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Author Topic: Best Amps for Sennheiser HD800  (Read 100596 times)

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Anaxilus

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Re: Best Amps for Sennheiser HD800
« Reply #190 on: February 13, 2015, 05:20:07 AM »

Do you think amps and dacs really make much difference with the hd800 or with any other headphone? From my experience the differences always have been very subtile and not worth the huge price tags. I used hd800 straight out of my macbook for some time and it wasn't really that bad (off course net best). I tried byston bha-1, bmc puredac, violectric v200, hdvd800, matrix m-stage, meier audio, ifi, dragonfly)

Before I pay that much for amps I would consider getting a complementary headphone or save my money.

Do you think I'm wrong or have just bad hearing? This is no offense, I just want to learn from your experience because this forum seems to be rather objective, so I wonder that you care so much about amps that should not do anything but amping the signal a bit.

Relatively speaking, massive difference. If you know or are trained for what to listen for. The HD800 is the most transparent phone to upstream changes ever created. Period.

If you can't tell the difference between a MacBook, Bryson, or Violectric, then the HD800 is just too much phone for you and you should downgrade to something cheaper.

You can do a search for the dac-off spreadsheet we did to give you an idea of what to listen for.

This is also NOT a pseudo objectivist site. We correlate subjective with objective and fear not either camp no matter how idiotic they can get. Those fake radical jihadi objectivists belong on hydrogen audio where using anything more than a portapro from a sansa clip makes you an audiophool with magic alien crystals shoved up your rectum.

The truth is every headphone, amp, dac, mic, or recording master is colored. The idea that some $10 cmoy offers perfect audible transparency stems from some psychotic inverse anthropomorphic egocentrism in response to snake oil vendors and not any real comprehensive scientific analysis. It's just a different religion which is not an ideal promoted here.
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dreamwhisper

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Re: Best Amps for Sennheiser HD800
« Reply #191 on: February 13, 2015, 06:00:49 AM »

Do you think amps and dacs really make much difference with the hd800 or with any other headphone? From my experience the differences always have been very subtile and not worth the huge price tags.

I like to think that headphones with low measured distortion scale more with upgrades. Some orthos, electrostats fit in this category also.
Some factors that affect perception of this are 1)how loud you listen to music 2)and how distorted/compressed the music you listen to is.
Also maybe 3)Fit, 4)Food, 5)Temporal rift and top-down processing (caffeine or magic mushrooms). I'm joking about the drug part.

If you're a really low volume listener, you can get away with less expensive gear, as long as it is powerful enough.
The Omega 2 ime has been very unforgiving of DAC's, and my theory is that the tactile experience of ortho and dynamic heapdhones seems to lend itself to less immediate differences, but rest assured, upon more longterm analysis the differences become known.

Some other things that affect first impressions are:
Good tube amps seem to like a bit higher-than-normal listening volume, and some mid-range solid state seems to like low volume listening, in my experience.
So what may seem like an 'upgrade' is often a different flavour.
I've heard a TOTL amp with the HD800's and I can say they scale like a *expletive*, although, you really have to decide how much flavour is enough and how much power is enough: At what point do I stop?

The HD800 is the most addictive headphone to build a system around, I will say that. You could easily spend 10k on a system and still be spending money for tweaks like cables and tube rolling. (if you are interested in that stuff)
I'm not saying I'd encourage it, but the thought has occured to me.
It has single-handedly gotten me interested in dynamic headphones again. I bought and sold a pair on the used market, then bought a brand new pair.
No real reason other than I considered them the equal of the Omega 2 at that point, and I panicked that I might not find a new pair in the future.

The obsession factor and nerding out on detail are the main thing they have going for them.
So you might want to take it easy with regards to how much you get invested.
Flavour (tubes) and power output of the amp would be the 2 considerations I would look at.
« Last Edit: February 21, 2015, 06:25:50 AM by dreamwhisper »
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Lojay

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Re: Best Amps for Sennheiser HD800
« Reply #192 on: February 13, 2015, 09:17:42 AM »

I agree, the HD800 scales very high. But even within the TOTL amps there are variances and it boils down to taste. Those who don't believe amps make a difference should come to my office to hear the Teton and EC 4-45 side by side. They cannot sound more different. Teton is better for modern pop, rock and vocals, 4-45 is better (imo much better) for classical and instrumentals. Through both amps the HD800 resolves very much like the SR009 and is just about as fast.
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Cans: SR-009, HD800, HE-6
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deniall83

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Re: Best Amps for Sennheiser HD800
« Reply #193 on: February 13, 2015, 09:56:57 AM »

What do you guys think about the HD800 for metal and rock? I have heard them but only for a short time and I imagine they would do quite well. Tube or SS for metal? Need detail and speed!
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johnjen

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Re: Best Amps for Sennheiser HD800
« Reply #194 on: February 13, 2015, 10:01:34 AM »

snip

I've heard a TOTL amp with the HD800's and I can say they scale like a *expletive*, although, you really have to decide how much flavour is enough and how much power is enough: At what point do I stop?

The HD800 is the most addictive headphone to build a system around, I will say that. You could easily spend 10k on a system and still be spending money for tweaks like cables and tube rolling. (if you are interested in that stuff)
I'm not saying I'd encourage it, but the thought has occured to me.

snip

The obsession factor and nerding out on detail are the main thing they have going for them.
So you might want to take it easy with regards to how much you get invested.
Flavour (tubes) and power output of the amp would be the 2 considerations I would look at.
Emphasis mine…

10K is about what I've got invested in my system.
And 800's do scale VERY well, which is why if they are matched up with 'suitable' upstream gear the results can be stellar.

800's will present the signal fed them with a high degree of precision.
IOW if the sound you hear from your 800's doesn't meet your expectations, look at what you're feeding them, first.

And if yours have zizzz, on the top end, I'd suggest pursuit of any of the anax mods or SAA or… to help tame this contribution to what I call LFF (Listener Fatigue Factor).

In my experience, you can make 800's the center piece and build a system around them, again, with stellar results.


JJ
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PWD-II w/bridge (lightly modded) - Schiit Ragnarok - The Rok (lightly modded) - HD-800 SAA modded, balanced & hardwired
Shunyata Python & α-Digital & Anaconda XLR - AudioQuest Coffee - Wyrd Schiit - 'Other' cables & Tweaks aplenty
Schiit Mojo (retired for now)

Moonhead

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Re: Best Amps for Sennheiser HD800
« Reply #195 on: February 13, 2015, 10:49:58 AM »

Nobody tried Questyle cma800r with HD800  :-DD
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Anaxilus

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Re: Best Amps for Sennheiser HD800
« Reply #196 on: February 13, 2015, 11:33:20 AM »

Nobody tried Questyle cma800r with HD800  :-DD

Who says? We just don't like it.
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"If you do not change direction, you may end up where you are heading." - Lao Tzu

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BleaK

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Re: Best Amps for Sennheiser HD800
« Reply #197 on: February 13, 2015, 11:42:15 AM »

Nobody tried Questyle cma800r with HD800  :-DD

Technical amp with the HD800, but may be too boring for some. It is however detailed, fast and non-fatiguing with the HD800. Also it shows the flavor of the DAC very well, you need some kind of synergy between the DAC and the Questyle. Thin limp dick bass DAC (see DAC1, ODAC etc.) with the questyle is a no go.   
« Last Edit: February 13, 2015, 12:28:23 PM by BleaK »
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Anaxilus

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Re: Best Amps for Sennheiser HD800
« Reply #198 on: February 13, 2015, 12:05:32 PM »

Highly technical amp with the HD800, but may be too boring for some. It is however very detailed

C'mon. It's not that good. What are you guys comparing to as reference?
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"If you do not change direction, you may end up where you are heading." - Lao Tzu

"The Claw is our master. The Claw chooses who will go or who will stay." - The LGM Community

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BleaK

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Re: Best Amps for Sennheiser HD800
« Reply #199 on: February 13, 2015, 12:33:12 PM »

C'mon. It's not that good. What are you guys comparing to as reference?

Violectric, audio gd, schiit, O2. I know I know, not quite reference... I've edited my post not to sound too praisy. I've sold mine because I am moving and getting rid of audio things atm, so I like to think I'm not THAT biased. However it's my subjective opinion, and it might ofc not hold up to universal standards.

Also if I remember correctly you guys tested it at a meet with not your personal best DACs. I don't think you would have changed your minds, but it would have been interesting to see how you think the sound changed. IMO this is a very DAC sensitive amp.
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