Yes of course. K7 series just has issues with bad imaging
@db_Cooper, excellent write up and impressions. Just FYI for those who wonder, these HPās are excellent at letting you hear what different tube combinations bring out or take away from your music.
They respond well to different power classes and also reproduce what you are feeding them via your equipment. Their analytical ability is excellent which is why I wanted them in my stable.
They take to equalization well and I have pre-sets in my RME DAC set up just for them for certain music combinations. I did not come Up W/ these numbers but instead followed the advice from other users on different forums and I am very pleased with their ability to round out the HP for greater listening pleasure.
One of the reasons I hold onto all my gear is that through constant research across the varied forums I have learned some tips and tricks which I will go back and implement every few months on a piece that has been sitting around and I find myself often surprised to learn something more or different about a piece of equipment I did not know. Itās like getting something new each and every time 
(I attribute much of this to synergy between pieces)
The HD800S is still new to me and I have barely touched the tip of the iceberg on what they can do. So far I have only played with them on 2 styles of amplifier w/ 1 DAC and the difference between the two was enjoyable to experience.
Itās wonderful to have folks with an experienced ear evaluate things for those of us who donāt have the ability or knowledge base, i personally learn so much and then look forward to experiencing it myself at some point.
Over the past few years I have come to understand that there are a few different types of audiophiles. The truly skilled musical types who really know music, the equipment heads (like myself) who really get into the gear, the combination types who get deeply into both, neophytes across the board, casual listeners who donāt get into either too deep, and then a cross section of all of the above who grow into the extremes eventually.
Let me know what you want to try next time around! 
great write up!
2 Likes
If funny you talk about the different types of audiophiles, when over in the what do you do for a living a lot of us are technical in background. I agree that I felt somewhat superhuman when listening to the HD800s. They made is easier to see and notice things. I could hear nuances in voicing that I hadnāt before, there was accuracy in everything.
Iām like a drunken sailor with money. If I have $20 dollars in my pocket, Iām looking at things that cost $30. My paycheck goes into her account for a reason. I get a stipend every two weeks and our deal is that as long as I donāt dip into the houseās money I can do whatever I want with my stipend. Thankfully besides being that drunken sailor, I am a ho for bang for the buck and Iām shrewd AF when it comes to buying used gear so I cherish the opportunities like you offering me a listen because it allows me to further explore what I like and donāt like because paying retail to find out you donāt love something is the worst kind of mistake in the hobby you can make. LOL
If I could have a collection of cans I would want, the HD800s would certainly be in the collection but Iāve convinced myself that my limit to high end headphones would be 3 and I needed to have one of those be closed back for late night listening.
So my audio budget comes from the stipend, shit I sell and barter, trade and the occasional bank job. 
I canāt encourage people enough, to listen for yourself and donāt ever take a reviewerās opinion as the last word as youāre never going to agree with anyone 100% of the time!
7 Likes
What a great write up. The comparison with the girls is terrific 
1 Like
Could not agree more. I read and listen to a ton of reviews, but so many of the āacclaimedā headphones have been a disappointment to me! I have bought around thirty pairs of headphones in the last five years and with a few exceptions, my reactions have ranged from āThat sucks!ā all the way up to āitās OKā.
Although I always resell at a loss, it is not that bad and you really have hear a pair live to judge for yourself. And even then I have done some wicked 180ās on headphones after a few weeks. For me, with a few exceptions, it takes a month to get a fully formed opinion on a headphone.
2 Likes
Hi guys, between a Sennheiser HD 660 S for $480 and a Sennheiser HD 800 S for $1225, which one would be the better pick?
They are pretty different headphones and which is better will depend entirely on your preferences. Are you buying used? $1200 is a good price for the HD800S and $480 is a bad price for the 660S ($466 on amazon currently).
Hereās a used 660 for $300 available right now
https://www.head-fi.org/threads/sennheiser-hd660s-one-week-old.952091/
Hi, both are brand new here.
Would the 800s work good on a topping e30 + l30 combo?
Donāt see why not. Topping L30 is basically half of an A90. The 800S works fine on my A90. If you want a warmer sound, you can always EQ =).
I just got an HD 800 S in the mail. Impulsively bought them in open box condition last week. Iāve listened to them for just an hour now via my ADI-2 -> RebelAmp. Initial impressions are positive. They arenāt, to my ears, as bright as some people say. The treble is a bit more present then other headphones I own but due to their open back nature they donāt sound too harsh or at least my ears donāt feel like theyāre being abused. The bass kind of reminds me of the bass on the original Hifiman 560 but in less quantity where itās there when the recording has it but isnāt overly emphasized the rest of the time.
Since this no longer comes with an xlr cable, is there a popular choice for 4 pin xlr cables or a 4.4 mm to 4 pin xlr adapter? I was thinking about something from Lqi cables which Iāve used before but am open to other suggestions. Also I donāt have a tube amp to connect to but thatās something that I will definitely be looking for in the future.
2 Likes
You can get a cable based adapter from Amazon. I have a couple, they are fine. I bought an adapter instead purely because the cable-based adapters took up too much space on my desk. Example below.
Thanks thatās exactly what I was looking for
1 Like
Thought Iād post some more impressions of the 800S compared to other things I have. My main headphone for the past year has been the Audeze LCD-4z. Other headphones Iāve used are the Mr. Speakers Mad Dog, Hifiman He-560 and He-6se, Drop 6xx, and Drop Ether Cx. I used the 4z initially with the 789 amp but switched to the RebelAmp as I was searching for something that was a little softer around the edges. I donāt think the 800S would pair well with the 789 as it can be pretty harsh and fatiguing (or just resolving to the point where the treble is very in your face and certain faults in the recording are very apparent) so I will be using it with the RebelAmp until the Flux Labs Acoustics FA-12 arrives in the mail. I also ordered a 4.4mm to 4 pin xlr adapter that should be here in a week or so and I will likely get a Norne cable once my wallet recovers from recent purchases. The stock cable is nice but itās too long for my uses and does not have the termination that I would prefer.
In comparison to the 4z the 800S, to my ears, definitely competes. I have added a 5db bass shelf at 100hz via the ADI-2. For more acoustic tracks this isnāt really necessary but is helpful on electronic and pop music. The 4z has excellent bass extension and impact. Mids and treble are well defined but not as pronounced as the bass. I think the overall timbre of this headphone is natural and cohesive sounding but it is highly resolving which can be fatiguing at times. The stage is average but the imaging is superb. This is and will be my go to headphone for when I want to nod my head and tap my feet to some music. It is great with electronic, metal, rock, and jazz. Pretty much any genre where having a good bass presence is important. On the other hand the 800S sounds more open (wider stage) with similar imaging. The mids and treble are more pronounced but not in a fatiguing way. Details in the mids and treble jump out more but that is likely just do to the increased presence of those regions. The bass, without the bass shelf, is fairly well extended with good texture but it is fairly quiet especially after being used to the 4z. With the shelf, it gains better impact whilst retaining the same texture. The shelf can at times sound a bit unnatural so Iām not set on sticking with it. The 800S is excellent with all acoustic tracks and I would prefer it over the 4z with those sorts of genres. The shelf helps with genres like metal and electronic but I would still reach out to the 4z for that kind of music. Comfort wise they both have the pros and cons. The 4z have a good clamp which negates the overall weight of the headphone and the pads are deep and soft. However after an hour or so I can get a bit of a hot spot where the strap touches my head. The 800S is very light but has almost no clamp and the pads are very thin. Itās comfortable but it slides around a lot more on my head than the 4z does mainly due to the lack of clamp.
So in conclusion, these will be my go to headphones going forward. I think they compliment each other nicely as they excel at different things. The 4z is good for more modern music with strong bass lines while the 800s is excellent with acoustic music like jazz, singer songwriter, or classical. With the bass shelf, the 800S becomes more usable with more modern music. The lightweight nature of the 800S makes it easier to use over longer periods of time but the lack of clamp is unsettling at times. With an MSRP of less then half that of the 4z I think the 800S is excellent value for the money and should be at the top of anyoneās list. Sorry for the essay, I just wanted to write my thoughts down somewhere.
3 Likes
Just got the Dekoni Hybrid pads for the HD800S. Threw the cans on the EARS (I know itās not perfect, but Iām not going to shell out GRAS money to check pads) with stock pads and with the Dekoni. Biggest difference measurements wise is you lose about 2 db of volume. I measured 65 dB with stock, 63 dB with Dekoni (both at 300 Hz test tone). I turned up the volume until the Dekoniās measured 65 dB and then re-measured. Gotta say Iām pretty impressed how close they matched the stock pads for tuning.
3 Likes
How did these pads help with the sliding? Iām having the same issue and itās starting to annoy me enough Iām considering getting rid of these even though I love them.
The pads / cups stay in place unless you start head banging, so a good bit better. The clamping force is slightly more now, but it wasnāt high to begin with (no where near HD6XX clamp). Iām pretty happy with them. Spent the afternoon getting an EQ dialed in, now Iāve got to use it for a few days to see if itās shit or not (I canāt AB test EQs).
I ended up ordering this adapter for the 4.4mm cable that comes with the 800S: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B082Y6XSSW/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1. The ali express one listed above was more ideal looking but the shipping was going to take a while. Just wanted to say that this adapter is working fine to connect to my balanced amp with a 4 pin xlr connection. Also the adapter is sturdy with a braided but flexible cable and the connectors are snug.
2 Likes
That company makes a good cable. I have several of their thicker models which work well for my use and have never had an issue
These pads are available on Drop again at a $20 discount for the hybrid pads so Iām thinking about buying them based on your experience. Iāve read about people having issues taking the dekoni pads off after theyāre applied. Has anything like this happened to you?
I havenāt taken them off since I put them on. The plastic bit that attaches the pads to the cups seemed brittle, so I can see them not surviving removal. But I have no intention of removing these pads until they need to be replaced. They are really comfy.
1 Like