I've recently known that the headphones are minimal phase system so the sound of headphone is basically all about frequency response, so called "soundstage" and "imaging" are just the result of frequency response. Then could we say the HD 600/650 and HD 560s have better sound than HD 800/800s because their frequency response is more neutral across the range? HD 800/800s have a quite big dip around 2 kHz, did Sennheiser deliberately recessed the mid to pleasing the audiophile, to make people think they're more spacious? I bought a pair of HD 800s and felt disappointed when I found HD 600/650 and HD 560s has better frequency response result.
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Did Sennheiser deliberately recessed the mid of HD 800/800s to pleasing the audiophile?
- Thread starter Oswald
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lateralous
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I don't think we can know exactly what the intention of the chosen frequency response was without speaking directly with the engineers and product management. However, I think we can safely say Sennheiser is competent enough that it was indeed a choice. Which headphone has better sound? That is a personal preference question. Which is closest to neutral out of the box? Depends which curve is used to define neutral.
Dazerdoreal
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You sound as if you feel betrayed by Sennheiser, and I think you really shouldn't. 
They just went for a headphone with a spacious sound. The harman target is not an objective but an inter-subjective standard, and not everyone prefers it.
I agree that frequency response is by far the most important factor of a headphone and that it is also very important for soundstage.
But I think it is also a wide consensus that the construction of the phone is at least not irrelevant (driver size, driver angling, size of resonating body).
Look at this review for example: https://www.audiosciencereview.com/...mark-levinson-no-5909-headphone-review.35292/
Amirm said there that even though the phone hits the harman target really well, he is still not satisfied with the soundstage. I can also tell you for sure that my Etymotic ER4XR (an IEM) does definetely not have the same soundstage as my over-ear phones.
As they went for a construction which clearly is supposed to support a spacious sound, I would rather view it as consequently playing the strength of the phone.
Personally, I would rather pay for construction than for tuning, as there is always the option to EQ.
If you are convinced frequency response is 100%, even for soundstage, you dont even need to buy a 560s. There are IEMs for under 50 Euro which hit the harman target almost perfectly.
They just went for a headphone with a spacious sound. The harman target is not an objective but an inter-subjective standard, and not everyone prefers it.I agree that frequency response is by far the most important factor of a headphone and that it is also very important for soundstage.
But I think it is also a wide consensus that the construction of the phone is at least not irrelevant (driver size, driver angling, size of resonating body).
Look at this review for example: https://www.audiosciencereview.com/...mark-levinson-no-5909-headphone-review.35292/
Amirm said there that even though the phone hits the harman target really well, he is still not satisfied with the soundstage. I can also tell you for sure that my Etymotic ER4XR (an IEM) does definetely not have the same soundstage as my over-ear phones.
As they went for a construction which clearly is supposed to support a spacious sound, I would rather view it as consequently playing the strength of the phone.
Personally, I would rather pay for construction than for tuning, as there is always the option to EQ.
If you are convinced frequency response is 100%, even for soundstage, you dont even need to buy a 560s. There are IEMs for under 50 Euro which hit the harman target almost perfectly.
I suggest you try to EQ the HD800s. IMHO the HD800s with EQ (Harman target) still sounds more spacious than the HD650.
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