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Sennheiser 800 HD still the best neutral openback for $1000 used?

Carlo2AC

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Sounds like i will forget about the 800's and grab the 800s instead

I wish we could get a 1000$ new pair of cans with the best sound stage ever and an amazing neutral response i own 3 pairs of V based headphones and you know how often they are used?

As often as i have friends over which is at best every 3M


The difference is in the amount of second harmonics and third, test have been done between them
https://www.reddit.com/r/oratory1990/comments/arz1aq
Things like bass "lossenes" and "impact" are bullshit, both EQ'ed to the same target WILL sound the same

Get the cheapest you can find S or no S
 

Mehdiem

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Instead of HD800 look for HD800S. That one has a mild treble peak that won't stand out with classical music.
Bass needs a little help.

K712 and HD800(S) have a different tonal balance and are not neutral.

Both HD800 and HD800S need EQ. The treble peak can also be solved passively (for HD800 and HD800S).

Do I think they are still one of the best open headphones... yes.
THE best would be in the eyes of the beholder.
(With simple EQ) it is the headphone that I enjoy the most.
Instead of HD800 look for HD800S. That one has a mild treble peak that won't stand out with classical music.
Bass needs a little help.

K712 and HD800(S) have a different tonal balance and are not neutral.

Both HD800 and HD800S need EQ. The treble peak can also be solved passively (for HD800 and HD800S).

Do I think they are still one of the best open headphones... yes.
THE best would be in the eyes of the beholder.
(With simple EQ) it is the headphone that I enjoy the most.

What do you mean by “The treble peak can also be solved passively (for HD800 and HD800S”?! Do you mean by EQ, or how?
 

solderdude

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But cheaper to use EQ. In some cases EQ is not possible though. HD800, HD800S, HD800 with filter

hd800-vs-800s-vs-hd800-filter.png
 

Mehdiem

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But cheaper to use EQ. In some cases EQ is not possible though. HD800, HD800S, HD800 with filter

hd800-vs-800s-vs-hd800-filter.png

Wow! Interesting concept. Never heard of this before! Thanks. May I kindly ask you to see my recent post and comment?

 
OP
PolkFan

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WOW i love you guys you understand i only come to this place for audio advise i want to donate more money to you guys

Saved me already time and money you guys always reply too.

Love this place.

Anyways I think i will take @Carlo2AC advise and get whatever is cheaper
 

Hifiaudio177

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When you are EQing the HD800s, or any headphone for that matter, is that always to listening "taste"? or is there a way to EQ to an established standard and know the output is giving the response intended?
 

1000ROUNDZ

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Got my HD800 for the last few days and I've been enjoying them a lot with EQ. Against my DCA Aeon 2 Closed, it's the spatial qualities that stand out for some tracks. Been really enjoying The Weeknd's new Dawn FM album with them because of the space the HD800 provides.
For other tracks, the benefits of the HD800 don't really standout and it would be a hard case to argue to keep them.
In my case and what I listen to, I think it's a great complement to my DCA, especially when I can freely listen to open backs without bothering anyone in my office.

Also it's been amazingly comfortable to wear, so I've been using HD800 for all my Zoom sessions for work without looking funky since the headphones are really flat against my head unlike my DCA.
 
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PolkFan

PolkFan

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I want them for music and movies and games so the massive sound stage is for sure nice. I even like my 712's for that reason i found them to be a good poor mans option until you can move on up
 

ReaderZ

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HD800/s is anything BUT neutral, it sounds different from anything else.

 

MikeJ

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Stock HD800 is far far from neutral. Even EQ'd, there's bass distortion - I had mine custom EQ'd by Sonarworks. But once EQ'd, the soundstage depth loses some clarity - so there's a tradeoff between hyped frequence response vs. neutrality.

I recommend you try Austrian Audio Hi-X65 instead - for me personally, my end game studio headphones with neutral signature which I don't need to EQ - they just work out of the box and I've quickly learned to trust them as much as I trust my KH420s in pro-treated room.
 
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PolkFan

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Depressing guys is there any pair of cans($1000) that have a massive sound stage that are neutral again i got my 712 pro's over them being rated as having a decent sound stage but i feel like it's still too much like a center speaker inside your head

I should probably have more realistic goals as i love surround sound so much that going away from that just sucks in comparison to me. Was playing GTA5 last night and just stopped for a second just to hear the surrounds.

Reason why i also like headphones is over them not caring about your room lol in terms of acoustic panels i really like that part.
 

MikeJ

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Oh yeah, Harman guys galore who still seem to trust graphs only and when a headphone doesn't have that Harman bass boost, it's automatically a bad headphone. Harman cult followers, the same story over and over again :facepalm: I'll give you a hint - try to a EQ a mix on headphones with Harman bass boost and be surprised when any mastering engineer almost instantly tells you your mix just sounds thin :facepalm: Now guess why...
 

garbulky

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If i put these 800HD's on and they sound like my beyerdynamics i will find you all lol no haha

I said "Slight treble"

For real i have 2 pairs from them and when i hear classical music i want to take an ice pick and stab my ears out
I also HATED the treble. So much I was about to send it back. I was also quite dissapointed at the bass. I use the Garage 1217 hardware analog eq and it does a nice job taming the treble and making the tone more subjectively correct to my ears. I also connected a Schiit Loki mini plus to give it a more low bass extension by turning up only the lowest knob to about two o'clock. Now the bass feels extended and full and punchy and the treble is pretty darn nice for me. :)
 
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PolkFan

PolkFan

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I also HATED the treble. So much I was about to send it back. I was also quite dissapointed at the bass. I use the Garage 1217 hardware analog eq and it does a nice job taming the treble and making the tone more subjectively correct to my ears. I also connected a Schiit Loki mini plus to give it a more low bass extension by turning up only the lowest knob to about two o'clock. Now the bass feels extended and full and punchy and the treble is pretty darn nice for me. :)

I mean don't get me wrong i'm happy there's headphones for everyone but i'm just not 100% sure about there's

Their build quality is great imo for the money tho
 

garbulky

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I mean don't get me wrong i'm happy there's headphones for everyone but i'm just not 100% sure about there's

Their build quality is great imo for the money tho
Lol Im not a fan of their build quality though but I appreciate that it's not as heavy as other high end headphones
 
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The Beyerdynamic 1990's are the ones I would consider. They have a similar sound to the 800'S, but they have better bass, the high's are not as heightened, and a more realistic sound stage.
 
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