NuForce HP-800

[Dusty Chalk]

Cut'n'paste from an email I just got:

For musicality and accuracy, NuForce HP-800 headphones meet and exceed the demands of studio professional and audio enthusiasts alike.

 

 

NuForce, Inc., a leader in professional and consumer audio solutions, announces the availability of the HP-800, its first over-ear headphones. The HP-800 delivers the kind of performance sound professionals require at a price audio enthusiasts can easily afford.

The HP-800s' natural warmth, realistic highs and visceral bass and spot-on accuracy owe their achievement in large measure to the 'phone's die-cast aluminum frame, which minimizes resonance and improves articulation. No less important are the phone's 40mm neodymium drivers, specifically designed for accurate performance and low distortion. Together, precise engineering and meticulous quality control deliver an extreme dynamic, strikingly fast transients and flat frequency response.

Long hours of playback will be all the more pleasurable owing to the comfort NuForce has designed into the HP-800 headphones. The breathable memory-foam ear cups are covered in super-soft, extremely comfortable leatherette. Similarly, the concave body design has been optimized for comfort and lifelike soundstage presentation.

 

Features:
-Clear, rich, precise sound signature for natural warmth and visceral low end
-Aluminum die-cast housing for minimal resonance and improved articulation
-Concave body design for lifelike sound staging and precisely focused imaging
-Precisely tuned, low-distortion 40mm neodymium drivers
-Wide-range dynamic and flat frequency response
-Breathable, skin-like ear-cups with memory foam inserts for comfortable extended use
-Two removable cables for portable and studio use

Specifications:
-Driver Size: 40mm
-Impedance: 32 +/- 15% Ohm
-Frequency Response: 20 Hz – 20 kHz
-Dimensions: 7” H x 4.57” W x 7.48” D
-Rated Power: 20 mW
-Max Input Power: 30 mW
-Sensitivity: 91 +/- 4 dB
Included Accessories: one carrying bag, one 3.5mm plug cable, one 6.3mm plug cable

 

The NuForce HP-800 headphones are available now for $149 from Nuforce Amazon, Nuforce eStore and various NuForce retailers.

 

 

I may have to get one just to go with the HDP I just got.

[acidbasement]

Keep us posted.  Looks like it might be a decent studio/office 'phone.

[Dusty Chalk]

Tyll, d'you know anything about this?

[robm321]

Keep us posted.  Looks like it might be a decent studio/office 'phone.

 

This.

[Tyll Hertsens]

Tyll, d'you know anything about this?

 

Nothin' yet.  But they're on the schedule for a CES visit. We'll see. 

[HeadphoneAddict]

I have a set coming for my son's birthday.

 

http://amazon.nuforce-icon.com/NuForce-HP800-Accurate-MonitorClass-Headphones-for/M/B00ADG99V2.htm

 

I'll eventually compare them to V-MODA M-80, MDR-V6, SRH-840, and HD25-1 II

[livewire]

HD-800....HP-800 Whooda thunkit?

[acidbasement]

I tried one today at Armaegis' place (he's on HF, don't think he's registered here). Not really my cup of tea. At low volume it was nice, but at my normal listening volume, which is not terribly high, the treble had a certain ice-pick-driving-into-my-skull quality that was not terribly pleasant. I tend to be fairly sensitive to sibilance though, so take this with as many grains of salt as you wish. Comfort was good, but the cups could be a bit bigger to go around my apparently large ears. Bass had impressive extension, and pretty good quality. Listening to sweeping test tones, we also noticed a very deep but thin dip in frequency response around 400 Hz.

[HeadphoneAddict]

We haven't opened ours yet.  Will try them out soon.

[Audiojunkie]

Think bassy headphones! Like as much bass as the Beats...but much better quality bass. No where as muddy.

[HeadphoneAddict]

I'm a big fan of the budget Nuforce products, and I still use my UF-30 open portable phones a lot, but I found that the HP-800 weren't what I was expecting.  They aren't bad, but from their marketing I was expecting more of a budget audiophile or studio headphone.  What they really have is a fun flavored headphone for using un-amped with an iPhone or iPad.  I'm listening to Eric Clapton Unplugged (Live) from my iPhone 5 right now and it's pretty fun to listen to.

 

The sound reminds me a little of my Sony MDR-V6 in the mids and highs, but with the bass cranked up.  They are well suited to movies and electronic music, or instrumental jazz like Jimmy Cobb Quartet "Jazz in the Key of Blue", but with vocals there is a little bit of cupped hands coloration to the mids.  It's not a lot, but it's there and reminds me that I'm listening to a closed headphone.  This is also more easily heard in the reproduction of things like snare drums, which begin to sound more like an electronic drum kit that real snares.

 

However, the HP-800 are a bit less sibilant than the MDR-V6 and I don't experience ice-pick moments with them like acidbasement did..  They were a little grainy and rough in the highs at first, until I ran music through them for several days and then they smoothed out, but the sound signature is pretty much set from the start = V-shaped "fun" curve.  Bass impact is impressive coming from a lowly iPhone. The bass quality does not suffer too much either, despite the bass boost, so that's a plus.  Detail is not bad either, while soundstage size is fairly good as well for a closed phone.

 

The HP-800 sound like what you'd expect from a $150 headphone.  But if you want a closed headphone in this price range that's more "accurate" then the $199 HD25-1 II sound better, although with less bass weight and impact.  The HD25-1 II were just more transparent and accurate with less coloration, although with a bit smaller flatter 2D soundstage.  The Shure SRH-840 mids seem a little off somewhere, but without the slight "cupped hands" sound of the HP-800.  But the Shure have a bit less bass than the HP-800 or MDR-V6 so they are not as fun.  The HP-800 easily make the SRH-840 sound thin and bass-lite in direct comparison.  I need to unbox my new V-MODA M-80 and compare to those too, but from memory of the M-80 at RMAF I expect to like those better too, although the M-80 and HD25 are not as comfortable as the HP-800.  

 

Again, the HP-800 are not bad, but like I said, they don't seem to be an audiophile headphone or a studio monitor.  If you don't expect too much from them you can plug right into an iPhone or iPad and enjoy un-amped, with decent isolation from the outside and very little bleed of the music into the outside world.  My son enjoys them and would like to have them, but he wont give up his HD25-1 II for these - he wants both.  I do think the two would compliment each other, with their different sound signatures.

 

Although I have not done a direct comparison I have no doubt that these are better than my old Bose or Darth Beyers that I got rid of, and I'm sure they'd beat the $199 Monster Inspiration that I tried out at the last RMAF.  I like them more than my MDR-V6 and SRH-840, but I'd probably still take the more expensive HD25-1 II if I couldn't keep them both (my son and I each have our own pair of HD25).  

 

My V-MODA M-100 are also a step up in performance, and although not quite as accurate as the HD25-1 II they are much more fun than all the others, while offering a more transparent and spacious picture into the music.  Of all these closed phones that I mentioned here, I prefer the M-100 followed closely by the HD25, and then the HP-800.  But the MDR-V6 and SRH-840 I could live without.  I haven't bothered to compare to my re-cabled ATH-A900 or HFI-700DVD yet, but I don't really use those anymore either.

 

[Audiojunkie]

Honestly, for the $, I'd recommend the venerable M50s. These have muddy and thick bass that just overwhelms the mids. Constructions comes off a bit cheap too. A disappointment for my any way.

[HeadphoneAddict]

I forgot to mention that a lot of my listening was with the beta tester Nuforce HD player that has an EQ optimized for the HP-800, and it makes them a lot better.  Without the EQ they are closer to the MDR-V6.

[Dusty Chalk]

Hmmm...(strokes chin)

 

I really like the MDR-V6.  Any idea what the EQ curve is?

[HeadphoneAddict]

Hmmm...(strokes chin)

 

I really like the MDR-V6.  Any idea what the EQ curve is?

 

No I don't know, sorry - but it cuts the bass down a little bit, bumps the mids up a bit, and removes a small lower treble peak I think.  Without EQ both phones (Nuforce Sony) have a V-shaped curve with recessed mids, but the HP-800 bass quantity is several dB above that of the MDR-V6.  It's not an upper bass boost that bleeds too much into the mids.  Somehow the Nuforce HD player beta reduces the cupped hands mid a little too, which I didn't think EQ could help with before.  I might dig out the MDR-V6 and they them with the HP-800 setting on the HD player.  But I'm not feeling good and it's too much trouble right now.

[livewire]

Thanks for the recommendation Dusty!

 

I really like my MDR-V6 as is.

Hard to believe that a $40 headphone can sound this good.

(They were on sale at Amazon around Christmas time.)

[Dusty Chalk]

Alright, I'll preface this with ... you're right, about the midbass bloom -- great big sunflowers in your face with a fisheye lens bloom.  But on instrumental music, I find recessed mids much less distracting than I do with vocal music, so I'm not hearing the recessed mids as much.  But the highs are really nice for a closed headphone.  I definitely agree with the Sony comparison on the highs.

 

(Listening to some ancient Brubeck.  Piano does sound pretty good.  Will try some EQ.)

[HeadphoneAddict]

I'm using the final version of the Nuforce HD Player, and the HP-800 sound pretty nice unamped with the iPhone or iPad when using the HD player set to "correct" the HP-800's response.  I still haven't bothered to dig out the MDR-V6 again, but since the HD Player does more than EQ it might not work well with them.

 

I am told that this is more than just an EQ for iPhone, and that the HD Player actually actively counteracts or suppresses driver ring and distortion.  They put up some graphs on their web site showing actual measurements.  http://www.nuforce.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=37

 

The effect with and without the HD Player is pretty amazing.  I wouldn't have believed it if I hadn't heard it for myself. Here is more info about what it does:  http://www.nuforce.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=36&Itemid=2576

 

With the iPhone and iPad the HP-800's faults stand out more than with my Macbook Pro > Amarra Music Player > Nuforce DAC-100 > Nuforce HAP-100 amp.  The Mac rig with software and upgraded DAC/amp clearly beats the stock music player on iPad/iPhone, but the Nuforce HD Player brings the enjoyment out of the unamped iPhone much closer to the level of the computer rig!  With some songs I might actually enjoy the iDevice/HP-800 via Nuforce HD player more.

[Dusty Chalk]

I've gotten used to the midbass bloom already, I don't find it intrusive on the mids at all.  Using the above sunflower analogy, it's like the camera panned back.  And maybe craned up a little, to compensate for the distance, so that the ground didn't seem to take over the foreground.  But, you know, still there -- 'bloom'.

 

I've been listening to a bunch of Brubeck compilations, which means there've been the occasional vocal track (the most obvious being Louis Armstrong, I think, and ...Carmen McRae -- is that the vocalist?), but still need to hear more, and more familiar vocal material.