Sennheiser HD800S - Pros and Cons after 2 years of Listening!
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- Опубликовано: 8 сен 2024
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HD800S Review by Chrono: • Sennheiser HD 800S Rev...
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IMO as a bass guitar player I disagree when people say the HD800s bass isn’t detailed. It most definitely is detailed, but trying to artificially increase the bass does muddy it up. Unaltered though the bass comes off as it should in a properly mastered track. Bass tone reproduction is spot on. It’s accurate bass, as it should be.
Yes! Quality vs quantity.
You can naturally improve the Bass with some after market earpads like Dakoni. U recently Bought the Hybrid earpads from them and it completely changed the sound signature of my HD 660s way more bass.
Great to hear from a bass guitar player about the HD800S’ bass performance. I have the iFi Pro iCAN Signature, the Zen DAC V2 and the Gryphon so I can engage X-Bass or True Bass with a touch and it’s magical, for me..
YES! I would recommend people to listen to the following track: Get me to the world - Lennart Ginman. But it is true that the bass in Techno music is not reproduced, perhaps because it is not part of the recording at all and depends on using a subwoofer 🤷♂
@@alexandermyrthue1987 I can’t find the track in Apple Music but I can find his other tracks
I have owned my hd800s’ for about 14 months now. I think you hit the nail on the head here. Drums hits sound really natural. The attack, sustain, decay, and release are fast and accurate. They are great for movies. You would have to spend a lot more to match this clarity and detail in a treated room with hi-fi speakers. They will never leave home but I do like the way they look!
So are you happy with that? I wanna get it. Care more about vocals and stage. Not much of bass. Would pair them with ifi diablo
@@leo_mas_922 I would say it is a good candidate for you! the mid range really close to target, this means that vocals sound very realistic to me...
If you listen to nirvana’s unplugged live I New York album on these headphones. You will be amazed.
@@stevenlamontagne526 Well i’m taking notes then! Thanks for the further reply
@@leo_mas_922 , the HD800S works beautifully with my iFi Zen DAC V2, Gryphon or any of my DACs when I use my iFi Pro iCAN Signature. Lack bass? Just a touch on the “magic” button to bring on X-Bass or True Bass and the magic happens. With Diablo. I believe it’s a great match.
Thanks for doing this, I love seeing long-term reviews from owners. Hope you guys do more. Much appreciated!
damn, chrono glowed up from 2 years ago... looking good man!
I've had the HD800S for years and I can confirm it's not nearly as squishy as you make it out to be. Which is to say I've accidentally dropped it and squished the metal more times than anyone should.
Do you like how it sounds? I want to take it and pair it with Ifi Diablo!!
@@leo_mas_922 I love the way it sounds. But I might be slightly biased since most people probably don't have strong distain for mid and upper-bass like I do.
I never understood the complaints about the bass. For me, the bass is detailed, textured, fast and natural. Maybe it's the Mojo2? I like realistic bass, like the one you hear when you go to a classical concert. But when I listen to movies, the rumble and the sub bass that would be reproduced by a sub is there, very well rendered. Really, for me, the HD800S is perfection. With those, I don't feel the need to upgrade, like I always did before.
What amp pairing with HD 800s?
@@robertverbanac8776 Schiit Valhalla 2
you don't "feel the need to upgrade" because it will cost too much!!
we get it, you got ripped-off and need to justify your purchase.
i too would have bought these if i hadn't noticed that the D cups are backwards!!
I bought the HD600 when they first came out and loved the sound. Over 20 years I used them with a number of mostly vacuum tube headphone amps.
In 2020 I moved up to the HD800S. Although I have tried many other headphones (short term) the HD800S is my favorite. My source and amp are high quality so synergy is a thing.
Although it is lack of bass, it sounds like listening to a pair of monitor. For long time mixing a sound, fewer bass make me feel more comfortable. (Just like using a pair of NS10 in a well treated room)If I need to check the bass of my mix finally, I can change my 64audio u12t.
I think this is the best headphones for mixing music😍
Great video! I totally agree with everything said here. I like HD800S. And, for the price to performance ratio among the high end headphones, I really don't think there is a competition other than its junior brothers HD6XX series.
very nice and acuurate review and i aggree with this for 100 percentage.
i have the 800s for 2 years and was still happy with them. i use this in combo with the HDVD800
but i think the 800s has a too big soundstage and so therefore lose a little bit details.
for 2 months i use the STAX srl 700 mk2 with the srm 006tS
sounds very similiar too hd800s, but they have a lot more details and a smaller soundstage
both are very comfortable but the stax fitts stiffer on the head.
sry for bad english ^^
Don't sell yourself short, your English is very near perfect.
Thank you for an informative review. My personal usage of headphones is 50% podcasts, 40% classical music and 10% jazz. For this reason I would like you to comment on the sound quality of spoken voice in your reviews. Greetings from Denmark.
Mine works perfectly, matched with 'RME Fireface UCX II' it delivers best sound quality and options what you can have.. Yes it's pricy but when you think about, spending this much money on headphones which can easily serve you for several years.. divide that per month.. is not that expensive at all.. I using them in arround 9 months.. and i am more than satisfied. Yes i tested few of them .. in the shop 2-3 min and this ones bought me instantly. I can't tell if they are better than others in this price range because i didn't check others long enough.. but i don't regret it, i am super satisfied. Never had issues with them, nothing breaks etc.. with proper care of your electronic components you will never have any issues.. ofcourse if you sliding them arround, droping, pulling cables, holding headphones for the cable etc.. it's normal over times something will be broken.. Also i don't switch cable from my headphone, maybe someone will have issues if constantly plug/unplug cable on them.. Try to avoid that and use another side of the cable to plug/unplug or buy another cable if you want to use it for another headphones, dedicate cable for each of them so you will never unplug them... if you affraid something can happen with the jack. Thank you for this sincere video, nothing is perfect and things can break and be damaged..
DAC Magic Plus, Topping A30 Pro, and Schiit Lokius. Tons of bass. You can feel the air being displaced as the drivers push/pull. Plenty of bass response. Just need EQ.
how does the hd800s sound with the topping a30 pro? (i was thinking of getting it)
@@mateokll great because there's just a shit ton of power. Very clean solid state sound. No coloring. Plenty of headroom to drive even my lcd-4s. Might not be the most musical though, but very versatile. Sennheisers always pair really well with tube amps, so maybe look into those if you're only listening to music, but they're expensive.
@@chunkylover5367 Yes I had also thought about tubes maybe later when I have more budget. Then you can always put a tube preamp to give a little warmth to the sound with the topping a30 pro
@@mateokll Good point, hadn't thought of that.
I run mine these days using IFI Go Blue, using the base boost on it is enough for me to be happy.
Good to see reviewer's actually talking about something they purchased and kept, ( shill free zone )with 300ohm it's got tube amp written all over it...
Very good review. Informative and enjoyable manner. Thanx!
Just a tip for those connectors... Apply some lubricant on them and they're much more easier to handle. I use deoxit gold for reference. And also wiggle the connector instead of just trying to pull them out.
I put a tiny amount of dielectric grease on my connectors, way easier to remove.
Thanks for the video. I demo'd this headphone along with headphones going into the €4k+ price range. Your pro's and con's confirm exactly what I experienced and though the Meze Elite was in my price range I chose the HD800S. Kind of shocked myself but for what they will be used for its the best fit.
Now off to look for the right high end travel headphone..... ;-)
Check out the audeze maxwell. I've been blown away by how good they are for the price. The battery life is absurd, i get ~70hrs of listening a charge tho it varies. The sound quality isn't going to hold a candle to a high end wired open back but for wireless they're untouchable rn imo
Thanks for the long term review of one of my favorite headphones. I wonder what sort of amp you're using? I find it's a very well balanced headphone when used with a good OTL tube amp. The bass is there when it's present in the recording (though this headphone would never satisfy a basshead).
@@susokraut3169 because they want to, I didn’t know the HD 800S was a prison headphone ; )
"Bass is there when it's present in the recording" ... what. I notice entire bass notes that are missing when using open backs vs closed backs.
I've also ran into the same issues w/ sound leakage on open back planars leaking sound back into the mic (SM7B). None of my dynamic driver cans have this issue. Glad to know this about the hd800s.
I thought my ZMF Atrium will be my best dynamic but when there was a sale in November by the local official store when I could get a brand new HD800S for only USD$1,000 instead of the usual USD$2,050, I had to pull the trigger. I want to hear what and how this headphone is a soundstage king. As I also bought the Gustard R26 DAC a week earlier, these 2 are currently running in. I’m at just under 100 hours now.
How did you go?
@@drewfromoz2758 it’s brilliant! The HD800S had the Hd800 problems fixed so no sharp treble problem. The R26 is excellent too. It makes all my headphones perform much better.
@@BillyKueekSG Amazing set up Billy. It really is the sound stage king. Enjoy!
Very similar experience and very accurate assessment. However I find benchmark amp pairing with hd800s strange because Benchmark HPA are more likely THX 789 on steroids.
You just need to pair them with a good subwoofer, like a REL. I'm not even joking, sound leaks out of them like a sieve, but leaks in just as easily.
Wouldn't you get some minor phase issues that way? I'm not opposed to the idea in principle, but in every situation where you can use a subwoofer, you can also be using a 2-channel system, which is objectively preferable to any headphone.
How do you compared this with Arya organic for classical orchestral music and jazz?
No set of headphones is perfect. It is about what works best for you. Everyone hears differently. For me, the Sennheiser 569 HD closed back headphones work best for all types of music including bass. The noise cancelling is pretty good. I have tried all of the leading brands in the mid-price and higher priced ranges including the leading badge brand. If budget is no problem go for the expensive ones. However, some of the lower priced ones are as good or better. Basically, you are paying for a brand and style. Dr. Dre and Beats are probably one of the best for bass. Having an app with an equalizer also helps.
Just snagged a pre-owned pair for a great price. Your EQ settings are almost exactly to my preferences. Anyone else out there having trouble with EQ, use Chrono's settings as a baseline 👌🏼
Dude, this is nutty....I just got to 3:38, and you halved your bass shelf just like I did - down to 2.5 db
Best headphone for the money...Legend!
HD 800s shines with good quality recordings, but also reveals bad recordings, I myself use it most for Jazz, Blues and Classical music, for older inferior recordings I use an HD600 as it is a more all-around and forgiving headphone than the 800s.
Try Hd800S with a good tube amp or a crazy good hibrid one. You'll never say again it doesn't have good bass. Actually it's not good, IT'S AWESOME!
how about ifi Diablo?
Same, sockets just randomly came off. Cables gets cut open with slightest touch. Already bought 3 new cables..
Excellent followup man.
Love my HD800's but the bass is soooo bad, but again its not what they are for, still in love
I wish you can make a detailed comparation between Ananda and Edition XS.
The one Andrew done it wasn't detailed at all
I don't know how that limp rolled-off bass isn't a dealbreaker for more people, not just talking about the HD800S either. It's common on many open back headphones and it just makes music sound so... thin. I'm not a basshead but I think the Harman target suits the majority of genres really well and so many open-backs fall WAY short of even being "flat" much less matching Harman. Bass is the foundation the rest of the music is built on, so why build it on sand?
Agree light bass is a deal breaker for me no matter how good in other areas.
Bass is definitely not the foundation of all songs, some of them
I was able to EQ in some decent Bass with a Lokius tone control. But I'd get the Arya Stealth over the HD 800s tbh
@@JTB-- did you get them? I’ve heard great things about the Aryas just terrible QC from hifiman
@@maphacks8311 I have the latest HE1000V2/Stealth Magnet. It's great. It's basically as good as the HE1000se for $1500 less. It's better than the any Arya or the HD800s imo. If soundstage isn't someone's top priority, I'd pass on the HD800s in favor of a better all rounder headphone in that price range
Chrono was still a kid back then. 😄
Thanks!
I agree Cronos. It's by far my overall favorite headphone and I own and have tried many at this point. I'm reserving final judgment for when my Arya V2 come in though.
hey chrono, have you tried any other third party pads replacements that is close to the stock pads? the stock pads are extremely hard to find and purchase
I love my 800S of a few months.
DAC and Amplifier wise, what would you recommend? I'm currently using my Chord Mojo and sounds good, but I know it can be improved :-)
I wanna try it wih Ifi Diablo
Do you find it lacking with mojo?
@@tanushverma2269 unfortunately, I don't have anything else to compare against. I'm waiting for the Gustard H20Pro coming out next year. Then I will audition many before buying. But yes, in comparison to Shure SE846 with Mojo, I find the Sens lacking. Might just need more power though. Will test next year.
What is it about the 800s that gives it such a great sound stage? Is the 8XX better or worse than the 800S after EQing both.
Chrono, what is amp and dad pairings you have been using with the hd800s? I see a burson? Any really good synergistic pairings as fat as amp and dad combos? Thwnk!
It's a 10/10 headphone otherwise, but I HATE the soundstage because many songs sound essentially broken with a piano playing in the back right of the room or something else unintended. Everything feels distant so intimate vocals etc are bothersome or even double in the stage. The un-EQable weak and slighty rounded bass is another, but that's fine for certain genres and the speed/tactility in general make up for it to an extent. Tubes can help, but only to a degree.
The Oratory1990 EQ-Preset does wonders to the HD800S. It pulls voices and things in that range closer to you, because the EQ preset tackles the upper midrange dip and it's overbright treble while also boosting the subbass.
@@rene837 Yeah, it does improve it, but the bass just doesn't work with that shelf at least for me.
@@hartyewh1 Too much or not enough?
@@rene837 It gets bloaty and messy or at least it is revealed more. Worse than HD650 for example. It also felt that it somehow hurt the clarity and separation in general.
sounds like they're not the headphones for you then when there are other TOTL dynamics that don't have this issue... the soundstage is pretty much their #1 draw for most people
Can you say why it’s your favourite open back even above the big boys ?
Can you do a review on the akg k812
i am thinking abaut geting hd800s and hdv820 or abyss dianav2 which you guys recommend more?
had them.
i think the Sennheiser Momentum 4 sounds better..
I would rather buy the Arya than this. I just can't stand not being able to remove the cable when putting the headphone on the stand. I only play strategy/driving games, so I won't get this.
About how many mw would i need to drive these effectively for gaming?
I own the hd800s and i never done a EQ on this headphone, i would like to know which program to use and the best way to eq the hd 800s, if some one can help me :)
Are you happy with those? I’m considering them. Might pair with iFi diablo
@@leo_mas_922 Yes i'm very happy with this headphone, but i don't know if is worth it to buy this headphone for more than 1000€+, luckily i bought it to a guy on wallapop for only 850€, it was used only for 15hours so it was like new.. the owner sold the original cable but he bought a custom cable for this headpgone that is better and ligther.
The headset is not very heavy and it is very comfortable, i love the clarity and the soundstage of this headphone, every genre of music sounds nice and for gaming is perfect, my dac/amp is the fiio k3 pro which is enought to amp this headphone and it has a button that it gives extra bass, if i feel that the headphone lacks a bit on bass on some music i turn on the bass button and it gives a bit more bass which is great.
@@markus301 Ok to me is very important clarity (vocal specially) and stage. Hope the diablo suits it good and help it with bass. Thank you!
i use the hd800s with eq and it makes it the best headphone
7 months late but Peace Equalizer, interface Equalizer APO - from SourceForge is a go-to for a lot of peeps.
How do they compare to the og hd 800?
What headphone of similar quality do you recommend for the best bass?
Depends on type of bass. Arya for deep rich planar bass, Clear for impactful dynamic bass, LCD-X for something in between.
Meze Empyrean
@@AliArghavan LCD-X you get the added bonus of building up your neck muscles while listening to music.
@@kyron42 Exactly 😂 My puny neck couldn't handle the might of Audezes.
@@susokraut3169 Don’t scare potential LCD lovers off!!! They’re not that heavy guys so if you want good textured bass go for the LCD X or XC.
I have a wywires platinum cable for the hd800s that makes the bass tighter and even deeper, and bringing everything up to the next lvl. I fully agree that the technical performance is outstanding. The Soundstage and detail retrieval of something like the arya stealth which I own combined with the same cable is a noticeable step behind that.
Seems like with a cable like that you don't even need headphones.
@@nate6862 that would be true if the build quality of the cable would be as gorgeous as the sound 😉😂
Did you heard the stealth aryas ?
The OG HD800 has cleaner bass than the S, I think.
What dac/amp combo is good for under $500
maybe something like topping E50 + L50
i swear sennheiser designed these wrong! the ear cups are backwards!
the flat part of the D pad should be against your temple, not the curved part.....
and people pay an arm and a leg for an obvious design flaw 😆
Could anyone recommend and “goto” amp or amp/dac combo for the HD800S ? I was looking at the FiiO K9 ess pro but open to suggestions as this is all new to me. Cheers
Feliks Audio Euforia OTL tube amp
Denafrips ARES 2 R2R DAC
As a good “mid level” solid state head amp, I’d say the Lake People G111.
It’s of the warmer type which I think helps the HD 800S tonality.
K9 pro can drive almost any headphone and is great idk if it can drive these tho maybe check some other reviews on it from dms and z reviews
@@MrDoctorBryce dms suggested the K9 in one of his videos hence why I am leaning towards it.
Do you think the ifi zen can + ifi zen dac v2 is enough to run hd800s?
Yes!!
Absolutely, this is exactly the setup I use, and it sounds great 👍
@@GaryPallett Do you use EQ?
Perhaps if this reviewer connected his HD800S to the HDV 820 using the Balanced 4-pin connector cable, he would then find out he'd only been using them to half their potential. Once connected up properly they are absolutely excellent and with no lack of bass whatsoever. As for using for "gaming", good grief! who is this guy kidding? Perhaps if he used them to listen to Porcupine Tree or King Crimson and the likes, then he wouldn't be talking such utter and complete nonsense.
This is totally off topic. It struck me in this video that the older you're getting, the more you're starting to look like that actor who plays the bartender in New Girl. Just please don't start wearing plaid shirts.
A lot of Bartenders in that show, which one is it? And ok, I promise no plaid shirts in future videos.
it's very nice but way out of budget....
000
most expensive gaming headset
you haven't heard other headphones that perform as good as these? yeah BS.. arya are better. the the arya organic is better all round compared to this overpriced..
there are many, dont need organic if cheaper than 800s is HE1000 stealth 😅
@@soulfulfool 800s arent cheap. they are overpriced compared to Arya..
@@a2raya772 where do I said it is cheap? I said HE1000 stealth is cheaper and way better
I think 560s is better choice
I love the HD560s but this is pure cope
@@GlitzPixie lmfao
WHY DONT U GUYS EVER REVIEW BEATS?
Andrew has reviewed a very similar headphone here is the link ruclips.net/video/Q6meEXYGwd0/видео.html&ab_channel=TheHEADPHONEShow
Because this is a HIFI review. Beats are trash and doesn't provide any good imaging or Soundstage performance.
Another big youtube claiming HD800S is the best for gaming even if he didn't played games with it. I would say is one of the worst, but who am I to say otherwise? Maybe my $2400 Chord Hugo 2 is not enough, maybe I just need an apple dongle to hear the footsteps. I just use SHP9500 which has way more positional and environment information that HD800S. Headphones are just flavours, it doesn't mean it's better just because it's expensive. I still prefer DT1990 over HD800S for the music I listen. I don't listen to classical, I'm not an idiot to listen to classical in 2022.
And HD800S is the smallest headphone I own, I need to cut my hair every 2 months, otherwise my ears won't stay inside the cup anymore and after 2 months would become uncomfortable. The cable split is too short and it makes both cables touch my face because the split is slightly below my neck. Very annoying. And the clamp is very soft, I can't move by head down otherwise they fall off my head. I need to keep my face only forward. And I need to touch them only above with 1 finger and below with 2 fingers, otherwise I feel I would scratch them just by touching them, by touching the shiny metal. And I can't put them on it's side, both sides should touch the table. Imagine so many restrictions with a $1500 headphone.
For gaming, I would highly suggest getting an iFi Micro Signature w/ the xBass set to on.
The xBass will correct in-game chatting vocals & Story-dialogue to be more legible. Heck it even seems necessary.
Also the xBass is very important to understand vocals in movies & TV shows.
HIGHLY highly recommend the iFi Micro Signature (or the older MicroBlack) for gaming & entertainment. Since there is no easy way to leave a constant software EQ between different gaming Consoles and different softwares within Windows.
The HD 560 S is all anyone needs for gaming. Their tuning and soundstage are perfect for that, and it can be had at ten to fifteen percent of the price of the HD 800 S, sometimes even less on the used market.
listening to Danzon No. 2 by Gustavo Dudamel right now. what a beautiful piece with memories
I just purchased it for CS-GO!! I’m excited. What do I buy to power it? I have absolutely no idea on what amp or anything. Please help!