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Sennheiser HD 800 S

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Benja View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Benja Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Topic: Sennheiser HD 800 S
    Posted: 10 Jan 2016 at 2:02pm
I thought i make a Topic about the new Sennheiser HD 800 S headphone. It does not replace the original HD 800 but it is a complentment.
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Steve7 View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Steve7 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 10 Jan 2016 at 4:20pm
All I will add is that it's the one can I think I should hear, as a long time Grado user. Seems to be often cited as a bit of a reference level item, and a very exact sounding option.

There are a lot of 800 used now, as the aficionados upgrade to the new S.

Edited by Steve7 - 10 Jan 2016 at 4:22pm
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Ash View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Ash Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 10 Jan 2016 at 8:45pm
I'm not going to lie, if the phase response of the HD800 were to be as musically engaging as the HD540II, it would wipe the floor with the HD540II in all areas except the larger physical weight/size. But to my ears, there was something withdrawn about its neutral transparent sound that just didn't provide an engaging rhythm and involvement in the same way that the HD540II model could do for me. I'm not intensely biased towards the HD540II; I really like it but if I truly believed that the HD800 did everything better, I'd just come straight out and say it. HD800 just didn't have the groove and rhythm for me, so I can understand why Graham didn't recommend them for vinyl. After all, isn't one of the highlights of well-mastered vinyl a fantastic phase fidelity?? I'm guessing that they probably haven't addressed this issue with the S version so I'm not sure whether it'll be an improvement...

K1000 wipes the floor with both of these models and well set up well-engineered speaker drivers are able to wipe the floor with the K1000, if every aspect of reproduction is carefully optimised.


Edited by Ash - 10 Jan 2016 at 8:46pm
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Benja View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Benja Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 10 Jan 2016 at 9:37pm
I like the black colour better on the 800 S than the silver colour on the original atleast.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote RichW Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 11 Jan 2016 at 8:21am
Reports suggest the new 'S' HD800 has a smoother & more refined treble with an
extended bass over the original.
The bright treble is certainly a weak point of the '800 - the 540 II is better here IMO.
Will be interesting to hear the refined version.

Majestic/Enigma, Accession MM & MC.
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ROMPerformance View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote ROMPerformance Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 21 Jan 2016 at 10:21am
I'd love to try out the HD 800 S and compare them against my HD 800.  Is the difference going to be significant or is it just tiny subtleties i wonder?   More refined means what?

Whilst i wish my cans sounded a bit more like my speakers for warmth and base, and that's just a personal preference,  i think they cope really well with everything else.  Always crystal clear, no sibilance or odd timbres that shouldn't be there,  lovely imaging, super detailed, and I can't fault them.

While I've not heard the 540II's, and i've no doubt they are every bit as good as you say, when comparing them are you going by out and out performance, general differences in sound/tonality, or is it purely a personal taste/preference overall thing.  

I presume we all hear stuff differently so one man's idea of awesome sound can be very different to another's and therefore different listeners will come up with different conclusions.  It's probably fair to say there will be owners/reviewers etc, that will say the opposite.  I suppose the only way to find out is to audition said cans back to back and make a personal judgement, that includes the 540II's.

Anybody got a set of HD 800S i can audition? Big smile
Francis :0)
Majestic DAC, Proprii, Solo ULDE, Voyager, Libran, Lautus, Spatia,, Cyrus CD XT SE2, Cyrus PSX-R, Sennheiser HD 800 and 540 Ref2, Harbeth SHL5
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Ash Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 21 Jan 2016 at 10:41am
HD540II is more musical and physically lighter than HD800 but HD800 has improved resolution across the frequencies, improved bass weight and larger stereo image (you can tell that you're listening to drivers with a larger radiating area). This is coming from a HD540II fan; just saying it how it is. 540II is more comfortable IMO but both still retain headphone character in how they present the music. They don't sound like speakers but they do sound spatial.
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