The Sophisticated Audiophile

The HD 800 is the current flagship headphone from Sennheiser. At a msrp of $1,400, it’s certainly not cheap. If you are considering these headphones, you most likely have the assorted gear (headphone amps, reference source players etc) to match. You won’t be plugging this into an iPod shuffle, that’s for certain. The big question is, are they worth it?

Before I tackle that question, please take a moment to watch the video below to get an idea of what the Sennheiser HD 800 offers.

Prior to the HD 800, the default reference headphone for Sennheiser was the HD 650 (don’t say the Orpheus, how many of those are around?). The HD 650 have received an almost cult like status now, and for good reason – they are phenomenal. The only criticism a few people leveled against the HD 650 was that it had a veiled sound. Like it was dark. I couldn’t disagree more. When fed with the right amp, the HD 650 was sublime. No dark, veiled sound for me. Just rich, full and robust.

So the big question is, if you have the HD 650, is it worth it to upgrade to the HD 800? There is a huge price disparity. The street price for the HD 650 is a little over $300, while the HD 800 is $1,400. I can only tell you to perhaps go to a head-fi meet, bring along some favorite reference discs and listen. I will say this, unless your other gear is reference level, then forget about the HD 800. It is not a very forgiving headphone. Any weak links in your system will be quickly exposed, so if you are going to step it up to this level, it goes without saying that you should already have a quality headphone amp and a top shelf source.

The sound signature differs from the HD 650 quite a bit. I never felt the HD 650 was veiled like some did, but it was a bit forward in its presentation. The HD 800 is neutral. The HD 650 was a bit more forgiving with mediocre sounding discs, while the HD 800 will reveal every flaw you’re listening to. Where the HD 800 smokes the HD 650 is in the soundstage. It’s wide, open and deep. On the bottom end, it’s very accurate, although I think bass heads might want something more. They would probably prefer the Denon AH-D7000 in the bass department.

Comfort is another thing we should consider with headphones. Despite the large size of the HD 800, they are very comfortable and fairly light. I’ve listened to them for several hours straight without discomfort.

The HD 800 are a joy to listen to. I listened to the Japanese SACD version of De Falla’s Three Cornered Hat conducted by Ansermet. When Teresa Berganza started singing, it was literally jaw dropping. I then listened to the now out of print Billie Holiday – Lady in Satin SACD, and this is when it gets freaky. You could clearly hear the moistness of Billie’s mouth every time she belted out a note or when she licked her lips. Now, I don’t know if hearing a singer’s mouth moisten with saliva is a selling point, but these headphones will let you hear it. Another favorite disc where I heard the anomalies of the recording was the Japanese SACD version of Way Out West by Sonny Rollins. On one of the alternate take’s, you can hear someone break a glass in the studio. In short, these are really detailed headphones.

I can only recommend them for the serious head-fi nut. Someone who already has tons of high quality music and reference gear to match. Then again, at the msrp, they’re the only ones who would even bother.

Happy listening.

Equipment used
Esoteric SA-60
Marantz SA-15 S1 Reference
Sonos ZP90 w/ PS Audio DAC III
Eddie Current Zana Deux
PS Audio GCHA
Assorted cables – Kimber, Audioquest

Filed under: Audiophile, Digital, Headphones, SACD, Video, HD 650, HD 800, HD650, HD800, head-fi, headfi, hi-fi, hifi, Sennheiser