The HD800 & HD800S thread

Yes! So basically the HD800s is just a retuned HD800, meaning I don't have to buy one.

 

They thought of how to make the HD800 better and couldn't really do much, I guess.

 

The european price will be €1600 which is $1699. And if the currenty retail price for HD800 is $1599 in the US then HD800S will probably cost at least $300 more so $1899-1999 is a good guess.

 

I think Sennheiser realised that HD800 had faults hence the name HD800S and not a new number. I see it as an upgrade for HD600. I think we will see a similar uprade for HD650 in the near future.

 

Interested to see how that estimated price would translate to prices here in New Zealand. When the HD800 first came out Sennheiser forced retailers to price it the same everywhere but now there's a little fluctuation, with prices as low as $1,930NZD excluding temporary sales (with our weak dollar that comes to around ~$1,290USD which is a decent price.) Though I can grab them for ~$1000USD from some Australian sites right now, those prices are clearly discounted and don't properly reflect actual current prices in Australia.

 

I had a feeling this was the case. If they had created new drives they would have raised the price above the $2000 range. Even now, if the current rumors are correct, they will raise the price anywhere from $200 to $500. If the price goes up by only $200, at least you are getting a balanced cable (whether you want it or not). If they they raise the price by $500, they are basically charging you $300 for an "Anax mod" ($200 for the cable, and $300 for the "Sennheiser mod"...or is will it be $300 for the cable and $200 for the "Sennheiser mod" ).

What a deal.

Some tools on HF are spreading misinformation by claiming that everything is new. New drivers, new...err...I guess new cables, pads, cushions, cables????

 

I thought that the new driver thing was untrue. Otherwise it would have been mentioned by Axel Grell in that video clip of him announcing the HD800S but also I am sure if it had been true then Sennheiser would have given it a HD850 designation or something similar. What amazes me about a lot of the chatter on HF is the apparent obsession on guessing what the price will be and then being offended and claiming it is a rip-off. All this without having the pricing facts or having heard the 800S......oh dear me!

 

Some are guesses, but some of the estimates are based on what authorized retailers and/or Sennheiser reps are saying.

 

Yeah, I get that now there are some actual facts coming through and people are guessing how that will look in their currency. What I don't get is people then using some of those guesses to proclaim them to be a rip-off by a profit obsessed manufacturer and despite not having listened to them.

 

Pretty much everyone expects them to be excellent headphones...that's not the issue here. The signature is supposed to be just a "tiny bit different". Is that tiny difference worth $100 to $500 more? To some it might be, I suppose. Do expensive balanced cables need to be included with every HD800s? I would rather have the option to buy them separately. I purchased the Sennheiser balanced cable when i bought the HDVA600. I would hate to have to pay for the cable if I did not own a balanced amplifier. I guess what might be seen as a rip-off to some is a great deal to others.

 

How much of a difference is the HD800S suppose to be from HD800?

 

It's the same driver, just retuned and with different baffling materials. So it could turn out to be worse.

 

HAHA funny video.

I see. Is there a date of release? I didn't see one the last time I looked on Sennheisers site.

 

Sennheiser have marked the HD800S as "Available" on their website now: http://en-de.sennheiser.com/hd-800-s.

 

I t

I think they may have changed it, It's showing available soon.

 

Yes, I have just had that pointed out to me on HF. My browser still says "AVAILABLE", even with refreshing. Oh well (shrug).
I like to use facts, so this bothers me. BTW, using the latest Iceweasel on Debian Jessie 8.2, from N.Z. for what it's worth.

 

Hi guys, I need your little help.
I am planning on getting HD800(/S).
The DAC AMP will be Master 11 from Audio-gd.
Anyone here have prior experince with this DAC+AMP,...how it pairs with HD800?
Can I get any thing better for the price of Master 11 ($2000) ?

I am sensitive to highs but I am a soundstage-imaging whore,...are the HD800s the best option I have or I will be better off with some other headphone ?

I listen to mostly classical, classical crossovers, soundtracks/scores, lisa gerrad-enya-stuff, epic music like two steps from hell, etc.

 

for god's sake, don't touch anything from gd-audio. Bifrost Multibit+bottlehead are much much better.

 

Why would you say that?

 

sorry. just my opinion…