New headphones day. Love, hate or on the fence? Any experiences? Or not even looking because you're happy with.....

[Millennium 74]

Any tips on a Sen HD800

maybe next year friends?

[Von Krolock 1,257]

4 hours ago, Millennium said:

Any tips on a Sen HD800

maybe next year friends?

If you'd like some tips on the HD800 I'd say audition carefully - especially the silver ones as they're a bit hard & bright - like a lot of current Senns.
The black S version has been tweaked a little but sounds much better - the hard edge is reduced & the bass is more bass-like.

 A good headphone amp is essential with these things.

[JamieMcC 718]

The Senn HD800 is a stunning headphone for many its end game. On a well match system it will quiet happy to go toe to toe with headphones costing several thousand pounds more which no mean feet for a headphone you can pick up used for well under £600. A popular mod is the SDR mod which is quick and easy to do which dials the treble spike back a fraction bringing it closer to that of the newer HD800S . 

https://www.innerfidelity.com/content/sennheiser-hd-800-s-tweaked-and-delightfuland-french-diy-response-page-2

[chrisph 206]

Enjoying my relatively new Nuraphone's.  

Mainly using them to listen to Spotify via bluetooth and the SQ is good enough for me.  I like the fact that they are closed headphones so I can listen in the same room as the OH and the TV does not interfere, unlike my open HD600's.  Being able to increase or decrease the volume or switch to what they call social mode to hear what is going on in the room at the touch of a button on the side of the phones is really useful functionality.

I normally wear hearing aids but when using these headphones I can take them out as the phones have captured a profile of my hearing and adjust the sound playback accordingly.

[eddie-baby 1,757]

Spending some time with the HD650's

The Sennheiser veil

They are not bad by any means very good in their own way as it happen, but I still struggle to find why people have such a reaction to them.

Not ever spent any real time with the HD800's but for me and considering cost I think the HD650s might even be my pick.

[DougK 146]

Own four pairs and they're all different: Grado SR225, Shure SRH840, Sennheiser HD598 and HD650. Can't tell you the differences as I'm not that articulate but my favourite has to be the HD650... they just feel so right for long listening sessions and are super comfy.

[eddie-baby 1,757]

17 minutes ago, DougK said:

Own four pairs and they're all different: Grado SR225, Shure SRH840, Sennheiser HD598 and HD650. Can't tell you the differences as I'm not that articulate but my favourite has to be the HD650... they just feel so right for long listening sessions and are super comfy.

I agree they are good, just not glaringly good. Its not a headphone you put on and say oh wow, its a headphone you wear for hours and say oh yes I get it. They are smooth and it lends itself to longer listening sessions, they are very much a comfortable design to wear long haul as well I agree.

I've tried the 600s, 650s 660s and 700 at home and the 650 were to me the nicest. 600 and 650 I compared side by side and it was a slant in favour straight away toward the 650. I didn't have the 650 to compare when I had the 660 or 700s but from memory Id still say the 650 were possibly still the most enjoyable. They may not be a pair of headphones to set your senses totally on fire immediately but they are very good   

[Strider 298]

I've just made a mistake with buying some new cans based on reviews and they'll soon be up for sale. They're great for gaming (if that's what you're into) and they do electronic music fantastically. Oh dear.... Audio Technica ATH-M50X. Seriously Marmite but I actually love marmite and these are more Bovril - with Wasabi.

[eddie-baby 1,757]

1 hour ago, Strider said:

I've just made a mistake with buying some new cans based on reviews and they'll soon be up for sale. They're great for gaming (if that's what you're into) and they do electronic music fantastically. Oh dear.... Audio Technica ATH-M50X. Seriously Marmite but I actually love marmite and these are more Bovril - with Wasabi.

I had the M50's. They were ok, lots of bass and treble power, and the vocals weren't bad, not exactly much smoothness or finesse, but they did stay for a while

[JANDL100 1,468]

I've gone back to PSB M4U-1 - it's rare that I can successfully return to a component I've previously moved on from, but it's working well.

In Monza Red as well. 

[eddie-baby 1,757]

Look nice

[Strider 298]

1 hour ago, eddie-baby said:

I had the M50's. They were ok, lots of bass and treble power, and the vocals weren't bad, not exactly much smoothness or finesse, but they did stay for a while

There are facets I like such as the fat bass but they lack extension and are muddy. For my tastes the mid range is ok but too soft, treble stings from around 1.8Khz but is totally absent after 10Khz! For electronic music they're ok but by far the thing that really has been the decider that hey aren't for me is the lack of 'out of the head' experience, the AKG's have a really uncanny imaging that spreads way out from the cans. I kind of get why some love them as they're bassy and they actually look nice but for me - sadly not.

[eddie-baby 1,757]

13 minutes ago, Strider said:

AKG's

Which AKGs

[Strider 298]

Just now, eddie-baby said:

Which AKGs

K550 mkii

[Sam Vimes 337]

I have had a long term love/hate relationship with head/ear phones. If I revert to wired listening, I've still got my ancient Sennheiser HD580 Precisions. However, though I acknowledge that they propably aren't as good, I tend to use Wireless Sennheiser Momentum 2.0s. I find that I tend to use headphones for fairly uncritical late night listening. The convenience of wireless connectivity far outweighs other considerations. The one thing I have found down the years is that there are so many head/ear phones that are rendered practically useless by the discomfort of using the damned things.