I like to obtain all my gear new therefore I buy everything. Cables are the only accessories that I have ever bought second hand. The HD820 came in an unsealed, blue and gray package. Within, a black box and a user’s manual with a hand cloth (meant for cleaning and maintaining the headphones). Opening the box, I was presented with the headphones themselves, to which the 6.3mm, 3-meter cable was already connected. A second, 4,4mm balanced was there with a USB key card attached to it.
I will try and keep everything else about the build quality short since most of you already know how they’re made. In typical Sennheiser fashion, they are plastic made, with a novel element: Gorilla Glass domes on the exterior of the cups. I have seen a lot of pros and cons regarding build quality and while I realize that plastic makes for a lighter headphone, I cannot think that maybe, somehow, Sennheiser could have used, at least on the headband, a different material. Either more comfortable, more adjustable or something that adds a bit more clamp pressure and force. This is not to say they are not comfortable; they are! But they are also never properly fit on top of my head. They always tend to move a bit, either forwards or backwards, depending on my head’s motions. The quite heavy cable also does not help, since I always have to take care that it sits either on my lap or on my desk, otherwise it will add a drag and pull coefficient which only worsens the all-around comfort and fit.
As far as the cables are concerned, I will never judge the sound based on them. Yes, I am a strong contender of the fact that cables influence sound and if they do, then that happens on a live stage, where several tenths or hundreds of meters are needed and that’s where silver’s better conductivity comes into play, compared to copper, for example. In a cable, I always look for comfort, (lack of) memory, microphonics and most important, the quality of connectors and the soldering. Regarding the HD820’s stock cables, they are both thick but with a lesser degree of memory when compared to others (Sennheiser does advice to leave them completely unfold for a couple of days). They do exhibit quite a bit of microphonics and they are at least half a meter longer than I would have wished but at the end of the day, it’s not something worth losing sleep over. Yes, there are better stock cables out there but as far as I’m concerned, they are good enough for me and my use case (at least until I trip over them and in a furious rage, cursing, end up at my desktop’s screen, looking for a shorter replacement).
Comfort wise, so far (after ~10 days of usage), I find myself always fiddling a bit with the fit, until I get it right. Afterwards, even if I take them off, it seems that my muscle memory helps when putting them back on. I have a good seal on my head and although I am wearing glasses, I am resting the glasses’ frame on top of the cups (I know, I look like someone from a parody show but it’s the best of both worlds – no issue with seal and they are way more comfortable this way; at least for me). I wish a little more clamp force was present, as to not need the initial fiddling but all in all, they seem to disappear on my head after that. There is a minor hot spot on top of my head, due to the way it’s shaped and the fact that I shave it. Had I left my hair to grow (if I had any to grow at all), I’m quite sure this would have been a non-issue.
Sound quality, gear used and a few comparisons
My current setup is comprised of PC ---(USB)---> SMSL D400ex ----(RCA)---> Woo Audio WA6 2nd gen / ----(XLR)---> Violectric V202. Since I already wrote that I am a firm non-believer in cables = better sound, I will also admit the WA6 has a Isotek - EVO3 Initium power cable but that’s because the amplifier came without one, in box. Still, it’s far from what I’d call a snake oil cable and it only set me back 60 EURO.
The WA6 is used with NOS tubes, as follows: Emitron Mullard 53KU as rectifier with a pair of Sylvania 13DR7 as driver/power tubes. The V202 is used with a -6dB pregain, since in 0 db gain I could barely reach 9 o’clock without making the headphones sound like a pair of speakers. On the DAC, I have the “Low Dispersion” filter selected for PCM, “Wide” filter for DSD, “Sound 2 (5,6M)” for Sound Color and “Fixed” for Pre Mode (it outputs a fixed 0dB signal). Why have I selected these? I don’t honestly know. Nor can I say that I can tell a difference between the various filters available. But it’s what I settled on and it’s what sounds ok to me (so take any observations that DAC filters affect the sound with a pinch of salt).
I only listen to music stored locally and I have never used (nor will I ever use) any of the streaming services available. File quality ranges from lowly 96 kbps mp3 files to DSD128 ones. One thing to note about this, though, is that not always file quality = audio quality. I have a lot of 320 kbps mp3s which are better recorded / mastered (at their source) than a few FLACs or PCMs. Also, there are a lot of online outlets from which you get PCM/FLAC files which are worse encoded than an mp3 (I mainly use Spek to check but any spectrograph will do just fine). I always try to buy my music in WAV/PCM format, except for those songs which I realize do not need a higher encoding (the aforementioned trance genres, drum and bass and generally, music which does not rely on a huge soundstage, for example, to convey its message). At the moment, locally, I have around 25000 files on my hard drive with an additional ~30000 stored on various disks and hard drives which are not in use. I buy most of my music, except that which is available only on vinyl. In that case, if I can find someone willing to rip a vinyl for me, good. If not, I’ll settle for what I can get off the web, as long as the quality is at least acceptable.
This is an example of a PCM bought from an online store, compared to a mp3 file i had at hand.
As I wrote earlier, I listen to almost all genres of music, bar jazz and rarely to acoustic. I know, two of the strengths of the Sennheiser HD8xx series but such are my tastes and unfortunately, jazz never clicked with me while acoustic music tends to get boring while auditioning.
For this review, I will try to mainly focus on electronic music, the purpose of which the HD820 were bought.
Classic Trance (pre-2000)
Kai Tracid - Liquid Skies (Eternia Audio Lab Mix) (320 kbps, 44.1 khz, MP3) – this is one of the better mastered tracks out there. Classic trance is different from the more modern version by not being as crowded with elements. Most of the times, you get a kick drum, a bassline, some percussion, a pluck here and there and that’s it. Basslines are also quite simple, as in you rarely get songs with dual bass layers or that go into the sub bass territory. This particular song also has some vocals in it and it used to be aired on most of the radios and tv channels back in the day (I ‘member VIVA TV; the memories). The bassline is comprised of mid bass and the HD820 reproduces it faithfully. The pluck sound that accompanies the voice at 04:10 is a bit recessed, which I can only attribute to the dip in the mid-range that everyone was concerned about. The voice itself is clear and takes place at the back of the stage, which is a different presentation than what the HD800S offers, for example. The saxophone coming in just afterwards also sounds a tad recessed but does not affect the entire presentation. All in all, I enjoyed this song a tad more on the HeKse than I did on the HD820 with a small caveat: the voice tends to become a bit shouty on the Hifiman.
Alex Morph - Maximum Overdrive (Original 3rd Rmx) (192 kbps, 44.1 khz, MP3) – I’ve first heard this one on the Trance Energy 2000 disc. It was an hour-long video, with parts from all of the stages at that year’s event, featuring one or two songs from each. The HD820 renders every sound with perfect accuracy, never getting fatiguing (while the HeKse doesn’t allow me to go over 60dB of volume on this song). The kick drum and bass are clear, perfectly separated while the main saw comes in the middle without overpowering the entire song. The vocal echoes that are featured throughout the song do sound a tad recessed (as I have gotten used with, by now) but they are noticeable only if you intimately know the song and have listened to it on a host of other devices (both headphones and speakers). The extra mid bass emphasis brings this song to life, compared to the HD800S or the HeKse.
System F – Out of the Blue (862kbps,44.1 khz, FLAC) – another classic which sees the likes of Armin van Buuren team up with Ferry Corsten and release one of the most iconic tracks that used to be featured on radios and tv channels. Again, HD820’s mid bass emphasis helps with bringing this track alive while at the same time, makes the drum kick sound just a bit boomy, especially on lower quality encodes. The main pad and saw come together beautifully and thanks to its expansive soundstage, helps create a sense of atmosphere. All in all, a satisfactory rendition of the track without any recessions throughout the sound spectrum whatsoever.
Trance (post-2000)
Dj Eco - Light at the End (Martin Roth Edit of Lost World Remix) (320 kbps, 44.1 khz, MP3) – Post 2000 trance music starts seeing more complex passages of bass. Sub bass starts making an appearance and with the advent of better hardware and software, producers and remixers have started creating songs which are more wide, expansive and engaging than classic trance. Martin Roth is a mastermind and in this remix of Eco’s Light at the End, you get everything except vocals. Deep, dual bass line which is accompanied by masterfully crafted percussion on top of amazing pads and plucked synths. I was expecting the claps to sound a tad recessed, given the previous experience with the other songs but to my surprise, they didn’t. A perfect rendition of this song and the HD820 has done it with an apparent ease that only makes me anxious about what comes next.
Leon Boiler – Ocean Drive Boulevard (Intro Mix) (880 kbps, 44.1 khz, FLAC) – Leon Boiler used to have his own special type of music. I’d dare say it’s trance, since it contains a lot of elements belonging to the genre but it was much more than that. Having a background in classical piano, he manages to masterfully integrate it into this Intro Mix of his Ocean Drive Boulevard. Floor shaking sub bass accompanied by a saw mid-bass serve as the base for a lot of reverb-enhanced plucks and pads. Nothing sounds recessed or emphasized and it’s a perfect example of the HD820’s prowess when it comes to the lower registries of music. I cannot even touch this song on the HeKse, let alone listen to it at louder volumes but on the Sennheisers, I can blast away with little to no care for my eardrums or my general hearing health. Carpe Diem, as a dying Frenchman once tried to say but couldn’t, because he died.
Airbase – Medusa (Original Mix) (1411 kbps, 44.1 khz, PCM) – One of the stalwarts of modern trance music (which has now, sadly, moved on) is Jezper Soderlund a.k.a. Airbase (and a sleuth of other aliases I care not to mention here since I’ll run out of pages). Since I needed a more crowded song to test the HD820s, I chose Medusa because it has everything but the kitchen sink (and vocals) in it. While it does not dabble in the realm of sub bass, its bass line and kick drums are nothing short of amazing. Pads, plucks, claps, cymbals, reverse crashes – this song has it all. It used to be on Tiesto’s go-to playlist for quite some time, whenever the jockey had an event he had to attend to and is in my top 10 best trance tracks, all-time. As crowded as the song is, the HD820s doesn’t break a sweat in rendering it in one of its most faithful renditions, ever. I know this song inside-out and if anything would have sounded, even the slightest, recessed or over-emphasized, I would have noticed it in a second. Nope, sir. It made the hair on my skin stand up and dance while I was writing these lines, happily tapping my feet while sipping from my glass of tea.
Goa / Psytrance
Juno Reactor – Song for Ancestors (1411 kbps, 44.1 khz, PCM) – One of the songs that sealed the deal for me, regarding electronic music. The tribal accents throughout Juno Reactor’s songs coupled with his tendency to use a lot of live instruments and rely on fewer digitally generated ones make for one hell of a trip. At the beginning of the song, you can hear the vocalist emphasizing “sh” in her echoes. On the HeKse, they are unbearable and on the HD820, they are at the edge of becoming harsh but never trip over. A fairly crowded song in which a headphone’s ability to layer and separate instruments is vital yet, the HD820 does it with exceptional quality. Alas, when compared to the HD800S, the soundstage takes a hit and since the song has amazing qualities which emphasize it, it can sound a tad closed in (again, only when compared to the HD800S or the HeKse, for as long as I can listen to the latter, anyway). The guitar that comes in at 05:40, alongside the chants is something to behold! The drums that immediately accompany them are the icing on the cake. All in all, 11/10, would blast a cigar again to this and I’m not even a smoker!
Juno Reactor – Swampthing (1411 kbps, 44.1 khz, PCM) – While it’s not Marvel’s superhero, Juno Reactor’s Swampthing goes in deep, deeper than an earthquake. With a kick drum that makes my 12” woofer call for help, a few whistles that make my eardrums do the same and tribal drums that make me put my South-African outfit and start dancing, this song is as representative of the genre as is Red Bull of energy drinks. With some electric guitars which can be easily named Tremolo and nobody would object, this song is also one of my favorites and I can safely say that while bordering on the line of sibilance / harshness a few times, the HD820 does an admirable job in keeping the fatigue out of the earcups and out of my ears. Bravo!
Juno Reactor – Conquistador (Astrix Remix) (905 kbps, 44.1 khz, FLAC) – by now, I think it’s clear that I’m a big fan of Juno Reactor. I’m also an Astrix fan so it’s only natural that I’d include his remix of Juno’s Conquistador. The song is, originally, a 2 part track. The first one has most of the vocals and acoustics while the second one goes for the beat. This is a remix of both (so a 2 in 1) and the main difference is that you can easily spot Astrix’s bassline and kick drums, which go well beyond the sub bass territory while being mastered with a bit more compressors added on certain channels when compared to the original. This is the first song where the bass starts getting a bit uncomfortable. Yes, there, I wrote it! HD820 has too much bass in this song and I don’t like it! Yes, it’s the mid bass emphasis that gets my nerves tingling and forces me to lower the volume a bit. But that’s on the WA6. On the Violectric, the bass is a tad more tame while the upper registries get a bit more presence, bordering on the edge of sibilance. The sub bass that accompanies the slam drum/kick, at the start of the song, is amazing. It gets the earcups moving and my eardrums, bleeding! What an awesome sensation, having to shout when talking to my wife, who’s sitting at 30cm away from me. God bless you, Sennheiser!
Progressive (Trance / House)
Astrix & Freedom Fighters – Burning Stones (Original Mix) (320 kbps, 44.1 khz, MP3) – This is another song where the HD820’s mid bass emphasis makes itself more present. The song gets a nice intro, which shows the headphones’ prowess in soundstage while quickly following with a fat beat, which goes just shy of the sub bass realm (slowly stepping into it but never staying there). This is a song I’m quite familiar with but alas, the HD820’s recessed mid range takes a toll on the whole presentation. Compared to either the HD800S or the HeKse, some pluck effects / voices are heard more towards the back of the scene but at the same time, the crossover voice that starts at 04:10 and carries on with the rest of the song, for a few seconds afterwards is tolerable, unlike with the HeKse, where it reaches ear drum drilling levels of harshness. All in all, I love the song and how the HD820 presents it but if I were to rate it on a scale from 1 to 10, it’s a 7/10 while the HD800S is 8.5/10 and the HeKse is 9.5/10 (it could have been a clear 10 if not for the forementioned harshness).
Ranji & WHITENO1SE feat. Nina Nesbitt - The Moments I'm Missing (Extended Version) (320 kbps, 44.1 khz, MP3) – This is something that I’ve recently discovered and included in my playlist. I do listen to a lot of Ranji’s songs but of this particular one, I was unaware of. It has a nice, specific build-up up until ~01:50, where the whole song takes a seat back and translates into what you’d call the apex of the song (or breakdown). A sleuth of pads, piano and Nina’s voice take over and get us ready for the 2nd part of the song, the one where you usually get a taste of everything altogether. I do notice her voice to be a tad recessed, compared to either of the headphones mentioned until now but it’s not necessarily a minus. The song tends to be a bit hot, at some point but the HD820’s characteristic makes it more than tolerable. The sub bass extension is good but not as good as the HeKse’s and, again, this is more praise than blame, since I’m comparing a dynamic driver to a planar one. The percussion is clear throughout the song so no complaints here. I’d say it’s a faithful presentation of the track with just some minor differences, here and there, only noticeable to someone who has listened to the song for a long while.
Nibana – Aeon (1411 kbps, 44.1 khz, PCM) – I’m now heading towards a more darker realm of progressive trance – Nibana. This is a flawlessly mastered track, with zero compressors added and everything is in check. It’s a testament to what proper mastering can do for a track and if the track is already good (I know, subjective), then it can only take it to the next level. The bassline heard here is eerily familiar to that from Travis Scott’s Tenet soundtrack. I dare not say anything, just that it’s uncanny to listen to Aeon and then, to Tenet (it wouldn’t be the first time a popular artist copied a less popular one (*cough* Will.I.Am. -> Arty *cough*)). The song is a dark atmospheric piece of progressive music, which lends itself on the phat bassline to carry it out throughout its duration, accompanied by masterfully chosen percussion, pads and plucks / synths. The HD820’s recessed midrange, again, makes the song incredibly tame, compared to any of the more revealing headphones out there. It also detracts a bit from its beautiful soundstage, which can be heard on the HD800S and it’s as expansive as it can be. Still, the reason I bought them is because I wanted a less revealing and vengeful pair for exactly this kind of music and for this, they fulfilled their duty with perfection.
Namatjira – I’ll Kill You (Original Mix) (320 kbps, 44.1 khz, MP3) – A progressive house piece which is both dark as well as calming, soothing in its rhythm and vocals. It’s a center stage song, with no show of soundstage whatsoever but it wasn’t meant to be this way. It’s a rather simple tune, with a kick drum, bass line, low saw pad, a few plucks / synths that get carried by a wonderful piece of vocal. The song itself has a few compressors added and it’s rather mid-range emphasized so it’s not something that I’d use to show the strengths of the HD820. Still, it’s more than satisfying and while this one never gets hot on either of my headphones, it still left me wanting a bit more presence out of the vocals.
Breakbeat / Drum and bass / Jungle
Aphrodite – Twilight (Original Mix) (1411 kbps, 44.1 khz, PCM) – the godfather of jungle and drum and bass – Aphrodite. He’s old enough to be elected president of the U.S. of glorious America but he still hasn’t lost his touch (if one cares enough to listen to any of his recent releases). In this case, we’re talking about his 2016 release called Twilight, which includes the original mix alongside Slab Bass’ remix. I prefer the former, since it’s more up my alley and the first thing you notice is how similar is to another (almost soundtrack-like) tune – the one from the Friday the 13th franchise. Alas, it was a sample of Brian Bennett’s Glass Tubes which is also the theme of the song. The track is fairly simple in its construction, relying on two points of breakdown that slide into a saw bass beat, nothing fancy but it’s good enough for my drum and bass needs. It does go well into the sub bass territory and it does so with grace. I’d say it’s one of the more pleasant renditions of this song and this is a testament to Sennheiser’s craftmanship and the prowess of the ring driver used in the HD8xx series.
Spor, Ewun & Evol Intent – Levitate (1411 kbps, 44.1 khz, PCM) – a rather rhythmic track which changes beats halfway, preparing us for the breakdown. It goes well into the territory of sub bass and the HD820 does a masterful job at playing it back. It’s also a rather spatial sounding (at times) track, which is not at all specific to drum and bass but in this case, the HD820 fails to deliver the spaciousness that it’s younger sibling, the HD800S, manages. Nothing sounds recessed and as far as I’m concerned, I got my proper fix from it. I would have loved a tad more presence in the sub bass, say, a la Arya SE but sure enough, it came close and this, again, is nothing but praise at the HD820’s address.
Fallout – Scimitar (128 kbps, 44.1khz, MP3) – now this is a song you won’t find anywhere else on the web, regardless if we’re talking vinyl, CD or digital format. I’m not kidding! Go search for it and tell me if you found anything! I have carried this with me from back in the days of the Breakbeat terrorism forums and it was meant to be used as a soundtrack for an upcoming game, developed by the same artist that created the song, too – Fallout. It’s an incredibly atmospheric piece of dark drum and bass that really pushes the limits of what sub bass can be. God bless the Britains and their forum, for I have them to thank for this pure gem from 2003. Not many headphones manage to convey this track’s sub bass and while the HeKse does it better than the HD820, the Sennheiser is no slouch, either. There’s a flute-like sound (close to what Enigma uses in his songs, can’t find a better explanation for it, sorry) that adds to the mysticism of the track and in this case, it does sound just a tad recessed. This song never sounds harsh on any headphone and it’s most beautiful trait is the sub bass. To make it easier for you to understand what I’m referring to, here’s a link to it, uploaded on my Google Drive.
Aphrodite – Tower Bass (1002 kbps, 44.1 khz, FLAC) – back to grandfather Aphrodite and his 2009 release, Tower Bass. It’s proper jungle and it sounds as if it’s a binaural recording! Some of the percussion used at the start of the song tend to be a bit hot, on the HeKse, for example but nothing of the sorts on the HD820. Aphrodite’s skills can be heard throughout the entirety of the song and it’s a treat for the ears and mind. It’s rather mid bass heavy and it plays to the HD820’s strength. It’s one of the better renditions of this track and I’m quite happy with how it sounds since the mid range dip hasn’t affected anything from the track.
Beta – Headspace (Original Mix) (320 kbps, 44.1 khz, MP3) – Beta is the sushi master of breakbeat and you better be sure he never disappoints when it comes to layering his kicks and drums in such a way that even if you’re not a fan of the genre, you end up shaking your head to the tune’s rhythm. A rather complex song, that has passages which delve deep into the sub bass territory. One can hear the saw bass accompanying the sub bass and the pluck that comes in at 03:12, alongside the apex of the song sounds nice, clean and without a hint of resonance (while on other closed backs, such as Sony’s MDR-Z6, it makes my tinnitus call 911). Again, this is a testament to Sennheiser’s craftmanship and engineering skills! To be honest, I only listen to this song on my speakers + woofer setup, since it’s the only one that renders a good impression of the song but on the HD820, I kid you not, it sounds quite satisfying!
Other genres
Note: this is a set of impressions while listening to other genres of music. There’s no special way that I’m doing it, it’s just simply me browsing through my playlist and picking whichever song draws my attention. I’ll skip any sort of text regarding a specific song’s genre and just continue to write about my own subjective experience.
Loreena McKennitt – Bonny Portmore (768 kbps, 44.1 khz, FLAC) – Loreena McKennitt’s rendition of an old Irish traditional folk song, which is an ode to the fallen oak’s of the old Ireland but more specific, the Portmore Ornament Tree (
wiki). I have to thank
@Nomax for reminding me of both this song as well as the artist (he did it unintentionally but that’s not what matters here). The HD820 tames Loreena’s voice just a bit, not allowing it to reach the heights it does on the HeKse and this makes for a laid back representation of the song. This can be both a con and a pro, depending on everyone’s mood and listening taste. There’s no hint of sibilance or underemphasis. The soundstage they render is good, better than most of the open back headphones I have listened to but it’s noticeably more closed-in that on either the HD800S or the He1000se. If I were to blindly listen to the song, not knowing about the HD820’s existence and not knowing what I have on my head, I would never say “Hey, this is a closed back headphone!”. The lack of air and extension does make me want to switch back to the HeKse, for this particular song but this is not something I can attribute as a fault; it’s just the superiority of open back headphones and Hifiman’s prowess, for this particular track.
Fred again.. – Kammy (Like I do) (2117 kbps, 44.1 khz, PCM) – Well, it’s Fred, again! I rarely listen to modern music, especially EDM but this track (and a few others of Fred again..) brings me a sense of nostalgia. It’s a blend of new and old, breaks with vocals, pads which you usually hear in trance and electronic ambient tracks with an all around relaxed atmosphere to the song. The percussion seems to be a bit recessed while the kick drum is emphasized, according to the HD820’s specific tuning. The vocals are just a tad behind the scene and a pinch less present than on the HeKse. Sadly, at the moment of writing this, I no longer have the HD800S to compare them. What I do appreciate is that even though the kick drum is emphasized within the track, there is no hint of boominess and this is something I was afraid of, when first listening to this track. A great overall listening experience and the general feeling is that of “inside the club”, when listening to the HD820 while on the HeKse, it sounds more like “I’m at a festival”.
Florence and the Machine – Wish That You Were Here (848 kbps, 44.1 khz, FLAC) – Ah, dear old Florence and her soundtrack from a movie which I liked, despite the general bad reviews it got (I might be mistaking here but it seems that people were pissed that it wasn’t that faithful to the books? Too lazy to google it). There’s not much to say here except this: Don’t listen to this on the HD820. Nope. Skip it. Choose something else. Rihanna, maybe? Kiddin’! The voice is not recessed but rather subdued to levels where you think you’re listening to a pair of very bad speakers. Florence’s voice is powerful, intense and always takes the leading position on the scene, when listening to her songs but on the HD820, it sounds like she’s just drowning while an orchestra plays around her, waiting for her last breath to be had. The HeKse literally runs around the HD820, with this track. There’s no air, no space, no extension, no soundstage. It’s like this one was created just to show and emphasize the shortcomings that this pair of headphones has. I wish I could erase my experience listening to this song, on the HD820. Alas, after 10 beers, I still remember it.
Enigma – Endless Quest (871 kbps, 44.1 khz, ALAC) – One of the artists that makes me proud to be Romanian, Michael Cretu. The shakuhachi flute is the lead sound in this song while a set of drums with background vocals and the required percussion are following around. It’s a very meaty rendition of the song but with a lot of presence from the flute, something which I did not expect (I was expecting recession, as the one we’re currently going through). The sense of soundstage is there but the sound is not allowed to extend beyond a few centimeters from the ears. Good instrument separation but a bit muffled by the mid bass presence. It sounds very much like the Klipsch R51pm I have on my desk but with less bass coming out (not a fair comparison, since the Klipsch are connected to a SVS sub woofer). At around 1:18 in the song, the flute’s echoes can be a bit distracting, if listened to louder levels. Still, a good audition on the HD820. 7/10, would do it again.
Cigarettes After Sex – Apocalypse (822 kbps, 44.1 khz, ALAC) – When I first listened to this song, I thought it was a woman singing! It actually took me watching a live video of them to realize it’s a man and boy, was I surprised! This is one of the songs where I appreciate the HD820’s mid bass emphasis because it makes the song full while not subduing the vocals. The percussion is clear, the guitars are present, clearly discernable and everything is in order. One of the better renditions of this song and I cannot be happier with how it sounds! (It’s funny how if a song sounds great, there’s not much left to write than just this – that it’s great but if it sounds bad, boy do my fingers start moving on the keyboard).
Haggard – Herr Mannelig (5831 kbps, 192 khz, ALAC) – A Swedish ballad, sung in Italian by a German band. What a troll move! It’s actually amazing how good it sounds on the HD820! The electric guitar is perfectly accompanying the vocals, be it male of female, as heard throughout the song. The drums and background vocals are perfectly layered on top of everything and nothing sounds recessed! I don’t think there’s any surprises here, as the headphones were meant for rock, as well, given their tuning. “Herr Mannelig, Herr Mannelig, ta na na na na…” (can’t understand Italian that well, sorry).
A.R. Rahman – Mumbai Theme Tune (756 kbps, 44.1 khz, FLAC) – One of my favorite songs, all time. It’s simply amazing how much can be done with so little, instrumental wise. This song is all about space, distance, clarity and pure musical art. If anyone asks to listen to something “chill”, this is one of the first songs that pops in my mind, as a recommendation. Rahman is a musical genius, there’s no doubt about that and this song is, simply put, a journey. The HD820 doesn’t muffle any of the instruments. At 02:15, when the pads come, they do so gracefully and the mid bass pad used throughout the song is like a warm blanket on my ears. At 02:52, they go up an octave and I was expecting distortion and Sennheiser didn’t disappoint me; distortion I got. But just a BIT. Enough to be heard / felt but it was there; f*ck! A stain on an otherwise incredible rendition of the song. At 03:58, the violin comes and boy, no harshness whatsoever. This song cannot sound bad on anything, that’s what I came to think. BUT!!! – in comes the HeKse and everything seems to go up at least a level or three: the space, the graceful distancing from the instruments, the clarity of everything this song has to offer. I kind of saved the best for last especially since I am very intimate with this song and while I cannot fault Sennheiser here, the limitations of a closed back are obvious but ONLY when compared to something like the HeKse. I have listened to this song on the HD800S as well and the differences are noticeable. Not as bad as from the HD820 to the HeKse, given the similar tonality but they’re there (mainly in sound/head stage and over all clarity).
End notes and conclusions
At the end of the day, the reason for my purchase of the HD820 was that I needed a pair which is better at electronic music than the HeKse and that’s what I got. What I also got, were bonuses on genres I did not expect them to perform so well. Most of my conclusions and impressions were done with a tad of harshness on my side, considering their price. I HAVE to point out faults or cons when paying 1600 EURO for a pair of headphones but to my big surprise, they weren’t that many (at least not as many as most reviewers out there made it look like). Not so long ago, I made a statement that the IE 900 are Sennheiser’s best product (except HE-1; have not got the chance to audition it and chances are I never will) and after listening to their entire top of the range line-up, I stand by my statement. But this is not to detract from the HD800S/820’s incredible sound quality and general musical prowess.
Are the HD820 worth 1600 EURO? Well, yes and no. I could easily live with them as my only pair of headphones, especially if I would of never had the chance to audition other pairs, such as HeKse, He1000v2 or the HD800S. In this case, they’re worth it. Otherwise, no, I think a proper asking price would be the same as for the HD800S, considering the trade-offs involved. But this doesn’t mean I don’t understand the “why”. It’s a tough feat of engineering to manage to make a driver sound in such a different way, regardless of what’s involved (acoustic absorbers and refractors, etc.). Out of all the pairs of headphones I have listened to, there is only one that I constantly miss yet, it’s the only one I never keep more than a month: the HD800S. But this will change, as after this long of a journey, I understand why I need them. But if you were to take the 820s away from me, I’d probably feel the same. There’s something about their sound which is not addicting but rather… symbiotic with my life style.
I would like to thank Sennheiser for provi….wait, no, scratch that. I bought them on my own, f*ck off Sennheiser, I won’t say good things about them! Well, I did, actually, because I love them and after close to two weeks of living with them, I can comfortably say that these are here to stay.
Most of the listening was done on the Woo Audio and less so on the Violectric. Why? Because to my ears, they sound better from the tube amp. The Violectric does manage to solve some of the shortcomings I’ve written about in this review, such as soundstage or clarity but at the cost of a tad more harshness at the top end of the spectrum and a bit less presence in the lower registers. Ideally, I would swap amps in accordance with the song I’m listening to and this is what I’ll probably do, from now on.
Regarding fit and seal, it seems that with enough time given, this becomes less of an issue. It’s easier to place them on my head and listen to music than it was at the start of this review. Yes, if you yawn, drink, eat or talk with someone, the seal is broken and the 4 riders of the Apocalypse shall ride onto Earth to bring about the End of Days…f*ck, sorry, wrong review!
Thank you for reading and enjoy listening to music, regardless of your gear or genres. For me, it’s pure medicine and it managed to spare me of many trips to doctors, in search of something that was wrong when, at the end of the day, it was just over exhaustion and lack of proper “me” time.
P.S. Please, do excuse the mess that my desk is, right now. I still haven't got to replacing the surgical Hifiman cable (and i'm going through some "revisions" of everything so i'm moving my gear from one place to another). Also, the quality of the pictures is less than desirable, i know but i guess it'll have to do! Don't need another "hobby" such as photography. Yet.
