This was originally planned as just an update that I was going to add to the end of my HD8xx review but like always my plans for a 1-page update turned into a short story. So I’m making it a separate post because of its size. I also felt if I just added it at the end fewer people would know I have added more info that may be useful to them. But most of it is classic me rambling that most of the people who have followed me for a while will be used to at this point.
Overall no my opinion has not changed on the HD8xx but I wanted to add a bit more perspective and clarify a few things. So here it is as it was planned originally as just a 1-page response below the review.
As a funny note, I sort of am on the fence about something at the beginning and through writing this convinces me one way and I go off-topic really bad. So sorry for that it it comes off weird. Also sorry for using the same photo if that confused anyone.
HD8xx Update 13/09/2021:
With all the negativity continuing and a lot of people asking Drop to delay the launch and change the tuning, I wanted to add my 2 cents, having actually used the headphone. The short of it is I’m on the fence if the tuning should be reversed, as for myself it doesn’t really matter either way the HD800s already needed EQ for me anyways, and I much prefer if I don’t have to touch over 3k with EQ so I don’t hate EQing the HD8xx. But on the other hand, if they went back it most likely would sell more units and would appeal to the HD800 fans and a larger audience. But I don’t think they have to or even should. It’s up to Drop and the Sennheiser team and they both seem to be happy with this tuning from what I can tell. So they have no reason to change it if they are happy. The testers who got to use several of the early models also seem to be happy (I only got to test the final tuning so I had no say in which they chose). Something most people seem to miss is that this was tuned by Drop and Jermo and the Sennheiser team, so it’s not just Drop, even though they are taking all the blame. There were also the people who got early samples and chose this final tuning as their preference. The tuning isn’t as unbalanced as the more recent HD820(which has its fan base) so whose to say this isn’t a tuning Sennheiser is happy with.
I do agree that Drop maybe should come out and say something. But it’s not crazy to think maybe they’re ok with the tone of the reviews as they know it’s not for everyone and they along with the Sennheiser team made the Headphone they wanted to make. Which is their choice. (I could be wrong) But I can’t see them being shocked that most people don’t like the stock tuning, even the positive reviews that came out around mine also used some form of EQ to alter the tuning (some with the Lokius others with software EQ). So it’s not like this was out of the realm of what they could have expected.
I see some people complaining about seeing conflicting early reviews but honestly, the option seems to be fairly consistent. Great technical ability, bad stock tuning and great after EQ. The only thing that changes in the conclusion is based on if the reviewer likes or hates using EQ. But if you actually read everyone’s review they all read very similarly until the conclusion. So unless you only lazy read the conclusion I think deciding if the HD8xx is right for you or not is very simple and it comes down to if your ok using EQ. But I will admit some people find their staging isn’t as good post-EQ vs the HD800s and while I don’t agree with that, that is something worrying some, so that is at least fair.
If having to EQ the stock tuning to make it listenable like the LCD-X doesn’t work for you, then don’t buy it, simple as that. I have finally decided that I won’t be buying it as the LCD-X fits my preference better and both require EQ anyway so I’d rather buy the LCD-X for myself and maybe this is a good reason for them to swap back because at $1200 there is already a great option for people ok with EQ. Though the LCD-X isn’t nearly as comfortable for many people as the HD8xx. An not everyone wants a planar.
But many would rather buy the HD8xx and EQ it and many would rather buy the Arya, Clear, HEDDphone, ADX5000, Either 2, or even the normal HD800s when on sale. Not every headphone needs to fit one preference. The variety is nice. But I do understand the disappointment in the most recent change to the tuning and if you are also not happy with it then feel free to cancel, but don’t try to make the company bend to your whims. Let it release and let what happens, happen. It still has a decent amount of sales from people who are happy enough to buy it even after the general consensus is out. So saying that there is no market for this type of headphone and that no one likes it is just false. But the number of people who may be waiting to try it and then return if they don’t like it may leave Drop with a lot of returned units.
But is it perfect or a headphone for everyone, very much no and again if you are an HD800 fan I can understand your disappointment and frustration. But like most of you like this have already pointed out, just buy an HD800 used or an HD800s on sale. But not everyone wants to buy a used headphone with no warranty(I’m in that camp) or spend the extra for the HD800s when they can just EQ the HD8xx. No, it’s not ideal but it will work for many.
I also look at modding the same as EQ both are just alterations that some like and some hate, but EQ is way easier and safer to do. So it is my preference between the two. Though the need to make sure every source you use the headphone on has your EQ preset is not ideal.
There are also a lot of people who don't want to physically mod their headphones or buy used ones and would rather just use EQ and if you are one of those people then this is a great option for you. I feel the anger from people is just that this isn't for them and they’re mad. I will agree that I don't really see the point in this tuning unless it was Sennheiser not wanting to hurt their HD800s sales but I have no idea if there is any truth behind that. But overall the stock tuning doesn't make sense to me when it comes to making a stock balanced tuning, but if that was not their goal I would like that to be stated. If making the best headphone at that price from a technical point of view was how it was tackled then please Drop just come out and say this.
So in the end I think an HD8xx was going to rub people the wrong way no matter what they did, because if they released an HD800s with no balanced cable for $1200 it would have disappointing people who wanted an improved model and would have hurt the HD800s sales. With Sennheiser having no other headphones in that tier to still get sales.
When the HD6xx was released it killed HD650 sales (even though the HD6xx tuning is more so between the HD650 and HD600 and has the slightly worse technical performance of the HD650) but the HD600 and HD660s still were selling well so it was an acceptable loss and was at a price point where the sheer amount of HD6xx sales would make up for it. So it worked out. But with the HD8xx if the HD800s sales died the number of sales wouldn't really make up for it because not as many people are willing to throw $1200 at a headphone in the same way as they will throw $200 at the HD6xx and with no equal model to take its place it may just hurt them overall. So I can understand the idea of changing the tuning. But yes this tuning change is very drastic and divisive and 100% their choice. But I’m not 100% convinced an HD8XX that was more close to the stock HD800s would have hurt sales too bad. But I can’t be certain either way.
Sadly headphones are more than just making something that sounds good, there is always the business element to them and you can’t just cannibalize your own products (even though some companies do). This is something I think most people just don’t look at and I can understand that.
But I have been asked what would I prefer? Well of course I’d love to see one more tuning revision, one that is less drastic and much more subtle. Do what they did with the HD6xx and make it have the tuning between the HD800 and HD800s but have the technical performance of the “worse” one. Maybe remove the $200 credit? (or I guess they may have to raise the price to $1200 and keep the credit, that may make the most financial sense for them as it would compete with the HD800s more) Some people asking for them to just drop the price below $1000 is sort of stupid, that would make no sense for them to do. But honestly no matter what they change it will result in a number of people being mad. So maybe doing nothing is the safe bet at this point? If their goal is to save face with as many people as possible I think the only way to do that is to keep it the way it is and drop it to $1000. Because no matter how they change the sound if the price has to go up people will be mad. I don’t see them being able to just remove all the mods they put in and leave the price the same, most likely tons are already made. So any tuning change will cost a lot for them to do. So no matter what happens from this way forward someone has the take an L. Either Sennheiser, Drop, HD800 fans or the people happy with the HD8xx the way it is currently.
Honestly maybe if possible they could just switch back to the previous tuning, but the issue there is now all of the reviews out there are not useful. They would have to do another tour and get them rereviewed. But maybe that is best. But it may be possible to alter any existing unit to sound like the last tuning.
But at the end of the day, I’m not making the headphone or selling them. I’m just reviewing it. So I’m not going to tell Drop and Sennheiser what to do I can only give my opinion on what they sent me and like I said in my review if you’re someone ok with EQ then these EQ just fine. I thought my conclusion on this in the review drove that aspect home but maybe it didn’t.
I do agree we shouldn't have to EQ to make something listenable, I am on the side of a decent stock tuning is preferred but it’s not a deal-breaker for my personal use. But if you are someone who hates using EQ then just don't buy these, these are not good for you then and they don’t have to be. I understand why people hate EQ, it is system-wide most of the time and doesn’t carry over when switching setups. If you preordered and the end result isn't what you hoped for then 100% cancel your order that is fair. If this is the tuning Drop and Sennheiser want and are happy with then it’s their choice. But you don't have to buy it and yes if your one of the many HD800s fans who love the headphone but never bought one and was waiting and hoping for the drop version to be just a stock version then I feel for your disappointment. But there is nothing we can really do, maybe hope for an HD800s non-balanced model from Sennheiser or maybe drop will change the tuning. But a lot of people are being very rude about the way they express their displeasure and that is not the way to get a company to listen. But only time will tell if it works.
Drop now has a choice, say nothing and go along with it the way it is or listen to what some of the community is saying and change it. But sometimes saying nothing is the better idea. If they are happy and were to go forward, saying that will bring more negativity, but I still think it would be nice to hear something and saying anything would go a long way in my books.
I think it would have been interesting if they sold it stock and offered a Mod kit option where they would mod it to have this new tuning so the people who want it for whatever reason could get it. That would give us a great idea of how many people actually wanted this new tuning.
I do feel most of the people who won’t stop complaining are caused by some of the marketing. The statement that the HD8xx “is the logical conclusion of the HD800 series" is still weird and 100% rubbed people the wrong way. The original title to my review was something along the lines of “ The logical conclusion to the K7XX” which I think better fits. The HD8xx is the ultimate version of the headphone they tried to make with the K7xx. But to be fair I thought the K7xx was awful but that was because EQ didn’t fix it and you could get a K702 or K612 which was just better for the same price brand new. EQ can fix the HD8xx and you cant get an HD800 or HD800s brand new for the same price.
I’m willing to bet if they came out originally and said “We’re making something different, an HD800 for people who want something different, a headphone for fans of the K7xx and the Drop style tuning” I feel if that was the statement the negativity wouldn’t have been so bad. Still would have gotten a lot of disappointment but less anger. But honestly like I said above IMO this was going to end badly no matter what and I was shocked when the HD8xx was announced. The HD8xx being a stock HD800s for cheaper would have been the safe bet when it came to pleasing people, but I don’t think we will ever know the full story of why this new tuning was really chosen. But I think the reason is a rather simple one, I think they just like it.
But I think I have rambled long enough(proceeds to continue rambling), this was supposed to be 6 paragraphs and has ended up being a short story. IMO I think enough info has come out and enough good reviews for people to make up their minds on if they should buy the HD8xx or not and that isn’t going to change. If you are happy or not I think show it with your money, not with constant rude complaints and demands. Cancel or don’t preorder it if you don’t want to have to EQ it or if you have an HD800. I think by now Drop already understands everyone’s opinions on it and I don’t doubt there not talking things over and making a decision (that would explain most of the radio silence). I would just like them to come out and say if they’re considering a change or if this is final. As there are some people hanging onto hope that it may change and I think it would be fair to those people to get an answer. But don’t be pissed off and whine if the answer is that nothing is changing and there going ahead as planned. An for now I would treat this as the final tuning and don’t hold out hope for them changing it. Don’t get your hopes up as you’ll only be more disappointed.
I still stand by my review and for many, this headphone will be great and loved. But it’s not a crowd-pleaser and it doesn’t have to be. This headphone kind of reminds me of Tylls HD660s review where he wasn’t mad or angry just sort of disappointed. Didn’t call it bad just not what he hoped for and after the past 2 years, I can understand people’s disappointment being a little more aggressive than really necessary.
I thought my review was pretty neutral, with me saying the stock tuning was bad but for my personal preference after EQ it was really good. But most seem to count it up as purely positive, which I didn’t think it was. Me forgetting my Grades and only updating them on my website’s spreadsheet I’m sure didn’t help. But I guess that is an issue with written reviews and maybe if I did a video review and more people could hear my tone maybe it would have been different. I see a lot of people saying that DMS in his review came off very disappointed in terms of his tone and overall look he had, not just from what he was saying(which he made very obvious). So maybe I should start explaining my tone better and working on conveying that via text better. Because I guess I didn’t do a great job here.
Final notes on my star rating and review
2 Stars Stock because of the tuning.
5 Stars After EQ for value.
4 Stars overall for my preference. Please do read my review don’t just take my Star Rating at face value. I only included it as it is required for Drop reviews. I would much rather have no rating and no thumbs up or down, as you should read my review to understand my stance on the product. As this isn’t, yes everyone buy it it’s great, it varies based on your preference. Which shouldn’t be an odd thing.
I should also say while I am overall happy with the end results post-EQ, and at $1100 post EQ I still think on its own it’s a good value compared to what’s on the market. But if you read my review and decide that the headphones aren’t for you, or that it is for you, then that’s good, that means I did my job. I’m not here to say my personal preference is what you should like. I’m just here to say what my preference is and hopefully help you understand if the HD8xx is right for you. If you align with my preference that is good, if you don’t then that is also good. Either way, you should hopefully know if the HD8xx is good or bad for you. You don’t need to agree with a reviewer’s personal take on something, if you were able to come to a conclusion on if you will like the headphone or not then the reviewer did their job.
I just want to help people understand if this product on its own is right for them. As a reviewer that is all I really care about, I don’t really care if I like it for my personal use. Hypothetically let’s say I loved the HD8xx and it was the best thing I ever listened to and it was perfect for my preference, what would I gain from only saying that? I wouldn’t be in any different position than I am in now. All that would have happened is some people may have just bought it because I loved it rather than buying based on their preference. An more people who bought it based on my review would be disappointed. This is why my conclusion is never just “Well I like it” or ”I hate it”.
I just want every who reads my review to know if it’s right for them or not. I’m not here to defend my personal preference I’m just here to help you know if the product matches your preference.
That is at least the way I approach reviewing, it isn’t to sell someone on a product or to persuade them not to buy something it’s more so just to help them pick what will match their preferences and work best for them. I do plan to talk about my exact approach to reviews in depth later.
I will be adding everything below to my main review as well.
Also, it seems when I released my review I updated my ratings on my website. (which is based on Crins rating system but will be getting a huge overhaul to be different) But I forgot to add it to the review on my website and here on Drop so I’ll add them now.
August 23 2021 Beta Rating System Grades:
Tonal Balance (Stock)
- HD800S - B-
- HD8xx - D
Technical Ability (Overall)
- HD800S - A+
- HD8xx - A+
- HD8xx Stock - B+
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