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Drop + Sennheiser HD 8XX Headphones

Drop + Sennheiser HD 8XX Headphones

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Product Description
The HD 8XX is based on the HD 800S; a flagship audiophile headphone produced by our partners at Sennheiser. Like the HD 800S, the HD 8XX is made in Germany at Sennheiser’s HQ factory Read More

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AmazingMrX
67
Sep 27, 2021
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The Everyman's Flagship Bucks Controversy!
First things first: I have no idea what happened with those two infamous pre-release review units, but I suspect they were either unfinished pre-production examples or were defective outliers. I cannot find any significant dip in the mid-range of my pair, let alone one as gargantuan as the measurements appeared to indicate in those tests. Something simply must have gone wrong there, and I can't even begin to speculate on what it could have been.
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When my HD 8XXs arrived, I was excessively worried. Following two bad reviews and an onslaught in negative opinions, the controversy alone gave me cold feet. I was already planning to spend my $1K on something else, and was planning my use of Drop's excellent 30-Day Money Back Guarantee based on one first-impressions listening test that I had already made my mind up over. Before they arrived, they were already going back. Twelve tracks into actually using them and returning these things couldn't be any further from my mind. The first thing that struck me about them, in the very first song, was how utterly fine they sounded. A huge dip like the one we were being lead to expect should have sounded like a hollow hole in the music, but these had the sound signature I had come to expect from pretty much every other Sennheiser product that I've heard over the years. These aren't unusual or offensive, they're normal. They're a completely, utterly, and totally alright product. Sleeping on it and coming back to it didn't change my opinion. The tonality of these things is comparable to my HD 598SE and HD 660S, these just sound like much more expensive versions of both, as they should. Enough with the pleasantries, lets make this review a proper shootout! I've been through this song and dance before. $1000+ Flagship headphones have come and gone from under my roof. The likes of the LCD-X and Beyerdynamic T1 failed to impress and were all ultimately returned. I don't intend to be any nicer to the HD 8XX. In fact, I've assembled a veritable Murderer's Row of heavy hitters to come to bat against it. These are the headphones I was born with, these are the headphones I grew up with, this is a collection of fearsome cans that have stood the test of time and proven themselves well and truly excellent. Here are the contenders:
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The venerable AKG K240 Studio, the ATH-M50x cable was bad whoops, The balanced Sennheiser HD 598SE, The incredible Sennheiser HD 660S, the fantastic Beyerdynamic DT 177X GO, and the detailed Dan Clark Aeon Open Flow X. Everything from dastardly cheap to quality planars and a whole host of popular options in-between. All of them are hoping to knock down the new kid in town and quite literally send him packing. Will the HD 8XX survive? Will it live up to the hype?
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Probably not, because I'm putting it up against my speakers as well. The KEF LS50 Metas and the matching KEF KC62 sub-woofer are a truly eye-watering amount of expensive gear, and that's before we talk about amps and DACs.
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The chain here is pretty easy: Foobar in Exclusive Mode on a Windows PC -> USB into the Bifrost 2 -> Balanced XLR to the Jotunheim 2 for headphones and speaker pre-amp -> RCA to the Vidar through the KC62 high-pass for speakers. Here's our first Battlefield: "How Big, How Blue, How Beautiful" by Florence & The Machine (24-bit/96 kHz) from "How Big, How Blue, How Beautiful" released 2015. K240 - They're impressively neutral and clear, to a fault. The song is perfectly listenable but that's it. Bass is suggested at best, but it's at least well suggested. 598SE - Balanced is magic, and so is bass. These things are fun. They lose some of the clarity of the 240s, especially at 0:45, but these are the epitome of "but they're fun." 660S - Balanced may be magic, but Neutrik connectors and hand-braided Litz cable is definitely something else. There's a lot more high-end clarity on these, but the veil compared to the 240s is still there, deep in the lower mid-range. These are still great fun, but they're just shy of serious with their clarity. 177X - These are straight-up wizardry. The veil is gone compared to the 660S, and the sound-stage isn't even all that constrained despite the closed-back design. Drop and Beyerdynamic have something really special here! You want audio-mixing grade gear with some punchy bass and some fun? Look at these. Flow X - Just when you thought Clarity couldn't get any clearer, here's a set of planars that put almost everything else on this list to shame. We're back in suggested bass territory, but it's hard to care when it's suggested this hard. This Clarity difference really can't be understated, the sound-stage is a bit tight on these, but the separation and clarity is orders of magnitude above any expectation. These are going to be tough to beat! 8XX - I had to double take that I wasn't just wearing the HD 660S with a heap of cotton pulled out of them. Clarity is close to Flow X territory, but that sound-stage really is something different. These strike me like daily drivers, with the right combination of bass-punch, clarity, and separation for pretty much any use case. I'm impressed, but... Flow X - I thought I was hearing something almost holographic in the vocal range of the 8XX, swapping back to the Flows it appears to vanish, until you listen closely. 3:50 in the track and the Flows can barely make out the filter buried in the mix. It's present, but heavily recessed. The 8XX are actually more faithfully reproducing the effect. I'm stunned. Winner: 8XX

Next Battlefield: "I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For" by U2 (16-bit/44.1 kHz) from "The Best Of (1980 - 1990)" released 1998. K240 - If you told me these headphones were used to mix this track, I'd believe you. Not just because it's true, but because these cans sound "correct" in this song. They hit exactly right in all of the right places. It's like a great big mixing console was precisely set with a pair of these on a sound engineer's head. If you questioned why these ancient, long forgotten headphones were in this dust-up, this is why. They hold a home-town advantage that's completely unmistakable. 598SE - How much Bass is too much Bass? How much high-end sparkle is too much? When does fun need to stop? Right here, officer. These. They have much more vocal clarity, but the tuning doesn't sound right for this track. It's enjoyable, but it's not the purposeful perfection that the 240s had either. Will the 240s carry this with their hometown advantage? 660S - Closer to correct. Once again, it's like some kind of veil has been lifted, though something of it remains somewhere in the lower mids. These are very enjoyable, but they don't have me smiling like the 240s. The search continues. 177X - These are very close, but no cigar. They're still magical, in that the veil of the 600 series is obliterated here. However, that Beyerdynamic house sound conflicts ever so slightly with the tonality of Bono's vocals. I'm close to a head-bob on these, but I still want to go back... K240 - Yep. Clarity has dropped quite a bit, but I've suddenly found myself nailing a fun factor the others lacked in this track. I am preemptively weeping for the Flows, but I don't want to judge them too harshly yet. Flow X - Holy Clarity, Batman! I was too quick to judge. The Flows are the 240s at heart, just without any of the thump. It's an enjoyable experience on its own, but A/B listening with them leaves me wanting more punch. 8XX - What do you get when you take the clarity of the planars, the bass kick that your heart desires, and add generous sound-stage? You get these. Do they dethrone the go-to mixing headphones of years gone by? K240 - It's a tough call. When I say these sound right, I'm not kidding. The Sennheiser house sound is just slightly off from what I'd like for this track. So here's an existential-dread inducing question for audiophiles: Do massively improved sound-stage, clarity, and raw bass make a headphone better? Do they improve the experience no matter the context? 8XX - It's a hard call. It's a call I'm not altogether willing to make, so I won't. If this proves anything, it's that concepts like "end-game" or other allusions to perfection are based just as much on what you're listening to as they're based on what you're listening to them with. With this track, I guess I haven't quite found what I'm looking for. The search continues. Winner(s) (Tie?): K240/8XX?

No, we're not leaving that there. Let's pick a U2 song that definitely hasn't been mixed with the 240s and hold a proper final bout between these two; 2 out of 3 takes the round. Will the K240s hold their hometown advantage in newer, modern U2 tracks? "Walk On" 20th Anniversary Remaster by U2 (16-bit/44.1 kHz) from "All That You Can't Leave Behind - 20th Anniversary" released 2020. K240 - The symbol crashes sound like mud. There's no going around it. Vocals sound good but, so what? 8XX - Yep, there's the clarity. It's still weirdly close. The remaster still sounds like it wants to be played on something with a more neutral sound profile than this, but the sheer clarity hits you like a truck in any kind of comparison. Best two out of three? "No Line On The Horizon" by U2 (16-bit/44.1 kHz) from "No Line On The Horizon" released 2009. 8XX - Mixing it up this time, starting here. I predict a slaughter. These are just too good. K240 - Wow. I'm surprised. They hold up well until 1:04, then proceed to be slaughtered by their lack of clarity. Much more listenable than the previous track, but still not better than the 8XX. I'm sorry, old friend.

Winner: 8XX

We need a knockout blow here, something extreme. I need to put the 8XX somewhere uncomfortable. My wallet doesn't want it winning three rounds in a row. What's something an HD 800S would never rationally be expected to play? "Self vs Self (ft. In Flames)" by Pendulum (16-bit/44.1 kHz) from "Immersion" released 2010. K240 - These finally found some bass, mostly because they have no choice. The song is slammed with meaty layers of it, and you can barely make out some of them here. This thing is too veiled and ancient to do this. If I was throwing Frank Sinatra at it, it'd be another story. But here we are, in wildly inappropriate territory, flinging a mashup track for the centuries at cans designed in an age when Electronic Music was something out of science fantasy. I'm sorry. I'm so sorry.
598SE - From sorry to not sorry in mere seconds. This is the exact type of fun these cans were designed for. They're a great time, but they're also far from perfect. Sometime after 0:45 they lose their command of the mix and get a bit lost in a soup of veiled noises that sound almost right. When the vocals come in, they start to make up for it. Perfectly listenable. 660S - More bass definition is present here, but less of that fun punch. The beginning of this track also, unfortunately, shows off exactly where that veiled mid-range actually is. The guitars get muddied here. Dang. 177X - Clarity is nice, and there's a lot of bass slam here. Critically, the bass definition is turned up to 11, and the actual details of the drums come out prominently in the mix. Actually hearing an instrument versus hearing the vague impression of it makes a big difference. Unless the planars do something special, these might take it! Flow X - Despite not really having any meaningful bass presence, these things definitely surprise. The layering going on here is really evident, and it becomes pretty clear exactly what bass layer these headphones are actually producing well. Smartly, this means these cans actually do okay, as they reinforce the lower-end bass with higher-up bass that actually has some volume. Is it better than the 177X? Nope. Competently right behind it at best. 8XX - Alright. We finally have something the 8XX can't do well. It does it competently, but not well. How competently? Well, not shockingly, it's better than the Flows. But the 177X... 177X - Yep, there's way more going on in this bass with these on. But... wait, what's this? 8XX + KC62 - They're open backed headphones, right? So sound can leak in? That means a Subwoofer can leak in too, right? This is ridiculous, insane even. Does it work? Yes. Oh yes. Yes it does. Winner: 8XX + KC62 In all fairness, I don't expect anyone to pair an insanely expensive sub with a pair of headphones. A cheaper sub, however, almost. There's some surprising cheap-but-good options out there, and if you're going to have speakers anyway, then why not? Just turn off your speaker amp and leave the sub on while your headphones are cranked. Try it. I swear it's worth it to try it at least once in your life. It'll change you.

So that leaves us with three solid wins for the HD 8XX, but what about the $3K speaker setup? How does that compare? Honestly, this is worth talking about. While speakers are very good at things like imaging and clarity, nearly effortless compared to most headphones, the 8XX aren't most headphones. The dirty secret is that the 8XX are $2K Sennheisers available for a $1K price, and that puts them solidly in the LS50 Meta's $1.5K territory. Even the addition of a competent sub-woofer can be had for as little as $500 new from very respected brands like REL, without any kind of deal, which places this theoretical speaker pairing at the same price point as the HD 800S. So here's the real question: Are the HD 800S worth that kind of money just because they have a balanced cable? Having done this shootout with both balanced and unbalanced headphones, and having owned balanced and unbalanced cables for most of these, and having paired these with an amp that's notorious for sounding better over its balanced connections, here's what I think: No. Not to say there isn't a difference, there's a huge difference in output voltage alone, but it's not a $1K difference. Subjectively, it's not even a $400 difference. That said, what if you look at this like it's basically the HD 800S for cheap and you want to know if that's putting you in the hyper-elite club of people with more speakers than common sense. How do $2K in headphones compare to $2K in speakers? On what sacred ground do we conduct this extremely cursed battle for the ages? "Satellite / Stealing Time (ft. Annie Drury & Alex Vargas)" by Above & Beyond (16-bit/44.1 kHz) from "Acoustic" released 2014. 8XX - This is the best-case scenario for these. Every last detail is beautifully executed without any deficiencies. Despite the reviews, the criticism, and the controversy, these are still the HD 800S at their core, and delicate live performances like these are what they're ideally suited for. This track leaves you wanting for nothing, right? LS50 Meta + KC62 - It's a different kind of experience. There's a clarity inherent to the separation and space of speakers that you just don't get with a pair of headphones. You can suddenly hear where stuff like the 8XX have secretly been struggling the entire time when you A/B these and it's eye-opening in an interesting way. Likewise, there's something about the exactness of having your head position precisely centered between a set of cans, at all times, that you just don't get with speakers. There's a distortion to looking left and right in front of a pair of well imaging speakers that will be eye-opening to avid headphone users that have never experienced it before. But which is Better?

8XX - The one that doesn't actually cost 2-3K. Duh. All hail the almighty dollar. Winner: 8XX Drop has a real winner here. They found a flagship headphone that does exactly what it claims (that's surprisingly rare, in all honesty) and they found a way to deliver it to the price-point of the every-man. It's still absurdly expensive for a headphone, but they've tuned it to be ready for everyday use and left us with a reasonable product because of it. I find that effort, and its result, commendable. But if it's a daily driver, then how does it handle absolute trash? "Starlight Brigade (feat. Dan Avidan)" by TWRP (Opus / 251 Kbps) from YouTube released 2019. 8XX - Discord, YouTube, and Spotify all use the lossy Opus codec. These are currently some of the most popular audio-delivering services on the internet, and I'm sure they're not the only ones doing this. The reality is, if you actually use these for casual internet surfing, you're going to be exposed to lossy and low-quality audio constantly. So here's the question: Does it make your ears bleed? Nope. It's fine. It's obviously not perfect, by any means, and it's not doing the track any favors, however...
K240 - Eh. That's actually better. Flow X - Eh. That's still better. 8XX - Okay, it sounds a lot worse here, but it won't make your ears bleed either. You know you're listening to a degraded quality track the entire time, for sure, but it won't make the track completely unlistenable. Winner: Everything Else. There you have it. If your primary sources of audio are low bit-rate Opus, avoid these cans. They'll just make you wish for a world with CD Quality audio. Otherwise, the 8XX are perfectly acceptable products. For me, since I've got quite a collection growing here, I may as well suck it up and keep these. They're better than everything else where it counts, and I have other options for whenever they're inappropriate. Should you, reading this, buy the 8XX? Yes. They're a hard sell for daily driving, but they're perfectly doable. If they're part of a collection, these will make a fine addition. As for the tuning, they sound great out of the box. If they're off in their EQ, it's not by so much that you couldn't fix it completely with a small adjustment. You certainly won't have to do anything as extreme as those pre-release reviews indicated. I like it regardless and, after comparing them to all of these other cans, I'm stunned by how normal and Sennheiser-like their sound is. Bottom line, if you like the HD 500 or HD 600 series you'll probably really love these. It's just a better product for more money, which is indicative of practically the entire Sennheiser lineup at this point. TL;DR: I recommend it. Buy it and enjoy!
(Edited)
Recommends this product? Yes
Galneryus
7
Oct 1, 2021
AmazingMrXThanks for the review. I’m still waiting to test the 8XX with XLR on my Jotunheim 1, and compare it to my only other cans, the 6XX.
raansire7
1506
Sep 24, 2021
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EDIT: Uploaded picture I'm writing this not as an audiophile, but as a computer music production enthusiast since 2002. I'm pleasantly surprised, friends. I was expecting a weird tonality. I was even expecting a disappointment. Instead, I was smiling upon first listen. My sample sounds completely normal in terms of tonality. Completely familiar and comfortable. No Panasonic RP-HD10/Sennheiser HD 6XX and HD 630VB frequency response funky business here in needing of a tweak. I'm listening to my best self-produced tracks, which I know intimately, and I'm even finding little things that while they were not masked in my other headphones, they weren't as apparent. Some reverb and delay tails that I have to strain to notice, I don't even have to do it with the HD 8XX. I just notice them without waiting for them, which is a first for me. They sound lean, though. I was expecting a more slamming, wet sound for such huge drivers. They're really dry and fast-sounding, but without being lifeless. I do believe that it will leave some people wanting more. The HD 8XX's bass is even lighter than on my Focal Elegia, which in some bassy tracks they have no bass and in others, they have too much, ha-ha. It's not ear-filling or satisfying quantity-wise in my opinion for such big drivers. It's right on the limit for me. Any less bass and I would've returned them. The bass is effortless, however. I have some tracks made with custom-designed 808s and while they don't sound as big or heavy, they hit very hard...harder than in my other phones. Less of a thick impact; it's focused and sharper on a smaller aural spot. These headphones are very dynamic for not being so bassy. You know how (if you've heard them) the HD 6XX sound pleasant but not dynamically-peaky enough, and more like a flat, even sound from lows to highs? Not these. You can really feel what each instrument and sound is doing in relation to everything else. I'm very surprised at their bass reproduction. There is a lot of distinction and contrast sound-wise. The mids are revealing, and well-integrated into the smooth highs. No muddiness on my sample nor harshness. The treble is airy and sparkly but never piercing. Except for some tracks that are borderline red flagging on the edge of too much highs, the HD 8XX are like a well-blended cologne or perfume. Nothing overpowers anything. It's all cohesive from lows to highs. Oh, for being so revealing, they don't make low-quality audio files sound ugly. That really surprised me! Soundstage-wise, they don't sound diffuse or distant to me at all. While wider and deeper than possibly anything else I've heard, they don't sound unnatural. It's just a spacious, layered, well-defined, separated sound that happens in a bigger field around the head. I'm definitely keeping them, and the wait was worth it, which was two months shorter than I expected and has me smiling wide today. The HD 8XX can co-exist with my 2021 Audeze LCD-X. They do plenty different and oddly, remind me of my AudioQuest NightHawk Carbon's biocellulose drivers for some reason. The HD 8XX's tuning has that transparent, agreeable sound quality. I was not expecting such smoothness from them. This test happened on my cheapest equipment, the SSL 2+ audio interface. It has a purposely-built, not-an-afterthought headphone section that sounds great, but I have better equipment I will try these on after I'm done typing this. I just wanted to share my first, freshest impression with my worst-case scenario equipment, to describe my experience with them. I am in no way hyping these. We all hear and process sound differently. Peace, and I hope you like your HD 8XX and don't have to send them back for a refund! WARNING - OPTIONAL, LONG-WINDED RAMBLE: I've been listening to my FLAC files and purchased iTunes tracks on these and really had a joyful time re-discovering them through the HD 8XX. However, I have to say that, as it happens with high-end headphones, they don't necessarily do better with every track. I've been comparing them with my HD 6XX, HE5XX and DCA Aeon Open X, and all three have qualities that the HD 8XX lack. What the HD 8XX do better is in my opinion not required to achieve nirvana on the other headphones. In my experience, the higher-quality reproduction capabilities are not necessary to have an amazing music-listening experience. I even think someone could get the HD 8XX and after comparing them to the HD 6XX, feel buyers remorse. I have to be honest. The value on those is incredible. They're $500 high-end headphones that sold for $199 when they came out, and are $220 now. Do the HD 8XX have a wider, deeper soundstage and are clearer and more revealing? Yes, but the HD 6XX/650 already are performing on what used to be the highest level years ago. So, while the collective sound quality bar has been raised in the industry, the HD 6XX/650 are still as great as they ever were. Lots of people have sold them, regretted it, and bought them again throughout the years, because they are unique-sounding headphones, and also happen to respond noticeably to source changes. While the HD 8XX sound amazing to me and at least two times better than the HD 6XX perceptually and sound quality-wise, I opine the latter already sound as good as it gets in the bare-minimum sense of high-end audio. I mean, I'm not getting rid of mine. That much I tell you. Best $199 I've spent, and they're still a source of goosebumps and excitement..."flaws" and all. Their claustrophobic soundstage, rolled-off sub-bass, slow bass impact, muddy low-mids, scooped high-mids, and rolled-off highs all combine to yield something that sounds strangely addictive. So, if for whatever reason you can't afford (or refuse to buy) the HD 8XX or other high-end headphones, I want to reassure you that, in the grand scheme, chances are what you are missing out is not very significant, especially if you're really happy with what you have and can't imagine it getting much better. Well, does it? Subjectively, yeah...but we're all different. Little things sometimes have big significance, like amp or DAC differences. To me, a small difference has a big effect. Yet, I've discovered throughout the years that differences in headphones, big or small, don't have a significant impact in my musical enjoyment. If they hit the spot, they do it for me regardless of price. An annoying DAC or amp is what can kill the experience for me. They feed the sound to the headphones. Do I love the HD 8XX? OH YEAH! I'm so grateful to Drop, and I feel fortunate to be able to afford them, but I can't forget my roots, and the better things I acquire do not distort my reality. What was awesome never stops being awesome to me. The HD 8XX sound like $1100, but I'm not gonna hype them and tell you they destroy the HD 6XX. The HD 8XX offer higher quality of what is already high quality. The HD 6XX are truly awesome headphones, even if their affordable price potentially detracts from that fact. We're a community of different people with different pockets...and priorities, and climbing up the headphone category ladder doesn't change reality. I opine it does no good being able to afford and enjoy these pricey things without letting our fellow audiophiles that haven't climbed yet know how it is up here in Crazyland. Lots of us started at the bottom of the price brackets, MYSELF INCLUDED. I still have the heart of the guy who loved his JVC HA-S160 FLATS and Sony MDR-7506 back in 2014...and my eyes literally just teared up for whatever reason. Thanks for taking the time to read!
(Edited)
Recommends this product? Yes
SchwizzelKick66
55
Sep 27, 2021
raansire7Wish I could give you 2x upvotes for the rambling section at the end. Really puts things in perspective, and is something a lot of people will value reading. Thanks for the review!
raansire7
1506
Sep 27, 2021
SchwizzelKick66I appreciate that! My pleasure to be of help. Thank you for reading it all, friend. It honestly makes me happy that you found it useful.
vtanacda
24
Oct 1, 2021
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After watching the terrible reviews last month, I was a bit nervous listening it for the first time. However, I was pleasantly surprised! Background: I'm not an audiophile who looks at graphs, talks about frequencies, and technical stuff like that but someone who has been on a search for an end game headphones for 4-5 years now. I want a headphone that will give me a live concert in a studio environment kind of sound. I've had over 30 highly acclaimed headphones in the $200-1000 range over the years. After a while, Focal Elex, LCD-X, Sennheiser 6XX, and Beyerdynamic DT 177X remained in my collection. Of the 4, I'd say Focal Elex is my #1 favorite (LCD-X a close second). I love how "in your face" the Focal Elex sounds while retaining detail + clarity. It's intense and lively, just how I like my music. Focal Elex & LCD-X are my daily drivers. As for AMP/DACs, I love my THX 788 and Darkvoice + Modi and use Monolith THX AAA portable for listening on the go. I listen to everything but modern metal (e.g. metalcore, prog, djent) is my primary favorite. Now onto the HD8XX: Why I got the HD8XX: I love the Focal Elex and LCD-X but they could do better on the soundstage & sound imaging. I've been wanting to try out the HD800/800S for the sound stage but the lack of bass has been a deterrent. When I heard that the HD8XX has enhanced bass tunings, I was right on board. Pros:
  • - Widest soundstage I've ever heard coming out of headphones! This hype is REAL. The AKG K7XX has a wide soundstage but the 8XX is on a completely different level. As a result, you get a very immersive listening experience. It feels like the band is playing music at a concert, with you being in the front row, dead center. It's an incredible experience!
  • - Details details details. From vocalist's breaths, vibration of the drums, pluck of the guitars...the HD8XX gives off so much detail, especially when paired with very clean amp like the THX 788. I've been having a blast going back to my favorite songs & picking out new details.
  • - Bass accuracy. I go more into the bass in the cons below but in terms of the pros of the bass, it's the accuracy. Oh man, the bass sounds super tight & clear!
  • - Light & comfortable. While I love the sound coming out the LCD-X, that thing is extremely heavy & gets uncomfortable after a few hours. Focal Elex is lighter than the LCD-X but the earpads become uncomfortable after a while. Well, in terms of comfort: 8XX is the king. I can wear it for hours on end & it won't feel uncomfortable in any way.
Cons:
  • - Big "oof" on the vocals. Vocals are extremely important for me because I often like to listen to the lyrics to interpret the meaning of the song. While I was blown away by 8XX's crazy soundstage & details, it has a big room for improvement on the vocals. As some reviewers are saying, the vocals sound veiled. It feels as if there's a layer of blanket draped in front of the vocalist, if that makes sense. Basically vocals sound muffled. This is the BIGGEST downfall for the 8XX
  • - Meh on the bass levels. I've never had the HD800S so I have no idea how the 8XX bass compares to that. However, coming from the Focal Elex & LCD-X which both have plenty of bass, 8XX bass level is uninspiring. There's a lot of accuracy & clarity on the bass itself but the bass level is like a 4 on a 1(min)-10(max) scale.
Other comments:
  • - It only comes with a very long single SE cable. This was disappointing but fixable, as you can find replacement cables. I personally got mine from Hart Audio for $85. I use their cables for all of my headphones due to the ease of changing between single end - XLR balanced - 3.5mm - 4.4 balanced when changing devices.
  • - While I'm glad the blue ring is very subtle, it's still there. As someone who likes clean designs within the monochrome color scheme, I really hate it. A dark gray or gunmetal color would've been much better looking & well-fitting.

Conclusion: Overall, I'm very impressed with the 8XX. While it's not perfect due to the subdued vocals & meh bass levels, it's still definitely a keeper due to it's incredible soundstage & details as well as all day comfort. It gets a "highly recommend" from me. As for the cons, I'm considering getting an EQ. Possibly the Schiit Lokius. Yes, I'm aware that there are computer software for EQs. And yes, I'm aware that the THX 788 has PEQ settings; but I absolutely hate the terrible controls on the THX 788. I personally prefer analog controls. Anyways, I want to find a way to dial up the vocals & add more bass to the 8XX. Because if I can find a way to do that, the 8XX will be PERFECT - an end-game headphones for me. That being said, does anyone have any good EQ recommendations for me? I've never used EQ before so I have no idea how to tune this thing to my desired sound (turn up the vocals & add more bass).
(Edited)
wharmond
5
Oct 3, 2021
What I did as a start is go into jakkopasanen's model results page https://github.com/jaakkopasanen/AutoEq/tree/master/results ...then scroll down to the model, open and copy the results for the parametricEq.txt window into a text file, then import that file into Peace with the import button on the right side of the filter line.
Daniel_Lagoe
23
Oct 3, 2021
wharmondOnly thing to add is be careful as the earlier version of the HD8XX is also on auto EQ. You need the one updated more recently.
peterlask
110
Dec 7, 2021
Hi dear friends, I have reviewed the HD8XX for Headfi and I am also posting it for the Drop+ community. The links might not be working, please visit Headfi for the full review. https://www.head-fi.org/showcase/drop-sennheiser-hd-8xx.25588/review/27445/ Thank you for reading. Prelude In the past few years I have owned and reviewed all the high-end open back headphones from Sennheiser and namely the venerable HD650 and HD600, the youngster HD660S and of course the famous flagships HD800 and HD800S. In the end I kept the HD650 (because everyone should have one) and the HD660S which I think is the most tonally correct of the bunch. I sold the HD800/S because while I liked certain technical aspects of them, at the end I thought that their tuning from the upper mids to higher frequencies was lacking in correct tonality and timbre while reproducing the natural instruments of the orchestra. Of course before resorting to this last measure, I tried everything from modding to buying special cables and gear to save them but to no avail so at the end I gave up and never bothered again. I was pretty happy with my HD660S and other headphones and forgot everything about the Sennheiser flagships until I heard the news that Drop+ was collaborating with the company to release the so called HD8XX. A new model that was supposedly tuned to address all the shortcomings of the previous models. I got very interested and started reading everything about the tuning process, the first batch that was withdrawn as a failure followed by the second and final tuning that eventually was granted the green light. Some early reviews and user feedback were rather negative and then I got more interested! I was ready to place an order but very expensive import duties and fees were holding me back. So it was a very pleasant surprise when Drop+ contacted me to suggest a one month loan in exchange for a honest review. How did they do it? A closer inspection of the headphone reveals two significant differences from the HD800S. Firstly they appear to be two Helmholtz resonators instead of the usual one. The first one is of identical shape with the original but this time is raised upwards and there is a distance between it and the driver cavity whether in the HD800S it is directly positioned into it. Then there is a second resonator with a somewhat different shape and working principle that is directly fitted into the cavity with some kind of a ring material between the two resonators. Secondly they have added three carefully placed extra dampening zones at the inner part of the ear cups. They are the three back, tape-like, surfaces that you can see in the following photo.
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About build quality and comfort Older users who are familiar with the Sennheiser HD800 series headphones don't need to read any further because they know that they are among the 2-3 most comfortable headphones ever made. The large D - shaped ear cups engulf the whole ear while the headband is doing a great job in distributing the weight of the headphone which is already very low at 330g only. The ear pads and the headband are padded with memory foam material while they are covered with high quality microfiber for extra comfort. The ears don't touch the drivers and the clamping force is minimal, as low as, to keep the headphones stable at head. One of the most comfortable headphones I have ever used, suitable for extended listening sessions but do remember that the HD8XX is intended for home use so if you try to move your head with force they are going to fall, while they offer minimal passive noise attenuation. Appearance and build quality is the same with the original models and except the (not so visible) blue colored ring they look identical with the HD800S. The headphone is made from high quality plastic except the metallic outer grills and the headband reinforcement. At the top of it you can see engraved the serial number, the Sennheiser / Drop logo and the "Made in Germany" phrase. First batch is made in Germany but since Sennheiser has moved the HD800S production to the Ireland plant I guess that the next one will be made there.
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Accessories Nothing special here, the headphone comes with the familiar big storage box that is not practical at all as it just occupies space and a nice carrying case would be better and much more welcomed. The original Sennheiser HD800S, which is selling for roughly the same price as the HD8XX, comes with two 3m long cables, the one with a 6.35mm plug and the other one with a pentacon 4.4mm plug. The HD8XX comes with the 6.35mm cable and while I roughly understand Drop+ not including the second one to save on costs, I really can't imagine why they have released a brand new product without the balanced cable plus a nice 6.35mm adapter.
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Amp talk Immediately upon receiving the headphones I started the burning process and while I am known for my patience I lasted three days before laying my hands on them. On the fourth day I commenced the listening sessions and everything else was left behind in favor of the HD8XX, let's not forget that time was counting down and after all a month is not that much. I have started with my mid-tier reference stack, the SMSL HO/DO200 and it was not long before I felt that while I really liked what I was hearing, I strongly thought that something was missing and the headphone was clearly underperforming. It was time to open the closet and pull out my reference Class A beast, the magnificent all-in-one Fluxlab FCN-10 (review) and at the same time to give the Felix Audio Euforia (review) some tube heating time. The room was getting pretty hot but so was the music and I smiled as the headphones started to really sing. Most of my time with the HD8XX was spent with these two amplifiers but I also experimented with Fluxlab FA-12, Schiit Vali 2+ and iBasso DX300 with the AMP12. The DAC duties were handled by the Denafrips Ares II / Venus II and the Lab12 dac1 reference NOS DAC. Now you might ask, do I really need some high-tier stuff to get the most of these headphones and the answer will be definitely yes. Don't expect to buy the HD8XX and run them from your mid-tier electronics, this an ultra transparent flagship headphone that must be fed top quality material in order to show what it is capable of. Furthermore don't let the higher sensitivity of it into tricking you that everything is going perfect because it gets loud enough. This is a 300Ω driver that loves high voltage as much as it hates current so the amplifier, solid state or not, must be capable of some serious voltage output and as is already known the HD800 family of headphones is best paired with a good OTL amplifier.
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Listening impressions I don't trust frequency response graphs and other reviewers opinions, well except a few selected ones, so I wasn't convinced at all with the early negative feedback and kept very sceptical. After a couple of weeks of listening time I was rubbing my ears thinking what the hell? What I was hearing was quite opposite from the majority of what I have read, sans a few exceptions. I have been reading comments like "bass is lacking, it is not tight nor clear, it cannot resolve, it is distorted, mids are sucked out (sic), there is inconsistency in the mid region, it is not detailed, soundstage is artificially expanded etc etc". So let's examine together a few examples. Shall we? "Bass is not extended enough and there is a harmonic distortion trick applied." Let's start with the opening bars from Copland's "Fanfare for the common men" where the concert bass drum and then the timpani sound very dynamic and realistic with a clarity that allows for the listener to clearly distinguish every individual stroke, and if you are educated enough you can even tell what kind of hummer is used every time. Then in the einteilung of "Also sprach zarathustra" by R. Strauss you can hear authoritative and thumping timpani strokes, followed by blazing brass phrases that lead into the imposing organ entrance which is accompanied by perfectly layered tremolos on the double basses. The rest of the symphonic poem was a pleasure to listen, with a well integrated, coherent sound throughout the whole frequency range and a more or less balanced, realistic timbre. Speaking of the organ, I couldn't help myself not listening to the "Toccata and fugue" by J.S Bach. The HD8XX successfully portrayed the intense tonal complexity of the grand organ, from the highest notes to the deepest bass, with an effortless and fluid expression. Sustained and pedaling bass effects sounded magnificent and the headphone could reach as low as it was needed without breaking a sweat. Finally some Beethoven and what better than the 3rd movement of the 5th Symphony which is an ideal piece for testing bass technicalities. The HD8XX proved to be a master performer with crystal clear, tight, fast, controlled and undistorted bass. Layering was exemplary and the very complicated bass line was resolved with perfection so all the low instruments sounded well defined without being masked. Tonality was almost perfect with a natural and lifelike timbre while there were absolutely no traces of bass bleeding into the mids. Is everything perfect? Well, no, the trade off is that the HD8XX bass is still an HD800 family bass. Nothing is changed so you are not going to hear a visceral, full-bodied and weighty bass nor experience hard hitting and rumbling sub-bass effects. This is the usual, rather lightweight, lean and sophisticated presentation that concentrates on technicalities and the HD8XX wouldn't be my first choice for bass heavy music and partying. To conclude, bass is a masterclass of it's own in technicalities with all the associated qualities like clean, fast, tight, layered, dynamic, precise, extended, natural and undistorted applying to the highest degree. But if you are still looking for weighty and full bodied bass to shake your head then you should seek entertainment somewhere else. "The mids are sucked out..." (sic) Transition from bass to the mids is exemplary and the region is presented with top clarity and excellent definition. Mids sound open, rounded and layered with plenty of harmonic wealth, fluidity in the expression and a believable, natural timbre. But you may ask again, I have been reading that they are "sucked out and uneven" Are they? I don't think so. "Se vuol ballare" is a fine aria written by W.A Mozart. What a nice singing, the tenor just stepped in front of the orchestra, heard with some fine texture and the correct pitch in a joyful interplay with a well rounded and correctly pitched horn. Let's change voices with an aria by G.F Haendel. Here the famous mezzo-soprano Cecilia Bartoli sings a difficult coloratura aria with two improvised sections and a highly challenging dialogue between her, a natural trumpet and two oboes. Same case here, natural voicing, excellent positioning in the stage and some finely articulated singing with the supporting instruments not lacking in intensity or presented with some kind of unevenness in the tonality. "Voglio Tempo" is a great showpiece quartet for tenor, soprano, contralto and high soprano. I couldn't hear any signs of inconsistency and all four voices sounded balanced, blended and with a nice contrast between each other's timbral qualities and the accompanying orchestra. In the middle section of the piece there is a difficult cadenza for the alto followed by a tour de force improvisation by the soprano which reaches some very high notes and thankfully everything sounded controlled and smooth with all the necessary intensity but without any traces of sibilance or harshness. Of course not all people like classical music so I switched to "Still got the blues" where I heard the splendid voice and the electrifying guitar solo accompanied by the rest of the band, all of them sharing equals parts as they should be. To conclude, I wasn't able to detect any severe mid "suck out" or any kind of unevenness in the tonality except some traces of a honky instrumental texture with some recordings. Still if you prefer vocals to be more forward sounding then you are certainly going to be disappointed. But preferences cannot be the judging criteria of the subjective evaluation of a headphone and subjectively speaking the mid range of the HD8XX is not lacking at all and the headphone does an excellent job in presenting it the way it was recorded. "Treble is still bright and less refined" The HD8XX continues to be a somewhat bright headphone and there is still the treble plateau which is responsible for the clarity, the detailed presentation and the unique characteristics of the HD800 series. But this time there is a key difference, thanks to the extra dampening the treble resonances are now better controlled and much shorter lived. Excessive ringing has been successfully controlled, as a result the HD8XX is sparkling and full of treble energy but it sounds smoother without becoming easily fatiguing nor hard and piercing. The extra damping also helped a lot with time decay, so now the notes fade away in a more convincing and relaxed manner. Timbre quality has certainly improved and now instruments sound mostly in tune and quite natural but there are still some issues remaining. There is a certain thinness to the sound and some instruments don't sound perfectly balanced between the higher and lower ends of their range while some traces of a metallic texture are still present, especially with instruments that reach very high notes. Anyway I think that the HD8XX is the smoothest member of the family and with the given design of the headphone, this was the best that could be done to improve the treble performance and make for a more musical, relaxed and enjoyable HD800S version. Still if you prefer a brighter and more sparkling sound signature and you are not bothered by excessive treble ringing you better stick with the original HD800S. As a final note, you should always remember that the HD8XX continues to be a very transparent and unforgiving headphone and as that is not recommended for poorly mastered recordings and still needs some care when it comes to matching with electronics.
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"Soundstage is artificial" I don't know what music you are listening to but as a classical music listener, I have to confess that the HD8XX soundstage experience is one of the best in existence. It is expansive and diffuse but always proportional and highly adaptive to the size of the ensemble, passing with great success all the echo and reverb of the recording venue. The soundstage is size-agnostic and equally enjoyable from the largest symphony orchestra, to a chamber ensemble, a string quartet or even a couple of performers, always sounding natural and not artificial. The positioning is super accurate and the listener feels like seated in the third row with the only complaint being that the HD8XX is somewhat lacking in ultimate depth and holography when compared with some other TOTL headphones, like the Meze Elite. One good example to find out what this headphone is capable of in terms of soundstage is to listen to the opening chorus of J.S Bach Christmas Oratorio and be amazed with the grandness of the presentation combined with the precise positioning of the soloists, the chorus and then orchestra. To conclude, if you think that this kind of soundstage presentation is artificial or very expanded for your liking then you can do better with something like the Focal Clear Mg which is more intimate and narrow sounding. But If you are into an open sounding and speaker-like experience then the HD8XX and Co are as good as it gets. "It is not as detailed as the HD800/S" The HD800 was a very detailed headphone that I found to be annoyingly analytical to the extent that I couldn't relax and enjoy listening to my music. The HD800S is a better and more musical version but still very detailed although not monotonously analytical as its predecessor. The HD8XX is one step further into pushing the detail retrieval into the background and making it a part of the musical experience rather than throwing it at the listener's face. This is still a detailed and finely resolving headphone but this time the presentation feels more natural and less mannered. To conclude, if you prefer a raw and analytical sound then you should stick with the HD800S or even better the HD800 but if you are more into listening to the music and less into the details then the HD8XX is the best option. Postlude By the end of my time with the HD8XX loan it was pretty clear that there was no way of returning it back. This is the HD8XX that I was dreaming about and I am pretty sure that a lot of you are going to feel the same way. If you have also been dreaming of a more musical, balanced, smooth and pleasing version of the HD800S, without sacrificing much of everything else that made this headphone a legend, then you have found it. The HD8XX is not about being the best or the worst version of the family, it is just a different take for the people who didn't like it's brothers and it is a successful one, certainly worth the status of a flagship. Text by Petros Laskis.
Recommends this product? Yes
peterlask
110
Dec 10, 2021
Thank you very much. I have tried everything when I owned the HD800S but at the end there was always something bugging me in the treble.
dioporks
48
Dec 19, 2021
peterlask Thank you, Petros, for such a detailed and critical review, especially because it is focused on classical music. In my opinion classical music should be the reference of any assessment of hifi equipment, simply because one knows how it should sound in terms of timbre and spatiality - an orchestra’s sound does not depend on engineers, microphones, speakers, only on its own professors and the venue. i have no idea him you have ever tried the hifiman HE560 for classical music, in this case I’d appreciate your opinion and comparison. Thank you and regards
(Edited)
checkVerified Buyer
Disappointing when compared to the 800s
What's different: These are not just a cheaper 800s; the signature is different. They sound less harsh, have slightly more bass (but I agree with other reviews that this isn't a basshead edition of the 800s), and the mids are dramatically different than the 800s. These have a comfortable sound that some people may prefer over the 800 and 800s. What's good: They share a lot of the best qualities of the other 8's. Overall build quality is good. With a good fit, they are so comfortable that they don't even feel like you're wearing them. The clarity and soundstage is, frankly, excellent. And if you're asking whether to get a 6xx or 8xx, these are a huge improvement (which says a lot, since the 6xx are great too). What's bad: I just can't get past how hollow the mids feel, especially vocals. These aren't the "logical conclusion" to the 8 series. It's a tradeoff compared to the 800s -- some things are better, e.g. they are less harsh -- but the hollowness is so much worse that to me it's a dealbreaker. My bottom line: When I pay $1100 for a pair of headphones, I don't want to use them and always find myself thinking "I wish I'd paid $200 more for the real thing." Why you might buy anyway: I'm very happy with Drop's customer service handling my return. Maybe you're reading my negative review and reading someone else's positive review, and don't know what to think? Thanks to Drop's no-hassle 30 day return policy you can make up your own mind.
(Edited)
Recommends this product? No
FlyingDutchMan
40
Oct 7, 2021
I understand the issues with the returns in New Zealand so yes trying them out might not be an option until you can try them out locally. I also wasn’t happy about how they handled the last minute tuning change but having heard both the 800s and the 8xx I certainly understand why they did it. Hopefully you be able to listen for yourself in the future and decide yourself. Sound preference is very personal and one person might like something the other absolutely dislikes. For me the hd800s sounds more like a 3 way speaker with the bass driver disabled. In my opinion the upper range of voices and instruments sound more complete and flow better on the hd800s however voices and esp. instruments have more body and presence on the hd8xx at the cost of loosing some completeness in the lower upper range. To me the hd800s soundstage sounds like all instruments forming a wall of sound without much body while the hd8xx gives you more space around each instrument making it easier to focus on each one. I could hear this effect to some degree on the YouTube demos but I feel those videos made the hd8xx sound more closed in while when listing in person I could hear this was a result of more instrument separation. Although this separation is probably caused by the dip it still made instrument placement easier on the hd8xx than hd800s and makes it less busy to listen to. But I can understand some people will dislike this and why some people feel the 8xx sound more vailed or nasal when coming from the 800s. I feel the hd8xx has more prat than the hd800s and I enjoyed electronic and rock on them much more than the hd800s. For music which only have vocals and high frequency instruments (violin, flute) without much bass I would prefer hd800s for most other music the hd8xx, even though it has a dip which will make the upper range sound a bit less continuous. To sum it up, with the HD800S, voices and instruments sound more complete in the upper range but lack body due to less lower range. Vocals and instruments with more upper range will stand out more and be easier to follow in the mix. With HD8xx the lower range sound more fuller and complete while missing a little bit of mid upper range compared to the 800s which means vocals and instruments with higher frequencies will stand out less, while almost everything will sound more fleshed out. Instruments are more separated loosing the wall of sound the 800s can give you (is this the hallway effect some reviewers talked about?). Instruments are still well placed giving a wide soundstage. Overall I found the 800s very forward with vocals while the 8xx gives a more balanced presentation with equal focus on voices as instruments. I feel the 8xx pulls me more into the music than the 800s does. Similar to the hd800s the hd8xx is not perfect. The question for me is now, how does the hd8xx compare to the Arya or the new lcd-x? I listened to a wide variety of music using the topping dx7pro and the monolith liquid gold+ dac/amps using Amazon HD via usb.
kimdeug
430
Oct 8, 2021
FlyingDutchManThanks for detailed reply. This is a the most full description I have seen so far. Just wanna to go little bit technically, how this middle bass elevation achieved in HD8XX from the point of headphones tuning. As you know after 800 in 800S was implemented resonator chamber in the middle of the drive. The purpose of this implementation was to increase the bass and reduce 5kHz pick. The mechanism behind this implementation was that this resonator will decay the bass region, so it will give a feeling of fuller bass/mid bass. At the same time will reduce the discrepancy from 1kHz to 5 kHz region, which will make an effect of smoothing the shrill in 5kHz region (which a lot of people complains). As an result 800S gives more pleasant listening experience with FEELING a more bass and less treble pick at 5kHz. But technically: the bass from resonator is an reflected bass, not clean bass as originally produced from a driver. That is why some people like old HD800, because of even less bass, but punchy and more clear. Regarding to pick in 5kHz - it was still there, but not so accentuated as the elevated decay from the mid bass up to the area 1-2 kHz smoothed this contrast and made a feeling as less pick on 5kHz . This solution was a carefully implemented by Sennheiser in HD800S, JUST ENOUGH!!!! not to destroy the cleanness of HD800 and save the technical performance. What has been done in HD8XX: To increase the bass feeling the new resonator was applied. It means more reflected bass in the mid bass region. As a result, we have the bass bleeding in the mid region. And remember it is a not clean bass, it is a reflected bass from the new resonator (like sound from wood body of acoustic guitar). Resonated, reflected, distorted bass. In our situation, looking on resonator, the reflection goes in both way: towards to the ear and escape outside via the ports (5 holes under the grill). The purpose of these holes was to compensate the pressure outside of the driver, so the driver can move more precisely without fighting to compensate the pressure behind the driver. In HD8XX these holes are closed, to reverse more bass towards to the ear direction. This gives some problem to the driver movement, that is why a new driver suspension was implemented in HD8XX. This double reflected bass gives distortion during the reflection from concave (aluminium) earcups structure. That is why you can see a dampening material near the fine mesh screen. At the same time this dampening material adsorb 2kHz area too. That is why you have a bigger dip in the middle area 2kHz. Someone described this situation even better than me : "In terms of low-end bass extension, seems like they were able to improve this by just a bit, but not to the extent where it made any significant difference. With respect to the 6k treble spike, on the graphs it may appear that they managed to lower this by just a bit, but audio perception is relative - the feedback has been that the midrange scoop actually ended up accentuating the treble spike in comparison. And all this at the cost of a gaping hole in the midrange - like amputating a leg to fix the limp.'' From my headphone tuning experience, the full close of vent ports was an strategical mistake. I will rather go to the thicker earpads, to increase the distance and make an partial closed vents (sometimes even needle size hole makes a tremendous effect in bass), use additional screen in earpad to cut 5kHz pick and etc. There is so many ways to do the tuning, but it was an decision of Drop to go this way. I appreciate the efforts Drop made to invent a new resonator and driver suspension. But in this case: more means not better :(( And as you said: " Sound preference is very personal and one person might like something the other absolutely dislikes." Regards, Kim
(Edited)
Polymistis
28
Sep 24, 2021
checkVerified Buyer
I generally don't consider myself an audiophile, my goal is to enjoy music and find a magical and comfortable listening experience. I've had the HD 800 for about 7 years which I used daily since I got them (gone through a headband, cable, and a earpads). I've had the HD 820 for about 2.5 years now, which are also used almost daily (my work headphones due to closed back). Both provide an amazing experience. The openness of the 800 is really nice, but the 820 are still excellent and I can listen to either for hours on end with no fatigue from day one. These HD 8XX I just received are strangely harsh to my ears. One might argue they need to be broken in, but this experience did not happen to me with the HD 820, so I'm not sure what's going on there. In addition they feel more oppressive while wearing then the HD 800, as they block more sound externally which again, I find unusual. Where with the HD 800 I do not feel like I can hear myself at all while talking, I get a sense of that with the HD 8XX. Again, this is kind of the "best description" I can give as I don't really delve into the realm of audiophile terminology and such, I just like headphones that give me that wonderful, magical listening experience and don't care how they do it. If it helps. I run my headphones on an Audeze Deckard DAC / Amp for the HD 800, the Schiit Audio Bifrost and Asgard II DAC / Amp for the HD 820 (as recommended by Schiit), and I also have a Nuforce Icon HDP as well. I've never really noticed much of a difference between these as they perform admirably for all my needs. I don't analyze curves because if I can't hear it a difference, I don't really care. Generally when ordering DAC/Amps I request a pairing from the manufacturer and their opinions. I figure if they made the hardware they likely know how it will handle. I also don't find I'm as discerning as some people appear to be with audio. That's my stance on it but it's not for everyone. I feel it's useful insight into where I'm coming from which is a "casual but frequent listener." Edit: I had a ticket out with Drop to see if this is a fluke. It was not, my second pair of HD 8XX have all the same issues that bother me with the first. They're still too harsh, block more external noise than the HD 800 and cause listening fatigue. I was listening to some lyrical music and when the "S" sound would be rendered and it was bothersome. I switched back to the HD 800 and it sounds completely normal, well defined, as someone just saying "S." With the HD 8XX, I feel like it has a twinge of whistle in it and it really gets to me. I kept switching back and forth and it's very obvious to me which is which. The HD 800 feel so much clearer and open. I really can't get behind these HD 8XX at all. The HD 8XX do not fit with my HD 800 and HD 820. My rating stands. They will be returned.
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(Edited)
Recommends this product? No
Polymistis
28
Sep 26, 2021
This acoustic damping material, is that a feature of the HD 800 S which was carried into this version as well? I’m wondering because it’s one the major things that bothers me. I ran them overnight at a mid / high level of volume and they still seem a bit harsh but I didn’t feel as bothered today. The sense of openness between the HD 800 and these HD 8XX is quite stark. I have switched back to my HD 800 pair as a result.
Designr
8
Sep 26, 2021
Polymistis I don’t have the HD 800S or the HD 8XX. My understanding, based on images shared online, showed the material added to the HD 8XX and not the HD 800S. For me, I can’t stand wearing headphones that occlude my ears while I am speaking (not saying the HD 8XX is doing this). For conversations, I appreciate open-back headphones, vs. closed-back, due to this occurring. (Personal preference, in general, is open-back.) Unless, the closed-back headphone has side tone functionality for the mic, to overcome this issue. While you are comparing the HD 800 to the HD 8XX, your ears may be sensitive enough to pick up the difference. It would be interesting to know if this is related to the “corridor effect” that Crinacle mentioned in his HD 8XX review. Personally, I don’t like seeing, what I am assuming is acoustic damping material, added to a headphone like this. Though it may have been a necessity to reach their goal. I would have preferred seeing the changes though the driver itself, and or some type of housing change. I am not saying how this was done is wrong, just not my preference. Finally, this is speculation on my part. But does seem to tie in with your impressions.
(Edited)
Disclaimer: I've had good luck with many of the prior Drop headphones. Specifically the HD6XX, K7XX, Elex, HD58X, TH-X00, and most recently the Panda. All of these, in my opinion, improve upon their original/inspiration models in some way, whether that be price, performance, features (Panda) or a combination of both. And I have yet to experience issues with any of mine, though I recognize that some segment of users for certain models have legitimate complaints. There are various other models from Drop which I have not heard and thus have no comment on, but each and every model I listed above earns a solid recommendation based on my personal experience... with the Elex in particular being one of my favorite headphones at any price.  Today's comments pertain to the latest offering from Drop - the new HD8XX made in collaboration with Sennheiser. I know there's been a lot of discussion on this topic already, with some of it being excited/hopeful and some being rather negative. Which is interesting considering Drop only recently arrived at their final tuning choice, and vanishingly few people have actually heard any of the prototypes much less the final version. Any impressions floating around before today represent a work-in-progress which does not represent the final HD8XX sound. If you've read about the project and perhaps formed some opinions one way or the other, try to reset those and start from scratch.  Anyway, back on track. The HD8XX is a reworked HD800S which itself was a tweaked version of the original HD800 which took the headphone world by storm over a decade ago. The goal here was to improve the various aspects which listeners commonly bring up when discussing HD800/HD800S - not enough bass, along with a sharp/peaky top end presentation - and perhaps add a bit more richness while we're at it. The HD8XX will sell for $1100 at pre-order and you can read more about the details on the Drop page, so I won't duplicate all that here. My history with the HD800 family goes back to the very early days, when I purchased an original model through my local dealer. I ended up getting a set with an extremely low serial number, and like many back in that era I was blown away by the sense of spaciousness they produced. I loved the detail retrieval but also struggled with the peaks and the lack of tonal impact or significant bass presence. I spent years cycling through various combinations of source and amplifier just trying to find the perfect synergy with the temperamental HD800. I came somewhat close at times but it was never quite perfect, and I admit to selling and rebuying the HD800 roughly half a dozen times over the years while chasing that dream. Next came the HD800S which I found beautiful in appearance (dig the ninja color scheme), though I never quite loved it from a sonic standpoint. They did make some welcome changes to the signature but in the process also lost a bit of the HD800 magic - lows were more prominent but to my ears never as well behaved, which means it really wasn't worth the tradeoff in my view. It almost felt like Sennheiser was shooting for a more mass-market, universal signature - which is fine in and of itself, and there's probably a good headphone to be made based on that target, but HD800S isn't it. I really did like the taming of the ~6KHz peak though, and wish I could have some sort of hybrid which offered that along with the slight bass boost whilst retaining the clarity of the original HD800 low-end response. Then came HD820 which I just didn't like at all. I'm sure it pertains to the closed-back nature, but these sounded muddled and confusing to my ears. I imagine it's quite difficult to translate the original open design to a closed-back headphone, but sonically they just don't work for me. That, combined with what feels like an unjustified and surprisingly drastic price increase, means I have zero interest apart from the admittedly fetching high-tech appearance.  So after all that, what do I think of the HD8XX? Simply put, I think it accomplishes nearly all of what the HD800S should have done, which to my ears makes it the best release in the entire series. It maintains the clarity and texture of the original HD800 bass, while increasing the presence enough to where it doesn't feel quite so lacking. It thus feels more prominent than the HD800S, though I'm not clear if it actually is boosted over that model or just a perceptual artifact of the superior quality. Still not a bass monster by any means, but there's enough to where many listeners will be satisfied. Sort of a "best of both worlds" situation between the two prior models (ignoring the HD820, as I feel everyone should). I also appreciate the fact that the boost seems largest at the lowest regions, keeping the response clean and impactful. Again, these are not objectively bassy headphones by any stretch of the imagination, but they should tip the scales for those who were on the fence with the original HD800, or liked the quantity - but not the quality - offered by HD800S. I also hear improved tonality, likely related to the mids and particularly the lower midrange response, where things feel just a touch thicker, richer, with more heft and body. This is again a very good thing, as the old HD800 could at times feel practically skeletal in that regard. The end result is a more engaging tone that doesn't require as much care when system matching. It also makes the HD8XX more appropriate for a wider variety of music, where I felt the original model was fairly picky about what it paired with. So this feels like another big win for Drop/Sennheiser. The treble situation is also an improvement if not quite as universally successful. HD8XX definitely feels more like an HD800S with regards to that ~6K peak, and that's a very good thing. That was my favorite aspect of the HD800S. I can now listen longer, and louder, than I could with the original model. Apart from that, although I still very much enjoy the HD8XX, I admit to being a bit conflicted.  I hear what feels like more top-end sparkle compared to HD800S, and in a more linear fashion than HD800, which sounds just about perfect on paper. And indeed, for the majority of my listening, I do find the new tuning pretty much ideal. But there have been times when I expected even more excitement, more top-end extension and air and energy, and found myself slightly let down. After formally keeping track of these instances, I realized it consistently happens when playing classical or occasionally some (cheesy) singer/songwriter "audiophile" music. Never with any other genre.  This is very likely due to my lengthy history of the original HD800, and the expectations burned into my brain from those many hours of listening. I always felt HD800 sounded best with those genres, despite its flaws, and this seems to dull the success of the HD8XX treble which is otherwise clearly superior in any other situation. It may actually be superior in these instances as well, but so far my brain has expectations which aren't quite being met. Interestingly, when I switch from HD8XX to HD800S, the latter sounds comparatively dark and muffled, by a larger margin than the difference between HD8XX and the original HD800.  Keep in mind we are talking about a relatively small difference here. Many people might not even notice much difference between any of the three models in this aspect, as the changes in bass and tonality are significantly more important. In a sense I'm doing a bit of nitpicking here, and obviously I haven't come to a conclusion as to what I even really want yet... more listening time would likely flesh it out one way or the other. It's very possible the HD8XX is the objectively better sound at all frequencies, and I just need time to remap my sonic expectations to keep up with reality.  The last thing to mention is the famous HD800 soundstage. That open, airy, almost larger-than-life feeling is perhaps bigger on the HD8XX than either of the prior models. I felt HD800S took a slight step backward in this area, though it was already large enough to where that reduction didn't drastically impact things. But the HD8XX brings us back to HD800 levels and even slightly beyond, which is interesting considering the added thickness to the signature. A lot of people assume the light-weight, ethereal sound of the original is largely required to achieve that level of openness and depth, but it seems that isn't really the case after all. I suspect there's some small-order adjustments at play making this happen, related to impedance and phase and other technical minutia, but I could be wrong. Again, this may not matter to most, as all three models sound pretty wide-open compared to many competitors. The HD800S may already hit a threshold beyond which certain listeners either don't hear or don't care about improvements. And honestly that's a valid perspective. But if the whole width/depth/height aspect is your particular focus, you'll appreciate the HD8XX reclaiming that lost ground.  Last quick note before I wrap things up. I feel that most folks who enjoy the HD800S will absolutely love the HD8XX. It's similar enough, but clearly better in some key areas, to make that a pretty safe bet. On the other hand, people who love the HD800 will be a mixed bag. Many of them will also very much enjoy the HD8XX and find it to be a big improvement. But there does exist a subset of die-hard HD800 fans who enjoy the thinner tone and borderline-punishing highs of that model. Even there, a non-zero portion might see the light and switch allegiances, but many will stick with the original and be happy with it.  Conclusions The new tuning, to me, is a big accomplishment, as it makes the HD8XX less picky about system matching. Mind you, the HD8XX still scales extremely well with better gear, but it no longer requires a specific coloration to offset the thin tonality. Despite the treble interpretation I'm still grappling with regarding a very narrow field of genres, I'm overall quite pleased with the end result on this project. I don't know if it's quite possible to achieve "perfection" of the HD800 signature, considering all the baggage involved, but Drop makes a pretty convincing argument for it with this product.  I won't spend much time debating about the color scheme or the value per dollar, as those seem like very personal choices. You either like the look (or can at least put up with it), or you don't. You either see the value, or you don't. For me, the HD8XX seems like a strong value, but I won't pretend to speak for anyone else in that regard.  Note that Drop actually sent along several prototype sets of HD8XX for me to try. It's been very interesting to read initial impressions online (which pertain to a very early prototype design) and then listen to the progression, until we arrive at the final tuning. In each case, Drop and Sennheiser seem to inch closer to the ideal compromise - fixing the flaws without losing the original magic. For my taste, I'm comfortable saying mission accomplished.  (pics deliberately left out of this post, as the test mule prototypes don't have the final aesthetics)
grizzlybus
36
Sep 24, 2021
Project86Can we have this review updated to the production HD8XX? Unless I'm mistaken, it sounds like this review is based on a prototype, and not clearly the production version, making it hard to determine the validity.
rtos
40
Dec 24, 2021
checkVerified Buyer
For 'designer' headphone fans
I listen to a wide variety of music and am only interested in hearing source material reproduced accurately, so I judge headphones on how neutral/transparent they are, at least to my ears, by seeing how much EQ is necessary for a particular headphone to achieve a flat perceived response. (I use a parametric equalizer along with a tone generator or tone files to EQ to a flat perceived response relative to 1 kHz.) For most of the headphones I own, this usually means lowering some of the typical overly warm/bassy "Harman target" low frequencies and notching out/bringing up a high-frequency peak/dip or two. Nothing too crazy is usually needed - just a few dB of adjustment here and there over just a few frequency bands. No headphone is perfect, but one that comes close to my ears is a late-model Sennheiser HD 800 that I've owned for a few years. It's one of the few headphones (along with a Stax SR-009) that requires almost no EQ to sound neutral to my ears. Close runners-up include the Etymotic ER-4S/SR, Beyerdynamic DT-1990 w/Analytical pads, and the AKG-K812 - all of which need only a bit of EQ (no more than 5 dB or so in a couple of places) to achieve close to transparency (to my ears). (Planars like the HiFiMan Ananda and HF6se might also be contenders here.) Having owned and enjoyed the HD 800 for some time I've always been curious about the Sennheiser HD 800S, and the HD 8XX presented an opportunity to try an HD 800S variant at a relative "bargain" price. I knew the HD 8XX wasn't going to sound identical to the HD 800/S, but since I use EQ anyway I knew I could almost certainly EQ it to my preferred neutral target and achieve a sound similar to my HD 800 in any case. However, I did expect that the HD 8XX would at least achieve a place in my "runners-up" list. Well, that didn't happen. While the HD 8XX isn't the worst sounding high-end headphone out of the box that I've heard (the Beyerdynamic Amiron Home holds that honor), it's close, but in a different way. While the HD 8XX isn't overwhelmingly muddy or bassy like the Amiron, its key "signature" sound is a very significant lack of presence in the critically important midrange. This leaves vocals and acoustic instruments sounding muffled or distant, and reduces the percussive impact of piano and drums - an effect that sounds kind of like going around with cotton stuffed in your ears. When I went through the EQing process to achieve a ballpark flat perceived response with the HD 8XX, I found I needed to add a whopping +9 dB to +10 dB or so of gain (0.72 octave bandwidth) at ~1700 Hz (relative to 1 kHz) to achieve a reasonably flat perceived frequency response in the midrange. This degree of deviation from neutral is not even close to being just a different "flavor" of an HD 800/S. I have no idea what went into the design decisions behind the HD 8XX. If it had simply been a 100% Drop-designed headphone from the ground up it could easily be dismissed as a "specialty" headphone designed for "audiophiles" looking for something different to add to their headphone collections. However, being based on the HD 800S and marketed as the "logical conclusion" of that classic flagship headphone, the HD 8XX came with certain expectations, and all the Drop (and Sennheiser) folks had to do was not **** it up. Whether they did or not obviously depends on your point of view: - If you're looking for headphones that are neutral/transparent out of the box that will be suitable for a wide range of source material then the HD 8XX is not for you. - If you are willing/able to use EQ to fix/change the stock "tuning" to your preferred target, you may want to consider the HD 8XX. Once EQ'd they can sound very close to the HD 800/S, and are presumably otherwise mostly identical in build/quality/comfort to the HD 800/S, which is a good thing. - If you find accurate/transparent headphones too "analytical" sounding, then you may actually like the HD 8XX's stock sound. - If you simply enjoy collecting different "flavors" of headphones or choosing different headphones (rather than using EQ) for different types of music or other listening applications and have no preferred "flavor" of headphone sound, then you may also like the HD 8XX. TLDR: Drop took a well-designed, finely tuned flagship headphone and turned it into a "special needs"/niche headphone for 1.) "audiophiles" who want a different/unique sound and are not concerned with accuracy/transparency, and 2.) users who are willing to apply EQ to get the equivalent of an HD 800/S at a more reasonable price.
Recommends this product? No
purr1n
342
Jul 20, 2021
I guess I will throw in my two cents with respect to the final tuning of the HD8XX. To be clear, I've been slightly involved in the tuning process of them. The prior HD8XX was pretty good already; but understandably I think people wanted more; and the folks at Drop wanted more. Something more evolutionary rather than a mere tweak. Well this is it. Well over tens ago, maybe around twelve, there was a rumor going around that Sennheiser would release a successor to the HD800. That this HD800 successor would not be bright, but be voiced like the HD650 or even the Audezes, but have the technicalities, fine detail, soundstage, etc. of the HD800. Instead we got the HD700. (Let's not dwell on the HD700.) Well now I honestly believe that we have it. This the truly the HD800(S) for the folks who do no like the tonal signature of the HD800(S), but appreciate everything else it can do. During my time with the sample (one of many of which this turned out to be the production version), I thoroughly enjoyed every minute. Wait I thought - this possibly can't be anything based on the HD800(S) - it's not bright at all! I found a headphone which was very even except for a scoop in the mids around 2.5kHz. This worked perfectly for me because this dip works for a lot of naturally mic'd recordings where there is excess reverberation. The v2 also takes a nice touch from the prior iteration with a small bump in the lower mids to add some fullness and body to the sound. I don't think I need to gush about the soundstage, the retrieval of low level information, the dynamics and slammin' bass (when used with appropriate amplification). The change in tonal signature did not affect the technicalities one single bit. And also, no there are no clumsy mods. No pieces of foam, liner, whatever nonsense. Drop pulled off a BIG ONE here! They weren't totally successful the first time around, but this second time, they hit it out of the park. Drop x Sennheiser HD8XXv2 Frequency Response
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Drop x Sennheiser HD8XXv2 (BLU/RED) vs HD800S Anniversary Edition (GRN) Frequency Response
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HD8XX (v2) Harmonic Distortions HD(db) vs Frequency at Various SPL
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Nice pattern here with H2 > H3 > H4. Note that H4 barely moves up. The second harmonic, H2 moves up a bit in the upper mids with increasing volume. I've always wondered if this has to do with diffractions and reflections the cup design - it doesn't seem to be a concern from an audibility point of view. H3 which I personally feel is substantially worse sounding than H2, stays fairly low and only goes up at higher volumes. Note that H3 of the HD8XX is a little bit less than H3 of the HD800S (measurements not shown). One thing to note is placement. I ensured the driver was as far forward and low as possible. Otherwise the highs can be brighter would be suggested by the FR measurements. There's plenty of wiggle room with the HD8XX cup design to adjust accordingly. It's not perfect - there's still that dip. But as I mentioned, it's at least in a good spot, especially for those who listen to naturally mic'd classical or chamber music where there is a lot of room reverb. I feel a bit more reserved than usual writing this review; but yeah, this is really fantastic. I think it's because it's been a long long time waiting. Imma gonna order one for myself!
(Edited)
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(Edited)
Pzyklon
0
Oct 8, 2021
You’re taking these things a bit too far man. Get a grip.
gyroknight
22
Oct 17, 2021
checkVerified Buyer
A good entrypoint for high-end audio, but outshined by the HD 800 S
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After crinacle's review and measurements of the HD 8XX, along with a good number of critiques of the tuning when compared to the HD 800 S, I wanted to see for myself how they differ and luckily I was able to borrow a pair of HD 800 Ses do some comparisons between the two. TL;DR: The difference is audible, noticeably in percussion and imaging, but not as bad as some reviews make it seem. EQ fixes most of the issues, but whether you want to use it or think it should be used is up to you. The early discount is probably justifiable but at the current difference of ~$200, I'd probably recommend going for the 800 S instead. If you're coming from something much cheaper, like an HD 6XX, you'll probably be pretty happy; if you're coming from something closer to the same tier, you're not going to be nearly as impressed. The stock tunings are where most of the differences show up. The HD 8XXs have an emphasized low-end that seems like it would be better for bass, but comes at the cost of the percussion; the HD 800 S does a better job at showcasing each individual drum hit or string pluck in a way that sounds muted, bordering on muddy by comparison on the 8XX. Similarly, sounds in the treble region lack the same sparkle as on the HD 800 S (most noticeable in high trumpet notes and hi-hat hits) though that may not necessarily be a bad thing; the HD 800 S can come across as too sibilant and might be a bit fatiguing depending on what you're listening to. The 8XX also suffers a bit in the soundstage and imaging department compared to its predecessor; it's not bad and still miles above the HD 6XX and other headphones/IEMs I've used in the past, but it definitely feels like a smaller space and instruments/tracks aren't as easy to pinpoint by comparison. As for the upper mids, they're not as bad as most reviews make them out to be, but they're definitely the weakest part of the sound signature. I wouldn't go as far as to say that female vocals sound veiled or muffled, but they're closer to the level of the background track while the 800 S places them very apparently in the foreground. Whether that difference in emphasis is a good or bad thing will be up to your personal tastes. With EQ, the 8XX does significantly close the gap; I EQ'd both to the Harman target with Equalizer APO and the AutoEQ measurement presets and if I didn't have them side by side, I probably wouldn't notice the difference. The 8XXs gains back some of that percussion clarity it was lacking stock, along with most of the upper midrange as well. However, it's not quite a 1:1 match: the 800 S still has a touch more bass and treble, along with slightly better instrument separation and a sharper attack on percussion. The 8XX also has a slightly nasally quality to vocals that isn't present on the 800 S. Despite their shortcomings, I do still think the HD 8XXs are pretty good; with both cans I found myself just listening to songs when I should've been comparing the two and in a vacuum, the 8XXs would hold their own for this price range. They're still miles better than the HD 6XXs I came from and if these are your first entry into the high-end audio space, you'll probably be pretty happy. However, having heard both and considering that Drop lowered the Drop point bonus from the preorder amount of $200 to $55 plus the $1100 price versus the 800 S, which is currently also on Drop for $1400 + $168 worth of Drop points, they become much harder to recommend. Personally, I will be returning them and picking up the 800 S instead; at this price bracket, I think the extra ~$200-300 is worth it to know that I'm getting the best version of this series rather than settling for the second-best one. Some other points that didn't fit in with the HD 800 S comparison:
  • Stock 8XX cable is way too long and annoying to manage
  • Balanced cable does make it a little cleaner, but not by much
  • They leak an impressive amount of sound, even for open-back headphones, to the point that I can still hear them across the room at a normal listening volume.
(Edited)
Recommends this product? No
FlyingDutchMan
40
Oct 18, 2021
gyroknightI think you summed it up pretty accurately. I personally prefer the vocals to be a little less forward as they are on the 8xx. The instruments sound a tat more separated on the 8xx which I like, but that is also up for personal choice. For the the 800s are shouty treble monsters without much bass, the 8xx sound more balanced to me, but you are right it does come at a cost of some upper mid range, it is still there but just a bit more recessed, which I actually prefer. So as you said it really comes down to personal taste and I think people who always thought the 800s were too forward or to hot in the treble might like the 8xx better. Next step for me is finding out if I like the 8xx better than the Aryas, Clears and LCD-X. Should I compare the OG clears or MG clears?
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