My information and insight is a bit outdated, it seems. It’s been a solid year or so since I’ve actually researched the differences. I actually bought the hd800s last year when it was on sale.

I just checked out the video too. I must have missed it in your original response. So…my bad I guess. I stand corrected. Although, I simply wouldn’t get the 8xx for its msrp. Wait until it’s on sale. I saw it go on sale for like $700 last year. Might do that again sometime soon

Personally I advise to always RTFM first with expensive gear.

And yes I am still fun at parties

I put my cables in the opposite sides and it didn't cause any issues, I think you'll be fine mate 👍

It would be amazing if focal filmed an ad titled "what you can do with Utopia?" and tells that you can write GPT-4 using them :P

oh noo, my overpriced HD600 brick some people like to call Utopia /s

Lol that's the first thing I saw in this image. I need help.

I am really glad you liked the HD800S I got to admit that i did not 1200€ like them when i got them, the tonalities are really not my cup of tea. Tho i really loved the way Radiohead sounded with them

I don't hear any distortion, but i'm very angry about how stupidly i handled it and concerned there are some frequency changes because of the dents, don't know if i should try the tape method or just leave it, didn't know this plastic is so very thin and bendable with even a soft touch.

Hopefully it can tell the dude in the picture that his headphones are on backwards

no no you can't make fun of focal headphones on this subreddit, it'll make some people mad

Well, I just linked a video where someone went back and forth between the HD800S and sticker modded HD8XX and he couldn't tell the difference. So you're gonna have to give some solid evidence to counter it. Also I'm not sure why you're so fixated on me saying that EQ was an option, when I mostly was talking about the sticker mod.

I've done the mod myself, it's not difficult. You don't touch the drivers, so I have no idea where you're getting the idea that it's risky or a lot of work. And if we're talking about used, you can always buy the HD8XX used, which would make it 2/3 the price of a used HD800S and less than the OG HD800.

Then i guess the damage is not significant enough to cause any audible changes, if there's no distortion - you're good.

maybe AI can automatically EQ that trash tier headphone into something decent

Try r/avexchange - sometimes 800s come up for good prices.

I tested on many left right, different frequencies and bass heavy videos on youtube and on higher volume, didn't notice any unusual sound or change yet.

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Do you have a source for this? Because literally everything I've found online says nothing of the sort.

Use a full sine sweep for testing and pay attention to any unusual sounds especially in the bass region. I think it's doable with the tape but you'd have to be extra careful to not apply too much force.

Thanks for reply, how to notice a change in sound? so far i don't hear rattle or buzzing for example, can double sided tape help to undent it without removing the cover?

So far I've resisted going in to demo stuff at richer sounds. One day I'll trip and fall down the same well you have 🤣

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All I gotta say is, be mindful of what music you play. I’ve got a small list of songs I play that sound great on them. Nothing special, just bring out their spacial qualities a bit. Otherwise you may not be blown away initially

I have bad news for you...what you've dented is actually not the dust cover but the driver diaphragm, and that will most likely affect the sound. This can potentially be fixed with a little bit of suction applied to those dents once you remove the cover and gain access to the driver.

Only advice I can give you is this…I see you’re going the hifiman upgrade path. I would highly suggest you stop it there, and let your next purchase be the hd800s.

Why? I have both the hd800s and Arya. They’re both stellar headphones, it’s hard to find out which I like better, I tend to lean towards the hd800s because the staging is a bit better, it diffuses everything with a tad more separation. The Arya seems like the ideal “next” headphone to get in your arsenal. But I’ll be honest, knowing Hifiman’s track record, I’m scared to death that my Arya’s are gonna break any day now, man. I have yet to hear of anyone say that their Arya just stopped working one day, but for the money, I just wouldn’t recommend anybody take the chance.

Yes, their customer service is superb. But at one point, they’re just gonna call it tough titties and move on. Whereas with the hd800s, you know you’re getting a quality product that will likely last you your whole damn life. I mean, you already love what you’ve heard too, that may as well be the one you get. It’s the safer choice. They also take eq like a champ.

Don’t worry about proper amplification. Just make sure you have a decent amp and dac, nothing crazy. EQ is what you need to understand and utilize if you want to get the best out of them. DAC and amp differences are extremely minimal or completely null in comparison to what you can achieve with eq.

You could also pay half the price for the hd800 and eq those instead. They handle bass a bit better after eq (meaning you could get away with a lot more before distorting). But I must warn you, stock 800’s are bright as all fuck. Unless you have eq, you’ll get murdered with treble

The real pro life tips are in the comments.