Hey guys! Got our first sponser - Send them my thanks and check out there quality stands here - soundrisepro.com On a side note - Sponsers directly help and support the channel, and are WAY less annoying than TH-cam ads (which sponsorship allow me to remove) :) win win for everyone... unless you have adblock. Than I am sorry. So very sorry.
@@JoshuaValour Can you write the names of songs you mentioned in the video? Also the one that plays at the end of the video and some people asks the one that plays in intro too. It can be hard to pick up names by listening, especially for us non native english speakers. Next time, can you please write the names of songs in the video, that'd be super helpful. Have a nice day.
Joshua, you have a unique ability to speak “sound”. I really appreciate your descriptions it’s almost as if I was listening my self. Thanks for the effort you put into these.
Freaking awesome I’ve been waiting for this one and just asked you in the last video!! Thank you so much josh! These are headphones I’d like to listen to before I die.
I´m glad that you finally made some justice to the HD800(S), you nailed it in this review. I´ve modded mine with the SDR long time ago, and coupled with a Burson Conductor is my go-to headphone for classical/instrumental music and movie soundtracks. The clarity, soundstage and transparency are outstanding. For vocals and pop/rock you need a complementary HP like an LCD2 and you´re set with the best of both worlds.
I listened to Hans Zimmer on the 800S at Warsaw Audio Video Show 2019 and I had little tears in my eyes... great headphone! LOVE IT! and I love standard 800 too!
I think his videos are too slow paced. Everytime i watch his videos, i have to ramp up the speed to 1,25. If he puts more emphasis on optimizing video length (which i`m sure he does already), his viewership should rise imo.
Total beginner here, but I walked into to local HiFi store thinking I was going to buy this but just wanted to audition other stuff just to see what's out there. Tried this against a hifiman Aeon (didn't have the Arya) a focal elegia and clear, and some others I can't remember. Walked out empty handed cause I liked the focal clear better but couldn't say why. Before that all I had was a Shure 535. Saw your focal clear review and a few others comparing this and the Clear and ended up purchasing the Clear. Bottom line was the balance. This 800s is a surgical scalpel and efficient in the hands of a professional, wasn't for me at all. The Clear just makes stuff sound beautiful especially female vocals. I appreciate your work and it really helps those of us getting into the hobby understand what it is we are really looking for when we don't know the words to express it.
The Sennheiser HD800S is the improved version of the HD800 which corrected an audible and distracting midrange resonance issue. The 800 and 800S are renowned for their highly accurate, highly detailed sound, localization and enormous sound stage. The 800 and 800S are open ear headphones, which I believe are best for acoustic and classical music. Bass heavy dance music and rock music are not going to sound great on the 800 or 800S. The sound produced is so accurate it will be uncompromising in revealing deficiencies (flaws) in the recording, mixing and mastering process.
Joshua adds the 800S to “his top recommended”.... who cares this headphone is the most sold high end headphone for few years already. If you see his videos you know that he is obsessed with ‘’vocals’’ but if you are the kind of person that loves musical instruments, harmonies, melodies, harmonics, room detail, spaciousness, recording detail, texture and maybe complex music like classical orchestral or jazz no doubt this is your headphone. By the way singers sounds amazing here too just the headphone don’t put them in your face. Ahh and bass is also Amazing is just not emphasised like the audeze headphones. I agree in some cases the headphones could be a bit thin sounding but that is not necessarily bad. Actually that is very realistic sounding. This headphone can make you look to your room asking yourself where the sound is coming from more than any other headphone. I’m happy he start appreciating this cans, it was taking you a while. Thank you for the review very enjoyable
Audeze have flat bass. It's not emphasized. Maybe more dynamic but not emphasized. If anything, the 800/800S have emphasized bass because of the 100 Hz impedance hump which makes the bass sound fat. It was so bad that I could hear it in Oluv's sound demo.
I agree that audeze headphones are having flat bass but it’s all very emphasized all the way down. People can’t hear 20hz as the same level as 1khz. I agree that some emphasis down there give a nice thick and full sound specially for music like EDM but in audeze are too much. Horrible headphones for music production for example ..... the X are probably their best technical headphone but still not good for that.
@@jhontroll4612 "Emphasized". No. It's flat all the way down. That's a speaker engineer's wet dream but speakers don't have that good of a response down there unless they're very big or have many drivers and have to pull all sort of tricks to get there. Planar bass is about as good as you can get. Minimal distortion, no weird impedance humps that fatten the bass, and great extension.
I got mine in this week and can certainly see what you mean about the treble being bright and the Ses are a bit sibilant at times. Overall they sound fantastic even on my 2019 Jotunheim (I think something changed since your review of it as I hear no compression compared to my husbands Magni Heresy). Currently waiting for the Dekoni Elite Hybrid pads to come in as a few audiophile friends said they help alot with everything on the headphone (like you did) once the pads break in. Thank you for this awesome and honest review as It helped me decide if I wanted to take the plunge on my dream headphones.
Finally I got mine with Schiit Bifrost + Lyr 3. Absolutely love it! But his latest review of Focal MG Pro…make me curious because I never try that headphone before.
For anyone considering buying the Dekoni Hybrid Pads, I recommend just sticking to the stock pads as: 1. The Dekoni's make the headphones sound different but not better, would need to tweak eq settings to match stock pads. 2. The Dekoni's have a dust cover that touches your ear that you will likely just cut off and end up using sennheisers dust cover. 3. The velour is not as comfortable as the sennheiser microfibre pads imo but this is just my own qualm with the pad. TLDR: Stock is probs better save alot of money and get some knockoffs of the stock pads off amazon or just get the replacement stock pads from sennheiser.
13:26 - recommended songs Long After You Are Gone - Chris Jones - Moonstruck You're Getting to Be a Habit with Me - Cécile McLorin Salvant - Dreams and Daggers To be human - MARINA - Love + Fear Popsicle Toes - Diana Krall - When I Look In Your Eyes The Music Of The Night - Andrew Lloyd Webber - The Phantom Of The Opera The Foggy Dew - The Chieftains - The Long Black Veil
@@isaacmack1316 I already do. but having his song lists can help better understand what he hears as you can directly compare with your current hardware.
Good review Josh. Worth pointing out that the 800S includes a quality balanced XLR cable which makes up a good portion of the price difference over the 800. Would love to see a comparison review to Beyerdynamic T1, which I think is likely the closest competitor to the 800S.
Great Video! I think the quality got even better in the past videos. I like it a lot (in Jim Carrey voice). Also: thanks for the awesome song recommendations. Please include more of it. This way we all can build our own audiophile playlists. 🤘
If you want to judge a headphone like the HD800, throw classical music at it, not just a bunch of songs. When the gear calls for it, as it does here, you should be able to discuss how it handles symphonies, piano concertos, string quartets, etc. Of course, that would not sound cool to your target audience, but at least you would have done these headphones justice. I just saw Currawong's review of the HD800S. He basically described it as a dumbed-down HD800. I have to trust his review more than yours since at least he knows that you judge the HD800 more by how it handles a symphony orchestra than a show tune.
@@bratosin1 The greatness of classical music doesn’t depend on whether it’s popular with a wider public. Mozart is Mozart and Beethoven Beethoven whether you like their music or not
Dunno why I'm watching this while using my 800S. But I agree with what he says. I don't have fatigue when listening to my music. Let some of my friends try it who have no experience with pricey audio gear and they all agree it sounds amazing.
I have the HD800S ans I tried the Dekoni Leather Pads and I ended up returning the pads, the sound signature was not my taste with those pads, I personally felt like they Loss bass rather than gaining, I think it is because the drivers are farther away from the head? Maybe, but stock pads are my favorite for now. I just ordered leather pads for them, but the stock pad size, since the driver is going to be the same distance compared to stock pads
I tried some dekoni pads with the hd700 and even though I hate that headphone it still ruined the whole effect of the Soundstage and balance it was going for. I think sennheiser hd700/hd800 headphones are not meant to pad roll honestly. You might not like them but they are built with every piece on place for a specific aural effect!
It’s always amazed how every recording engineer I know loves the HD800 & the s! Including myself! For all the same ol repeated complaints! Just an observation from someone doing it for 40yr!
HD800S has more detail retrieval. I compared a bunch of headphones with Josh and nothing topped the HD800S in this category. Though, the DT1990 is very good and bats way above it's price range.
I second this. I've heard the 800 and 800s in sennheiser stores a few times and it never has impressed me sound wise. The cups do feel huge though. The build quality is really disapointing for 1600 clams. It must never be a great environment to test it. The sennheiser amp seems weak though even though it's 1600 USD. That being said my dt1990 is coming Friday.
I have both and from my experience, I tend to toward 800s, for less annoying or better consistency. except price :D dt1990, sometime while listening specific music or watch live stream which has mainly woman voice talking, it plays sound too much exaggerated on high/detail section. it feels some what rough/grainy detail show up. those rough/grainy detail could be come from record quailty, but with 800s, there was no such weird experience at the same situations.
I own this headphone since 2017 and I love it for what it is. I think that you are spot on. I use the THXAAA789 with it and thats a fantastic match!!! I also use the Chord Hugo 2 as a DAC/AMP or as a DAC with the THX and the resolution is insane. Great review!!! 👍 Love your content ❤️🙏
Weird usually i agree with your reviews, Also bright sensitive. I own both the HD800s & HD800.I prefer the HD800 over the HD800s by far! (& over my Stax L700 for most things - COD music & gaming on L700 though..thats an experience everyone should have at least once!), Although you do like the HD6XX so i'm not surprised you prefer the HD800s, If you liked the HD660s/600 more like me you'd be a HD800 fan for sure. Spent about 8months with each (per headphone). I hear the muddyness/distortion in the bass clear as day regardless of Amp. The HD800 outperforms the HD800s in detail & (clean) sound in general but you are right about power for cleaner sound...With exception of the bass in my experience. Depending on the Amp the treble lacks on the HD800s, but i assume you used the THX aaa so as an example they are about the same treble sound wise on that for me which is "acceptable"... But the NFB1 very lacking in treble on the HD800s (if treble is to much on HD800s get a NFB1 amp! 2xapproved so its not just me saying it), i'd say perfect on the HD800. HD800 turning volume up lacks mids, yeah notice that, but the "dry bass" nope.... My HD800 is more bassier than my HD800s. The Hd800s is easier to hear the bass on non bassy songs, but bassy songs you can hear the difference clear as day (& frequency response graphs of each actually backs it up Just...). Might have to try the Dekoni pads I just have New Sennheiser pads on both, although I do like the used HD800 pads the best so far: Comfort & slight nerf to treble top end on the THX aaa. I also got in another K712 during my HD800s use & ended up mostly using the K712 until it sold because the sound was not better but more "Fun", "Enjoyable" & cleaner.....
i know that a modded and EQed HD800 will be better than the bass distorted HD800s, but what do you like more about HD800 than the Stax. L700 is on my wishlist since i hard an electrostatic a few years ago, i've never heard anything like it before! How does the detail compare between the HD800 and Stax, how does the bass compare. Also the HD800 can be had for cheaper on ebay than the Stax so it's interesting you find you prefer it.
@@shootinbruin3614 I used a DT990 with a Creative G6 before. Been a month since i have heard the DT990 now. All I can say is that the 800S sounds amazing. Yes I would say it sounds better. Just how much better that is another question. The 800s is way more comfortable and can be used for several hours without a problem. You ears wont get sweaty. Try it for yourself and let me know what you think :)
Very comprehensive review. I bought these pretty much the day I heard that they came out, having used the HD650 from 20 years ago, followed by the HD700. What I learned from those applies to these as well. Sennheiser, in my view at least, uses some of the worst headphone cables ever out of the box. I changed the cables on these to Cardas latest "Clear" cable, and that took a great headphone over the top. It's a pure Litz wire that has exceptional high end transparency, while the stock wire sounds gritty and noisy to me. This also shifts the balance away from the distracting high frequency noise and the bass and mods become bigger and more balanced, while not losing anything in terms of the huge soundstage or detail that you describe so well. There are online stores that allow you to try out and return cables, and I strongly recommend to anyone that is considering these that they experiment with a very high end wire. Thank you for your review.
This review confirms the impression of others that the HD800S headphones are very revealing which can be a very good thing if that is what one is looking for.
MrKingBeavis yes josh make it happened especially if you are reviewing the verite. I’m purchasing one myself this year hopefully before the Purple Heart wood Edition is out of stock. I’ve already watch Resolve, Z and others reviews of the headphone but I would love to know your opinion. On topic of the video, I think the IFI pro ican is a wonderful pairing with the 800s since the very well done bass boost gives the right amount of punch that the 800s are missing. Great video as always.
Nice review. I have SDR modded HD800 (modded by myself) it sounds exactly the same as HD800s. I like how it sounds but dynamism, smoothness and low frequencies extension on my SR007mk2 is far better.
You might want to hold off for the new Air Motion Transformer based HEDDphone, some early impressions have suggested its very close the LCD4 for nearly half the price.
Gamer here. Dammit so the Schitt Hel distorts the bass response cuz the power delivery is too weak despite being rated 300 ohms: 200mW RMS?! I guess the Mayflower Arc MkII is the only choice as a DAC/AMP combo with a mic in for the HD800S, as it's rated 92 mWat 600 Ohm max. Do you fellas think the ARC MkII is a good match power delivery wise to avoid any issues?
I own the Ananda’s and spent a few hours with the hd800s side by side. The hd800s has slightly more detail, but it’s also a lot of treble. Detail wise it compares more with the he-1k. With that said the Ananda has a more pleasing sound signature to me. Irregardless of price, I’d choose the Ananda’s.
@@RenRenification I just started the hobby a little while ago and I've heard the M1070, M1570, Elex, M570, and the Ananda. I am considering stopping my search now that I have the Ananda. After the Oratory1990 EQ profile, I feel these are endgame level for me. I just am upset about the build quality. I'm still during the return window so im still thinking about it. Do you have an recommendation on a planar with the best potential with/without EQ? Apparently, Hifiman has some of the best Planar drivers from a strict technical performance perspective.
BoostCTRL without eq, the Ananda’s actually gave the best frequency response. When I tried the he-1k it also suffered from too much treble, same with the Arya. Just note with the wrong amp it can sound very sterile.
@@RenRenification Thanks man. Much appreciated. Also heads up, there seems to be a new revision of the Ananda with a black foam on the outside grill. It might prevent dust from getting in. Im getting mine replaced with the new revision. (Im deciding to keep the Anandas)
Hey Josh, did you notice if the soundstage was altered for gaming or otherwise with the Dekoni Elite hybrid pads? I game with an original unmodded HD 800(on your advice)with a Woo Audio WA7tp. I have not done the SuperDupont resonator mod as I read that it reduces the soundstage(apparently similar to the slightly reduced sound stage on the HD 800S compared to the stock HD 800). I'm treble sensitive but love my current expansive and immersive soundstage. I would love to hear your thoughts on the pads and must say what an absolutely beautiful song you ended the video with! Thanks again, Josh. Congrats on your first sponsor!
For those looking for the intro song, it looks like it came from this video (timestamped): th-cam.com/video/7QJLun0PUqY/w-d-xo.html and i couldn't find a standalone. Yes, the original is easy to find, but not this specific version/cover.
Pls HD800S Vs LCD 2 Classic, I know the price is quite different, but i really love the LCD 2 Classic and i don't know if i should upgrade, i like a good stereo image and good sense of space for fps gaming but at the same time i enjoy listening to good vocals that gives me goose bumps every time and be able to distinguish the individual instruments, voices and bases cumming from different places around me. What do you guys think i should do, keep the Lcd2c or upgrade to the HD800s?
@@lolwutjoe But how are the imaging and the sound stage? are they wider on the Lcd2c or the HD800s? I really wanna buy some Sennheiser for the look and brand, but if they do not sound wider then the lcd2c i will end up never using them, so getting the HD800s or the HD820 would be a waste of money...
@@Grekey. To my ears, HD800S is better than LCD2C in terms of imaging & soundstage. I'm keeping the LCD2C because of the bass slam and more fun (800S is quite analytical to me). I'm keeping both because of these differences
Joshua Valour I just bought these headphones yesterday brand new from a Sennheiser authorized dealer for $1,275. I was waiting for your review before I bought them but I couldn’t pass that deal up. Now today, you review them lol. I purchased these specifically for gaming. I have Fostex th900 for my electronic/hip hop listening. Does adding those pads you recommended help that mid range and bass dryness you spoke about? Worth upgrading to those pads for gaming? Also I love the comfort but I noticed the headphones move when I look down or up, does those pads keep the headphones in place a little more?
I've read that they increase the clamp to help keep them on your face. To what extent, I haven't personally experienced that yet. I'd also like to know about the hybrid pads effect on gaming soundstage too. I'm considering getting the pads but the information is hard to find...
hey i pulled the trigger on the hd 800s and I don own the 1990 and the dt 1770 and I have the dekoni elite fenestrated pads along with moon audio silver dragon and its pretty good; but i am looking for somthing even wider and bigger sound stage and i am hopping to get that with the hd 800s; but hows it stack vs the dt 1990 or the dt 1770 pros(stock) because the hd 800s I will prob keep stock at first more then likey and as far as the amp/dac I am running the Hel specifly the Hel 2 and I also own a fulla (the current one) would you think the Hel will do fine with the hd 800; I am running the Hel 2 as a amp dac do you think its enough power as for now
As an Audio production person, should I get this headphone or both the Beyerdynamic 1770 and 1990? I need 1 open back for mixing/referencing and 1 closed back for tracking.
About the Dekoni pads.. does the inner fabric not bother you by how they touch the tip of your ears? I've been debating cutting out the fabric and giving them a try again. I just got some for my HD800's today and not sure if I like them yet or not.
I have the Dekoni Fenestrated pads which I really like; are the sound signiture differences similar to the Fenestrated with the Hybrid pads? If you have tried the Fenestrated pads?
Really interesting review, I'm looking at either the HD800s or HD820 - does the latter have too many flaws / overpriced to choose it over the former? I currently own a pair of Momentum 3's and looking for a higher end offering to enjoy when I'm not travelling.
How do they compare to the Elex, in general? Are the 800s the best gaming headphones on the market today? How much of an upgrade on the Elex for gaming?
Hey Josh, one thing I would love to see you do in the future is start weighing the headphones with and without cables. I am finding manufacturers claims of weight to be very misleading.
Listen to What Do You Want From Me by Pink Floyd with these, it’s the best song I’ve heard on these headphones, incredibly clear with amazing background vocals, spaciousness, and the song is ridiculously well mastered
I currently have a NAD C328 amplifier. Is that good enough for the HD800S? How should I evaluate whether an amplifier is "good enough" for these headphones?
Hey guys! Got our first sponser - Send them my thanks and check out there quality stands here - soundrisepro.com
On a side note - Sponsers directly help and support the channel, and are WAY less annoying than TH-cam ads (which sponsorship allow me to remove) :) win win for everyone... unless you have adblock. Than I am sorry. So very sorry.
These types of ads are the best: Showing us stuff we would actually buy. We understand you got bills to pay too man :D
Checking these out for my Polk S15’s.
Where's DMS' channel link in the description?
@@zahitemremetin606 Updated. Thank you for reminding me!
@@JoshuaValour Can you write the names of songs you mentioned in the video? Also the one that plays at the end of the video and some people asks the one that plays in intro too. It can be hard to pick up names by listening, especially for us non native english speakers. Next time, can you please write the names of songs in the video, that'd be super helpful. Have a nice day.
No, wife said I don’t need another headphone. No, wife said I don’t need another headphone. No, wife said I don’t need another headphone.
Wife says you have enough headphones as she does not have enough designer bags.
Z O Wait a minute! Do we have the same wife?
@@DoNotTellWifeIBoughtThis LMFAO!
Ok. So hows the new headphones?
RustyGates No, I’ve sold them all.
(They are great, and they only say things that I love to hear)
Joshua, you have a unique ability to speak “sound”. I really appreciate your descriptions it’s almost as if I was listening my self. Thanks for the effort you put into these.
Freaking awesome I’ve been waiting for this one and just asked you in the last video!! Thank you so much josh! These are headphones I’d like to listen to before I die.
17:50 - For anyone interested in how these do for gaming
A hero.
Thanks
800S for gaming??
1,500$ for gaming?
Yes , if you like music and gaming @@DirtyBobBojangles
I´m glad that you finally made some justice to the HD800(S), you nailed it in this review. I´ve modded mine with the SDR long time ago, and coupled with a Burson Conductor is my go-to headphone for classical/instrumental music and movie soundtracks. The clarity, soundstage and transparency are outstanding. For vocals and pop/rock you need a complementary HP like an LCD2 and you´re set with the best of both worlds.
What about just 50’s, 60’s, and 70’s?
I listened to Hans Zimmer on the 800S at Warsaw Audio Video Show 2019 and I had little tears in my eyes... great headphone! LOVE IT! and I love standard 800 too!
Finally! That’s my baby! For music, movies and gaming. 👍
Congratulations on getting sponsored!
I'm really enjoying your music recommendations, especially Avi Kaplan.
Woa.. good one :)
40k subscribers with such amazing production? How are you not over a mil yet?
You have to sell your soul to the devil to be successful. He's doing it legit. Uncompromised good for him!
I think his videos are too slow paced. Everytime i watch his videos, i have to ramp up the speed to 1,25. If he puts more emphasis on optimizing video length (which i`m sure he does already), his viewership should rise imo.
which audio reviewer has a million subs? you need to go to tech reviewers or auto guys .
@@aceofspades6667I was gonna say, this is a pretty niche space. I'd be shocked if there was more than a million people even into high end audio. 😂
Total beginner here, but I walked into to local HiFi store thinking I was going to buy this but just wanted to audition other stuff just to see what's out there. Tried this against a hifiman Aeon (didn't have the Arya) a focal elegia and clear, and some others I can't remember. Walked out empty handed cause I liked the focal clear better but couldn't say why. Before that all I had was a Shure 535. Saw your focal clear review and a few others comparing this and the Clear and ended up purchasing the Clear. Bottom line was the balance. This 800s is a surgical scalpel and efficient in the hands of a professional, wasn't for me at all. The Clear just makes stuff sound beautiful especially female vocals.
I appreciate your work and it really helps those of us getting into the hobby understand what it is we are really looking for when we don't know the words to express it.
The Sennheiser HD800S is the improved version of the HD800 which corrected an audible and distracting midrange resonance issue. The 800 and 800S are renowned for their highly accurate, highly detailed sound, localization and enormous sound stage. The 800 and 800S are open ear headphones, which I believe are best for acoustic and classical music. Bass heavy dance music and rock music are not going to sound great on the 800 or 800S. The sound produced is so accurate it will be uncompromising in revealing deficiencies (flaws) in the recording, mixing and mastering process.
Thanks for this detailed comment!
Joshua adds the 800S to “his top recommended”.... who cares this headphone is the most sold high end headphone for few years already. If you see his videos you know that he is obsessed with ‘’vocals’’ but if you are the kind of person that loves musical instruments, harmonies, melodies, harmonics, room detail, spaciousness, recording detail, texture and maybe complex music like classical orchestral or jazz no doubt this is your headphone. By the way singers sounds amazing here too just the headphone don’t put them in your face. Ahh and bass is also Amazing is just not emphasised like the audeze headphones. I agree in some cases the headphones could be a bit thin sounding but that is not necessarily bad. Actually that is very realistic sounding. This headphone can make you look to your room asking yourself where the sound is coming from more than any other headphone. I’m happy he start appreciating this cans, it was taking you a while.
Thank you for the review very enjoyable
I have turned my head around and replayed certain parts of songs more times than I like to admit thanks to the HD800S lol.
Audeze have flat bass. It's not emphasized. Maybe more dynamic but not emphasized. If anything, the 800/800S have emphasized bass because of the 100 Hz impedance hump which makes the bass sound fat. It was so bad that I could hear it in Oluv's sound demo.
I agree that audeze headphones are having flat bass but it’s all very emphasized all the way down. People can’t hear 20hz as the same level as 1khz. I agree that some emphasis down there give a nice thick and full sound specially for music like EDM but in audeze are too much. Horrible headphones for music production for example ..... the X are probably their best technical headphone but still not good for that.
Sorry for making this comment twice... my ipad crashed when I was commenting and I didn’t notice
@@jhontroll4612 "Emphasized". No. It's flat all the way down. That's a speaker engineer's wet dream but speakers don't have that good of a response down there unless they're very big or have many drivers and have to pull all sort of tricks to get there.
Planar bass is about as good as you can get. Minimal distortion, no weird impedance humps that fatten the bass, and great extension.
I got mine in this week and can certainly see what you mean about the treble being bright and the Ses are a bit sibilant at times. Overall they sound fantastic even on my 2019 Jotunheim (I think something changed since your review of it as I hear no compression compared to my husbands Magni Heresy).
Currently waiting for the Dekoni Elite Hybrid pads to come in as a few audiophile friends said they help alot with everything on the headphone (like you did) once the pads break in. Thank you for this awesome and honest review as It helped me decide if I wanted to take the plunge on my dream headphones.
The best headphone I've ever had was the HD800s paired with the Schiit Loki and the bass turned up by 1/3. After that it's perfect!
Finally I got mine with Schiit Bifrost + Lyr 3. Absolutely love it! But his latest review of Focal MG Pro…make me curious because I never try that headphone before.
I admire your ability to describe a sound experience with words. You are a master at this!
For anyone considering buying the Dekoni Hybrid Pads, I recommend just sticking to the stock pads as:
1. The Dekoni's make the headphones sound different but not better, would need to tweak eq settings to match stock pads.
2. The Dekoni's have a dust cover that touches your ear that you will likely just cut off and end up using sennheisers dust cover.
3. The velour is not as comfortable as the sennheiser microfibre pads imo but this is just my own qualm with the pad.
TLDR: Stock is probs better save alot of money and get some knockoffs of the stock pads off amazon or just get the replacement stock pads from sennheiser.
Is there a playlist for the recommended songs?
There's also this video for a quick soundstage test for gaming th-cam.com/video/Hlft6DQl580/w-d-xo.html
13:26 - recommended songs
Long After You Are Gone - Chris Jones - Moonstruck
You're Getting to Be a Habit with Me - Cécile McLorin Salvant - Dreams and Daggers
To be human - MARINA - Love + Fear
Popsicle Toes - Diana Krall - When I Look In Your Eyes
The Music Of The Night - Andrew Lloyd Webber - The Phantom Of The Opera
The Foggy Dew - The Chieftains - The Long Black Veil
Bro play thr music you like not what you think ur supposed to listen too. Just to listen to it..
@@isaacmack1316 I already do. but having his song lists can help better understand what he hears as you can directly compare with your current hardware.
I just got a pair of the HD800S's and I absolutely love them! Plugged into my Neve RNHP, it is sonic bliss! I never heard anything better than these.
Good review Josh. Worth pointing out that the 800S includes a quality balanced XLR cable which makes up a good portion of the price difference over the 800. Would love to see a comparison review to Beyerdynamic T1, which I think is likely the closest competitor to the 800S.
Mine didn’t come with an XLR cable
@@ThotsAndPrayers pentaconn?
@@rauldon273 yeah, but no XLR. You have to buy that separately.
@@ThotsAndPrayers what's wrong with pentaconn? oh right; if you don't hav sennheiser's hdv 820, then you'd need the XLR-4 cable.
@@rauldon273 my dac/amp requires xlr for balanced output
Great Video! I think the quality got even better in the past videos. I like it a lot (in Jim Carrey voice).
Also: thanks for the awesome song recommendations. Please include more of it. This way we all can build our own audiophile playlists. 🤘
If you want to judge a headphone like the HD800, throw classical music at it, not just a bunch of songs. When the gear calls for it, as it does here, you should be able to discuss how it handles symphonies, piano concertos, string quartets, etc. Of course, that would not sound cool to your target audience, but at least you would have done these headphones justice. I just saw Currawong's review of the HD800S. He basically described it as a dumbed-down HD800. I have to trust his review more than yours since at least he knows that you judge the HD800 more by how it handles a symphony orchestra than a show tune.
I agree. If it can handle live classical recordings, it will work well in general.
Who the hell listen to classical music nowdayz ? You must be that 1% of the people
@@bratosin1 The greatness of classical music doesn’t depend on whether it’s popular with a wider public. Mozart is Mozart and Beethoven Beethoven whether you like their music or not
Great review.
The passion and enjoyment, pros and cons all came through in an engaging way.
Dunno why I'm watching this while using my 800S. But I agree with what he says. I don't have fatigue when listening to my music. Let some of my friends try it who have no experience with pricey audio gear and they all agree it sounds amazing.
I have the HD800S ans I tried the Dekoni Leather Pads and I ended up returning the pads, the sound signature was not my taste with those pads, I personally felt like they Loss bass rather than gaining, I think it is because the drivers are farther away from the head? Maybe, but stock pads are my favorite for now. I just ordered leather pads for them, but the stock pad size, since the driver is going to be the same distance compared to stock pads
I tried some dekoni pads with the hd700 and even though I hate that headphone it still ruined the whole effect of the Soundstage and balance it was going for. I think sennheiser hd700/hd800 headphones are not meant to pad roll honestly. You might not like them but they are built with every piece on place for a specific aural effect!
Listen to the Buena Vista Social Club album, it is AMAZING with HD800S.
Sold my 800s after demoing the Utopia and Clear. For me the Clear is the complete package and now have it as my daily driver.
Me too. I even chosed the clear over ayra
@@emmanuelpalmer8108
It really is a great can. I'm even considering selling my HE1000v2 now. It's been sitting since I've gotten the Clear. Lol.
can you list the songs in the description or in the comments?
+1 that would be great!
Arndt Nelson Avila yea 1 +
It’s always amazed how every recording engineer I know loves the HD800 & the s! Including myself! For all the same ol repeated complaints! Just an observation from someone doing it for 40yr!
How do DT1990 compare to them in detail?
HD800S has more detail retrieval. I compared a bunch of headphones with Josh and nothing topped the HD800S in this category. Though, the DT1990 is very good and bats way above it's price range.
I second this. I've heard the 800 and 800s in sennheiser stores a few times and it never has impressed me sound wise. The cups do feel huge though. The build quality is really disapointing for 1600 clams. It must never be a great environment to test it. The sennheiser amp seems weak though even though it's 1600 USD. That being said my dt1990 is coming Friday.
I have both and from my experience, I tend to toward 800s, for less annoying or better consistency. except price :D
dt1990, sometime while listening specific music or watch live stream which has mainly woman voice talking, it plays sound too much exaggerated on high/detail section. it feels some what rough/grainy detail show up.
those rough/grainy detail could be come from record quailty, but with 800s, there was no such weird experience at the same situations.
@@IsraelCruzJr you must be the guy Josh thanks in all his videos. To that I say thanks as well for helping him provide the content we all enjoy!
I own this headphone since 2017 and I love it for what it is. I think that you are spot on.
I use the THXAAA789 with it and thats a fantastic match!!! I also use the Chord Hugo 2 as a DAC/AMP or as a DAC with the THX and the resolution is insane.
Great review!!! 👍
Love your content ❤️🙏
Weird usually i agree with your reviews, Also bright sensitive. I own both the HD800s & HD800.I prefer the HD800 over the HD800s by far! (& over my Stax L700 for most things - COD music & gaming on L700 though..thats an experience everyone should have at least once!), Although you do like the HD6XX so i'm not surprised you prefer the HD800s, If you liked the HD660s/600 more like me you'd be a HD800 fan for sure. Spent about 8months with each (per headphone). I hear the muddyness/distortion in the bass clear as day regardless of Amp. The HD800 outperforms the HD800s in detail & (clean) sound in general but you are right about power for cleaner sound...With exception of the bass in my experience. Depending on the Amp the treble lacks on the HD800s, but i assume you used the THX aaa so as an example they are about the same treble sound wise on that for me which is "acceptable"... But the NFB1 very lacking in treble on the HD800s (if treble is to much on HD800s get a NFB1 amp! 2xapproved so its not just me saying it), i'd say perfect on the HD800. HD800 turning volume up lacks mids, yeah notice that, but the "dry bass" nope.... My HD800 is more bassier than my HD800s. The Hd800s is easier to hear the bass on non bassy songs, but bassy songs you can hear the difference clear as day (& frequency response graphs of each actually backs it up Just...). Might have to try the Dekoni pads I just have New Sennheiser pads on both, although I do like the used HD800 pads the best so far: Comfort & slight nerf to treble top end on the THX aaa. I also got in another K712 during my HD800s use & ended up mostly using the K712 until it sold because the sound was not better but more "Fun", "Enjoyable" & cleaner.....
i know that a modded and EQed HD800 will be better than the bass distorted HD800s, but what do you like more about HD800 than the Stax. L700 is on my wishlist since i hard an electrostatic a few years ago, i've never heard anything like it before! How does the detail compare between the HD800 and Stax, how does the bass compare. Also the HD800 can be had for cheaper on ebay than the Stax so it's interesting you find you prefer it.
Which of all of them do you enjoy for FPS gaming the best? I’m looking for a high end upgrade to my M1060s...
Idk, I like my hd800 headphones. Idk if it's my amp or ear cups but I hear bass and of course the highs.
I thought you'd never check these out since you weren't a fan of both the 800 and 820. Glad to see another vid!
13:34 I think you meant "Chris Jones". I enjoy that song too. Very good!
Bought a pair of HD800s after seeing this. Going to be used for gaming, discord and music. Thanks for the gaming part of the video :)
How did you like it so far? And have you bought an amp?
@@4bdull784 Yea I bought the SMSL SP200 amp and the Topping D50s dac (with P50 powersupply). Sounds amazing. Love it :)
@@magnusavr Am considering an 800S for gaming as well. What headphones did you game on previously and was the 800S really a step up?
@@shootinbruin3614 I used a DT990 with a Creative G6 before. Been a month since i have heard the DT990 now. All I can say is that the 800S sounds amazing. Yes I would say it sounds better. Just how much better that is another question. The 800s is way more comfortable and can be used for several hours without a problem. You ears wont get sweaty. Try it for yourself and let me know what you think :)
What's the artist and name of the first song?
BaNaNa Joe yes pls, I tried looking on google from the lyrics but I only get Dolly Parton song.
Very comprehensive review. I bought these pretty much the day I heard that they came out, having used the HD650 from 20 years ago, followed by the HD700. What I learned from those applies to these as well. Sennheiser, in my view at least, uses some of the worst headphone cables ever out of the box. I changed the cables on these to Cardas latest "Clear" cable, and that took a great headphone over the top. It's a pure Litz wire that has exceptional high end transparency, while the stock wire sounds gritty and noisy to me. This also shifts the balance away from the distracting high frequency noise and the bass and mods become bigger and more balanced, while not losing anything in terms of the huge soundstage or detail that you describe so well. There are online stores that allow you to try out and return cables, and I strongly recommend to anyone that is considering these that they experiment with a very high end wire. Thank you for your review.
This review confirms the impression of others that the HD800S headphones are very revealing which can be a very good thing if that is what one is looking for.
Can you tell the artist and name of the song on the beginning pls?
So I've shazammed the song like five times before I tried what it found and it really is: Cuando Me Entierren - Daniel Habif
Give us a link for those pads. Please
Go to dekoniaudio.com
Choose this make and model headphone and you will see "Dekoni elite hybrid"
2:50 - serious audiophile look
HD800S best gaming headphone. Focal Clear MG my favorite headphone of all time. My daily combo. Thanks Joshua.
Someone who can actually talk in sound tech language. Great review. Good communicational review
Your intro's are insane Josh, keep going mate!!
Will you review some of the ZMF headphones, like the Aeolus, in the near future? Would be curious whats your opinion on them.
MrKingBeavis yes josh make it happened especially if you are reviewing the verite. I’m purchasing one myself this year hopefully before the Purple Heart wood Edition is out of stock. I’ve already watch Resolve, Z and others reviews of the headphone but I would love to know your opinion. On topic of the video, I think the IFI pro ican is a wonderful pairing with the 800s since the very well done bass boost gives the right amount of punch that the 800s are missing. Great video as always.
@@nicolasyance40 The Verite is awsome!, till this day idk what the fuck Zeos was hearing.
If you want his opinion, you can send it to him, it's faster :)
ZMF verite open/ closed review?
Did you listen to these via a balanced connection? The difference is substantial, and really the only way these should be used.
Nice review. I have SDR modded HD800 (modded by myself) it sounds exactly the same as HD800s. I like how it sounds but dynamism, smoothness and low frequencies extension on my SR007mk2 is far better.
How does the HD 800 S compare to the T1 2nd gen? I would love for you to compare them because of their price points.
That would be a great video I would watch. Especially be good to know which Dekoni pads go with each of the headphones really well.
Anyone know what song is playing at the beginning? Did a quick search through the comments and didn't see anyone else ask.
You might want to hold off for the new Air Motion Transformer based HEDDphone, some early impressions have suggested its very close the LCD4 for nearly half the price.
What is the song used in the intro?
You’re the Christopher Nolan of audio tech reviews.
Fu*king love your channel bro!!
Club Soda
I can only imagine bro
would the sh''' hel 2 with Sennheiser hd800s sound great on the ps5?
So they let their customers fix it and then sold that fix to their customers for a big premium?
Pulled a real Bethesda there...
Awesome, Review, need these headphones asap.
I've checked the measurements of these pads. It has way less bass and way more treble than stock.
Can you compare this to DT1990 ? I'm really curious about your opinion.
I use Sonarworks SoundID to EQ it, if you’re fine doing so you’ll have an amazing time with them.
Gamer here. Dammit so the Schitt Hel distorts the bass response cuz the power delivery is too weak despite being rated 300 ohms: 200mW RMS?! I guess the Mayflower Arc MkII is the only choice as a DAC/AMP combo with a mic in for the HD800S, as it's rated 92 mWat 600 Ohm max. Do you fellas think the ARC MkII is a good match power delivery wise to avoid any issues?
What's the opening track? I only know's coat of many colors, but I cannot find the exact version. Any help?
I've heard that the Ananda is really close to the HD800s in terms of sound characteristics. Is that true? Some are even calling them a planar HD800
I own the Ananda’s and spent a few hours with the hd800s side by side. The hd800s has slightly more detail, but it’s also a lot of treble. Detail wise it compares more with the he-1k. With that said the Ananda has a more pleasing sound signature to me. Irregardless of price, I’d choose the Ananda’s.
@@RenRenification I just started the hobby a little while ago and I've heard the M1070, M1570, Elex, M570, and the Ananda. I am considering stopping my search now that I have the Ananda. After the Oratory1990 EQ profile, I feel these are endgame level for me. I just am upset about the build quality. I'm still during the return window so im still thinking about it. Do you have an recommendation on a planar with the best potential with/without EQ? Apparently, Hifiman has some of the best Planar drivers from a strict technical performance perspective.
BoostCTRL without eq, the Ananda’s actually gave the best frequency response. When I tried the he-1k it also suffered from too much treble, same with the Arya. Just note with the wrong amp it can sound very sterile.
@@RenRenification Thanks man. Much appreciated. Also heads up, there seems to be a new revision of the Ananda with a black foam on the outside grill. It might prevent dust from getting in. Im getting mine replaced with the new revision. (Im deciding to keep the Anandas)
BoostCTRL thanks for the heads up.
Would most people agree that for classical music HD800s is the best option in the price range? Thanks
Hey Josh, did you notice if the soundstage was altered for gaming or otherwise with the Dekoni Elite hybrid pads? I game with an original unmodded HD 800(on your advice)with a Woo Audio WA7tp. I have not done the SuperDupont resonator mod as I read that it reduces the soundstage(apparently similar to the slightly reduced sound stage on the HD 800S compared to the stock HD 800). I'm treble sensitive but love my current expansive and immersive soundstage. I would love to hear your thoughts on the pads and must say what an absolutely beautiful song you ended the video with! Thanks again, Josh. Congrats on your first sponsor!
Get yourself an ifi Zen Can and turn the bass boost on. It’s phenomenal on this headphone imo
13:35 which songs are u talking about?
How do you compare this headphone to the Sony MDR-Z1R?
Z1R = fun V-shaped, these = analytical
For those looking for the intro song, it looks like it came from this video (timestamped): th-cam.com/video/7QJLun0PUqY/w-d-xo.html and i couldn't find a standalone. Yes, the original is easy to find, but not this specific version/cover.
Here it is! th-cam.com/video/wFqRf6CVS64/w-d-xo.html
Thank You !!!🤩
@@patrikherman_ Thank You !!!🤩
ZMF verite? Sounds to be exactly what you said at the end. Detailed and almost as 3D stage as the 800s but fully with more body and musicality.
Currently I got the HD 660s. Would these be a direct upgrade or is the soundstage a lot different? I am looking to these and the ZMF Auteur.
Pls HD800S Vs LCD 2 Classic,
I know the price is quite different, but i really love the LCD 2 Classic and i don't know if i should upgrade, i like a good stereo image and good sense of space for fps gaming but at the same time i enjoy listening to good vocals that gives me goose bumps every time and be able to distinguish the individual instruments, voices and bases cumming from different places around me. What do you guys think i should do, keep the Lcd2c or upgrade to the HD800s?
I bought lcd2c in July 2018 & bought 800s in Aug 2019. I'm keeping both.
@@lolwutjoe But how are the imaging and the sound stage? are they wider on the Lcd2c or the HD800s? I really wanna buy some Sennheiser for the look and brand, but if they do not sound wider then the lcd2c i will end up never using them, so getting the HD800s or the HD820 would be a waste of money...
@@Grekey. To my ears, HD800S is better than LCD2C in terms of imaging & soundstage. I'm keeping the LCD2C because of the bass slam and more fun (800S is quite analytical to me). I'm keeping both because of these differences
Can I plug this into my Go XLR? or should I be getting am amp/dac?
So between HD800S and HD820, which are better for gaming ignoring the price?
800s, open is always better if your room is silent
@@omaior20 Thanks. I think I'm going to stick to my K7XX though 😅
Hi Joshua i have a question. Do you use ATMOS for headphones or DTS x for gaming or do you leave it on default stereo ?
Would you ever consider any ZMF dynamic headphones to buy for yourself?
would these pads and an XLR cable make the sound much more powerful?
Get sponsored son! Nice. Great review. As an Arya owner looking forward to your comparison. Pls throw in the LCD-X too.
Joshua Valour
I just bought these headphones yesterday brand new from a Sennheiser authorized dealer for $1,275. I was waiting for your review before I bought them but I couldn’t pass that deal up. Now today, you review them lol. I purchased these specifically for gaming. I have Fostex th900 for my electronic/hip hop listening.
Does adding those pads you recommended help that mid range and bass dryness you spoke about? Worth upgrading to those pads for gaming?
Also I love the comfort but I noticed the headphones move when I look down or up, does those pads keep the headphones in place a little more?
i would want to know that too. i started with the hd 800s and upgraded my dac/amp after. same problem with the dryness.
I've read that they increase the clamp to help keep them on your face. To what extent, I haven't personally experienced that yet. I'd also like to know about the hybrid pads effect on gaming soundstage too. I'm considering getting the pads but the information is hard to find...
That makes three of us asking about the pads for gaming in this comment section now!
hey i pulled the trigger on the hd 800s and I don own the 1990 and the dt 1770 and I have the dekoni elite fenestrated pads along with moon audio silver dragon and its pretty good; but i am looking for somthing even wider and bigger sound stage and i am hopping to get that with the hd 800s; but hows it stack vs the dt 1990 or the dt 1770 pros(stock) because the hd 800s I will prob keep stock at first more then likey and as far as the amp/dac I am running the Hel specifly the Hel 2 and I also own a fulla (the current one) would you think the Hel will do fine with the hd 800; I am running the Hel 2 as a amp dac do you think its enough power as for now
I know this may be a crazy comparison but how do these compare to the HD660s as thinking of upgrading to the HD800s at a later date
As an Audio production person, should I get this headphone or both the Beyerdynamic 1770 and 1990? I need 1 open back for mixing/referencing and 1 closed back for tracking.
About the Dekoni pads.. does the inner fabric not bother you by how they touch the tip of your ears? I've been debating cutting out the fabric and giving them a try again. I just got some for my HD800's today and not sure if I like them yet or not.
Please, what is music starting 20:50? Thanks!
Joshua, so what's the alternative with more base?
How good is the soundstage?
Best there is
On rtings site you find it
Really really wide.
Anyone know the song and artist that is singing at the beginning of the video ?
Finally, thanks Josh!
I have the Dekoni Fenestrated pads which I really like; are the sound signiture differences similar to the Fenestrated with the Hybrid pads? If you have tried the Fenestrated pads?
About how many mw would i need to drive these effectively for gaming?
Do they need a external headphone amp? (I connect them to my uad x8 that has headphone preamps who can handle 300 Ohm)
You’re good with the Apollo
Really interesting review, I'm looking at either the HD800s or HD820 - does the latter have too many flaws / overpriced to choose it over the former? I currently own a pair of Momentum 3's and looking for a higher end offering to enjoy when I'm not travelling.
hd820 is a odd headphone dont buy without trying.
What are you using for virtual surround in games? Dolby Atmos / DTS X or just stereo?
does someone know the name of the song in the intro ?`
So I've shazammed the song like five times before I tried what it found and it really is: Cuando Me Entierren - Daniel Habif
Question, does using tube amp give the 800s more body to the mids?
Love the review, but what's the song that plays at the end?
Etienne Roussel - Growing Tall .... wasnt able to find the song playing at the into though
Found the 1st one - FOREVER BLUE by Martin Carlberg feat Lollo Gardtman
How do they compare to the Elex, in general?
Are the 800s the best gaming headphones on the market today? How much of an upgrade on the Elex for gaming?
@ 1:25, what is that dac/amp stack in the back?
Hey Josh, one thing I would love to see you do in the future is start weighing the headphones with and without cables. I am finding manufacturers claims of weight to be very misleading.
Listen to What Do You Want From Me by Pink Floyd with these, it’s the best song I’ve heard on these headphones, incredibly clear with amazing background vocals, spaciousness, and the song is ridiculously well mastered
I currently have a NAD C328 amplifier. Is that good enough for the HD800S? How should I evaluate whether an amplifier is "good enough" for these headphones?