Sennheiser HD 800 S Open-Back Over-the-Ear Reference Headphones

I love headphones like most audiophiles do : as my default go-to-solution when I can't use speakers (typically because everyone in the house is asleep). Over the last few years I've built quite a collection, including 3 or 4 parity-priced rivals to the HD800S (I've tried more expensive and there was always something I hated about them that made the price unacceptable). I always thought of it as "impressive but not really likeable" - because of what so many others have already said about it. Huge soundstage, magical top end, lacks body and warmth. Which is true ONLY if you use it with amps that lack the high impedance AND high voltage AND high current required to drive it. DO that and it'll make the musicians sound like they're all playing far apart from one another - music will sound like it's played in a big realistic space but has no flesh. No skin. Only bones. BUT. Use it with a properly high current amp - and it'll sing like nothing else. Right now listening through the headphones output of the Birnkmann Integrated I'm lucky enough to own. Huge soundstage ? Check. Unbeatable focus ? Check. Surgical detail ? Check. But EVERYTHING ELSE IS THERE TOO - the flesh, the richness of tone in those lower mids, the bass slam AND depth of impact. The resonance of double basses, the unmistakable analogue thump of vintage drum machines, the breathy voices that whisper so close to your ear it's almost embarrassing. The Cary HH1 comes very close - less slam and detail but that same feeling of going from the supposedly trademark "surgically hollow precision" that gives the HD800S its bad rep among certain circles, into a totally satisfying, rich-sounding, unbelievably natural listening experience. Only buy it if you have the powerhouse amp it wants. But if you do, DO NOT miss it.

Excellent range, beautiful mid tones and the color and presence are just amazing. The preMp is needed for a full experience, especially to get that reach natural base, Insuppose since they are open air.

Bought these on sale. I am running them balanced on a SMSL DO400 DAC/AMP playing music through VLC Player with EQ and they sound amazing. Probably best to use EQ as they sound flat without.

Love this new upgrade of my headphone. It sounds great with my Astell&Kern SP3000 DAP, it really makes a difference.

Hi bought these several years ago and am really blown away by the quality of the music they produce. The level of detail they reproduce and quality of the soundstage is remarkable..so much depth warmth and all done very sensitively. Obvious it depends on the recording and your amplifier..so you need dedicated amps for these, But if you connect them direct to your computer especially later MacBooks you will be pleasantly surprised by their performance too. Overall they provide a very immersive experience and you will loose yourself in the music as it takes centerstage in your mind and lets you be fully engaged with the performance. The base is nicely balanced without destroying the importance of the midrange characteristics and vocals are pure and detailed. got to hand it to the engineers who designed and built these .......they must have fun as it shows...

I am in love with these. I originally got the 480 series and they are good and comfortable but not I want to get more quality audio and these hit the spot.

Not enough clamping force, they slip off when reclining. XLR cable supplied cannot be fitted to the headphones. Left earpiece developed increasing distortion after only a few weeks. Resolution pending.

Exceptional soundstage, exactly what I was looking for in a dynamic headphone in this class, personally don't find them as shrill as some reviews suggest. Definitely recommend!

Its performance is beyond my imagination, it's like singing in my ear! The only thing is that it hasn't innovated in all these years! Is this the bottleneck I feel I have reached?

These things are crazy, detail and separation like you’ve never heard! Heavily amp and source dependant but in all my years being an audiophile I’ve never heard anything so nuanced. Some albums I’ve been familiar with for almost 40 years and used with some great equipment now extracting sounds like I’ve never heard, nothing is left in the recording after these. And when well-matched it sounds nice and spatial as well. Didn’t want to like these, they’re expensive, and I’d rather save money, but now I’ve heard them there’s no going back. Nothing I’ve listened to has come close to this much highlighted within the recording, it's all present and portrayed where it all should be. They are very large, and you never forget your wearing them, but as big as they are, they're still fairly comfortable. I was interested in the Hifiman Arya as well, but I think the comfort of those would get to me, and I’m not that keen wearing headphones, but these Senns just about get away with it for such large headphones. Higher exotica headphones don’t appeal to me, they cost way too much, and I can't see them beating these at nuance anyway. I am no longer even interested in trying the Arya’s, the 800S are end game for me. And I tried a few of the Senn lower models as well series 6, they didn’t really do it for me, the 800’s were a gamble for me that paid off, I’ll cherish them! Vocal and instrument timbre is just amazing as well.