31. hifiman sundara vs sennheiser hd800s (W):
Considering the price difference, it’s no surprise the hd800s is better in most areas, especially when paired with a good dac/amp. I actually had both paired with the hugo tt2. I tried my magni/modi stack, but it couldn't drive the hd800s well.
The hd800s are more transparent, clearer, more natural, have lusher mids, more and better bass, a wider soundstage, is comfier, sounds fuller and more engaging, better layering, instrument separation and background detail, with great strings. It still has a little sharper treble in comparison though the S model had it toned down compared to the hd800.
The sundara has more forward mids, which do sound lean in comparison, and a little sparkle in the treble. It works better with solo vocals I think, but feels weightier and clamps harder on the head.
Fun fact: the original hd800 was the first headphone I was wowed with. It was paired with some naim and mcintosh stuff back in the day. The few other wow moments were when I heard a $100,000 speaker the size of a man with his cello (it was so good I could almost swear that it wasn’t a speaker but a person playing the cello inside), and heard the u12t for the first time.
Considering the price difference, it’s no surprise the hd800s is better in most areas, especially when paired with a good dac/amp. I actually had both paired with the hugo tt2. I tried my magni/modi stack, but it couldn't drive the hd800s well.
The hd800s are more transparent, clearer, more natural, have lusher mids, more and better bass, a wider soundstage, is comfier, sounds fuller and more engaging, better layering, instrument separation and background detail, with great strings. It still has a little sharper treble in comparison though the S model had it toned down compared to the hd800.
The sundara has more forward mids, which do sound lean in comparison, and a little sparkle in the treble. It works better with solo vocals I think, but feels weightier and clamps harder on the head.
Fun fact: the original hd800 was the first headphone I was wowed with. It was paired with some naim and mcintosh stuff back in the day. The few other wow moments were when I heard a $100,000 speaker the size of a man with his cello (it was so good I could almost swear that it wasn’t a speaker but a person playing the cello inside), and heard the u12t for the first time.
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