jello
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Post by jello on Sept 18, 2017 22:08:53 GMT
Good point that. Like you Ian I'm fortunate enough to be able to afford them at moment but not sure if I really want them. Would mean either using money I have set aside for something else or selling a couple of pairs of my current headphones to fund the HD800. But I like the ones I have and not sure I'm quite ready to part with any of them right now. No doubting the HD800 will be good but possibly a bit too cool / analytical for my tastes. And perhaps not much of an upgrade over the HE-560 w/ Kameleon spaciousness aside. Think I'll sleep on it and think more in the morning with hopefully a clearer head. Although by then another buyer might have taken the decision for me. You sum up my thoughts on portable headphones quite well. They're all average just to varying degrees and the form factor isn't all that portable really. Prefer IEMs as they give comparable SQ but far more practical (not everyone likes the fit though). Everything I've read about the Momentum in-ears points to them being average so not surprised you don't see what the fuss is about. WHF seem to pick some funny products to lavish praise upon and I find their reviews fairly useless in terms of getting a feel for a headphone. I'm not sure what the deal is with those HD800 on ebay. Not aware of their being any fakes and grey imports sell for a lot more than £370. Wouldn't be surprised if the seller is just going for a quick cash grab without fulfilling the orders. Or perhaps a pair of these will arrive? www.amazon.co.uk/Betron-Bluetooth-Headphones-Performance-Microphone-Black/dp/B01MTSC72P/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1505772285&sr=8-1&keywords=betron+hd800 Time will tell I guess.
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Rabbit
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Post by Rabbit on Sept 19, 2017 6:18:34 GMT
Hopefully, as you might know, I'm pulling your leg, Mark.
It's a lot of money to satisfy curiosity. Still for me, around £300 or so is about how far I'd want to go for a headphone since a lot of them beyond that improve on minutia. There are also things I'm not so keen about on the hd800, one is that treble which means filtering is a must for me and the other is the silver paint job which I heasr can come off!
I like the th900 too much as well. That was a retirement present to myself thanks to Mick so I'm sticking with that one!!
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jello
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Post by jello on Sept 21, 2017 20:37:43 GMT
All good Ian. I knew you were and your comments on the HD800 helped make up my mind. Just too many negatives to make it a worthwhile purchase so I took your advice* and bought the Utopia instead.... (* well you didn't say it in so many words but I knew what you were getting at)
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jello
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Post by jello on Sept 21, 2017 20:49:51 GMT
Not really (just in case you took me seriously!!). HD800 still available and still swithering. Lot of cash to satisfy curiosity but this pair is priced keenly enough that I could sell it on at no loss, but not sure if I can be bothered with the hassle of buying & selling at the mo'. And hoping that things don't get lost / damaged in transit.
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fanda
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Post by fanda on Sept 23, 2017 0:39:01 GMT
I do own a HD800 and personally find that it has too much treble and is pretty much unlistenable without appropriate EQ. I used to own a DT 880 and to my ears the HD800 in stock form sounds more similar to that headphone than any other popular Sennheiser model. The HD 800/HD 650 measurements shown on this site represent their sound very well. I couldn't find DT 880 measurements on this site, so let me point to a comparison I found online that shows the raw FR of the three headphones in the same chart --> graphs.headphone.com/graphCompare.php?graphType=-2&graphID[]=4061&graphID[]=2751&graphID[]=853&scale=30 - My interpretation from this chart is that the main differences are treble quantity, treble smoothness and bass extension. Based on the Kameleon documentation, I believe the HD800 filter tones down the 6Khz spike, reduces the overall treble, extends and elevates the bass a bit - this is my EQ preference as well. I do find that HD800 is very responsive to EQ to the point where you can make it sound like anything you want (within reason) - in fact, this is why i kept these. In my opinion, beyond a certain price point (I would say $200-$400 is the sweet spot), the value for money diminishes rapidly among current headphones. At $500+, I wouldn't buy without an extensive audition. Also, since you mentioned the Utopias, in my experience price doesn't guarantee quality either. Refer to the recent innerfidelity "drama" surrounding unit variances among multiple samples of LCD-4 and Utopia, which is frankly unacceptable at these ridiculously high price points.
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Rabbit
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Post by Rabbit on Sept 23, 2017 7:22:19 GMT
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fanda
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Post by fanda on Sept 23, 2017 12:07:01 GMT
Yes, I completely agree with that article. I only referred to that link because I don't see DT 880 measurements here, and it is the closest "cheaper" headphone I think of that has a sound similar to the stock HD800 out of the box.
I would still say that anyone wanting to buy HD800 should first audition it, ideally with EQ (or the Kameleon filter) before buying. With appropriate EQ, the HD800 is a very good headphone, but it is too risky to purchase blind.
EDIT: I am not endorsing the DT880. It might simply be easier to audition - if you find it too "thin"/"bright", for example, then you will almost certainly feel the same way about HD800. On the other hand, if it sounds right for you, then HD800 may be right for you as well. They both seem to be built towards a Diffuse-Field target response.
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Rabbit
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Post by Rabbit on Sept 23, 2017 18:47:28 GMT
I had the original (flat cupped) DT880 and found it hard to get on with. It was accurate and all that I guess, but I just craved bass. Some things seemed so thin and harsh on it so I never moved to the newer rounded cup version. I would like to hear one though since people did say that it has been made a tad warmer.
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oldson
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Post by oldson on Sept 23, 2017 18:58:49 GMT
i think i would like to try the hd800 with kameleon. will keep an eye out for a used set. trouble is , christmas may get in the way.
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Post by hifidez on Sept 23, 2017 20:43:13 GMT
i think i would like to try the hd800 with kameleon. will keep an eye out for a used set. trouble is , christmas may get in the way. Christmas does that. I've noticed.
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Post by tunkejazz on Sept 24, 2017 4:53:21 GMT
If you buy them now, there is enough time to recover for Christmas ;-)
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oldson
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Post by oldson on Sept 24, 2017 11:59:59 GMT
If you buy them now, there is enough time to recover for Christmas ;-) normally i would agree , trouble is our tumble dryer went bang last week and i would also like a new fridge/freezer. will get there eventually!
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fanda
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Post by fanda on Sept 24, 2017 14:43:24 GMT
The HD800 is always worth checking out and you should do so given an opportunity. If you can tolerate the sound signature or have a means to correct it, then it becomes a "must have", subject to price considerations.
On buying them used: Never seen or heard of a fake HD800, so you should be safe on that count. Knockoff versions of Sennheiser's cheaper models exist (sub-$50 models). As long as the unit you buy is in working condition and not broken, new/used shouldn't matter. May need to replace pads depending on use.
Regarding build quality (paint coming off): My pair is close to a year old and has been used fairly regularly - the paint's still fine. Maybe it is a matter of careful handling, or maybe just lucky.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Sept 29, 2017 18:22:38 GMT
SPOILER ALERT HD800 EBAY SCAM WARNING As i mentioned earlier in this thread i was getting a pair of HD800 off ebay for £370....... they were never delivered and the seller had closed their account about a week after i had put an 'item not received' claim into ebay. Thankfully ebay refunded me in full. The seller is using multiple accounts and is based in Australia. IF IT IS TOO GOOD TO BE TRUE THEN IT PROBABLY IS. Rick
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fanda
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Post by fanda on Sept 29, 2017 19:47:10 GMT
Ebay and Amazon seems to have this fake listing problem where sellers list a bunch of products with a fresh account with no intent to actually sell. Normally, in these cases money isn't at risk if the buyer is careful and disputes before the 6 month limit (for paypal), but one thing that does happen is that ebay shares your name/address/contact details with the seller (since the seller has to ship the product), and thus it also becomes a social engineering device to get 'verified' personal information for potential ID theft abuse (or more benign marketing data).
I would suggest, just for the sake of prudence: 1. Contact ebay and check with them what personal information was shared with this seller 2. Check your credit report, and possibly call your credit bureau (Experian, Equifax or Callcredit in the UK) to see if they have some option of ID theft monitoring.
For more context on ID theft for those unfamiliar with it: You mention a GBP listing, so lets assume you are in the UK. I recall that country doesn't have a unique identifier (SSN) concept, and an ID for the purpsoe of credit check is often confirmed using name/address/contact combo. Such a seller could use verified name/address to apply for credit using your details at some online financial institution with poor fraud controls, and make use of online banking to spend or transfer money elsewhere, leaving you with damaged credit. ID theft is a serious problem - please be careful.
Edit: To shed more detail on how this can happen - a way a potential fraudster can exploit the situation: 1. Your personal details are used to create bank account with, for instance, a branchless/online bank, or even a prepaid debit card. 2. The fraudster then applies for a personal loan with you details to any number of online providers, relying on your credit to qualify, and directs them to be deposited into that bank account created (which matches your details). 3. The fraudster withdraws/transfers money leaving you with unpaid credit.
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