Quote: For earbuds, they cannot be beaten in my opinion.  

Quote: It's like walking into a dollhouse full of grown men.

Hibria - Defying the Rules (great) X Japan - Blue Blood (great) Angra - Temple of Shadows (a bit loud) Morbid Angel - Altars of Madness (raw) Opeth - Blackwater Park (nice production) Sigh - Gallows Gallery (1st release, not remaster) Wintersun - Wintersun (a bit overproduced) Some...

New Guilty Crown episode, yay. I really dislike this series, but I gotta keep watching it. 2012 seems interesting, but I'll wait for everything to get batched, then watch. I just want to finish GC as it's the only anime left I've been watching since last year.

Quote: Interesting. At my work we sometimes use the Shure 440/840 and while I don't care strongly for each, they're both good studio monitors and both sound very normal with vocals. Are you alone on this for the 940? Or others agree? As for the HD 800 vs SA-5000, I vastly prefer the...

Quote: Haha, I found the XB700 to be the most comfortable.

Quote:   I thought the SRH-940 was plenty detailed (from what I've read)? The SA-5000 has bad build quality and a microphonic cable. Consider that before you purchase. I agree with that A/B comparison, except for the last part. Also you get a pretty cool looking stand.

Quote: Responded, but I have nothing to contribute, I'm only interested in this thread. Considering a FXT90 for myself.

Has anyone compared these to another "micro HD" single driver headphone by JVC?

Anyway enjoy your $1500 nick magnet, fanboy. My SA-5000 has build faults and I'll admit that too. But at least I'm not blinded by fanboyism. And the HD800 are well driven, I even commented in areas it sounded better than the SA-5000 and yet you fail to provide an intelligent argument, or...

How much of a difference do you hear comparing the Quaila to the SA-5000?

lack of low end response? The SA-5000 sure does have little bass But doesn't the HD 800 have little bass as well? The HD 800 extends well, but it's anemic. The only thing that's sounds great out of my soundcard are the AH-D7000. I can't use the SA-5000 with it

Also, I don't use my SA-5000 at all, it's very critical of sources, as is the HD 800. You guys think I have a poor source, yes it's true. But I have used my friend's setup to listen to them.

Quote:   I understand detail retrieval, resolution, and speed. I'll admit I'm not too experienced in other areas such as listening for instrument separation, soundstage, etc. Detail retrieval is better, I can hear this especially on old metal records, picks up more hiss, tiny noises...

To my ears the SA-5000 is faster and thinner sounding as a result. Preference is up to the listener, I happen to prefer the SA-5000.

Quote: Proof?

Quote: The HD 800 isn't mine, they belong to a friend of mine who has Lehman audio, beyerdynamic and Fostex amps. In measurements the SA-5000 may not look as flat as the HD 800, but it does sound neutral to me. Anyway, you're being biased so I don't wish to continue arguing with you. I...

Hey if were talking about purely "low level detail retreival", the HD 800 isn't among the best, it's good. I have heard claims that beyerdynamic's DT48 is even better than the SA-5000 and HD 800. A friend of mine told me a ER-4S picks up more detail than the HD 800. I'd probably believe him.

Quote: Look buddy, have you heard both? This is something not only said by me, but by many others. And having heard it, I agree. The HD 800 does win in some areas though such as imaging and soundstage. It's up to the listener to decide. I know the SA-5000 is frowned around here...

I strongly agree with maverickronin. If you were to look purely at the HD800 audio performance, it's nothing really outstanding when compared to other top dynamics. It's a very good balanced* headphone. But for speed and detail retreival it's destroyed by the SA-5000, soundstage? the K701/2 is...

Quote: Yes, I'll consider your input, thanks. Do you also have the FXT90?

Yeah, I use the xnor equalizer. I think I learned about it in the old FXC51 thread from you.

Quote: I can afford both, but I think I'd go for the FX500. If the FX500 is 85-95% of the FX700, I'd still be pretty satisfied because what I want is a different sound signature from what I currently use.

Quote: I will try this tonight when I reach home. I'm not sure if you're serious.