Listening ImpressionsApproaching the headphones tentatively, I reached down and gripped them firmly. The cool metal band's alluring shine seemed to know something before I did, teasing and tempting me to stop my fart-arsing around and actually put them on - think Frodo and the Ring right near Mordor. With a very furtive expression, glancing around to make sure there was no-one who could possibly interrupt this moment, I placed them over my ears in one swift movement, and immediately was assaulted.
This was one assault that I actually welcomed with open arms (ears?), and even though Norah Jones was heard caterwauling along to her piano, a strange expression of joy drifted onto my face. Every single note played on that damn piano made it sound as if it was in the room with me, in such incredible detail that I could hear the vibration of the strings of the piano on the recording - I was hearing things that I didn't even think were recorded onto a CD! Though the music wasn't quite to my taste, her voice was perfectly clear.
Excitedly taken with the kit, I found something a little more appropriate, and chucked on some Pink Floyd - The Great Gig in the Sky. Every single undulation of the singing was like an aural massage, every single beat played on the drums thumpingly bassy and accurate, every smash of the high-hat was piercing and not a single sound was muddied up or missed.
From Peter Gabriel's Sledgehammer to generic electrofunk and even orchestral pieces, every single one was a pleasure - and I didn't even get a chance to try out any of the music that I usually listen to! If ever there was a product that didn't need any hype to be worth its price tag, this would definitely be it. Sure, the HD800's might be an astoundingly high AU$2500 (and coupled with a decent amplifier you can expect to add another 1.5k to that) but if you want the very best in audio quality that money can buy, incredible support and something that you're going to have for a huge amount of time then this is, without a doubt, worth every dollar.
David Hollingworth also had a listen, and was so impressed that he got this little gem out: "It's like bukakke from God in my ear holes, and I don't want it to stop". For ear-pleasuringly good audio, keep a very keen eye out for the Sennheiser HD800's when they hit the Aussie market very soon - and get saving!
Issue: 137 | June, 2012