Sennheiser HD 800 Redux

[Grahame]

Or do it in software to avoid all those nasty physical system artifacts (phase anyone?). An amp should be gain, not FX.

[Riotvan]

Yeah i meant equalizer apo for windows or that Behringer Deq2496 to do it completely digital. Both work great in my experience

[Nugen]

Thanks for the recs guys.

I think I've found a device that may drive and give the warmth too, it a centrance hi-fi m8.

Reviews I've read so far claim it's powerful enough to drive my HD800's and has a bass boost function, so sounds promising and may go on my maybe list.

And it's kind of all I can afford right now.

[postjack]

Before any listening session with the HD800 I rub my hands together briskly to generate heat, then carefully place them over the cable. The ensuing warmth adds a certain "hors d'oeuvres" quality to the sound, not unlike a crunchy chicken and cheese wrap. This process is like a heat lamp for the soul of the music. It also always makes me vomit and cry uncontrollably, but it so worth it to hear the purity of Dianna krall or whatever.

[Sherwood]

Currently trying to obtain a HeadAmp GS-X MK2 or AMB Beta 22 to see if solid state can be sufficient enough for these phones, otherwise i'll really have to switch over to tubes.

 

So far between the HD800 & LCD-2 i have at hand, the LCD-2 definitely sounds better with Schiit Equipment. It's so hard to find a dark/warm solid state amp with so many mixed information everywhere! 

Not looking for anything over $3000 as i'll still have to pick up a Matrix Audio X-Sabre DAC.

 

It looks like you really decided to move quickly on purchasing the above:

 

[Grahame]

And the up goer 5 text editor complained about your about ... (post ocr)

"UH OH! YOU HAVE USED NON-PERMITTED WORDS (AMELIORATING, AUDIO, TRANSMISSION, QUALITY,ARTEMIS, FIDELITY, AUDIO, CABLES, MANUFACTURER, WHOSE, DELIVER, ULIRAPRECISE,REPRODUCTIONS, SPEAKERS, HEADPHONES, MONITORS, SOLE, AUDIO, CABLES, VAIOUS, RELATED,CATEGORIES, DIGITAL, CABLES, SUPPLIES, AMPLIFIER, MODIFICATIONS, MISSION, ELIMINATE,BOTTLENECK, ENSUE, STOCK, CABLES, MULTIFAIOUS, CABLE, SCIENCE, TECHNIQUES, RECREATE, AUDIOVISUAL, EXPERIENCES, INTENDED, ARTIST, ARTEMIS, COMPRISED, ENTREPRENEURS, ARTISANS,EXPERIENCES, RESPECTED, FLELDS, VARIOUS, COLABORATOTS, PRODUCE, DEVIOR, RESEARCH,DEVELOPMENT, EMULATED, PRODUCTS, AI, MANUFACTURING, PROCESSES, U, S)

 

HINTS  TOP  LATEST  LIBRARY  RANDOM

INSPIRED BY XKCD. (THE IMAGE IS FROM #386.)
CREATED BY THEO SANDERSON. HOW DOES IT WORK?

"

[Dusty Chalk]

http://splasho.com/upgoer5/?i=H2IlnJ91p2k5YPO3nTS0VUEbMFOzqJAeYvNtFFOxnJEhW3DtMzyhMPO0nTS0VUMypaxtnTSlMPOuqPOuoTjh

[grawk]

http://splasho.com/upgoer5/?i=L2S0plOfnJgyVUEiVTIuqPOjMJ9joTHhVPO0nTHtpzIup29hVUEbMKxtoTyeMFO0olOyLKDtpTIipTkyVTymVUEbLKDtpTIipTkyVTSlMFOvLJDhVPOwLKEmVTAuqPO0MJkfVUEbLKDtpTIipTkyVTSlMFOvLJDtLzIwLKImMFO0nTI5VUAgMJkfVTM1oz55YvNtpTIipTkyVTEiovq0VTkcn2HtqT8tMJS0VTAuqUZhVPO0nTHtpzIup29hVUOyo3OfMFOxo24aqPOfnJgyVUEiVTIuqPOwLKEmVTymVUEbLKDtL2S0plOupzHtLzSxYvNtpTIipTkyVTEiovq0VTkcn2HtqT8tMJS0VTMio2DtqTuuqPOcplOvLJDfVT5iqPOfnJgyVTAuqUZh

[HeadphoneAddict]

Does anyone use the HD800 with older "vintage" amplifiers?

I've heard some users claiming such bring warmth and stronger bass and at a low outlay?

Thanks in advance.

 

At first I found that my Marantz 2240 vintage receiver made the HD800 sound warm and inviting with very punchy bass, but as stated here it kills what's special about the HD800 (you lose detail, soundstage, and speed).

 

Are you looking at vintage for the synergy with HD800 or for the lower price?  It's possible to have both.

 

Far better for HD800, on a tight budget, is the Nuforce Icon DAC which adds warmth and impact to the HD800 without killing all the detail and soundstage (at least for a budget amp). This is the one that does DSD with a computer USB, and works with Android devices via USB.  The built-in amp is pretty good vs other DAC/amps in the $300 price range, and the DAC is is nothing to sneeze at.  It sounds like a device costing twice as much.  As a matter of fact, it's synergy with HD800 is much better than with my CEntrance DACmini, which makes my HD800 more fatiguing and cold sounding.

 

A HiFiMan EF2 is even cheaper but pairs fairly well with HD800 for a warm romantic euphonic sound, although with less power. But it's DAC is not good enough to show what HD800 can do, and it needs to be paired with a much better DAC.

[Tyll Hertsens]

And the up goer 5 text editor .....

O.M.G. What a rabbit hole. I tried to write an explanation of the physics of flight except I couldn't find an allowable word for weight. Any suggestions?

"You can make a car fly by having arms longer on top than under. By moving forward the air over the arms goes far and under the arm goes less and becomes thicker. That means the air under pushes hard up as the car goes fast. If the car goes fast enough, the push is bigger than the weight of the car and it flies."

Edited September 4, 2014 by Tyll Hertsens

[DefQon]

 

A HiFiMan EF2 is even cheaper but pairs fairly well with HD800 for a warm romantic euphonic sound, although with less power. But it's DAC is not good enough to show what HD800 can do, and it needs to be paired with a much better DAC.

 

What? I found the EF2 to be a piece of crap that didn't pair well with anything except the AD700's which is also crap.

Edited September 4, 2014 by DefQon

[Grahame]

O.M.G. What a rabbit hole. I tried to write an explanation of the physics of flight except I couldn't find an allowable word for weight. Any suggestions?

http://splasho.com/upgoer5/?i=FTIuqaxtoaIgLzIl

[Dusty Chalk]

What? I found the EF2 to be a piece of crap that didn't pair well with anything except the AD700's which is also crap.

Wait, what?  I might have read that too quickly, but I discerned that two pieces of crap cancelled each other out.  What'd I do wrong?

[HeadphoneAddict]

What? I found the EF2 to be a piece of crap that didn't pair well with anything except the AD700's which is also crap.

 

Well, I have some Raythen 6AK5 tubes in it, and with the Pico DAC and HD800 it sounded better than any other <$250 amp with the HD800. YMMV.

[wink]

 

O.M.G. What a rabbit hole. I tried to write an explanation of the physics of flight except I couldn't find an allowable word for weight. Any suggestions?

"You can make a car fly by having arms longer on top than under. By moving forward the air over the arms goes far and under the arm goes less and becomes thicker. That means the air under pushes hard up as the car goes fast. If the car goes fast enough, the push is bigger than the weight of the car and it flies."

 

I tried this :

 

 

"The Sirens of Titan", a philosophical

examination of the relation of models of time to hierarchical

self-contained epistemologies. He could only publish this by disguising

it as an SF novel. He uses the term "chronoclastic infundibulum" to

refer to a detached stream of time with only occasional intersections

with the main time stream. Ghosts with periodic appearances are a

manifestation of chronoclastic infundibula. You are referring to a

retroactive chronoclastic infundibulum. Dick, like most

philochronologers, considered retroactive infundibula to be

theoretically impossible. Gwalkins and Zeiburg, however, have pointed

out that Dick's argument strictly speaking refers only to the

perceptions of a causal (and ipso facto temporal) agent, not to the

underlying temporal structures. This is an interesting example of one of

the very few nice arguments which are also theoretically moot (another

being McGinn's contention that the structure of mind is not

autocomprehensible).

 

but had to settle for this:-

 

http://splasho.com/upgoer5/?i=FD==

Edited September 4, 2014 by wink

[DefQon]

 

Wait, what?  I might have read that too quickly, but I discerned that two pieces of crap cancelled each other out.  What'd I do wrong?

 

Nada. The EF2 + HD800 combo was *insert-slang-of-choice*. 

 

 

Well, I have some Raythen 6AK5 tubes in it, and with the Pico DAC and HD800 it sounded better than any other <$250 amp with the HD800. YMMV.

 

For <$250 M-Stage + HD800 is pretty hard to beat.

[nikongod]

O.M.G. What a rabbit hole. I tried to write an explanation of the physics of flight except I couldn't find an allowable word for weight. Any suggestions?

 

 

"Heavy" is in the ten-hundred most used words

 

http://splasho.com/upgoer5/phpspellcheck/dictionaries/1000.dicin

[Nugen]

At first I found that my Marantz 2240 vintage receiver made the HD800 sound warm and inviting with very punchy bass, but as stated here it kills what's special about the HD800 (you lose detail, soundstage, and speed).

 

Are you looking at vintage for the synergy with HD800 or for the lower price?  It's possible to have both.

 

Far better for HD800, on a tight budget, is the Nuforce Icon DAC which adds warmth and impact to the HD800 without killing all the detail and soundstage (at least for a budget amp). This is the one that does DSD with a computer USB, and works with Android devices via USB.  The built-in amp is pretty good vs other DAC/amps in the $300 price range, and the DAC is is nothing to sneeze at.  It sounds like a device costing twice as much.  As a matter of fact, it's synergy with HD800 is much better than with my CEntrance DACmini, which makes my HD800 more fatiguing and cold sounding.

 

A HiFiMan EF2 is even cheaper but pairs fairly well with HD800 for a warm romantic euphonic sound, although with less power. But it's DAC is not good enough to show what HD800 can do, and it needs to be paired with a much better DAC.

Having both is ideal, absolutely!

Thank you so much, the Nuforce Icon is now top of my "maybe" list, so for sure I've got some great options from you guys!

[Nugen]

O.M.G. What a rabbit hole. I tried to write an explanation of the physics of flight except I couldn't find an allowable word for weight. Any suggestions?"You can make a car fly by having arms longer on top than under. By moving forward the air over the arms goes far and under the arm goes less and becomes thicker. That means the air under pushes hard up as the car goes fast. If the car goes fast enough, the push is bigger than the weight of the car and it flies."

I've just watched you on YouTube, your hi fi m8 video!

I guess it's a small world but I really enjoyed your video and have this amp/DAC on my list second to the Nuforce Icon.

Im definitely going to watch your HD800 video, even though I have it!

[eggil]

Oh Man. Are the cable-makes-a-difference-people moving into this forum?

I though I had left them at head-fi

Edited September 20, 2014 by eggil

[DefQon]

I enjoy believing my cables make a difference to my speakers

[Dusty Chalk]

Cables do make a difference, just try to listen to your system without 'em.

 

Ramska bramzska eeny feeny tramska!

[eggil]

Cables do make a difference, just try to listen to your system without 'em.

 

Ramska bramzska eeny feeny tramska!

Ha Ha. Good one!

Especially if they are cryogenically treated

[cutestory]

O.M.G. What a rabbit hole. I tried to write an explanation of the physics of flight except I couldn't find an allowable word for weight. Any suggestions?

"You can make a car fly by having arms longer on top than under. By moving forward the air over the arms goes far and under the arm goes less and becomes thicker. That means the air under pushes hard up as the car goes fast. If the car goes fast enough, the push is bigger than the heavy feel of the car and it flies."

 

FTFY.

[Tyll Hertsens]

Phew, thanks.  Now I can get some sleep.