Sennheiser HD820
Mar 22, 2018 at 5:54 PM Post #1,066 of 4,346
For those of us with older amps, that don't have Pentaconn outputs (e.g. mine has 3-pin and 4-pin (stereo) XLR), what will be the best way to listen to the 820? Is there a way to take advantage of the newer technology? Or should we just limit ourselves to the included single-ended RCA cable?

Pentaconn may be great, but I'd rather not have to buy a new amp to hear the 820s at their best.

Will the HD820 come with XLR balanced cable? My Schiit DAC-AMP has Balanced through and through.
 
Mar 22, 2018 at 6:20 PM Post #1,067 of 4,346
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Mar 26, 2018 at 12:48 AM Post #1,068 of 4,346
@Sennheiser Quick and stupid question, if you have HD800S and the leaking of sound/the fact that others can hear your music doesn't bother you.
Is there any benefit or a reason to pick up the HD820?

It’s all about the bass
I believe for many it will boil down to.. does it have more bass at the sacrifice of the large sound stage.

I personally would suspect that HD820 is really only for those who need closed cans - open usually preferable every time!

YesThisIs, Ekul61, and hypnos1,

The HD 820 features the same driver as the HD 800 S, and the midrange and highs will sound largely the same as the HD 800 S. Around 100 Hz, the bass will begin to rise. The bass is tuned and controlled so that it will not mask other frequencies or blur the soundstage depth and separation.


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For those of us with older amps, that don't have Pentaconn outputs (e.g. mine has 3-pin and 4-pin (stereo) XLR), what will be the best way to listen to the 820? Is there a way to take advantage of the newer technology? Or should we just limit ourselves to the included single-ended RCA cable?

Pentaconn may be great, but I'd rather not have to buy a new amp to hear the 820s at their best.

The HD 820 will include three cables: an unbalanced 6.35mm (1/4") stereo jack plug, a balanced XLR-4 plug, and a balanced 4.4mm Pentaconn plug. For your amp, we would recommend using the supplied XLR-4.
 
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Mar 26, 2018 at 5:36 AM Post #1,069 of 4,346
Many thanks for your reply @Sennheiser ...

Re. soundstage, the (inevitable!) slightly smaller one of the 820 vs open might prove preferable for some - ie for those who think the 800/800s too wide lol!!

But if, as you and Sennheiser themselves say, the sound is pretty well the same as 800s (with even more enhanced bass), this must be a winner for closed cans...roll on Summer!
 
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Mar 26, 2018 at 6:45 AM Post #1,070 of 4,346
Would really like to buy one ... however the pricing must be a bad joke considering this is basically a HD800(s) with a piece of gorilla glas.
The combined facts that I already own a HD800 combined with the massively higher price point somehow tells my brain that I must be absolutely nuts to buy the HD820 ...
Really too bad because I really love the brand and all my Sennheiser headphones.
I always thought Sennheiser must be one of the few brands to keep the pricing half way realistic in those times of 4k+ headphones "because it sounds good". Guess that trust was just flushed down the toilet ...
Sorry to say it but shame on you Sennheiser for that one.
 
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Mar 26, 2018 at 7:03 AM Post #1,071 of 4,346
Would really like to buy one ... however the pricing must be a bad joke considering this is basically a HD800(s) with a piece of gorilla glas.
The combined facts that I already own a HD800 combined with the massively higher price point somehow tells my brain that I must be absolutely nuts to buy the HD820 ...
Really too bad because I really love the brand and all my Sennheiser headphones.
I always thought Sennheiser must be one of the few brands to keep the pricing half way realistic in those times of 4k+ headphones "because it sounds good". Guess that trust was just flushed down the toilet ...
Sorry to say it but shame on you Sennheiser for that one.

I live in Canada and also have the HD800.I would like to get the 820 but that's not going to happen just because of the price,too bad.Been a fan of Sennheiser for decades.I totally agree with your post.
 
Mar 26, 2018 at 8:39 AM Post #1,072 of 4,346
But if, as you and Sennheiser themselves say, the sound is pretty well the same as 800s (with even more enhanced bass), this must be a winner for closed cans...roll on Summer!
In the closed can-section, these might be the winner.

But how much i love Sennheiser. Price on the HD820 is too high, compared to HD800S. :frowning2: However, hopefully with time this will change.
 
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Mar 26, 2018 at 8:41 AM Post #1,073 of 4,346
Has anyone heard these and 800S, regardless or despite or because of its price.
 
Mar 26, 2018 at 9:37 AM Post #1,074 of 4,346
In the closed can-section, these might be the winner.

But how much i love Sennheiser. Price on the HD820 is too high, compared to HD800S. :frowning2: However, hopefully with time this will change.

I hear you - and others - re. the price. Despite R&D costs, I too can't help but think the price is a big no-no for many folks...and I'm sure will change, with time! Early adopters (nearly) always seem to have to pay the price lol!!
 
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Mar 26, 2018 at 12:39 PM Post #1,077 of 4,346
basically a HD800(s) with a piece of gorilla glass...shame on Sennheiser for that.

It's not just a piece of Gorilla Glass, it is uniquely shaped to be convex in the interior, for diffraction. Further, there is special internal porting and chamber technology that reduces resonance, while giving a larger area for bass standing waves to develop and increase perceived bass without having to mess with an already great driver. The headband seems more comfortable and durable as do their pads. From what I can remember, there are other design changes inside with the goal of being acoustically transparent as possible. Do I wish they'd cost less? Yes. Still, having headphones with the same quality of mids and highs as the open version, with the bass many listeners have waited for, that does not bleed into the mids or add noticeable distortion, boominess or other issues is an achievement. If it gives 95% or more of the open, wide sound of the HD800s, in a closed can, mission accomplished. Many studios will be happy about this.

Has anyone heard these and 800S, regardless or despite or because of its price.

I have heard the HD700, HD800, HD800s and the HD820. I like them in that order from most harsh highs and lacking bass, to smoothest highs with the best bass. It'd been a while since I've heard the HD800s before hearing the HD820 but the perceived difference in "stereo width" was negligible. Until one does a side by side comparison in a quiet room, we'll not know for sure & that's not really something you can test for, it's a matter of perception for the listener. I heard an exceptionally accurate sound field, wide on wide-panned things, where it needed to be. I had heard the closed Audio Technica that tried to maintain that and to me, in the quest for width in a closed can, the sound was weirdly distant and not in a good way. The Meze 99, to me, have really wide sound staging. Yet they have enough punch in the bass and mono areas for a truly Left, Center, Right experience. So wide can be done in closed, and the HD820 did it very well.
 
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Mar 26, 2018 at 12:40 PM Post #1,078 of 4,346
I live in Canada and also have the HD800.I would like to get the 820 but that's not going to happen just because of the price,too bad.Been a fan of Sennheiser for decades.I totally agree with your post.
$3499 in Canada.
 
Mar 26, 2018 at 12:46 PM Post #1,079 of 4,346
It's not just a piece of Gorilla Glass, it's uniquely shaped to be convex in the interior. Further, there is special internal porting and chamber technology that reduces resonance, while giving a larger area for bass standing waves to develop and increase perceived bass without having to mess with an already great driver. The headband seems more comfortable and durable as do their pads. From what I can remember, there are other small design changes inside with the goal of making them as acoustically transparent as possible. Do I wish they cost less? Yes. Still, having headphones with the same quality of mids and highs as the open version, with the bass many listeners have waited for, that does not bleed into the mids or add noticeable distortion, boominess or other issues is an achievement. If it gives 95% or more of the open, wide sound of the HD800s, in a closed can, mission accomplished. Many studios will be happy about this.



I have heard the HD700, HD800, HD800s and the HD820. I like them in that order from most harsh highs and lacking bass, to smoothest highs with the best bass. It'd been a while since I've heard the HD800s before hearing the HD820 but the perceived difference in "stereo width" was negligible. Until one does a size by side comparison in a quiet room, we'll not know for sure & that's not really something you can test for, it's a matter of perception for the listener. I heard an exceptionally accurate sound field, wide on wide-panned things, where it needed to be. I had heard the closed Audio Technica that tried to maintain that and to me, in the quest for width in a closed can, the sound was weirdly distant and not in a good way. The Meze 99, to me, have really wide sound staging. Yet they have enough punch in the bass and mono areas for a truly Left, Center, Right experience. So wide can be done in closed, and the HD820 did it very well.

So when you demoed the 820, you did hear more bass than the 800S?
 
Mar 26, 2018 at 1:57 PM Post #1,080 of 4,346
It's not just a piece of Gorilla Glass, it is uniquely shaped to be convex in the interior, for diffraction. Further, there is special internal porting and chamber technology that reduces resonance, while giving a larger area for bass standing waves to develop and increase perceived bass without having to mess with an already great driver. The headband seems more comfortable and durable as do their pads. From what I can remember, there are other design changes inside with the goal of being acoustically transparent as possible. Do I wish they'd cost less? Yes. Still, having headphones with the same quality of mids and highs as the open version, with the bass many listeners have waited for, that does not bleed into the mids or add noticeable distortion, boominess or other issues is an achievement. If it gives 95% or more of the open, wide sound of the HD800s, in a closed can, mission accomplished. Many studios will be happy about this.



I have heard the HD700, HD800, HD800s and the HD820. I like them in that order from most harsh highs and lacking bass, to smoothest highs with the best bass. It'd been a while since I've heard the HD800s before hearing the HD820 but the perceived difference in "stereo width" was negligible. Until one does a side by side comparison in a quiet room, we'll not know for sure & that's not really something you can test for, it's a matter of perception for the listener. I heard an exceptionally accurate sound field, wide on wide-panned things, where it needed to be. I had heard the closed Audio Technica that tried to maintain that and to me, in the quest for width in a closed can, the sound was weirdly distant and not in a good way. The Meze 99, to me, have really wide sound staging. Yet they have enough punch in the bass and mono areas for a truly Left, Center, Right experience. So wide can be done in closed, and the HD820 did it very well.

Concerning bass response vis a vis HD800S and HD820 is it possible a $149 Schiit Loki EQ could get the HD800S close to the HD820 or too early to tell? I don't need closed phones and use HD800S. Upgrading is tempting but for the price of the HD820 I could almost buy a new Zana Deux S amp.
 

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