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That’s for sure, tube rolling can go on and on and on and $ and $ and $. I’ve owned a few ( BAT, AR, Quicksilver) and tube changes impact the sound one hear but like I noted sometimes that comes at a cost.
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Tuba or a Felix Audio.
Tuba more neutral and usable with planars, Felix Audio are OTL so can do some magic with 800s.
I just watched a video review of the LYR 3. They did seem to like the Valhalla 2 more. You know that I have spent a lot on the Phonitor x, so 500 does not seem like a lot. I am arguing with myself that I should get a dedicated streamer next.
I read your bio. We are much alike in our tastes and time in audio. I played double reed instruments when I was young, and my brother is a professional violinist. My ears are 66 yrs old and still holding on - let’s hope they stay that way. I should give some time to considering the tube amps out there before I give up on the constant “chase” for a more beautiful reproduction that infects us audiophiles.
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To be honest, I think every red blooded audiophile needs at east one of each (SS amp / Tube amp) in their stable.
But that’s just me.
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Can’t agree more on this.
I wonder if I could find a tube amp headphone audiophile in the DFW area. (likely)
Just a personal note out of nowhere to say that I own or have owned a number of high or top-end headphones (Susvara, Verite, HE1000SE, Arya, Clear, LCD-X and others), and for me personally the most enjoyable overall experience continues to be the HD800S/ZMF Pendant SE combo. It really is such a wonderful headphone that benefits so much from being coupled up with a tube amp.
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That ZMF Pendant SE is loved by many. I’ll try to get a listen locally.
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I received an HD 800 S yesterday, and these are my early impressions.
- It’s tone and timbre is roughly similar to the HD 600 rather than the mid-bass-boosted HD 6XX. I wouldn’t call the 800 S bright myself, and feel the 600 and Focal Clear are both neutral.
- The stage is expansively wide, as many people report. This seems to increase perceived detail as each point source stays away from other sources and thereby avoids overlap and mud.
- It’s technically superior to the Clear. When I evaluated the Utopia in detail, the Clear came across as constricted and hazy. It’s the audio equivalent of photo vignetting. The 800 S made me notice the same thing again. However, I still appreciate the Clear’s easy-on-the-ears treble treatment and easy-to-drive amp flexibility. If you start listening cold the Clear sounds fine.
- As with the Utopia, the 800 S treads close to the edge on presenting a lot of sharp details. I’m using it with the Bifrost 2 through OTL amps and avoiding treble-heavy tubes.
- The ear cups are so honking huge that one tends to run into chair headrests.
- Sennheiser uses stupid and stiff cable connectors on the 500/600 series and on the 800 series too.
- I’ll need to buy a shorter cable versus the 3 meter factory set.
- My wife loves the 800 S and asked if it’d work with her electric piano’s integrated amp with 3.5mm output…I gave her the HD 58X for its modest power requirements. Perhaps one could route the piano’s midi output to a DAC and amp?
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My wife took over my 800s, she connects the 800s through a Bryston BH1 via balanced while using a Lumin T2 streamer.
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I don’t have anywhere near the listening experience of others, but man, the HD 800S is damn good and punches well above its price.
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It appears you will need to buy a pair of them if you’re married. My wife is a speaker girl, not a headphone girl.
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I am married, but fortunately (or unfortunately depending on the point of view), my wife was perfectly happy with Alexa’s music quality and couldn’t care less about my audio stuff.
Mine is happy to play concerts on her iPhone 12 speakers, but equally happy to eventually let me get some Harbeths, smaller Wilson Audio, or equivalent speakers. After she gets a new oriental carpet.
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Agreed there.
With the recent sharp inflation in headphone and audio equipment prices, I’d say that others punch below their price. The 800 and 800 S were considered extremely expensive not that long ago, and remain far beyond the budgets of many. There’s been a lot of one-upmanship in headphones. With the decline of local retail stores some vendors use MSRP to indicate overall quality. “If the Utopia is $4K then my product must be $4.5K or $6K.” Some of this is wishful thinking or brazen marketing and they are not worth the price.
The industry (with Sennheiser as the leader) seemed to previously function on the materials + overhead + profit model. Headphones were functional tools, as reflected by their strong presence in studio production and pro audio. The consumer industry now often uses an arbitrary luxury goods, collectables, or artificial rarity pricing model. Some brands have pricing that’s fully disconnected from surface quality and apparent production costs. Yes, I mean you HiFiMan.
Audio often involves style, fashion, collecting, or trophy hunting. That’s fine if one wants to do it, but those factors affect price and not sound quality. Run your own race but be aware of the race you are running.
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In terms of just quality headphones, I may be done running the race for quite awhile. I’ve settled into my three: Clear, HD 800S and VC. I still have to think there’s a planar I would really enjoy, but sent my Arya Stealth back. Just not my jam. I’ve spent more time and effort on my stereo system, as I work from home and am alone 10-12 hours a day. Quite content with BF3 and Soloist for my SS setup and waiting on a DNA tube next year.
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As of the past few days, I now have a triumvirate of headphones that are a slight variation on yours: the Clear, VO, and HD 800 SDR. I’m also pondering the possibility of getting a DNA Starlett (but I emptied out the coffers on the purchase of the VO). I’ve reached a plateau and, like you, anticipate being done running the race for a while, too.
The one alternative setup I’m considering for the future is the Raal Requisite SR1a in place of the HD 800 SDR. Given my preferences, and since I won’t be able to set up speakers any time soon - living as I do in apartments or condos - a key consideration is soundstage. I realize headphones are poor at staging when compared to speakers but, even so, it’s a quality I value, and I’m keen to do an A/B comparison of these two transducers.
The catch-22 is that I’ve yet hear my HD 800 SDR out of a high-end amp and my resident accountant would rightly have conniptions if I were to splurge on a SR1a setup and a Starlett at the same time, especially as part of the appeal of the Starlett is that it could do triple duty with the VO and the HD 800 SDR and my HD 600. I won’t even raise the issue (rabbit hole) of DAC pairings/synergies with these various headphones…
So, since all this is in the distant future and it’s nice to have things to mull over, I’m going to sit back, relax, and fully enjoy the headphones I’ve got. There’s something to be said, in this hobby as in others, for recognizing and appreciating the pleasure of what we’ve got and being content with it. Happy listening, I’m glad you’ve found some appealing headphones!
Still, anyone’s direct comparisons of the HD 800 S and the SR1a would be most welcome!
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And happy listening to you, my friend.
My hope is the DNA will add some color to my existing headphones, and, since adding a very nice phono pre, I envision also being able to hook it up to my turntable, which I recently upgraded. That should be lots of fun!
As someone who listens to a fair amount of classical and typically enjoys soundstage quite a bit, the HD 800 S has been a revelation. Granted, the Clear came in from pre-order yesterday so still only experienced a tiny bit.
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Yes, that’s me, as well!
The Clear works pretty well for some classical music. Sometimes I wonder if I prefer the timbre of some acoustic instruments through the Clear. Smaller ensemble pieces often work quite nicely. I keep the HD 800 SDR for large orchestral works and operas, though.
Oh no, don’t go there, I need a new phono pre as well!
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