You’re going to hear a lot more through 800s next to 600/650s.
Have do disagree with a few of the posts above . I have a Mojo which i love (best bang per buck Dac for your money ) and purchased Hd800s not long after it. I was very very disappointed with the pairing after all the great reviews on the Hd800s. I read many posts on headfi and was advised to buy a separate headphone amp . I acquired an IFI pro ican headphone amp(fantastic amp - can be run solid state or valve, valve is just awesome) , running the Mojo as DAC only mode , audioquest cables and Puremusic software , the results were just staggering. Honestly 10 times better than Mojo alone ( i appreciate the extra cost but it really is worth it , if you want the very best out of what the Senns can achieve )
Listening to this combo tonight i can completely loose myself in the music , warmth , analogue , dynamic and massive soundstage - best headphones i have ever listened to . The HD800s arnt particularly bass heavy but they have a nice punch. Im not saying that the Mojo cant run the Senns , but you wont be able to hear what they can truly do without a better headphone amp
You’re going to hear a lot more through 800s next to 600/650s. You’ll certainly hear even more still through Utopias. In the end I didn’t like the weight and relative lack of comfort of the Focals and I have personal issues with the sonic signature of Beryllium.
Mike, au contraire, I approach the declining hearing issue with components offering ever better resolution. The Utopias’ Be drivers reveal more than Ive heard with any other headphones.Dec, despite the fact that my Elears are heavier, both my 650s and those are comfortable. The Elears have more transparency and dynamics but the 650s are addictive in their darker way. Still not sure if I should've gone to 800s (or 800S) but fancied Focal, and am not disappointed.
Very tempted to go to Utopias (the older ones) but I seriously wonder if this is a good idea with my diminished hearing. Going to East Anglian show soon, where they have a can display; it was Focal a few years ago, so maybe it still is.
The Utopias’ Be drivers
I bought a pair of basic Martin Logans to use with the telly for films, streamed orchestral concerts and they’re so beautifully resolved on speech.
Mk1 Utopias. They’re quite unlike any other headphone I’ve tried in terms of resolving power.Are these the latest or the previous ones, Dec? Often wondered if the uplift from Elears to Utopias warrants the cost hike.
When one is repaired, I'll have my Quad 2905s back into service (PMC Twenty.26 as a stop-gap (polar opposites !!!!!), but I listen to any drama/doc on my cans via I/C from telly to can amp.
You’re going to hear a lot more through 800s next to 600/650s. You’ll certainly hear even more still through Utopias. In the end I didn’t like the weight and relative lack of comfort of the Focals and I have personal issues with the sonic signature of Beryllium.
Isn't a high output impedance OTL amp the way to go for warming up the HD800? Being 300 ohms.
I keep going back to the HD800, tried many others but really like these cans best,
It's the mid/upper level emphasis which attracts me to these, though I've never tried them. I do have 650 (which desperately need new pads; that should up the ante a bit) but got Focal Elears, which are better for s.q./transparency/bass but there's sth homely and comforting about my 650s, which I use for TV sound (through my can amp). Have tried Focals and what's your can amp?