That's what the HD700's look like to me, Peter. Like something I wouldn't want to own regardless of how good they sounded, at least not at that price point. Ok, not completely regardless. If they were SR-009 good sounding, then I'd bite at $1k, despite their cheesy looks.

I actually had a better listening experience with the Beyer T70

Ouch.

Ouch.

Yeah, well, I don't have to tell you how tough it is to evaluate open headphones in that environment

Yeah, well, I don't have to tell you how tough it is to evaluate open headphones in that environment

No, you don't, it was really bad. But the 700 sounded thin to me there, too.

Tyll, did you manage to get any measurements of the "cans" on display at the Soul Booth?

I would imagine the distortion levels are very high

I would imagine the distortion levels are very high

If this is a titty joke, it is utterly confounding me...

Edited January 23, 201214 yr by atothex

If this is a titty joke, it is utterly confounding me...

Perhaps something like the evergreen..."My legs are frozen. It's 20 below." "Thank goodness it's still 38 above."

Edited January 23, 201214 yr by Clarkmc2

If this is a titty joke, it is utterly confounding me...

Even the gay guy got it.

Not having my measurement system with me, I went for a subjective evaluation.

My advances weren't well received.

I really don't get what Sennheiser is doing from a marketing standpoint in regards to the 700 vs 800 at all.

Not having my measurement system with me, I went for a subjective evaluation.

My advances weren't well received.

You probably weren't waving enough bills.

Their loss Tyll.

You know, I'll tell you what there loss was: They had bimbos fronting the shop who I knew had no idea what they were selling. And they had buoncer like suits guarding the shakedown room (in back). I would have talked to them, but I had no interest of running the gauntlet of guardsmen who would have no idea who I was.

That was their loss.

I would have talked to them, but I had no interest of running the gauntlet of guardsmen who would have no idea who I was.

That was their loss.

You should have whipped it out. They would have said, "Welcome Mr. Hiolmes... but I thought you were dead!?!?" No, wait. I'm confusing you with Steve again.

Compare and contrast with Tyll's experience with Phillips ( spelled Jennifer ) . Maybe, just maybe, design and engineering can trump Marketing BS.

Compare and contrast with Tyll's experience with Phillips ( spelled Jennifer ) . Maybe, just maybe, design and engineering can trump Marketing BS.

I thought that Monster put an end to that argument.

I thought that Monster put an end to that argument.

Compare and contrast with Tyll's experience with Phillips ( spelled Jennifer ) . Maybe, just maybe, design and engineering can trump Marketing BS.

Ruh roh. Did I spell her name wrong? Or are you just drawing attention to the fact that despite it being the furthest thing from my mind at the time, my opening remarks of the video can be taken as VERY creeper like.

Really ... by "every thing is worth a look at," I didn't intend to mean her.

She was fun to be around and easy on the eyes, I must admit.

Edited January 23, 201214 yr by Tyll Hertsens

Not having my measurement system with me, I went for a subjective evaluation.

My advances weren't well received.

You mean the "Hands on approach" ?

Edited January 24, 201214 yr by complin

Fuckinay! ... in my head.

IRL, I fucking shrugged and walked on to the next fucking thing.

Well ... I pondered on at least two separate occasions taking further photos od said white spandex cladded bimbos. Their curvaceousness was certainly tantalizing.

Saddly, I was a geek on a mission. So, I took my powder blue backpack full of gadgets out of there.

They were fuckin' hot as lightning, though.

Even the gay guy got it.

I don't get it. :/

The HD-800 is a very well damped headphone. If you drive them with an amplifier with a very low output impedance, they will be over damped and sound bright and a bit thin. On the other hand, if you drive them with an amplifier that has some output impedance, the damping factor will be less, and they will sound fuller, warmer, and bloomier. Contrarilly, something like the HD-650 is less well damped and thus does much better with an amplifier with a very low impedance. This, however, has little to do with tubes vs. solid state.

It is true that most tube amplifiers have a higher output impedanace than most solid state amplifiers. There are a variety of semi-inherent reasons for this -- for instance, tubes generally have lower transconductance. But, when comparing something like the Eddie Current amps vs. say a B22, it has more to do with amplifier topology than anything else. However, it is not the case that tubes amplify different frequencies, or sound much different than transistors, or anything like that. Indeed, the differences are really overblown by many people. Instead, it is that tubes tend to be used in certain ways, and transistors tend to be used in different ways, leading to many gross generalizations about how tubes sound like this, and transistors sound like that.

So, what I am trying to say is that I think you are ascribing traits to tubes and transistors that are actually traits of topologies, and not the devices themselves.

Dsavitsk, sorry for the late response but thank you for that enlightening post! I appreciate it very much. I guess it's the higher output impedance of these tube amplifiers that contribute to the smoother sound with the HD800 in the end, that explains a lot. That would also explain my agreement with Knuckledragger that the B22 sounds amazing with the HD600/650.

Ck3t, what is this, please stay on topic. So where were we? Ah yes, when tyll said skinny landscape instead of cityscape in the philips video, lol .

BTW Tyll, really great show report (for lack of a great show). The videos and short stories are neat way to make the report, I enjoyed it!

Tyll, can you nicely ask Senn WTF they are thinking with the 700? Interesting, too, that they took a price increase on the 800, I hadn't noticed that, and then slid these in. I get that they're in it to make money, but raising price on the flagship so they can also introduce flagship light is REALLY cheesy.

Manufacturing costs go up and there has not been a price increase on the 800 for three years - maybe???