Click to view our Accessibility Statement or contact us with accessibility-related questions
ethanchan
270
Nov 2, 2018
So here is my question, since we (and by that I mean MD) have such an amazing relationship with them, why have we still not seen the Mass Drop 800 or 800s variant? There are at least a half dozen polls with thousands of votes from people wanting to see either or, or both of the drop. Can we get a little love and at the very least get some kind of response from the MD staff on whether or not this can happen? Comon MD, give us something, I personally have been holding out for a MD drop since my dog ate my 800s (and he was never seen again ... jk... or not). Please take this opportunity to reply or give us a post on these headphones. I would really hate to just say Eff it and buy a new one just to see it pop up here.
ethanchanI sincerely doubt we’ll see a price-eroded HD 800 S here. It would honestly be company suicide if they sold it for less than $1k, but people are just hoping to get a deal. Maybe an HD 700 style collaboration, but that wasn’t all that popular of a headphone, and even with a refined sound with sweeter treble it would still carry a stigma of the old HD 700... they would have to be clear it was a special new edition. I always thought the earcup looked wicked cool though! Nice 2.5mm connection for the cable, but a more traditional cable wrapping would be appreciated.
ethanchan
270
Jun 26, 2019
EvshrugWhen this site was Mass Drop they had the capital to push for an 800 S variant but now not so much. You are not the first to say that it would have been a bad deal for Sennheiser to do such a thing but I don't think so. Just as the 6xx did nothing to stop sales of the 600. The people that buy the 6xx were not going to buy the 600 because of its price. The 6xx came out and while they sound good they are not the 600. The 600 has been selling for 2 decades now and is still going strong. I have both the 6xx and the 600 and for my ears, they are similar but not the same so the music will dictate which I use. The excuse that the 800 S variant could be made because it would have impacted the 800 S sales was just that, an excuse. It is too bad that when this site was Mass Drop that they didn't take advantage of their situation and get their customers what was arguably the most requested variant on the site.
ethanchanThe HD 650 came out about two years after the HD 600, at the same introductory price of $500 (US). I too like it when things become easier for me to afford, but I also feel good quality has a value and if that value comes at a higher price, I often find it worthwhile for me to save up for. Thinking logically, I haven’t seen the complete sales figures, and I doubt you have either. What I did see was prices for the HD 650 holding at around $350 or better right up until the launch of the HD 6XX version, and yet it was still referenced by most headphone reviewers as one of the most familiar headphones in the industry and, well, a reference model. The K7xx put Massdrop on the map, and Head-Fi’s coverage of the HD 6XX (and promotions by other influencers) exploded Massdrop’s popularity. It was also a short-term benefit for Sennheiser because they got a large bulk of orders (large sum paid at front, though smaller margins per unit). In the long term, however, the newer HD 660 S that was designed to be a performance improvement on the HD 650 with a similar frequency flavor back at the same launch price as the HD 650 (and 600, I believe), has been verbally panned by a large part of the community, partially because there are still cheaper options that look similar (HD 6XX) and also cheap options that some influencers have erroneously said are equal to the higher priced model (HD58X Jubilee). The newer, higher end models like the HD 800 S are also critical to Sennheiser’s relationships with their worldwide network of dealers, and I have talked to sales reps at Sennheiser who told me their direct sales to customers through their company website and flagship stores is a fraction of the income compared to their dealer network. Sennheiser clearly makes desirable stuff, evidenced by the sheer quantity of purchases visible on this one site and praise in the community. I don’t believe Drop now has a smaller customer base or number of visitors than they did at the time of the HD 6XX launch, everyone who learned about Massdrop’s existence back then still knows about Drop now (even if they don’t know about the name change, Massdrop.com still redirects here). If Sennheiser earned the ire of their whole dealer network apart from Drop by giving Drop preferential pricing treatment to break MAP, on top of eroding the value of their two biggest profile products in their portfolio, even if Drop made up half of their current sales, Sennheiser would be in huge trouble. Would you be interested in an HD 8XX S, maybe with an exclusive color or tuning, if it cost the same as an HD 800 S anywhere else? Because I think that would be the only financial strategy for Sennheiser that would make sense and not drastically devalue the brand.
ethanchanTo put it in a shorter way with an anecdote: there are all these custom headphone cable manufacturers who make their sales pitch on how they fight the snake oil industry, and they make cables out of their garage for $80-$100 for like a small margin of profit over their cost of materials. As soon as they start to become better known, they get flooded with orders and get a huge backlog. With normal businesses, this is great, a sign to increase the scale of their business, but these guys are essentially paying themselves $10-$30/Hr to make these cables, and they don’t have the money to pay for an office and extra employees. Customers get mad, use their credit card companies to force refunds, and these garage makers are forced to go out of business. Business needs enough margins to have the money to continue growing.
ethanchan
270
Jun 26, 2019
EvshrugYour restatement of the same argument posted by others does not devalue my statement in any way. Your argument as I see it is not that Mass Drop (the delineation between the old site and the new as my original statement was posted when drop was still Mass Drop) could not have pushed for the 800 S variant because it was not worth it to sennheiser to do so. Before I address that allow me to point out the significant flaws in your argument. The 6xx does not compare to the 650, a better direct comparison with regards to sound profile would be the 600 as has been pointed out by myself as well as the coveted influencers you have mentioned. That is why I choose to specifically and purposely draw that comparison in my post. The 600 has been a headphone that has been listed around $300 for quite some time now unless amazon or some such site has a special which would reduce it by 20 or 30 dollars. The 600 has been and continues to be one of the best selling headphones produced by sennheiser even with its variant 6xx on the market. I personally own both, as well as other headphones with price tags that range from $30 to $3000 and includes the 800 S as well as the HDVD 800. I could post my audiophile pedigree and argue from that position but have chosen not to do so because my personal qualifications have nothing to do with Mass Drop dropping the ball and not pushing to get an 800 S variant for its customers. As mentioned above it was arguably one of the most requested variants at the time of my original posting. As you and others astutely pointed out, the 800 S is a high end headphone and I agree, but what you all conveniently leave out is that the HD 800 S is but one of 40 active headphone skews on the Sennheiser website that range from $100 to $2400. You also conveniently leave out the fact that the HD 800 S at time of post were no longer the flagship headphones for the company, the 820 had taken that mantle. So asking Mass Drop to press the advantage (considering the Sennheiser Skews that they carried and the bottom line sales attributed to the site) for an 800 S variant was not at the time, in my estimation, a big ask. Considering the price tag on the 800 S, it is not a headphone that just anyone will purchase as most audio enthusiasts tend to hover around the $250 to $500 for a budget, as evident by the dog fight by all companies in that price range. As you pointed out, the sales figures are not knowable by us average mortals, but using common sense we could guesstimate that with 40 skews and the dog fight at the $250 to $500 level, the 800 S does not make up the bulk of the sales for sennheiser. I would go as far to say that the 800 S when compared to that market, is nothing more than vanity money from a vanity headphone. Arguing against pressing advantage at that time for a variant or a chance to bulk sale if certain numbers were met is just placating at best, purposely ignorant at worst. The power of purchase price has always rested on bulk numbers as anyone with a basic level of economics knowledge can tell you. The bottom line is this, you can defend Drop, Sennheiser or both but IMO, they had the opportunity to bring the 800S or variant to the members but chose not to. I say this because had they tried and failed, I am sure they would not have been shy about letting their client base know that they had tried to work a deal with sennheiser but were unable to reach an agreement with them. If for no other reason than to let their users know that they were not ignored. So thank you for your attempt to explain away the who's, why's and wherefores but it has not swayed my thoughts on this matter and am sure I am not the only one that feels this way.
ethanchan•Massdrop, Head-Fi, and most importantly Sennheiser themselves have confirmed that the HD 6XX is an HD 650 with a navy blue colorway and shorter cable, no storage box (just retail box). •We agree that the HD 600 and 650 held their market value for a very long time, and I would bet we would agree that Sennheiser’s ability to make “classic” headphones is one of the things we respect about the brand. •Axel Grell himself, designer of the HD 820, HD 800 S, HD 6XX, HD 650, HD 600, and many more headphones, has said (CanJam NYC seminar announcing the HD 820) that the HD 820’s design goal was to fulfill the closed headphone application with sound quality as close as possible to the HD 800 S, but the open backed headphone still performs at a slightly higher level. He was also part of the team that developed the still-in-production HE-1, which is the real flagship, but most people still consider the HD 800 S as Sennheiser’s best sounding in-production headphone within reach of a dedicated but average consumer. •Thank you for calling my observation astute. I believe you are also putting care and thought into your assertions, and that you are also a Sennheiser fan (not blindly but earned). •Fair enough that “not everyone” would purchase a headphone over $500. •What would an HD 8XX S drop look like, to your preference? And how would it look to people with economics knowledge? •Can you think of any reason why Drop would not tell their customer base that they were trying to bring an HD 8XX collaboration, and also why they might not share that the request was declined? •I have an HD 800, an HDV 820, and many other headphones besides from several manufacturers, and with both of us already owning something like a potential HD 8XX collaboration, I’m curious what your stake in a drop would be? You could say I am biased because I hope for a good used resale value, but honestly the HD 800 had been a “holy grail” headphone for me for almost a decade and I don’t intend to part with it... are you just hoping to share your HD 800 S experience with more people? •I don’t have any say in this matter, in the end. I just feel Sennheiser would shoot themselves in the foot and set the precedent that their best gear depreciates quickly in value, and put them in the same rat race that computers and smartphones are currently in.
ethanchan
270
Jun 27, 2019
EvshrugThank you so very much for the reply, it is so refreshing to have a conversation vs. a combative debate. Thank you also for pointing out the information about the 650 and the 6xx. I am a bit embarrassed that I did not delve deeper and obtain that information before putting together my argument. As for what I would like to see in an 8xx drop and why... well, I guess for me first and foremost it would be to make it affordable enough for those that can not shell out over $1k for high end headphones. I guess I want everyone to hear what I hear, the beauty of the music and the passion of the musician as they play it. There is so much I could wax poetic about being transported when I close my eyes and let the music carry me away, but that will add nothing to the conversation so I will just say that my wish for a 8xx is to bring more exposure to a product that I love. To share just how amazing they are, to bring it to a price where everyone can experience music in its most honest and beautiful form. To see more posts where people talk about the hearing the cellist breath as they a particularly active piece, or how they could feel the bow as it glided across the strings. To describe what they heard as though they were sitting inches from the musician and the instrument. I want everyone to have the opportunity not just hear a three piece orchestra but also be able to tell where the tones from one instrument and the next pick up. To feel the reverberation of a bass in their chest and be moved to tears by it. As I mentioned before, I own headphones that range from $30 and up, and while my $30 headphones have a place in my audio life, they are not what I reach for when I sit and listen to Bach, BB king, Mayo Nakoano, Metallica, the Eagles, Bob marley or any of the other amazing artists on my music play list. I guess the reason I would want a 8xx is so more people will have the opportunity to fall in love with the music as only being an audiophile can. I will share a quick story to end this reply. My niece came to visit my wife and I a years back. This was her first trip out of the Bronx so coming to visit her uncle on a farm in Oklahoma was quite the adventure for her. At the time she was 11 and was learning to play the flute which she found stupid but accepted. The first few days were pretty uneventful as she spent most of her time texting her friends about how she wished she was home. By the second week we got into a rhythm and she started having fun running around the farm, playing with the dogs and even practiced playing the flute in my studio. She never seemed to truly get into it, just going through the motions of her scales and playing hot cross buns. I asked her why she played the flute because she didn't seem to enjoy it. She told me that what she wanted to play was the cello but all of the cello seats were taken. A few days later we went to a music store in the city and picked up an inexpensive cello. over the next few weeks she worked on learning how to hold it, strum it and play the scales. She was so excited at first but by the third week she had the same look of disappointment on her face that she did when she played the flute. At dinner we talked about the cello and whether or not she enjoyed it more or less than the flute. She sheepishly admitted that she was just as bored playing the cello as she was the flute. The problem she ran into was simple, she was tired of playing scales and learning the basics. Of course there is no magic pill to get past that part but I figured maybe if she listened to other musicians her enthusiasm would reignite. After dinner we went to my studio and I began pulling selections from my library. Metallica, Eagles, Mayo Nakano, BB king, Ana vidovic, Lola and Hauser, and many more. Music from different genres but all in flac and all that I could leverage the purity of the music through my gear. We spent the next couple of hours sharing the music, getting lost in that space as her face brightened when she heard the first notes as the flutist soloed, or when 2cellos played thunderstruck and when BB king and eric clapton played the thrill is gone. I like to think that it was in those moments that this little girl that lives in the ghetto found her musical voice. You see, she has Beats by Dre, and iphone ipods, but she had never heard the music the way you do with headphones like the 800 S. Over the next few weeks we would escape to my studio and she would practice, then we would pull headphones from my collection and pair them with different amps and different songs just to see the music in our minds. What started as a boring summer with her old retired military uncle blossomed into a summer that found her picking up her phone less and less, practicing her instruments and finding the music behind the notes. The passion behind each key and a love for music that wasn't being played on the top 10 radio station. She commented before she left that she wished she could have a pair of headphones like mine because she could hear god in them. I allowed her to pull a pair from my collection (within reason) and to this day she still has them and uses them. She will call me from time to time to talk about a song she heard that I had to listen to because you could hear the breathing of the musician or when they flipped to the next page of their score. The beauty and magic that happens when we hear music so clearly as it is meant to be moves the heart and soul. My niece now plays flute, cello, violin and piano and never seems to get bored anymore. This summer she has even gone to Italy on a music tour. I know it is silly and that wishing and wanting a 800 S variant will not happen but it doesn't stop me from wanting it. And no, she did not take my 800 S, I would not give a child a $2k pair of headphones, but she did take my 600, and while it is not the 800 S level, it was still good enough for her to continue to hear god. So I guess in the end, I want everyone to have that OMG experience and maybe it is because I am a bit bias, but I love the thought of it being with 800 S. Sorry for the long back story but I thought a little context would help explain my passion for an affordable variant.
ethanchanI loved your anecdote, and it’s the kind of story that gets me excited. The genesis of an audiophile! I love to see it happen, and one of my favorite questions among enthusiasts is “how did it start, what got you hooked?” Almost always, someone from a more, shall we say, “established generation 😉” shares their accumulated collection of great music and capable gear that, while almost always beyond the means of the neophyte, present a taste of HiFi possibilities beyond what is expected as possible by the mainstream. Discovering instruments and details that we never knew before was part of our favorite audio is part of it, but the hook is having someone trusted to engage with and learn from. I wish Audio industry manufacturers spent more focus on advertising with the “mentor” and community aspect in mind. I truly believe it is more fun and profitable for everyone involved. What I appreciate most about the HD 6XX exclusive is that it does bring an amazing hi-fi experience in under the price of a pair of Beats or Bose, and it generated a LOT of talk and community. Same for the AKG K7XX (and AKG was generally more affordable than Sennheiser before Massdrop), but that flavor isn’t the reference that many reviewers use as the yardstick, so I think the HD 6XX has had a greater social impact. I honestly can’t think of any audio product from any manufacturer that can accomplish this mission better... now it’s just up to us in the community to be mentors and give friends (and manufacturers ) the ideas for what to aspire to next. Honestly? I would like to see a re-tuned HD 700 as the next step. The Dekoni Audio Velours and Fenestrated Sheepskin already go a long way to narrowing the contrast in volume between the mids and treble (stock it’s like 12 dB different, which is like 4x the volume but it doesn’t quite sound like that due to our natural sensitivity to mids, Dekoni’s pads are just like 6 dB difference though and sound much less “hollow”). The HD 700 looks awesome and makes a great stepping stone between the HD 800 S and HD 650, but the HD 700 didn’t take off as much (I think) mostly because the sound signature was too colored and unique. The HD 700 and HD 660 S (I really, really like the latter) struggled to catch on, but I think the community could get behind a $500-$600 improved model that feels like it borrows more from the HD 800 S. Side note: when I listen to the HD 660 S, I feel Sennheiser is already there, but bad press from people calling it the same headphone as the HD 58X or just not wanting to pay more when the HD 6XX is just $200-$220 has stunted the public perception of that model greatly. That’s where my fear about an “HD 8XX” comes from... a repeat of the HD 660 S, and if Sennheiser tried to put out an improved model, the older collab edition would cannibalize the launch and sales of the new. Another interesting tidbit I learned from talking to more community people? Audiophile has a widely negative connotation, and it’s flexible as a label for whatever people don’t like about the hobby. Whether an Audiophile is a gearhead that misses the Forest because they’re too focused on the trees, or an Audiophile is an ignorant person who wastes money on emotional purchases, it is weird to me that the concept of a “lover of audio” isn’t a more uniting force. I hope I don’t sound pretentious or antagonistic with my word choice, opinion, or questions, because my true goal is to grow and enjoy the audio community, for the long term.
(Edited)
ethanchan
270
Jun 28, 2019
EvshrugI have found nothing you have said as offensive, or derogatory. I fortunately have not experienced the same negative reactions to the word audiophile so imagine my surprise at your experiences where that is concerned. I truly don't consider myself an audiophile because to me, that implies a whole level of knowledge that I do not posses. I do have friends that refer to me as such when discussing music, its associated technology and gear. I actually have compromised hearing from my many years in the military so when I discuss gear I always preface it with the statement "to my ears". I know and recognize my flawed hearing in the high ranges prevent me from hearing sharp high range as clearly as others would experience it but thankfully it is not gone enough that I can not hear and appreciate the full range of music. So when people discuss soundstage and how earpads change the tonality of the music, it is pretty much lost on me. I guess that is why I lean more towards a more precise headphone the does not color or muddle the lines between instruments. That is why I will normally use my 6xx and Sennheiser HD 250 Linear (from the 80's if i remember correctly) and considering I have the 800 S, lcd 2 (closed), ether c flow (original) that says quite a lot for those two headphones. I don't feel that you can only get great sound from expensive headphones especially with all the advances in DAC's, Amp technology. I do indulge in the decadence of the higher end headphones but have found that to me, I can play music across more genres with those two headphones than I can with the others. I have praised the 6xx and little dot MK II combination at nauseum here on Drop because to me that is a combination that most anyone can put together and get an amazing sound in almost any genre. I did try the 650 and the 700 and while they were very nice to my ears, the 250 linear was a much better sound to me. I honestly felt that for the price, they should have given me a bit more extension and dialed back on highs. For me to feel that the highs is a bit much says a lot considering my compromised hearing. I should also say that part of that could also be attributed the fact that I already had a strong bias towards the headphones I own so it could have been a bit of a biased comparison. To me, this hobby is so subjective that what one person feels is nirvana could fall flat on other person's ears because they have a different taste as to how they like things to sound. I have aeon flows that barely get used because they are just a little off in comparison. My wife and friends love it but I just can't get into them the way they have, to me the sound is hollow and lacking on the low end, I can tweak them to get closer to the sound I like but then I have to do that across genres and song types where my 6xx and 250 linear are set it and forget it. I find it very comforting to know that the gear I have is gear that I use and will continue to use for years to come. There is no reason to keep looking for the holy grail because to my ears I have found it, it is spread across many headphones and different gear setups but I have it. I guess for me, ideally, we would have gear that is affordable and presents the best sound possible so that this industry can continue to grow and bring the focus back to the beauty of music and not just the hook on a top 10 song. If you ever get the chance to get your hands on the original 250 linear MK1 not the linear 2 pick them up and try them out, I think you will be amazed at what you get. Oh yeah, you mentioned the 660S, that is a pair I have not tried and was wondering if you could tell me a bit more about them. where do they fit on a scale between the 6xx and 800S? Thank you for reply.
ethanchanMorning Ethan! October two years ago, Sennheiser held a sort of "Willy Wonka and the Headphone Factory Tour" where they picked a bunch of Head-Fi'ers and paid to fly them to Germany and the Sennheiser KG (Headquarters). The HD 660 S was in pre-production (the 8 months lead-time between the finalized design and actually having built up enough stock to start selling the headphone, same as the time delay between Drop pre-orders and delivery), and everyone in the group was super pleased. We ran everything off the HDV 820 or the overbuilt "engineer's test benchmark" amp, and had the whole "audiophile lineup" there, with an ancient HD 580 (with the plastic grilles in a L-shaped herringbone pattern), HD 600, HD 650, HE-90, HE-60, HD 700, HD 800 S, HE-1, and the finalized design for the HD 660 S. There were only 5 of us in a nice quiet room, with the ability to use our own music or Sennheiser's SA-CD's, so we had a good feel for the headphone and how it compared to the rest of the lineup. I would say what I heard during that week (between other activities) was consistent with what I've heard at CanJam shows since then. The HD 660 S has a little of the detail and "agility" in changing notes of the HD 800 S, with a bit of the richer timbre of the HD 650. To my ears, switching between the three, the HD 660 S landed right in the middle between the HD 650 and HD 800 S in every respect... by the end of the week, I was coming around to the idea that the "more modern" HD 660 S was actually a bit more of a satisfying of a music experience, despite the HD 800 S being a bit crisper and more revealing. I almost felt guilty thinking it, but with music, I felt like the "desert island" headphone of the group would be the HD 660 S because it was better suited for all genres than the HD 800 S, while it also satisfied enough of the performance itch from the HD 800 S. For anyone that ever said the HD 600 or 650 was "Dark" or "slow," the HD 660 S is the answer. Of course, the HE-1 felt like a whole new level that didn't compromise on anything, and I think it would impress and startle even someone with less than perfect hearing, buuuuuut that headphone is priced at a range beyond consideration for most (though I also got to visit Munich High End, and the $55k price for a complete system looked like a bargain next to some of the six-figure speakers shown there, and apparently Sennheiser sells every one they make). Another headphone you didn't ask about, I got to try out a prototype HD 820, the closed back version of the HD 800 S. It had the 800 S' improved drivers, the HD 800 S' Hemholtz resonators (not sure I have the name right), the "dispersing lens" to deflect earcup reflections, and then acoustic absorbers to catch those reflections so it didn't sound like a closed headphone at all. It was awesome to see a prototype, it was built in a kind of yellow-y resin and some of it was held together with masking tape so they could change parts. They also had what Sennheiser figured were the best closed headphones on the market, though technically the Denon D5000 and Sony Z1R are vented and thus semi-open, while the HD 820 are fully sealed closed headphones. The Z1R was fun at first, like a sip of Pepsi all the extra flavor in the bass was fun, but on their test bench amp the D5000 clearly was the more balanced and realistic representation. After those two bass heavy headphones, the HD 820 was disappointingly light in bass at my first listen. However, that headphone is amazingly picky about placement around your ear! At one point I pulled the ear cups down and forward, and like magic suddenly everything clicked in to place and had an absolutely pleasurable sound. For me, it immediately became my all-time favorite closed headphone (Which sucks because all the Fostex wood cups are sooo pretty!), and I think I actually preferred the sound more than the HD 800 S, just a bit warmer and just a bit more intimate with the soundstage. Closed HD 660 S with the lessons learned from making the HD 820 = Game Over <3 <3 <3. Would be a great stable-mate for my HD 800 for any occasion where a closed headphone is more ideal.
ethanchan
270
Jun 28, 2019
Evshrugwow, I am loving the way you describe the sound. As I am not an expert I tend to focus on the description of the sound I hear rather than the technical aspects so your mental imagery works better for me. What I tend to look for in headphones and is why I have not purchased any more headphones since completing my audio build is an accurate sound that allows manipulation without loss of clarity. An example would be the difference between the 800 S and the 6xx or 600 (not including the 650 or 700 because the sound was not to my liking). My 800 S after break in was able to teleport me to the recording session and keep me there. If you have ever been to a live recording you will understand what I mean, the electricity as the creative process takes place, the excitement of seeing these notes from different instruments intertwine as they dance with one another is palpable. It is an incredible thing to experience and that is what my 800 S does for me. What the 6xx and 600 does is take that sound, dim the lights, warm up the room and stares into intimately into your soul while doing what the 800 S does within limitations, of course that is what happens when you put it on a balanced cable and tube amp with the right tubes. It is that added ambiance that I love, the way it will stunt the harsher highs, expand the mids and allow the lows to lovingly tickle my ear. I am not talking bass cans but not limiting outside of the bass can speciality. I was going through my library when I came across Unforgettable by Nat King Cole, and after giving it a listen I remembered the remake by Natalie Cole and went on the hunt to find a flak version. I finally found it, fired up my Little Dot MK II (my preferred tube amp), broke out my 800 S and pressed play. As expected, I was immediately transported through time and distance and found myself watching her perform with her father as they sang the virtual duet. I wish I had the words to describe that experience (and no I was not on drugs lol) but I can't quite do it justice, suffice to say that it was a very moving moment for me. I then broke out my 6xx and settled in for a second listen, this time as before I was transported, but this time I found myself closing my eyes as the warmth and intimacy crept in, in a way that the 800 S did not do. Some of the precision was lost but intimacy replaced it. This time I found myself foregoing the visual of her standing on stage singing with her father and allowing myself to be engulfed into the music, the voices and emotion of the moment. By the end of the song I was in tears, not a the lone tear but full on ugly crying. That is what the 6xx on a tube amp does for me, it somehow gives me a more intimate sound. While I can listen to just about any genre with that pairing I prefer to listen to aria's, 3 piece, 2 piece or one piece instruments, and anything with a cello in it. This is the bar by which I measure all of my headphones and incidentally why I will not buy any more planar or electrostatic headphones. Don't get me wrong, I have both and will not get rid of the ones I have but will not add any more to my collection. That is why I found myself intrigued by your description of the 820. I am absolutely in the market for a closed dynamic, and if the 820 has the chops of the 800 S, then I may have found my next purchase. Given what I have expressed about my sound preferences do you think the 820 would work for me?
(Edited)
ethanchanThanks for the compliments! While I don’t try to hide my opinions, I do try to describe things and point out “who it is for,” so to speak. I didn’t do a full-blown review this time (I put up reviews of the PC37X and TH-X0 mark II here on Drop), though with the length we are lavishing in our replies it could certainly be seen as reviews :) It’s hard to guarantee someone will like a headphone, and especially with a $2400 headphone (not sure of street price) it’s always best to audition first, but based on what you described I think it would be worthy to check out or own. It’s the only closed headphone with the chops of the HD 800 S... the Planar Ether C by Mr Speakers comes close as well (and is not a bassy headphone), but the colder midbass appeared to me a little more clinical (I haven’t nailed down the signature of the Flow version yet). The HD 820 ear placement thing could also be seen as a benefit: neutral bass with a centered wearing position, but a different position could give you more options. Thanks again for describing your recent listening experience. A lovely mental image for me, glad you are feeling and living life passionately! Unrelated story, for your fun, I recently met up with a buddy (who happens to be an audio lover like us) for Poke bowl dinner. He bought my Chord Mojo, we tried imported drinks, good times! While waiting on the sidewalk for the pouring rain to slow down, I was trying to explain how hot and restless my wife is when she sleeps, fidgeting and mumbling/snoring... turns out, I was giving him the mental image of her bursting into flames, rocking back and forth shouting “AAAAAH!” As the realization (and the mental image) dawned on me, I laughed so hard and unrestrained that I was sobbing and pitching my voice waaaaay up into the falsetto. I was so embarrassed, but that only made me laugh harder! It’s so good to release your emotions once in awhile :)
(Edited)
ethanchan
270
Jun 29, 2019
EvshrugThanks for the info, I would love to take them for a test drive first but don't know of any place that would allow me to handle such an expensive pair of headphones. I especially don't think they would allow me to try it on my equipment. I have quite a bit of audio equipment (whittled it down to manageable that I just will not let go) but only really use a couple of pieces consistently, one being my little dot mkii because I can not do without that tube goodness. I have higher end tube amps but found the right tubes for the Little Dot and have not touched them since. I will probably just pick them up through amazon and if they don't give me what I want in sound then I can just send them back. I would love to have the bassyness of the 6xx on tube with the full sound of the 800 S that I could use on my Little dot. If the 820 will give me that then I will be a happy camper. I too used to do reviews but have not really done much in the last few months. I have not found anything that has really warranted a review be it good or bad. I have posted a few of my opinions on here as well but again, nothing lately, perhaps the 820 will give me a reason to do one. Oh yeah, flaming wife... that made me pee a little.. lol thanks for all the info and conversation, hopefully others will find our conversation useful. Ethan
ethanchanAmazon is a safe call :) I have a Single-Ended Triode amp from a garage operation in Latvia, a hybrid amp with no transformer. I tried a few tubes but also settled on one, a Russian military Vokshod from the late 70’s/early 80’s. Blew away the Sylvania and Amperex bugle boy tubes I had tried before! Sweet upper-midrange, no “ringing” microphonics issues, great extension and grain-free smoothness. Being mil-spec, I bought four but never burned through the first one yet, and it’s been about a decade of time! Of course, it still had some issues picking up noise from nearby phones, plus the warmup time, so for the past two and a half years I’ve been using a Cavalli Liquid Carbon (the original design with the high quality power supply built-in) and that Sennheiser HDV 820. In fact, I’ve never tried my HD 800 on the tube amp, hmmm... making me want to try! And yes, I’ve enjoyed our convo, swapping stories and whatnot! I also hope it ends up being a fun time capsule discovery for someone, someday, but I enjoyed it in the moment :)
ridhuankim
669
Nov 18, 2019
EvshrugI would love to get one if they do. I saw multiple times on ebay where HD800S second-hand was sold at 800ish AUD. And new ones occasionally sold at 1600ish AUD so maybe it is possible after a few years. I always missed those opportunities somehow. This time I bought a Sony Z1R at 1500 AUD(with 100AUD coupon) new. It would be great if they can collab HD8XX. Who knows... in a few years...
FDkevin
19
Dec 10, 2019
ethanchanSince HD800 is pretty much built by hand, I don't think they can pull the whole thing off like HD600 series; where they could easily set up new automated shop outside of Germany to reduce cost and pump up volume.
FDkevinI believe you are correct, but I wonder if we couldn’t see a new model at the $500-$600 price point. Something that was a clear step up from the HD 6XX, and provided a strong value against competitors. There’s some popular existing options... Focal Elex, Dan Clark Audio (DCA?) ÆON open and closed, Audeze LCD1. IMO, the HD 660S sort of did this, but it has the misfortune of looking too similar to the HD 650 and 58X Jubilee, and having similar specs on paper to the HD 58X (and some YouTube influencers calling them “the same”). It’s not, the airflow is controlled more (kinda like the Ether to the Ether Flow, but getting there in a different way, and distortion figures lower than the HD 650), and I think it’s an underrated headphone. How about a $500 headphone that designs the enclosure from the ground up, taking some of the design innovations from the expensive HD 820? Sure, it may not perform at HD 800 S levels, but maybe it can be more easily mass produced, and sound pretty awesome while giving more people the benefit of that fully-closed-but-sounds-open design?
PRODUCTS YOU MAY LIKE
Trending Posts in Audiophile