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Coming from the DT880s(250ohm)...I'm torn between these three end game cans(HD 800 S, DCA E3, HE 1000SE). Which should I get?

I

isamu99

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Hi guys good to be here! I've been rocking my Beyerdynamics DT-880s since 2009!!! They're still going and sound great. But after so many years the cable is acting up, causing audio in the left cup to cut out. Even without this problem, I have to admit I'm ready to upgrade regardless. I want something bigger and better. I'm finally in a position where I can splurge on a high end set of headphones, and after doing some research I've decided it's probably going to be between the following three, based on a budget of $2000 or less...

1)Sennheiser HD800 S
2)Dan Clark Audio E3
3)HiFiMan HE1000SE
4)....Bonus possibility.....Focal Stellia but very reluctant on this one because well...it's $1K *more*!

Now I will just come out and say, I am heavily leaning towards the HD800S due to what everyone says about their wide soundstage. The bias is already building. I listen mainly to three categories of music....

1)80's post-punk british alt-rock/new wave(think U2, The Cure, The Smiths, Echo and the Bunnymen, etc)
2)90's Trance/Progressive House(think 808 State, Depeche Mode remixes, etc)
3)JRPG orchestral-style soundtracks(think Final Fantasy series, Dragon Quest series, Xenoblade, etc).

Now you might look at this list and think damn, those are genres that cover a wide spectrum of musical styles and you'd be right, but here's the thing...despite EDM/Trance/whatever you wanna call it being known for its bass, and despite listening to the genre for many years, I don't particularly yearn for a lot of bass. In fact I always keep the bass on my Yamaha receiver below the mid-range. Boomy, loud sounding bass doesn't do anything for me. Unlike most people who are into trance/edm, I don't like having the bass turned up too high, otherwise it's too overbearing. I listen to Trance/EDM for it's melody and synth delivery, and consider the bass an effect that nicely compliments the music.

But keep in mind that is only one of three genres I'm into. It's for this reason that I'm considering the three headphones above, but leaning particularly towards the HD 800S despite the lack of bass(according to what people say). However, the other two...DCA E3 and HE1000SE have gotten so much praise it's hard to ignore them. I've watched videos from Passion for Sound and others, and they all say the HEKSE's have THE most detail they've heard and will bring out the flaws in your records' recordings. But then you have the Clarks, which people say have a special sound signature, sound spacious even for closed backs, and have great detail and sonic presence.

This makes it tough to come to a decision but I want to emphasize one more thing....I love love LOVE a small amount of reverb in my songs! When listening to something like Silver from Echo and the Bunnymen, I set the DSP to "Concert Hall" on my receiver because I want to make those strings sound like they're coming from all around me. I want a headphone that will help emphasize the dsp effect of a spacious, reverby, echo-y, ice-cave-y sound when listening to anything with strings or anything orchestral. If a super-wide soundstage is a sonic effect that helps deliver this kind of experience, then it sounds like the HD800S are my best bet?

By the way, I'm also in the market for a dac/amp combo and I've all but completely settled on the RME-ADI-2 Pro FS. This is the dac/amp I've been eyeballing and it has the features I'm looking for but I'm of course open to other suggestions.

So what do you guys think? Which headphones would you suggest as my upgrade from the DT880's 250ohm, giving my musical taste?
 
Welcome to ASR!

There is no end game for headphones. Simply find a model that satisfies the following requirements:
  • Must be comfortable to wear for long hours;
  • Adequately low linear distortion (in frequency response) correctable with EQ---EQ is a must, anyway;
  • Adequately low nonlinear distortion (e.g., harmonic distortion).
In fact, I would give a high priority to the first requirement---comfort. Everyone has a different personal preference when it comes to comfort.

Wide soundstage? We do feel some differences in headphone soundstage, but in my view, the differences are still WITHIN the narrow spectrum of headphone soundstage. I own HD 800S. Yes, it definitely produces wide soundstage FOR a headphone. But should it be a reason to stick with the HD 800S only? No, not to me. Also, the perception of soundstage is not just due to the physical structure of the phones (e.g., angled drivers). In fact, frequency response (i.e., emphasis on certain high-frequency regions) is a big factor. That is why EQ'ing is also one thing (of course, not the only thing) to consider for preferred soundstage. It may not be practically possible to exactly mimic some realistic soundstage (e.g., from speakers), but tweaking EQ for some improvement is definitely worth a try.

If you like to use DSP for reverb effects, that is not a problem at all. But the question, which headphones are better for a certain DSP effect, is pointless. Any distinctly clear DSP effect should be a dominating factor and will mask subtle differences in headphones.

The RME ADI-2 Pro FS will be great. But if you don't need ADC, there's no reason to choose it over the ADI-2 DAC FS. Sure, its higher balanced output power could be useful for some extremely demanding headphones, but the DAC FS can cover most headphones out there. Note that a balanced headphone connection is beneficial only if it is an option for higher output---otherwise, single-ended connection is completely fine (in fact, a SE connection has lower noise for a given voltage output).
 
Last edited:
isamu99 said:
Hi guys good to be here! I've been rocking my Beyerdynamics DT-880s since 2009!!! They're still going and sound great. But after so many years the cable is acting up, causing audio in the left cup to cut out. Even without this problem, I have to admit I'm ready to upgrade regardless. I want something bigger and better. I'm finally in a position where I can splurge on a high end set of headphones, and after doing some research I've decided it's probably going to be between the following three, based on a budget of $2000 or less...

1)Sennheiser HD800 S
2)Dan Clark Audio E3
3)HiFiMan HE1000SE
4)....Bonus possibility.....Focal Stellia but very reluctant on this one because well...it's $1K *more*!

Now I will just come out and say, I am heavily leaning towards the HD800S due to what everyone says about their wide soundstage. The bias is already building. I listen mainly to three categories of music....

1)80's post-punk british alt-rock/new wave(think U2, The Cure, The Smiths, Echo and the Bunnymen, etc)
2)90's Trance/Progressive House(think 808 State, Depeche Mode remixes, etc)
3)JRPG orchestral-style soundtracks(think Final Fantasy series, Dragon Quest series, Xenoblade, etc).

Now you might look at this list and think damn, those are genres that cover a wide spectrum of musical styles and you'd be right, but here's the thing...despite EDM/Trance/whatever you wanna call it being known for its bass, and despite listening to the genre for many years, I don't particularly yearn for a lot of bass. In fact I always keep the bass on my Yamaha receiver below the mid-range. Boomy, loud sounding bass doesn't do anything for me. Unlike most people who are into trance/edm, I don't like having the bass turned up too high, otherwise it's too overbearing. I listen to Trance/EDM for it's melody and synth delivery, and consider the bass an effect that nicely compliments the music.

But keep in mind that is only one of three genres I'm into. It's for this reason that I'm considering the three headphones above, but leaning particularly towards the HD 800S despite the lack of bass(according to what people say). However, the other two...DCA E3 and HE1000SE have gotten so much praise it's hard to ignore them. I've watched videos from Passion for Sound and others, and they all say the HEKSE's have THE most detail they've heard and will bring out the flaws in your records' recordings. But then you have the Clarks, which people say have a special sound signature, sound spacious even for closed backs, and have great detail and sonic presence.

This makes it tough to come to a decision but I want to emphasize one more thing....I love love LOVE a small amount of reverb in my songs! When listening to something like Silver from Echo and the Bunnymen, I set the DSP to "Concert Hall" on my receiver because I want to make those strings sound like they're coming from all around me. I want a headphone that will help emphasize the dsp effect of a spacious, reverby, echo-y, ice-cave-y sound when listening to anything with strings or anything orchestral. If a super-wide soundstage is a sonic effect that helps deliver this kind of experience, then it sounds like the HD800S are my best bet?

By the way, I'm also in the market for a dac/amp combo and I've all but completely settled on the RME-ADI-2 Pro FS. This is the dac/amp I've been eyeballing and it has the features I'm looking for but I'm of course open to other suggestions.

So what do you guys think? Which headphones would you suggest as my upgrade from the DT880's 250ohm, giving my musical taste?
Click to expand...

Positives of the E3 are that the tonality is much better right out of the box - no EQ needed compared to the HD800S. On the other hand, a big advantage of the HD800S is comfort: it’s lighter, fully open, and very easy to wear for long sessions. The HD800S also gives you a wide, open presentation. Just don’t expect it to sound “speaker-like” - it’s not - but it is more open/wide than the E3.

When EQ’d to the same target, they still end up with different sound presentations, and I honestly enjoy both and regularly use both.

E3 downsides:
  • Heavy, and can feel uncomfortable in hot weather
  • Bass performance depends on getting a good seal
  • More expensive
HD800S downsides:
  • EQ is basically a must
  • Bass can get a bit boomy with oratory EQ
  • Tonality, even after EQ, feels a bit off to me
If you could demo them that would be ideal, because what applies to me, doesn't necessarily mean that it will apply to you, especially when it comes to closed-backs like E3.

Take a look also at the Hifiman Arya instead of HE1000SE. Currently Arya is 600 EUR. HD800s is around 1300 EUR, E3 is 2300 EUR.
 
How old are you? Do you have tinnitus?
If you are young and have good hearing you don't need very bright headphones like HD800s and HE1000SE (your ears will thank you long term).
DCA E3 can sound correct and pleasantly neutral if you will be able to achieve a good seal (and it's not so easy with fairly large cups and long hair for example, the same goes for HD800s which is also the worst choice if you have tinnitus).
On my head DCA Stealth had way more bass and better seal than DCA E3, and on secondary market it can be found for the same amount of money as new DCA E3, it is the best DCA headphone for music enjoyment (it has low end coloration) and probably the best closed back headphone ever made.
If you don't mind an open back headphone with linear bass, I can suggest a recently released Hifiman HE600 ($900), I listened to it briefly in a fairly noisy envirement and it sounded very good.
For exiting and bright sound with a lot of bass you can just buy Hifiman Ananda Nano and apply Oratory EQ setting to it, it will sound real nice, it is the most budget option.
If EQ is not an option, then you should only trust your ears, and not price tags or reviews without any measurments to back them up.

If you like your DT880 then there is really no need to upgrade your headphones. A new pair of good nearfield speakers with a sub will bring you much more enjoyment than any expensive headphone (and you can do it even with a $1k budget).
 
Last edited:
AryaStealth said:
-How old are you? Do you have tinnitus?
If you are young and have good hearing you don't need very bright headphones like HD800s and HE1000SE (your ears will thank you long term).
DCA E3 can sound correct and pleasantly neutral if you will be able to achieve a good seal (and it's not so easy with fairly large cups and long hair for example, the same goes for HD800s which is also the worst choice if you have tinnitus).
On my head DCA Stealth had way more bass and better seal than DCA E3, and on secondary market it can be found for the same amount of money as new DCA E3, it is the best DCA headphone for music enjoyment (it has low end coloration) and probably the best closed back headphone ever made.
If you don't mind an open back headphone with linear bass, I can suggest a recently released Hifiman HE600 ($900), I listened to it briefly in a fairly noisy envirement and it sounded very good.
For exiting and bright sound with a lot of bass you can just buy Hifiman Ananda Nano and apply Oratory EQ setting to it, it will sound real nice, it is the most budget option.
If EQ is not an option, then you should only trust your ears, and not price tags or reviews without any measurments to back them up.

If you like your DT880 then there is really no need to upgrade your headphones. A new pair of good nearfield speakers with a sub will bring you much more enjoyment than any expensive headphone (and you can do it even with a $1k budget).
Click to expand...

Wow thanks everyone for your replies so far, much appreciated.

@AryaStealth , I'm sooo glad you asked this, because yes I DO in fact have tinnitus! I'm 52, and have had it since I was around 19. It was pretty mild and not overbearing prior to 2023, but then it became more severe after I got the jab(which I hear is a common issue among some people) back in August of 2023. Lately it seems like it's starting to get a bit better and back to where it was pre-jab. Now it's only noticeable in *somewhat* silent environments.

But yes, this is something that I need to take into consideration because one thing I forgot to mention, is that my DT-880s *can* in fact become fatiguing, when listening to some tracks in my alt-rock collection. Unfortunately, over the years, my ears have become more sensitive to mid-range sounds, like harsh guitars. The Headmaster Ritual by The Smiths is a perfect example of a song that I absolutely love but cannot turn the volume up high on, because it'll start to make my ears ring.

So yeah, my tinnitus is definitely a thing I should have mentioned. You guys may be swaying me the other way towards the E3, give how you're saying how bright the HD 800s are. So @AryaStealth what do you think now that you know this? I definitely want lots of detail but not something overly bright that's bad for people suffering from tinnitus. It's the reason I had to stop using my Sony MDR-7506s.
 
isamu99 said:
Wow thanks everyone for your replies so far, much appreciated.

@AryaStealth , I'm sooo glad you asked this, because yes I DO in fact have tinnitus! I'm 52, and have had it since I was around 19. It was pretty mild and not overbearing prior to 2023, but then it became more severe after I got the jab(which I hear is a common issue among some people) back in August of 2023. Lately it seems like it's starting to get a bit better and back to where it was pre-jab. Now it's only noticeable in *somewhat* silent environments.

But yes, this is something that I need to take into consideration because one thing I forgot to mention, is that my DT-880s *can* in fact become fatiguing, when listening to some tracks in my alt-rock collection. Unfortunately, over the years, my ears have become more sensitive to mid-range sounds, like harsh guitars. The Headmaster Ritual by The Smiths is a perfect example of a song that I absolutely love but cannot turn the volume up high on, because it'll start to make my ears ring.

So yeah, my tinnitus is definitely a thing I should have mentioned. You guys may be swaying me the other way towards the E3, give how you're saying how bright the HD 800s are. So @AryaStealth what do you think now that you know this? I definitely want lots of detail but not something overly bright that's bad for people suffering from tinnitus. It's the reason I had to stop using my Sony MDR-7506s.
Click to expand...

You can use EQ and make them less bright - that goes for any headphones you own. But you can't change the fit and comfort of a headphone.

For example the EQ preset for your DT880:

1756659849078.png


Dropbox

www.dropbox.com www.dropbox.com
 
Welcome to ASR! I'm going to throw out an idea that might sound really stupid given that you're ready to drop $2K, but you should consider trying the following:

A set of truthear IEMs (Gate, Zero Red / Blue / Hexa / Pure are all good options, budget $15-100... people also like Moondrop)
A variety of tips to find ones you really like (another $20-50 at most)
A crossfeed plugin / effect (I use this one in EQAPO - you can also add reverb there if you want, I have suggestions for nice plugins along those lines if you want) ($0)

The tonality on these IEMs is as good or better than what you get from the headphones on your list, and the distortion likewise.

And the soundstage improvement you get from using crossfeed is considerable.

In 2025 you don't need to spend much at all, in fact shockingly little to get really good performance from IEMs. In 2009 the situation was different - Shure had some interesting stuff, Bose was getting into it a bit, and otherwise it was less mainstream stuff like Westone or Etymotic. None of them compared to the HD800 or anything like that, but they still cost a fair amount, $200+ to get decent ones IIRC. But things have changed A LOT since then. Now you literally have $15 IEMs that outperform almost anything you could buy back then.

And I'm saying this with a set of Audeze LCD-XC on my desk. So before you blow the whole budget on cans, try some cheap (but good) IEMs and maybe save the $2K for a nice set of bookshelf speakers. :)
 
Last edited:
kemmler3D said:
Welcome to ASR! I'm going to throw out an idea that might sound really stupid given that you're ready to drop $2K, but you should consider trying the following:

A set of truthear IEMs (Gate, Zero Red / Blue / Hexa / Pure are all good options, budget $15-100... people also like Moondrop)
A variety of tips to find ones you really like (another $20-50 at most)
A crossfeed plugin / effect (I use this one in EQAPO - you can also add reverb there if you want, I have suggestions for nice plugins along those lines if you want) ($0)

The tonality on these IEMs is as good or better than what you get from the headphones on your list, and the distortion likewise.

And the soundstage improvement you get from using crossfeed is considerable.

In 2025 you don't need to spend much at all, in fact shockingly little to get really good performance from IEMs. In 2009 the situation was different - Shure had some interesting stuff, Bose was getting into it a bit, and otherwise it was less mainstream stuff like Westone or Etymotic. None of them compared to the HD800 or anything like that, but they still cost a fair amount, $200+ to get decent ones IIRC. But things have changed A LOT since then. Now you literally have $15 IEMs that outperform almost anything you could buy back then.

And I'm saying this with a set of Audeze LCD-XC on my desk. So before you blow the whole budget on cans, try some cheap (but good) IEMs and maybe save the $2K for a nice set of bookshelf speakers. :)
Click to expand...

Thanks buddy. I appreciate the suggestion for IEMs, and don't mind using them. In fact I have a pair of $50 Sennheiser CX 300S IEMs in my ears as I type this. They sound pretty good too! However....when I'm kicking back and want to get absorb and get lost in my music, sorry but over the ear cans are a MUST. Just a personal preference.
 
isamu99 said:
Thanks buddy. I appreciate the suggestion for IEMs, and don't mind using them. In fact I have a pair of $50 Sennheiser CX 300S IEMs in my ears as I type this. They sound pretty good too! However....when I'm kicking back and want to get absorb and get lost in my music, sorry but over the ear cans are a MUST. Just a personal preference.
Click to expand...
Totally fair, still check out the crossfeed though, it also works well with over-ears.
 
isamu99 said:
Hi guys good to be here! I've been rocking my Beyerdynamics DT-880s since 2009!!! They're still going and sound great. But after so many years the cable is acting up, causing audio in the left cup to cut out. Even without this problem, I have to admit I'm ready to upgrade regardless. I want something bigger and better. I'm finally in a position where I can splurge on a high end set of headphones, and after doing some research I've decided it's probably going to be between the following three, based on a budget of $2000 or less...

1)Sennheiser HD800 S
2)Dan Clark Audio E3
3)HiFiMan HE1000SE
4)....Bonus possibility.....Focal Stellia but very reluctant on this one because well...it's $1K *more*!

Now I will just come out and say, I am heavily leaning towards the HD800S due to what everyone says about their wide soundstage. The bias is already building. I listen mainly to three categories of music....

1)80's post-punk british alt-rock/new wave(think U2, The Cure, The Smiths, Echo and the Bunnymen, etc)
2)90's Trance/Progressive House(think 808 State, Depeche Mode remixes, etc)
3)JRPG orchestral-style soundtracks(think Final Fantasy series, Dragon Quest series, Xenoblade, etc).

Now you might look at this list and think damn, those are genres that cover a wide spectrum of musical styles and you'd be right, but here's the thing...despite EDM/Trance/whatever you wanna call it being known for its bass, and despite listening to the genre for many years, I don't particularly yearn for a lot of bass. In fact I always keep the bass on my Yamaha receiver below the mid-range. Boomy, loud sounding bass doesn't do anything for me. Unlike most people who are into trance/edm, I don't like having the bass turned up too high, otherwise it's too overbearing. I listen to Trance/EDM for it's melody and synth delivery, and consider the bass an effect that nicely compliments the music.

But keep in mind that is only one of three genres I'm into. It's for this reason that I'm considering the three headphones above, but leaning particularly towards the HD 800S despite the lack of bass(according to what people say). However, the other two...DCA E3 and HE1000SE have gotten so much praise it's hard to ignore them. I've watched videos from Passion for Sound and others, and they all say the HEKSE's have THE most detail they've heard and will bring out the flaws in your records' recordings. But then you have the Clarks, which people say have a special sound signature, sound spacious even for closed backs, and have great detail and sonic presence.

This makes it tough to come to a decision but I want to emphasize one more thing....I love love LOVE a small amount of reverb in my songs! When listening to something like Silver from Echo and the Bunnymen, I set the DSP to "Concert Hall" on my receiver because I want to make those strings sound like they're coming from all around me. I want a headphone that will help emphasize the dsp effect of a spacious, reverby, echo-y, ice-cave-y sound when listening to anything with strings or anything orchestral. If a super-wide soundstage is a sonic effect that helps deliver this kind of experience, then it sounds like the HD800S are my best bet?

By the way, I'm also in the market for a dac/amp combo and I've all but completely settled on the RME-ADI-2 Pro FS. This is the dac/amp I've been eyeballing and it has the features I'm looking for but I'm of course open to other suggestions.

So what do you guys think? Which headphones would you suggest as my upgrade from the DT880's 250ohm, giving my musical taste?
Click to expand...
Just my two cents on this.
I see a lot of trade-ins and used Focal Stellias for €1700 to €2100, which would make me suspicious.
The Sennheiser HD800 S is definitely one of those headphones that you either love or hate. I would recommend a test drive or a purchase with a return option.

I've listened to a few headphones myself over the past few years, including the ones listed, but they weren't upgrades to the AKG K812 and HE6se V2 I use. Personally, I wouldn't want the HD800 S at all, regardless of the music genre.
I liked the Dan Clark Audio E3 and HiFiMan HE1000SE, although the HiFiMan HE1000SE is currently being offered at a discounted price as a refurbished product at HiFiman.
The larger Fostex and Denon headphones might also be worth a look.

In general, I would also recommend looking for rarely used and refurbished products.
 
Chagall said:
You can use EQ and make them less bright - that goes for any headphones you own. But you can't change the fit and comfort of a headphone.

For example the EQ preset for your DT880:
Click to expand...
Unfortunately Beyerdynamic classic models like DT880 have a huge unit variation over the years, not your typical +/-3db, so it is unlikely to sound any good. For example take a look at DT880 600ohm edition EQ profile from Oratory.

isamu99 said:
I'm sooo glad you asked this, because yes I DO in fact have tinnitus! I'm 52, and have had it since I was around 19. It was pretty mild and not overbearing prior to 2023, but then it became more severe after I got the jab(which I hear is a common issue among some people) back in August of 2023. Lately it seems like it's starting to get a bit better and back to where it was pre-jab. Now it's only noticeable in *somewhat* silent environments.
Click to expand...
My only suggestion would be to avoid closed back headphones, they usually increase tinnitus.
Some very bright open backs like HE1000Stealth (and SE edition is even worse) can provoke very annoying fantom noise/sound when you listen to certain genres of music, for example for me it is piano music, probably because of at least 3db boost after 3khz and 6db boost after 8khz which goes only more and more and probably +10db at 15 or 16khz.

If you don't intend to use parametric EQ to reduce treble and increase bass your best budget option is probably Sennheiser HD560s (if you can manage a good fit/comfort and seal on your head), and Hifiman HE600 is probably the best luxury open back that is not tuned too bright and sound neutral/pleasant.
 
Last edited:
Anyone have any experience with the HEDDphone Two? I posted my inquiry on reddit and someone strongly suggested them, writing...and I quote..."HEDDphone Two runs laps around all three".
 
AryaStealth said:
Unfortunately Beyerdynamic classic models like DT880 have a huge unit variation over the years, not your typical +/-3db, so it is unlikely to sound any good. For example take a look at DT880 600ohm edition EQ profile from Oratory.


My only suggestion would be to avoid closed back headphones, they usually increase tinnitus.
Some very bright open backs like HE1000Stealth (and SE edition is even worse) can provoke very annoying fantom noise/sound when you listen to certain genres of music, for example for me it is piano music, probably because of at least 3db boost after 3khz and 6db boost after 8khz which goes only more and more and probably +10db at 15 or 16khz.

If you don't intend to use parametric EQ to reduce treble and increase bass your best budget option is probably Sennheiser HD560s (if you can manage a good fit/comfort and seal on your head), and Hifiman HE600 is probably the best luxury open back that is not tuned bright.
Click to expand...

Wow really? If closed backs increase tinnitus then it sounds like the DCA E3s are out of the question. Based on your comments as well as others, it sounds like it'd be possible to tolerate the brightness of the HD 800s if I can EQ them right. Looks like people have made eq profiles for this specific purpose? Also do you have any experience with the HEDDphone TWO's?
 
isamu99 said:
Wow really? If closed backs increase tinnitus then it sounds like the DCA E3s are out of the question. Based on your comments as well as others, it sounds like it'd be possible to tolerate the brightness of the HD 800s if I can EQ them right. Looks like people have made eq profiles for this specific purpose? Also do you have any experience with the HEDDphone TWO's?
Click to expand...

I think that close-backs increasing tinnitus is anecdotal, not an established fact, so I'm not going to comment further. E3 is an amazing headphone, but no headphone is perfect. They depend on the seal, so if you wear glasses, they are not a good choice.

IMO, if you don't need a closed-back for the isolation, I would choose an open-back. In general, they are not that seal dependent, and specifically, HD800s have lower unit-to-unit variation and are positionally consistent.

EQ HD800s preset here:

Dropbox

www.dropbox.com www.dropbox.com

No idea about HEDDphone, except that it looks uncomfortable.
 
Chagall said:
I think that close-backs increasing tinnitus is anecdotal, not an established fact, so I'm not going to comment further. E3 is an amazing headphone, but no headphone is perfect. They depend on the seal, so if you wear glasses, they are not a good choice.

IMO, if you don't need a closed-back for the isolation, I would choose an open-back. In general, they are not that seal dependent, and specifically, HD800s have lower unit-to-unit variation and are positionally consistent.

EQ HD800s preset here:

Dropbox

www.dropbox.com www.dropbox.com

No idea about HEDDphone, except that it looks uncomfortable.
Click to expand...
Thanks buddy!

I must admit now I'm now taking a hard look at the ZMF Atriums. Hearing nothing but good things about them. Supposedly the stage is wide, are excellent with vocals, are versatile with all genres, and they're pretty. Caveat is they $2500. Any thoughts, lol?
 
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