[joshnor713]

Yes because for many, there isn't a tight seal and they leak sound more than a closed back would be expected to.

Agree with this. They're almost semi closed-back in my experience, leaks a bit of sound in and out. If you listen loud, it might not work well for you in an office setting.

 

[joshnor713]

Delete

 

[Metalingus]

Today i've had a chance to extensively demo both models at a store in Istanbul. My demo order was HD 800S, HD 820 and HD 600. HD 800S for me had no flaws, listening to The Weekend, Lindsey Stirling and Daft Punk everything felt just right. Soundstage was flawless, instrument separation and tonality were top notch. I use Clear MG and had LCD-X at home with my current collection.

800S was superior compared to both. LCD-X had better bass that slams and knocks your socks off, Clear MG has good extension but treble is hot mess and i always felt a dip in the mid bass region. I can rank 800S = LCD-X > Clear MG. Therefore anyone questions ability of Elex should get an idea... If Sennheiser updates those drivers and gives it more note weight like planar counterparts at the same price such as Arya that would do so well.

HD 820 was 800S in closed back form but you can immediately feel you lose what makes 800S so damn special which is perfect tonality. HD 820 offers better bass extension at the cost of soundstage, imaging and tonality which makes realistic hi-hat, cymbal reproduction sound artificial.

HD 600 was hanging there so i wanted to put them on to see what i'm losing out on at 10x price and difference was not in tonality but Soundstage and extended lower and higher regions of frequency range. I think it's still the best buy considering you can have %99 same sounding HD 600 at $180* on Drop which is 6XX.

One thing planar headphones can't do well IMO is imaging. Bells and chimes or footsteps in games coming over all places but with Dynamics its pinpoint and precise, you can understand left right back front and such.

TLDR: I'd get 800 if i had a quiet space but at discounted or used prices 820 will get you %85 there, which i think is a great closed back still in 2023.

Source was HDV 820 running balanced w/ Tidal.

 

[kernel8888]

Ive advised the dekoni fenestrated pads for these previously on this thread. i still consider them a large improvement overall from the stock pads, but over time i found them a bit bright in the mids and used some foam rings from a k712 to help tame that slightly.

i had been curious about the dekoni velour as the frequency graphs looked like they gave me what i wanted, something in between stock and fenestrated, but leaning towards fenestrated.

the dekoni elite velour are the most balanced and natural sound ive found for these- offering a bit more bass than the fenestrated and a little less shouty in the mids. so you get some organic sound that the original pads offered without the bloated midbass that throws off the mids balance and masks so much clarity, but also not quite as bright as the fenestrated in the mids.

would highly recommmend either option but the velour are my favorite so far.

 

[oniel459]

Today i've had a chance to extensively demo both models at a store in Istanbul. My demo order was HD 800S, HD 820 and HD 600. HD 800S for me had no flaws, listening to The Weekend, Lindsey Stirling and Daft Punk everything felt just right. Soundstage was flawless, instrument separation and tonality were top notch. I use Clear MG and had LCD-X at home with my current collection.

800S was superior compared to both. LCD-X had better bass that slams and knocks your socks off, Clear MG has good extension but treble is hot mess and i always felt a dip in the mid bass region. I can rank 800S = LCD-X > Clear MG. Therefore anyone questions ability of Elex should get an idea... If Sennheiser updates those drivers and gives it more note weight like planar counterparts at the same price such as Arya that would do so well.

HD 820 was 800S in closed back form but you can immediately feel you lose what makes 800S so damn special which is perfect tonality. HD 820 offers better bass extension at the cost of soundstage, imaging and tonality which makes realistic hi-hat, cymbal reproduction sound artificial.

HD 600 was hanging there so i wanted to put them on to see what i'm losing out on at 10x price and difference was not in tonality but Soundstage and extended lower and higher regions of frequency range. I think it's still the best buy considering you can have %99 same sounding HD 600 at $180* on Drop which is 6XX.

One thing planar headphones can't do well IMO is imaging. Bells and chimes or footsteps in games coming over all places but with Dynamics its pinpoint and precise, you can understand left right back front and such.

TLDR: I'd get 800 if i had a quiet space but at discounted or used prices 820 will get you %85 there, which i think is a great closed back still in 2023.

Source was HDV 820 running balanced w/ Tidal.

Can’t say I enjoyed the 800S much, if at all. They have little to no low end in my listening (primarily since I listen very quietly), the highs were rather fatiguing for me, nearly no engagement or body to the sound and the problem with a wide soundstage like this is I get distracted by all the ambient noise in my quiet house. I was never able to appreciate nor get lost in music with these.

Their pads are also rough and have no cushioning. I don’t like using superior as a descriptor since this is all personal taste. I’d personally own 660S over them.

My bottom line is if you listen quietly, you’ll probably appreciate the 820s even if you’re at home. Their added engagement thanks to the low end and black background can help appreciate the micro details as well.

 

[gazzington]

How do these headphones do with psy trance, psybient, edm but also classical and rock/metal?

 

[AppleheadMay]

I find them to be great with classical.
For hardrock and metal I prefer a planar.

 

[JKTRRT]

I've tried today head to head HD820 with XLR and HD800S with 6.3 mm unbalanced and HD800S sounded so ordinary...and low in volume too...I was actually almost terrified. I will change tomorrow 6.3 to 4.4 mm balanced and see how that works. I couldn't imagine that much of a difference. This 6.3 mm is completely useless for these headphones.

Cheers!

Agreed 100 percent! The 6.3mm flattens out the sound on a balanced amplifier but if you used them on a ALO STUDIO SIX or a Enleum Amp 23r they would sound really good!

 

[Rob80b]

Hi Guys..
I've been on the fence for a new closed or semi closed back and have been eyeing the HD820 for awhile but wasn't convinced from the short audition at a trade show when they first came out but I wanted something that did not feel closed in. I've the AKG K872s, and while are very good IMHO and sound more open than many opened back they can be more analytical than musical.
So just the other day I was with a friend to audition some Focal Bathys and while waiting got to do direct comparisons of the HD820 with some other closed backs.
I was able to play a wide selection from Tidal Hi-Fi, jazz, Dave Holland acoustic bass, classical, Stravinsky "Rite of Spring, some vocal work, percussion pieces and then some Kraftwerk.
First up were the Focal Stellia, which I'd not like at all, at least not for the asking price, nothing really special about them, think I preferred my Elegia. Second up were the Meze Liric which were quite sibilant, something odd about them not sure what was going on but it did not fair well.
The more affordable Dan Clarke Aeon sounded fine and reminded me of the HD600 series but the HD820 overall where just a lot more entertaining, the audio illusion is more immersive, bass was more than adequate, especially if one is fine with HD800S and the treble was IMHO the best of the bunch.

I would have bought a new pair right there and then If not for some up and coming dental crowns. : (

And as we all know being on Head-fi... resistance is futile ...happily a few used "like new: pairs were out in the wild and. : )

Eh Voila! Signed sealed and delivered.

 

[kernel8888]

if you want to take your hd820 to the next level i highly recommend dekoni elite velour. mellows out the midbass that robs a lot of clarity from the mids. also can benefit from some foam disks similar to what you find in the k712. I used half a disk per side with the elite velour

 

[Rob80b]

Ok thanks..will keep that in mind as the 820 do appear to sound warmer in the mids, maybe not a bad thing, than the HD800S, probably closer to the HS660S2.
I'll do direct comparisons later on with the HDVD800 as it has 2 balanced XLR as opposed to the Bryston's 1.

 

[Rob80b]

Maybe late to the party but even my short time with the 820, so far quite enjoying these headphones. Yes they are in many ways the same as they are different from the HD800S but quite engaging none the less.
Interestingly enough even though these appeared to get panned by many on their launch, acceptance seems to be growing....
And it appears that old Fogies like myself seem to appreciate them more.

 

[headblid]

Good to see this working out for some folks. I jumped on it at release but ran into the seal issue that’s well know in these forums. No matter how hard I tried, I could not get it to seal right - the cups somehow felt too heavy for the yokes they are attached to. When I forced a seal by pressing down the earcups though, I liked the sound.

I would caution against a blind bus on this one though given the price, a test to make sure it seals is a necessity in my opinion.

Cheers,

Maybe late to the party but even my short time with the 820, so far quite enjoying these headphones. Yes they are in many ways the same as they are different from the HD800S but quite engaging none the less.
Interestingly enough even though these appeared to get panned by many on their launch, acceptance seems to be growing....
And it appears that old Fogies like myself seem to appreciate them more.

 

[fidgeraldo]

Sennheiser might have designed these for particular head shapes. I feel them extremely comfortable (both), and even when I press them to see what other folks are talking about, leaking sound... I could hardly see the difference, yes a bit different... better, no. I like them a lot the way they are. I just wish they made sockets for connectors better so they don't fall out and that connectors slide smoothly inside sockets. Instead, when I pull them out, I feel I will break everything apart.

Cheers!

 

[Not so fat head]

Oh man..... Just found out Sennheiser closed permanently their San Francisco store.... I was planning a trip, I live in the South Bay... A real bummer.....