The CSD shows a quite good response with no obvious and deal-breaking resonances or lingering. Max. I gotta go back and check it out... Looks pretty solid. The similarities are very obvious. The fast impulse response of the HD800S is clearly seen as it reaches the 0dB line. Also the frequency range of the spectrum plot is wider (from 100Hz instead of 500Hz). The differences in drivers exist because of production tolerances. (Right channel only). You can still hear deep rumbles but just not on an impressive level unless the recording has way too much lows in it. However, for quality phones those differences should be below the percievable layer. Weight: 380 g. (without the cable) S.P.L. back to measurements … Most prefer a laid back sound, and some of the detail hidden so they can't hear the defects in their music. When you are not afraid of some DIY and don’t need the balanced cable nor the black accents then the SDR mod is a better and cheaper idea or the passive filter which lowers the offending treble peak to desired levels. It is faster and more reactive in the mids, producing a punchiness to transients in vocals, drums, and percussion. Perfect seal, seal broken with thin armed glasses, seal broken with thick armed glasses and seal substantially broken by slightly lifting the bottom of the pads a few mm which can occur when not properly seated. Usage: Home, studio This basically is a CSD (Waterfall) plot but viewed from above where the level differences are colour coded instead of being in the vertical axis. Most headphones look like that when you smooth it that much. Even with the treble reduced the detail retrieval and ‘airy’ sound remains… just not overly hyped but just more realistic and less fatiguing. Small and short lived resonances can be seen at 6kHz and 10kHz though but doubt these … Sorry dumb question but are all of the HD 800s tuned differently? Imaging and stereo separation is top notch. Sennheiser HD800 review These Senneheisers offer much, but are beaten by close rivals in important areas Tested at £1000.00 By What Hi-Fi? When I would have to give a very short description it would be this. The chart that you get is how close your pair matched their target frequency response. The effect of the absorber is quite obvious. Not only because of the color and the absorber that lowers the 6kHz peak somewhat but also because of the extra (balanced) cable that comes with it. By lack of oscilloscope shots (not enough time to measure that) below a step response plot of the HD800S (Left, Right). This elevated treble is mostly responsible for the perceived high detail. I've sent off for mine multiple times but they just don't send it. Lower bass is not boosted. People usually don't like them because the treble is elevated, and they're too revealing. Below the distortion plot of the HD800S : (only Right channel shown). Below the frequency response of the HD700 and HD800 in one plot. Page 1 of 1 Start over Page 1 of 1 . below the differenced between a demo HD800S (2016) and a new HD800S 75YA version.There are differences between the 2 headphones but are in the ‘range’ of product variations. The schematic is shown below. NO SMOOTHING is applied to the shown plots. The shape of your head, bone structure, pad size, pad ‘softness,  (compliance), hair or no hair and or wearing glasses may (drastically) change the frequency response of some headphones, so… your personal experience may differ substantially from these plots. This turns the HD800 in an HD800S but with better ‘measured bass performance’ than the HD800S as the distortion of the HD800 is slightly lower than that of the HD800S. Sample 1. Changing the cable is not a bad idea when you don’t like stiff, springy and long cables. First, the full frequency response (not truncated to 12KHz) of HD800 and on more clearly disclosed equipment: And perhaps of most interest to the OP, the bassy sound of the Beats isn't all that … The step response clearly shows the lack of ‘bottom end’ as evidenced by the downwards sloping line. Not only the amplitude of the 6kHz resonance is lower in the HD800S but the ringing is also much better damped/shorter lived. You can clearly see the influence of the HD800 S -resonator around 6 kHz, how it reduces that peak by 4-5 dB. 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) approximately, transducer principle-Dynamic, … The S fixes that to some degree. The Sennheiser HD800S is an open over-ear dynamic headphone. Some other specifications are a frequency response of 4 – 51,000 Hz (+-10dB), 300Ohm impedance and a 0.02% (1kHz, 1Vrms). The striking industrial design combines form and function seamlessly, the layered metal and plastic headband construction attenuating vibrations to the earcups while the handmade microfiber earpads offer exceptional comfort for even long periods of listening enjoyment. The measurement rig has a relatively high 2nd harmonic distortion so numbers below 0.2% (above 200Hz) will be there in reality. A ‘horizontal‘ frequency response curve on the shown frequency response plots on this website thus indicates a perceived ‘flat’ tonal signature. It seems to take away some of the sparkle but causes the overall warmth to get accentuated a bit. when connected to a higher output resistance amplifier. back to Sennheiser You get about 1dB more lows. HD800 veiled in any capacity is hilarious. The treble quality is better than that of the HD800. (Left, Right)Channel matching is excellent as should be expected in this price range. I'm not sure, how would that impact the sound? I think the build quality of both headphones are high enough, and I really have no complain with either one. The connector is a LEMO-type 2-pin connector manufactured by ODU GmbH. Nevertheless Etymotic does it a lot better. Sennheiser HD800. Forums. IMO that's a very outdated version of neutrality, but Sennheiser stuck by the classic German standards when tuning this thing I guess rather than going the HD 650 route. Based on the research of how human ears hear, headphones' frequency response should not be flat, and should be based on the diffuse-field frequency response, which has a big bump at high … On the other hand, a sense of width is there for much of the mix with the HD 800 S. The HD 800 S gets its emotional lift there moreso from the change in dynamic than the change in width. Deviations in different severities at different frequency bands have an effect on the sound character. To me the differences between the HD800 and HD800S aren’t that big. Also the frequency range of the spectrum plot is wider (from 100Hz instead of 500Hz). In addition to the standard 1/4" stereo … The new Sennheiser HD800S absorber reduces unwanted peaks in the headphones frequency response making the listening experience smoother and more balanced. What is obvious here is that the dip after the initial rise is deeper and that the resonance after it is lower in frequency (6kHz) and takes about twice as long long to die out. Wait, does this mean they've already made more than 7500 units of HD800S? Breaking the seal (improper fit on the head) usually means a loss of (sub)bass. By comparison, if you’ve messed around with any music app’s EQ settings, you might have seen a non-flat EQ setting that boosts bass or cuts treble, etc.So if a component (such as a headphone driver) doesn’t have a flat frequency response… Below 100Hz this headphone drops off very gradually. So even if your frequency response chart from Senn had a dead flat line, your headphone's actual frequency response is far from flat. Those mids are clear and articulate and have a decent presence. It is not really overshoot but the 6dB dip following the initial rise is a bit high. Below the differences between the HD800 and HD800S. Press question mark to learn the rest of the keyboard shortcuts, HeaDSPeaker -> Nuraphone | Stax 003, 202 | Audioquest Nighthawk, HD800 S | Bifrost MB | Valhalla 2 | JBL 590 | Emotiva A-500, HD800S + Lyr 2 / CA Andromeda / UM Merlin + Sony ZX2, HD 800 + Burson Soloist SL + Musical Fidelity V90 DAC, An entire wall covered in HD600/650s and NFB11s, Audeze EL-8 Ti | Sennheiser HD1 | Solo3 | AirPods. Max. Page 1 of 1 Start over Page 1 of 1 … Clamping force is very low and because the pads are very large and there is plenty of room in there for even the biggest ears you won’t get sweaty/hot ears. From 10Hz to 1kHz the differences are negligible. When comparing the two headphones it shows that the HD800S has slightly higher distortion levels below 100Hz. This is the strong point of this headphone, along with wearing comfort. The bigger the deviation the stronger the effect. When the lack of bass and elevated treble is something that you don’t particularly like but do like the other great assets of this headphone than the Kameleon or (software) EQ may be a way out. Efficiency: 101dB/1mW  (105dB/1V) (website links), Foobar 2000 for Dummies (Part 1) – General Setup, Foobar 2000 for Dummies (Part 2) – Playing DSD – New SACD plugin (0.9.x and 1.x.x Series), power, efficiency, levels, balanced, impedance. As can be seen the absorber in the HD800S does a good job. Ah, yes a lack of the 6k peak that actually appears on HD 800 graphs is evident here. The effect of this filter is shown below. New comments cannot be posted and votes cannot be cast. Headphones with a good sub-bass extension have a (close to) horizontal line after the initial rise. Here's my graph from last February, Nice, I'll probably also post mine when I get home :). The time span is also bigger in the spectrum plots and expired time is shown from below to top where in the CSD the time is shown from rear to front. and an only slightly veiled treble. From 100Hz to 1kHz the response is very flat and accurate. Driver size: 56mm, angled 10º The only thing you can take from these is a verification that they put it through some quality test. A highly detailed and airy sound only lacking a bit in ‘body/grunt’ and subbass but not obviously missing bass. To order this you can contact member ‘sorrodje’ at SBAF. You can almost think of it as instead of your pair modeling a flat speaker in that anechoic room, it's modeling a slightly bass boosted speaker with a cut at those high frequencies. The CSD shows a quite good response with no obvious and deal-breaking resonances or lingering. That 10kHz peak thus isn’t audible as a peak. The price of the HD800S is a lot higher though. Even the HD800S still has some ‘sharpness’ in its sound though and while better than the HD800 already it still needs some EQ. The HD 700 are made for neutral listening. It doesn’t look like this will make the difference but it does remove the remaining sharpness but leaves the overall sound completely as it is. For music, other than classical, the HD800(S) needs some EQ in the treble and the lower bass. When that level is reduced to the same level as the mids the headphone sounds ‘bland’ and lifeless. This means our ears will also have a narrow dip somewhere in this region. A place for discussion, news, reviews and DIY projects related to portable audio, headphones, headphone amplifiers and DACs. Instrument separation as well as dynamics and retrieval of the finer nuances is among the best of the TOTL headphones out there. The used ‘Helmholtz resonator’ seems to be perfectly tuned to the biggest ‘flaw’ of the HD800. It's important to note that Sennheiser modeled the HD800 series' frequency response on the sound of a neutral speaker in an anechoic room. Frequency Response: 6–51,000 Hz (-10 dB); 14–44,100 Hz (-3 dB) Contact pressure: approx. What other items do customers buy after viewing this item? The new design is claimed to deliver a slightly wider frequency response of 4Hz to 51kHz (at a rather generous -10dB), where the original was rated at 6Hz to 51kHz. Inside the box, the Sennheiser HD800s comes with a range of accessories: … In other words, an ideal frequency response is one that doesn’t adjust the volume of the bass, middle, or treble, from our source. :(. The treble peak of the original HD800 is already lowered using a resonator in the HD800S. The differences too. cont. They sound fine by me. Below the CSD of the HD800S (Left and Right channel are superimposed). The thing with the 10kHz peak is that HATS usually have a deep and narrow dip there. Yep. The result is hyper fast response for superb detail across the entire frequency range. Looking at the frequency response does show a very present, but not necessarily overly emphasized treble response in relation to the midrange and bass. On the other hand there is as good as no ringing seen at all. The small dip from 1.5kHz to 5kHz may be a little less ‘deep’ in reality compared to the measurement  because the measurement rig does not have a pinna which does alter the response exactly in that area. Seal can be an issue with closed-back headphones but is usually less of a problem for open headphones. Its … … The frequency response of the HD-800s goes spectacularly low. Small and short lived resonances can be seen at 6kHz and 10kHz though but doubt these are detrimental to the treble quality. : 128dB Each HD 800 S Anniversary Edition is delivered directly from our Quality Evaluation department together with a frequency response certificate specific to each headphone. A little bit less ‘romantic’ presentation perhaps then it might be worth ‘upgrading’. This is described HERE in more detail. The headphone’s vibration damping chassis and inert headband ensure that what you put into the HD 800 S is precisely … Or what people generally refer to as a „frequency response“. The HD800 is somewhat more ‘grating’ in the treble but that is really the only audible difference to me. Cable entry: dual sided Very moderate bass boost (though what's up with the dip around 200-300hz?) Just listen to one, they're anything but. When this level is reduced by EQ one must be careful not to reduce the 10kHz part too much. Diffuse field is basically the opposite, … A reduction of about 5 dB is achieved. However, the bass … Technical Specifications HD800: – Weight – 330 grams (0.73 pounds) – Frequency Response – -10 decibels ; -3 decibels – Nominal Impedance – 300 Ohms – Transducer – Has a massive 56mm wide … Headphones (full-size) ... are there any known cases of fake hd 800/hd 800s? To compensate for this the amplifier is cranked up to the same level (at 1kHz) as the low impedance amplifier. Those that find the treble of the HD800S and HD800 SDR mod still a tad too sharp can use a passive filter to lower the (still present) boosted treble a bit. Bass sounds ‘tight’ and very ‘dynamic’ and clean. And I'm really liking the moderate bass boost you mentioned. 3.4 n ± 0.3 n What other items do customers buy after viewing this item? Senn draws attention to the fact for marketing purposes. Also measured the HD800S 75th anniversary version which has a dark gold-ish color instead of the all black color of the regular HD800S. That's a lot of relatively new flagship headphones. With this I mean placement of instruments in the sound field and the ability to perceive them ‘separate’ and ‘realistic’ is excellent. Fortunately there are fixes for this that do not affect the other excellent qualities. Output resistances below 33 Ohm have no effect at all. Type: Over ear, open The distortion around 60Hz is around 1% That would be free field. Below the spectrum plot of the HD800S 75YA (Left channel). Cookies help us deliver our Services. This is subtle but noticeable. This is better in the HD800S but this one still is ‘overly’ trebly/bright and ‘hyper-detailed’ because of the ‘treble plateau’.| It certainly has resemblance in tonal balance with the HD800. The 10kHz peak even sticks out 10dB above the rest. Below the measurements of the (brand new) HD800S 75YA. Frequency response: 6–51,000 hz (-10 db); 14–44,100 hz (-3 db) Contact pressure: approx. There is a small chance, however, that depending on the shape/ size of the owners head seal may be broken resulting in less (sub)bass. Headphone cup connector: proprietary ODU GmbH 2 pin connectors. Frequency Response: 4 Hz - 51.000Hz (-10 dB) Frequency Response 2: 10 Hz - 44100Hz (-3dB) Max Sound Pressure (SPL) 102dB (1Vrms) Ear coupling: Circum-Aural: Cable length: 3m Straight Cable: … Frequency response: 6 – 51000 Hz (- 10 dB) THD, total harmonic distortion: 0.02 % (1 kHz 1 Vrms) Contact pressure: ~ 3,4 N (± 0,3 N) Bass integrates seamlessly with the mids. This isn’t the cheapest connector around so when looking for a replacement cable be prepared to fork out quite a lot of cash. No two pairs are absolutely similar. Stock HD800S and HD800S with passive filter. I do not use smoothing because some info about sound quality is lost when plots are smoothed. Distortion from 200Hz to 10kHz is very low. Congrats! The frequency response consistency of the HD 800 S is great. This headphone is top notch when it concerns fit, finish, looks and craftsmanship. Limited to just 750 pieces … The effect is similar to that of the HD800S. Press J to jump to the feed. Impedance: 370 Ω (310Ω DC) By using our Services or clicking I agree, you agree to our use of cookies. A different plot is the spectrum plot. The 6kHz peak is still 4dB too high (despite the absorber). As others have said keep in mind this is a diffuse field equalized headphone. There is a solution for this though. But ringing is also reduced which cannot be seen on this plot. The elevated treble and slightly rolled off subbass are still downsides.