Sennheiser HD800 S Impressions Thread (read first post for summary)

[rocketron]

What EQ settings on the Mojo 2 would you use?

The ones to suit your taste.
It’s your ears and your enjoyment.
Personally I would cut a bit of treble and leave it there.
That’s just me.

 

[exhale]

All in all, regardless if i end up returning the HD800S or not, after my second experience, i can now understand what the whole fuss is about. Unlike what most people say, that they are genre specific headphones, i've found them to be more than adequate for a LOT of genres. Besides the usual jazz/acoustics, they are amazing for (classic) trance, modern pop (Rubio, Sya, etc.), ambiental music (both electronic and purely orchestral), hard trance (yes, i know, that's a bass head's genre but hell, it actually works) and a few others that escape my mind at the moment. They are more versatile than most of the reviews / comments have made me think they are. Truly, a work of art and a timeless piece of audio equipment.

I eventually ended up returning them because i thought to myself that there's no need to keep both the HeKse and the HD800S, especially since the HD820 arrived and filled its spot with grace but there is something that i can't really put my finger on that makes me always think of them (the HD800S). The truth is they sound very different than the first time i had them (i just tested them on the Aune T1se, on which i initially listened to when i first had them) and without a shadow of a doubt, they are different headphones. Much, much better sounding. So i took advantage of the fact that they are the only pair of headphones that my wife truly loved, the only pair she could listen to for hours upon hours so i "gifted" her a new pair. The truth is, i wanted them more than she did and truth be told, if i were to pick one pair of headphones right now, the only one to keep, these would be it. Yes, the HeKse are UNBELIEVABLE at what they do best just as the HD820 are friggin' amazing at rendering old trance music to my ears but there's something about the HD800S that makes them... i don't know, unique? I love them and as dumb as this might sound, i will get a second pair just so my wife wouldn't feel like i used her as an excuse to buy them. I know, i need therapy.

Edit: spelling and grammar.

 

[MasterHead]

Yep. Still one of the best headphones. It is worth having them in collection.

And that price! For many top headphones you have to pay several times more. Maybe you will get a bit more juice but disproportionately to the money you spent.

If you don't need the best of the best and high level is enough, then HD800S is one of the best choices.

 

[donlin]

I eventually ended up returning them because i thought to myself that there's no need to keep both the HeKse and the HD800S, especially since the HD820 arrived and filled its spot with grace but there is something that i can't really put my finger on that makes me always think of them (the HD800S). The truth is they sound very different than the first time i had them (i just tested them on the Aune T1se, on which i initially listened to when i first had them) and without a shadow of a doubt, they are different headphones. Much, much better sounding. So i took advantage of the fact that they are the only pair of headphones that my wife truly loved, the only pair she could listen to for hours upon hours so i "gifted" her a new pair. The truth is, i wanted them more than she did and truth be told, if i were to pick one pair of headphones right now, the only one to keep, these would be it. Yes, the HeKse are UNBELIEVABLE at what they do best just as the HD820 are friggin' amazing at rendering old trance music to my ears but there's something about the HD800S that makes them... i don't know, unique? I love them and as dumb as this might sound, i will get a second pair just so my wife wouldn't feel like i used her as an excuse to buy them. I know, i need therapy.

Edit: spelling and grammar.

Not dumb at all. I recently got my third pair (made in Ireland). After 1.5 years with the HE1000v2 I kept wishing for the good old HD800S. I agree with you that it’s definitely better sounding than the earlier ones I had.

 

[UnfetteredWandering]

I took advantage of the most recent email deal and bought a Sennheiser HD 800 S from Adorama.

My initial impressions are that they are very comfortable, being considerably lighter than my ZMFs and having the right amount of clamp force. They don’t “disappear” while wearing them, but I’ve never encountered a headphone that does. The HD 800 S shipped with the single-ended cable installed and it’s one of the better stock cables I’ve used. I would be happy using it or the 4.4mm balanced cable going forward (most likely the latter with a balanced to single-ended adapter to minimize plugging and unplugging the cables).

Yesterday, I spent a little over 5 hours listening to them yesterday with my Schiit Gungnir Multibit and Folkvangr (high gain, impedance multiplier off, stock tubes). Sonically, nothing bad stood out to me, though it is early and my DAC and amp combo may have addressed most common complaints. However, my Folkvangr failed this morning, much to my disappointment. I swapped to balanced cables, brought up from cold iron my Schiit Mjolnir 1 (MJ1), and spent the better part of the day listening to much the same music (Grimes - So Heavy I Fell Through the Earth [Art Mix], Fleetwood Mac - Dreams, Santana - Evil Ways, Daft Punk - Get Lucky, sakanaction - Shin Takara Jima, TAEYEON - INVU, and Luciano Pavarotti - Rigoletto, Act III: La donna e mobile). While I believe that the HD 800 S sounded better with the Folkvangr, it was very still very engaging driven by the Mjolnir 1.

I hope to spend more time listening to the HD 800 S once I get the Folkvangr back, and after a sufficient number of hours, compare it with my Atrium.

 

[tamleo]

It seems Sennheiser has been quietly modifying its headphones overtime. My recent purchased hd800S are very neutral to my ears. Even though I come from my hd6xx and my LCD2 prefaz

 

[Nick76]

Glad some people were able to scoop them up from my link!

Yeah mine sound very good without EQ, not overly bright like many people feel. Although I do favor a neutral/bright signature in my headphones/IEMs anyway.

 

[Solarium]

Mine's pretty bright without EQ, but using the Mojo 2 EQ I got it to a very good point (sub bass +5, bass +1, mid/treble -2, high treble -1).

My IER-Z1R's are supposed to have hot trebles but they were nothing compared to this lol. My ears got used to the HD800S's today and they feel very good.

I do miss that BASS from the IER-Z1R's though. I have 30 days to see whether I'll keep the HD800S.

 

[Rogue Architect]

Anybody tried the ZMF Cresent strap on their HD800S? I am trying to decide between that and the co pilot pad. I am also open to thoughts on the pilot pad

 

[MFranzen]

Anybody tried the ZMF Cresent strap on their HD800S? I am trying to decide between that and the co pilot pad. I am also open to thoughts on the pilot pad

I use the pilot pad off and on with them. The only reason it doesn't stay permanently on is that it seems to force the headphones wider and reduce clamp force. Does make already comfortable headphones even more comfortable, though.

 

[UnfetteredWandering]

Glad some people were able to scoop them up from my link!

Yeah mine sound very good without EQ, not overly bright like many people feel. Although I do favor a neutral/bright signature in my headphones/IEMs anyway.

Thank you for sharing that link!

What source are you using?

 

[Nick76]

Thank you for sharing that link!

What source are you using?

Either Spotify or Qobuz, through Schiit modius and jotunheim 2.
Nothing to smooth/tame that treble in my chain haha.

A Schiit Bifrost 2/64 that I bought off a user here will be here today though! Excited to compare it with the basic modius.

 

[exhale]

Mine's pretty bright without EQ, but using the Mojo 2 EQ I got it to a very good point (sub bass +5, bass +1, mid/treble -2, high treble -1).

My IER-Z1R's are supposed to have hot trebles but they were nothing compared to this lol. My ears got used to the HD800S's today and they feel very good.

I do miss that BASS from the IER-Z1R's though. I have 30 days to see whether I'll keep the HD800S.

If it's the new revision, made in Ireland all i have to say is give it time. I also love my bass and felt that i miss it, on first auditions but after returning them for the 2nd time, i realized how much i actually missed them (and that's with a pair of HD820 on hand, no less). Give it time, listen only to them for 1-2 weeks and if, afterwards, you feel like you've been missing something then don't sweat it and return them!

 

[Rogue Architect]

I use the pilot pad off and on with them. The only reason it doesn't stay permanently on is that it seems to force the headphones wider and reduce clamp force. Does make already comfortable headphones even more comfortable, though.

Thank you for the input! I plan on also grabbing some replacement ZMF pads as well which appear to be a little thicker so maybe that will help bring back some of that clamp force.

 

[Solarium]

If it's the new revision, made in Ireland all i have to say is give it time. I also love my bass and felt that i miss it, on first auditions but after returning them for the 2nd time, i realized how much i actually missed them (and that's with a pair of HD820 on hand, no less). Give it time, listen only to them for 1-2 weeks and if, afterwards, you feel like you've been missing something then don't sweat it and return them!

The box says it's made in Ireland, does that mean it's the new revision?