Also I want to note, the production 8XX is nothing like the pre-production unit that was passed around to reviewers months ago! A lot of us LIKED the old pre-production unit before it was changed into THIS....
I feel bad for all of those who jumped on the pre-order when looking at the initial measurements they posted on the product page. Feels like a massive bait and switch.
Jesus, that 2K dip is monumental. For a headphone retailing over 1200 dollars, that seems pretty unacceptable to me. That’s pretty disappointing due to how incredibly drop has handled past Sennheiser offerings.
I just got an open box 8XX for $650 and have never been shy about EQ, so I love it. According to oratory and many forum posts, when EQ'd, the 8XX and 800s are indistinguishable. I'm very, very happy with my purchase. I've made two EQ profiles - a slight alteration to the oratory profile, and a profile that very closely mimics the 800s. It's crazy good value if you aren't afraid of Equalizer APO. End-game worthy for half the cost
It's crazy the obsession the community has with coloring sound with equipment that's supposed to be neutral (Amps and DACs) while shunning EQing, which can be done entirely for free.
There is a moderator named Marvey on an audio forum named SBAF who seems to be very good at writing/reviewing of audio gears and science but IMO having an old-fashioned taste. Drop sent him a few HD8xx prototypes to receiving his opinions for "perfecting" the headphone. Unfortunately, ultimately we all see that one who are a high-regarded audiophile critic cannot always help you to create great audio stuffs.
Or just use Equalizer APO or any other software parametric EQ. Unless you're using a CD transport or Vinyl or something, there's no reason not to. It costs no money, it's less distorted (objectively so, that's how digital signals work) than analog solutions, and you have much more fine control to make it sound EXACTLY how you want it to. It's literally just better in terms of both sound and results. I've heard some people claim that software EQ somehow affects dynamic range, but that's also untrue. Any "loss" in range is inaudible due to the fact that a 24 bit signal goes about -144 dB deep, and you can't even use about 23 dB of that because it's all just noise. So unless you're somehow boosting signals more than 20+ dB (which you really shouldn't), nothing is actually lost when you adjust everything a little lower.
@@KaneAmaroq Yeah, you absolutely could use software EQ if you so choose and if it's an option. My comment was simply based off of Douglas's review when he said one Lokius was insufficient to fix the timing problems of the 8XX. My apologies if the sarcastic nature of my comment didn't come through - I'm not always good at making my sarcasm obvious.
@@KaneAmaroq Messing around with software solutions is more of a hassle than just turning knobs in the case of home listening, it slows down experimentation and gets in the way when I'm trying to do something else. I don't tend to mess with EQ, but if I did, I'd certainly want a hardware solution. If I'm listening as a foreground activity (where I'd in theory have more time for tinkering), I'll use CDs anyway so in both cases Schiit wins. Not to mention the fact that digital EQing is far from perfect anyway, having done my bachelor's project in the field lol
Thank you for publishing this. It led to me cancelling my pre-order. I was so excited from the earlier reviews, and my disappointment is so high right now :(
It's such a damn shame. Everyone wanted the 800s equivalent of the 6XX- a cheaper version that was just as good. That would have sold huge numbers, I think. Now they have a headphone no one will want, not to mention a lot of pissed off pre-order-ers.
As soon as I heard they're working on a cheaper HD800S, I thought, "Great, they're going to boost the bass," which I don't want. Just annoying that they feel the need to change sound profile.
I really have to say that I absolutely liked the lighting in this video. Your videos are always absolute highest quality imaginable but I often felt like the background was too shady. That's why I liked this lightblue rooom with the sunset soo much. 😍
Very interesting! I try to avoid looking at other reviewers’ takes on gear I haven’t heard yet, but your title caught my attention. Looks like it’ll be a wild time to review these when they send the review unit to me soon!
I don't think Massdrop has tuned a single good headphone. But for some reason they like to position themselves as curators of fine audio, but really they are just a reseller of the HD 650.
I was going to get the 8XX but I was ready to buy 6 months ago and got a pristine pair of HD800S for less than the 8XX. I kept wondering if I should have waited. So glad I didn't. I LOVE my HD800S paired with Xduoo TA-30. And as a side note I upgraded the cable to Audio Envy. Now that is truly a WTF upgrade. I get excited every time I listen to music. I say to myself how can a wire be so superior to what the factory is offering on a their top model. My HD800S truly make me happy. I also have HD6XX. Love those, too. Kinda want to upgrade the cable on those now but cable cost more than I paid for the headphones. 🤔
@@18yearsoldnot I've had quite a journey since I posted this 10 months ago. My headphone collection has grown quite a bit. I added a FiiO K9 Pro amp/Dac to my collection and absolutely love it. It brought a new level of bass, kick and micro detail over my XDuoo TA-30. The tube amp still has a lusher midrange and gave a still excellent and highly enjoyable sound. But I have now taken a dive into the deepest end of the pool and purchased a Burson Conductor 3X GT. I can say without a shadow of doubt that there is definitely a lot more music to hear with a class A amp/Dac. Sorry I got off track but to answer your question.. Absolutely. The Audio Envy Tonekraft cable produces the same result no matter the amp. I just did another A/B test with my new Burson. The difference is identifiable with the first note of any track I play. The factory cable is clear yet somehow muffled sounding after you hear the AE cable. If your interested go to their website. They have a 20 second clip you can play showing the difference. That clip's sound is exactly what it does to a headphones sound. It goes from sounding like a recording to sounding like LIVE music. I wish I could afford to get more of these cables for all my headphones but I gotta behave myself for a while after the Burson purchase. LOL. I've got my endgame amp. Still have my eye on a pair of HiFiMan HE1000SE. Oh the addiction of this hobby. 😁🙃
@@Sarjan watch his review. Drop was sending him a pair of the 8XX throughout the tuning process and making changes based off his feedback. Basically, drop is only going to release something that gets a good review from him (and possibly others according to the comment above)
Thank you DMS. I know that I am years late to the party, but I want to report that getting rid of the adhesive that blocked the vent holes over the drivers have done the trick in fixing the 1k-3k for HD8XX.
I cancelled my order, and by the looks of the plumetting preorders many others have too. I really think they should delay the launch and go back to the previous tuning version, which was a small departure from the HD800s.
@@lockjaw333 honestly I was waiting for this answer, it's the appropriate response, especially with the consumer audio division being sold recently at Sennheiser. Regardless of that divisions involvement or not, it's not a good look moving forward having their flagship be a bust after the acquisition.
There has to be some philosophy behind creating that dip, right? I'd be really curious to hear from the engineers what the purpose is, and the thought process behind it
@Disco That's a real good question. Can't imagine its only to push bass. How serious do they take listeners for this kind of money? This kind of cans are extensively reviewed and tested, so what where they thinking... 🤔
There is a moderator named Marvey on an audio forum named SBAF who seems to be very good at writing/reviewing of audio gears and science but IMO having an old-fashioned taste. Drop sent him a few HD8xx prototypes to receiving his opinions for "perfecting" the headphone. Unfortunately, ultimately we all see that one who are a high-regarded audiophile critic cannot always help you to create great audio stuffs.
@Disco We're looking at it from our point of view, and we don't know the other side of it. You're right. I'd say it's a business managerial miscommunication.
you still haven't bought HD6XX to this day? There are slightly more expensive but much easier to drive headphones on today's market, and I would choose those over HD6XX.
@@ELJefeReviews the 800 sires is in an entirely different league. Its like someone giving a negative review of a Ferrari, then you say "looks like the honda civic is still the way to go!". like what???
Yep. Kept my HD8XX for 2 weeks, to make sure that a break-in period wouldn't help (it didn't, they still SUCKED), and sent them back. I still have my old modded HD800 set though, and I'm never letting them leave my wall (they're from the original launch and I've already rebuilt them twice). While they don't have the sub bass of the HD800S, let alone the HD8XX, their combination of clarity, timbre, resolution, and soundstage is unmatched by anything shipping today (and I have STAX, ABYSS, and other nosebleed-tier planars). They're the first $1000+ cans I ever bought, and in retrospect, if I'd stopped there and never bought another set of open over-ear headphones, I don't think I would have missed-out on very much. Plus they really do make the most of everything you use upstream. I want a darker, layered, textured sound? Valhalla 2. I want smooth, clean power with a huge soundstage? Ragnarok. I want energy for days with massive amounts of body? Lyr. (I'm a Schiit-head, if you can't tell. My main DAC is a Yggdrasil.)
Also the balanced cable was cut with the 8XX in favor of the price, so if you've planned to use the 8XX in that way, you'd need to plan for the cost of a new cable as well
Ever since they changed their name to Drop (from Massdrop), so did their reputation. They executed the 6xx perfectly. But all of a sudden, they take audiophile gadgets and package them to non-audiophile Beats bassheads. All they had to do is fix the low end distortion, maybe give it a different color scheme, and most importantly set a great price.
@@A-G-F- I agree its a preference but I don't agree that it fits the audiophile nomer to want EXTRA bass, fair enough if you do but being an audiophile is chasing audio quality and hence audiophile gear prioritises authenticity, increasing detail, a wider soundstage and improved clarity in you lows sure but simply chasing bass boosted louder than it was recorded has f all to do with being an audiophile. Thats Basshead behaviour, typical of most teenagers. (still not a bad thing if its what one's into).
To my ears the hd800s needs way more EQ than the 8xx do. It all comes down to personal preferences. Can you hear the dip at 2k, yes although I miss out on fullness in that range it also makes the sound stage less busy, places some voices and instruments a bit further back and gives better separation, things I like but might not be everyone’s cup of tea. With the hd800s I get a more forward , in your face, upper mid range more congested sound with more high frequency distortion and almost no bass. So I’ll take the dip which in my ears make the 8xx sound more balanced and meatier sounding compared to the 800s. Now comparing to the Arya, LCD-x and clears to see which I like better. Because truth to be told, the 8xx are not perfect yet.
I am really curious who made the decisions to change the sound like this. Like there is no way it was not intentional. Also I think people would have been happy with just a cheaper 800s. Just like how the 6xx was just a cheaper 650. So weird.
There is a moderator named Marvey on an audio forum named SBAF who seems to be very good at writing/reviewing of audio gears and science but IMO having an old-fashioned taste. Drop sent him a few HD8xx prototypes to receiving his opinions for "perfecting" the headphone. Unfortunately, ultimately we all see that one who are a high-regarded audiophile critic cannot always help you to create great audio stuffs.
There is a moderator named Marvey on an audio forum named SBAF who seems to be very good at writing/reviewing of audio gears and science but IMO having an old-fashioned taste. Drop sent him a few HD8xx prototypes to receiving his opinions for "perfecting" the headphone. Unfortunately, ultimately we all see that one who are a high-regarded audiophile critic cannot always help you to create great audio stuffs.
Hey DMS, I was wondering if in the future you could make a video on categorising headphones based on the type of music they're best suited to. That would be awesome if you could do that, because as a new member into this hobby, choosing between headphones is so hard since all of them have so much strengths and weaknesses but I have no clue on how they apply to actual listening experience. Thanks in advance if you ever decide to go with this idea!
The tone curve Drop has on the product page shows a 2k dip that doesn't go any lower than the one on the HD800s. I wonder why that is. Are they lying about what they're selling you?
Surely if it's just dampening and some tape, and if all the big reviewers are going to just shit on it, SURELY they'll be able to fix it right? Please fix it I want to buy an HD800...
I just drop it.... (literally). Im worried abt the risk so I found a good deal on the Arya and get that! Ive cancelled the HD8xx. Ive already used the 200usd points but its ok. Since ive gotten the xduo TA 10R, its a fair trade. SInce many complained , the item is in USA which is a trouble for me to return or repair. I dont want the risk anymore.
Found a great condition original hd800 for 700 usd, I think at that price the flaws in the FR can be overlooked (and i am older so the only thing wrong with it being the 6k peak is a non issue for me).
Super clear and helpful video. Would love to watch a video focusing on your conversation with Drop on this... Their intent, their struggle, their take on this. Would be super interesting for many Audiophile viewers I think. Thanks for your consideration. Cheers from France!
Sennheiser likely won't let them. It is their product after all. Not drops. And then drop would be making an entirely new headphone. Not piggy backing off of the success of the 800s
@@ernestochang1744 i see. but now im really ok with my 6xx i wont change them anytime soon. (besides i saw some focal clears and they were out of my budget )
Fuck me, I preordered it in hope of Drop doing a good enough job and for me to be able to get a HD800S with more bass for $900. Well I'm certainly looking out for Josh's and Z's review and waiting for Drop to respond to his. Especially with there being decent prototypes before (first review model and the ones Z talked about in his recent review). The number of products sold dropping from 1k to 971 cheers me somewhat hopeful for them to maybe change their mind.
@@allansh828 I haven't tried Arya but I'd take the 800s over the lcd-x and definitely over the clear. I have heard good things about the sound and soundstage of the Arya but I still would never buy them for anything more than half of the price of the 800s simply because of reliability. I do believe hifimans bigger planars have a better track record but it's still a concern for me spending over $1k, but I know a Sennheiser dynamic driver headphone is going to be around decades after it is purchased and most likely still worth a good portion of what you paid for it.
@@allansh828 I tried the Arya last week and it was very pleasing. Wasn't really a fan of the Audeze X myself. Never heard the HD800s. Can't really compare it with the Arya since they sound very different I would imagine.
Thanks for the vid. with that being said, what dac amp would you pair with sennheiser 660s that is budget friendly. My main focus is gaming then music. Thank you @DMS
I actually traded away my HD800S a couple months back because I thought we would be getting an HD800S with a touch more bass. No brainer.....right? ABONDON SHIP! I will be buying another new HD800S very soon, never to be sold or traded away again. For my preferences, they are still the best sounding headphones I have ever heard. I use a little EQ on them, but not much. In many genre cases they are THE BEST SOUND I have ever heard at any price, except for live of course.
@@ernestochang1744 Already had those and every other Focal except the Utopia. The Clear are very good, but to intimate (no soundstage). Even though I have tried basically every high end headphone on the market, the HD800S are still top 5 for me.
I not a seasoned audiophile by any means, but man i can see that graph and instantly tell something is veeery wrong with that. Do they wanted to make a "boxy" sounding set? :$
I think the biggest issue is they let Drop mess with one of their best headphones.... why ??? Drop products are hacks... if Drop knows so much then why don't they come out with their own headphone instead of messing up other companies headphones...
Also I want to note, the production 8XX is nothing like the pre-production unit that was passed around to reviewers months ago! A lot of us LIKED the old pre-production unit before it was changed into THIS....
I wouldn't worry too much. It won't be long before drop brings out a new model that fixes this.
I feel bad for all of those who jumped on the pre-order when looking at the initial measurements they posted on the product page. Feels like a massive bait and switch.
@@kyron42 doubtful
@@ChristofurLandar yeah it really does.
so a Drop Panda dejavu?
I don’t know what’s deeper, the 2k dip or everyone’s disappointment after learning about it 😬
My disappointment is deeper than -11db
And I thought 3-5db peak at ~6khz in HD800 was very annoying :) -11db is like Mariana trench. Especially for supposedly high end headphones :)
Jesus, that 2K dip is monumental. For a headphone retailing over 1200 dollars, that seems pretty unacceptable to me. That’s pretty disappointing due to how incredibly drop has handled past Sennheiser offerings.
I just got an open box 8XX for $650 and have never been shy about EQ, so I love it. According to oratory and many forum posts, when EQ'd, the 8XX and 800s are indistinguishable. I'm very, very happy with my purchase. I've made two EQ profiles - a slight alteration to the oratory profile, and a profile that very closely mimics the 800s. It's crazy good value if you aren't afraid of Equalizer APO. End-game worthy for half the cost
It's crazy the obsession the community has with coloring sound with equipment that's supposed to be neutral (Amps and DACs) while shunning EQing, which can be done entirely for free.
The old pre-production unit was actaully much better…not sure how they fucked it up tbh
There is a moderator named Marvey on an audio forum named SBAF who seems to be very good at writing/reviewing of audio gears and science but IMO having an old-fashioned taste. Drop sent him a few HD8xx prototypes to receiving his opinions for "perfecting" the headphone. Unfortunately, ultimately we all see that one who are a high-regarded audiophile critic cannot always help you to create great audio stuffs.
@@hotam138 Well that's Drop's fault for only listening to one person in the end.
@@hotam138
How old is he? Older ears arent reliable for tuning audio gear from what i have seen
The HD8XX sounds like a great marketing campaign to sell more HD800S.
So what you're saying is that you need two Lokius when you buy this. Got it.
You could say we're in deep Schiit.
Or just use Equalizer APO or any other software parametric EQ. Unless you're using a CD transport or Vinyl or something, there's no reason not to. It costs no money, it's less distorted (objectively so, that's how digital signals work) than analog solutions, and you have much more fine control to make it sound EXACTLY how you want it to. It's literally just better in terms of both sound and results.
I've heard some people claim that software EQ somehow affects dynamic range, but that's also untrue. Any "loss" in range is inaudible due to the fact that a 24 bit signal goes about -144 dB deep, and you can't even use about 23 dB of that because it's all just noise. So unless you're somehow boosting signals more than 20+ dB (which you really shouldn't), nothing is actually lost when you adjust everything a little lower.
@@KaneAmaroq Yeah, you absolutely could use software EQ if you so choose and if it's an option. My comment was simply based off of Douglas's review when he said one Lokius was insufficient to fix the timing problems of the 8XX. My apologies if the sarcastic nature of my comment didn't come through - I'm not always good at making my sarcasm obvious.
@@KaneAmaroq Messing around with software solutions is more of a hassle than just turning knobs in the case of home listening, it slows down experimentation and gets in the way when I'm trying to do something else. I don't tend to mess with EQ, but if I did, I'd certainly want a hardware solution. If I'm listening as a foreground activity (where I'd in theory have more time for tinkering), I'll use CDs anyway so in both cases Schiit wins. Not to mention the fact that digital EQing is far from perfect anyway, having done my bachelor's project in the field lol
Thank you for publishing this. It led to me cancelling my pre-order. I was so excited from the earlier reviews, and my disappointment is so high right now :(
It's such a damn shame. Everyone wanted the 800s equivalent of the 6XX- a cheaper version that was just as good. That would have sold huge numbers, I think. Now they have a headphone no one will want, not to mention a lot of pissed off pre-order-ers.
As soon as I heard they're working on a cheaper HD800S, I thought, "Great, they're going to boost the bass," which I don't want. Just annoying that they feel the need to change sound profile.
In my country in the EU the HD800s currently retail for euro 1300 including 24% VAT.., no point for the HD8XX
24% vat? where do you live?
@@oskarnone5288 Romania or Finland, probably. 20% (more or less) is basically the norm in Europe and not uncommon in the rest of the world either.
Much kudos for the 21:9 aspect ratio!
Yup, definitely enjoying those black bars on the top and bottom... ;)
This is a review I’ve been eagerly waiting for!
Hope youre doing ok with the medical stuff bud, thanks for the vid
Yea it sucks how some people just go through problems like that makes me glad all i get is a minor cold once in a while
I really have to say that I absolutely liked the lighting in this video. Your videos are always absolute highest quality imaginable but I often felt like the background was too shady. That's why I liked this lightblue rooom with the sunset soo much. 😍
S T I M U L A T I O N
Very interesting! I try to avoid looking at other reviewers’ takes on gear I haven’t heard yet, but your title caught my attention. Looks like it’ll be a wild time to review these when they send the review unit to me soon!
*You were the chosen one, HD 8XX!*
HD800S has the high-ground
@@DMS3TV Well if we’re making Star Wars references maybe the next headphones they make come in twins?
I really love the sun set in the back
I cracked up laughing when you showed the graphs.
Finally. I've been waiting for this review.
I don't think Massdrop has tuned a single good headphone. But for some reason they like to position themselves as curators of fine audio, but really they are just a reseller of the HD 650.
The Massdrop Plus is a good tuned IEM but I can't think of any headphones that they did well.
All they had to do was resell the HD800S cheaper.
@@TalesOfGod 6xx?
aeon flox open x?
I was going to get the 8XX but I was ready to buy 6 months ago and got a pristine pair of HD800S for less than the 8XX. I kept wondering if I should have waited. So glad I didn't. I LOVE my HD800S paired with Xduoo TA-30. And as a side note I upgraded the cable to Audio Envy. Now that is truly a WTF upgrade. I get excited every time I listen to music. I say to myself how can a wire be so superior to what the factory is offering on a their top model. My HD800S truly make me happy. I also have HD6XX. Love those, too. Kinda want to upgrade the cable on those now but cable cost more than I paid for the headphones. 🤔
Did you try to see if the cable made a difference with other amps?
@@18yearsoldnot I've had quite a journey since I posted this 10 months ago. My headphone collection has grown quite a bit. I added a FiiO K9 Pro amp/Dac to my collection and absolutely love it. It brought a new level of bass, kick and micro detail over my XDuoo TA-30. The tube amp still has a lusher midrange and gave a still excellent and highly enjoyable sound. But I have now taken a dive into the deepest end of the pool and purchased a Burson Conductor 3X GT. I can say without a shadow of doubt that there is definitely a lot more music to hear with a class A amp/Dac. Sorry I got off track but to answer your question.. Absolutely. The Audio Envy Tonekraft cable produces the same result no matter the amp. I just did another A/B test with my new Burson. The difference is identifiable with the first note of any track I play. The factory cable is clear yet somehow muffled sounding after you hear the AE cable. If your interested go to their website. They have a 20 second clip you can play showing the difference. That clip's sound is exactly what it does to a headphones sound. It goes from sounding like a recording to sounding like LIVE music. I wish I could afford to get more of these cables for all my headphones but I gotta behave myself for a while after the Burson purchase. LOL. I've got my endgame amp. Still have my eye on a pair of HiFiMan HE1000SE. Oh the addiction of this hobby. 😁🙃
Tuned by Zeos, good job buddy
Marvey from SBAF also loved it so I guess they both like whacky tunings.
Zeos can like any tuning if it happens to sound good on whatever random song came up when he tested.
Lol. Yeah Zeos is not a serious reviewer. More infotainment.
Z tuned those?
@@Sarjan watch his review. Drop was sending him a pair of the 8XX throughout the tuning process and making changes based off his feedback. Basically, drop is only going to release something that gets a good review from him (and possibly others according to the comment above)
Check Amazon for the lambskin replacement headband for these. It's a lot more comfortable than the OEM one, and looks nicer.
Thank you DMS. I know that I am years late to the party, but I want to report that getting rid of the adhesive that blocked the vent holes over the drivers have done the trick in fixing the 1k-3k for HD8XX.
Thanks for your open and honest opinion. Glad to kept my old used 800S...
I am sooooo happy to have waited with getting this one. Thanks a lot man.
I was hoping to win my fantasy baseball league to be able to afford these...saved me a bit waiting this long.
DMS thanks for including Crinacle in your video, his UA-cam channel is still less known and smol compared to other channels.
Died @ sky vs sea
I nearly spit out my drink when I saw the turtle! Doug's got jokes!😆
@@ELJefeReviews classic Marks, he is the Meme Machine
Wonder if Sen's new owners insisted on a larger sound degradation before they'd let the 8XX go into production at Drop?
with all the negative reviews has Drop responded at all? Has pre-orders been cancelled? The negative response surely deserves to be addressed right?
I definitely refunded my pre-purchase.
Me too.
I cancelled my order, and by the looks of the plumetting preorders many others have too. I really think they should delay the launch and go back to the previous tuning version, which was a small departure from the HD800s.
@@lockjaw333 honestly I was waiting for this answer, it's the appropriate response, especially with the consumer audio division being sold recently at Sennheiser. Regardless of that divisions involvement or not, it's not a good look moving forward having their flagship be a bust after the acquisition.
I got an email today notifying that it has been shipped out…
There is no "oof" big enough to really cover this disappointment.
There has to be some philosophy behind creating that dip, right? I'd be really curious to hear from the engineers what the purpose is, and the thought process behind it
I think the idea was “give it more bass at any cost”
@Disco
That's a real good question. Can't imagine its only to push bass. How serious do they take listeners for this kind of money? This kind of cans are extensively reviewed and tested, so what where they thinking... 🤔
There is a moderator named Marvey on an audio forum named SBAF who seems to be very good at writing/reviewing of audio gears and science but IMO having an old-fashioned taste. Drop sent him a few HD8xx prototypes to receiving his opinions for "perfecting" the headphone. Unfortunately, ultimately we all see that one who are a high-regarded audiophile critic cannot always help you to create great audio stuffs.
@Disco We're looking at it from our point of view, and we don't know the other side of it. You're right. I'd say it's a business managerial miscommunication.
Awesome work Doug! Looks like the HD6XX is still the way to go!
Thanks! 😄 I think 6XX will be the king for a looooooong time
you still haven't bought HD6XX to this day? There are slightly more expensive but much easier to drive headphones on today's market, and I would choose those over HD6XX.
@@allansh828 I own the 6XX. I reviewed them on my own channel over a year ago.
@@ELJefeReviews the 800 sires is in an entirely different league. Its like someone giving a negative review of a Ferrari, then you say "looks like the honda civic is still the way to go!". like what???
@@enjoshi-godrez8775 A Honda Civic with 800hp would be more accurate.
Idk who approved that dip that's insane
still waiting for HE-1 XX
Good one!
They should do HE90xx
You could almost say that its a "mass drop" at 2k. har har har.
Yep. Kept my HD8XX for 2 weeks, to make sure that a break-in period wouldn't help (it didn't, they still SUCKED), and sent them back. I still have my old modded HD800 set though, and I'm never letting them leave my wall (they're from the original launch and I've already rebuilt them twice). While they don't have the sub bass of the HD800S, let alone the HD8XX, their combination of clarity, timbre, resolution, and soundstage is unmatched by anything shipping today (and I have STAX, ABYSS, and other nosebleed-tier planars). They're the first $1000+ cans I ever bought, and in retrospect, if I'd stopped there and never bought another set of open over-ear headphones, I don't think I would have missed-out on very much. Plus they really do make the most of everything you use upstream.
I want a darker, layered, textured sound? Valhalla 2.
I want smooth, clean power with a huge soundstage? Ragnarok.
I want energy for days with massive amounts of body? Lyr. (I'm a Schiit-head, if you can't tell. My main DAC is a Yggdrasil.)
Schiit gears sound mediocrely (even for their price tier) to my ears
@@hotam138 That's a shame.
Also the balanced cable was cut with the 8XX in favor of the price, so if you've planned to use the 8XX in that way, you'd need to plan for the cost of a new cable as well
Monoproce strikes again.
Has anyone attempted and measured removing the back vent dampeners yet? seems viable with some small tweezers?
Ever since they changed their name to Drop (from Massdrop), so did their reputation. They executed the 6xx perfectly. But all of a sudden, they take audiophile gadgets and package them to non-audiophile Beats bassheads. All they had to do is fix the low end distortion, maybe give it a different color scheme, and most importantly set a great price.
I think the braindead name change really set the standard going forward. Quirkily non-descriptive and hopeless for search engines.
Bassheads are also audiophiles, thats like calling Nascar pilots "wannabe pilots"
@@A-G-F-
I highly disagree. Bassheads are just that, bassheads. Audiophiles care about the full spectrum of sound with extra detail.
@@bengsynthmusic
To each their own, but i think that sound targets are prefferences.
Some may preffer extra bass, some may not
@@A-G-F- I agree its a preference but I don't agree that it fits the audiophile nomer to want EXTRA bass, fair enough if you do but being an audiophile is chasing audio quality and hence audiophile gear prioritises authenticity, increasing detail, a wider soundstage and improved clarity in you lows sure but simply chasing bass boosted louder than it was recorded has f all to do with being an audiophile. Thats Basshead behaviour, typical of most teenagers. (still not a bad thing if its what one's into).
It seems a much better idea is to get the 800s and EQ that one. 11db is a loooooooooot.
My thoughts exactly
To my ears the hd800s needs way more EQ than the 8xx do. It all comes down to personal preferences. Can you hear the dip at 2k, yes although I miss out on fullness in that range it also makes the sound stage less busy, places some voices and instruments a bit further back and gives better separation, things I like but might not be everyone’s cup of tea. With the hd800s I get a more forward , in your face, upper mid range more congested sound with more high frequency distortion and almost no bass. So I’ll take the dip which in my ears make the 8xx sound more balanced and meatier sounding compared to the 800s. Now comparing to the Arya, LCD-x and clears to see which I like better. Because truth to be told, the 8xx are not perfect yet.
Love that dms is such a huge mac miller fan
I am really curious who made the decisions to change the sound like this. Like there is no way it was not intentional. Also I think people would have been happy with just a cheaper 800s. Just like how the 6xx was just a cheaper 650. So weird.
There is a moderator named Marvey on an audio forum named SBAF who seems to be very good at writing/reviewing of audio gears and science but IMO having an old-fashioned taste. Drop sent him a few HD8xx prototypes to receiving his opinions for "perfecting" the headphone. Unfortunately, ultimately we all see that one who are a high-regarded audiophile critic cannot always help you to create great audio stuffs.
why did u copy paste this all over this vid?@@hotam138
OMG I love the Crinacle cameo!!
Me: I wonder if I could just crank up the 2k knob on my Loki and fix this
DMS: The Lokius maxed out isn't enough of a boost to fix this
Me: Oh...
Have you ever reviewed the Shure SRH1840? Seem like proper headphone from a known company but i rarely hear it mentioned
Big oof, why Drop, why?
There is a moderator named Marvey on an audio forum named SBAF who seems to be very good at writing/reviewing of audio gears and science but IMO having an old-fashioned taste. Drop sent him a few HD8xx prototypes to receiving his opinions for "perfecting" the headphone. Unfortunately, ultimately we all see that one who are a high-regarded audiophile critic cannot always help you to create great audio stuffs.
Can you please review the new IFI Signature HFM Amp / DAC combo? Thank you :)
What's a free-field headphone? Asking for a friend
I would go with LCD X 2021 at this price point.
wow full screen youtube video really hit different i love it
Any chance removing the tape might make them decent even if they aren't the same as the HD 800s?
Hey DMS, I was wondering if in the future you could make a video on categorising headphones based on the type of music they're best suited to. That would be awesome if you could do that, because as a new member into this hobby, choosing between headphones is so hard since all of them have so much strengths and weaknesses but I have no clue on how they apply to actual listening experience. Thanks in advance if you ever decide to go with this idea!
The tone curve Drop has on the product page shows a 2k dip that doesn't go any lower than the one on the HD800s. I wonder why that is. Are they lying about what they're selling you?
They measured the 8XX at a higher volume so the bottom of the dips align.
@@DMS3TV Would you consider that to be honestly representing the product then?
@@joezuu No. I think it’s misleading.
For comparison my measurements in this video are what it’s like when the headphones are both volume-matched.
@@DMS3TV so you implying that drop people are a bunch of dishonest sh!theads?
@@v.i.l.o. harsh way to put it but I believe their marketing is misleading.
Thank you.
Waiting for your 6xx close back review. Please make Sundara close back, that's going to be awesome 😍
Surely if it's just dampening and some tape, and if all the big reviewers are going to just shit on it, SURELY they'll be able to fix it right? Please fix it I want to buy an HD800...
I hope they come to their senses and release a driver revision with the same dampening on the 800S.
I just drop it.... (literally). Im worried abt the risk so I found a good deal on the Arya and get that! Ive cancelled the HD8xx. Ive already used the 200usd points but its ok. Since ive gotten the xduo TA 10R, its a fair trade.
SInce many complained , the item is in USA which is a trouble for me to return or repair. I dont want the risk anymore.
Great vid DMS! Can’t imagine how Sennheiser let this happen…
Found a great condition original hd800 for 700 usd, I think at that price the flaws in the FR can be overlooked (and i am older so the only thing wrong with it being the 6k peak is a non issue for me).
same. i just run it through a tube amp and im good
That dip reminds me of Campfire Audio IO 😐
SN: 00029.
Pretty neat.
Made in germany. Cant be sold in EU. Good job drop
If I were buying these, I would worry about warranty.
Love the ultra wide ratio!!
I dunno I have been burned on to many Drop items now not living up to the hype, not even close actually..... This is the nail in the coffin.
I was really looking forward to your test. Good lord, disappointed to the bone..
Cheers for your professional take on this, must have been hard 😐
Super clear and helpful video. Would love to watch a video focusing on your conversation with Drop on this... Their intent, their struggle, their take on this. Would be super interesting for many Audiophile viewers I think. Thanks for your consideration. Cheers from France!
Drop and Sen’ ..something went horribly wrong .
For the 💵 it should be a plug and play period.
Also, what’s with the propriety
connections ..go 3.5 🤌🏼
Same connectors all 800 series have always had..
@@geoffreymcdonald173 But if drop wanted to save a few bucks ..use a non proprietary connection..just say’n.
Sennheiser likely won't let them. It is their product after all. Not drops. And then drop would be making an entirely new headphone. Not piggy backing off of the success of the 800s
@@geoffreymcdonald173 You’re right..but now Drop is stuck with this strange tuning and the resulting bad reviews…such a pity.
Well I mean drop isn't exactly a company that is "for the community"
Pretty shite company really.
Could we get a video of the pad swapping / tape mod?
hi, one question, you said in this video that the 6xx are used by you every day right ? then can you tell me if its worthy the upgrade to the 800s ?
No... it really isnt, youre better off going for a pair of focal clears
@@ernestochang1744 i see. but now im really ok with my 6xx i wont change them anytime soon. (besides i saw some focal clears and they were out of my budget )
The company is called Drop for a reason, drop the mids. Lmao
DMS thanks for this review, what amp did you use ?
Fuck me, I preordered it in hope of Drop doing a good enough job and for me to be able to get a HD800S with more bass for $900. Well I'm certainly looking out for Josh's and Z's review and waiting for Drop to respond to his. Especially with there being decent prototypes before (first review model and the ones Z talked about in his recent review). The number of products sold dropping from 1k to 971 cheers me somewhat hopeful for them to maybe change their mind.
Please review Neumann NDH 20.
Saving an extra $200 to get a brand new 800s is a no-brainer.
why buy 800s over Arya, LCD-X or Clear?
@@allansh828 I haven't tried Arya but I'd take the 800s over the lcd-x and definitely over the clear. I have heard good things about the sound and soundstage of the Arya but I still would never buy them for anything more than half of the price of the 800s simply because of reliability. I do believe hifimans bigger planars have a better track record but it's still a concern for me spending over $1k, but I know a Sennheiser dynamic driver headphone is going to be around decades after it is purchased and most likely still worth a good portion of what you paid for it.
@@allansh828 Why buy the Arya over a ZMF Auteur/Universe Hybrid pad-swapped Sundara?
@@allansh828 I tried the Arya last week and it was very pleasing. Wasn't really a fan of the Audeze X myself. Never heard the HD800s. Can't really compare it with the Arya since they sound very different I would imagine.
@@lumntoob999 Audeze's driver issues were resolved over 3 years ago. They are some of the most relatable and well built headphones you can buy.
Can others testify that they have experienced or heard this same problem with their ears? Is it really that huge?
which target were those graphs compensated to?
Crinacle’s target so basically harman treble and flat from 900hz down.
7:15 Just daisy chain two or more Lokius, duh 😂
Oh jeez, I hope they make a V2 or something
how would you rate the 8xx just on detail/resolution alone, would it be better than the Drop ESP-95X or Focal/Drop Elex on this? 🙏
They DROPped the ball with this one. What a shame!
Can you review the headphones by AIAIAI, the TMA-2? They are buildable and have different options so curious how they are.
Big talk, might be right or wrong I don't know but why not do your own headphone and release it to the public?
I will one day
Awesome review!
Thanks for the vid. with that being said, what dac amp would you pair with sennheiser 660s that is budget friendly. My main focus is gaming then music. Thank you @DMS
I actually traded away my HD800S a couple months back because I thought we would be getting an HD800S with a touch more bass. No brainer.....right? ABONDON SHIP! I will be buying another new HD800S very soon, never to be sold or traded away again. For my preferences, they are still the best sounding headphones I have ever heard. I use a little EQ on them, but not much. In many genre cases they are THE BEST SOUND I have ever heard at any price, except for live of course.
Youre better of buying a pair of focal clears
@@ernestochang1744 Already had those and every other Focal except the Utopia. The Clear are very good, but to intimate (no soundstage). Even though I have tried basically every high end headphone on the market, the HD800S are still top 5 for me.
I know the price difference but how do the HD560's stack up, as well the Hifiman 400se?
Your best bet is going with a pair of focal clears made in france
@S M yes absolutely cuz i have 1 myself
I not a seasoned audiophile by any means, but man i can see that graph and instantly tell something is veeery wrong with that.
Do they wanted to make a "boxy" sounding set? :$
I think the biggest issue is they let Drop mess with one of their best headphones.... why ??? Drop products are hacks... if Drop knows so much then why don't they come out with their own headphone instead of messing up other companies headphones...
do a setup video it will great
The amazing DMS outro music. Does anybody know if it is in youtube? 😅
Makes me want to buy an 800S even more than ever.
It was all a plan by Sennheiser to drive sales of a more expensive headphone!
so beautiful DMS
Just pony up a few more bucks to get the real deal. Get the HD800S.
Or settle with a HD600 and save up until you can afford it.
Hey. What is the one headphone people cannot bring themselves to sell off? I'm looking for a momento headphone for my 40th birthday.
HD 600
@@JTB-- hmm I owned the 650 and currently have the 58x
So will EQ help to solve this situation?
Seems like it was tunes on a tube amp and not a solid state.