Sennheiser HD 800 Redux

[K3cT]

Just a ring around the immediate area of the driver should probably suffice. 

[Tyll Hertsens]

Yup. Well, to the best of my ability to figure, all you need is to cover the ring around the driver and the black plastic bits with felt inside the headphones.  Anaxilus has made a variety of other changes, but I haven't kept up with what he's up to; I was just sort of waiting for what he finally came up with. 

 

Though the biggest improvement was Doug's L-2. 

[Torpedo]

I made my own version too, basically with medium density felt covering the ring and the attaching piece, over a thin layer of some stiff foam. No dullness, nor brightness either. Works well with the Luxman and the Gilmore Reference. Still a bit "hot" with the Beta, so I guess the thing is overall balanced.

[shellylh]

Hmm, I guess I should try this.  What foam/adhesive are you using?  I wouldn't want to use something that left a bunch of sticky residue if I took it off.  This is completely reversible, right? 

[Tyll Hertsens]

I used some two-sided adhesive strips, then tapped them on my pants a few times to mellow out the adhesive. Totally reversible assuming you don't use a too aggressive adhesive.

 

More info here: http://www.innerfidelity.com/content/diy-modification-sennheiser-hd-800-anaxilus-mod

[Torpedo]

I used Blu Tack between the foam and the headphone, and a soft adhesive in stick between the foam and the felt. I made the Blutack into a thin layer. Completely reversible, no residue, happy with the result.

[Dusty Chalk]

There are many instances in which sticky residue is a common yet undesired result.

 

I mean, in attaching things.

 

Perverts.

[Valentin Hogea]

The Anax 2.0 is a huge improvement compared to Anax 1.0/Tyll's.

 

Much more coherent in the bass. Flatter. Also the ringing in the 5kHz-region is completely gone. No more harshness.

 

Highly recommend it.

[Nebby]

The Anax 2.0 is a huge improvement compared to Anax 1.0/Tyll's.

 

Much more coherent in the bass. Flatter. Also the ringing in the 5kHz-region is completely gone. No more harshness.

 

Highly recommend it.

 

Where do I get it or find details on how to get it?

[Voltron]

But what about the plankton?

[Torpedo]

Lol

[Grahame]

Makes it sound like Krill!

[Audiojunkie]

But what about the plankton?

 

Freakin' hilarious!

[deepak]

But what about the plankton?

Tastes best sous-vide

[Nebby]

But what about the plankton?

 

you got me with that one.

[Sherwood]

]

Highly recommend it.

 

Awesome.  So where/what is it?

[K3cT]

http://goo.gl/UW5euz

 

I don't like it though because that particular procedure seems to turn the HD800 into something which it's not but of course YMMV. Tyll's comment about applying minimum material in the cavity seems to yield the best results. 

[Anaxilus]

The most perfect Stax ever made    . If they had SR-007 mk1 reliability I would have kept them even if I very rarely listened to headphones.

 

Not to go all HPA, but the modded HD800 are pretty close in terms of tone. And they have superior imaging. But lack that ethereal soundstage only the SR-O could do.

 

 

JMHO for me the modded 800 with BA were better than the BH/007mk1 or KGSS/007mk1. I love the 007, they will always have a special spot, just like the SR-O. I've had a chance to hear the 009 with BH in quiet settings on a few occasions and they never moved me. Even when PJ had them for as low as $3300 I didn't feel I wanted to buy one. Stax did something really right with the SR-O, black magic or whatever

 

With the Gilmore Lite I don't think the 800 are as special. I'm not sure if it's the DHTyness of the BA or higher output Z, but that combo clicks for me.

 

^ Agreed on both counts with pretty much everything you said.  Seems we hear a few things similarly.  The 007 and 009 even from the BH, KGSSHV or T2 weren't enough to pull me away from the modded 800 w/ my rig.  But the Omega is something special, probably the best midrange I've ever heard in a headphone.  If it had a bit more bass punch and impact when called for, it would be pretty damned close to perfect along w/ a well driven HE90.

 

A couple things:

 

1-I think it was covered but somewhat lost in the nuance of the discussion by some, but high output Z is not a requirement for proper synergy w/ the 800.  I know my modded Super 7 puts out around 4 ohms and I've heard a few decent SS implementations w/ zero output-z and objectively beautiful measurements do quite well (the O2 not being one of them).  It's definitely a case by case, circuit by circuit determination IME.  I would not go dropping 43 ohms after every amp simply because of whatever the HDVD800 does.

 

2-On the mod, try to be as precise around the ring area as possible, a shift of less than 1mm in position or size can have a significant impact and make the ringing/peak even worse.  As for the link to the rabid dawg mod, that's about 3 prototypes old now and anyone can feel free to give it a go.  Material selection is key though, and you have to really pay attention to what you are using, they are not all the same.  Hope to have a pre-fab kit available in a few months that will offer the end user a few subtle flavors to select for their preferred rig and tastes.

[Voltron]

[spritzer]

Who let the HF shortbus in? 

[Anaxilus]

Who let the HF shortbus in? 

 

For someone that bitches about it all the time, you sure seem to like riding in the sucker.  It's a ship btw.  Granted it's not a longboat, so I understand your confusion.

[Voltron]

For someone that bitches about it all the time, you sure seem to like riding in the sucker.  It's a ship btw.  Granted it's not a longboat, so I understand your confusion.

 

 

Why don't you hop back onto the S.S. Douchebag and fuck off out of here?

[Aimless1]

That ain't no long boat matey.

[morphsci]

It's definitely a dinghy, and a small one at that.

[Audiojunkie]

Who let the HF shortbus in? 

 

Actually HF had the good sense to ban his ass for life.