To my ears, the difference in bass was minimal. I prefer the little bit of extra brightness of the 800, mostly because somehow it seems to translate in even better separation and positioning, although the 800S is very good at it too.
Ultimately, they are both good, but to me they are very similar and I don't see how the S can justify the price difference, even with the balanced cable.
It was a matter of value. I kept looking at the S and thinking there was money there than I felt it was justified, so I sold them and thought I'd snatch a used 800 in good condition. Found one, traded it for one of my other cans. Overall, considering the used value of an 800, I ended up having what - to me - is a similar sound and still recovered some $.
Gotta admit it was a weird route. 800S new>800 used. But it was the sweet spot in value.
Also, I later noticed I prefer the 800 visually. That metallic look, a bit refreshing from the usual plastic black. However, in practice the S is better at that because the structure won't start showing marks of the paint chipping, as it does on 800 if they're not handled carefully.
I'd agree with that. Although, the difference is symmetrical, IMO. While I prefer the 800's sparkle, it's not a night and day difference to the S, same like the bass. I can see some people preferring a slightly smoother, warmer sound, so maybe that's why Sennheiser kept both models in the lineup. What I don't get is the pricing difference, considering they're virtually the same headphones with a small tweak.
