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$1k headphones

DuxServit

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This is subjective, but I recommend Stax. I listen to a lot of Classical and Jazz, and nothing beats a good Stax and driver/amp. There are lots of good vintage Lambda series around for sale, costing several hundred dollars only. No need to buy the $1.5K SR-007 or the $4K SR-009.

I sold all my Sennheisers (including my HD800) after I heard Stax. Sorry people, but the HD800 is overhyped. :)
 

maverickronin

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I sold all my Sennheisers (including my HD800) after I heard Stax. Sorry people, but the HD800 is overhyped. :)

I'm a Stax guy too, but the HD800 are still the best dynamic headphones on the market, possibly after a little modding depending on you preferences.
 

Sal1950

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The HD 800's frequency response is too insane to be "the best dynamic headphones on the market."
Many audiophiles like a hyped top end, witness some of the speakers they buy.
Maybe because as a lot we're a bunch of old farts???
 

DuxServit

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The HD 800's frequency response is too insane to be "the best dynamic headphones on the market."

Still, compared to other dynamic headphones, the HD800 remains up there with the best :)
 

maverickronin

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The HD 800's frequency response is too insane to be "the best dynamic headphones on the market."

That's what you may need the modding for. I definitely agree it's not at its best stock.

It's a very clean dynamic driver and the distance and angle of the drivers from the ears includes more of the wearer's pinna transfer function which improves perception of soundstage and imaging.
 

March Audio

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Still, compared to other dynamic headphones, the HD800 remains up there with the best :)
It's really not close to neutral. I heard them though "bloody hell that's bright" and my thoughts were subsequently confirmed by the measurements. They simply don't come close to the known required ear response, even when you consider individuals vary.
 

maxxevv

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It's really not close to neutral. I heard them though "bloody hell that's bright" and my thoughts were subsequently confirmed by the measurements. They simply don't come close to the known required ear response, even when you consider individuals vary.

Its also very source dependent.

I had a very detailed audition of the HD800 on two separate DACs using the same tracks from the same laptop that went on for almost 2 hours.

The sonic experience between the 2 DAC's via the headphone were quite obviously different. One being very clinical and marignally bright and sounded "airier". The other being marginally warm and more organic sounding and more closed in a sound stage. Both were solid state based amps.

Likewise, I had the chance to audition the Beyer T1.2 at one of the audio shows. Once with a Beyer amp and then with my own personal portable DAC amp. It was bright on the Beyer amp and it was a more neutral with a tinge of warmth on my own DAC amp.

So its not an apples to apples description of it unless you also consider the source of playback and amplification.
 

Kyle / MrHeeHo

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My headphones of choice are the Reference Remastered custim fitted in-ear monitors from Ultimate Ears. I bought them for less than $700 when it's usually $999. To me they sound tuned better than any "audiophile" in-ear monitor I've ever owned or tried. The Audeze LCD2-Classic is my other headphone of choice. I subjectively find them to make poorly mastered music easier to listen to. It helps that both Ultimate Ears and Audeze are both local to me :p . Of course I also have an HD650 like everyone else and to be quite honest it beats out every Sennheiser headphone that has come out since its release. I still keep my Audio-Technica A1000z around for sentimental value and for when I eventually do DIY recabling.

Besides Stax I don't think I will find anything pricier than what I have that I can be convinced to buy other than maybe a higher end Audeze headphone. Most $1000+ headphones to me sound like they are tuned for people with hearing loss in mind.

Not really, the 800s are bright. Period. Its been measured many times in different set ups.
Sennheiser admitted it themselves when they chose to make the 800 S model.
 

solderdude

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So the recommendations, and dis-recommendations, so far:

Audeze: LCD2, LCD2C, LCD3, LCDi4
Hifiman: EdXv2, HE400S, HE560, HE6
Sennheiser: HD650, HD660S, HD800 (fortunately no HD700)
Oppo: PM1, PM3
AKG: K601, K701, K702, K712, Q701
Meze 99 Classic
NAD VISO HP50
Koss ESP950
Kingsound H03
Stax (various models)
Beyerdynamic DT1770, DT1990, T5P(mk2)
AudioQuest Carbon
Focal Utopia, Clear, Elex
mr. Speakers AEON flow closed.

I will also list some of my favs that could fit the bill:

HD800 (with EQ, don't like it without), HD58X (with mods), HD660S
Focal Clear
mr. Speakers AEON flow closed
Hifiman Ananda (quality issues ?) and HE6
DT1990 (with treble mod), DT1350/T51P (with EQ)
Campfire Cascade (with EQ)
And a cheap headphone that, alas, never came to the market in the prototype quality.


So many people so many preferences, so many recommendations.
Trust your own hearing, its the only one that counts.
 
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The HD 800's frequency response is too insane to be "the best dynamic headphones on the market."
It's one of the best dynamic headphones around if you value staging ability and resolution. Agree that the FR is kind of whack (distant upper mids leading to that big treble spike). As someone who loves my ATH-AD2000, I'm not against weird FRs, but the presentation of the HD800s was bothersome to me.
 

Grave

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It's one of the best dynamic headphones around if you value staging ability and resolution. Agree that the FR is kind of whack (distant upper mids leading to that big treble spike). As someone who loves my ATH-AD2000, I'm not against weird FRs, but the presentation of the HD800s was bothersome to me.

Resolution, well they have no less distortion than much cheaper Sennheisers. Soundsage? Use speakers.
 

JJB70

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At $1000 you're well past the point of diminishing returns. All of the decent headphone manufacturers produce excellent headphones for a quarter of that price. That's not to say you shouldn't buy high end headphones if you like them (and can afford them) and headphone preference is perhaps the most individual of all hifi preferences given that you wear them and they have to be comfortable but don't fall into a mind set of assuming that you need to pay $$$$$$$$'s to enjoy good sound. I love my T5P 2 headphones but if they hadn't been half price I don't think I'd have bought them.
 

jsmiller58

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Another idea to throw out there at $700 is the Massdrop x Focal Elex. Very dynamic and clear sounding. Not the biggest bass in the world but I think it is realistic bass. Probably a touch bright for some, but I don’t find it sibilant (unless the track is that way). Much more “analytical” than “musical” to my ears. I think it is insane value for the price. The only downside (probably same as many of the other high end cans on this thread) is that it is very unforgiving for poorly mastered music... and since getting them I have found there is a lot of poorly mastered music out there. If I find a bad track I will listen with another pair of cans and find that the flaws are there too, just have to listen more carefully to hear the flaws...
 

Sal1950

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so many people so many preferences, so many recommendations.
Trust your own hearing, its the only one that counts.
solderdude, just re-scanning this thread and was curious.
NO Grado's at all?
 

JJB70

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The Grado absence is curious as their fans can be quite obsessive about them (well, I suppose that's true for most headphone brands).
 
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