Sennheiser HD800 Premier Headphone

Other products by Sennheiser

Product Details

• Shipping Weight: 6 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Shipping: Currently, item can be shipped only within the U.S.
• ASIN: B001OTZ8DA
• Item model number: HD800
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
• Date first available at Amazon.com: January 8, 2009

Product Description

From the Manufacturer

From the Manufacturer

The Story of the Sennheiser HD800

The story of the Sennheiser HD 800 began with a dream: of developing headphones that go way beyond conventional equipment to become music phones, or even perfect sound phones. The dream of creating a hi-fi device that sounds as brilliant, clear, and undistorted as if you were sitting right next to the source. The dream of creating an acoustic experience more incredible than anything ever heard through dynamic headphones: in spheres that no other category is capable of reaching--right there where perfection begins.

We couldn’t go beyond physical boundaries--but we did cross the boundaries of thought. The HD 800 is equipped with a completely new transducer and only the very finest of materials have been installed: each part carefully inserted by hand. We are talking about manufacture in the truest sense of the word, right from the initial drafts to individual handcrafting "made in Germany".

Above all, the Sennheiser HD 800 truly personifies the creative force of the company that created it: by displaying the passion for perfect sound that has been driving Sennheiser innovation over 60 years.

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The Principle of Spatial Listening

The impression of spatial listening is created by a minute time lapse with which one and the same sound wave arrives at the inner ear. Ideally, the sound waves produced by a hi-fi sound system reach the listener at an angle of 60 degrees. The sound waves do not reach the ear straight on, but through a slightly angled sound front. This causes some of the sound impulses to reach the nerve ends of the inner ear earlier than others. The resulting time lapse is a matter of split seconds, but it is exactly this phenomenon that gives the impression of spatial listening.

Wearing the HD 800 you enjoy much more than just a sound experience of out-standing brilliance. You experience a form of spatial listening never heard before. You have the feeling of being in a studio together with Thelonius Monk or actually being present at a rehearsal of the Berlin Philharmonic. The HD 800 makes spatial listening possible through a combination of the large transducer surface and the angle at which it is suspended. The slightly angled sound front effectively simulates the principle of the spatial sound experience. No other manufacturer comes as close to producing a natural sound experience as Sennheiser with the HD 800.

Outstanding Technology Provides Outstanding Sound

The lightweight ring transducer precisely delivers sound without harmonic distortion

The superiority of the HD 800 is based on a completely new principle, right at its very heart: The transducer is designed in the shape of a ring. Basically, the larger the surface of the transducer the purer the sound—particularly when it comes to the low notes. A large surface area, however, also generates disruptive spurious oscillation at higher frequencies, so-called eigenmodes. This is primarily due to the fact that conventional-sized transducers do not have a satisfactory way of controlling high-frequency oscillations. The ringed shape of the new transducer effectively solves this dilemma: Its broad area oscillates in an extremely controlled way due to the large coil and the two supporting surfaces. This results in a previously unheard-of degree of freedom from distortion and thus the greatest purity and brilliance of sound.

And when it comes to the naked technical facts, the HD 800 doesn’t save on superlatives: The 56-mm-wide transducer is the largest of its type. The same goes for the aluminum coil (40 mm) and the 42-mm magnet system.

Ring Transducer vs. a Conventional Transducer

In contrast to a full-sized transducer, the ring-shaped transducer utilized in the HD 800 greatly enhances the control of the oscillating surface. This results in a more voluminous sound wave and thus far greater clarity.

In a conventional transducer, unwanted spurious oscillation can occur due to eigenmodes. Even improvements such as increasingly sophisticated Duofol laminations are unable to completely negate these physical limitations.

At the heart of the HD 800 is the patent-pending ring-shaped transducer. The wound precision wire that makes up the coil is only 42 micrometers thick. It consists of 3.5 layers of wire in a total of 98 windings. The space between the two magnets, in which the coil oscillates freely, is only 0.6 mm wide. The work of fitting these parts is done by hand—and the same thing applies to many of the other components of the HD 800. The transducer of the HD 800 transmits in a frequency band from 8 Hz–50 kHz. Not that anyone is capable of perceiving this sound range, but the pleasant ancillary effect is that the transducer delivers an extremely clean sound in the 16 Hz–20 kHz range.

Cords and Connections

The symmetrical cords are designed with twin-core, high-performance, Teflon-insulated connections on each side. They are additionally covered with high-quality material for better shielding from oscillations caused by ambient noise. The jacks are exclusively produced for the HD 800 in Switzerland and feature gold-plated bunches. Gold has the highly positive property of having a very low transfer resistance, thus guaranteeing excellent contact without interference.

Headband and Mountings

The headband consists of a sandwich design in which a metal layer is covered with several layers of plastic. The high-tech plastic possesses incredible attenuation characteristics and ensures that oscillations are not transmitted to the headphone mountings.

The headphones of the HD 800 are only mounted on one side, to make sure they fit optimally over the ear. The relocation of their point of balance towards the back of the head also enhances comfort for the wearer.

A special kind of Japanese Alcantara has been selected for the ear pads. This material is extremely comfortable to wear and easy to maintain. Leona, an ultra-light, high-rigidity special plastic, is as hard as titanium and thus yielding extremely low oscillation. Hi-tech stainless steel mesh--the ideal material for three-dimensional sound--combines all the properties of stainless steel with an incredible degree of transparency.

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Technical Specifications

Frequency Response: 6–51,000 Hz (-10 dB); 14–44,100 Hz (-3 dB)

Nominal impedance: 300 Ohms

Sound pressure level at 1 kHz: 102 dB (1 Vrms)

Max. nominal long-term input power: 500 mW in acc. with EN 60-268-7

Harmonic distortion: <_ 0.02% (1 kHz, 1 Vrms)

Contact pressure: approx. 3.4 N ± 0.3 N

Weight (without cable): approx. 330 g

Jack plug: ¼" (6.3 mm) stereo

Connecting cable: silver-plated, oxygen-free (OFC) copper cable, symmetrical, Kevlar reinforced, 3 m

Operating temperature: –10 °C to +55 °C

Product Description

There's has always been a debate between electronic reproduction and natural sound. The Sennheiser HD-800 is the headphone that has been specifically engineered in replicating the basic acoustic conditions of natural hearing. This level of performance has yet to be matched by any competitor. The HD-800 is the ultimate headphone to deliver nature. More than 60 years of ingenious headphone engineering has been applied into the new HD 800. Incorporating Sennheiser's most advanced driver technology, these open, circum-aural dynamic stereo headphones redefine what reference-level audio is all about. You will form an altogether new height of sonic perspective as you experience a high-fidelity natural hearing experience. Premium parts have gone into their production - the transducer is encased by a precision material made of stainless steel; ear pads are made of special high-quality Japanese Alcantara; while the headband and headphone mounting utilizes the most advanced development from the aerospace industry. In terms of connectivity, these headphones utilize specially designed, four-wire, high-performance connections with Teflon insulation. These headphones have been developed to provide the closest match to "being there" than any other available headphone. The Sennheiser HD-800 is for the discriminating audiophile seeking the best and most natural sound available. From rich bass lows to definitive highs, the Sennheiser HD-800 headphones deliver the exclusive sound that nature had intended. Special high precision headphone connectors Frequency Response - 14 - 44,100 Hz (- 3 dB) Nominal Impedance - 300 Ohms Contact Pressure - 3.4 N (+- 0.3 N) approx. Transducer Principle - Dynamic, open Thd - =0.02 % (1kHz/1Vrms) Characteristic Spl - 102 dB (1kHz/1Vrms) Cable Length - 9.84 feet (3m) Oxygen Free Cable Adapter - 1/4 (6.3 mm) stereo jack Sennheiser 2 year warranty Each pair of Sennheiser

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

95 of 110 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Effortless, powerful, and supremely musical; one of the best!, June 7, 2009

By	R. Thompson "sixseven" (Novato, CA USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Kudos to Amazon for the detailed description above, as that makes my job much easier...

That said, there is simply no way for me to delve into technical aspects of the design -- there is far too much to say about the sound and tech-heads can read the details above, or via Sennheiser's site. Suffice it to say the HD800 is beautifully designed and artfully executed in regard to materials and construction; these headphones are beautiful to look at and handle and are supremely comfortable to wear.

So, this review is going to focus almost entirely on the sound quality. My purpose here is to write something that accurately reflects my experience with the HD800s and conveys enough experience for you to decide whether or not they are worth the cost to you in the context of your system and preferences.

Let me first give you some context, so that you can gauge whether or not my needs and tastes are at all similar to your own. I've been a music lover since a very young age and an "audiophile" since age 16, and have constantly been in search of the best ways to reproduce music in a way that satisfies me. Music is very important to me; I played the cello for many years, currently sing in a gospel choir, and now do my own audio recordings of choirs and other groups.

In writing this I will also try to minimize my audiophile jargon. I'm not going to use quasi-mystical terminology to express myself here. I believe sound reproduction is mostly science, but because music has such an emotional aspect (that can end up being quite subjective) the issue is complex.

I do love things that look nice, are well-designed and superbly crafted -- but I am very demanding when it comes to sound quality. Many beautiful products have failed to impress.

Why does this matter? I think there's a philosophical split in the audiophile community. There's a balance between our love of the aesthetic and technology -- the shiny bits if you will, which are easy to lust after -- and actual musicality. Because we're human it's easy to be impressed by the former and, conversely, to take something that looks "ugly" and minimize it's performance simply because of the way it looks.

I do think I've learned a lot over the years, and am now learning a great deal more by trying to make high-quality recordings. I spend a lot of time with these tracks, during both the editing process and for my own personal benefit. I often pore over recordings to try and learn the nuance and details of each part.

In this regard my playback system is crucial. I record using a Sony PCM-D50 with a variety of microphones, my favorite being a RODE NT4. I edit these on my Mac and use a Grace m902 for D/A conversion and to drive my headphones. I switch back and forth between AKG K701 headphones and a pair of GURU QM10 nearfield studio monitors.

Also, let me clearly state that I don't have any experience listening to extreme high-end headphones like the AKG K1000 or Stax products. With that out of the way let's get to the heart of the matter...

The Sennheiser HD800 sets a new metric against which every other serious headphone or transducer must be judged. I'm sorry if that sounds like so much hot air, but I honestly didn't expect to be too impressed -- especially out of the box with no break-in. I've heard too many "breakthroughs" that just couldn't deliver the goods. This product is different.

It's hard to describe a piece of kit which, upon first listen, sounds different than anything you've heard, yet sounds so completely effortless and musical that you're impressed with the singular fact that the previous way you've listened to music is somehow incomplete, a wrong path if you will, and that this is clearly a better way.

I won't get into the finer points of tonal balance, sound-staging, imaging, or brightness/darkness. I'm sure all the audio mags will get into that in great detail. I can say that these headphones are very natural in regards to spatial presentation, in a way that I find entrancing. Their response is smooth and well-balanced at both extremes. I don't know what else to say, besides the fact that they are reproducing music more naturally and effortlessly than any one piece of gear I've added to my system over the past decade.

A great example of what the Sennheisers contribute to my system comes when listening to recordings of the human voice:

Aretha Franklin, "Live at the Filmore West" on MFSL
Track 9 "Spirit in the Dark" with Ray Charles
What can you say about Aretha Franklin that hasn't been said before? She is in such total control of her instrument that she (rather infamously) never sings a song the same way twice -- she is completely improvisational depending on how the spirit moves her. This album is a perfect example of this; check out her version of "Bridge Over Troubled Water" for a bravura performance that will leave you slack-jawed.

Listening through the Sennheiser HD800 gave me a far greater sense of what this recording actually sounds like. I have to say that, previously, I'd discounted many aspects concerning the quality of this recording. After hearing it anew via the HD800 I am ready to admit that, though there are certainly some blemishes here and there, this recording now has a sound that matches what must have been one massively impressive musical experience. The performance was always there, it's just that now I can hear a new level of detail that was lost.

On this particular song the patter between Aretha and Brother Ray is very cleanly revealed and every nuance is easily distinguished. Each microphone buzz, every shout-out from the crowd, and every detail is now very clearly revealed. However, none of this is to the detriment of the music; to the contrary, it makes the performance that much more complete. It's not as though these things are exposed or laid bare; the fact they are rendered so accurately just seems to add to the fullness of the event.

Bass lines are also very clearly revealed when listening through the Sennheisers; in this respect the AKG K701 is simply way out of its' league. The HD800`s bass is in NO way emphasized, but it is clear, fast, and a constant force that propels the music.

It's simply amazing to hear Aretha's soulful sense of time, of which she is the undisputed master -- she can delay a beat, twist a phrase and bend time, yet once you think she's lost she always brings it back (often at the last instant) in perfect sync. Listen to what she does on "Bridge Over Troubled Water" for an amazing example of this. This particular song often has particularly complex vocals on her part, where time gets compressed and she squeezes a lot of syllables in very quickly, to catch the beat at the end of a line or phrase. On most every system I've listened to this recording on, you simply have a difficult time distinguishing every nuance of her phrasing and modulation. Listening through the HD800, you wonder how it was you never heard these details before.

Blind Boys of Alabama, "Go Tell It on the Mountain"
Track 1, "Last Month of the Year"
I have always been a fan of the Blind Boys' music, and it's been wonderful to hear them reincarnated on their modern recordings over the past 10-15 years. If you sing this type of music you spend a lot of time trying to clearly hear each vocal part; this is part of a tradition in Gospel music where learning is often by hearing, rote, and repetition. The HD800 has tremendous resolving power in this regard; never before have I been able to distinguish each of the seven members' voices so clearly.

Additionally, at the very end of this track there is some interesting modulation from the electronic organ on the last 18 seconds of the cut; I've never heard this so clearly rendered from beginning to end.

Bob Dylan "Dylan" (3 Volume set):
"Serve Somebody"
Dylan is known for his unique phrasing and style, which -- though distinctive -- quite often makes it difficult to clearly pick out each and every lyric. The HD800 cuts through all of this and clearly delivers every nuance and phrase, without any doubt as to what he is saying (both literally and musically).

JOHN LEE HOOKER, "CHILL OUT"
Track 6, "Tupelo"
This is a tremendous album of wonderful music that is superbly recorded. The solo numbers with nothing but John's voice, his guitar, and his toe-tapping are -- to me -- a wonderful archive of someone with a lifetime of musical experience refining this down to its' simplest and purest essence. Never has there been a better example of the maxim, "less is more".

On this track you can clearly hear John's toe-tapping and how it resonates and decays in the studio space. His guitar is beautifully rendered, yet his more aggressive playing never sounds as edgy as with most systems. His humming is clear whether he is doing it loudly or softly. He talks a lot of this song, and I've never heard his voice sound as clear and full.

Track 8, "Annie Mae"
The piano on this track is conveyed better than I've ever heard it before. Listen for John's brief conversation with the pianist at the end of the track; it gives you a great sense of the resonance of the studio and, through the HD800, it's easy to believe you are right there with them.

MY OWN RECORDINGS:
I've also been astonished to hear things on my own recordings (mostly of choirs and vocal groups) that were buried just beneath the surface, things that I didn't fully grasp were there. Subtle sounds from the crowd, a soft whoosh from a ventilation system, the rustle of papers or sound of remote footfalls -- it's all there. Since I have spent many... Read more ›

18 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The best dynamic headphone so far, August 13, 2009

By	Pseudonym (San Francisco) - See all my reviews

In general, the more money you spend on a pair of headphones, the more you experience the law of diminishing returns. A handsome-sounding AKG K701 will impress most people with their command of classical, while a good Grado rocks as well as any phone out there. But each headphone has its unique sound, and limitations. That's why many dedicated headphone users like keeping at least two different models to complement different musical spectra.

The Senn HD800 comes the closest to my experience at producing a sound that would satisfy a variety of tastes - in one headphone. The sound complements classical and jazz, but renders rock and electronica with surprising authority. I listen to a variety of music in a single listening session, so the HD800 is also extremely convenient. Although somewhat hefty, they're well-padded and have a velvety comfortability. Even in hot weather, these phones are cool and easy to wear; unlike some phones, these provide a pleasing sound without the use of an amplifier (though a good amp will make most decent setups even better.) It's hallmark clarity is bolstered by its sound: anchored by a full bass, crystalline highs, and a midrange that has definition without being too forward.

This headphone is been compared to the popular AKG K701, particularly with its emphasis on sonic clarity. But the Senn seems to have more weight and depth on the entire sound. It offers music as it was meant to be heard, sans the usual problems - thumpy bass, screechy highs, insufficient power. For under $400, you can purchase a fine headphone that will fill most of your musical needs; but if you want the whole package, the HD 800 may be a good investment, despite the $1400 price tag.

14 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Outstanding Headphone, August 22, 2009

By	J. White - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Amazon Verified Purchase

Received these today and have been listening to a wide variety of source material. These phones are outstanding even without a separate headphone amp. I listened to orchestra, classic rock, and jazz and these phones sound good on everything. Of course they sound best with SACD or vinyl but even redbook CD sounds wonderful. Just for fun I tried connecting to ipod and they sound OK although volume level is low because iPod just doesn't put out enough power. The bass, midrange, and highs are all there and the frequency response at least to my ear sounds pretty flat. There is a lot of air on most recordings. For the absolute best reproduction connect to a quality headphone amp and you will probably not believe your ears.

I must confess that when I ordered these I thought I would end up sending them back because I doubted reproduction would be great enough to justify the cost. These babies are not going back. I have never heard a better sounding phone. I was never much a fan of HD 650 like a lot of people were. These phones are far less colored and just a whole lot better.