headphones and most dacs and amps change the sound by such a tiny tiny ammount that most people wouldnt even notice it in a blind test. EQing can have a way way greater impact and you can make it perfect for you and nobody else.
@@renaramadan4626Agreed, except EQ won't change sound characteristics inherent to the driver and surrounding enclosure, but rather just the sound pressure level of frequencies, which can also introduce distortion as you know. EQ will also not change the voltage and current output of amplifiers, and the scaling an amplifier can achieve at higher output levels ranges wildly.
I'm no different. Tried for years to like this headphone. Buying it, selling it, and then buying it again. But almost feels like too much work to get to the end result. I'd much rather just buy a "better" headphone! Fun review and thanks for providing your input!
Call me crazy but the Beyerdynamic T2.1 with a 2-3db 2000khz boost is such a balanced headphone compared to the HD800s. Crazy detail, great imaging and realistic soundstaging. They're dirt cheap too
@@AlumarsX owned them. They sound ok, better than most of the other beyers. The best beyer I have ever heard is a DT880 600 Ohm with T1.2 pads, a couple of EQ adjustments and tubes.
What? The HD800S is already quite perfect IMHO. Tastes are different, and I love it. I was ready to spend 4k+ for headphones, tested many different headphones in that pricerange, but the HD800S just hits my taste. I love the soundstage and imaging, I love the treble, and I love how NOT bass heavy it is. Almost the same reasons why I still love the CA Andromedas IEMs. I want detail and soundstage, and those headphones do it right for me
I always feel like the divisiveness around the 800S really just comes down to the music/genres you listen to and the recordings. Everyone who adores it uses it for instrumental jazz, Spanish guitar, classical piano etc. etc. and frankly it’s an old guard audiophile product that’s designed with the great but stuffier genres in mind and maximizing resolution for uber good recordings rarely available elsewhere. I don’t think Senn listens to any house/rap or cares to when they tune this thing. I own one and love it for stuff like Marginalia by Masakatsu Takagi or Alone in San Francisco by Thelonious Monk, but for Lil Uzi Vert or Death Grips or Cage the Elephant not the ticket at all. To Pimp a Butterfly and the Pacific Breeze city pop collections sound wonderful on it too and they stray into totally other genres, but the point generally is it’s not an all-rounder at all and that can be a-okay, good even. I totally get loving parts of the 800S and wanting to beat its weaknesses and make it work for your library (or ears), or even just because it’s such an iconic headphone, but from the review perspective I think the internet at large could do a better job of discussing the 800s as an excellent S-tier inclusion in a headphone collection or as a product specifically awesome for a common segment of audiophile/melophile music libraries. Then everyone can understand why it’s good and loved, why some folks don’t like it, and then decide if it’s worth it for them or their use case. If everything you love to listen to sounds over exposed on it and it doesn’t have the bass for the genre then it sucks, but if you love to savor gentle piano recorded in an open Japanese forest then no other headphone is nearly as satisfying. All the “its this rank versus that” discussion in a vacuum of if you just want a single headphone or referring to it’s limitations as flaws just confuses the consumer on if it’s good for them. If you just like caramel, don’t buy licorice and vice versa. If you like both, buy both. As hobbyists we don’t need to be locked in a frame of reference where we’re saying “ if it doesn’t taste like caramel then it’s bad. I can’t believe licorice could be worth as much as caramel to anyone.” Some people don’t like caramel and only like licorice, as odd as that may seem. For someone who only listens to string quartets, the 800s should be at the top of their list, but for someone who listens to a huge varied library it’s not a good first headphone, but maybe if you aim to have a collection and want something that is immaculate for when you dabble in some string quartet listening it’s also worth a look. Great video! Love a good pairing discussion and will look to try this at a show or shop. I have a hunch I’m in the totally happy with my 800s sound camp though.
I don’t think it’s about what music genres you listen to. I mainly listen to jazz and classical and the HD800s was not for me. And, yes, I used it on a WA22 tube amp so amplification was not the issue. The HD800s just did not give me the emotional response I expect from music. I felt it was cold and distant, the perfect tool to analyze and dissect the mastering of a track, but that wasn’t the reason why I was putting headphones on every evening and no amount of EQ would change that. I wanted to feel the physicality of horns, cellos, snares, drums, tenor sax etc. and I wasn’t getting that from the HD800s. I just wish hd800s owners would understand that this headphone just doesn’t cut it for others and wouldn’t automatically categorize them as bass heads or rap/edm listeners. It’s nothing wrong with not liking the hd800s, just different preferences, plenty of room and options for everyone.
In the mid 70s I started using STAX SR-44 electrostatic earspeakers and in the mid 80s I stepped up to the SR LAMBDAS. In 2021I purchased SR-L700MK2 with the SRM-353X driver. To my ears STAX out performs all other headphones I've heard.
It’s crazy right? I always wonder why there isn’t more talk about the STAX in general. Few years ago I bought a 30 year old pair for 1/4 the price of a 800S and the audio performance is amazing, sound is like nothing I have ever heard. I have a Focal Clear, Audeze LCD and 800S but I’m always reaching for the 30 year old STAX, lmao. I really would like to hear what a brand new STAX can do.
Timely video for me as I just purchased a used HD800 (non-s). I've always dreamed of trying this series. It gave me an instant migraine - I am very sensitive to weight at the top of my head and this lets it all hang there. ZMF crescent snap solved that issue for me. The sound was of course very odd in terms of timbre, but I've made it way better by using Amir's 800s eq, which just lowers rhe 6k peak a lot and lifts 2.7k a bit plus a small bass shelf. Sounds so much more natural to me than Oratory's EQ which seemed to make the headphones very dry. I love it now. Just using a Qudelix 5k, I don't even have a spare power plug on my outlet strip for a fancy dac/amp!
Hey Everyone! This is awesome…now I’m just waiting for more Pietus Maximus parts to come in. (Schiit is Forkbearding everything + ramping up new San Antonio factory, not sure when I will have more parts but hopefully December or January at the latest. Just emailed again to try and get timing.) Emails have already started coming in about restocking, thank you. Hopefully I will have more soon!
*This.* I love my HD800S _when it's paired up with the right gear._ Some of you may find it hard to believe, but I found the Sony MDR-Z1R to be *much* more enjoyable than most of my cans in the $3-5k range, and sold the rest. It's all about finding that sweet spot for your ears, be that with gear synergy, EQ, etc.
RME-2-ADAC + HD800S is perfect combo for me. The bass is very clean and compact, I don't seem to have any issues with sibilance; but maybe because my ears are old.
@ixoye56 have you experimented a lot with bass profiles. Do you think most of the complaints about bass distortion come from people using a more generic slopped profile that extends too far into the midbass? Yours is all below 100hz. Is that what made the differences or where all profiles you tested successful?
@@Kalanxe Yes I think so, and if you put the bass shelf higher up in the frequency range, it will be too muddy, I have never heard any distortion with my EQ, but I never play extremely loud either.
EQ doesn't help but amp and dac magically does... how though? Can this effect be at least measured in any way? Because fixing pricy headphones with very pricy gear seems to go against current research
@@HiLoMusic indeed, true. In a traditional approach if implemented correctly they are expected to not colour sound output in any way. Unlike eq that is intended to do just that :) Otherwise its an equivalent of a proper dac/amp + strange fixed hardware eq.
i think a slight eq fixes 90 percent of whats wrong with this headphone but it doesnt give you that last 10 percent to compete with the best headphones. EQ for planars though is basically perfect. zero distortion and you get all the benefits, unlike most dynamic driver headphones because of the distortion. This is a rarely mentioned benefit of planars.
Holy crap I so agree with that. I have a HiFiMan HE1000se with PEQ from Roon. I went through about 75 PEQ versions to find the perfect one for it. I found it so well that literally 0.1 dB to 1 out of the 15 bands could change the whole sound signature. It's insane. I used to hate EQ because it added so much distortion, but my problem was I wasn't adding headroom, lol. Man, I love Roon so much. Audio is so fascinating.
Dude was so adamant, I took a chance and got the Unison Dac for my PM. He's full of it... no difference from a Topping DAC. And I'm the type who owns multiple DACs, SS Amps, and Tube Amps.
joshua can u try the Audeze CRBN2 with the Woo Audio WA24 when u get that headphone while playing call of duty and can u tell us how that set up sound and can u please try hd800s and other headphones with the Woo Audio WA24 while playing call of duty and tell us if it sounds great or not?
Thing is, not everyone hears the headphone the same way. Andrew/Resolve did an excellent video about this. I've never had any issues with sibilance with the HD800s and I've got perfect hearing to 20khz. And I hate overly bright or sibilant headphones or speakers. I find the base also fine for a dynamic driver and for what it is, I'm not a bass head and I don't think Sennheiser was aiming for that when tuning this headphone either. With nothing more than I guess, knowing Germans and just they way they tuned this headphone. They probably were more aiming for the acoustical/live music crowd. Not the people who listen to Deadmouse or Infected mushroom. But I'm glad you love the HD800s, it's one of those headphones in my mind every serious headphone collection is not complete without. And one of my top 5 headphones of all time. Next time you are at Definitive audio, if you have not tried it yet. Try the McIntosh MHA200 headphone tube amp. To my ears, and my ears alone, it's a match made in heaven. I've also heard the Violectric V281 sounds really good on it and rumor has it, and I have no idea if this is true or not, that Sennheiser used the 281 when they tuned the HD800 originally. And it's also known as a solid state that sounds rather tube like with a bassy slammy characteristic and smooths the highs some.
Regarding EQ on the HD800s, in my experience and presumably due to the HD800s having a lot of 2nd order Harmonic Distortion in the lower bass, it helps a lot to do a little negative gain, like -1.5 dB with a Q of ~1.8 in the ~240 Hz region, depending on the amount of applied boost in the sub bass (+5 dB shelf in my case). The HD800S already has quite a lot of energy in the upper bass (200-300 Hz) region and boosting bass notes below that seems to increase that region even more due to harmonic distortion. Correct me if I'm scientifically wrong here of course lol... at least for me this counters a lot of the problem of perceived low bass quality of an EQ'd HD800s. I also add +2.4 dB; Q of 1.4 at 2000 Hz to balance out the bass boost, these 3 filters really made me love the HD800s.
No you're exactly right. The hd800 is DF compensated, so at 50hz it's below what is needed to maintain the same amplitude for your ears, but by 200hz it's way over. Your ears become demonstrably more sensitive between 50 and 200hz, so much so that a straight line will not be perceived as neutral. Lowering the midbass region and raising the subbass will bring it back in line and reduce lower order harmonics.
I’m trying the same honestly. I do own HD800S and am wishing to like it since I got it. Always preferred the hifiman He1000 series. Today I got a new tube amp stack and will get a physical eq next week. Once everything is installed and I hope I will love it. If not, probably gonna sell.
Hell yeah this is the type of video I needed having just purchased it 2 weeks ago! I hit it with an Oratory1990 EQ + Bifrost2/Jot2 stack (1.2W @ 300Ω) and it sounds amazing. I think the HD800S needs a higher power amp than people realize especially if you look at what Sennheiser put out for it (HDV 820, 960mW @ 300Ω). Would love if you could try/test it with something like that!
HDV820 amplifier circuit is good but the dac inside gets out performed by a few hundred dollar questyle dongles. It really isn't up to par :( Similar issues to Bursons older 2020 designs etc which they have now improved upon and is no longer a problem. Whereas Sennheiser have left it as is.
I have the HD800s paired with HDVA600 and think they pair incredibly well with the added warmth. I think the HDDVA600 is like a tube warmth without distortion. The HD800s/HDVA600 and Sony MDR Z1R, when i want some more bass, is my current end game.
They're incredible. I'm amazed it's taken anyone who is in some way involved to understand their greatness, even if it's taken some very specific combo. They're a classic for good reason & objectively surely that's easy to see why, personal preferance aside. I have the original 800 which I slightly prefer. They scale with source & they sound good on anything with bit of power. I use them mostly with a Cayin HA-1A MK2 valve amp & a Sony DMP-Z1 - but they don't need thst much.
Frankly, I doubt that DAC AMP can make you love headphones that you hate or that have annoying or many defects. If you did not like the headphones from the beginning, you will not like them no matter how hard you try. And if there are good headphones and you like them, the DAC AMP will add some improvement to make you like them more and not change anything radically.
@jordohayes Pay attention to your words. You say that they are improving or expanding. This means some improvement and preference, but not making headphones that you cannot accept or love and making you love them. This is magic.
In the past I would have agreed with you and in general I think people are best off finding a headphone they really like the sound of and only changing the DAC/AMP for small tweaks to enhance what you love about them... but for my main(ZMF Verite Closed) headphones I have to disagree, almost all the gear I had purchased prior to these headphones was on the warmer sounding side in an attempt to reign in the treble issues of all the headphones I had already purchased, which worked for me cause my ears sadly get fatigued quite quickly with anything bright sounding(which is why I've always been on the fence about the HD800s despite the fact that I really enjoy good soundstage/imaging). However when I first tried the Verites I hated them and really regretted my choice to buy them(I bought them blind second hand from another part of the country because the reviews were in large part quite positive) but all of my favourite gear made them sound sound far too muddy/veiled, then I tried some more clinical sounding gear that I had purchased in the past out of curiosity but not really used, as soon as I put them together I fell in love... I went from constantly browsing the second hand options and watching reviews, trying to find just the right pair, I was buying at least 1 pair of decent headphones(2nd hand) every month or 2, to losing all interest in even trying other headphones, I got a pair of He1000SE's because they get so much love and I thought it would be nice to have a decent open back pair but I still found myself reaching for the ZMF's instead. I'll admit there was a degree of burn in as they were basically unused, Zach recommends 100+hrs of burn in, I know burn in is a bit controversial and its possible it was just brain burn in as my ears got used to this quite different tuning, but I honestly still don't enjoy them at all on most of my old gear, especially the tube gear, sometimes too much of a good thing ruins it.
Hi Again thank you for great video! I've been watching you for couple of years, and I really like your reviews. Could you provide some tier list this year for more expensive headphones? (1-4K USD) Could you recommend some? I was thinking about Empyrean 2
I use RME as DAC and Violectric V222 as amp and it is a match in heaven for HD800s, I use a couple of db bass shelf and turn down the treble peaks with EQ and haven't heard any distortion.
I have the Burson Audio Conductor 3XP (Vivid 7 pro and classic ops maps) and they bring out the best in my Audio-technica ATH -1000Z, Sennheiser HD660 S2 and 800S (never found it to be bright at all). Happy!
Bro...I dont know what is going on but you sound sibilant in this video...Your S's are sizzling my ears and thats never been an issue before. I am listening to you on my studio monitors and they are definitely not treble heavy, did you change mic's?
I ended up buying the Dekoni earpads and Monoprice Monolith DAC that you recommended in an older video. Would you say this is DAC/AMP combo is worth switching to?
I absolutely love my hd800s, had the thing since 2017, but I've found my endgame in the form of the Fir Rn6 and have absolutely no need to buy anything else, headphone/iem wise.
Bought the HD800S when Sennheiser had a sale on, but had to return it when I put it on my head and realized it didn't fit. I have a really narrow head and no amount of headband extension allowed it to properly seal. It was like the headphone was an inch off my head, and as a result I had zero bass extension.
@@En_Joshi-Godrez no, you cant really EQ "bass" you can eq mid bass, but then doing that you can ruin its own sound due to being overpowering. I leave my headphones alone when it comes to bass, if i wanted bass id buy like a DT 1990 or a fostex ebony, or a ZMF headphone.
I achieved this level of feeling on my HD800S by pairing it with a Chord Mojo 2 as a DAC and Jotunheim 2 as my amplifier. I don't even EQ it. I would never specifically get a DAC/AMP just for one headphone, though. It's just likely not for you. While I prefer the aforementioned combo over everything else I have, I can still enjoy the HD800S using your typical dongle dac, a bluetooth DAC like the BTR7, another setup like the M500 and Zen Stack, and even directly to my phone that has a headphone jack. I personally think it is bad advice to give this idea of chasing perfection by purchasing a specific DAC/AMP for your headphone.
Good video; agree I have the original 800 and there is sibliance, not enough to give me a headache but it’s there nonetheless. As I use these for mostly Classical, the tubes on my tube amp X-Duo Ta03, have tamed it down and brought out the bass better and sounds awesome. This unit you are reviewing looks good
Mine sound great, and it's just due to some pads I bought off amazon which are very comfortable but also warm up the sound nicely. Perforated sheepskin and protein.
Rule number one when you buying expensive headphones: make sure that the original replacement ear pads are sold freely in stores. If it's not - don't waste your time and money. Simple but works
How close would you say does your Euforia amp get to this "s tier combo"? I am a big Euforia enjoyer myself and would love to hear your opinions on that amp.
Wouldn't measuring the HD800S with this amp/dac combo and then subtracting with a measurement of the HD800S on a reference amp/dac combo give us the EQ curve, therefore making it possible to achieve the same result for free?
Any mention of what genres sound good with this combo? I'm told that the 800S is often loved by people who enjoy things like jazz, flamenco, and classical -- but meanwhile I am slumming it and slamming it with bassy club and pop music. I think the fact that I don't remember hearing the word "fun" in this review, that should probably tell me everything I need to know. Josh, have you sampled the Empire Ear Raven? Electrostat on the top end, tactile transducer on the bottom end.
Josh have you tried the HD800S with Schiit Mjolnir 3? I could say the same things you said about it that you said about the Pietus Maximus, except I suspect the Mjolnir 3 with the right dac would outresolve the Pietus Maximus with the buit in dac.
i’ve used a Burson Soloist amp and a Audio Aero Prima DAC with H800 for a long time and never understood the criticism. Perhaps I got the right sound profile by sheer luck?
Do you have a current tier list? I'm thinking of getting the Organic or LCD-X for EDM production / mixing / mastering / listening. I've heard them both and really liked them but haven't produced or mixed on them. I haven't tried the MM500 but I would be EQing the LCD-X to Harman anyway for mixing. I've heard you can EQ to make it the same as the MM500 if you want - not sure if that's true.
If there are major issues with the freq response, an amp change is NOT the answer. All amps, when working correctly, measure very nearly the same. I’ve used my HD800 with several SS amps and tubes too. Changing amps is a case of very expensive fine tuning. Sure, you can throw money at the problem, but EQ is a tool so much stronger than an amp, that it’s not even funny. If you want a completely different sound sig though, look for a different headphone. To be honest Josh, this looks like a sales pitch. I’m not saying it is one, but it sure isn’t a good look imo.
I want the 800s to have a richer bass and more full mid range for so long, it’s the most comfortable headphone I’ve ever worn and doesn’t look rediculous when I’m on meetings with customers, can’t use my aryas cuz they’re just so goofy looking. It’s so hard to justify dropping everything and investing in this, I wish I could demo it
Yeah. Like always. After a (very basic) quality requirement (I mean distortions, different kind of noisiness, crosstalk, etc. can be bad, surely) everything depends on the right tonality. And if you cannot use EQs well enough appropriate matching can solve the problems for you. Synergy is much more important than any quality. There is your source, there are your components and your ears, taste. All of those has to build up in the right synergy. And it will sound good. It can be cheapo or used or old.
Equalizing down peaks will not introduce distortion. Distortion in eq will only be introduced if you're boosting certain frequencies above what would be the normal physical capabilities of the driver in question. I don't think you should try to fix a headphone you don't like with an expensive dac/amp combo+EQ, either get minor eq deficiencies to your preference or you should just get something that works better for you, especially in expensive price tags like the HD800S.
sorry but at this point - these are no longer reviews but sales pitches and let me tell you why... a headphone sounds different to every single human who puts it on - your hear, your ears, your preferences. tell people to buy a whole new device to change something they can with EQ is... a sales pitch. i've been a sub for years - sorry i can't do it anymore... you've got the bag and you're no longer just passionate about audio. now it's about the money money... if i'm wrong i'm wrong - but i don't think i am.... i've been in this game longer than you, and i watched you curve my same path right up until the sponsorships started coming in... now you're telling people to "fix" headphones with extra hardware? come. on. man. i've got 30 pair of headphones and 10+ dacs and amps... none of them fix any of my headphones. EQ does, but not swapping hardware... just wow.
^This. In my experience, amps and dacs are sometimes capable of changing the sound, but the differences will be marginal. Assuming you stream from a PC rather than other hardware (eg CD player, turntable), EQ is a complete solution, with the benefit of being totally free.
Amps can be cold or warm in tone, but the difference are minimal, but I have never heard any difference between DAC's, but EQ makes a huge difference and something everyone should try.
I absolutely hate the Chord Hugo's micro USB ports, but 800S sounds phenomenal on it... In one of the local headphone experience drives, I listened to that combo and was blown away by how great it sounded ... Then i paired it with Scalar/TT2 stack and tears rolled down my eyes...... when I realised how much i have to spend for experiencing this sound daily... 😂😂
I have my 800S paired with Monolith Liquid Platinum hybrid amp (using Philips E88CC SQ NOS) and schiit Bifrost (multibit). How do you think this stack would compare against the Pietus Maximus and Sigma?
Looking to get 800S right now I have HD650 and HD600 so this amp dac combo would not work well with them ? Right now I don't have a good amp setup and was thinking upgrading to this for the 800S
About the equalizer. If the system exceeds 0 dB, then distortion occurs. 24 bit is how it works. I use headphones with equalization through loopback capabilities myself. I'm passing the signal through the daw. Using analyzers, the excess of 0 is clearly visible. At these moments, the signal is cut off (distortion). When lowering to 0 db, this does not happen. Do you happen to know any cases when using an equalizer, magnetoplanar headphones start to rattle with a flame at certain frequencies. maybe I was just unlucky with two pairs of hifiman.
Can you make an explainer video for these dacs especially the stacks and all in one's from schiit, it's all too confusing for a newbie, I have a Studio monitor (speakers with balanced input), Sennheiser ie300 and HD660s2, i don't know what dac/amp/stack to buy to get the best out of all these devices, chatgpt gives me some super expensive or super useless suggestions, probably asking the wrong question
HD800S is already bass heavy for some specific music genres like hard bass, hardstyle, progressive trance and deep house. I don't need EQ. I hear when a music track was mastered with way too much bass and should be dialed down, but the artist decided not to. It's probably the best headphone that shows a higher difference in bass region when playing various music genres. It can sound very bass heavy and sometimes has too little bass. Why ? Because the music track was not supposed to have lots of bass. Other headphones have basically the same bass across all music genres. "Audiophile' people like Joshua can't understand such thing. Every music track should sound like a boombox for him. HD800S tries to sound different on every song. Electrostats are better for this. I'm listening to DT1990 and basically is the same bass across all music, a bass 'in your head" like I'm listening to IEMs. And HD800S uses diffused-field target, to create the illusion that you are listening to speakers in a room. It's not supposed to sound like a boombox on your head.
dont think buying a whole new dac and amp just to make a headphone sound good is worth it imo. at that point just buy another headphone.
Possibly! It’s pretty good for a $2000 -sound system- though. But definitely understand why one wouldn’t want to by one amp for one headphone also!
Lol ive got ifi idsd pro and mf x-can upgraded. And a pair of meze elite. That is worth it.
Would see this as a welcome tip for possible synergies moving forward with the hobby at some point in time, not as a push to spend more money now.
HD800S was always very good with classical music (and for FPS gaming, as we all know). And yes, you can elevate the HD800S for other music with a solid state amp, in my case the Schiit Mjolnir 3. This was an unexpected but welcome extra, I bought the Mjolnir 3 originally for my Empy II endgame.
Coming from a neutral Topping A90D I would not have thought this jump could be possible. It is so nice reaching a setting with several synergies between signal chain and several headphones, a plateau, and focus after implementation more on pairing HPs with playlists.
Concerning DAC I think one of the ASR top20 DACs below 1K price, which are as neutral and clean/distortion-less as possible, do the trick (e.g. D90LE) for any good amp. If the DAC tweaks the sound, too, there are too many parameters in the signal chain (at least for myself).
I have an og hd800. When I got a mjolnir 3 (had a bifrost 2) it became a different headphone. It even has bass and impact. Some cans just need power.
Seriously. The lengths people will go to avoid using EQ 😂
EQing down peaks will not introduce distortion.
To be fair I think he was referring to increasing the sub bass, which in turn would make the whole headphone have more distortion as you increase SPL.
Yea just eqing down peaks helps a lot
It can result in distortion, for sure. But only if you really over-do the EQ changes like crazy. (and depending on your headphone ofc)
After watching this video for 5mins i think its more an AD for Shiit and maybe he wanted to downplay how great EQing is, dont know...
For me EQing has one big downside, for some headphones you really loose some quality/resolution overall.
I sometimes love a certain EQ setting but after listening to it for a long time and then trying it without the eq setting its sometimes really really noticable that you loose some overall resolution/soundquality. At least thats my experience.
The more i watch hardware "hifi/audiophile" youtubers the more i notice how much snakeoil is sold and how much their oppinion depends on their subjective mood on the day they tried the gear, or if they just like a brand or got a deal with them etc pp... so i dont really trust any hifireviewer anymore.
You can have crazy fun with 40€ superlux headphones and most dacs and amps change the sound by such a tiny tiny ammount that most people wouldnt even notice it in a blind test.
EQing can have a way way greater impact and you can make it perfect for you and nobody else.
@@renaramadan4626 that's not a consequence of what DSP is more so how your HRTF interacts with those colouration.
@@renaramadan4626Agreed, except EQ won't change sound characteristics inherent to the driver and surrounding enclosure, but rather just the sound pressure level of frequencies, which can also introduce distortion as you know.
EQ will also not change the voltage and current output of amplifiers, and the scaling an amplifier can achieve at higher output levels ranges wildly.
EQing an HD800S creates a distorted sound? hmmm idk about that chief.
That's why I chose the V281 specifically to pair with the 800S, sounds so good 😊😊
I'm no different. Tried for years to like this headphone. Buying it, selling it, and then buying it again. But almost feels like too much work to get to the end result. I'd much rather just buy a "better" headphone! Fun review and thanks for providing your input!
I’m so happy I’m not the only person who’s done that lol. Did it with the Jubilee as well. 🎉
Call me crazy but the Beyerdynamic T2.1 with a 2-3db 2000khz boost is such a balanced headphone compared to the HD800s. Crazy detail, great imaging and realistic soundstaging. They're dirt cheap too
Fair! Same kinda thing for me, ive had these like 4 times lmao
@@AlumarsX I’ve never tried them. I’ve had the DT1990s and the 900 Pro X.
@@AlumarsX owned them. They sound ok, better than most of the other beyers.
The best beyer I have ever heard is a DT880 600 Ohm with T1.2 pads, a couple of EQ adjustments and tubes.
What? The HD800S is already quite perfect IMHO. Tastes are different, and I love it. I was ready to spend 4k+ for headphones, tested many different headphones in that pricerange, but the HD800S just hits my taste. I love the soundstage and imaging, I love the treble, and I love how NOT bass heavy it is. Almost the same reasons why I still love the CA Andromedas IEMs. I want detail and soundstage, and those headphones do it right for me
I have to agree I really like the HD800S and I have a really good dac and amp combo, I couldn't be happier and the comfort is amazing !
HD800S is great... But really it lacks in power, resolution, and rich, organic tonality that the very best headphones(RAAL) can do. :)
@@x-techgaming which raal has the widest soundstage
@@x-techgamingannoying comment.
That LTT reference was ON point 😂
I always feel like the divisiveness around the 800S really just comes down to the music/genres you listen to and the recordings. Everyone who adores it uses it for instrumental jazz, Spanish guitar, classical piano etc. etc. and frankly it’s an old guard audiophile product that’s designed with the great but stuffier genres in mind and maximizing resolution for uber good recordings rarely available elsewhere. I don’t think Senn listens to any house/rap or cares to when they tune this thing. I own one and love it for stuff like Marginalia by Masakatsu Takagi or Alone in San Francisco by Thelonious Monk, but for Lil Uzi Vert or Death Grips or Cage the Elephant not the ticket at all. To Pimp a Butterfly and the Pacific Breeze city pop collections sound wonderful on it too and they stray into totally other genres, but the point generally is it’s not an all-rounder at all and that can be a-okay, good even.
I totally get loving parts of the 800S and wanting to beat its weaknesses and make it work for your library (or ears), or even just because it’s such an iconic headphone, but from the review perspective I think the internet at large could do a better job of discussing the 800s as an excellent S-tier inclusion in a headphone collection or as a product specifically awesome for a common segment of audiophile/melophile music libraries. Then everyone can understand why it’s good and loved, why some folks don’t like it, and then decide if it’s worth it for them or their use case. If everything you love to listen to sounds over exposed on it and it doesn’t have the bass for the genre then it sucks, but if you love to savor gentle piano recorded in an open Japanese forest then no other headphone is nearly as satisfying. All the “its this rank versus that” discussion in a vacuum of if you just want a single headphone or referring to it’s limitations as flaws just confuses the consumer on if it’s good for them. If you just like caramel, don’t buy licorice and vice versa. If you like both, buy both. As hobbyists we don’t need to be locked in a frame of reference where we’re saying “ if it doesn’t taste like caramel then it’s bad. I can’t believe licorice could be worth as much as caramel to anyone.” Some people don’t like caramel and only like licorice, as odd as that may seem. For someone who only listens to string quartets, the 800s should be at the top of their list, but for someone who listens to a huge varied library it’s not a good first headphone, but maybe if you aim to have a collection and want something that is immaculate for when you dabble in some string quartet listening it’s also worth a look.
Great video! Love a good pairing discussion and will look to try this at a show or shop. I have a hunch I’m in the totally happy with my 800s sound camp though.
I don’t think it’s about what music genres you listen to. I mainly listen to jazz and classical and the HD800s was not for me. And, yes, I used it on a WA22 tube amp so amplification was not the issue. The HD800s just did not give me the emotional response I expect from music. I felt it was cold and distant, the perfect tool to analyze and dissect the mastering of a track, but that wasn’t the reason why I was putting headphones on every evening and no amount of EQ would change that. I wanted to feel the physicality of horns, cellos, snares, drums, tenor sax etc. and I wasn’t getting that from the HD800s. I just wish hd800s owners would understand that this headphone just doesn’t cut it for others and wouldn’t automatically categorize them as bass heads or rap/edm listeners. It’s nothing wrong with not liking the hd800s, just different preferences, plenty of room and options for everyone.
In the mid 70s I started using STAX SR-44 electrostatic earspeakers and in the mid 80s I stepped up to the SR LAMBDAS. In 2021I purchased SR-L700MK2 with the SRM-353X driver. To my ears STAX out performs all other headphones I've heard.
It’s crazy right? I always wonder why there isn’t more talk about the STAX in general. Few years ago I bought a 30 year old pair for 1/4 the price of a 800S and the audio performance is amazing, sound is like nothing I have ever heard. I have a Focal Clear, Audeze LCD and 800S but I’m always reaching for the 30 year old STAX, lmao. I really would like to hear what a brand new STAX can do.
Timely video for me as I just purchased a used HD800 (non-s). I've always dreamed of trying this series. It gave me an instant migraine - I am very sensitive to weight at the top of my head and this lets it all hang there. ZMF crescent snap solved that issue for me.
The sound was of course very odd in terms of timbre, but I've made it way better by using Amir's 800s eq, which just lowers rhe 6k peak a lot and lifts 2.7k a bit plus a small bass shelf. Sounds so much more natural to me than Oratory's EQ which seemed to make the headphones very dry. I love it now. Just using a Qudelix 5k, I don't even have a spare power plug on my outlet strip for a fancy dac/amp!
Hey Everyone!
This is awesome…now I’m just waiting for more Pietus Maximus parts to come in.
(Schiit is Forkbearding everything + ramping up new San Antonio factory, not sure when I will have more parts but hopefully December or January at the latest. Just emailed again to try and get timing.)
Emails have already started coming in about restocking, thank you. Hopefully I will have more soon!
*This.* I love my HD800S _when it's paired up with the right gear._ Some of you may find it hard to believe, but I found the Sony MDR-Z1R to be *much* more enjoyable than most of my cans in the $3-5k range, and sold the rest. It's all about finding that sweet spot for your ears, be that with gear synergy, EQ, etc.
I have the Sennheiser, and I am saving it for the Sony. Thanks for giving your experience.
Completely believable. I have the Z1R coupled with the TA-ZH1ES and it's pure bliss
I use the RME ADI-2 Pro FS R with it. EQ is great.
I have the none pro version and the eq on it sounds much better in comparison to software solutions.
RME-2-ADAC + HD800S is perfect combo for me. The bass is very clean and compact, I don't seem to have any issues with sibilance; but maybe because my ears are old.
Try my EQ on your RME, you may like it.
Low Shelf +5.0 100 Hz Q 0.7
Peak -3.0 5400 Hz Q 6.0
Peak -2.5 6100 Hz Q 5.5
Peak -2.0 10000 Hz Q 2.0
@ixoye56 have you experimented a lot with bass profiles. Do you think most of the complaints about bass distortion come from people using a more generic slopped profile that extends too far into the midbass? Yours is all below 100hz. Is that what made the differences or where all profiles you tested successful?
@@Kalanxe Yes I think so, and if you put the bass shelf higher up in the frequency range, it will be too muddy, I have never heard any distortion with my EQ, but I never play extremely loud either.
@@ixoye56 thanks
EQ doesn't help but amp and dac magically does... how though? Can this effect be at least measured in any way? Because fixing pricy headphones with very pricy gear seems to go against current research
I agree, this is pure nonsense.
Amps and DACS don’t work the same as EQ tbf.
@@HiLoMusic indeed, true. In a traditional approach if implemented correctly they are expected to not colour sound output in any way. Unlike eq that is intended to do just that :) Otherwise its an equivalent of a proper dac/amp + strange fixed hardware eq.
i think a slight eq fixes 90 percent of whats wrong with this headphone but it doesnt give you that last 10 percent to compete with the best headphones. EQ for planars though is basically perfect. zero distortion and you get all the benefits, unlike most dynamic driver headphones because of the distortion. This is a rarely mentioned benefit of planars.
Holy crap I so agree with that. I have a HiFiMan HE1000se with PEQ from Roon. I went through about 75 PEQ versions to find the perfect one for it. I found it so well that literally 0.1 dB to 1 out of the 15 bands could change the whole sound signature. It's insane. I used to hate EQ because it added so much distortion, but my problem was I wasn't adding headroom, lol. Man, I love Roon so much. Audio is so fascinating.
NEED MORE OF THIS! Headphone & Amplifier MATCHES! Awesome work.
Maximus is such a good amp! Plus Nitsch (CeeTee is such a good dude!) Need to get a HiFi for all Dahlia headphone in your hands!
Keep seeing the Refines in these recent vids, really looking forward to seeing the full review. Enjoyed this one, thanks Josh!
same. i actually pulled the trigger on them and he mentioned the full review is coming, but the latest vids have been, well everything but that lol
Cool video idea, I like how your framed the focus and did kind of a two birds one stone approach.
This headphone is legendary, so many People love them, with a good synergy amp it goes head to head with susvara.
Sings: “It ain’t necessarily so...” 🎤
Dude was so adamant, I took a chance and got the Unison Dac for my PM. He's full of it... no difference from a Topping DAC. And I'm the type who owns multiple DACs, SS Amps, and Tube Amps.
joshua can u try the Audeze CRBN2 with the Woo Audio WA24 when u get that headphone while playing call of duty and can u tell us how that set up sound and can u please try hd800s and other headphones with the Woo Audio WA24 while playing call of duty and tell us if it sounds great or not?
Thing is, not everyone hears the headphone the same way. Andrew/Resolve did an excellent video about this. I've never had any issues with sibilance with the HD800s and I've got perfect hearing to 20khz. And I hate overly bright or sibilant headphones or speakers. I find the base also fine for a dynamic driver and for what it is, I'm not a bass head and I don't think Sennheiser was aiming for that when tuning this headphone either. With nothing more than I guess, knowing Germans and just they way they tuned this headphone. They probably were more aiming for the acoustical/live music crowd. Not the people who listen to Deadmouse or Infected mushroom. But I'm glad you love the HD800s, it's one of those headphones in my mind every serious headphone collection is not complete without. And one of my top 5 headphones of all time.
Next time you are at Definitive audio, if you have not tried it yet. Try the McIntosh MHA200 headphone tube amp. To my ears, and my ears alone, it's a match made in heaven. I've also heard the Violectric V281 sounds really good on it and rumor has it, and I have no idea if this is true or not, that Sennheiser used the 281 when they tuned the HD800 originally. And it's also known as a solid state that sounds rather tube like with a bassy slammy characteristic and smooths the highs some.
Regarding EQ on the HD800s, in my experience and presumably due to the HD800s having a lot of 2nd order Harmonic Distortion in the lower bass, it helps a lot to do a little negative gain, like -1.5 dB with a Q of ~1.8 in the ~240 Hz region, depending on the amount of applied boost in the sub bass (+5 dB shelf in my case).
The HD800S already has quite a lot of energy in the upper bass (200-300 Hz) region and boosting bass notes below that seems to increase that region even more due to harmonic distortion.
Correct me if I'm scientifically wrong here of course lol... at least for me this counters a lot of the problem of perceived low bass quality of an EQ'd HD800s. I also add +2.4 dB; Q of 1.4 at 2000 Hz to balance out the bass boost, these 3 filters really made me love the HD800s.
No you're exactly right. The hd800 is DF compensated, so at 50hz it's below what is needed to maintain the same amplitude for your ears, but by 200hz it's way over. Your ears become demonstrably more sensitive between 50 and 200hz, so much so that a straight line will not be perceived as neutral. Lowering the midbass region and raising the subbass will bring it back in line and reduce lower order harmonics.
Joshua can you make a video on your favorite headphones of the year ?
I’m trying the same honestly. I do own HD800S and am wishing to like it since I got it. Always preferred the hifiman He1000 series. Today I got a new tube amp stack and will get a physical eq next week. Once everything is installed and I hope I will love it. If not, probably gonna sell.
Hell yeah this is the type of video I needed having just purchased it 2 weeks ago! I hit it with an Oratory1990 EQ + Bifrost2/Jot2 stack (1.2W @ 300Ω) and it sounds amazing. I think the HD800S needs a higher power amp than people realize especially if you look at what Sennheiser put out for it (HDV 820, 960mW @ 300Ω). Would love if you could try/test it with something like that!
HDV820 amplifier circuit is good but the dac inside gets out performed by a few hundred dollar questyle dongles. It really isn't up to par :(
Similar issues to Bursons older 2020 designs etc which they have now improved upon and is no longer a problem. Whereas Sennheiser have left it as is.
@@ElysianQA I'm only mentioning the HDV 820 to point out the high power it provides. Agreed that it falls short on the DAC front big time.
I have the HD800s paired with HDVA600 and think they pair incredibly well with the added warmth. I think the HDDVA600 is like a tube warmth without distortion. The HD800s/HDVA600 and Sony MDR Z1R, when i want some more bass, is my current end game.
I saw what you did there: "current end game"
@@jackleville546 lol, never know. Tastes change over time but I am happy with the HD800s and Z1R for the price I ended up buying them for.
They're incredible. I'm amazed it's taken anyone who is in some way involved to understand their greatness, even if it's taken some very specific combo. They're a classic for good reason & objectively surely that's easy to see why, personal preferance aside.
I have the original 800 which I slightly prefer. They scale with source & they sound good on anything with bit of power. I use them mostly with a Cayin HA-1A MK2 valve amp & a Sony DMP-Z1 - but they don't need thst much.
Send your 800s to sonarworks and get them to measure them and make you a custom profile. There is also an eq in RME for headphone out.
Frankly, I doubt that DAC AMP can make you love headphones that you hate or that have annoying or many defects. If you did not like the headphones from the beginning, you will not like them no matter how hard you try. And if there are good headphones and you like them, the DAC AMP will add some improvement to make you like them more and not change anything radically.
Disssagree. A headphone can sound different pending the amp and dac you choose. A headphone can also scale with better and or different equipment.
@jordohayes Pay attention to your words. You say that they are improving or expanding. This means some improvement and preference, but not making headphones that you cannot accept or love and making you love them. This is magic.
In the past I would have agreed with you and in general I think people are best off finding a headphone they really like the sound of and only changing the DAC/AMP for small tweaks to enhance what you love about them... but for my main(ZMF Verite Closed) headphones I have to disagree, almost all the gear I had purchased prior to these headphones was on the warmer sounding side in an attempt to reign in the treble issues of all the headphones I had already purchased, which worked for me cause my ears sadly get fatigued quite quickly with anything bright sounding(which is why I've always been on the fence about the HD800s despite the fact that I really enjoy good soundstage/imaging).
However when I first tried the Verites I hated them and really regretted my choice to buy them(I bought them blind second hand from another part of the country because the reviews were in large part quite positive) but all of my favourite gear made them sound sound far too muddy/veiled, then I tried some more clinical sounding gear that I had purchased in the past out of curiosity but not really used, as soon as I put them together I fell in love... I went from constantly browsing the second hand options and watching reviews, trying to find just the right pair, I was buying at least 1 pair of decent headphones(2nd hand) every month or 2, to losing all interest in even trying other headphones, I got a pair of He1000SE's because they get so much love and I thought it would be nice to have a decent open back pair but I still found myself reaching for the ZMF's instead.
I'll admit there was a degree of burn in as they were basically unused, Zach recommends 100+hrs of burn in, I know burn in is a bit controversial and its possible it was just brain burn in as my ears got used to this quite different tuning, but I honestly still don't enjoy them at all on most of my old gear, especially the tube gear, sometimes too much of a good thing ruins it.
Hi Again thank you for great video! I've been watching you for couple of years, and I really like your reviews. Could you provide some tier list this year for more expensive headphones? (1-4K USD)
Could you recommend some? I was thinking about Empyrean 2
I use RME as DAC and Violectric V222 as amp and it is a match in heaven for HD800s, I use a couple of db bass shelf and turn down the treble peaks with EQ and haven't heard any distortion.
I have the Burson Audio Conductor 3XP (Vivid 7 pro and classic ops maps) and they bring out the best in my Audio-technica ATH -1000Z, Sennheiser HD660 S2 and 800S (never found it to be bright at all). Happy!
For me the 800s is S-Tier on any tube amp. Love the bass presentation and overall dynamics on tubes.
Bro...I dont know what is going on but you sound sibilant in this video...Your S's are sizzling my ears and thats never been an issue before. I am listening to you on my studio monitors and they are definitely not treble heavy, did you change mic's?
I noticed that Stoo
for hd800s use dekoni elite hybrid pads. you will hear more air and vibration.
Gustard R26 + FelixAudio Euforia . I love this combination.
Great content, do you know how it compares with the HDV 820?
I ended up buying the Dekoni earpads and Monoprice Monolith DAC that you recommended in an older video.
Would you say this is DAC/AMP combo is worth switching to?
I absolutely love my hd800s, had the thing since 2017, but I've found my endgame in the form of the Fir Rn6 and have absolutely no need to buy anything else, headphone/iem wise.
Also feel the need to call out the Creation of Adam thumbnail--well done.
The best headphones for gaming or call of duty???
I love my Pietus Maximus for all my headphones, it is a great upgrade for Asgard 3-and I still love my Asgard 3 at my desk!
Bought the HD800S when Sennheiser had a sale on, but had to return it when I put it on my head and realized it didn't fit. I have a really narrow head and no amount of headband extension allowed it to properly seal. It was like the headphone was an inch off my head, and as a result I had zero bass extension.
I just plug my 800S into my motherboard or apple dongle. Sounds the same as my holo may/bliss combo.
Is the apple dongle enough to run them?
@ yes. WAY more than enough
@@RathOX oh good to hear thank you soo much maybe I will buy these one day.
@@RathOX have you tried eq'ing the bass? Is it possible to have a substantial rise if below 100hz?
@@En_Joshi-Godrez no, you cant really EQ "bass" you can eq mid bass, but then doing that you can ruin its own sound due to being overpowering. I leave my headphones alone when it comes to bass, if i wanted bass id buy like a DT 1990 or a fostex ebony, or a ZMF headphone.
I achieved this level of feeling on my HD800S by pairing it with a Chord Mojo 2 as a DAC and Jotunheim 2 as my amplifier. I don't even EQ it. I would never specifically get a DAC/AMP just for one headphone, though. It's just likely not for you. While I prefer the aforementioned combo over everything else I have, I can still enjoy the HD800S using your typical dongle dac, a bluetooth DAC like the BTR7, another setup like the M500 and Zen Stack, and even directly to my phone that has a headphone jack.
I personally think it is bad advice to give this idea of chasing perfection by purchasing a specific DAC/AMP for your headphone.
What camera and lens you use big bro?
Sooo... Are the HD800S still ultimate gaming headphones end of 2024?
Would Topping D90/A90 combo work with them?
Just buy og hd800 and EQ with a class A amp. U get it all without losing resolution
Good video; agree I have the original 800 and there is sibliance, not enough to give me a headache but it’s there nonetheless. As I use these for mostly Classical, the tubes on my tube amp X-Duo Ta03, have tamed it down and brought out the bass better and sounds awesome. This unit you are reviewing looks good
Mine sound great, and it's just due to some pads I bought off amazon which are very comfortable but also warm up the sound nicely. Perforated sheepskin and protein.
Rule number one when you buying expensive headphones: make sure that the original replacement ear pads are sold freely in stores. If it's not - don't waste your time and money. Simple but works
How close would you say does your Euforia amp get to this "s tier combo"?
I am a big Euforia enjoyer myself and would love to hear your opinions on that amp.
Should I be buying an amp/dac with this? Or can I just plug into my GoXLR?
and i heard the Arya and wasnt blown away with it....
Wouldn't measuring the HD800S with this amp/dac combo and then subtracting with a measurement of the HD800S on a reference amp/dac combo give us the EQ curve, therefore making it possible to achieve the same result for free?
Any mention of what genres sound good with this combo? I'm told that the 800S is often loved by people who enjoy things like jazz, flamenco, and classical -- but meanwhile I am slumming it and slamming it with bassy club and pop music. I think the fact that I don't remember hearing the word "fun" in this review, that should probably tell me everything I need to know.
Josh, have you sampled the Empire Ear Raven? Electrostat on the top end, tactile transducer on the bottom end.
I mean it's already in s tier so I don't need to do anything to it
Josh have you tried the HD800S with Schiit Mjolnir 3? I could say the same things you said about it that you said about the Pietus Maximus, except I suspect the Mjolnir 3 with the right dac would outresolve the Pietus Maximus with the buit in dac.
i’ve used a Burson Soloist amp and a Audio Aero Prima DAC with H800 for a long time and never understood the criticism. Perhaps I got the right sound profile by sheer luck?
Sennheiser should just collab with neurolink at think point and input the sound directly into peoples heads
Do you have a current tier list? I'm thinking of getting the Organic or LCD-X for EDM production / mixing / mastering / listening. I've heard them both and really liked them but haven't produced or mixed on them. I haven't tried the MM500 but I would be EQing the LCD-X to Harman anyway for mixing. I've heard you can EQ to make it the same as the MM500 if you want - not sure if that's true.
Would you recommend Pietus Maximus over WA7 for HE1000se?
The Fiio K11 R2R Dac/amp you reviewed recently has similar characteristics with the sound, how does this compare to that?
Would love to know how it pairs with other headphones
If there are major issues with the freq response, an amp change is NOT the answer. All amps, when working correctly, measure very nearly the same.
I’ve used my HD800 with several SS amps and tubes too. Changing amps is a case of very expensive fine tuning. Sure, you can throw money at the problem, but EQ is a tool so much stronger than an amp, that it’s not even funny.
If you want a completely different sound sig though, look for a different headphone.
To be honest Josh, this looks like a sales pitch. I’m not saying it is one, but it sure isn’t a good look imo.
A tube DAC like ank makes 800s shine
this is what i found when i paired the he1000se with a burson conductor 3 the perfect match
I want the 800s to have a richer bass and more full mid range for so long, it’s the most comfortable headphone I’ve ever worn and doesn’t look rediculous when I’m on meetings with customers, can’t use my aryas cuz they’re just so goofy looking. It’s so hard to justify dropping everything and investing in this, I wish I could demo it
I wanted to get this amp hopefully they make more soon
Yeah.
Like always.
After a (very basic)
quality requirement
(I mean distortions,
different kind of noisiness,
crosstalk, etc. can be bad,
surely)
everything depends on the
right tonality.
And if you cannot use EQs well enough
appropriate matching can solve the problems
for you.
Synergy
is much more important
than any quality.
There is your source,
there are your components
and your ears, taste.
All of those has to build up
in the right synergy.
And it will sound good.
It can be cheapo
or used or
old.
I have also noticed that sennheiser headphones don’t take too well to EQ. Perhaps it’s the driver I have no idea
Will this work well for PC gaming connected to a rodecaster duo? Or you need an additional DAC? Cheers!
Equalizing down peaks will not introduce distortion. Distortion in eq will only be introduced if you're boosting certain frequencies above what would be the normal physical capabilities of the driver in question.
I don't think you should try to fix a headphone you don't like with an expensive dac/amp combo+EQ, either get minor eq deficiencies to your preference or you should just get something that works better for you, especially in expensive price tags like the HD800S.
Currently running my 800s on gustard R26 + cen.grand LSF. Would love a 2 in 1 that sounds as good.
Buying Expensive cables also would be Believable for most people :)
You should review the Heavys Audio headphones
sorry but at this point - these are no longer reviews but sales pitches and let me tell you why...
a headphone sounds different to every single human who puts it on - your hear, your ears, your preferences.
tell people to buy a whole new device to change something they can with EQ is... a sales pitch.
i've been a sub for years - sorry i can't do it anymore... you've got the bag and you're no longer just passionate about audio. now it's about the money money...
if i'm wrong i'm wrong - but i don't think i am....
i've been in this game longer than you, and i watched you curve my same path right up until the sponsorships started coming in... now you're telling people to "fix" headphones with extra hardware?
come. on. man. i've got 30 pair of headphones and 10+ dacs and amps... none of them fix any of my headphones.
EQ does, but not swapping hardware... just wow.
^This. In my experience, amps and dacs are sometimes capable of changing the sound, but the differences will be marginal. Assuming you stream from a PC rather than other hardware (eg CD player, turntable), EQ is a complete solution, with the benefit of being totally free.
Amps can be cold or warm in tone, but the difference are minimal, but I have never heard any difference between DAC's, but EQ makes a huge difference and something everyone should try.
i still have OG 800 from 2009. I feel the S version is not as good as OG. check out the WA7 1st gen. it was designed for HD800.
I absolutely hate the Chord Hugo's micro USB ports, but 800S sounds phenomenal on it... In one of the local headphone experience drives, I listened to that combo and was blown away by how great it sounded ...
Then i paired it with Scalar/TT2 stack and tears rolled down my eyes...... when I realised how much i have to spend for experiencing this sound daily... 😂😂
I love my 800S paired with my Schiit Midgard.
what lenses do u use? thx :)
I have the nitch piety. Would that have similar results since they’re similar style amps?
Recommended for the HD 8XX?
I have my 800S paired with Monolith Liquid Platinum hybrid amp (using Philips E88CC SQ NOS) and schiit Bifrost (multibit). How do you think this stack would compare against the Pietus Maximus and Sigma?
Dekoni ear cups. They fixed everything for me.
Looking to get 800S right now I have HD650 and HD600 so this amp dac combo would not work well with them ? Right now I don't have a good amp setup and was thinking upgrading to this for the 800S
Pads? Also, what about the Sennheiser HDV 820 Headphone Amplifier which was desined for the HD800S? Double+ the price, though.
About the equalizer. If the system exceeds 0 dB, then distortion occurs. 24 bit is how it works. I use headphones with equalization through loopback capabilities myself. I'm passing the signal through the daw. Using analyzers, the excess of 0 is clearly visible. At these moments, the signal is cut off (distortion). When lowering to 0 db, this does not happen. Do you happen to know any cases when using an equalizer, magnetoplanar headphones start to rattle with a flame at certain frequencies. maybe I was just unlucky with two pairs of hifiman.
Sennheiser's own dac-amps HDVD800/HDV820 do exactly the same for HD800S
He1000se is probably the headphone to compare against now for S-tier under 2000 dollars.
I have this amp and headphones. I’ll revisit.
I'm using Schiit Bifrost 2 + Midgard with my HD800S. I'm thinking of getting Audeze LCD-2 (closed) for heavier bass, any inputs?
Can you make an explainer video for these dacs especially the stacks and all in one's from schiit, it's all too confusing for a newbie, I have a Studio monitor (speakers with balanced input), Sennheiser ie300 and HD660s2, i don't know what dac/amp/stack to buy to get the best out of all these devices, chatgpt gives me some super expensive or super useless suggestions, probably asking the wrong question
Was thinking/expecting change of earpads
HD800S is already bass heavy for some specific music genres like hard bass, hardstyle, progressive trance and deep house. I don't need EQ. I hear when a music track was mastered with way too much bass and should be dialed down, but the artist decided not to. It's probably the best headphone that shows a higher difference in bass region when playing various music genres. It can sound very bass heavy and sometimes has too little bass. Why ? Because the music track was not supposed to have lots of bass. Other headphones have basically the same bass across all music genres. "Audiophile' people like Joshua can't understand such thing. Every music track should sound like a boombox for him. HD800S tries to sound different on every song. Electrostats are better for this.
I'm listening to DT1990 and basically is the same bass across all music, a bass 'in your head" like I'm listening to IEMs.
And HD800S uses diffused-field target, to create the illusion that you are listening to speakers in a room. It's not supposed to sound like a boombox on your head.
Yes and it misses that target quite considerably. Congratulations, you played yourself.
This dude pulled a Linus on us I cannot believe this
I use it soley for gaming. Call me spoilt but mine is plugged into the Topping A90 and D90 for extra overkill on gaming.
How do you think it compares to the Topping Dx7 pro+?