[Music Alchemist]

There are plenty of threads comparing these two headphones, but none I know of specifically focusing on those who prefer the HD 800 over the SR-009. Hopefully this one will make that information easier to find without having to sift so much through endless other topics.
 
So here we go! If you like the HD 800 more than the SR-009—whether overall or just in certain categories or with certain music—please share your impressions here.
 
If you think it is higher fidelity in one respect or another as opposed to merely preferring it subjectively, try elaborating.
 
It would also be helpful if you can include background info, such as the equipment you used with the headphones, which types of music you compared with, how long you were able to compare them, whether there were modifications or DSP involved, and so on—whatever you feel is necessary to give others a better idea about your experiences.

 

[greggf]

1)  HD800S
2)  009
3)  HD800
 
I listen to every kind of music via CDs and SACDs.  The disc player is a Luxman that offers balanced outs.  
 
I had the 009 for a couple of years, driven by the STAX 007tII amp.  I had the HD800 driven balanced by the Bryston BHA-1, also for a couple of years.  I compared these two headphones directly for a month or so and didn't really care for either.
 
I found the 009 kind of glassy and metallic off the 007tII amp, the treble on the HD800 eventually made me literally ill migraine-wise.  That said, both headphones are great, just clearly not for me.
 
I use the HD800S now, off the same balanced Luxman/Bryston plus a balanced Yamaha CD-S2000 SACD player at times.  The 800S shaves off some of the high-strung HD800 detail and soundstage but it also shaves off the treble peak and, to me, makes the HD800S a kind of all-purpose headphone.
 
I'm relieved the Bryston headphone amp was not the cause of excessive brightness.
 
I also assume that the STAX 009 would be much (much, much, much) better out of a third party moar-power amp.
 
To answer your question, even on a bog-standard STAX amp, I think the 009 is better than the original HD800 because I can't stand the HD800's treble situation.

 

[wink]

The SR-009 with a KGSSHV handily trumps a balanced HD800 with the Anax mod to the extent that I can't see the HD800S being better.
Not having heard the SR009 with a Stax amp except for a short time on a SRM-323S, I would not be sure what the decision would be in that case.

 

[Barra]

For me it comes down to cost/performance as well as genre preference. If I was just listening to classical over a fixed listening station where  I did not need versatility and an unlimited budget, the 009 in a $10K setup is the way to go. But classic is not my first choice in genres and my listening preferences are too varied - plus I would prefer a speaker setup at that price as my Maggies can be set up to squash any headphone easily with even that limited of a budget.
 
However, the 009 is clearly an exotic, where the HD800 is not unless it is highly optimized with @johnjen 's three tweaks. With the 3 tweaks, the HD800 can come close or match the Abyss in performance which is also clearly an exotic. So the Abyss vs. 009 SQ is the bottom line which are two very different signatures. So my argument is that I prefer the Abyss over the 009 with its versatility that leans toward my genre preferences in a battle over the exotics, and the HD800 with the three tweaks can match the $4000 Abyss at $1000 plus a $10 RP cable and a $100 Sonarworks license.
 
In the end, they are all stellar HPs that should be judged based on your personal preferences as they are all great. For me, I like the HD800 for its comfort, the versatility as I can even play it on my portable, and for the fun of being able to tweak it without fear of ruining a $4000 HP.

 

[GodsInHisHeaven]

  For me it comes down to cost/performance as well as genre preference. If I was just listening to classical over a fixed listening station where  I did not need versatility and an unlimited budget, the 009 in a $10K setup is the way to go. But classic is not my first choice in genres and my listening preferences are too varied - plus I would prefer a speaker setup at that price as my Maggies can be set up to squash any headphone easily with even that limited of a budget.
 
However, the 009 is clearly an exotic, where the HD800 is not unless it is highly optimized with @johnjen 's three tweaks. With the 3 tweaks, the HD800 can come close or match the Abyss in performance which is also clearly an exotic. So the Abyss vs. 009 SQ is the bottom line which are two very different signatures. So my argument is that I prefer the Abyss over the 009 with its versatility that leans toward my genre preferences in a battle over the exotics, and the HD800 with the three tweaks can match the $4000 Abyss at $1000 plus a $10 RP cable and a $100 Sonarworks license.
 
In the end, they are all stellar HPs that should be judged based on your personal preferences as they are all great. For me, I like the HD800 for its comfort, the versatility as I can even play it on my portable, and for the fun of being able to tweak it without fear of ruining a $4000 HP.

 
I am interested what those 3 tweaks might be?
 
Anax is probably one of them?

 

[Barra]

 

  For me it comes down to cost/performance as well as genre preference. If I was just listening to classical over a fixed listening station where  I did not need versatility and an unlimited budget, the 009 in a $10K setup is the way to go. But classic is not my first choice in genres and my listening preferences are too varied - plus I would prefer a speaker setup at that price as my Maggies can be set up to squash any headphone easily with even that limited of a budget.
 
However, the 009 is clearly an exotic, where the HD800 is not unless it is highly optimized with @johnjen 's three tweaks. With the 3 tweaks, the HD800 can come close or match the Abyss in performance which is also clearly an exotic. So the Abyss vs. 009 SQ is the bottom line which are two very different signatures. So my argument is that I prefer the Abyss over the 009 with its versatility that leans toward my genre preferences in a battle over the exotics, and the HD800 with the three tweaks can match the $4000 Abyss at $1000 plus a $10 RP cable and a $100 Sonarworks license.
 
In the end, they are all stellar HPs that should be judged based on your personal preferences as they are all great. For me, I like the HD800 for its comfort, the versatility as I can even play it on my portable, and for the fun of being able to tweak it without fear of ruining a $4000 HP.

 
I am interested what those 3 tweaks might be?
 
Anax is probably one of them?

http://www.head-fi.org/t/781268/the-diyrs-cookbook/210#post_12300653

 

[Music Alchemist]

  For me it comes down to cost/performance as well as genre preference. If I was just listening to classical over a fixed listening station where  I did not need versatility and an unlimited budget, the 009 in a $10K setup is the way to go. But classic is not my first choice in genres and my listening preferences are too varied - plus I would prefer a speaker setup at that price as my Maggies can be set up to squash any headphone easily with even that limited of a budget.
 
However, the 009 is clearly an exotic, where the HD800 is not unless it is highly optimized with @johnjen 's three tweaks. With the 3 tweaks, the HD800 can come close or match the Abyss in performance which is also clearly an exotic. So the Abyss vs. 009 SQ is the bottom line which are two very different signatures. So my argument is that I prefer the Abyss over the 009 with its versatility that leans toward my genre preferences in a battle over the exotics, and the HD800 with the three tweaks can match the $4000 Abyss at $1000 plus a $10 RP cable and a $100 Sonarworks license.
 
In the end, they are all stellar HPs that should be judged based on your personal preferences as they are all great. For me, I like the HD800 for its comfort, the versatility as I can even play it on my portable, and for the fun of being able to tweak it without fear of ruining a $4000 HP.

 
Think you could go into more detail about specifically what you like more about the HD 800 in terms of sound?
 
If you can also cover how the stock HD 800 and the heavily modified one compare to the 009 (in your opinion), that would be even better.
 

  I am interested what those 3 tweaks might be?
 
Anax is probably one of them?

  http://www.head-fi.org/t/781268/the-diyrs-cookbook/210#post_12300653

 
Here's another post by him explaining that his mods are actually more expensive than just those:
 

  Yes my modded 800's are more expensive than stock.
And the majority of the added cost is in the cable itself, which while more than most aftermarket cables is a common upgrade.
 
The mods that SAA make are not cheap either, but my 800's are now modded beyond what SAA provides and this how they were being used during the comparisons.
But it still has the endorphin cable hardwired to the drivers.
And it was their mod that prompted me to explore variations beyond theirs.
 
And since you are the 1st to ask or show any interest in this topic it simply wasn't thought to be an issue, until now.
 
And yes I have spent ≈ $2.5K on my 800's but that is still half of what the Abyss cost and less than stock HE1K's etc. etc.
I consider them, for what I value in my audio system, to be superior than either of those more expensive options, and I have learned that much of the improvements I have with my 800's can be implemented for less than I have spent thus far.
The learning curve was steep, but has since been significantly reduced.
 
JJ

 

[Barra]

 

  For me it comes down to cost/performance as well as genre preference. If I was just listening to classical over a fixed listening station where  I did not need versatility and an unlimited budget, the 009 in a $10K setup is the way to go. But classic is not my first choice in genres and my listening preferences are too varied - plus I would prefer a speaker setup at that price as my Maggies can be set up to squash any headphone easily with even that limited of a budget.
 
However, the 009 is clearly an exotic, where the HD800 is not unless it is highly optimized with @johnjen 's three tweaks. With the 3 tweaks, the HD800 can come close or match the Abyss in performance which is also clearly an exotic. So the Abyss vs. 009 SQ is the bottom line which are two very different signatures. So my argument is that I prefer the Abyss over the 009 with its versatility that leans toward my genre preferences in a battle over the exotics, and the HD800 with the three tweaks can match the $4000 Abyss at $1000 plus a $10 RP cable and a $100 Sonarworks license.
 
In the end, they are all stellar HPs that should be judged based on your personal preferences as they are all great. For me, I like the HD800 for its comfort, the versatility as I can even play it on my portable, and for the fun of being able to tweak it without fear of ruining a $4000 HP.

 
Think you could go into more detail about specifically what you like more about the HD 800 in terms of sound?
 
If you can also cover how the stock HD 800 and the heavily modified one compare to the 009 (in your opinion), that would be even better.
 
 

Spoiler: Warning: Spoiler!

  I am interested what those 3 tweaks might be?
 
Anax is probably one of them?

  http://www.head-fi.org/t/781268/the-diyrs-cookbook/210#post_12300653

 
Here's another post by him explaining that his mods are actually more expensive than just those:
 

  Yes my modded 800's are more expensive than stock.
And the majority of the added cost is in the cable itself, which while more than most aftermarket cables is a common upgrade.
 
The mods that SAA make are not cheap either, but my 800's are now modded beyond what SAA provides and this how they were being used during the comparisons.
But it still has the endorphin cable hardwired to the drivers.
And it was their mod that prompted me to explore variations beyond theirs.
 
And since you are the 1st to ask or show any interest in this topic it simply wasn't thought to be an issue, until now.
 
And yes I have spent ≈ $2.5K on my 800's but that is still half of what the Abyss cost and less than stock HE1K's etc. etc.
I consider them, for what I value in my audio system, to be superior than either of those more expensive options, and I have learned that much of the improvements I have with my 800's can be implemented for less than I have spent thus far.
The learning curve was steep, but has since been significantly reduced.
 
JJ

 

As a disclaimer, this comes from a lot of critical listening from shows, friends HPs/setups, and local meets - but I don't own the HD800, Abyss, nor the 009. However, I have heard all three repeatedly in a large array of setups and over a large number of years. My experience has mostly been with JJ's evolution of the HD800, followed by the Abyss, with only a few times hearing the 009 (with the blue moon and Woo setups mainly). I will eventually get around to buying my own HD800, but my HD700 sounds so good with the same tweaks that I have not had a lot of motivation to hurry especially watching the price continue to fall. I should also mention that if price was not an issue I would probably buy the LCD4 as it is my favorite exotic over the others mentioned here, but I am ignoring that one since it is not part of this thread.
 
So let me restate from my experience. On a scale from 1 to 10, the tweaked HD800 is a 10, the HD800S is a 8/9 (not as tweakable, muddy bass), and both the 009 and Abyss are an 11 as is JJ's heavily modded tweaked HD800. 10 is top tier for TOTL HPs, and 11 puts us into exotic range. Certain songs on the non-modded but tweaked HD800 put it into the 11 exotic range but it is hit or miss.
 
What I dislike about the traditional non-modded, non-tweaked HD800 is the lack of body or thin sound that is too treble focused/forward. Toggling the SonarWorks on and off quickly, you can hear what I mean by treble forward as it turns out that it is in the way of the music minimizing the dynamics. The treble forward brings the big sound stage and intense detail, but also makes it technical rather than fun or organic in SQ. What JJ and others figured out is that the drivers are being underutilized and can be modded to be driven better - hence the Abyss style bass and listenable treble. Even the vibrations can be dampened for better detail and the treble toned down for a more organic sound. While the 009 definitely has bass, it is more delicate and in the traditional HD800 thin style focused on detail and sound stage. The mods are often at the expense of minimal amounts of the HD800 stock sound stage, but are leaps and bounds ahead in terms of body and SQ. The reason that the original HD800 and 009 are best suited IMO to classical is that the sound stage and delicacy are required to decipher the complexities of the number of instruments covering that vast of territory.
 
The tweaked HD800 takes the HD800 to another level and to a different signature sounding more like an Abyss with a huge range and thundering bass impact with incredible detail retrieval. So it is not right for everyone as it loses the analytical tool characteristic and changes its classical performance capabilities. That is what is so special about the three tweaks - just turn them off and you have a stock HD800 still. JJ's modds seem to add details, additional air and sound stage back, while even boosting the bass/dynamics. But these are not as easy to turn off and requiring some modd skills and time to adjust them to be just right. JJ's mods are a continuing evolution - in the right direction - and did cost him some money (greater than the original price). 

 

[MacedonianHero]

FWIW, I owned the HD800 for about 5 years and now own the HD800S and love both...I do prefer the HD800S by a reasonable margin. That said, my SR-009s (had for about 4 years) are head above shoulders better to my ears. As revealing and transparent as my HD800S's are, the SR-009s have me still hearing things on recordings that the Sennheisers would completely gloss over. The HD800S are my favourite dynamic moving coil headphones bar none (obviously excluding orthos like the LCD-4 or HE1000).

 

[Music Alchemist]

  FWIW, I owned the HD800 for about 5 years and now own the HD800S and love both...I do prefer the HD800S by a reasonable margin. That said, my SR-009s (had for about 4 years) are head above shoulders better to my ears. As revealing and transparent as my HD800S's are, the SR-009s have me still hearing things on recordings that the Sennheisers would completely gloss over. The HD800S are my favourite dynamic moving coil headphones bar none (obviously excluding orthos like the LCD-4 or HE1000).

 
Yes, that's the type of comment I usually see. I only occasionally come across people who prefer the HD 800 instead, and since those posts are hard to find (I didn't even bother saving the links to any of them), I thought this thread would eventually serve as a good collection of those alternate experiences.
 
I've only spent a few hours with the HD 800, and though I've owned STAX systems, I have yet to hear the 009.

 

[MacedonianHero]

   
Yes, that's the type of comment I usually see. I only occasionally come across people who prefer the HD 800 instead, and since those posts are hard to find (I didn't even bother saving the links to any of them), I thought this thread would eventually serve as a good collection of those alternate experiences.
 
I've only spent a few hours with the HD 800, and though I've owned STAX systems, I have yet to hear the 009.

 
Just my 2 cents after owning these headphones for 4+ years. 

 

[joseph69]

 I can't comment as of now between the 009/800S being I'm waiting for the BHSE which will arrive within the next 2 weeks to drive the 009 and I just received the 800S this afternoon which is being driven balanced by the GS-Xmk2 which I also received a short time ago. Upstream I'm using MBP>PWD-ll/Bridge-ll AoE w/JRiver MC-21. I'll be receiving my BHSE very shortly so I will eventually return with my impressions after sufficient amount of time/burn-in. 

 

[murphythecat]

I personally could not rate the hd800 that highly in stock form. the treble is just too piercing at time... you need eq done right with hd800 and then I think it can compete with sr009.
 
You absolutely need at least the superdupont mod to make it bearable but even then, I really think the hd800 needs bass boost and eqing even further the treble peak then what the superdupont is able to do.

 

[Music Alchemist]

Okay, this needs to be emphasized again: this thread is for those who prefer the HD 800 over the SR-009 to share their impressions; not those who do not.
 
(There are already countless threads and posts comparing them and favoring the SR-009.)

 

[yates7592]

I prefer HD800 over SR009 - in quality of comfort, but sorry in everything else it's not even close.