[jon parker]

AKG 240 pads? They fit?

Yup - even IF they don't fit around the inner removable plastic ring you can use 4x small loops of electrical tape to securely fit pads inside the shell of the HD 540. I dont remember if I did this hack with these specific pads on the HD540 but whatever pads I used it worked perfectly
Pads for the HD540 fit on the removable plastic ring INSIDE the shell so they dont need to be as big as they would be if the needed to be stretched around the outside of the shell...like most headphones!

Tell me one thought that all people will agree on?
Don't get excited

Not a fan at all the HD800s - for that money I want a headphone to do everything and not just give a huge (unrealistic) soundstage and hyper details - I would want a perfect tonality and realism in the mids - a realistic and responsive low end + a sub bass. Im happy for people that like it but for THAT money it better be putting me IN the studio or ON the stage with the musicians and it better be natural to life and not overly 'trying' to impress me with a soundstage that whilst initially Wowing me will later become a distraction from the music as a whole
Any headphone that costs big bucks that has definitive 'characteristics' I would be very wary off

 

[tkddans]

Not a fan at all the HD800s - for that money I want a headphone to do everything and not just give a huge (unrealistic) soundstage and hyper details - I would want a perfect tonality and realism in the mids - a realistic and responsive low end + a sub bass. Im happy for people that like it but for THAT money it better be putting me IN the studio or ON the stage with the musicians and it better be natural to life and not overly 'trying' to impress me with a soundstage that whilst initially Wowing me will later become a distraction from the music as a whole
Any headphone that costs big bucks that has definitive 'characteristics' I would be very wary off

Fair enough. Different strokes for different folks.

Personally, I don’t mind if expensive audio ventures into colored or biased tunings. However, for many perhaps, the ideal is to be as neutral as possible.

Issue is though, “neutral” tuning often doesn’t sound as immersive as a live performance. There’s something about the elevating of some frequencies, and the whole signature, that can seemingly emulate an in-person effect better than flatter tunings, to me.

or hey, I could seriously be lacking experience with enough gear to make a truly qualified statement like that. That’s my impression anyway in my own experiences.

 

[jon parker]

Fair enough. Different strokes for different folks.

Personally, I don’t mind if expensive audio ventures into colored or biased tunings. However, for many perhaps, the ideal is to be as neutral as possible.

Issue is though, “neutral” tuning often doesn’t sound as immersive as a live performance. There’s something about the elevating of some frequencies, and the whole signature, that can seemingly emulate an in-person effect better than flatter tunings, to me.

or hey, I could seriously be lacking experience with enough gear to make a truly qualified statement like that. That’s my impression anyway in my own experiences.

Not neutral but Natural

 

[wgkwgk]

Great stuff. I've been learning tons!

My Q: I have ZMF Auteur, Blackwood (Fostex mod by Zach, planar), Grado GH-2, ZMF Veritas Closed incoming. I'd like something a bit more detailed because there are times when listening to the detail is enjoyable. (FLAC, C9, Liquid Platinum). Which Senn should I get that moves away from what I have? I'm all over the board on genre. Well, rock, bluegrass, acoutic, classical (chamber on up).

 

[T 1000]

Not a fan at all the HD800s - for that money I want a headphone to do everything and not just give a huge (unrealistic) soundstage and hyper details - I would want a perfect tonality and realism in the mids - a realistic and responsive low end + a sub bass. Im happy for people that like it but for THAT money it better be putting me IN the studio or ON the stage with the musicians and it better be natural to life and not overly 'trying' to impress me with a soundstage that whilst initially Wowing me will later become a distraction from the music as a whole
Any headphone that costs big bucks that has definitive 'characteristics' I would be very wary off

The HD 800 requires a quality system (expensive) to have an impressive experience. I believe that they are created for listening to classical music. With a well-integrated system, they are very real. For club music or that cooked in the studio, there are better headphones

Great stuff. I've been learning tons!

My Q: I have ZMF Auteur, Blackwood (Fostex mod by Zach, planar), Grado GH-2, ZMF Veritas Closed incoming. I'd like something a bit more detailed because there are times when listening to the detail is enjoyable. (FLAC, C9, Liquid Platinum). Which Senn should I get that moves away from what I have? I'm all over the board on genre. Well, rock, bluegrass, acoutic, classical (chamber on up).

You have to hear in person to know if they are for you. You see that the impressions are different. Either you will unite or you will be uncomfortable listening, only you can make the right decision.
Without an audition, you can hope for disappointment, or miss a good match

 

[MayaTlab]

The HD 800 requires a quality system (expensive) to have an impressive experience.

They rather first and foremost need EQ.

 

[CJG888]

Or a good OTL tube amp. Roll tubes to taste...

 

[MayaTlab]

Or a good OTL tube amp. Roll tubes to taste...

EQ is a much cheaper way to address their shortcomings .

 

[T 1000]

They rather first and foremost need EQ.

EQ for what, for listening to a hard rock
I don't think you understand, they are for different music with different systems, that are not devices for the masses. Are you saying that many satisfied users have lied themselves,or not knowing what is good?

 

[MayaTlab]

EQ for what, for listening to a hard rock
I don't think you understand, they are for different music with different systems, that are not devices for the masses. Are you saying that many satisfied users have lied themselves?

Recording / mixing / mastering engineers don't switch between different monitors or change the FR at their listening position specifically to suit a specific type of music (they may do so but for other reasons). Neither should you with headphones. If you feel the need to do so it's just that most headphones aren't superbly well tuned to begin with and that your own anatomy and preferences dictates some degree of modulation of the FR curve, particularly below 200hz (mostly preferences) or above 1khz (mostly anatomical variations), so no headphones in existence as of right now is likely to 100% correspond to what you'd expect to sound "right" to you.

For what it's worth I certainly didn't like them with classical music, nor any musical genre, without some form of EQ (I owned them for a few years).

 

[Whitigir]

I think the only bar that was set and subsequently raised was for high pricing. Sound has been a total mixed bag with TOTL flagships IMO.

Exactly, and who has raised the bar further against HD800S ? If you are really into great and TOTL performances, you should at least known this or acknowledged it already, the 800S scales tremendously with good amps, cables, sources.

The only bar that is raised is the Price, everyone is heading down the road of the so called Doctor Fang “it is expensive because it sound good”, but a lot of raised bars actually set under this mindset with a little tweaks “if it is expensive, then it can not sound bad”

Well, as long as I have my 800S, all those Throat cutters can sleep in their bags with their mindset

Who the hell cares if somebody judged me and said “because it sound right to me and myself”. Well! duhhh!!! It is my ears/brains/preferences. You can well be an engineers in a studio, but if your music is crap to me, because it sound right to yourself, then you have failed at your job. But I ain’t failing my hobby. Just my 2 cents

 

[T 1000]

Recording / mixing / mastering engineers don't switch between different monitors or change the FR at their listening position specifically to suit a specific type of music (they may do so but for other reasons). Neither should you with headphones. If you feel the need to do so it's just that most headphones aren't superbly well tuned to begin with and that your own anatomy and preferences dictates some degree of modulation of the FR curve, particularly below 200hz (mostly preferences) or above 1khz (mostly anatomical variations), so no headphones in existence as of right now is likely to 100% correspond to what you'd expect to sound "right" to you.

For what it's worth I certainly didn't like them with classical music, nor any musical genre, without some form of EQ (I owned them for a few years).

Which headphones do you consider good?

 

[MayaTlab]

Which headphones do you consider good?

None really. I prefer to EQ them all these days, if possible. I'm desperate for the coming of smart, active headphones that can modulate in real time their FR curve across the whole range to take into account seal and positional variations and your own HRTF (for example by periodically imaging your ear with sensors and tuning their output in real time after running an algorithm). That's the only way to solve the main problem headphones have vs. speakers. BTW if you want to know why Sennheiser is looking for a partner, that's because, aside from evolution in wireless applications and the transformation of headphones into augmented reality wearables, they know this sort of thing will inevitably happen (if only because - at least to some degree - individual personalisation of the output and real-time modulation is likely to be necessary for convincing surround sound simulation) and they're looking for a company that has the resources to help them compete in that domain. In 2035, if you want to be a successful audio company - including for hi-fidelity applications -, you'll need to be a tech company first and foremost.
Without EQ count me in the camp that tends to prefer the HD6something line, at least above 300hz or so.
I am not in a capacity to consider a pair of headphones "good", but if "good" means that it corresponds fairly well to what we start to know of the human ear, variations in anatomy, hearing acuity and variations in personal preferences, measurements can help to a degree. If the goal is to make a pair of headphones suitable to the largest amount of listeners' anatomy, hearing acuity and personal preferences, the HD800's default trebles response is a departure from ideal.
Strictly in terms of EQ-ability and comfort I like the HD800S a lot (and it's easier to EQ than the non-S).

 

[T 1000]

None really. I prefer to EQ them all these days, if possible. I'm desperate for the coming of smart, active headphones that can modulate in real time their FR curve across the whole range to take into account seal and positional variations and your own HRTF (for example by periodically imaging your ear with sensors and tuning their output in real time after running an algorithm). That's the only way to solve the main problem headphones have vs. speakers. BTW if you want to know why Sennheiser is looking for a partner, that's because, aside from evolution in wireless applications and the transformation of headphones into augmented reality wearables, they know this sort of thing will inevitably happen (if only because - at least to some degree - individual personalisation of the output and real-time modulation is likely to be necessary for convincing surround sound simulation) and they're looking for a company that has the resources to help them compete in that domain. In 2035, if you want to be a successful audio company - including for hi-fidelity applications -, you'll need to be a tech company first and foremost.
Without EQ count me in the camp that tends to prefer the HD6something line, at least above 300hz or so.
I am not in a capacity to consider a pair of headphones "good", but if "good" means that it corresponds fairly well to what we start to know of the human ear, variations in anatomy, hearing acuity and variations in personal preferences, measurements can help to a degree. If the goal is to make a pair of headphones suitable to the largest amount of listeners' anatomy, hearing acuity and personal preferences, the HD800's default trebles response is a departure from ideal.
Strictly in terms of EQ-ability and comfort I like the HD800S a lot (and it's easier to EQ than the non-S).

I totally agree with the development of wireless transmission, and I am in favor, good cables are very expensive and are physically limiting

And when we mentioned Dr. Fang, his business policy - invest as little as possible and charge as much as possible - is the absence of good style.
BTW, yesterday I plugged in HE 560 v1 and HD540RG in Bryston at the same time...
HE 560 goes in a box, the difference between them is so big that it's not for a public forum, some time ago I enjoyed them

 

[Art Garfunkel]

Well, as long as I have my 800S, all those Throat cutters can sleep in their bags with their mindset

And the bass is very good on that also? I have heard tales of a lack of bottom.