Used and even new Sennheiser HD800 prices have dropped to a more reasonable level lately thus I am thinking about to get one mostly for referencing, mixing and since it is a very high end very revealing ultra accurate headphone with angled ring membrane speakers (perfectly representing the sound as if it would come out of very high end mixing and/or mastering monitors) even maybe for mastering.

Does any of you have experience with these headphones in mixing and/or mastering?
If yes, did it improve your results?

Thanks ahead for any useful info about this!

 

I dont know much about mixing with headphones.... I use AKGs in my recording sessions.

But if you´re ready to pay about 1.700 us for a pair Im sure you´ll be able to do anything with them.... surfing and cooking included

 

The HD600s have been around longer. They have less hyped lows & offer most neutral response of any Sennhieser cans to date.

 

HD800 are very spiky in trebles, you'd have to mod them to get highs under control without hurting your ears. HD800S fixed that issue.
I didn't experience them in person, but with Sennheiser and any other high-end brand, the law of diminishing returns apply.
They're hyped into being something posh, but I wouldn't be surprised if they were just like Beyers T1 - not really "better" than 880 but overwhelmingly more expensive.
If I were you, I'd get something real engineers used - K240 Monitors, DFs, DT-770, K141, K701 and so on.

 

Yes, I heard about the good reputation of the HD600's very neutral response, but what about the HD650? How does that compare to the HD600. Also I heard that the HD800 still kind of put any previous Sennheisers to shame when it comes to detail and separation especially in a bass - mid bass - mid range area (most important in mixing!) with a very tight bass and that its imaging is unbelievably accurate mostly due to its ring shaped transducers and that those are specifically angled. Its supposed hyped highs tame down with matching headphone amplifier because of its 300 Ohm impedance it needs proper driving otherwise it sounds thin explaining the more hyped high frequencies. But then again a headphone amp especially a good one costs another bunch of money. I guess somehow I need to test these cans and see if it works for me or not. So I will need to decide most probably between the HD600, HD650 and the HD800 +- matching amp (maybe a tube amp?).
I was thinking about room acoustic problems that with a great headphone that would be totally alleviated. It is not that my room is not treated, but it is a fairly small bedroom with parallel walls and basically there is no sufficient amount of treatment that can properly cure its room frequencies. Can be tamed somewhat, that I did already, but I still seem to have some issues that makes my mixing process kind of a hit and miss thus too much time is spent on mixing. Although I have to say that my Adam A7s solved a ton of bass, mid bass and mid range issues as these little wonders are extremely focused sounding in that frequency range with the least ear fatiguing and smooth high end range due to its ribbon tweeters. Actually I highly advise them. Maybe the new Adam A7X is even better. However I hear not too good things about the Adam A8X. Haha, maybe I should try the Adam A7X? Then again I also work a lot at night. Oh dear, it is an ever growing investment in the pursuit of better mixes.

 

Thin sound has nothing to do with impedance, more with high-value blocking capacitors. Tube amps have very audible harmonic distortion going above 2% THD+N -> certainlynot recommended for mixing/mastering. Also all of them are power hogs.
I posted an article on impedance a while back.
And when you need superb headphone amp, look no further than NwAvGuy's O2 ($50 DIY, $100 assembled)

 

Actually the HD800 goes for $999 at Amazon new and used on ebay around $650 to $800. I know that the HD800S is out of the question as that is around $1700 and that is absolutely too much. Although Sennheiser also lately came out with their flagship one of a kind monster headphone and its price is around the ridiculous range of $50.000 thats fifty thousand dollars! I could sell my car and then I would be about 1/5th way there!

 

I will look into this amp and wow that is an amazing price!!!

 

I say suite spot price for headphone for mixing is around 300$. From this point excuses for not doing top notch sounding mix is mostly on ourselves.