Should You Upgrade to the HD800S (if you own an HD 600/650)?

[@FabioKasper]

The secret is to have them all. 🙈

[@bstatmeister]

Zeos, is that you?

[@residentzero]

😮

[@knorrissirronk8665]

I agree 100% My first "Real" headphone was the HD650, and I've had the HD700 & HD800. Let them both go because I never thought they matched the "magic" of the HD650. Even now (YEARS later) with headphones ranging up to my Susvara, I'd NEVER sell my HD650! (Though I'd be sad replacing it with a new one because it won't be my beloved "first headphone" anymore...) HD-600 never interested me. Back when you could audition in stores (Pre-COVID), it just never made me want to take one home. But the rotation of HD650, HEDDPhone, & Susvara keeps my ears from ever being bored, and covers just about any music I am in the mood for. (Though I still have an old, heavily-EQ'd & over-driven JVC HA-SZ2000 for those rare sessions when I want the sensation of tower-amped 80's club/rave bass!) ;-)

[@realSandrow]

How do the 650 compare to the 660s ?

[@CrackaSlapYa]

you are living the dream, man.

[@Assimilator702]

HD600 are worth owning even if you have the HD650. Everyone should own a pair!

[@Assimilator702]

@hapox4145 There's several revisions of the HD650. The black cloth version is not muddy at all. I own the HD600 also.

[@ixoye56]

I own HD600 and HD800s and I think they are a perfect combo.

[@Evoke-Chaos]

what?

[@ixoye56]

@@Evoke-Chaos The HD800s doesn’t replace the HD600, it’s not an upgrade but a different sound signature.

[@CrackaSlapYa]

The HD650 + HD 800s make a great pair.

[@estebandavilajr7632]

Its all about preference you buy and use what ever sounds good to you i do have the hd 600,hd 650,and the hd58x and alternate between all of them and i also have the beyerdynamlc dt 880 600 ohm which i prefer over all my sennheisers again thats just my preference. Its what ever floats your boat!!!!!

[@SkilledBird]

I had HD 800S, but they made the top of my head hurt. Something odd with the shape/padding. You might think it's the same shape as HD 800, but it actually isn't. The bend is different. So I returned them and managed to buy a nice pair of HD 800 instead. They are perfectly comfortable and sound brilliant.

[@FabriG-yd5ft]

Having low clamp all the weight is discharged on the head and they're not so lightweight. That said, I find them super comfortable.

[@tdfmike3915]

Very nice assessment. Own them both, love them both but for different reasons and different music. Ochestra (-moviesoundtracks) that are very well recorded are a treat on the 800. Even more than on something like the LCD 4.... The tuning target of the 800 just seem right for anything orchestra. Did you try some western soundtracks from moricone?

[@c4monkey]

650/6xx if you want warmth and dont want to eq (they are better with eq though). 600 if you will eq and want more detail and sacrifice a little warmth and soundstage. been a long time since ive heard 800 but i remember saying to myself its not worth the price for me but i also dont think i used eq then. my go to has been for the last 2-3 years is the beyerdynamic dt 880 600ohm with oratory1990s warm pad eq. before that it was the 650

[@luckyjinxer]

650 is literally good at everything and best vocals headphone I've ever owned.

[@stephenlegg262]

I have the hd 700. I love them. They do not get much love though. Don’t know why.

[@Salamantis]

you are a person who likes pain and bleeding lol

[@dzemoski45]

😂

[@Mestre_tainha]

Hd700 is the black sheep.

[@johnrus7661]

Answer is simple, HD800s. Simply a far superior headphone in every way. Just a matter if your budget extends that far.

[@PolishMoon2]

Great comparison. Cheers!

[@timothyoliethoowor]

Great Comparison, Sanjay! Any plans to include comparisons with other mid-tier headphones from Philips (X3 and or X2HR)? I would greatly value your opinion 🙏

[@Assimilator702]

The Philips headphones aren’t even in the same zip code. I would say UNIVERSE but that might be a bit insulting. But pretty much.

[@vpatel9]

Subscribers! I went straight to the hd800s, and this makes me feel a bit better about not trying the other headphones you’ve shown here. Next stop, utopia!

[@junzhang2087]

The answer is Yes

[@residentzero]

Yes

[@Zeptic1]

Bro idk why even tho you have a very “normal” accent I immediately knew you were from BD 😭😭😭 something abt the way we speak I just subconsciously knew. Anyways, great video! Love to see local content creators who are so sophisticated 😄

[@chefsteve8381]

From the HD600 i upgraded to Stax L700 mk2...if you want to try a great sidegrade to the HD600 try the AKG 612 pro huge soundstage and loves a tube amp to and for half the price of the HD600...great info though...do you have a play list that you could share ? thanks.

[@CrackaSlapYa]

akg 612 pro is a great gaming can too

[@rbsorg]

I have the hd600. They are boring on my low fi amps. They shine in otl tube amps. I use them with my sloppy seconds dark voice and certain tracks will elicit the biggest grin for thickness and fun! Do you notice the hd800s change on a tube?

[@francisnorthwood7862]

you could just use eq and or dsp no need for another amp

[@coloradoing9172]

Amps are supposed to be neutral. With tube amps you're sacrificing quality and neutrality for a sound you could much better achieve with a digital EQ.

[@bitterbuffalo8997]

I have a few friends that have gone own the top of the link headpones + chain and have gone back to black silk hd650. They say on a chain like Rockna / DNA / Eddie Current the hd650 black silk model scales beyond anything else.

[@tnarch]

Totally agree…older black silk are great.

[@eugeneroytberg1375]

Great Video!

[@allansh828]

I would strongly recommend Beyerdynamic T1 2nd gen or 3rd gen over HD800S. They sound almost identical, for half the price. My personal pick would be og Focal Clear because they sound more neutral and dynamic.

[@knorrissirronk8665]

Yes regarding the T1! (And I found that my 2nd gen also sounds better than 1st gen. Plus the cable is removable.) Still haven't auditioned the Focal stuff, but keep hearing good things about the original Clear. Same as my hd650, I kept my T1 over the HD800, but that decision seemed to be questioned by others OFTEN... But we like what we like.

[@Blue-bf8lv]

what about soundstage?

[@allansh828]

@@Blue-bf8lv that’s what I hate HD800S/820 the most. Their stage is so empty in the middle, with everything pushed far away from the center. It’s like looking through a fisheye lens, very unsettling.

[@aspjake123]

Finding it very, very hard to find an upgrade to my 12 yr old 600s

[@ickebins6948]

Why upgrade when you have a favourite and you're happy with them?

[@aspjake123]

@@ickebins6948 true fact! I did order and also think are great are some planar HE-4XX's

[@neeraj7133]

Great Video Señor.,I have not owned any Audiophile grade headphone.I am Planing to buy the Hifiman Sundara 2020 edition..Any suggestion for warm sounding dac/amp combo or stacks..

[@knorrissirronk8665]

I had the Sundara until recently, (I gave it to my little sister to help her get started with appreciating GOOD headphones.) and it worked well with just about every amp I used from $99 Fiio, iFi, ES100, & Qudelix mini amp/DAC combos to Schiit Audio Asgard 2 (Old model, the "Asgard 3" is out now) to more expensive all-in-ones like iFi Micro iDSD, iDSD Black Label, xDSD, Gryphon, & Signature lines. Popular more expensive separates like the Topping A90, SMSL SP200 (Least favorite), THX 789, Burson Audio Soloist 3X Performance, Denafrips Artemis amps, and various DACs up to a Denafrips Pontus II (I haven't settled on a final "end-game" DAC yet and auditioned too many to list.) all didn't IMPROVE the sound of the Sundara. The Sundara just acted as a transparent window for how THOSE COMPONENTS sounded. So my advice is to be realistic about your budget, and buy from stores you can audition from because it is more likely the DAC and AMP that you're going to like or not than the fairly transparent Sundara which is the best all-rounder below $500 USD "in my opinion". No matter what you decide - GOOD LUCK, and ENJOY what you get!

[@chefsteve8381]

Ifi zen dac and zen can is a killer combo .... its got a bass boost that gives the sundara a bit of a kick..and it's all most normal people, would ever need...

[@neeraj7133]

@@knorrissirronk8665 Thank u man..✌✌

[@neeraj7133]

@@chefsteve8381 Thanks Steve..🙏🙏

[@WhittyWhitts]

How about the 660S2?

[@musicxxa6678]

I want HD800S so much. I hate HD6x0 stuff. How is the bass compared to something like Arya ? I heard the Ananda and it does sub bass well but the soundstage is just not enough.

[@tnarch]

Arya has better bass, with more quantity. However I think hd800-s is more delicate and more unique headphone. Arya is better for all kind of music, but hd800/s will give you the magic moments, not the aryas.

[@francisnorthwood7862]

if you hate the 600s do not get the 800s

[@residentzero]

I don't like my HD650 at all, yet I'm loving my HD800s. They're very different, soundstage being abysmally better, also imaging and tuning

[@Thoughtflux]

Which pads would you recommend rolling on the Hd650s?

[@Rsalmond83]

Yes

[@brianliu522]

What recommendations would be for solid state amplifiers to drive 800S to listen to classical music?

[@ixoye56]

RME-ADI 2 DAC FS

[@VENOM-vq3ju]

@@ixoye56 I confirm you need an equalizer Brian Liu

[@Stephenwongdirectimaging]

get a good tube amp like TRIODE TRV-35SE INTERGRATED TUBE AMPLIFIER phone is amazing , I have Burson 3x GT solid amp no way near my tube amp sound

[@brianliu522]

@@Stephenwongdirectimaging thank you 😊

[@alessandroparma6297]

i had HD660S and i loved it. i have also tested hD820 and 800S but i didn't like the sound of these latest models despite they are the top of the line. they sound weird and woody without any tipe of colour and mid and bass are almost absent. i prefered a lot the focal clear MG in the same range price

[@Emmbedd]

I felt the same. Do you think the clear mg are very good? Even better than the 660s?

[@alessandroparma6297]

@@Emmbedd yep sure. I tested it in a shop with my HD660s and the HD820 for a comparision and i was very pleased by The sound and dynamics from the focal clear mg. For my opinion is just the right upgrade from the HD660s

[@Emmbedd]

@@alessandroparma6297 thanks man I think I’ll go with the mg professional

[@alessandroparma6297]

@@Emmbedd good. So Let know to us, when you have bought and tested it, your feels and views on it

[@Emmbedd]

@@alessandroparma6297 here I am, I got the clear MG pro - this headphone pairs perfectly with the 660S, I find them very clean and open compared to the 660s, however what strikes me is how the bass is translated into the entire mix, mixing tracks with them become easy especially working on the bass, is so clear, is as if you can almost analytically hear how much a speaker could push the bass on that specific segment! I am impressed, the magic is the combo with the 660s, once you are done with the clarity of the bass you can use the 660s to work on all the rest of the track making it more dirty if you like, once is done back to the clear mg pro and you can hear if everything is correct. Very pricey, I found a b stock for 300 less, great deal, this headphones are a luxury tool for whoever make music, I wonder how the stellia and the utopia are at this stage, but I am way to afraid for try them.

[@VENOM-vq3ju]

All the "KZbin" sound demos I heard never convinced me to buy the HD800S or HD660S2

[@realSandrow]

How do the 650 compare to the 660s ?

[@Rsalmond83]

Yes

[@residentzero]

😂

[@razisn]

The HD660s is the best in the 600 series.

[@Pagaugezero]

The HD660's is without a doubt a better headphone than both the 600 and 650

[@Pagaugezero]

@@soulfulfool It can be and is

[@frog382]

@@Pagaugezero Nope... The best one is the original 580 😆

[@VENOM-vq3ju]

I have the HD650 and the HD600 result the HD600 is better

[@AlejandroAndres35]

De todas maneras....no tiene nada que ver una serie con la otra.

[@junzhang2087]

HD600 is between HD800 and HD650

[@chrisp.5272]

Nope just get a HD58X and EQ. 👌🏼

[@ChrisStoneinator]

The 58X is shit what are you talking about? Get an original 580 witb the proper driver design.

[@rolwest]

hd800s bass performance low. hd820 bass performanca more good

[@stephannordmann5346]

The 800 s is a totaly different headphone and to compare them is useless.

[@aceofspades6667]

But this is precisely the reason to do a comparison.. A Subaru BRZ vs. Toyota 86 review wouldn't be the interesting.

[@francisnorthwood7862]

yeah it is a worse headphone made for stupid consoomers ;)

[@ChickenPermissionOG]

hd600 are extremely uncomfortable

[@coloradoing9172]

Um, no they aren't.

[@ChickenPermissionOG]

@@coloradoing9172 yes they are

[@slee2054]

@@ChickenPermissionOG I agree. the clamping force for the whole HD600 series is too much. I got an used pair of HD800s and they are surprisingly comfortable.

[@residentzero]

It's just a bit firm. You probably haven't put on Audiotechnica or HD25. Those are horrible

[@x-techgaming]

All of these are like 30 years old now, so if you haven't tried them all by now, may as well move on lol. Sennheiser needs to make an HD900 already. Forget this ancient stuff with terrible stage, sad one-note bass, or dumb special connectors.

[@amplifyaudioreviews]

Have tried and owned them for a while. But still relevant. I have owned and reviewed the other newer top of the line stuff as well on this channel, in case you are interested. :)

[@RafiGish]

Yep. One can get the soundstage, detail and airiness, but with actual bass extension and a much better bass with the Hifiman Arya.

[@godinhumanform1594]

'x-tech gaming' u DON'T get it. competitors around the world are still trying to figure out the magic fuckery Sennheiser achieved with the HD600/650 ie. NATURAL sound! very, VERY FEW headphones compete with how NATURAL sounding they are. 'Amplify Audio Reviews', does the boxes that came with your HD600/650 say "NATURAL SOUND" on them? Could u please confirm this for me. :)

[@VENOM-vq3ju]

@@godinhumanform1594 Personally I consider that I have 4 irreplaceable helmets among my other helmets : - Grado The Hemp - ATH R70X - HD600 - HD650 I use my HD650 (equalized) for everything and judge the listening of headphones on KZbin for any purchase in order to plant myself less. Potential purchase: - Focal Clear - Neumann NHD30 - HiFiman Arya

[@coloradoing9172]

I don't think you understand how audio technology works.

[@garth56]

I bought the HE1's 🙂

[@chrisbruchak4519]

Guys, when he has the tubey things on his desk, he knows what hes talking about. Lol