Disclaimer: The HD8xx I tested was a tour unit sent to me by Drop. They did not do anything to influence my opinion. They also did not have any say in this review. I am very thankful that Drop sent me this so early for review.
Introduction
This review will be a bit different than others as I only had these in for a week and didn't get to do deep testing each day that week. I will also be consolidating all the non audio parts together.
The HD8xx was a headphone people have been wanting for years now. This I think has been maybe the most asked for collaboration since Sennheiser released theirHD650 recolour, the HD6xx.
When the HD8xx was finally teased the community was so excited as everyone was ready for an HD800 recolour for a lower price. But I personally didn't think that was what was coming. Drop more and more as time goes on does less recolours and more tuning changes, which isn't a bad thing. But once the first wave of measurements popped up and the first shown tuning was available for the public to see, all the community excitement kind of slowed down. The first tuning made some improvements and created some issues. But the community was not thrilled with these changes overall. An Drop didn't seem to be happy with them either so they went back and did one more tuning revision.
This new tuning was received maybe even worse, pretty much everyone was not happy. I do know there are a few people out there who saw the potential it had from an easy to EQ stand point. But to say this reception was received poorly was an understatement.
But this new tuning hasn't really inspired any more confidence over the last. But with it finally in my hands how is it?
Specs:
- Headphone Type: Open-back
- Ear Coupling: Over-ear
- Drivers: 56mm Ring Radiator Dynamic Drivers.
- Impedance: 300ohms
- THD: 0.02% (1kHz, 1Vrms)
- Contact Pressure: ~ 3,4N (± 0,3N)
- Weight (without cable): 330g
- Price: $1100USD
- Product Page: Referral Link
Non-Sound Round Up
They're very lightweight at 330g, they have big deep D-shaped cups and a nice headband. The pads are pretty thin which has always been a problem for me with the HD800 headphones. But while they don't feel like pillows on my head they never get uncomfortable as I was able to put in the day one 8 hour listening session no problem.
There is also something odd about the ear-pads they use a material that many other Sennheisers use like the GSP600 and they are a thick almost rubbery feeling velour. The magical aspect is my ears just plain don't sweat with them on. It's not something I can really explain but every other material I find gets hot on my head but this doesn't. Well, my ears still get hot but they just don't sweat like with others.
So for comfort, it does have good headband extension and have very large cups, and low clamping force it does lend itself to being more comfortable for larger heads but overall it is a comfortable headphone.
They're very lightweight at 330g, they have big deep D-shaped cups and a nice headband. The pads are pretty thin which has always been a problem for me with the HD800 headphones. But while they don't feel like pillows on my head they never get uncomfortable as I was able to put in the day one 8 hour listening session no problem.
There is also something odd about the ear-pads they use a material that many other Sennheisers use like the GSP600 and they are a thick almost rubbery feeling velour. The magical aspect is my ears just plain don't sweat with them on. It's not something I can really explain but every other material I find gets hot on my head but this doesn't. Well, my ears still get hot but they just don't sweat like with others.
So for comfort, it does have good headband extension and have very large cups, and low clamping force it does lend itself to being more comfortable for larger heads but overall it is a comfortable headphone.
Build quality is good, it uses very durable and premium plastics. But please be careful with the silver metal mesh around the outside, I have never had an issue with them but have seen many people who accidentally get scratches and marks on it. This isn't really a build issue as the metal mesh is part of its design and part of how it gets its sound but it is something to be careful with.
The ODU connectors that it uses I really dislike, you need to be really careful how you take them out, I don't know if they have reinforced them but in the past, the HD800s connectors were known for popping out when removing the cable, so careful for that.
Looks-wise I love how they look and always have. I showed them off to many people who are not at all into audio to get an idea of what people think of their looks and pretty much everyone liked them and the most common phrase used to describe them was “Sci-Fi”.
I still prefer the looks of the silver HD800, but the all-black looked nice as well on the HD800s. The blue ring that is added here looks not great in photos but in person, you can barely tell it's there and looks fine. No issues with that.
The only accessory you get is the included HD800s 1/4" single-ended cable that is 3m long. I have never liked this cable, it's too thick and heavy and way too long, I end up with this big coiled pile of cable sitting on my desk.
It doesn't include the balanced cable of the HD800s and I assume this is how they justified a lot of the price drop. I couldn't be happier, like I said I'm not a fan of the Sennheiser stock cables there just too thick and heavy so I would much rather save the money and buy a third-party cable.
Sound
Tuning
This is the more objective portion of the sound section. This is where I talk about the FR, but if your someone who only cares about FR and that's it, you may want to just skip my review, because honestly, the headphone sounds more tonality balanced vs its FR and this will create a very big divide in my opinion vs yours if you only look at FR.
IMPORTANT: So volume and Placement are going to play a huge part in how this headphone sounds. This can be said for all headphones really but it's extra important here and I'll explain why. But I don't think its enough to make or break this headphone for someone.
Volume: So the reason volume is important here is depending on how loud you listen the tonal balance will change a bit vs the HD800s. If you listen to this with the bass and mids volume matched with the HD800s, you will mostly only notice a slight increase in bass and warmer mids along with a big upper mid-range scoop and less overall treble. But if you listen to it with the treble at the same volume as the HD800s, then you will notice less of a mid range scoop a higher 3-4k peak and a very warm and thick mid range that has too much bloom. The level most will listen to I think will be somewhere between those two making this whole point redundant.
Placement: Pulling the driver forward and down is the ideal placement. From what I could hear and measure pulling it forward will result in an overall smoother treble presence but a higher 6k peak. Then pulling it down makes the upper mids a bit more scooped but reduces the 6k peak. So together you get a more balanced treble response. The most noticeable change is the new 3-4k peak is greatly smoothed out. Pulling the driver behind your ear more resulted in more issues in the upper mid range and much more treble energy above 7k to the point where it can be sharp.
So the Fr description here will be with it centered as I feel most people will intricately wear it like that. It will also treat the volume at a level that gives you a balanced treble response.
Bass-Mids: So bass and mid I have put together because they really are just one big slowly raising slope. Sub Bass is pretty much flat and perfect, but at about 70hz this bloomy climb happens. There is about a 6db difference between 10hz and 600hz. After that it starts to sloop down into the upper mid range This overall makes the mids sound somewhat muddy and off timbre.
Upper Mids: It's a scooped hole. From about 1k - 3k is this big recessed hole. This is the biggest issue with the whole tuning. This leads to a lot of tonal issues.
Treble: Treble overall has a decent balance, all the peaks are smoothed out but it can sound a tad bright to some.
EQ: Filling in the upper-mid range can result in a very well-balanced headphone. A lot of the tonal issues between 70hz and 800hz can be fixed by filling in the upper mid range. A lot of their warmth and bloom is from the contrast between the elevated mids and upper mid-range hole.
So the only EQ requirement is the upper mids and honestly, for me, this was a requirement. With out it the stock FR created a very muffled and thick overall sound. Flattening the mids will also help in giving you a more balanced sound.
So the overall Tonality of the FR is very off, but when listing to the headphone while it does sound coloured and warm it isn't nearly to the extent that the FR would suggest. Don't get me wrong it still sounds very tonally off to me, but so did the HD800s.
Technical Performance
If you reached this point and have decided this review is too long and want a TL;DR, then the HD8xx in pretty much all ways performs the same as the HD800s in terms of technical detail once you use some EQ. But stock there is some aspects that are worse and some that are better, and you have to read the rest to find that out.
Staging and imaging
The HD8xx gets to keep the title of "King of Soundstage", but I first want to start with the issue with its staging and imaging. The center imagine isn't great, it doesn't have a lot of forward projection making forward placed vocals sound very in your head. This is something I found with the HD800s as well.
I was struggling to describe the shape of the stage so I want to give credit to "Precogvision" for introducing me to the term Reverse Cardioid. I found it in his HD800s review while digging for a way to explain this. Reverse Cardioid is 100% how I hear the HD800/HD800s/HD8xx soundstage. Just look it up and you will see what I mean.
Staging is fantastic, layering is just superb but imaging is where it lets you down because of that staging shape. Something I find Sennheiser seems to really struggle with.
The HD8xx gets to keep the title of "King of Soundstage", but I first want to start with the issue with its staging and imaging. The center imagine isn't great, it doesn't have a lot of forward projection making forward placed vocals sound very in your head. This is something I found with the HD800s as well.
But
everywhere else aside from in front is amazing, the sides and behind
are this very complete and wide. Everything is positioned and
layered so distinctively and nature. It truly is an unreal presenting
headphone.
I was struggling to describe the shape of the stage so I want to give credit to "Precogvision" for introducing me to the term Reverse Cardioid. I found it in his HD800s review while digging for a way to explain this. Reverse Cardioid is 100% how I hear the HD800/HD800s/HD8xx soundstage. Just look it up and you will see what I mean.
Staging is fantastic, layering is just superb but imaging is where it lets you down because of that staging shape. Something I find Sennheiser seems to really struggle with.
Detail/Resolution
Detail is still amazing, the 3-4k peak that was added does add some artificial detail to cut through the thick body of the mid-range, and while I don't think it needs that it does give it a bit of that HD800s aggressive detail feel.
Detail is still phenomenal an the only sub $2k headphone that competes with the truly TOTL stuff in terms of Detail. These are still the Detail kings that the Hd800 and HD800s are known for.
But the bloomy sound and tuning change does hamper it.
Vocal Clarity
Not something I normally give its own category but one I feel I needed to. The stock tuning affects this aspect the most. Because of the weaker front image and in-your-head vocals, this new tuning can make vocals appear to be a bit veiled and very unnatural. I personally never found the HD800 to be a vocal king but it was better than this, the shift in the mid range really hurts it here.
Dynamics and speed
Truly the weak point of the HD8xx like the rest of the HD800 line. It for sure lacks in terms of punch and slam and just doesn't have that immediacy that leads to really textured and engaging bass. It's by no means bad, it just doesn't compete with the rest of the good $2k headphones. If you love punchy fast bass this isn't for you.
The tuning change does add some perceived low end slam, and the bass is a bit better textured than the HD800s closer to the HD800. But the difference isn't enough.
Tonality/Timbre
An by this I don't mean the tonal balance from the FR but the overall tonal balance caused by the driver and other elements. Overall it's pretty good. Its pretty natural and doesn't lean toward the metallic sound like the HD800s kind of did. But I never found the HD800s to have that amazing of timbre. It always sounded just slightly off to me. An here it is no different. Once you EQ it is argue the timbre is maybe a tad better than the HD800s.
Sound Conclusion
If you EQ it to make it more balanced then this is an HD800s with smoother treble and a bit more texture to the bass. For me, I would rather buy an EQ an HD8xx than an HD800s.
But stock it's a different story as the HD800s and HD8xx are polar opposites, one is a warm fun wide detail king, the other is a wide analytical and boarding metallic detail king. Overall the HD800s offers a more unique presentation but the HD8xx offers something more unique in terms of over 1K headphones. An that's extreme detail in a fun wide "Audiophile" style tuning. The HD800s is still my choice between the two for a better stock experience.
Overall you get amazing detail and staging, with fine dynamics and speed. You also get a controversial fun tuning that honestly matches the wide staging. This is not a tuning for fans of the HD800s but more so for people who want a fun headphone without having to sacrifice detail. But you will lose out on natural sounding vocals.
Do I love the stock sound, no. But I also didn't love the HD800s stock. Neither offer exactly what I'm looking for. The HD800s wasn't my sub 2K end game, but for many it is. An sound wise it does punch above its weight in terms of detail and staging. But everything else I find just OK. So for me it wasn't my choice under $2k and the HD8xx is no different sound-wise.
But at $1200USD it's technical performance overall is a fantastic value, and the cheapest way to taste over $2k levels of detail, you just need to do something about the tuning.
Conclusion
I already know that this conclusion is going to be a scattered read, so I tried my best to clean it up. My reviews are always pretty disjointed.
So after all of this what is the HD8xx? People have already claimed it's the final form of the HD800 or the HD800 perfected. An well is it? Simply put, no. It's more so an HD800s with a completely new tuning that will be very divisive, with no balanced cable, and a blue ring on the housing. The comfort and build are the same as the HD800 and HD800s. The sound quality is overall very similar as well, pretty much right between the HD800 and HD800s. The deciding factor on if you like it or dislike it will be your thoughts on the tuning and how you feel about EQ.
I think the Stock tuning is not very good but I found it easier to EQ than the HD800s.
I knew this review would be controversial just like its FR. If I had more time I think my technical performance thoughts would be a bit different maybe. But I don't see my overall opinion on the HD8xx changing no matter how much I use it. I still think at $1200 it offers as much value as a headphone over $1k can and offers the highest level of detail under 2K (outside the HD800s).
The price point is kind of the most interesting part as you only really lose out on the balanced cable which I would much rather not pay for Sennheisers and get a third party one anyway, so its only a positive for me. An at $1200 the technical performance here is great. It's just that tuning that is going to be the make or break for you.
I think this is a fantastic headphone with a controversial tuning. This is not a love letter to HD800 fans but more so a love letter to fun headphones and maybe HD800 modders. This isn't the be all end all HD800 model, this isn't an HD800s killer. This is an alternative, this is a different product this is an option for someone who didn't like the HD800s because of its analytical Bright Neutral tuning.
The HD8xx is unapologetically different when compared to the HD800. An while it may not be for me, it is kind of nice to see something different on the market. Even though I do prefer a more neutral tonal balance as a base point.
So yes my opinion is very all over the place but to simplify it down for people who just want a simple answer here is a replacement for a Pros/Cons list.
Is it better than the HD800s, NO.
Is it better than the HD800, NO.
Is it a great sub $2k headphone, YES.
Is this stock FR well balanced, NO.
Is it still the King of Staging and Detail, YES.
Is it worth buying, Depends.
If you own an HD800 or HD800s should you buy this, Not really.
Is it still amazing for games, YES.
Is it better than the HD800, NO.
Is it a great sub $2k headphone, YES.
Is this stock FR well balanced, NO.
Is it still the King of Staging and Detail, YES.
Is it worth buying, Depends.
If you own an HD800 or HD800s should you buy this, Not really.
Is it still amazing for games, YES.
Buy this if:
You like Fun, thick and warm sound.
You are OK using EQ.
You Index hard for Staging and Detail.
Don't Buy this if:
Want a Perfect Stock Tuning.
You want the best Bass in its price range.
You want Stock Transparency.
You want amazing Dynamics
Comparisons
VS HD650:
Addressing a question I have seen a few times, these don't sound like the HD650. But interestingly these do kind of sound like how people who hate the HD650 tend to overreact when explaining how they sound. They say there so overlay warm and veiled. That kind of is how these are tuned.
VS Audeze LCD-X:
An now for the reason I titled the review the way I did. The HD8xx is kind of a Sennheiser take on an LCD-X.
All the talk is about how this is compared to the HD800s, but with the lower price and wacky tuning, I think this makes way more sense compared to the LCD-X. For me, the LCD-X sonically is my favorite of the two, not because its just plain better but it is better at the things I look for like speed for example. Both have pretty wonky stock FRs (the LCD-X had a slight improvement with the new pad revision) an i find the stock tuning of the LCD-X more listenable for me. But I could see it going either way depending on what you index for.
Comfort-wise the HD8XX is a lot lighter and more comfortable, but I like the build on the LCD-X more.
Overall it will depend on what you like technical performance-wise as both really need some EQ.
VS Drop + AKG K7xx
While yes this is a weird comparison, stay with me as I explain.
The tuning changes are actually very similar to the K7xx. Everything under 1k was increased in a big hump, leading to a very muddy sound, the upper mid-range was somewhat scooped.
The final HD8xx tuning follows this very similar principle and suffers from a lot of the same issues. A slightly muddier sound, very warm and rich, less vocal clarity, worse speed and less detail.
The similarity doesn’t even stop there, the K702 is also known for its staging and detail at its price, with not the best bass response and a lightweight plastic build. Same as the HD800s.
But in the case of the K7xx, I found the headphone just plain sounded worse than the K702 and no EQ would make it similar, the changes made kind of broke the headphone IMO. It was just a worse product with a fun signature. Whereas with the Hd8xx because of its sheer amount of detail it can handle these tuning changes way better and while it does fall into the pit with some of the same issues it doesn’t ruin the headphone and with EQ can become a very well balanced headphone.
So while the K7xx felt like a worse K702 with a pad swap, the HD8xx feels like a mature finalized version of the headphone that they tried to create with the K7xx. An in the words of Drops Co-founder and chief product officer “this headphone is the logical conclusion of that product line” (the XX product line). An while I agree with that statement I don't think I agree with this tuning overall.
This product does have a lot of love and work put into it and the final result does show it, but controversially it doesn’t try and be a crowd-pleaser, it doesn't try to recreate the HD800s magic, but it tried to perfect this tuning that was started back in 2014(i think) with the K7xx.