Made Good Even Better – Sennheiser HD 800 S

With the HD 800, Sennheiser has had what is probably the best dynamic headphone in the world in its lineup for several years. For a long time, it was believed that its sonic precision, clarity, and resolution were the standard by which all others would be measured and not easily surpassed. It certainly wasn't easy, but the developers in Wedemark near Hanover have actually managed a significant improvement with the new HD 800 S.
Sennheiser HD 800 S - Good from experience
The original 800 already benefited greatly from the more than 60 years of experience that Sennheiser can draw on in headphone development. The materials used, the shape of its ear cups, the mechanics and wearing comfort of the headband, and of course, the 56-millimeter drivers – the largest ever used in a dynamic headphone – every single detail of the HD 800 is optimized and technically refined. So where did the engineers find an approach for further improvements?

Patented absorber technology
The answer in this case, so to speak, came from a little brother of the large over-ear headphone. The in-ear IE 800 may seem tiny compared to the HD 800 at first glance, but technically, it's at least as sophisticated as the big one. With the IE 800, Sennheiser pursued the simply stated but hard-to-achieve goal of creating the best-sounding in-ear headphone in the world. According to general opinion, they absolutely succeeded, thanks in part to the special absorber technology developed for it.


Best connections
Moreover, the 800 S comes with a high-quality XLR4 cable as standard, so this premium headphone can be connected directly to high-end analog sources with balanced outputs. Preferably, of course, to the proven HDVD 800, which already supplies the ‘regular’ HD 800 with excellent signals as a preamplifier.

Nothing different, but everything better
All in all, the sound of the HD 800 S can best be described as a further refinement of the excellent sound of the 800. The fundamental character remains, but the musical definition is a bit better, the detail resolution is finer, the spatial imaging is somewhat more precise, and vocal reproduction is even more natural. Subjectively, the biggest differences seem to manifest in the bass range. Both the technical specifications and attentive listening confirm that the HD 800 S does not play deeper (which would hardly be possible). Rather, it seems to descend into the bass range a bit softer and more harmoniously, giving the rest of the music noticeably more space without stepping into the background itself.

Good offer
Usually, further development of something already very good comes at a price. However, considering that the XLR-4 cable CH-800S included with the HD 800 S normally costs 299.00 euros, the price difference (1,299.00 vs. 1,598.00 euros) is put into perspective, making the improved 800 S almost a real bargain. For more information, please refer to the manufacturer’s website.
