Sennheiser HD 800 S Audiophile Headphones

My Sennheiser HD 800 headphones are technically brilliant; giving optimum performance quality in every music genre.So much so, that even old favorites in my collection appear more acoustically dynamic. They are so comfortable and stylish too. Purchasing from AV.com, I received a stylish wood headphone stand free of charge. What better way to enhance the headset?The HD800 can compete with more expensive headsets. I have no hesitation in recommending this product as it represents value for money combined with exceptional quality.

A Must Try If Not Must Own

I've tried the HD 800 S twice prior my purchase a couple years back. One at a local audio store and one at CanJam. After trialing it, I knew it was the flagship for me - as my preferred FR is diffuse-field-esque with soundstage and comfort being a big factors in my headphone preference. I bought the HD 800 S half a month prior to the review, as I was waiting for the RME ADI-2/4 PRO SE to arrive.Two things I've noticed when trying were, one, the soundstage wasn't as wide as I remembered, and, two, there's a lot more sub-bass than I remembered as well. Despite the former, the HD 800 S still reign as the widest sounding headphones - it just might be getting used to how wide speakers are. For the latter, they weren't at all bassy - but they provide a nice impact on the ... MoreI've tried the HD 800 S twice prior my purchase a couple years back. One at a local audio store and one at CanJam. After trialing it, I knew it was the flagship for me - as my preferred FR is diffuse-field-esque with soundstage and comfort being a big factors in my headphone preference. I bought the HD 800 S half a month prior to the review, as I was waiting for the RME ADI-2/4 PRO SE to arrive.Two things I've noticed when trying were, one, the soundstage wasn't as wide as I remembered, and, two, there's a lot more sub-bass than I remembered as well. Despite the former, the HD 800 S still reign as the widest sounding headphones - it just might be getting used to how wide speakers are. For the latter, they weren't at all bassy - but they provide a nice impact on the sub-bass despite being a relatively bright neutral headphone.Build wise, they are what you expected from Sennheiser - high quality plastic with design intended for ease of repair (well kind of). I tried pad-rolling it with the Yaxi Pad for the HD 800/S, but the earpads are a pain to both remove and put on again. The proprietary connector is also a big pain to remove due to how tight they are.Comfort wise they are feather light, have a very light clamp, and have large earpads for any shaped and sized ears. On my head, I can wear indefinitely which I cannot say for my HD 6XX. My only contention with earpad is the pinch of the hair if you don't open them up before taking them off.Sound wise, they are a detail and soundstage monster. Soundstage has a lot of width and depth, with a mild height; imaging is also very refined - you can pinpoint where a sound is coming from if a track is well recorded mastered. Their frequency response leans toward bright neutral. Bass is light and sub-bass is rolled-off, but if a track has sub-bass, you can definitely feel it. The mids are overall neutral and no where as intimate sounding as the HD 6XX. Treble is accentuated with a big peak at roughly 5.5 kHZ to 6 kHZ ish. They were definitely a bit fatiguing after the first 30 minutes of listening but no longer after 2 hours once I got used to it. The HD 800 S is unforgiving in their ability to reveal minute details in recording - distortion, artifact, the sound of throat swallowing - they reveal all of it.In short, they're a comfortable decently-built detail and soundstage monster - since I got them, I haven't listened to my stereo setup. Where they shine is in good recording and in the following genres - classical, jazz, kayōkyoku, city pop, power metal, symphonic metal, and symphonic / orchestral tracks.

A benchmark in sound quality

I love the Sennheiser sound. I have owned thd 800s HD, the 700HD and the closed back HD820s. Sound quality is subjective but these get everything right. You could wear these all day without fatigue, and by that I mean the comfortable fit and the sound. And they work well with all my hifi. I use various headphone amps with balanced and unbalanced connections and they never disappoint.And the ability to replace parts helps to keep them relevant and very long lasting. I can't recommend them enough and I have used headphones most of my life.

Best buy for a state of the art sound

Everyone is aware of the fact that for any type of product, one reaches the point of diminishing returns after a certain level of excellence is achieved. I feel this is the case with this particular headphone, and that Sennheiser has in good faith produced a headphone which has such detail and musicality, it is profoundly superior to mid fi headphones, yet only perhaps microscopically inferior to the world's most expensive planar and electrostatic headphones. I say this as an owner of several vastly more expensive headphones and as a frequent attendant of hi-fi expos and thus demo-ing many over the top expensive high end systems. Sennheiser has achieved the "sweet spot" between price and performance for this product, and the fact that the HD 800 and HD 800S have ... MoreEveryone is aware of the fact that for any type of product, one reaches the point of diminishing returns after a certain level of excellence is achieved. I feel this is the case with this particular headphone, and that Sennheiser has in good faith produced a headphone which has such detail and musicality, it is profoundly superior to mid fi headphones, yet only perhaps microscopically inferior to the world's most expensive planar and electrostatic headphones. I say this as an owner of several vastly more expensive headphones and as a frequent attendant of hi-fi expos and thus demo-ing many over the top expensive high end systems. Sennheiser has achieved the "sweet spot" between price and performance for this product, and the fact that the HD 800 and HD 800S have been around for so long and are so popular and well reviewed attest to this. Actually, I cannot say I enjoy listening to my more expensive systems more than I enjoy listening to the HD 800S, as any design has engineering tradeoffs regardless of expense. The 800S is a tour de force of engineering know how and practicality. I highly recommend this headphone, especially to critical listeners of unamplified acoustic music.

Great full range cans

Has been on my want list for a while so the sale on the package of amp and phones was too irresistible. I don't even have 50hrs on this setup and it sounds great. I have some nice cans and a Woo tube amp for reference and a Marantz SA11S2 disc spinner. Have never like solid state head amps till now. The 800S cans have some of the Senn house sound and not that different from the 600S but to use an oft used cliche, there is more there, there. Garbage in garbage out but with SACD's I have been listening to, the 800S sounds spectacular. Maybe a tad recessed in the mids but that could be remedied with some eq. All the bass is there but this is not a bass head can to be sure. I am running these balanced all the way. I do not like their 1/8 balanced plug cable that the ... MoreHas been on my want list for a while so the sale on the package of amp and phones was too irresistible. I don't even have 50hrs on this setup and it sounds great. I have some nice cans and a Woo tube amp for reference and a Marantz SA11S2 disc spinner. Have never like solid state head amps till now. The 800S cans have some of the Senn house sound and not that different from the 600S but to use an oft used cliche, there is more there, there. Garbage in garbage out but with SACD's I have been listening to, the 800S sounds spectacular. Maybe a tad recessed in the mids but that could be remedied with some eq. All the bass is there but this is not a bass head can to be sure. I am running these balanced all the way. I do not like their 1/8 balanced plug cable that the 800S comes with. It also has 1/4 single ended cable. Never heard of an 1/8 balanced jack but the HDV820 has one. The 800S is a light and comfortable can with a sweet but full non fatiguing sound. And another cliche, I am hearing things I never heard before in recordings I know intimately. Highly recommended.

Great sound; difficult to justify price

Purchased as an upgrade to HD6XX. Comparatively, HD800S has a wider and deeper soundstage and greater clarity, making better use of HD/high res files. Without EQ, bass is light and highs are much too loud; any hiss/sibilance will be brought forward to the point of annoyance relative to the HD6XX.I ultimately returned the HD800s as they are much less comfortable than the HD6XX with marginal gains/compromises in sound quality. Much like the HD820s, which I also returned, these things slide all over your head, with noticable sound quality changes in the process.These are probably end-game if you have excess cash and listen while sitting still to eq'd HD digital sources. If not, I do not think these are worth the price difference compared to your preferred HD600 ... MorePurchased as an upgrade to HD6XX. Comparatively, HD800S has a wider and deeper soundstage and greater clarity, making better use of HD/high res files. Without EQ, bass is light and highs are much too loud; any hiss/sibilance will be brought forward to the point of annoyance relative to the HD6XX.I ultimately returned the HD800s as they are much less comfortable than the HD6XX with marginal gains/compromises in sound quality. Much like the HD820s, which I also returned, these things slide all over your head, with noticable sound quality changes in the process.These are probably end-game if you have excess cash and listen while sitting still to eq'd HD digital sources. If not, I do not think these are worth the price difference compared to your preferred HD600 variety. I recommend the HD6XX over these for most listeners, especially if one does not already have an amp/dac.

Legendary soundstage

This review is for the newer, made in Ireland version of the HD800s, which supposedly slightly improves the bass response. I have not heard the original for comparison, but these headphones sound great out of the box. They do initially appear to lean towards being treble-heavy for anyone who is not used to flat or neutral listening. EQ will solve this, if you (like everyone else) automatically cranks whatever sort of bass boost or "loudness" button is on your system. Make no mistake, the HD800s have no problem producing the low end if you boost it. What these headphones do offer that can't be added after the fact is an amazing stereo field and a great build quality. There are no tweaks for your soundstage or construction, and these phones give you some of the best ... MoreThis review is for the newer, made in Ireland version of the HD800s, which supposedly slightly improves the bass response. I have not heard the original for comparison, but these headphones sound great out of the box. They do initially appear to lean towards being treble-heavy for anyone who is not used to flat or neutral listening. EQ will solve this, if you (like everyone else) automatically cranks whatever sort of bass boost or "loudness" button is on your system. Make no mistake, the HD800s have no problem producing the low end if you boost it. What these headphones do offer that can't be added after the fact is an amazing stereo field and a great build quality. There are no tweaks for your soundstage or construction, and these phones give you some of the best of both at a comparatively lower entry price into the hifi arena. My chain is a Technics SL-G700 cd/dac into a Quicksilver headphone amp (tube). The HD800s sound razor sharp (in a good way) even just out of the internal headphone amp of of the Technics, but the Quicksilver adds some nice overall warmth, holographic depth in instrument separation, and noticeable slam into the kick drum.

Not for me

I bought these headphones without first trying them - they were to replace Sennheiser HD650 headphones, which I have had for about 15 years (which I also bought without first trying out) and which I really like.I have found that the Sennheiser HD800S headphones do not suit the music that I listen to most, in particular late 19th century classical music. The main problem is the relative lack of bass - for me this really spoils the music eg Bruckner (Sym 8) and Sibelius (Sym 2).Swapping back and forth, over a few days, between the new and old headphones has highlighted the problem. As well as the 'loss' of bass, the new headphones, for me, tend to make the music somewhat too 'fizzy'. I have a 1 year old Cyrus CD player, iFi amp and am using Chord cables to connect ... MoreI bought these headphones without first trying them - they were to replace Sennheiser HD650 headphones, which I have had for about 15 years (which I also bought without first trying out) and which I really like.I have found that the Sennheiser HD800S headphones do not suit the music that I listen to most, in particular late 19th century classical music. The main problem is the relative lack of bass - for me this really spoils the music eg Bruckner (Sym 8) and Sibelius (Sym 2).Swapping back and forth, over a few days, between the new and old headphones has highlighted the problem. As well as the 'loss' of bass, the new headphones, for me, tend to make the music somewhat too 'fizzy'. I have a 1 year old Cyrus CD player, iFi amp and am using Chord cables to connect the player and amp - all of these I consider to be excellent and all were supplied by Richer Sounds.I have contacted Richer Sounds to try and exchange the new headphones for something in the same sort of price range but that better suits the music I listen to.Some other reviews, which I read before buying the new headphones, noted the problem, but the reviewers did not find it as irritating as I have found it.Though it is difficult to do so, I would now strongly advise people to try headphones before they buy.

The EQ'd kings.

Right after these were released in 2009, and were the most expensive outside of Stax electrostats, there was immediately a big rush to try to beat them, and money was no object. There was too much treble and a rolling off bass, but besides that, their soundstage, driver speed, comfort, and pretty much anything else you can mention regarding performance was unmatched. They were THE headphone to try to beat on top of with EQ. It sounds like reviewers say that some headphones >$3k make that, too. Some planars for $2k get good reviews also, but have to say "almost as good as the HD800's" for some points, usually soundstage size. Sonarworks measured a whole bunch of pairs of 800's frequency response using a dummy head with little microphones in it's ears, and offers ... MoreRight after these were released in 2009, and were the most expensive outside of Stax electrostats, there was immediately a big rush to try to beat them, and money was no object. There was too much treble and a rolling off bass, but besides that, their soundstage, driver speed, comfort, and pretty much anything else you can mention regarding performance was unmatched. They were THE headphone to try to beat on top of with EQ. It sounds like reviewers say that some headphones >$3k make that, too. Some planars for $2k get good reviews also, but have to say "almost as good as the HD800's" for some points, usually soundstage size. Sonarworks measured a whole bunch of pairs of 800's frequency response using a dummy head with little microphones in it's ears, and offers software that EQ's them using like 1000 points parametrically or something, to a perfectly flat line that goes all the way down. Now, they sound better than anything I have heard before EQ-wise, including not only playing more bass than my subwoofer, but also making it's bass sound cheap and flabby compared to the refinement of my HD800's. Every so often someone plays an electric bass alone, and it's strings sound way better than that lousy electronic bass does. For the extra 99Euros for the Sonarworks software, especially using only the plugin with Audirvana, my system truly becomes reference playback for everything. My most recent upgrade was a new IC, and while it made everything before my amp sound way better, and left me wondering if I should upgrade my amp too, I do not hear the need to upgrade my 800's yet. According to reviews, it sounds like only planar drivers could improve things, and it would have to be ones for considerably more money to not lose anything else. So, in short, if you factor in paying an extra 99Euros for the Sonarworks EQ software, you will not beat these for less than $3k. When mine finally die for some reason, I will replace them with the exact same model, unless the 800S is almost the same price. The EQ software already negates the slight improvement given by the 800S's. After getting used to the EQ'd to super flat sound, everything else sounds wrong.

not a luxury headphone

so disappointing. ultra thin earpads and headband padding -- not at all comfortable despite being lightweight. Sennheiser tuned all the bass out of these -- why? so now I have to eq -- never had to do that before, and don't enjoy it. now listening critically to the gear instead of enjoying music, and constantly dialing in or out bass eq. I can't even imagine how livid I'd be if I paid full price for these. couldn't return because I damaged the box's cardboard outer sleeve. i expected full-range musical reproduction as well as huge soundstage and exquisite detail, and these absolutely fail to deliver. Audio46 however as always provided a great buying experience, too bad the using experience of these is so unsatisfactory.