Best Amps for Sennheiser HD800

Discussion in 'Headphone Amplifiers and Combo (DAC/Amp) Units' started by The Alchemist, Oct 23, 2015.

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  1. Barra

    Barra New

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    While IMHO I agree that the amp is key with the HD800, and it absolutely sounds best IMO with tubes, I believe that the HD800 has more to give beyond the best amp and tubes.
    • Yggdrasil/Rok: HD800 sounds ok I guess, nothing special, prefer Audeze, moving on.
    • PWDmkII w/ OffRamp 5 DDC > EC ZD: Now this makes the HD800 sing, but Audeze sounds better, closer but moving on.
    • PWD > Rok > @johnjen SW Optimized/Modded HD800: Wow, now I am ready to sell the Audeze and change platforms, with this setup the HD800 sounds like an improved and comfortable Abyss.
    I heard @johnjen's optimized HD800 chain at the last Seattle meet and it sounded like an improved Abyss which was a paradigm shift for me. I am still trying to figure out all that he has done from mods to software tweaks, but his HD800 rocks. It has made me want to go HD800 when I have always been firmly in the Audeze camp. His optimized Abyss-like HD800 still has the beloved sound stage and delicate details, but now it has an Abyss kick/dynamics and Audeze textured notes for a more lifelike sound. It no longer feels analytical nor is it only good for classical and instrumentals. It beats my LCD2.2 in bass and out dances it with EDM.

    I will be listening again on the 30th where I hope to switch things up to see if one or all the tweaks collectively are responsible. His chain is the PWD > Rok > HD800. The three tweaks he mentioned that matter most are the SonarWorks DSD headphone plug-in, a sub bass DSD tweek, and a phase reversal configuration. I am hoping that I can get the same sound using his headphone with my chain: Havana 2 tube DAC > EC BW > HD800. If I can come close, I am becoming an HD800 fanboy and taking the plunge. JJ is doing a write up detailing his process and results to add to his cookbook thread sometime next week if anyone is interested. BTW, if the HD800S arrives in time, we will have one at the event to compare as well.

    Once that is all said and done, then I would be interested to see if the DNA Stratus can take the HD800 even higher. :)
     
  2. Eric_C

    Eric_C Friend

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    I have an Ember and use it with my unmodded HD800. Sounds alright to me.
    Get the headphone first and see how you like it with your current amps?
     
  3. Pyruvate

    Pyruvate Friend

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    @dubiousmike Good Lord, thanks a bunch for the lengthy impressions. You painted a very nice picture of the mainline! I actually ended up buying George's Mainline from HF (first buyer backed off). I've listened to the Mainline once at THEshow 2015 and was pretty blown away how the HD800 sounded on it, best I've heard it so far (having not listened to any of EC's offerings yet). Great to know how it compares to other competing amps... and I'm glad I made the right choice in splurging on the Mainline instead of upgrading my DAC to the Gungnir Multibit first. Though, surely I know getting a Gungnir Multibit is the next step!

    @Barra I took that plunge and sold my LCD2.2 to fund a system built around the HD650. I never thought I'd actually part with the Audezes too, but I'm glad I did! I don't miss them one bit. I will be acquiring an HD800 one day to complement my modded HD650. Curious to see how far I can take these senns. :sail:
     
  4. ald0s

    ald0s Facebook Friend

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    Does anyone have any recommendations for an amp that will give the HD800s a touch of romantics / wetness / euphony but won't muddy it up too much. I heard a fully loaded WA5 once with 1k of tubes and it sounded gorgeous but i can't afford one. Id love to get a 300B / 2a3 and perhaps a Stratus would be perfect but the AUD has put it around $4.5k now. Any cheaper options? It seems like theres nothing between the crack / ember and the EC BA / WA5 price wise. Currently running Gungnir Multibit > Val2 > HD800.

    EDIT: I feel like a DNA Sonnett 2 might be perfect but i can't find one.
     
    Last edited: Jan 20, 2016
  5. leonardodrummond

    leonardodrummond Village idiot

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    from what I heard (i.e. heard someguy said), cabs are stock HD800s, Nagra PLP (as a HP amp) is better than ECBA.
     
  6. dubiousmike

    dubiousmike Friend

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    @Pyruvate You're most welcome, and congrats on the new amp (and a really really good deal on it at that)! Hope you find as much joy in it as I have in mine.
    \/
     
  7. zerodeefex

    zerodeefex SBAF's Imelda Marcos

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    Under the BA? I'd say the ZD:S. It's a great amp with that damn wonderful sound that makes vocals give you the shivers.
     
  8. Hekeli

    Hekeli Facebook Friend

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    Funny how one of the easiest tweaks (a real headphone transforming tool) always gets ignored and trumped by the search foh dah ultimatuh ampzndaxz synergiz, which still really can't change real tonality.
     
  9. zerodeefex

    zerodeefex SBAF's Imelda Marcos

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    As much as I love DSP for my speakers and mid Fi cans, the loss in resolution always gets me with the HD800.
     
  10. Hekeli

    Hekeli Facebook Friend

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    I guess we could ignore the "last 5%" seekers and über stuff. Generally people seem to spend way too much time and effort looking for stuff complementing (fixing) a headphone, instead of getting a reliable, consistently manufactured, comfortable, very scaling headphone that doesn't cost thousands. Tune tonality with DSP and look for the last spice with other gear. I easily hear dac/amp differences with Sonarworks. They do bring some differences that probably would be hard to replicate with DSP.
     
  11. zerodeefex

    zerodeefex SBAF's Imelda Marcos

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    If you're not seeking the last 5-10%, there's quite a few other headphones that might be a better fit than the HD800.

    I come from car audio, home theater, and the speaker world. I am wildly familiar with DSPs and what you can achieve when used effectively. I will try out Sonarworks but I'd be a shitty member here if I didn't point out that I've never used a DSP that didn't cripple the HD800 to the point where I'd rather just reach for the HD600 or another can in my collection.
     
  12. Hekeli

    Hekeli Facebook Friend

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    I've tried about 25 headphones, had most <2000$ flagships. I feel none compare favourably to my current HD800/Sonarworks rig so uh yeah. The bass, stage etc no contest. I have HD600 too which is very nice, but it's in a class below honestly when comparing how far HD800 can go with subbass slam, staging and general resolving/flexibility + it's much more comfortable..

    I would consider myself casual listener, not looking for "the ultimate violin realismess" or whatever, but I definitely can decide for myself what simply sounds generally stupidly good.

    (I'm sure with some more eq tuning, crossfeeds etc, it can be even more improved, but I try not to get too deep into it..)
     
    Last edited: Jan 21, 2016
  13. zerodeefex

    zerodeefex SBAF's Imelda Marcos

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    That's great and this is good context for your priorities. You should have caveated your posts since we have no frame of reference for your priorities and tastes. A lot of new users use threads like this to learn what to do with the HD800s.

    I've owned dozens of headphone and many of the flagships we talk about, the abyss, the hd800, the SR-007 mk1, the 009 briefly and probably quite a few others. I've also auditioned God knows how many other cans, so I'm not inexperienced chasing the best experience at the high end. I would not ever recommend the HD800 with software DSP to a new user who is the typical person entering this thread. I mean, you still need some pretty damn good amplification and one hell of a DAC for the cans to shine. You can't substitute for those with even the best DSP. You still have to convert that digital signal to analog and you still need to provide one hell of an amplification stage for this HD800 to really sound great.

    In fact, if I wasn't interested in resolution and technicalities, I'd 9/10 recommend something with incredible tonality and great bass like the Code-X.

    Also, I'd caution you from trivializing what you call the "ultimate violin realismess." We all have our priorities. If string harmonics aren't reproduced well, I am not going to be a fan of a particular setup. Does that make me crazy? Probably, but so is pretty much everyone else here.
     
  14. Hekeli

    Hekeli Facebook Friend

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    I agree one needs good gear, I wouldn't have Gungnir Multibit/NFB-1AMP if I didn't feel they offer anything above ODAC/O2. Everyone does have priorities, and I simply offer my viewpoint.

    These days it's so simple to get good gear. Regular working joes buy $2-3k flatscreens, so I don't feel spending the same on audio is anything special. Of course I wouldn't spend it unnecessarily.. instead of 4k OLED flatty I have a $700 60" plasma that does it's job very well. But strangely getting Gungnir Multibit etc felt good investment to me.
     
  15. Priidik

    Priidik MOT: Estelon

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    I liked the Sonarworks dsp with HD800, though as already discussed above it's nothing without decent hardware chain.
    From all digital signal manipulation tricks the Sonarworks one is the only one I'd personally use.
    Though a small price in ultimate resolution and dynamics must be paid to gain that favorable tonal balance with it.
    If I'd mostly listen to digitally born music (EDM, trance, techno etc) I would use it. For acoustical and many tracks from analog origins I prefer HD800 without it.
     
  16. sorrodje

    sorrodje Carla Bruni's other lover - Friend

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    Interesting. I listen to a lot of EDM myself and I didn't find yet the perfect headphone for that. A mix of Stat Speed, HD800 Imaging and HE-6 Slam and bestiality would do the trick but if a good DSP can bring that from a HD800 , that's truly interesting.

    In fact , the Abyss is probably the best EDM headphone I listened to.
     
  17. SoupRKnowva

    SoupRKnowva Official SBAF South Korean Ambassador

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    It's 2016, why doesn't this exist yet?
     
  18. Bourne Perfect

    Bourne Perfect Friend

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    :eek:
     
  19. fraggler

    fraggler A Happy & Busy Life

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    Holy crap, I understand what he was trying to say, but holy crap. Lol.
     
  20. Bourne Perfect

    Bourne Perfect Friend

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    Me too lol, but still. I'm sure he'll raise the white flag shortly. :p
     
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