Sennheiser HD800 vs 800s

Sennheiser HD800 vs 800s

Which one should you get?

If you are a music lover then debating on which headset to get between the sennheiser hd800 and the 800s must be something quite stressing at times. I mean let’s face it. You’d have to know the slightest difference between them for you to even be able to choose one over the other. 

Lucky for you that is exactly what we will be doing today. Looking at which headset is better than the other and why we think that. So if you are in need of a little insight just follow through with this guide and I am certain that by the end you’ll know what to pick for yourself.

Sennheiser hd800

The Sennheiser hd800 headphones are said to be created with a singular goal in mind. They apparently work to produce the best music and the perfect sound. Even though we know that nothing is perfect. It is all worth checking. Maybe you’ll be surprised.

All in all the transducers diaphragm has two contact points instead of one used in traditional drivers, which you can find at the inside and outside of the ring. Giving you a greater surface area coupled with enhanced control of two contact points and great music as well.

Sennheiser hd800

Sennheiser 800s

Looking at the Sennheiser’s 800s series you wouldn’t expect kuch if a difference and that is a reasonable debate for now. These headphones are specially designed to deliver sound that is as natural as possible and true in every detail. This makes you hear the music almost the same way the artist was recording it.

The headphones have been made in such a way that their main task is in enhancing further the sound reproduction. Simply put this striking industrial design combines form and function seamlessly. Like we said before. The aim is to give you some of the greatest music ever.

Favourite Features

Sennheiser hd800

The Sennheiser hd800 is a great pair that any music lover would appreciate to get on their birthday. The outlook as well as the functionality of the pair is rather worthy of praise and applause. They come with a stylish look making them fit for studios or music recording as well. 

The hd800 comes with a rather big disk that has a 56 mm diameter which when compared to other headsets is quite big. This also makes it be comfortable to wear for long hours on your ears without them feeling weighed down and painful. 

Another feature that a music lover would appreciate about the hd800 is its ability to produce music at its natural point. Exactly the way it was recorded in the studio is the exact way that you will hear it from the headset. It managed to create a bridge between the natural sound and the playback equipment.

Sennheiser 800s

The new 800S offers even better high precision connectivity options and is now supplied with two connection leads as it has a, 6. 3mm connector and a 4.4mm Pentacon balanced cable which offers even better quality sound from sources with balanced outputs such as the Sennheiser HDV 820 headphones amplifier.

 

The transducer is encased by stainless steel, while the headband and headphone mounting utilizes the most advanced materials developed in the aerospace industry for high strength with minimal weight. Making it rather easy to walk around with for long periods of hours. 

 

Another reason why one would love these headphones is because of their ability to come with a combination of seamless perfection that combines style and functionality. Meaning you get to listen to good music while feeling good and looking good at the same time

Other features

Fit and Design

Not when it comes to the fit and the design on these headphones. There is a slight difference that you may want to take notice of. Both pairs are very comfortable when compared to their other competing models. They both leave a nice space around your ears, and the material is easy to wear for long listening periods. 

 

The main difference is in the structural design between the two models in which there is the absorber technology of the Sennheiser 800s. Some people say you can get the same absorber effect by sticking a cotton ball into the HD 800.  Then again why not just get it all at once by buying it installed already. 

 

Again you will note a difference in that the 800s comes with a wider frequency range which is quite apparent. As it also comes with an additional cable that has a balanced XLR4 connector which is something that is quite lacking on the HD 800.

sennheiser hd800

Sound

There is also a difference when it comes to the sounds produced by both sets at different levels. You’ll find that the Sennheiser 800s has a warmer low range. It makes it seem as if it is more grounded and something will be missing from it. While the Hd800 has less of the earthiness and you’ll still feel a bit of the bass. 

In the mid range the 800s the bass is a little more emphasized and starts to match up with that of the hd800. The lower mids might be slightly attenuated in the HD 800 compared to the 800s, while the higher midrange might be a little more emphasized in the HD 800. 

Now when it comes to the high range you may find that though both pairs may not bring out the most of the bass. When the range is high. The sound is almost perfect as if nothing ever went wrong to begin with. Besides the bass, this is the major difference between the two models. Both are very crisp and clear.

THD (Total Harmonic Distortion) Measurements

At more quiet listening levels, the distortion is much lower for both the models but seems to be much lower for the Hd800. At higher levels, the noise floor remains the same, meaning you have a higher signal-to-noise-ratio.

Sadly that very resonance is reduced with the 800S, hence any second order harmonic distortion produced at 3 kHz is also reduced because the resonance does not amplify it anymore leading to reduced THD compared with the HD800.

What could be better

Sennheiser hd800

The HD 800 redefines the audiophile listening experience. It’s capable of breaking down the barrier between audio recording and playback equipment connecting the listener directly to an artist’s original performance. This way you get to feel what the artist wanted you to hear from the word go and not what frequencies can do. 

So you’ll find that the patented ring radiator transducer is central to the HD 800’s exceptional performance. The 56 millimeter diameter driver is one of the largest used in dynamic headphones. The 40 millimeter aluminum voice coil is driven by a 42 millimeter magnet structure.

Sennheiser 800s

You will find that with the 800s the layered metal and plastic headband construction attenuates vibrations to the ear cups. All the  while the handmade microfiber ear pads offer exceptional comfort for even long periods of listening enjoyment. 

They are said to be crafted for perfection, as they are precision built in Germany from some of the best materials and components to give you the best music experience ever. We just have to make sure that the best they claim to be the best.

The verdict

Well in conclusion, I would have to say that if you are looking to get the best of both worlds, I would highly recommend the Sennheiser 800s because it comes with better and improved sound quality as well as better THD and noise cancellation as well.

Rob is a musician and audiophile at heart. He plays 5 instruments. Besides music, Rob enjoys a good whiskey and the outdoors.
Robert S. Thompson

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