tin ear

initial impressions for the hd800s are starting to trickle in and they look promising

any idea how many hd800's have been sold since its introduction in 2009? i don't but it would have to be tens of thousands. do you honestly think that it would be in sennheiser's financial interest to offer a retrofit for every unit they've sold, let alone to have the capacity to do so? the hd800s is a new iteration and the hd800 will continue to be produced. you want an hd800 with a helmholtz resonator? then buy the hd800s or have a crack at diy. sennheiser isn't toyota and the hd800 isn't a prius.

yep, that's the head-fi post i was reluctant to refer to. thanks for referencing.

i'd rather have a full bottle in front of me than a full frontal lobotomy

according to the other place, the hd800s isn't just a hd800 with a diy adapted mod and a new coat of paint. sennheiser did investigate that approach but found that it attenuated the highs too much and compromised the sound staging. they opted for a "helmholtz resonator" (which is a type of tuned absorber apparently) to redress the 6khz peak while extending the high and low frequencies. it could be the heimlich maneuver for all i care as long as it does the job.

could be as it's not a major revision - more of a tweak and cosmetic refresh by the looks of it, with an extra cable that i don't need

it's been a long time coming tho. i'll definitely be giving these a listen and hope that sennheiser doesn't jack the price up too much with the balanced cable inclusion.

and you're taking two weeks unpaid leave

sigh

just can't help yourself. pissing contests are held regularly over at head-fi and the pirate site. try competing there.

it won't be winning any beauty contests that's for sure

i think the abyss's build quality is rock solid. it looks and feels like it could withstand being run over by a monster truck. just dust it off and hang it up in the tool shed.

the ear cups are generous

speaking of headphones... i spent a couple of hours with the he-1000. it was surprisingly light and comfortable for a planar magnetic and possibly the most comfortable headphone i've worn - evar! i'd describe it as having a balanced presentation. nothing really jumps out. it's not a headphone that wows you but it would be very easy to live with and well suited to long listening sessions because of its non-fatiguing presentation. i'd consider buying one if it cost the same as an hd800. now back to the ferret legging.

so you think this is a headphone forum

this ain't cheers but if you're buying i'll pretend to be interested

Hello jibzilla. A friendly reminder - this isn't Head-Fi.

i'm hoping for something special with this headphone and like the design

didn't want to start a new thread just to wish you curmudgeons a merry christmas. plus there's a tenuous link in that i got me an early present about a month ago - a pair of harbeth m30.1s (don't think you can buy them separately) and like them muchly. have a happy new year while you're at it.

unlike cable "design" which seems to be based entirely on nonsense

interesting. thanks for that.

sceptical i must admit but i want to believe. what are you measuring to verify the difference in sound that you're hearing?

does amorphous iron sound better than other iron like up-occ silver cable sounds better than uhplc copper cable? anyway, might be time to revisit the hd800 for the upteenth time.

with a potty mouth

you've gotta admire oppo's entry into the headphone market. well you don't gotta but i'd like to.