Gerner
Head-Fier
- Joined
- May 14, 2014
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Hello,
Couldn't find a HD 800S impression thread, so here it is.. If there already is a thread, please link it, and an Admin can close this one.
But I've had the pleasure to loan a few headphones from Sennheiser which included a pair of HD 800S. It was for my own review site, which is why all the pictures below is gut..
But for not just keeping it for myself and my followers I'll give it to you guys as well! So enjoy.
Sennheiser HD800 Review
Disclaimer: I made a deal with Sennheiser to bring some of their products to a Hoved-fi.dk meeting. I could afterwards loan the products for a few reviews in return. The review will contain my honest opinions about the product, where both good and bad opinions will be written. Upon completion of the loan period, the headphones have to go back to Sennheiser. Sennheiser HD800 is borrowed from an acquaintance, and will also be returned after the review.
In my time as a reviewer I have tried some different equipment, some in the low-end, but also a few in the other expensive end. After the headphone meeting, a few days ago I’ve been so lucky to borrow these very honorable headphones from Sennheiser. We’re are of course talking about their latest headphone, Sennheiser HD 800S. Their previous model, HD 800, has been on the market for some time, and is one of the headphones have been written about the most, which I can fully understand. People has been talking in the hooks on how the HD800’s could benefit from modding, which might could have been the cause of why Sennheiser made their HD800S.
A quick look in the instructions manual and we find this quote from Sennheiser:
“A modern classic, Sennheiser’s reference class HD 800 headphones deliver sound that is as natural as possible and true in every detail. Improving on a seemingly perfect formula is not a task undertaken lightly, but Sennheiser’s engineers have succeeded in enhancing still further the sound reproduction in the open, circumaural HD 800 S.”
It might not have been the easiest decision for Sennheiser to take their greatest player in the HD series and change it. I think that the HD 800 might have been Sennheiser’s interpretation of how a good neutral headphone should sound of, whereas HD 800S is what the users is wanting. The HD 800 isn’t the cheapest headphone on the market, with a pricetag nearly at 12000DKK and yet people still mod it. Some of the mods could be the familiar Anaxilus mod or the HD 800 Ultra-Mod. If it’s something like these mods, which have been the cause for Sennheiser to make another headphone in the HD-800 series is beyond my knowledge. It sure will be an exciting experience to test the HD 800S up against its older version HD 800.
For my review, I’ve been lucky enough to loan a set of HD 800 by a friendly user from Hoved-fi.dk.
Design, build quality and comfort
I remember the first time I saw a set of HD 800, they were huge, weird, and certainly not a headphone for my taste. Luckily, I’ve grown in taste, and are now extremely pleased with the look. There’s nothing strange about them anymore, the size is great and they are certainly now my taste. Thankfully there haven’t been much change in design from the original HD 800 to the HD 800S.
It is undoubtedly a question of preference whether you like the design of the HD 800 or not. There’s been some major changes since the HD 600 series. The cups are much larger now, and have their own unique charm, and the oval pads has changed to fit the unique cup size. Therefore it’s not possible to replace them with other models pads. While the cups are amazing there’s also the beautiful headband, consisting of one major headband where each cup is coupled on by using a rail system. You’ll have to use the center of the headbands top as a guideline to adjusting the headband correctly.
You’ll be met with incredible comfort, because the fit is amazing. Although the pads isn’t particularly thick, you won’t experience any discomfort because there’s almost no press on the side of the head. I’m not that kind of person who feels particularly uncomfortable on the top of my head, so I can’t say anything else than the headband in no way bothers me.
With the HD 800S there’s also included two cables. The first is the traditional 6.3mm SE jack where the other is a XLR4 balanced cable. Both the HD 800S and the HD 800 are great headphones, but I can’t understand the cable. Sure it’s pretty, great plugs and good materials, but they are simply too stiff. I don’t have my amp placed in the other end of my apartment, which is why the cable somehow must be folded, and it take a lot of the space on my desktop because of the stiffness. But not to be mistaken, the quality of the cable is superb, and the braided cable sock really make the look great with the HD 800S.
Sound, better or worse?
It’s no secret that I really dig the Sennheiser HD 800S, they simply just shine through anything else I got on my shelfs. It’s a whole different league of details that makes well-recorded music to sing like little birds in a choir. In order not to cheat my ears for its predecessor I’ve had a very generous friend who loaned me his beloved Sennheiser HD 800. However, these are with the so-called Anaxilus mod, which should help to reduce some of the harsh peaks the HD 800 should have.
I can therefore generate this list of equipment:
Source: Pc with Tidal HiFi
Amplifier: Sennheiser HDVD 800
DAC: Sennheiser HDVD 800
Headphone: Sennheiser HD 800S
Comparison Headphones: Sennheiser HD 800 with Anaxilus mod
Because of my lack of high-end equipment, I don’t have anything in same caliber as the Sennheiser HDVD 800, which is why I won’t pair the HD 800S with anything else.
The first thing you’ll notice at the first listen, with either the HD 800 or HD 800s, is how large the soundstage feels. We’re talking about a full orchestra with 20 meters to each side. It’s undoubtedly the pair of headphones I’ve heard that can convey the widest soundstage. You can seriously almost count the length, 1 meter, 2 meter and so forth and tell with big certainty what instrument is placed within that distance. Yes, the soundstage is wide, but does it do anything good to the headphones? – Which they certainly do. The separation of instruments is absolutely fantastic, it fills the soundstage in a very good way. HD 800S will leave nothing to chance, and gives you a good feeling of what the artist intended with the recording. Either it’s the HD 800 or the HD 800S they both do it equally well.
It’s not only the wide soundstage with surprises, for the depth and the height amaze too. Here is a three-dimensional listening experience that places you right in the middle of the session. The sounds go behind your head, above your head, in front of your head, well, you almost become dizzy. You get a good feel of the room the artist tries to create for you with his/her number.
Some of the users of the HD 800 seemed to have some issues about the headphone being a bit too bright. It’s a headphone with an analytic appearance, which is why the treble may seem a little too harsh for the ears. The HD 800S is tuned differently and should now not have the harsh treble.
I have in the instruction manual found the following frequency response:
Here it should be noted how the headphones frequency response curve varies in the higher frequency range. A closer look shows how the frequency from around 5.5kHz to 7kHz has been lowered, which probably has been the annoyance to the users.
I’ve sit for a while changed between the two headphones, HD 800 and HD 800S, and have some mixed feelings about it. The HD 800 has a phenomenal treble that I enjoy listening to. It’s characterized by an analytical approach to music that manages to keep the detailing while it shoots towards the skies. The HD 800S has lost some of the top, which I think was incredibly on the HD 800. While I do not find the same separation in the treble, which could have used a little more space in the sound. The HD 800S doesn’t offer a bad treble, it’s just tuned to the more subdued side, where HD 800 goes a little higher and with a more analytic approach. I really do understand Sennheiser’s choice with the HD 800S, because the treble works well with the rest of the sound spectrum. There’s a fine detailing, and I have no doubt about where and how it all should sound. That little triangle in the lower left corner in the front row, can be heard so pretty, with a fine conviction that it is a triangle and not something random.
As seen in the earlier shown frequency response curve it’s only in the treble and bass area which has been tuned. The midrange should be the same on the HD 800 and the HD 800S, which I surely can approve after a few shifts between the two. The vocals are very fine and are placed a bit in front of the bass and treble. It’s well placed in the soundstage and gives you an intimacy with the artist.
The Instruments also manage to perform incredibly fine in the soundstage. The nuanced and richly detailed tones from the instruments makes the HD 800S to harmonize. One of the songs I used to test the midrange is Daft Punks: Random Access Memories – Get Lucky, which really made my foot wiggle. The instruments in the background was presented sharp and played with such conviction that I could almost name the instruments – my expertise in instruments is minimal, so I couldn’t, of course.
In my younger days, I had a set of floor stand speakers, which I thought had a great bass response, but switched them out to a set of speakers on stands, I had a better understanding on what bass was. The same thing happened when I got the HD 800S on my head. They had a different way to present the bass, and was certainly nothing I’ve heard in a pair of headphones before. To receive the same bass response in a pair of headphones, as in a Livingroom setup is almost an impossible task. The Sennheiser HD 800S makes it quite excellent, the bass is carried well with the large soundstage. Instead of that you get the constant “punch” of bass that beats hard against your eardrum, you get a velvety bass one’s eardrums can understand.
A listen to the HD 800 provides a feel of a light and quick bass that complements well with the analytical appearance the headphones offer. The HD 800S on the other hand, has been given a little more weight, which makes it more suitable for a greater variety of music. The speed I find in the HD 800 is not as evident in the HD 800S which appears slightly slower. I would describe the HD 800S with a more musically approach which make the listening sessions something more manageable and fun.
Conclusion
One can discuss in a very long time if the choices Sennheiser has made have been correct in relation to their HD 800S against their older HD 800. They are both amazing headphones, where no matter what you choose will give you great sound quality for the money. I have some mixed feelings here at the end of my test session, as both headphones do an amazing job, just in different ways. I really enjoy the treble on the HD 800, as with the HD 800S is a little too mellow for my treble-loving brain. The bass on the other hand I’m more into the HD 800S when it comes to be musically, because of the increase in weight. The experience is just more musically presented and more amenable for long listening sessions. Vocals and instruments are identical in the two and is pleasing to my ears.
It’s a delicious headphone, both sonically, but also in appearance. The only changed made on the appearance is the color, where the HD 800 is light grey, and the HD 800S is black. Something I would have liked changed would be the cable. It’s simply too stiff for my taste, though the quality is top notch. A headphone for that amount of cash could need a more flexible cable. It’s a nice cable, and the materials are great too, but the stiff cable sad.
Finally, there’s nothing more to say than that HD 800S is a great headphone. If I stood between having to buy either the HD 800 or the HD 800S, I would buy the last mentioned.
And yeah.. I gave it a gold medal on my site, because they are simply amazing, nothing more to mention..
A link to the review: http://headfoner.dk/english-reviews/sennheiser-hd-800s-top-class-headphones/
Hope you enjoyed!
Best regards,
Gerner
Couldn't find a HD 800S impression thread, so here it is.. If there already is a thread, please link it, and an Admin can close this one.
But I've had the pleasure to loan a few headphones from Sennheiser which included a pair of HD 800S. It was for my own review site, which is why all the pictures below is gut..
But for not just keeping it for myself and my followers I'll give it to you guys as well! So enjoy. Sennheiser HD800 Review
Disclaimer: I made a deal with Sennheiser to bring some of their products to a Hoved-fi.dk meeting. I could afterwards loan the products for a few reviews in return. The review will contain my honest opinions about the product, where both good and bad opinions will be written. Upon completion of the loan period, the headphones have to go back to Sennheiser. Sennheiser HD800 is borrowed from an acquaintance, and will also be returned after the review.
In my time as a reviewer I have tried some different equipment, some in the low-end, but also a few in the other expensive end. After the headphone meeting, a few days ago I’ve been so lucky to borrow these very honorable headphones from Sennheiser. We’re are of course talking about their latest headphone, Sennheiser HD 800S. Their previous model, HD 800, has been on the market for some time, and is one of the headphones have been written about the most, which I can fully understand. People has been talking in the hooks on how the HD800’s could benefit from modding, which might could have been the cause of why Sennheiser made their HD800S.
A quick look in the instructions manual and we find this quote from Sennheiser:
“A modern classic, Sennheiser’s reference class HD 800 headphones deliver sound that is as natural as possible and true in every detail. Improving on a seemingly perfect formula is not a task undertaken lightly, but Sennheiser’s engineers have succeeded in enhancing still further the sound reproduction in the open, circumaural HD 800 S.”
It might not have been the easiest decision for Sennheiser to take their greatest player in the HD series and change it. I think that the HD 800 might have been Sennheiser’s interpretation of how a good neutral headphone should sound of, whereas HD 800S is what the users is wanting. The HD 800 isn’t the cheapest headphone on the market, with a pricetag nearly at 12000DKK and yet people still mod it. Some of the mods could be the familiar Anaxilus mod or the HD 800 Ultra-Mod. If it’s something like these mods, which have been the cause for Sennheiser to make another headphone in the HD-800 series is beyond my knowledge. It sure will be an exciting experience to test the HD 800S up against its older version HD 800.
For my review, I’ve been lucky enough to loan a set of HD 800 by a friendly user from Hoved-fi.dk.
Design, build quality and comfort
I remember the first time I saw a set of HD 800, they were huge, weird, and certainly not a headphone for my taste. Luckily, I’ve grown in taste, and are now extremely pleased with the look. There’s nothing strange about them anymore, the size is great and they are certainly now my taste. Thankfully there haven’t been much change in design from the original HD 800 to the HD 800S.
It is undoubtedly a question of preference whether you like the design of the HD 800 or not. There’s been some major changes since the HD 600 series. The cups are much larger now, and have their own unique charm, and the oval pads has changed to fit the unique cup size. Therefore it’s not possible to replace them with other models pads. While the cups are amazing there’s also the beautiful headband, consisting of one major headband where each cup is coupled on by using a rail system. You’ll have to use the center of the headbands top as a guideline to adjusting the headband correctly.
You’ll be met with incredible comfort, because the fit is amazing. Although the pads isn’t particularly thick, you won’t experience any discomfort because there’s almost no press on the side of the head. I’m not that kind of person who feels particularly uncomfortable on the top of my head, so I can’t say anything else than the headband in no way bothers me.
With the HD 800S there’s also included two cables. The first is the traditional 6.3mm SE jack where the other is a XLR4 balanced cable. Both the HD 800S and the HD 800 are great headphones, but I can’t understand the cable. Sure it’s pretty, great plugs and good materials, but they are simply too stiff. I don’t have my amp placed in the other end of my apartment, which is why the cable somehow must be folded, and it take a lot of the space on my desktop because of the stiffness. But not to be mistaken, the quality of the cable is superb, and the braided cable sock really make the look great with the HD 800S.
Sound, better or worse?
It’s no secret that I really dig the Sennheiser HD 800S, they simply just shine through anything else I got on my shelfs. It’s a whole different league of details that makes well-recorded music to sing like little birds in a choir. In order not to cheat my ears for its predecessor I’ve had a very generous friend who loaned me his beloved Sennheiser HD 800. However, these are with the so-called Anaxilus mod, which should help to reduce some of the harsh peaks the HD 800 should have.
I can therefore generate this list of equipment:
Source: Pc with Tidal HiFi
Amplifier: Sennheiser HDVD 800
DAC: Sennheiser HDVD 800
Headphone: Sennheiser HD 800S
Comparison Headphones: Sennheiser HD 800 with Anaxilus mod
Because of my lack of high-end equipment, I don’t have anything in same caliber as the Sennheiser HDVD 800, which is why I won’t pair the HD 800S with anything else.
The first thing you’ll notice at the first listen, with either the HD 800 or HD 800s, is how large the soundstage feels. We’re talking about a full orchestra with 20 meters to each side. It’s undoubtedly the pair of headphones I’ve heard that can convey the widest soundstage. You can seriously almost count the length, 1 meter, 2 meter and so forth and tell with big certainty what instrument is placed within that distance. Yes, the soundstage is wide, but does it do anything good to the headphones? – Which they certainly do. The separation of instruments is absolutely fantastic, it fills the soundstage in a very good way. HD 800S will leave nothing to chance, and gives you a good feeling of what the artist intended with the recording. Either it’s the HD 800 or the HD 800S they both do it equally well.
It’s not only the wide soundstage with surprises, for the depth and the height amaze too. Here is a three-dimensional listening experience that places you right in the middle of the session. The sounds go behind your head, above your head, in front of your head, well, you almost become dizzy. You get a good feel of the room the artist tries to create for you with his/her number.
Some of the users of the HD 800 seemed to have some issues about the headphone being a bit too bright. It’s a headphone with an analytic appearance, which is why the treble may seem a little too harsh for the ears. The HD 800S is tuned differently and should now not have the harsh treble.
I have in the instruction manual found the following frequency response:
Here it should be noted how the headphones frequency response curve varies in the higher frequency range. A closer look shows how the frequency from around 5.5kHz to 7kHz has been lowered, which probably has been the annoyance to the users.
I’ve sit for a while changed between the two headphones, HD 800 and HD 800S, and have some mixed feelings about it. The HD 800 has a phenomenal treble that I enjoy listening to. It’s characterized by an analytical approach to music that manages to keep the detailing while it shoots towards the skies. The HD 800S has lost some of the top, which I think was incredibly on the HD 800. While I do not find the same separation in the treble, which could have used a little more space in the sound. The HD 800S doesn’t offer a bad treble, it’s just tuned to the more subdued side, where HD 800 goes a little higher and with a more analytic approach. I really do understand Sennheiser’s choice with the HD 800S, because the treble works well with the rest of the sound spectrum. There’s a fine detailing, and I have no doubt about where and how it all should sound. That little triangle in the lower left corner in the front row, can be heard so pretty, with a fine conviction that it is a triangle and not something random.
As seen in the earlier shown frequency response curve it’s only in the treble and bass area which has been tuned. The midrange should be the same on the HD 800 and the HD 800S, which I surely can approve after a few shifts between the two. The vocals are very fine and are placed a bit in front of the bass and treble. It’s well placed in the soundstage and gives you an intimacy with the artist.
The Instruments also manage to perform incredibly fine in the soundstage. The nuanced and richly detailed tones from the instruments makes the HD 800S to harmonize. One of the songs I used to test the midrange is Daft Punks: Random Access Memories – Get Lucky, which really made my foot wiggle. The instruments in the background was presented sharp and played with such conviction that I could almost name the instruments – my expertise in instruments is minimal, so I couldn’t, of course.
In my younger days, I had a set of floor stand speakers, which I thought had a great bass response, but switched them out to a set of speakers on stands, I had a better understanding on what bass was. The same thing happened when I got the HD 800S on my head. They had a different way to present the bass, and was certainly nothing I’ve heard in a pair of headphones before. To receive the same bass response in a pair of headphones, as in a Livingroom setup is almost an impossible task. The Sennheiser HD 800S makes it quite excellent, the bass is carried well with the large soundstage. Instead of that you get the constant “punch” of bass that beats hard against your eardrum, you get a velvety bass one’s eardrums can understand.
A listen to the HD 800 provides a feel of a light and quick bass that complements well with the analytical appearance the headphones offer. The HD 800S on the other hand, has been given a little more weight, which makes it more suitable for a greater variety of music. The speed I find in the HD 800 is not as evident in the HD 800S which appears slightly slower. I would describe the HD 800S with a more musically approach which make the listening sessions something more manageable and fun.
Conclusion
One can discuss in a very long time if the choices Sennheiser has made have been correct in relation to their HD 800S against their older HD 800. They are both amazing headphones, where no matter what you choose will give you great sound quality for the money. I have some mixed feelings here at the end of my test session, as both headphones do an amazing job, just in different ways. I really enjoy the treble on the HD 800, as with the HD 800S is a little too mellow for my treble-loving brain. The bass on the other hand I’m more into the HD 800S when it comes to be musically, because of the increase in weight. The experience is just more musically presented and more amenable for long listening sessions. Vocals and instruments are identical in the two and is pleasing to my ears.
It’s a delicious headphone, both sonically, but also in appearance. The only changed made on the appearance is the color, where the HD 800 is light grey, and the HD 800S is black. Something I would have liked changed would be the cable. It’s simply too stiff for my taste, though the quality is top notch. A headphone for that amount of cash could need a more flexible cable. It’s a nice cable, and the materials are great too, but the stiff cable sad.
Finally, there’s nothing more to say than that HD 800S is a great headphone. If I stood between having to buy either the HD 800 or the HD 800S, I would buy the last mentioned.
And yeah.. I gave it a gold medal on my site, because they are simply amazing, nothing more to mention..
A link to the review: http://headfoner.dk/english-reviews/sennheiser-hd-800s-top-class-headphones/
Hope you enjoyed!
Best regards,
Gerner
It's ridiculous they even suggest that.