LOL, nope. But, doesn’t mean I can’t look and dream. 
That’s why I go to CanJam shows, it’s the only way I ever get to hear super expensive audio equipment. Back in February at CanJam NYC I heard this set up:
T+A HA 200 headphone amp with these headphones T+A Solitarie
And yes, it sounded divine.
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The cable is material covered but terminates in 2 rubber coated wires which plug into the headset, these are perished and exposing the inner metal wire strands They are currently covered with insulation tape , bit ugly …
The pads are just worn , the headband pad is broken, the band is sound but the pad is literally falling off.
I am in South Africa and suppliers are limited . In Rand (1 USD = 15R) a new pair is R 28,000 the parts to renovate are R 11,000. = USD 733. Import taxes on luxury electronics are horrendous
We simply don’t have access to alternative cables locally the cheapest I can source is around 4,000 (USD 270) , the OEM IS 6500 = USD 433. These are all sourced from overseas at a price.
Pads are not too bad maybe. Eg Dekoni are USD 200 , I can’t find an alternative velour pad
The phones are 10 years old used virtually every day , say min 3 hours .
Add to that I fancy something new 
But seriously we have virtually no access to local supply, I selected Focal, Audeze and Grado to evaluate. There is ONE supplier for each, none of them even have samples to evaluate. They will take a pre paid order and source from the US. Eg Grado Statement 1000e is R29000 = USD 1933 I see one website under USD1000 !
Importing privately is often problematic and still incurs the import tax.
I live in Johannesburg so you would expect someone but no. Sennheiser are represented so in high end phones I have a choice of one supplier and realistically 1 candidate the HD800s
What was that phrase “Africa is not for cissies” “Third world” currencies!!
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I’d try a pair of original Focal Clear if I were you. Headphones.com still has some at a good price.
All I can say is wow, you poor unlucky soul. Being that I own over a dozen sets of true audiophile headphones (Focals, DCAs, Beyers and Sennheisers along with a Sonoma Model One electrostatic) and among all of that competition the HD 800 and HD 820 are my favorites right behind the Sonoma, I would say do what you can to refurbish the HD 800s. The HD 800s with new pads and the right convolution filter are world class headphones. One of the best dynamic headphones ever made. Of course you could go with a new set of HD 800s, not a bad choice by any means. Please keep us posted.
That was the plan but there is no one in South Africa with a demo pair and buying un-auditioned from overseas is simply too big a risk. To return them if I didn’t like them would be an expensive operation !!
PS they seem only to ship to US and Canada anyway but I agree a good price.
I am just finishing auditioning Audeze LCD-X, Focal Clear MG and Sennheiser HD800S.
I didn’t think about the Grados, but did try to get hold of Hifiman Arya (and failed).
Right now the Sennheisers are looking like they will stay.
hiya michael yes they really are gorgeous. its a hard one to say really about genres. ive listened to lots of things really. classical (holst planets) lots of rock, some blues, some pop but if anything has really shone so far it would be acoustic music. so far the very best i have listened to is scorpions acoustica. i have the full version in 96khz 24bit. very very very addictive sound. bass is very deep. i find it hard to describe sound but i think i can say i can see right in to recordings regardless of genre literally hearing things ive not heard in recordings before. really hope that helps
Blimey. I think I would seriously be considering a money-saving “vacation” to the US (or anywhere really!) that would allow me to audition as many headphones as possible and then buy at the normal US$ price. Your saving on the headphones would probably cover the cost of the holiday!
You might also want to consider importing spares from Audio Sanctuary in the UK - they are a Sennheiser main dealer and I successfully imported replacement ear pads and headband padding when I lived in the Middle East. The 800 and 820 (closed) are my all time favourite headphones - I would find it very hard to give them up, especially for classical music.
I auditioned the T+A system at the Audio46 table at CanJam NYC, too. I thought it was one of the better systems at the show.
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We have a Sennheiser main agent here.
I made the decision and renovated my existing HD800 with new pads, headband and cable
While there I compared the 800 v the 800s and found very little difference , that clinched the deal .
They also checked the drivers and pronounced in good health
Ready for the next 10 years. I too love the sound of the HD800 
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That sounds like an excellent result! Sometimes it really isn’t worth going for an “upgrade”. Happy listening
The only problem was that the Audio46 table was located out on the main floor and trying to audition open back headphones, like the T+A Solitaire, was a bit difficult. I would love hear that system again in a quiet environment.
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Finally got my first headphone rig up and running. Pretty happy with it, possible remorse to let the other options go, but these sound so good and there is room to grow.
RPi4 (dietpi) as Roon Bridge → Chord Mojo 2 → Schiit Jotunheim 2 → Sennheiser HD800S
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Genuinely curious, why the Mojo 2 and the Schiit amplifier as well? Does the Mojo have an issue with the 800S alone? Curious as I’m eyeing an upgrade and the 800s are pretty high on my list.
Partially my chaotic approach to auditions of headphones and part upgrade path. Probably part retrospective justification too.
The chaos was that I’d auditioned the headphones I had on two amps I already had before getting the Mojo. Once I had the mojo I overthought things and worried I might not choose the HD800S because they had not got enough power to hear them at their best. So I quickly bought the Schiit amp to see what they sounded like. As a bonus I now had balanced output for both headphones to try too. The chaos being the short turn around times with auditions and delivery so I was panicking a bit.
The upgrade path is that I want good IEMs or cheaper closed back headphones for travelling and they will go with the Mojo as well at some point. At the same time I always thought I’d get a separate DAC for my headphone desktop setup. I just ended up with the amp sooner than planned.
I think it sounded better with the Schiit, but I cannot put my finger on it precisely. Probably because I paid for the amp so it must be better right? 
The Mojo drives the headphones fine (96mW into 800 Ohms) and I probably have too much power from the Schiit (more than 1W in 300 Ohms!)
I’m my experience these phones are great with the Mojo.
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Thanks for the comprehensive answer. I get it, who hasn’t bought first and asked questions later on occasion. I’m about to buy a Mojo 2, and my only justification is that I don’t want to replace the battery on the Mojo 1 I own. Enjoy the new rig, I know I would.
Enjoy it. At least with desktop mode your battery should last now.
Thanks for making me feel more normal in my decision making.
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While I’m glad it helped I’m not sure I’m a great barometer for normality 
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