Sennheiser Owners & Discussion Thread

[Qwertyqaz]

Valhalla is not bad but bottlehead crack with speedball is better for similar price.

Not from what Iam reading, also there are way too many cracks on sale at headfi and not a single Valhalla 2.

[mloutfie]

I found Valhalla 2 to be below crack on imaging, soundstage and depth which is really important for me. Whereas you will need some really good tube on crack (eg TS 5998) to match valhalla 2 bass on HD800. In the end of the day is all about sound preference 

[Qwertyqaz]

I found Valhalla 2 to be below crack on imaging, soundstage and depth which is really important for me. Whereas you will need some really good tube on crack (eg TS 5998) to match valhalla 2 bass on HD800. In the end of the day is all about sound preference

Sure on that, but which one was more transparent .

[TheBrightSide]

Has anyone compared the Valhalla to the Mjolnir?

[mloutfie]

By transparent do you mean detail retrieval? Crack speedball with good tubes definitely more detailed (best bang tubes like RCA Cleartop 12au7 with Svetlana 6as7g is brilliant combo for arround $50). One note though Crack stock tubes is pretty bad whereas valhalla stock tubes is not bad

[mloutfie]

Has anyone compared the Valhalla to the Mjolnir?

For HD800? valhalla is a better match. Mjolnir is too harsh for HD800. I like Mjolnir with MrSpeaker Alpha dog or LCD-X

[TheBrightSide]

For HD800? valhalla is a better match. Mjolnir is too harsh for HD800. I like Mjolnir with MrSpeaker Alpha dog or LCD-X

Interesting, thanks.

I have the 800's and Mjolnir (orig), but have never heard the Valhalla's.

I don't find it a harsh combo, depending of course on the recording.

Anything that has been smashed in mastering sounds pretty bad.

[mloutfie]

Interesting, thanks.

I have the 800's and Mjolnir (orig), but have never heard the Valhalla's.

I don't find it a harsh combo, depending of course on the recording.

Anything that has been smashed in mastering sounds pretty bad.

To be honest after swapping so many headphone amp what I found is at these level ($500-1000) it's all about preference. One person harsh can be another person detailed. In the end of the day as long as you're happy with the sound it's all that matters.

[Qwertyqaz]

By transparent do you mean detail retrieval? Crack speedball with good tubes definitely more detailed (best bang tubes like RCA Cleartop 12au7 with Svetlana 6as7g is brilliant combo for arround $50). One note though Crack stock tubes is pretty bad whereas valhalla stock tubes is not bad

That's surprising , I cannot imagine detail retrieval being better on the DIY amp .

On a seperate note, how do you rate dynahi

[mloutfie]

For the amp I've tried Dynahi is comparable to auralic taurus or a balanced beta22. Circuit design wise it's comparable to gs-x but I never tried it.

[rx79ez08]

Couldn't distinguish either the 800S from a modded HD800. The 800S resolution is little less than a stock HD800 though. Thanks to George @ A2A.

 

I don't feel these are worth there price at all compared to a normal HD800 however. $1400 vs $2599. $30 worth of felt mods to a HD800 = HD800S save the remaining cost for an amp or such.

You are assuming everyone got the skill and the time to do the mod. Warranty also is an issue, especially with mods that require taking the driver apart. If you 800S go wrong within the warranty period, you hand it back and says fix it. You don't get that with a modded headphones, take it apart you are only one that have the responsibility to fix it if things go wrong.

 

You also get the balanced cable with the HD800S, which rightly or wrongly does cost a few hundred bucks if you are to get it separately. You get much better performance with the 800 and the 800S in balanced mode.

Edited March 15, 2016 by rx79ez08

[ald0s]

 You get much better performance with the 800 and the 800S in balanced mode.

Amp dependant.

[F18]

You are assuming everyone got the skill and the time to do the mod. Warranty also is an issue, especially with mods that require taking the driver apart. If you 800S go wrong within the warranty period, you hand it back and says fix it. You don't get that with a modded headphones, take it apart you are only one that have the responsibility to fix it if things go wrong.

 

Actually don't need to take apart the drivers and mod is reversible. If you decided to pant the headphones to black to colour match the HD800S that's a different story with warranty claim issues.

 

Amp dependant.

 

This is what I gathered as well and was told. 

[Qwertyqaz]

Still

Looking for the top headphone amp to drive the hd800

[Neo]

What about this?

https://www.addictedtoaudio.com.au/product/lehmannaudio-linear-headphone-amplifier

[Neo]

I have the same one but the special edition version and I love it, although I do not own 800 but do own 650, 500, 700 in sennheiser.

Got 612 in akg, ms pro from Alessandro. Drives them really well. In fact sennheiser was using Lehman audio amps when they released the 800s something to think about.

[Qwertyqaz]

What about this?

https://www.addictedtoaudio.com.au/product/lehmannaudio-linear-headphone-amplifier

Want something different, have a SS already.

[Guest]

Want something different, have a SS already.

 

Can I ask what you think would be suitable? every suggestion so far has been rebuffed. 

[Neo]

Then https://www.addictedtoaudio.com.au/product/schiit-audio-lyr-2-headphone-amplifier

[Neo]

Or https://www.addictedtoaudio.com.au/product/schiit-audio-valhalla-2-tube-headphone-amplifier

[Neo]

The other thing is, there are better solid states.

[Qwertyqaz]

Can I ask what you think would be suitable? every suggestion so far has been rebuffed. 

 

 

Something that allows the HD800 to display its vast soundstage width and depth, pinpoint imaging and just real coherence (thanks Peter for explaining to me what it means) music.

All this without loosing on detail retrieval.

[Neo]

Look I was in castle hill, got into discussion with Mathew about headphone amps/dac. In particular Hugo tt how it's superior in every way; dac how it drives even the 800 with ease. How everyone needs to have a listen to get the idea of good solid state/ dac implementation. Now on paper it doesn't look like much compared to Lehmans spec, well that was my argument. But the way it's built and various technologies in it are implemented makes it the winner. He gave me an example, chord and parasound amps on paper they may have 300 watts a piece but chord will blitz it because of abc technologies implemented in it and how it's built; high current etc. Hence the difference in price, he did concede that parasound is great value for money. So just because u got solid state an example in your ownership doesn't mean that's it and move on to say tube. I'm disappointed and thankfully that I can't get the chord Hugo tt something about $6800 need to save for abit, otherwise it would be for me the end game and replace a lot of boxes.

Now please don't take this as a sign for an argument that chord is overpriced etc just siting an experience yesterday

[Qwertyqaz]

Look I was in castle hill, got into discussion with Mathew about headphone amps/dac. In particular Hugo tt how it's superior in every way; dac how it drives even the 800 with ease. How everyone needs to have a listen to get the idea of good solid state/ dac implementation. Now on paper it doesn't look like much compared to Lehmans spec, well that was my argument. But the way it's built and various technologies in it are implemented makes it the winner. He gave me an example, chord and parasound amps on paper they may have 300 watts a piece but chord will blitz it because of abc technologies implemented in it and how it's built; high current etc. Hence the difference in price, he did concede that parasound is great value for money. So just because u got solid state an example in your ownership doesn't mean that's it and move on to say tube. I'm disappointed and thankfully that I can't get the chord Hugo tt something about $6800 need to save for abit, otherwise it would be for me the end game and replace a lot of boxes.

Now please don't take this as a sign for an argument that chord is overpriced etc just siting an experience yesterday

I look at Chord Hugo TT as a DAC first, what this means is it will make my DAC redundant and I certainly don't want that as I love my DAC to shreads!

But certainly for someone looking for a combo I couldn't agree with you any more 

[Neo]

Got the Lehman audio linear se and electrocompaniet ecd 1, got that as opposed to naim dac v-1. This way I was advised that I can upgrade dac and headphone amp separately if I get the itch.But tt is something else as a combo.