The Brilliant Sennheiser HD 800 Headphone

[@Silky_boi]

out of the hundreds of headphone review videos ive seen, this man seems to be the only one who seriously knows what hes talking about, everyone else sounds scripted and versed. This one is out of experience, awesome job

[@anakrony]

Very detailed look at the Sennheiser 800s, incredible that he went to the factory and knows about the actual materials used in the headphones.

[@jimmyneutron1407]

The only reason i would buy another cable for my HD800's is because the stock cable is really long and can get in the way sometimes, otherwise you're wasting your money imo

[@PeterBjornild]

After Silence, by the master trumpet player Andre Heuvelman, is mixed and mastered with the HD800. It says a lot about the quality of the HD800 that a top audiophile boutique label as Sound Liaison actually mix on the Sennheiser HD 800 as well.

[@kefasosodefuego1591]

Not only the ''After Silence'' but most of the Sound Liaison downloads has been done with the HD800's. And the sound indeed fits the HD800's like hand in glove.

[@milangomes4945]

kefas oso de fuego I have downloaded the Batik album from the Sound Liaison website,very very impressive sounding album and indeed perfect headphone music.

[@tanniejensen6394]

kefas oso de fuego Yes I am completely in love with the Carmen Gomes downloads from that label. The only problem I have with the HD800's is that you need good sounding music to play on them, but those downloads do meet that requirement.

[@tanniejensen6394]

And considering that, I find the price one has to pay for these phones reasonable.

[@peterapperup6136]

kefas oso de fuego I agree the Sound Liaison downloads are very impressive. I have the Carmen Gomes downloads, The Batik, Andre Heuvelman and the Paul Berner downloads but will probably end up buying all of them. Another label that I find sounds good on the HD800 is the 2L from Norway, classical music only though.

[@BOB2112420]

>Leona plastic >60% glass filled >extremely rigid >extremely rigid How are these Snapheisers™ standing up to wear and tear? Sorry, couldn't resist. ;^)

[@Cambaudio]

I'm sure he knows that cables don't change the sound. They are probably a sponsor or something and he agreed to give them a quick plug. That could hurt his rep as seen in the comments however.

[@Cambaudio]

I could be wrong however. To Tyll: Thank you so much for your videos. Did you notice any changes on a Oscilloscope or similar instrument when swapping cables that maybe most people can't detect?

[@phototristan]

It's quite well known that the HD800s sound is very cable dependent.

[@dndlnx]

PHOTOTRISTAN aka loony toons at head-fi trippin' on the psychedelic kool-aid. 😂

[@notforyou5333]

dandelion The HD800s have an analogue cable, not a digital one, so a higher-quality cable *Does* make a difference, to a point.

[@ancient122]

dandelion Agreed. Head-Fi is Snake Oil Central and I try to limit my visits there.

[@ZeBubba]

Tyll does a great job once again, cheers sir! I haven't tried the HD800s yet, but I own a pair of HD650s and HD600s. That being said, I don't understand why the Beats are even mentioned in this videos comments. These phones are all about sound-quality, un-like the Beats.

[@Satfgk]

Wonderful review, Tyll. Warms by heart to see a Professional face in the headfi community give these the review I've always thought they need. Thanks man!

[@RevoltDynasty]

Did Tyll really just refer to that cable as "Smooth sounding"?

[@Prophet293]

typical audiophool, pays $800 for a cable and calls it "smooth" sounding /smh

[@realaudioreviews]

***** agree

[@MikeRoePhonicsMusic]

***** A wild ReviewTech appears!

[@LtDanw]

what set up do you use then with them? or in general when you test your headphones? thanks.

[@fastguitars4380]

Tyll puts felt in $1400 headphones to soften the treble, along with adding $700 cables to make them sound better.. What's wrong with that $2100 picture;-)

[@jimmyf1312]

***** Swallowed by what competition exactly? They are still holding their own in their respective price range. Don't be silly. Also, saying "deal with it" makes you sound like a 13 year old minecraft player.

[@heretoprocrastinate1472]

+Fred Smith U WOOT M8? Can't speak for the HE 1000 but Audeze gets their ass kicked and so does the ether.

[@heretoprocrastinate1472]

***** Nope, assuming the HD800 are modded I would not put them behind any of the headphones I mentioned even if we completely ignore soundstage and separation.

[@heretoprocrastinate1472]

***** Sure let's pretend that's the case and leave it at that since you obviously already made up your mind.

[@heretoprocrastinate1472]

***** "to know" as if this isn't subjective.

[@stevohein2515]

I might give the $700 cable a pass....

[@StealthElectronVIP]

+David Cameron I'm gonna pass on the $1500 headphones and instead get the $700 cable. Damn that's a good ass cable. Will make my Beats headphones even more awesome.

[@stevohein2515]

+StealthElectronVIP Poor old Dre, always getting flac from audiophiles

[@Agnes135]

+David Cameron LOL!

[@viskerfezer4732]

+David Cameron Bought mine on Amazon has the best price www.amazon.com/Sennheiser-Ossver-Ear-Circum-Aural-Dynamic-Headphone/dp/B001OTZ8DA/?tag=ref10-20

[@djmaxtrim]

+Jacob Fornby Check Nordost Cable Out~!

[@kentxx12]

Tyll The legend Still in the year 2024 :)

[@rowanrobinson]

You lost me at $800 snake oil cables.

[@JesusFriedChickenBadly]

Rowan Robinson You ignoramus. Don't you know that you can only get stuff that's "nice" and "clear-sounding" for $800? Anything less than that would only be okay, and good-sounding.

[@vampire5003]

He said at 6:02 that the Stax 009 is the best sounding headphone in the world, but you got to admit these Sennheiser HD800 sound great and the build quality is amazing.

[@Doug64]

smooth-sounding cable

[@kurogane2x]

This headphones + FLAC music =

[@phototristan]

These lack bass unless you get an aftermarket cable. Mids and highs are the best though.

[@DaughterOfRnbSoul]

If you can't afford the HD800's and you want to reach midfi-hifi audio , I recommend the Hifiman HE-500's + Emotiva Mini X a-100. The HD800s sounds beautiful and definitely has one of the best imaging I've ever heard in a headphone. However your going to need to spend top $ for a dedicated tube amp (WA22) to reach the HD800's full potential. Still I found the HE-500's to be a strong contender vs the HD800's when paired with a powerful speaker amp. The Mid's and vocals of the HE-500's are very lushes and can sound superb when listening to jazz , classical and vocals :). Also not to forget that you don't want to have any bottleneck's in your setup when buying the HD800's and 500's, meaning that your also going to need a really good DAC. The DAC's I currently own that sounds excellent with both HD800's and He-500's are the Schiit Bifrost With the new Uber Technology (My favorite DAC), Dacport LX (sounds very good for the price) , and the HRT Music Streamer II +. Please don't disrespect the HD800's using it in a shitty ipod or home theatre system, because your just wasting money and your only going to be disappointed. The HD800's is a true Classical Headphone and deserves nothing but the best hifidelity audiophile system. I recommend visiting Headfi.org if you want a lot of information on headphones amp's and DAC'S.

[@andreous7]

I bought these headphones after many review. I agreed with your annalisys once I tried them out comparing them with the akg's

[@jmohd]

Hi, is that Harbeth speaker in the background? Please share your thoughts on them. I intend to get a pair os speakers for my table top set-up.

[@MakenaKai]

Somehow the hd800 even works with androids and iphones if anyone (anyone amateur like me) is wondering. Don't waste your money on any monster or other product. Invest in the best of the best and then teach yourself as you grow into being a true audiophile. Best decision I ever made and honestly I have so much to learn

[@KaitoDoraemon]

finally~ was wondering when you're gonna review these beasts!

[@InnerFidelity]

@ianmedium My next video is a modification to the HD 800 that may cure the problem for you.

[@teukuaziz]

Just noticed. Is that a Harbeth p3esr in the background?

[@planeguy3223]

You sir must be a Beats fanboy. Not surprisingly, I wouldn't expect more from you.

[@greenrolaids]

i just bought the hd600's and love it. I am currently looking for a tube and to drive them. I went to the head-fi meetup in portland yesterday, and with proper amplification the hd600's sound way better than my cheapie Fiio e17 amp/dac.

[@SuperSaiyanScandinavian]

It's not too big of a room. Just working out of my bedroom. I'm not producing music for anyone else but myself; however, I do of course try to get the best sound I can with what I have. I definitely know the weaknesses of headphones; therefore, I often mixdown a song and go test it on my PA system and/or my parents cheap computer speakers. Not the best reference, but I seem to do alright. My music is certainly lofi, but I think i've progressed to the point that it's on the higher end of lofi now

[@FutureInventions]

Can you tell the difference between CD quality (1411 kbps I believe) and higher (Vinyl?) in terms of clarity with these headphones?

[@derbigpr500]

@AdrianIII Amazing how one can write a comment that you wrote without knowing what he's talking about and having absolutely no experience with this stuff...and still get the most thumbs up.

[@crosh86]

You seem blown away by these headphones :) Great review :)

[@iloveherion]

It really depends on what you will be using them for. Open back are usually not good for tracking vocals, as the sound from the headphones will get picked up in the recording. On the other hand if you are doing a mix down and prepping for mastering, open back you will get more accurate results. There will never be a "best" headphone out there because everyone's needs are different. These headphones sound as if your studio monitors are right in front of you. They are defiantly on my list :)

[@wd25a]

Differences with solid state amp's are readily audible with HD800. A decent Class A stage will give you this too. I love the HD800s to bits and I am using them on solid state. Tube Musical fidelity XCAN v2 works well too. As an ESL fan surprisingly I even prefer them to my old Stax lambda, 800 offers better soundstaging, comfort and dynamics and bass clarity, however I have never used the new top end Stax models. All the Stax I have heard have a certain magic but the HD800s are the best to me.

[@wcastillo2501]

I want these headphones. My inspiration to get an education and a good career.

[@rapid1337]

great video but if i may ask are you pretty tall or something like that because the hd 800 which i remember to be pretty big looks kind of small in your hands hm=/?

[@CimInc]

Been watching alot of your videos and I do have to ask, what would you consider to be the best Hard Rock/Metal headphones for about $200-300? I like warm sound and I do enjoy the occasional guitar solos and not to keen on heavy bas (like Beats headphones tend to have).

[@TranceBeforeWeDie]

The HD800's are bit out of my price point at the moment. But I was curious to know your opinion on the HD600 model? I'm looking for a headset that sounds natural and well balanced, but without sounding boring, or fatiguing.

[@cyphergig]

Hi Tyll, good review. Just one question, would you consider the Woo Audio WA22 Amplifier to be a good match for the HD 800 Headphones?

[@Madblaster6]

Do you need a good amp for these? Or can you use a good sound card on a pc?

[@SuperSaiyanScandinavian]

I'll definitely check them out, thanks. Perhaps I might be foolish, but I don't actually have monitors. I just assumed that it would make more sense to get really good headphones rather than decent monitors in an untreated room. On top of that, I know it's ideal to have monitors, but like I said, in the situation I'm in I don't think it'd work well in my room, plus lots of people are listening to music on headphones these days. Correct me if I'm wrong though. I'm new to producing music.

[@HalloweenUmi]

It's best to look around places like Head-Fi. You can run em' on cheaper options like the Bottlehead Crack, or Lyr/Bifrost combo. Expensive ones could be something like the WA2, Mjolnir/Gungnir, some sort of balanced system, etc. Keep looking and see what you want from the amps.

[@SpaceXForce]

Would appreciate your opinion on the Sennheiser HD 700s

[@tonyjenglish]

Did you also find that the "removable" snap-in tabs could've perhaps been made a tad more easy to remove...?

[@ThoseWhoStayUofM]

For some reason, I highly doubt that you can tell a difference in sound by the cable you are using. Like, if I took two identical headphones and had you listen to each while blindfolded, but only one of them had that expensive cable, I do not believe you could tell me which one it was.

[@bluesymmetry]

the cables can actually make a significant difference in sound. thats almost like saying all amps are the same, they just amplify signals. i dont know scientifically how the wires change the sound but it really does. you should go to an audio store and test it out.

[@koelewijn555]

bluesymmetry I do know that scientifically wires do no change the sound to a degree that your ear is able to pick it up. Its you brain that fools you in believing this.

[@TR4R]

I disagree sir. At the mere beginning cables have a transducer that projects the voltage signal to both headphones of the pair and in that process small but significant modifications can be made and that is the explanation (I would not be telling you this if I havent already tested how much different shure earphones can sound with three different cables (shure's ones, ultimate ears and zee's music) so I can tell you that cable does matter but anyway I am just purchasing HD800 and I am very excited about it and don't plan to change the cables any soon but I probably test some if I had the money ;-)

[@koelewijn555]

TR4R Dear sir, thanks for explaining this part to me. But I still not fully understand, because then it is the transducer that makes the difference and not the cable itself, right? I understand that you can filter part of the signal and I do hear the difference when changing a capacitor in a guitar, but a relatively short piece of copper wire should not make a difference.

[@bluesymmetry]

koelewijn555 like i said, dont say anything if you havent tried. even if its psychological, then it 'works' for me. as long as it sounds better i dont really care what others think. heres a pretty interesting article speculating the matter pages 2-3. page 1 is just a massively long introduction. electronics.howstuffworks.com/gadgets/audio-music/are-premium-audio-cables-worth-the-investment2.htm

[@Satfgk]

@GTRMclaren722 Depends. If you want dead-neutral amplification, go with Lehmann Black Cube Linear or Burson HA-160 (for more attack and intimacy). If you want them smoother and more musical, try tube amps and experiment with different tubes. They are picky headphones...

[@linolt]

You mentioned the Cardas clear cable.Is it superior in sound to the original cardas cable?

[@baxtermaxtor]

I had the pleasure of listening to the Stax 009 and then the HD 800 at a local headphone meet and it was like I had new ears. Walked around kinda in a daze for a few minutes afterwards.

[@MikePinkerton]

Great review, but you lost me when you talked about how a cable that transmits electrons can impact the sound of the headphones. Have you done any double-blind testing of said cables?

[@EventisInnovations]

Is it actually possible to hear the difference between the stock and the Cardas cable?

[@wd25a]

Good quality electronics are certainly worth having. I find HD800 trounces the HD600/650's on mainly Classical, acoustic but also rock, pop & electronic music even when used from very affordable hardware, detail, space, resolution, depth, bass, treble extension. Of course a good quality class A stage is well worth having, it would be stupid not to use a decent sounding amp as HD800 will expose weakness from gritty, harsh output stages. Valves are not needed but a good neutral tube amp will work

[@dfainc9905]

I had a question, I have been noticing mostly on my 24/192Khz files a sibilance noticeable in the vocals when listening on HD800 headphones. These are mastered recordings available from download. Ex. "Jesus Christ Superstar UK Version," I will notice this presence pretty much at all volumes yet more prominent on louder volumes. I am using Audirvana Software where I can add audio plugins. Should I add a De-esser to the sound file to fix the problem? My fear is by adding any plugin to a master recording it may affect the whole recording. Since, I am not working out of a session and simply adding this plugin to just the vocals.

[@linolt]

What balanced amps up to $2500.00 would you recommend to mate well with the HD 800's?

[@MrStingraybernard]

Could you recommend an amp for these ? Or maybe how much power would be ideal ? Thank you and I appreciate your videos and your opinions

[@HeretixAevum]

You should check out the Audeze LCD-2 and LCD-3. They're arguably the kings of bass in the hifi scene.

[@Jinrikishaa]

@chunky1x they're for home / professional use. Not your average headphone sir.

[@edwardviscarelli7110]

Tyll, I've searched through all your headphone reviews to see if you ever reviewed a close competitor to these Sennheiser HD800, the Beyerdynamic T1, gen 1 or gen 2. I was surprised NOT to find either version. I did find some lower level Beyerdynamic DT series reviews, but not the flagship T1's. Why? You must be familiar with them given your background.

[@Viettzz]

What is the custom cable that he mentioned in this video? (not the stock cable with comes with the HD800)

[@Xrobx6000X]

I think you should do a video of your wall of fame eventually. You are extremely professional and I would love to see your recommend headphones.

[@harobmx123]

so the hi fi headphones will provide crystal clear sound with skullthumping bass?

[@sliderBro]

I like your choice of words : "... they are 'bassed' solely on image ... ". Nice.

[@egrono1]

Better than the Beyerdynamic T1 and Audeze LCD3?

[@tv321123]

its not just about the frequencie range, they both have different sound signature.

[@MarkoVlasicAudio]

hello Tyll Hertsens i am from Serbia. I ,ve heard so much about Sennheiser HD800... they are probably one of the best sounding phones in the world. I have some hand made and reworked some JVC headphones with 50mm neodimium magnet and driver .driver has been reworked into eight ohms, and the sound is very precise, clear and sound images is generally brilliant now.processing technology driver speaker has its own original technology and craftsman who works suggest that each handset are between 6 and 10 ohms, ONLY becouse its speed in sound, precise and clarity in 20 hz to 20 KHZ. here in Serbia,HE protects that patent FOR processing speakers. and its called DD drivers. GOOD LUCK

[@tv321123]

@InnerFidelity what are the chances of them getting replaced soon? I don't want to spend a grand or so only for them to be replaced in a few months

[@DonLee480]

In the end which hi-fi headphones do you prefer? Hd800s, LCD-3s, Grados PS1000s, Fostex th900s, or Beyer T1s?

[@SuperSaiyanScandinavian]

I forgot to add, that I want the best headphones under $400. I definitely do not have a thousand to just throw around. I just want to make sure that I'll get the best headphones for their value. So whatever you think is the best pair of headphones for mixing and mastering under $400 I'd love to hear it.

[@sainteustatious]

whats with the low quality materials and what do you mean by best. i like bass with my headphones do they have a heavy bass with overall well balance.

[@qualitests]

What headphones are good for bass and good for djing

[@ytfmichaelxu]

@PFULMTL You can always try them out in retailer shops.

[@LordVictorHalgaard]

Any chance of taking a look at their competitor, the T1? :)

[@Satfgk]

@ytfmichaelxu Tube amps use tubes for the circuitry instead of transistors. Technically this is the only difference. You can connect ANY headphone amp to a DAC as long as they share the same type of connections - which they very often do.

[@tung176]

How would you compare HD800 with LCD3 and LCD X?

[@Satfgk]

You own an LCD-2 and you think the HD 800 has better mids and highs? Interesting as I find the LCD-2 vastly superior in both these areas too..

[@akshat3516]

Satfgk You are a bass head maybe?

[@AkumaReborn]

Hello Tyler. I sold my Beyerdynamic T1 and used the money I got from that to fund my LCD-2 Rev 2 with Q Audio Cable. I am also thinking about the HD800, the headphone which started the audiophile journey for me. Hopefully the D7000, ATH-AD2000, HD800, and the LCD-2 REV 2 will be all that I buy...until I get bored and buy the STAX headphone.

[@MrNullifier]

The Stax top models are also pretty pricey :( What Stax model do you have?

[@m09c14]

have you tried the pioneer HDJ-500's, i like your reviews and trust them, and i would go and try them out for myself, but it is near to impossible to find a place to do so. so if you have tried them before, i would really appreciate an opinion. or if you think the extra $180 to go up to the 2000's is worth it.

[@SoundLiaison]

Unboxing the Amazing Sennheiser HD 800

Do you think these are better than Ultrasone Edition 10? Thanks and greetings from México.

[@Prophet293]

what's a good amp for the HD800?

[@compactfoxable]

Audio-gd Master 9

[@ytfmichaelxu]

@PFULMTL Well, if you live in lower mainland, Canada. You can always checkout the headphonebar. They have HD800 on display.

[@johnchannetshow]

Sir, what do you think about the Shure SRH940 headphone? Have you heard this before?

[@NightFlight1973]

Conductor thickness and composition has a mayrid of effects across the spectrum. These are known, calculable factors. Just ask anyone in the telcom industry about all the amplification adjustments they have to make across the frequency spectrum to deliver signals.

[@Cepheid_]

I got the ath-m50's and they're great. I plan to explore Grado a bit.

[@duaplex1]

I would love to hear how they compare to the awesome Grado SR1000i

[@BaBaBooeyWRLD]

could you listen to these without an amp, simply connected to an iMac?

[@slytown]

Thanks Ty for the review. "It's about time."

[@GTRMclaren722]

Question, what kind of Amp or Receiver you need to properly power those headphones ??

[@GTX790SLI]

InnerFidelity how is the HD800 comparing to the Beyerdynamic T1s?

[@vampire5003]

I love the Ultrasone HFI-580, but instead of edition 10 I think you should try the Audeze LCD-2. It's not the most comfortable headphone, but sounds amazing, better bass and its cheaper than the Edition 10.

[@miceblue425]

@sainteustatious How is it made of low-quality materials? Pretty much everything about the HD800's was engineered for a purpose, just like the new HD700's. This video just demonstrated the not low-quality materials. If you're looking for a bassy headphone, the HD800's are not your choice; these are flat/neutral/analytical headphones which is what many audiophiles want in a headphone. You're better off with a bass-oriented Denon headphone if you want a large bass presence.

[@AdurianJ]

How are they for computer gaming ?

[@ariweiss8992]

I had the honor to listen to them on a highly headphones amp and on my Fiio X5 they are very very good sounding headphones but the only issue I have is that the Bass is too shy/bright In my opinion, but the image and coloring is absolutely amazing, they remind me of electro-magnetic loudspeakers,but again - if only sennheiser had add a little more bass to them they could truly be the perfect headphones in the world

[@iLkcLgCY]

would i be able to power this headphone with a jds c5 amp?

[@RealDealy]

@InnerFidelity Have you heard the WeSc x RZA Chambers headphones?. If not can you do a review?.

[@marvelgold11]

Question: can I use them with A.V receivers to get real good quality sound without spending money on speakers? thank you

[@GyanPratapSingh]

Are they worth it?

[@dfainc9905]

Setup: Sennheiser HD800 Silver Balanced Cable (L/R) Sony PHA-3 Audirvana Software Files: DSD64 DSD128 Ram: 8 GB Macbook Pro I am using a Sony PHA-3 amp with silver plated balanced cables, when i turn it up the unit shuts off after 75 percent volume. this happened a couple times. Its not ear bleeding loud, but some of my DSD64 files are older music and require the volume up to that level. Any suggestions to why it will do that? No damage has been done to the HD800's

[@buca9696]

What speakers are those in the background?

[@blackbirdband234]

And how much does the box cost?

[@Iridescence93]

Some people still listen to their music on an actual sound system with hardcopy cds or lossless audio files. I agree that if you are just listening to mp3s on your phone you wouldn't notice much difference with expensive headphones. That being said, I love my HD650s but the price on the 800s is a little steep for me. Some of the highest end audiophile stuff amounts to paying thousands of dollars extra for a minute difference in sound quality.