[grignr]

I preordered awhile back (got a sub-100 model number!) and didn't follow any of the online drama. The happy upshot is I've been listening to my pair over the last day and have opinions are totally unbiased by the specs that I haven't seen yet

After an evening and morning of listening and A/B on the same amp, I mostly agree with the audio differences in Dan's Audio Reviews video, both the good and the bad.

• Compared to the 6 range (Dan uses a 650, I'm A/B'ing with a 6xx here) the 8xx is a huge upgrade, it's incredibly clear.
• Compared to the 800s, the 8xx can be less harsh than the 800s. But it also has a distinct ...hollowness, especially in vocals.
• To my ears, these are not 'terrible ass' like one review here said.
• Overall, to me these are an interesting, different flavor of 800s.

And that last bullet point is probably going to be the important part over the long term. Since they are based on the 800s but make different choices, it's going to be natural to compare them to the 800s. They are both good cans, and they differ enough that after the initial wave of online shock is over, the 8xx may find their niche.

To me, my ears keep coming back to that hollowness, especially on vocals. I'll be returning mine (unless someone here wants a sub-100 number, I guess) and listen to 800s instead.

 

[Hifiearspeakers]

Maybe this is Drop’s Modus Operandi all along. Their agreement with Sennheiser was to release a mediocre 8XX, to reignite interest in the 800S and boost sales again for a twelve year old flagship. And all that without Sennheiser actually having to innovate jack sh$t. Smh.

 

[trellus]

Drop has no incentive to "release a mediocre 8XX", so whether the market determines that's what it is from a commercial standpoint, we can be all but certain that Drop wanted a hit.

 

[Hifiearspeakers]

Drop has no incentive to "release a mediocre 8XX", so whether the market determines that's what it is from a commercial standpoint, we can be all but certain that Drop wanted a hit.

Relax man. It was sarcasm.

 

[tkddans]

Relax man. It was sarcasm.

With the heated up community, and the nature of talking online, it can be tough to tell, I suppose.

 

[cgb3]

They do EQ well. I'm EQing with power amp, and I can get it to sound a lot closer to normal tonality.

If this was not being compared to the hd800s, I think it would be more universally well received. But everyone preordered this specifically to scratch the hd800/s itch, and this doesn't quite do it. Its a very different headphone. A good headphone - but not the headphone hd800s fans specifically wanted.

I'm not decided whether to keep these yet. I'll give it a few weeks, but I'm leaning towards keep. Hopefully a brave owner will sort out an unmod for these before the 30 day trial period is up.

That's a pity. I intended to purchase a "used" pair of HD 8xx's for a good price, to complement my Senn HD 800S's.

I use the Peace EQ, with my HD 800S phones with great results. EQ'd, and with a decent amp (I use the Jot2, fed with the Lyr 3 as pre-amp, with a PsVane Tennis Ball valve installed on the Lyr 3. Very nice from the start, (the tube) supposedly peaks at 350 hrs.

I suspect there's some early adopters who expect more than they hear, without understanding what to do to correct. Let's hope they vacillate past the return window.

 

[GenEricOne]

https://en-us.sennheiser.com/high-resolution-headphones-3d-audio-hd-800-s

At checkout use “WELCOME10” as a coupon code.

The sale has been going for over a week…not sure when it ends.

I also think the Honey coupon service is offering cash back on the purchase if you’re a member. I decided not to sign up because I don’t trust services like that.

Thanks for this. Ordered the 800S and initiated a return on the 8XX.

• To my ears, these are not 'terrible ass' like one review here said.

To be clear, they were terrible ass right out of the box on my Phonitor XE. Nothing sounded right or good. The hollow sound you describe was everywhere except some overbearing highs. Later on my Lyr 3 they were inline with your description.

Maybe they needed some burn-in, maybe it was terrible amp synergy, maybe the 1/4in output of my Phonitor is borked (still haven't used it with any other headphone).

 

[Hifiearspeakers]

Thanks for this. Ordered the 800S and initiated a return on the 8XX.


To be clear, they were terrible ass right out of the box on my Phonitor XE. Nothing sounded right or good. The hollow sound you describe was everywhere except some overbearing highs.

LOL!

 

[ciber]

We know 58x has a completely different tuning than 580, and 580 should be better than 58X from audiophile point of view, but it did not hurt the 58x's success. I guess Drop and Sennheiser are following the same success pattern of 58x. Most of the people who wanted an HD 800 or HD 800S, bought it already. They’ve had years to do so. People who already own an HD 800S and also want an HD 8XX would be an even smaller group.

what is Drop and Sennheiser's target? most of the people who wanted an HD 8XX do not have a flagship yet, and wanted a cheaper version that doesn’t sound bright or too bass thin, based on all the old comments on Drop and product requests that had bubbled up ever since the HD 6XX launch.

 

[Sense]

We know 58x has a completely different tuning than 580, and 580 should be better than 58X from audiophile point of view, but it did not hurt the 58x's success. I guess Drop and Sennheiser are following the same success pattern of 58x. Most of the people who wanted an HD 800 or HD 800S, bought it already. They’ve had years to do so. People who already own an HD 800S and also want an HD 8XX would be an even smaller group.

what is Drop and Sennheiser's target? most of the people who wanted an HD 8XX do not have a flagship yet, and wanted a cheaper version that doesn’t sound bright or too bass thin, based on all the old comments on Drop and product requests that had bubbled up ever since the HD 6XX launch.

That's a really great point but I feel like they expected this to widen their target audience because they anticipated 3000 orders and you could tell they were disappointed in the outcome. I actually think they changed the tuning for one of two reasons:

1. They thought they would get more pre-orders from the audiophile community if they made this adjustment.

or

2. Sennheiser's new owners didn't want to release a cheaper version of the 800 series because they essentially purchased the division based on sales. My brand new 800s is serial numbered in the 36,000 range. that's a lot of $1.4k to $1.6k purchases. Why would they allow Drop to sell essentially the same headphone for a few hundred less?

Drop is the home of the cheaper versions of successful headphones. Its were audiophiles can be born. Its the starting point for many. Its were my interest was born but I've outgrown them, that's clear by this drop. Nothing they make is the logical conclusion to anything...its just different flavors for less. Nothing wrong with that.

Now how they do business? That is a different story. You don't change something that 900+ people pre-ordered without alerting them via email. They are horrible at customer service and their return/warranty policy is the worst in the industry...but that is part of the operational savings that allow them to provide products cheaper.

 

[rfernand]

Well, just before a friend of mine returns his 8xx (which he got yesterday), I got a chance to listen to them for about an hour.

They are weird.

• This pair (SN 330?) sounded off-center, which simply may be poorly-matched drivers.
• Vocals are off. I tried “Band on the Run” and Paul sounded as if he were gasping.
• Some instruments sound unnatural - as if they were cloaked or something.
• Soundstage is wide, yes. There is a lot of detail - but not all. “A Kind of Blue” was just off.
• Peter Gabriel’s “Mercy Street” was butchered in various ways. Muffled, oddly separated. Just off.

Is this the new normal? Am I listening wrong? Who knows. But when people stop sounding like people, my brain just can’t deal with the rest.

Tested with my KANN cube (balanced out).

 

[askeladden]

“Band on the run”

Great song. Gonna compare with my mdr-z1r and see if i notice it.

 

[kman1211]

I've had this experience before switching between headphones, when your brain initially thinks one headphone sounds wrong but adjusts to it over time.... And then when you switch back to your preferred headphones it's an "ahhh" moment of relief. In my experience, it never quite goes away- the headphone I think sounds wrong eventually gets returned or sold lol.

Not saying that will be the fate of your pair.

By the way I came across this video review that just released. Some really great sound comparisons in there. The 8xx sounds.... Really off to me in this video. The lack of mid range is really apparent in what it does to vocals IMO.

Listened to that video, while I know sound demo's don't necessarily properly portray how a headphone sounds on your head and I know some headphones don't seem to translate well on sound demo's, maybe it's one of them. Going by the video alone, those honestly sound borked to me and this is coming from someone who owns and loves the T1 Gen 3 because despite the Beyers strange tuning, I found the T1.3 sound very natural, the HD 8XX sounded very artificial in that video. I'm very familiar with the HD 650 and have heard the HD 800 S on a few occasions. I would have to hear the HD 8XX in person to see if the sound demo translate to real life; but the sound demo does leave me with concerns.

 

[SchwizzelKick66]

We know 58x has a completely different tuning than 580, and 580 should be better than 58X from audiophile point of view, but it did not hurt the 58x's success. I guess Drop and Sennheiser are following the same success pattern of 58x. Most of the people who wanted an HD 800 or HD 800S, bought it already. They’ve had years to do so. People who already own an HD 800S and also want an HD 8XX would be an even smaller group.

what is Drop and Sennheiser's target? most of the people who wanted an HD 8XX do not have a flagship yet, and wanted a cheaper version that doesn’t sound bright or too bass thin, based on all the old comments on Drop and product requests that had bubbled up ever since the HD 6XX launch.

I've been looking for an "endgame" and that is exactly what I wanted....a smoothed out, less bright hd800s with better bass if possible. A more 650-like 8 series if you will. It seems they tried going for that, but unfortunately ended up chopping out the main reason people love the 6 series- the amazing mids and vocals.

I was so excited for the 8xx all year. Really bummed how it turned out.

 

[Kammerat Rebekka]

This hobby is insane…literally!
People who have never ever cared for nor understand stuff like frequency response and midrange presence…are currently using all of that against a headphone that they now hear other peeps trashing…because of the mids.
Sure…yet a lot of these folks already own and adore several headphones with mids tuned in the exact same ballpark like fx the Solitaire P, the Rad-0 and the Verité
But because several oldschool Sennie fans that have used the classic 800/800S for a decade now trash the new kid on the block for doing what most folks have been asking Sennheiser to do for years…it is a supposed disaster.
Truth be told..I would love for people in this hobby to care more for the midrange where most of the music we love unfolds…but if we are singling out the HD8XX…then what about the rest of the pricey pack with lacklustre mids? Can we see this lynch mob forming in the Abyss and Verité threads?
Or maaaaybe all of this mostly resembles the good old lemming behaviour