Senn HD800 Review on AVGuide.com

I agree with this review.

I can add to that ... vocal can be more laid back. My HD650 have better position (not too laid back, not too close). With HD800 .. it's a bit too close ... it's not as comfortable.

The soundstage is too big ... a bit smaller will be better to avoid the music go over my head. Will give less "left/right" presentation. HD650 is probably too small ... a mix between them (for me) will be better.

The bass (not the lowest notes ...) can be louder to add some "tap foot" and authority . The bass is probably too laid back to enter in the music as much as other headphone.

I like the HD800 as "another view" but they will not replace my HD650 .. But at 1400$ .. it should ...

It's why I tell to my friend ... my heart tell HD650 is better but my head tell HD800 better. ;-) It's better to lack a bit to have a bit too much.

pompon, I agree with most of the review as well. I sold my HD650’s to get the HD800’s - I have never regretted that decision sound and money wise. I have some source problems at the moment, something that the HD650 simple weren’t passing on. They do much more right to my ears than the HD650’s ever did, and I know on some material some people might have a preference for that signature, IMO the HD800 is a clear winner over most music genres.

I agree with much of the review as well. Though I must confess I disagree with pompon's view that the soundstage is too big. As I have written in my comparisons with the JH13-Pro, I find the soundstage a bit constricted. I never cared for the 650, but I liked my balanced 600s very much. In comparison, I found the HD800 significantly superior in speed, soundstage, transparency and bass. But for the most part, I agree with the review. I actually love my HD800s, and find them very enjoyable. Quite musical.

Wow, I loved reading this review. It is about the only review that I've read about the HD800 that is written soberly, pointing out its strengths and weaknesses with equal attention. I especially appreciated the following comments:

This brings us to the question of whether the HD 800’s spatial engineering helps with the sense of soundstaging that is often a problem with headphones. In a word, I’d say no. The performers don’t seem to be on stage in front of you much more than with traditional headphones or earbuds. And with a standard amplifier, you still lack the crossfeed of left sounds into your right ear (and vice versa) that is part of normal listening. Don’t get me wrong, the HD 800s are no worse in these matters than other phones, and they are probably slightly better. But they don’t turn headphones into speakers or live performers.

Great headphones? Yes. The new Holy Grail? Not hardly.

Nice reading indeed!
Showing both the strong and weak parts of the 'phone, in an easy to read and understand way.

The Martin review is very good.

His reaction seems to be that they are very, very good, and yet somehow . . . not quite there, or something. Pretty much how I feel about them, you know?

The AVGuide review is nicely done and well-balanced. Considering the "hype" that these phones have had recently, I think many people did in fact expect a "Holy Grail" type of phone, especially with respect to all of the perceived shortcomings often cited about headphones in a generic sense. Soundstaging is one case in point -- I just recently got my balanced HD800s and would agree with the AVGuide review in that they really do not project an image in front of you as a loudspeaker would, but frankly I never thought they would anyway. However, for a headphone, I do think the soundstage is quite good and validates to some extent the spatial engineering approach that Sennheiser used. I have no experience with HD600s or 650s, having primarily used AKG701s. Compared to the latter, the HD800s portray a more realistic soundstage with performers placed in accurate proportion to each other, unlike the K701s which often have an unrealistically expanded lateral soundstage. The strongest points that I'm hearing so far with the HD800s is their top to bottom frequency balance and smoothness, and especially their freedom from distortion and dynamic range. I felt the K701s could sometimes be uncomfortable to listen to over extended periods, unlike the HD800s which I can enjoy for many hours (They are actually quite comfortable to wear too). My bottom line impression is that the HD800s are indeed a very fine headphone.

For a potential buyer like me, it is helpful if all those who have bought or used HD800, while giving us their impression, also tell us exactly what genre(s) of music you were listening to and the rig you used : source-dac-amp. HD800's suitability for particular genres and its synergy with rest of the rig will be well apprehended in such descriptions.

Please comment.

That is pretty much similar to Skylab's. The reviewer didn't like them as much.

i agree that the HD800 is very balanced and has a slightly diffuse sound. as for bass, i think it is very good. how good. i'm not sure. i would have to compare directly to a PS1 or L3000. as for clarity, i think the 800 is up there with the best (at least for dynamics).

Indeed, while his review does seem to echo (I say that since mine was done first ) my sentiments, and I agree it seems that while that reviewer and I agree on a couple of ways they may not be suitable for all listeners in all rigs, that overall I liked them more than he did.

"The HD 800s seem to have a small dip in the upper midrange which makes them slightly soft dynamically."


...slightly what?!