Headphones - Senn HD 800 or Grado RS1i.......

ThomasTrouble - I'd find it very hard to conceive that anyone would be disappointed with HD800's. If you were you could just return them. If you go past the return period you can very easily sell them for only a few hundred less than you bought them if that - they will sell very fast on headfi.org. No experience with that amp though. Let us know what you think.

Scottmac - I've only heard the PS1000 once before and was very impressed in that brief exposure. I had not heard the GS1000 at that time nor the HD800's, so I resisted making any comparisons. If memory serves they were a bit more punchy and rich, while the HD800's could be slightly more 'airly' and occur to me as effortless in their presentations of various types of music. Again, that is from memory. No doubt the PS1000's are fine cans. The HD800's presented a sound I loved at first listen and had to have it. That did not happen with the PS1000, but I think that could be entirely a case of personal preference. Another more economical can (around $600) worth looking into are HE5LE's. I tried a pair of their predecessors and was mighty impressed, especially by staging. Ultimately I found them a bit too aggressive and sent them back within the 30-day trial period. The LE supposedly does away with certain stridencies in the original. An HE6 is in beta currently. These cans require a powerful amp to work well. Their own tube amp supposedly is a good match, but not the only way to go. Just don't try them with any headphone amp - these need at least 2 watts - check user reviews for appropriate amps to use.

Hi Guys,

Just got the Senn HD800s along with the Headroom amp (very necessary with these). Anyway, while I was on the phone with HeadFi I asked them what other headphones they would also recommend for good bass response and they suggested the Denon A-HD 2000 (a couple of hundred bucks) and I told them to send me these also. Well, as it turns out these have got waaaaay more low-end slam than the Senns and they sound great, no, make that fantastic - a nice "big" sound!!!!
I have been listening to light rock, and electronica that I always use for reference. If I had done a blind test and someone had told me the Denon's were the ones that cost five times the price would have believed it. At this point (only an hour of A/B ing) I am loving the Denon's much more. On both sets I am hearing stuff my speaker system never revealed to me in my music. Anyway, an hour isn't going to be enough time to to make a black and white decision, but at this point I would be surprised if I end up preferring the Senns. I know the issue is me loving my low-end a lot, but I can say for sure these Denon's are great all-rounders - great sound quality and great bass......and all for a couple of hundred bucks!!!
Bottom line is if you like your low-end the Senns are probably not for you. I am keeping an open-mind here since so many people really see the Senns as "the" headphone.
This is my first exploration with headphones but at this point for two hundred odd bucks I would HIGHLY recommend the Denons. Anybody else out there familiar with these?
Anyway, I will report back in about a week after a lot more listening.
Cheers Guys

What headroom amp did you get? Also - good lesson learned as to the Denons higher price and a lot of hype does not necessarily mean 'better'

That's great that you prefer a MUCH less expensive headphone. Give it a bit of time and continue to compare as long as you can return them, but if they are that close to you at this point, I wonder if there are any changes in break-in that would be significant enough to warrant the extra $1000+ investment?

Well, as it turns out these have got waaaaay more low-end slam than the Senns and they sound great, no, make that fantastic - a nice "big" sound!!!!

=243&graphID[1]=863&graphID[2]=&graphID[3]=&graphType=0&buttonSelection=Compare+Headphones]As you can see here the bass response of the two headphones directly compared is not quite what you seem to be describing. It's not all about the numbers though. Regardless, if you like what you're hearing that's all that matters. Keep the cheaper cans and be happy! That said, my HD800's put out ample bass that is not in any way bloated, or lacking in detail. If you are a bass-head you may really like the HE5LE that I mentioned before. But again, if you like the Denon's as much as you do, I say, go no further - enjoy your music.

I am keeping an open-mind here since so many people really see the Senns as "the" headphone.

There are too many "the headphones" - choose your own, don't listen to what others say. HD800's are just one of many cost-no-object attempts at getting it right. As you may have guessed, just like with speakers, opinions will vary widely and all this stuff is subjective. BTW I had a pair of Denon D5000's for a few months. I liked those pretty well too, but moved on looking for better staging. What I've found in moving up the chain in headphones has been that gains have been mostly in refinement and capturing subtle nuances and occurring to flow without any strain or effort. Bass doesn't come as such an expensive part of the package as it does with speakers. Most of the decent headphones can reproduce pretty low bass, though the better ones reveal much more within that low bass.

Hi Guys - some wrong info on last post.....the Denons were actually $349 and not two hundred odds, still well worth it at two or three times the price though. A real shame that certain gear including headphones can lose all that low end, the stuff that gives me goose-pimples. I sometimes wonder why a lot of audiophiles don't seem to care too much for low-end, I know I can't listen to my speakers at all without a sub - it really makes a world of difference and not just for electronic music.
Musicnoise -
I got the Headroom Ultra Desktop and although I have never compared it with anything else it sounds fantastic. Re. comparing the two headphones there might be a tiny bit of extra resolution with the Senns but the Denons make the music sound powerful as opposed to the very "delicate" sound of the Senns. I guess the type of music you listen to might have a bearing on things but as I said, I like a sub on everything and these Denons sound like they have a subwoofer inside. Obviously many people like a delicate sound but to me it sounds like you are losing a huge chunk of the recording by not having a sub or phones with a great bass response. This has got me curious about audiophiles and bass and it might be interesting for me to start a thread on the subject to see what others like and don't like about subs.

Anyway this whole hobby is ultimately about trial and error and that is part of the fun for me.