I didn't really like the stock HD800 that much.
highly detailed sound with a sharp 'edge' that can be nasty sometimes.
Bass lacked 'body' but seemed to be there none the less.
So today I tinkered with the Kameleon and made a filter for the HD800.
Results so far are 'promising'.
The bass is now there and even better than Kameleonised HD650.
Much better than ETHER (from memory)
The sharp edge is gone and 'details' are normal, like Kameleonised HD650 but slightly different.
Still have to compare them side by side though.
Measurements:
Below the stock HD800
Below the HD800 on the Kameleon (prototype filter, not final version)
Below the difference between the
stock HD800 and the
HD800 on KameleonThe bass extension is now there.
About 10dB more at 10Hz.
The wiggles at 50Hz are not there, hum in the measurement chain.
Bass (60Hz) is a good 5dB louder now, quite noticeable but a long way from basshead approved.
The bass is really 'flat' and realistic.
Mids likewise.... realistic.
The dip at 4kHz is not easy to remove and when EQ'ed out starts to become shouty so leave it that way.
The treble is better balanced and bit more 'feisty' than HD650 on Kameleon.
The HD650 is smoother.
Tonal balance is now correct and impressive.
Below the CSD of the HD800 :
Below the CSD of the HD800 on Kameleon:
No real problems visible other than the very short lived 6kHz ringing.
Distortion plot of the stock HD800:
Below the distortion plot of the HD800 on the Kameleon:
Distortion in the bass appears to rise but this is because the amplitude there has improved.
Likewise the Kameleon appears to improve the treble distortion but again, this is caused by the lower amplitude of the treble on the Kameleon.
Effectively the distortion remains the same.
And finally some squarewave plots and needle pulse plots.
On the left the stock HD800 on the right the HD800 on the Kameleon:
The 40Hz square wave difference is obvious.
The 440Hz square wave also improves.
the needle pulse now does not overshoot anymore and the ringing is less pronounced in amplitude.
HD650 on Kameleon measures better in this aspect.
So for now I would say the HD650 on the Kameleon might be better and closer to the 'truth' but the HD800 on the Kameleon might be more 'fun' and 'open'
Need to listen to both side by side but for now am going to familarize myself with the Kameleon sound.
To me MUCH improved over the 'stock' sound.