Sennheiser HD800s & HD800 Headphone Reviews

[@wavetheorysound]

LOL! Starting at about 3:42 I talk about the cup/pad shape and I get my description backwards! The straighter part of the cup/pad goes behind the ear and the curved goes in front! I did all my listening tests the right way and just got it backward on camera 😆Thanks to Kris Rudecki for pointing that out. I'll pin this comment for all to see.

[@halimj7]

Great review. I purchased an original Hd800 a few years ago and never gained an appreciation for it. I loved the look and feel of it, but I never heard a really wide sound stage and found the overall presentation to be boring. I ultimately settled upon the Mysphere 3.1. For a great price. To my ears the Mysphere is much more exciting detailed and has a wider delivery.

[@tnarch]

Have heard more than once both headphones. Despite the fact that HD800S sound warmer, kinda more fatigue free, they are not as clear as the original HD800. Also HD800 seem to.have better staging, with more focused vocals, as HD800S sound more diffused. Also their bass have the same quantity, but to my ears HD800 is clearer and better defined. By any means they do not sound muffled, but generally they are not as crystal clear, and fully transparent as HD800. They are 95% the same headphone, but i would choose the originals.

[@tokashiki1000]

I think so, I use both headphones with hdva600 and a lot of accessories.

[@ColocasiaCorm]

I wish i could go back in time and buy the originals

[@tnarch]

@@ColocasiaCorm also I like better the space gray of the originals… it is more futuristic 😜

[@YTjuanchicod]

Whats the best soundstage depth headphone you try?

[@andreasschwarz4908]

Higher end Stax (009(s), old 007, etc) are soundstage (yes, depth too) kings, they're the top choice among classical music enthusiasts for a reason.

[@ryansemplexyz]

What a great review! I currently have both sets in house, and your thoughts reflect my thoughts between the two. Both headphones take a bass boost very well, much better than I was expecting; the bass on the HD800S can dig deeper and sound more omnipresent than the HD800. What really set them apart was the bass impact. I would hazard a guess that bass impacts / low end punches sound about twice as loud on the HD800S. It really is noticeable. However, the HD800 seems to have better technical performance in the upper frequencies; it sounds faster and more precise, and not just because of the 6k hump. If gaming is a priority in your decision between the two, and you don't have a sensitivity to the 6k hump, the HD800 will give slightly better focused center imaging for things like footsteps and other common FPS sounds.

[@asplmn]

Yeah, but, man I love the gunshots, explosions, and other sound effects with the added bass of the 800S. Really fun. :)

[@markovlasic1978]

someone at sennheiser factory really dont like sub bass frequencies.

[@aceofspades6667]

How about a intro to tubes and tube amp series in the future? OTL vs. SET vs. Push Pull... Solid State vs. Tube rectification.. You could then do an advanced series on tube types / characteristics, sourcing tubes, what is the purpose and process of tube matching. Just an idea for future content.

[@asplmn]

The Bottlehead Crackatwoa OTL is phenomenal with the 800S. My favorite pairing, even compared to more expensive amps. I enjoyed the 800S so much that I deemed my LCD-5 as unnecessary and sold it lol (even tho it was technically superior.)

[@G-entleManAndScholar]

Great job, as per usual. Appreciated. & 1st.

[@krisrudecki9477]

When you describe the ergonomics and fit ... did you describe it and put it on back to front by any chance? The straight line and hinges go on the back of the head on mine 🤔

[@wavetheorysound]

Bahaha. No. You're right. That was me getting it backward while on camera lol. The round part does go in front of the ear. All listening was done in the correct direction. That's one for a blooper real 😆

[@krisrudecki9477]

@@wavetheorysound hah no worries they are really easy to mix up :)

[@bc8251]

I have HD800 (Early S/No - less than the first 1000) and HD800S. The HD800 are more detailed, transparent, and faster in the low end. The HD800 were revised 3 times during their production before the HD800S were launched. I like both HD800 and HD800S.

[@xsouldriverx]

Finally got new pads for the HD800s i bought used. Perfect timing.

[@halimj7]

You are absolutely nailing these reviews. In your opinion what closed back headphone has the hardest hitting bass and how does it compare to the bass of the 1266TC and Utopia (the first and second hardest hitting bass I’ve heard)

[@wavetheorysound]

Fostex TH900 with Lawton chambers. The isolation is poor, though. If you need more isolation look at Focal Stellia or Radiance.

[@halimj7]

@@wavetheorysound How close is the Fostex to the Focal offerings as far as bass goes?

[@lylejorgenson4878]

Would LOVE your take on the 8xx if you ever put hands on them.

[@wengezhu1]

Any plan for IEM review?

[@nonchalantd]

!

[@nothingelse1520]

You said the hd800s is "reasonably resolving" what is the most resolving headphone? I used to own the Sony MDR-SA5000 which people said was the most resolving

[@andreasschwarz4908]

Tungsten, HEDD 2, Aurorus Borealis are the best if you can afford them, Tungsten needs lots of juice and is a bit harder to get right now though.

[@nothingelse1520]

@@andreasschwarz4908 I forgot I made this comment.... since I posted this I got an Audeze CRBN and Stax 007 powered by a KGSSHV Carbon. .. Think I'm good on resolution

[@ChrisStoneinator]

Err, HE-1 probably. I don't suppose you wanna refine your question a bit? But the answer will invariably be an e-stat.

[@nothingelse1520]

@@ChrisStoneinator I have the X9000. How is that?

[@hartyewh1]

My issue with these is exactly the, imo, overdone and unnaturally big soundstage. Intimate vocal jazz doesn't sound at all intimate and it often sounds like there are two identical vocalists slighty to either side. Some music sounds very disjointed like elements are playing all over the place without coming together. Big Country by Bela Fleck & The Flecktones would be an example. The bass can't also handle any real EQ so even if I really like the rest these two issues ruin them for me. LCD-X 2021 (w/ EQ) being my favourite under at least $3k at the moment.

[@JayGreezy]

Nothing about this review felt.....objective. Whole thing felt like barely holding back a huge BUT and just can't wait to get to that BUT. I suppose this is KZbin and not a professional review, but if you're looking to do this for a while, work on maintaining a nuetral overall tone to every product regardless of your personal opinions on it. Sound is 100,000,000,000 subjective and making it sound as if its anything BUT that, will make you look pompous and arrogant like so many other youtube reviewers. "just the facts" in an objective way is the way to go to have people take you seriously.

[@aceofspades6667]

couldn't disagree more

[@ChrisStoneinator]

If audio is entirely subjective, surely there's no point in giving anything OTHER than an opinion!