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Sennheiser HD800 S Impressions Thread (read first post for summary)
Mar 12, 2017 at 7:47 PM Post #2,026 of 8,774
markf786 said:
I've long been a fan of Sennheiser headphones, and I was planning to buy the HD800S as my 'end game' phones - then the Focal Elear came along.  Based on Tyll @ InnerFidelity raving about the Elear - and dropping the HD800S from his Wall of Fame with the comment that it had a "rather thin and analytical sound relative to the recently introduced Focal Utopia and Elear, and Mr. Speakers Ether Flow" - I decided to buy the Elear instead.  But six months later, I still was itching to buy the HD800S and glad I finally did.

Though the Elear definitely are good phones, I think the HD800S are toe-to-toe competition in sound, and are more comfortable, better designed, and better constructed.  For the past six months with the Elear, I still found myself reaching for other phones (HD650 or Amiron) most days, and saving the less comfortable and delicate Elear for occasional use, but I can see the HD800S easily now becoming the headphones I reach for every day.
Click to expand...


Good call. I nearly fell for the elear hype train as well, I actually got to hear them and didnt like them at all, plus build quality just wasn't there for me either, then mr speakers announced the AEON which i pre ordered, and I just jumped on the HD800S as well last week. So far very happy.

Edit: I think to the only reason the HD800S got removed from the wall and replaced by the elear was the price to perfomance of the elear.

In saying that it's all subjective to personal tastes, if I listened and took everything I hear on this forum to heart and bought it all because the hype train is stong I'd not only be broke but would more than likely be very un happy with my audio collection.

I buy what I think I will like and if I don't I send it back. Worked out well so far.
 
Mar 12, 2017 at 8:18 PM Post #2,027 of 8,774
metrops said:
  Sold my HD 700s, time to buy the HD 800S. Also, is there any difference with sound quality when using the 4 pin XLR with an adapter (to 6.3mm) with the 6.3mm connector going into the AMP, compared to just using the 6.3mm connector?
Click to expand...

Technically yes but in SQ wise no.
On my amp the balanced mode is more powerful than 3.5mm but thats all.
 
Mar 13, 2017 at 4:14 AM Post #2,028 of 8,774
markf786 said:
  I've long been a fan of Sennheiser headphones, and I was planning to buy the HD800S as my 'end game' phones - then the Focal Elear came along.  Based on Tyll @ InnerFidelity raving about the Elear - and dropping the HD800S from his Wall of Fame with the comment that it had a "rather thin and analytical sound relative to the recently introduced Focal Utopia and Elear, and Mr. Speakers Ether Flow" - I decided to buy the Elear instead.  But six months later, I still was itching to buy the HD800S and glad I finally did.
 
Though the Elear definitely are good phones, I think the HD800S are toe-to-toe competition in sound, and are more comfortable, better designed, and better constructed.  For the past six months with the Elear, I still found myself reaching for other phones (HD650 or Amiron) most days, and saving the less comfortable and delicate Elear for occasional use, but I can see the HD800S easily now becoming the headphones I reach for every day.
Click to expand...

It has been said here many,many,many many times that Tyll prefers warmer sound. S is still "warmer" cause of the added bass, but still very neutral/bright'ish in terms of sound signature. 
 
And clearly, Tyll doesn't appreciate soundstage enough.... Elear also has problematic (not like the HD800) but still troublesome spike in the treble... And the overall soundstage and imaging isn't "that" good... Imho Focal crippled Elear too much in fear that it would cannibalize utopias sales. 

Imho. Elear doesn't belong to the WoF. HD800S beats it hands down.  If you prefer soundstage (and with right pairing) then the HD800S beat even the Utopia. 
 
Mar 13, 2017 at 4:20 AM Post #2,029 of 8,774
fapman said:
It has been said here many,many,many many times that Tyll prefers warmer sound. S is still "warmer" cause of the added bass, but still very neutral/bright'ish in terms of sound signature. 

And clearly, Tyll doesn't appreciate soundstage enough.... Elear also has problematic (not like the HD800) but still troublesome spike in the treble... And the overall soundstage and imaging isn't "that" good... Imho Focal crippled Elear too much in fear that it would cannibalize utopias sales. 


Imho. Elear doesn't belong to the WoF. HD800S beats it hands down.  If you prefer soundstage (and with right pairing) then the HD800S beat even the Utopia. 
Click to expand...


It depends on your sonic preferences. I listened to the 800/S and honestly wouldn't pay £50 for them. I really do not like the Sennheiser sound at all.

If I was in the market for headphones on this price bracket then I would buy the Elear without hesitation (yes I've had extensive use of them too and the Beyerdynamic T1 gen 2).

I find the soundstage of the 800/S artificially wide and completely unrealistic and compared to the other headphones I mention the bass sounds like its being played through a pillow.

To say wither headphone is x times better etc is nonsense as it is entirely subjective.
 
Mar 13, 2017 at 4:54 AM Post #2,030 of 8,774
dannybgoode said:
It depends on your sonic preferences. I listened to the 800/S and honestly wouldn't pay £50 for them. I really do not like the Sennheiser sound at all.

If I was in the market for headphones on this price bracket then I would buy the Elear without hesitation (yes I've had extensive use of them too and the Beyerdynamic T1 gen 2).

I find the soundstage of the 800/S artificially wide and completely unrealistic and compared to the other headphones I mention the bass sounds like its being played through a pillow.

To say wither headphone is x times better etc is nonsense as it is entirely subjective.
Click to expand...



Funny you should say this, that's exactly how I felt about about every headphone you mentioned above with the only difference being I wouldn't get the elears or any of the other headphones you listed if they were giving them away let alone pay 50$ for them.

I found them boring and just no fun at all. My fostex trp50's had more life in them.

As far as the HD800S goes, their right up there with my mr speaker ether flows I found them incredible out of the box and I never even auditioned them before pirchasing.

But your right taste is very subjective different strokes for different folks
 
Mar 13, 2017 at 2:15 PM Post #2,031 of 8,774
Today, I received my new HD800 (again). Its fresh out of the box as I'm writing this. I can honestly say they are wayyyyy better than the HD 800S.
 
I have mentioned in my several posts that the HD 800 is very bright BUT with the "right" pairing (in my case, the Ragnarok) it is not bright but very very well extended treble, the instruments sound very natural and has a nice sparkle to it. The bass feels just right, as in the HD 800S the bass was a bit boomy. The mid range is about the same. 
 
It is all in my humble opinion, not to demotivate the HD 800S owners/future buyers. As far as sound perception is concerned, it narrows down to the preferences.
Good day!
 
Mar 13, 2017 at 4:18 PM Post #2,035 of 8,774
I had an experience with the 800S that I've ever had with a headphone before, and didn't think was possible.

I put the re-master of Uriah Heep's first album, "Very 'eavy, Very 'umble" into my Oppo BDP-103 and hit play. The sound was so clear and powerful, I thought I left my main speaker system on, including my SVS subwooofer.

Scary. And impressive! Never knew that could happen with 'cans. That soundstage was so darn real...
 
Mar 13, 2017 at 6:25 PM Post #2,039 of 8,774
iaudio365 said:
Good call. I nearly fell for the elear hype train as well, I actually got to hear them and didnt like them at all, plus build quality just wasn't there for me either, then mr speakers announced the AEON which i pre ordered, and I just jumped on the HD800S as well last week. So far very happy.

Edit: I think to the only reason the HD800S got removed from the wall and replaced by the elear was the price to perfomance of the elear.

In saying that it's all subjective to personal tastes, if I listened and took everything I hear on this forum to heart and bought it all because the hype train is stong I'd not only be broke but would more than likely be very un happy with my audio collection.

I buy what I think I will like and if I don't I send it back. Worked out well so far.
Click to expand...


I didn't like the Elear too when I heard it (but I tend to prefer neutral headphones which could explain that). The HD 800 S got probably removed from the WOF because of the Focal Utopia. 
 
I didn't try the Focal Elear with the Focal Utopia pads. That could change things since I read that it will make the Focal Elear more neutral.
 
Mar 14, 2017 at 1:41 AM Post #2,040 of 8,774
Swspiers,
It's amazing how music we've heard dozens, hundreds, who knows maybe thousands of times has things there that we just couldn't hear until our equipment got upgraded. I recently added pure silver interconnects to my home stereo which I use with speakers and headphones. My current best headphone is the Audio Technica 50th anniversaries and I now hear voices and instruments on songs that I had no idea where there. I have a feeling there's still more yet to be discovered deep in most recordings.
 
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