- 1. Sennheiser HD 800
- 2. Ultrasone Edition 8
1. Sennheiser HD 800
Are you an audiophile with holiday cash burning a hole in your pocket? Check out these cream-of-the-crop headphones from Sennheiser and Ultrasone.
Separate Amp a Necessity
If you take a look through the specs of the HD 800s, you'll learn that these headphones have an impedence of 300 Ohms and that's quite something.
Don't expect to be able to plug them straight into your computer or a small sound card. You either need a pro-level sound card or a dedicated amp. If you don't, the sound produced will be too quiet and the quality diminished.
And while we're looking at the specs, let's look at one of this product's strengths: Sennheiser points to a frequency response of -3 dB and -10 dB, unlike most manufacturers which claim a response 'below -10 dB' without saying what that means. You can even see the whole frequency curve on the manufacturer's website...a little honesty goes a long way.
It's not every day that we get to try on an exceptional pair of headphones--but is the HD 800 really that special? In some ways it is, because before we even had a chance to see if it was a worthwhile investment--which isn't automatically the case for high-end products--the price speaks for itself.
Handling: welcome to high-tech headphones
Sennheiser often produces discrete, classy high-end headphones, like the HD 6xx series, whose design was in turn inspired by the Orpheus range. The HD 800s represent a radical change. Don't panic--these are no SkullCandy headphones--but Sennheiser has made a conscious decision to produce a resolutely modern product, with a high-tech look with lots of black and silver.
One thing is an undeniable fact: the HD 800s are enormous. Compared to the HD 650s, which were easy to forget about even when they were on your head, the HD 800's presence is all too obvious. That said, it doesn't feel too heavy once it is on your head, and the comfortable head band and huge ear cups add to that effect.
There are also plenty of small details that make all the difference, that are all explained in the brochure. To start with, there are two metallic cable connectors which are very tough. The internal padding and the underside of the head band are both detachable so you can wash them. Finally, as open headphones, they don't get hot too quickly.
| Specifications | |
|---|---|
| Response Frequency | 14 Hz - 44.1 kHz (-3 dB)/6 Hz - 51.1 kHz (-10 dB) |
| Speakers | Dynamic transducer/open |
| Impedance | 300 Ohms |
| Sensitivity | 102 dB SPL |
| Cord Length | 9.84 feet |
| Headphone Type | Circumaural |
| Weight | 10.58 ounces |
Audio Quality
I'll admit that it's quite a striking quest, but I can explain. For four years now, I've used Sennheiser's HD 650s as my own personal headphones. That means I know the sound it produces inside and out, including the generous bass response that manages to avoid booming. But here, everything I thought I knew about the 'Sennheiser sound' has changed. The HD 800s are more neutral and clearer--a lot clearer. So much so, in fact, that it seems that the bass occasionally seems lightweight, but only occasionally.
The second surprise is the location of the transducers--which, at 56 mm, are huge. They're a little bit further forward than normal, to better reproduce the soundscape. Think about it this way: when you listen to music on a hi-fi, you don't put the speakers to either side of you, but you sit in front of them. It's a logical enough argument, but that doesn't necessarily mean it translates into practice. And at first, it does seem very odd to hear sound coming from in front of you. After a while, though, you get used to having music in front of you, rather than either side of your head.
Once you're used to it, there's an excellent quality sound that we expect from Sennheiser, with a very light coloring. There is one disappointment, though: the HD 650s opened things up a little more than the 800s. Everywhere else, though, the HD 800s are a long way ahead.
You've probably worked out by now that the HD 800s are a very good pair of headphones. It remains to be seen, though, how many people will be willing to spend so much money. It's hard to know, but we can say that it really isn't worth it if you need a headset for listening to a film or for playing video games every once in a while. But if you're prepared to invest in solid audio hardware, or a headphone amp, then the HD 800 is an excellent product that does its job well (which is the least you'd expect at this price). And for comparison's sake, we can also put them up against the electrostatic headphones that are in roughly the same price range. The HD 800 has no need to blush next to them.
| Sennheiser HD 800 | |
|---|---|
| Pros | Cons |
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These headphones went completely beyond our expectations, and so is the sound that they produce. Hats off to Sennheiser, the HD 800s are an absolute masterpiece!
- 1. Sennheiser HD 800
- 2. Ultrasone Edition 8
Ruthenium is not more expensive than platinum and gold, and platinum is not twice as expensive as gold!
I guess if I were an absolute music snob (and really rich!) these would be AWESOME!
Absurd!
Asking $1400 for a pair of headphones is just plain outrageous - anybody who buys one or recommends these needs their brains replaced. Even hard-core audiophiles are not that stupid!
My Sony XB700 cans priced at $140 blow these Sennheisers out of the water for value-for-money and don't need an external amp to work either. I've used them on countless notebooks, netbooks and even a ZuneHD to get hifi-quality sound. Bass is rich, full and free of distortion while treble is as crisp and clean as you could ever want.
Of course, to really get the best out of any headphones, you need to invest in a graphic equalizer, not a headphone amp! This is especially true with high-end cans with wide frequency response, since they will faithfully reproduce the enhanced sound curve that an equalizer can deliver. I work with Cool Edit Pro daily. The 30-band parametric equalizer is a perfect match for my XB700 cans as well as my 5-speaker notebook. It makes a world of a difference when remastering and cleaning up analog streams as well as mp3's.
And just for the record, I am a pretty hard-core audiophile with close to 30 years experience working with audio equipment, both digital and analog.
I have used Sennheiser HD 580 Jubilee (Special Edition) headphones for years and nothing I have heard can compare,notwithstanding the newer models.They are my preferred method of watching a movie on my PC with an HDMI monitor,far far better than any PC speakers.
I dont think the price is outrageous at all,even for an audiophile like some of us,after all,I paid a fortune for my 300B tube amp.
If you have to use a graphic equaliser,then there is something wrong with your setup,its just a glorified bass and treble control which ,again I dont even have,let alone use.
Happy listening
Luscious.... this guy has no clue. First of all theres the saying diminishing point of return. If you are a true hardcore audiophile, the price will be justified to you just that little bit more quality sound.
I have herd the sonys and they are crap. Over emphasized base that will appeal to the bass heads. The reason they dont require an amp is because theres no point driving a pair of headphone that is so ordinary and therefore will not be able to take much advantage of it anyway.
And lastly, those headphones are tuned in the factory to be neutral using professional state of the art equipment. In true audiophile term neutral is good and thats what the HD800s are trying to archive. Why the hell would you buy an equalizer? Do you think you can do a better job at tuning the headphone than the guys at the Sennheiser HQ?
I own a set of Ultrasone 750's and they are great. These headphones are specialized towards neutral sound, meaning some stuff actually will sound "worse" because you're hearing the unflattered original signal. Not sure about the Edition 8, but I know most of the Ultrasone line carries this philosophy. It's not for everyone, but for me it's awesome - by far the best set of phones I've worn.
Why wasn't Grado included in this competition? Grado's may not be the most stylish headphones out there but in terms of sound quality alone there is no equal.
wow, i love good quality audio and all, but these things cost more than i spent on my display... and stereo. think i'll stick with my $300 stereo that more than one person can use at a time
Reviews seldom put models in the spotlight for their price to performance value, rather for the candid "are these 1600dollar cans really worth it? well no shit they are! Find out more about all that response range you'll never notice..."
It's all about the very edge of the bell curve to the point it just sounds like some reviewers were giddy kids eager to be able to use company funds to buy shiny toys their tax bracket would otherwise never afford...
Why not review some of the good mid-end models which give the rest of us the largest step up for a price that's not set somewhere no one will be able to even verify your review? less than 100bucks range, sony mdr-v6, less than 200bucks, the seinn hd580s etc... That'd be way more useful to prospective buyers looking for mp3 playback duty trying to do their homework.
Ruthenium is not more expensive than platinum and gold, and platinum is not twice as expensive as gold!
Just a little under two years ago, platinum peaked at $2200 per troy ounce (1 troy ounce = 1.097 ounces). At about the same time, gold was peaking $1000.
Gold has recently peaked to $1200, and is about $1100 now. During 2001, it went as low as $256, while platinum went to about $300.
While their statement is highly incorrect at this immediate moment concerning the gold vs. platinum, they were right, assuming they just haven't check precious metal values in a long time. =D
Ruthenium, however, is worth $160 an ounce right now.
The writer is a complete idiot. It'd probably be more expensive to chrome the damned thing in Canada.
Another article from another crappy company.
Fail.
I'll pay $1,500 for headphones right after I find enough plutonium for my Delorian and buy as much platinum as I can when it's worth nothing. They look ugly as hell.
I'm reminded why I visit Tom's hardware and not Tom's guide again.
First I am not wealthy like most of you, so buying HD800 is not an option.
However, I wanted to buy a good can that eliminates the noise, ended up buying Sennheiser PXC 450.
I admit that I used to buy cheap headphones, say under $90 USD, when I tried PXC450 I felt that it lacks the bass sound, in fact a lot. But I tried different types of music and was amazed how all the instruments sounded neutral. I enjoy until today.
What I need to know from all you experts, if anyone compared PXC450 with higher Sennheiser models ? or any feedback on PXC450 will be appreciated.
Thanks in advance !
I was looking for a direct comparison between the HD800 and Edition 8. I finally found some good comments here. Thanks for the information. It's not easy to directly compare these cans. Now - what about the Grado 1000?