Headphone Market News

FullRangeMan · « **Reply #120 on:** 19 May 2018, 06:42 am »

Good news Massdrop is bringing the Sennheiser HD820:
Sealed back?
https://www.massdrop.com/talk/7709/sennheiser-hd-820-headphones

FullRangeMan · « **Reply #121 on:** 28 May 2018, 03:31 am »

Now there are three 800 models: HD800, HD800S, HD820

dB Cooper · « **Reply #122 on:** 28 May 2018, 08:40 pm »

Yes, it's a sealed back. It's also $2400. Don't know what the Massdrop price might be but I don't really care unless the discount is 85-90%

. I posted here about the 820 back in January when it was announced. Here's the link to the Innerfidelity show report.

mr_bill · « **Reply #123 on:** 28 May 2018, 09:24 pm »

How much discount are Massdrops usually?

FullRangeMan · « **Reply #124 on:** 28 May 2018, 11:50 pm »

+1 good question.

I see an HifiMan at inexpensive value, but Sennheiser HD800 is a greatly overpriced product.

dB Cooper · « **Reply #125 on:** 29 May 2018, 02:24 am »

The metal structural parts of the HD800 (earcups for instance) are machined stainless steel, an extremely hard material that is difficult and time-consuming (and therefore expensive) to work with. The fact that it is handmade in Germany as opposed to some third world country with poverty wages doesn't exactly drive the cost down either. That said, I don't know what exactly accounts for the $800+ price hike over the HD800.

jibzilla · « **Reply #126 on:** 29 May 2018, 02:40 am »

Quote from: dB Cooper on 29 May 2018, 02:24 am

The metal structural parts of the HD800 (earcups for instance) are machined stainless steel, an extremely hard material that is difficult and time-consuming (and therefore expensive) to work with. The fact that it is handmade in Germany as opposed to some third world country with poverty wages doesn't exactly drive the cost down either. That said, I don't know what exactly accounts for the $800+ price hike over the HD800.

The enclosure might have taken allot of R and D and thus $800. I think they will have a street price of $1500 in a few years.

jibzilla · « **Reply #127 on:** 29 May 2018, 02:44 am »

Quote from: FullRangeMan on 28 May 2018, 11:50 pm

+1 good question.

I see an HifiMan at inexpensive value, but Sennheiser HD800 is a greatly overpriced product.

With the right amp the hd800 is a bargain. With the wrong amp it is greatly overpriced. The most amp dependent dynamic headphone I have ever tried by a country mile. Classic headroom amps and modern day ECP amps will get the job done. Everything else not so much.

FullRangeMan · « **Reply #128 on:** 29 May 2018, 02:48 am »

I though the parts were cast aluminum, steel are expensive and heavy.
Alumimum is so cheap they made soda cans with it.
The HD800 max retail was MSRP $1,399.95 at the release date eons ago, not $1500.

dB Cooper · « **Reply #129 on:** 29 May 2018, 03:06 am »

(and Stereophile reviewed them in 2009 and said $1500; Innerfidelity in 2012 at $1500. I definitely remember seeing it at (and hearing) $1500 at the time because everybody had 'sticker shock' at the time. Now, $1500 is considered 'mid-priced' to some (sigh...)

https://www.innerfidelity.com/content/brilliant-sennheiser-hd-800

jibzilla · « **Reply #130 on:** 29 May 2018, 06:15 am »

Yep allot of $4-5k headphones out now have made $1500 allot more acceptable. I'm also pretty sure the hd800 was price locked by sennheiser for a few years. I have tried 5 of these $4-5k headphones and found the hd800 to have a better build quality, better comfort and with the right amplifier better sonics.

A $1500 hd800 with a $5k Apex Teton amp really is not all that crazy to me when looking at its higher priced competition. A $1k wheatfield ha-2 (classic headroom) or ECP torpedo III will get you one of the best bargains out there in audio right now. Really truly hifi for less than $2k if you don't mind your hd800 used.

dB Cooper · « **Reply #131 on:** 29 May 2018, 11:13 am »

Fortunately it's not necessary to spend thousands to get satisfying headphone sound if you are only interested in impressing your ears, not your friends. A Schiit Magni or O2 for instance, paired with a Beyer Amiron, HD6xx. AKG 7xx, or some of the more rationally priced Hifiman or Sennheiser models, will get you to where you'd have to spend a LOT more money to get really better sound (and as usual, high price is not a guarantee of high performance). As always, if you've got money to burn, this hobby will accommodate you.

FullRangeMan · « **Reply #132 on:** 29 May 2018, 11:53 am »

Massdrop is showing now this $1400 value, I already see the 1400 era.

timind · « **Reply #133 on:** 29 May 2018, 12:04 pm »

Quote from: dB Cooper on 29 May 2018, 11:13 am

Fortunately it's not necessary to spend thousands to get satisfying headphone sound if you are only interested in impressing your ears, not your friends. A Schiit Magni or O2 for instance, paired with a Beyer Amiron, HD6xx. AKG 7xx, or some of the more rationally priced Hifiman or Sennheiser models, will get you to where you'd have to spend a LOT more money to get really better sound (and as usual, high price is not a guarantee of high performance). As always, if you've got money to burn, this hobby will accommodate you.

Excellent post. And as the headphone experience is so personal, you may not enjoy the sound from the ultra-expensive models. They may sound grand on first listen, but give them time and the luster wears off.

dB Cooper · « **Reply #134 on:** 29 May 2018, 12:35 pm »

Thanks timind. It's the ol' 'Law of Diminishing Returns'. IMJ what you are paying for with much high-priced gear is frequently 'bling' more so than performance. I don't have a 'bling' budget so I have Amirons not HD800's. I've heard both, and when I'm sitting listening to my Beyers, I'm not thinking, "Sh**, I wish I had HD800's", Im thinking, "Wow, this music sounds great." As Frank van Alstine said in his old newsletter, "There are many more sideways steps taken on the road to audio bliss than forward steps." (Paraphrasing.)

FullRangeMan · « **Reply #135 on:** 29 May 2018, 01:10 pm »

In the 1960s I dont had a headphone so I used take the mobile victrola 6'' speakers and put it in my ears and the soundstage and general SQ was amazing, so I aware the phones speaker size are the most important factor to a HP, so the HD800 2 inches speaker size are not enough let alone the competidors.

dB Cooper · « **Reply #136 on:** 29 May 2018, 09:36 pm »

jibzilla · « **Reply #137 on:** 30 May 2018, 05:14 am »

Quote from: FullRangeMan on 29 May 2018, 01:10 pm

In the 1960s I dont had a headphone so I used take the mobile victrola 6'' speakers and put it in my ears and the soundstage and general SQ was amazing, so I aware the phones speaker size are the most important factor to a HP, so the HD800 2 inches speaker size are not enough let alone the competidors.

The 2 inches is just fine. The drivers are setting much closer to your ears. The hd800's soundstage is its biggest attribute compared to its competitors. Maybe akg k-1000, maybe stax sigma other than those 2 headphones not much else competes with the hd800 soundstage.

jibzilla · « **Reply #138 on:** 30 May 2018, 05:28 am »

Quote from: dB Cooper on 29 May 2018, 11:13 am

Fortunately it's not necessary to spend thousands to get satisfying headphone sound if you are only interested in impressing your ears, not your friends. A Schiit Magni or O2 for instance, paired with a Beyer Amiron, HD6xx. AKG 7xx, or some of the more rationally priced Hifiman or Sennheiser models, will get you to where you'd have to spend a LOT more money to get really better sound (and as usual, high price is not a guarantee of high performance). As always, if you've got money to burn, this hobby will accommodate you.

I don't consider $400 to $2k a giant leap. I also think a well driven hd800 makes the headphones you mentioned sound like toys. A good bang for the buck but only a glimpse of hifi not actual hifi.

FullRangeMan · « **Reply #139 on:** 30 May 2018, 05:45 am »

Quote from: jibzilla on 30 May 2018, 05:14 am

The 2 inches is just fine. The drivers are setting much closer to your ears. The hd800's soundstage is its biggest attribute compared to its competitors. Maybe akg k-1000, maybe stax sigma other than those 2 headphones not much else competes with the hd800 soundstage.

Not fine at this price. If you have two 6'' FR drivers laying around you could made a DIY headphones to know how good it is.