[mikek200]

Strange,when I posted my e-mail,to you,I was Number 3
How is it that now,I'm number 10?
 
Mike

 

[ButtUglyJeff]

  Strange,when I posted my e-mail,to you,I was Number 3
How is it that now,I'm number 10?
 
Mike

 
It might be best shipping order, so shorter transit between demos...

 

[mikek200]

I got yu..,never thought of that..
 
Thanks,
Butt

 

[Todd]

Hi mike200, 
 
Sorry about the mix up on the shipping order. I had more emails before yours so it was my mistake. I am sorry. I will try to get a second pair out asap so the wait will be shorter...
 
Todd

 

[mikek200]

Todd,
Thanks for your reply
It's ok,I'm in no hurry,what ever makes it easier for you guys...??????
 
Later,
Mike

 

[RCBinTN]

This is cool, Todd.  Well done!
 
I have two pair of HD800 so to replace them with HD800S would cost me around $1600 or so.  That assumes HD800S = $1700 and resale of the HD800 = $900.  I can't commit to that cost unless I hear the HD800S on my rig at home first.  So...will wait for new opportunities.
 
At the Nashville meet, we did a quick comparison of the HD800 and HD800S and didn't hear a big difference.  IMHO and YMMV.
 
Best regards,
RCBinTN

 

[TimeLord]

  This is cool, Todd.  Well done!
 
I have two pair of HD800 so to replace them with HD800S would cost me around $1600 or so.  That assumes HD800S = $1700 and resale of the HD800 = $900.  I can't commit to that cost unless I hear the HD800S on my rig at home first.  So...will wait for new opportunities.
 
At the Nashville meet, we did a quick comparison of the HD800 and HD800S and didn't hear a big difference.  IMHO and YMMV.
 
Best regards,
RCBinTN

 
I think our mileage is the same. I did a comparison at a local meet and my impressions were that the 800S did have an improved bass response, but the biting tendency in the treble region was still present. I walked away not quite convinced that an upgrade was worth it. If however, I didn't already have the 800, then I'd have opted for the 800S.

 

[OddballStream]

This is awesome, I emailed you!

 

[Todd]

Hi All,
 
The first pair of HD800S loaner program headphones is being shipped out today. They have about 100 hours on them and sounded and looked great when they left here. Have fun. And please post your reviews in THIS thread.
 
Todd

 

[Pahani]

I'm not in on the loaner program, but on behalf of those that are, thank you!! The personal expense to give back to the community is noted and appreciated

 

[Todd]

HI All,
 
The first pair of loaner HD800S left here last week and was delivered on Friday... and so the loaner program begins. I am breaking in the second pair and hope to send it out on Friday. So I will have kept my commitment to supply 2 pair of the HD800S for audition. Please be sure to write your reviews and impressions in this thread! I hope you all have fun and get to spend some quality time listening to them in your own system. I will let you know when it has been sent.
 
Also, please be efficient in sending the headphones out once your week is up. Please email me when you have received them and a tracking number when you send them. Thanks!!!
 
Todd

 

[tuna47]

Thanks again

 

[Audio Addict]

  HI All,
 
The first pair of loaner HD900S left here last week and was delivered on Friday... and so the loaner program begins. I am breaking in the second pair and hope to send it out on Friday. So I will have kept my commitment to supply 2 pair of the HD800S for audition. Please be sure to write your reviews and impressions in this thread! I hope you all have fun and get to spend some quality time listening to them in your own system. I will let you know when it has been sent.
 
Also, please be efficient in sending the headphones out once your week is up. Please email me when you have received them and a tracking number when you send them. Thanks!!!
 
Todd

 
Did they come with the HD900S while I was sleeping?  

  I volunteer to the first to audition them.  They must have had those under the table at Axpona.  I knew I should have asked.

 

[silvrr]

​

 

Introduction:

I have had the chance to listen to the HD800 a few times at local Head-Fi meets. However, I have never got a good chance to listen to them, either the person who owned them didn’t have any music I could reference off of or the background noise was way to high at the meets.  However, in the time I did spend with the HD800 I found that I really liked it for some music, the HD800 had incredible clarity and soundstage.  When Todd posted the loaner program for the HD800S, I jumped at the chance to have an extended listen.  The HD800 has been on my short list for a while to get some solid head time to narrow down before my next upgrade.
 
Disclaimer:
 
I was sent the HD800S in exchange for my review by Todd The Vinyl Junkie (TTVJ).  I have no connection to TTVJ or Sennheiser other than receiving the HD800S for evaluation.  The HD800S went on to the next reviewer after my week.

About Me / My Listening Style / My Reviews:

I am not a critical listener; I don’t find enjoyment in listening to music and trying to listen for every last detail.  When I listen to music I generally am sitting in a comfy chair, or in bed, and relaxing and enjoying the music.  I appreciate detail and accurate reproduction but tend to lean towards a warmer more laid back sound.  In the past I have had a pair of DT880s which while very technically competent were just too bright and aggressive; I much prefer something like my ZMFs or the HD650. 

I don’t claim to be a golden ear and all the opinions I state in my reviews are just that.  I try to use songs that I have listened to on a number of setups in my reviews; both speaker and headphone based.  I know how I have heard a song in the past and how I think it should sound and that's what I base my opinions off of.

Hardware & Specifications:

 Packaging/accessories:

The HD800S come very nicely packaged.  There is an exterior retail box which covers a very nice box that holds the actual headphones.  The inner box is lined with a soft fabric and is cushioned to hold the headphones.  The HD800S comes with the boxes, headphones, a ¼ terminated cable, a balanced 4 pin cable, a manual, 8GB USB drive and a cleaning cloth.  There is a small bag to hold all of the accessories included.  The 8GB USB drive contains the manual and a print out of the measured response for your specific pair of headphones (added below under objective measurements)

If you want to see an unboxing here is a video that shows process from start to finish:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O0AJaQ0TNuM

Technical Specifications (From Sennheiser website):

Impedance: 300 Ω

Frequency response: 4 - 51,000 Hz (-10 dB)

THD, total harmonic distortion 0.02 % (1 kHz 1 Vrms)

Cable length: 3m

Transducer principle: Dynamic Open

Weight w/o cable: 330 g

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

Objective Measurements:

As I said above Sennheiser provides a copy of the headphone measurements from factory testing.  Note that the below graph only goes from 100 Hz to 12.5 kHz.  For full spectrum measurements see the link below.

​

For other objective measurements see the measurements from Innerfidelity:

http://www.innerfidelity.com/images/SennheiserHD800SmeasurementB.pdf

Design & Build:

The HD800S looks almost exactly the same as the HD800 with the exception of the black colored frame.  They feel very solidly built and if given the proper care should last a very long time.  The frame and most of the headphone is plastic, given the choice I would take a plastic headphone at this weight class and build over a metal frame any day.  

The included cables are nice and have a satisfying click when you connect them to the headphones, however, my preference would be for something with a bit more flexibility and a slightly softer sleeving.  The cables are quite long also, which is nice and a bit cumbersome at the same time.  This is really a personal thing so make your own decision on a 3 meter cable. The cable does also not like to be coiled, if you try to roll it up it becomes a tangled mess.  Not an issue if you regularly keep your headphones out but if you put them away each time the cord will drive you nuts.

The HD800S like the HD800 is an open headphone.  There is basically zero isolation from outside noise.  Also, being open there is basically nothing keeping the music in the headphone, which means whatever you are listening to, everyone else in the room gets a listen also.  The isolation may be a point that would make me not end up getting a pair of these, I really like to zone out and listen; noises from outside sources can interfere with my listening experience easily.  I had to figure out what a noise was in a song at one point, turned out it was just my dog snoring away at my feet that was barely audible over the music.  This should be well known to anyone researching this headphone but is really something to think about depending on what environment you primarily listen in.

I found the HD800S very comfortable.  Occasionally I would need to adjust the pads on my head as I would get a pressure point but I found I could wear them for multiple hours without issue.  The pads are a bit stiff but with proper adjustment can be comfortable and don’t retain much, if any heat.  I would say that the DT800 remains the most comfortable headphone I’ve used to date.  My ZMFs with lambskin pads are very comfortable also and seemed plush compared to the HD800S when switching back and forth, however, the lambskin can get sweaty occasionally.  The opening for the ear is a nice size, I have large ears and my ears do not touch anything on the inside of the cup when listening.  

Overall you get what you would expect from flagship headphone.  Top tier construction and materials and good comfort.  The pads could be a bit softer but are comfortable for extended listening sessions.

How do they sound?

Todd of TTJV noted that he burned the HD800S in for around 100 hours before sending them out for review.   So they were brand new but had some time on them before my week long review.  

All music music used in this review was ripped from a CD in either ALAC or FLAC at 16/44.1, unless otherwise noted.  

Other gear used during this review:

[DAC] Parasound Zdac: http://www.parasound.com/vintage/zdac.php

[AMP 1] Parasound Zdac Internal Amp

[AMP 2] Schiit Lyr: http://schiit.com/products/lyr-2 (General Electric 6BZ7 tubes)

[Headphones] ZMF Master Model V1 (Fostex T50RP base): http://www.zmfheadphones.com/

[Source 1] Raspberry Pi running RuneAudio: http://www.head-fi.org/t/795895/a-70-bit-perfect-audio-player

[Source 2] Desktop PC via optical running Foobar/Wasapi.

Zdac Amp vs. Lyr 2: ​

The Innerfidelity review of the Zdac amplifier section notes that the Sennheiser HD600 was top of the list when voicing the Zdac during design. Based on this I thought the Zdac might be competent at driving the 300Ω HD800S as the HD600 is a slightly less sensitive headphone.  

Overall the Lyr is a bit smoother on the top end, the Zdac can easily drive the HD800S but I really prefer the sound of the Lyr.  On a song like Get Lucky from Daft Punk the fatter bottom end of the Lyr is noticeable also.  On songs with a lower recording level I was hitting the top end of the Zdac’s output, for very dynamic music it could be limiting.  I really prefer the Lyr so it was used for all the listening tests below.  I think the slightly rolled off treble pairs well with the bright HD800S and is something to think about when purchasing this headphone or another amp.  

Overall Sound Signature​

The short version? Bass response is good but the HD800S will never be called bass heavy or even nearing that claim.  I think most will still consider the HD800S to be weighted towards the higher end of the frequency spectrum. Cymbals were the only instrument I had a issues with as they occasionally became very prominent. If you want to hear every flaw in your recordings and have a headphone to really evaluate gear with, I would put the HD800S at the top of your list.

When I put on the HD800S and queued up a song, my first thought was there was no bass, good mids and the upper frequencies are exaggerated.  This was helped somewhat when I moved the amplification duties to the Lyr, however, my overall thoughts were the same.  Then as I generally do for a review, I spent quite a while just listening to my entire music library on shuffle and letting a bit of brain burn in happen.  As I listened I noticed that with the exception of a few frequencies the HD800S is nicely balanced, the bass will never thump but the HD800S can dig very low.  When I say they can dig low, I am speaking to response and playing the notes not how impactful the bass is, the HD800S will never be a bass head set of cans.  

On the higher end of the spectrum, I think the HD800S will sound bright to most as it did to me in the beginning.  As I really concentrated on the highs I found they were never peaky or sibilant and never really took over the song.  The one exception to this is the cymbals on certain recordings, whatever frequency they reside at seems to come forward in a recording and be more prominent than it should to my ears.  Not all cymbals had this result, but it did show up a few times over my week long review.  

  

​

Frank Sinatra - Greatest Love Songs - Fly Me to The Moon (In other words)​

The intro to this song has a great soundstage with the intro percussion off to the far left and the other percussion coming in later on the right channel.  Although some of my listening tests before this found the bass can be lacking I think on a song like this it is nicely balanced.  The horns later in the song are just a bit “shouty” but not enough to make me reach for the volume knob and turn it down.  This is a genre where the HD800S excels.  

​

Eric Clapton - Unplugged - Lonely Stranger​

Really shining here, great soundstage and everything is nicely separated.  The one thing that really struck me as I listened to the HD800S though a number of songs is how two instruments can be playing from one side yet sound completely separated and not encroaching on the individual note generation of one another. Clapton’s voice is front and center and the guitar drums and percussion are playing individually on the left and right.  Not to say that every headphone cannot do this with this recording, but the definition and separation by the HD800 is really superior here.  I put my ZMFs on for a bit and listened back and forth.  Such a difference in the placement of everything and the soundstage.  The HD800S sounds much more open and “speaker like” than the ZMFs, which is to be expected given the open vs closed nature of the two headphones.  

Eric Clapton - Unplugged - Old Love​

Same album and style of song and basically the same result as above.  However, I am noticing the cymbals are a bit more accentuated and coming forward a bit more than they should.  I went back to Lonely Stranger and the same cymbal is there but it isn’t as prominent.  I love the guitar and the rest of the song but those cymbals are just too prominent.  

​

Foo Fighters - St. Cecilia - Iron Rooster (24/192)​

For reference you can download this free at 24/192 at: http://www.saintceciliaep.com/  A nice balance of the electric bass and acoustic guitar on the intro of the song.  However, once the electric guitar comes in I really have to turn it down as the upper registers are just to harsh.  I would listen to the acoustic sections all day long though.  

 

​

AC/DC - Back in Black - Shoot to Thrill ​

The HD800S is just out of its comfort zone here.  The drums are lacking any real kick and I really can turn it up and rock to this song.  The drum solo starting at 3:23 is all mids and sounds pretty dry and sterile.  I switched to the ZMFs to write this, toe tapping the whole time, this just isn’t what HD800S was made for I think.

 

Eagles - Hell Freezes Over - Hotel California ​

I know this is cliche as a review song but this was the first CD I ever bought and it has always been my song to reference for a new setup, I've heard it on everything from a Bowers & Wilkins 802 setup with Mcintosh amps to Apple earbuds; so I know it well and have heard it on a wide range of equipment.  

The guitar in the first 30 or so seconds is just fantastic, then comes the bass line and I am really let down.  Yes the full range is being hit but the HD800S is just to polite and it really could use some thump here, which it just cannot do.  Leaving that behind, the rest of the song is really fantastic, those that have seen this concert know there are a string of guitars lined up along the stage.  You can really get that sensation listening here.  Henley is front and center but I can pick out guitars on the far right, far left and on either side of center.  

I switched back to my ZMFs to make sure I wasn’t just putting that soundstage into my own head.  Ooooh that bassline is back, but really I can forgive HD800S for lacking on that end for the fantastic guitars and amazing soundstage.  The ZMFs give a nice distinct left and right side of the stage but the inbetween is muddy, I cannot clearly place anything on either side of where Henley's voice is positioned.  

Back to the HD800S (that beautiful bass line is gone) but the guitars are so good.  I revisited the intro one more time and the notes are there, the HD800S can dig deep, however, that first bassline has no impact, no weight to it, and I really think it should.  

Eagles - Hell Freezes Over - New York Minute​

I listened to this song twice and afterwards realized I didn’t have any specifics to write as I just sat back and enjoyed it.  The HD800S is really in its element on a song like this.  The next song on the album, Pretty Maids All In A Row, really is the same way.  The low end is perfect for a song like these and the mids and highs just sing.  

 

​

Miles Davis - Kind of Blue - All Blues​

If the HD800S is out of its comfort zone playing AC/DC then with Miles Davis it is having fun and doing so with ease.  There are instruments all around your head and the horns sound nice and smooth, nothing is getting harsh.  The piano is off in a corner a bit and it feels like the drum set is wrapped around your head.  I don’t normally listen to this album much but sat and listened to it for awhile because it's just different on the HD800S, really enjoyable.

 

​

Steely Dan - Aja - Aja​

I am able to turn this song up quite a bit without the treble becoming harsh and overall the balance is really nice.  The drums have a nice tone, however, the cymbals sound a bit off at times.  The speed and clarity during the drum solo is really nice, each hit is very clear.  

Steely Dan - Aja - Home At Last​

The cymbals are nicely balanced here and aren’t sticking out to me as they were in Aja.  I can really sit back and enjoy this song.  If I were to be really picky I would like to see a touch of warmth in this song, its not cold or sterile but i've always heard this song a bit warmer than what I am hearing with the HD800S.  

 

Led Zeppelin - IV (Original CD Master/Pressing) - Stairway to Heaven​

One thing I have noticed throughout this review is the HD800S will reveal any quality issues in the recordings you have.  On this song the hiss of the original recording is very noticeable during the first part of the song but becomes less noticeable as the song moves through each section and picks up volume.

The all acoustic first section of this song is really nice, the headphones are in there element. Move into the second section and everything is still as it should be.  Moving into the third section and the drums come in; I don’t think the drums have enough weight and the pickup in tempo just doesn’t have the same effect with the drums lacking.  The electric guitar at the beginning of the fourth section is right on and has my toe tapping, then the little drum riff at 6:20 comes and is totally bleh and ruins it.  I tried listening to this song off another master (Mothership and 1994 re-masters) and although slightly better it really still isn’t there for the drums and with the other parts of the song pushed up its not as pleasant to listen to as the original pressing.

Led Zeppelin - IV (Original CD Master/Pressing) - Going to California​

Acoustic guitar mandolin and vocals, the HD800S says ahhhh and is back in its comfort zone.  This is pretty much how all the Zeppelin albums I listened to with the HD800S went, the acoustic/folk music was fantastic however, get to a more rock oriented song and either the bass guitar or drums really aren’t as they should be.  The one exception would be Whole Lotta Love where the rhythm is really supplied by the bass guitar and not drums and HD800S didn’t do to bad.  

Less Loss - Drums, Drums, Drums - Individual drum presentation -- drum set (24/96)​

For reference, this track can be downloaded as a 24/96 WAV file for free at: http://www.lessloss.com/drums-drums-drums-p-203.html.   Listening to this track move through the drum set and the tone of everything is correct in my opinion.  The kick doesn’t really have any thump to it but it sounds very balanced with the rest of the set.  I chose to include this track in the review to see if the tone and response to each drum was off compared to one another and they sound balanced to me.  Some of the issues I am having with rock music may be the mastering and when given a flat response to a song that was possibly mastered to a expectation of a more V shaped typical consumer speaker/headphone the HD800S is sounding flat.  The alternative is that the HD800S is really revealing of poor mastering and compression of some albums.  

Engegardkvartetten - String Quartets: Haydn - Solberg - Grieg - Joseph Haydn (1732-1809): String Quartet In D, Op. 76, No. 5 - Finale - Presto (24/96)​

For reference, the is track can be downloaded for free at: http://www.2l.no/hires/index.html?  This is just wonderful, the low end is perfect here and the high end of the violin notes are great to.  Even switching over to the Zdac amp doesn’t push the highs over the edge.  Very balanced and very enjoyable to listen to.  I guess that's why so many HD800 owners always have a lot of classical on their players at meets.

Conclusion:

If you read through all my listening notes you are likely catching on to the theme and what my conclusion will be.  What the HD800S does well, it does extremely well.  Give it acoustic guitar, jazz, or light rock and it will put a smile on your face.  The soundstage and clarity are fantastic and some of the best I have heard.

However, give it some rock and it really doesn’t produce.  The drivers can hit very low, but drums and heavy rhythm guitar just are not as they should be, there is no impact or weight to the bass.  The chief complaint you read on the HD800 (non S) is the treble and I think even with the re-tune in the HD800S treble still rears its head now and then.  The HD800S never really was sibilant or harsh to the point I needed to turn it way down or wanted to stop listening.  However, certain instruments, cymbals mostly, were too prominent is some songs and just sounded out of balance with the rest of the music.

I would love to have HD800S, but it could not be my only headphone.  My library of music contains way too much rock and some of my favorite songs just were not as they should be.  However, there are entire albums that I could put on and be totally happy with the HD800S.  As a reference headphone it is fantastic and really reveals recording deficiencies and the differences between equipment easily.  

At the time of this review the HD800S is going for $1700 and the used HD800 market is running around half that.  If I were looking to pick up a HD800 right now I would look long and hard at a used set of HD800 and the mods that can be done.  With a set of modded HD800 and $850 in my pocket I am left with a lot of options.  Either an amplifier/DAC upgrade or a ton of music to be purchased.  I haven’t had any real head time with a modded HD800 but would look long and hard at the differences before picking up a HD800S for twice the price.  

​

Other Reviews:

http://www.head-fi.org/products/sennheiser-hd-800-s

http://www.head-fi.org/t/805055/sennheiser-hd800s-loaner-program-ttvjaudio-com

Head-Fi HD800S thread:

http://www.head-fi.org/t/785577/sennheiser-hd800s-unveiled

 

[ctsooner22]

Oh well, I sent an email today, but didn't read the whole thread. Sorry Todd. I would like a call on the DAC I mentioned though.  Thanks.