Sennheiser HD800s & HD800 Headphone Reviews

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

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

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.

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.)

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 🤔

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)

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

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

someone at sennheiser factory really dont like sub bass frequencies.

Any plan for IEM review?

Whats the best soundstage depth headphone you try?

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.

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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 YouTube 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.