comparisons like this always remind me of the popular "even my wife agrees how much better it sounds". it would be a good test if you just handed someone the HM-801, and almost anyone who doesn't follow Head-Fi will believe it is a cheap, bulky iPod...see what kind of impressions they have then if you really want to get a second opinion. maybe you did this, but i think most of the time these tests go something like..."here, try this out...tell me if you think its way better than an ipod"