Click to view our Accessibility Statement or contact us with accessibility-related questions
Drop + Sennheiser HD 8XX Headphones
01 / 15
Drop + Sennheiser HD 8XX Headphones
bookmark_border
Where's the price?
To negotiate the best possible price for our customers, we agree to hide prices prior to logging in.
16.8K requests
Frequently bought together:
Product Description
In the hierarchy of Sennheiser headphones, the 800 Series has few rivals. In this range, you’ll find game-changing models like the HD 800S: flagships with Sennheiser’s innovative ring-radiator drivers and optimized open-back design Read More
You Might Also Like
search
close
Sort by: Top Conversations
keyboard_arrow_downWill
8470
Chief Product Officer
Feb 18, 2021
Hey Friends,
Announcing the DROP + Sennheiser HD 8XX.
This headphone is the result of hundreds of thousands of community posts and four years of collaboration between the teams at DROP and Sennheiser.
Analyzing discussions around the HD 800S, we saw clear mandates from the community around bass extension and midrange balance. The HD 8XX incorporates two novel changes to accommodate those mandates.
Where the HD 800S uses a single resonator in front of the driver, Sennheiser created a new resonator system for the HD 8XX, enabling bass extension down to 10hz (+5db @ 10hz vs 800 S) by changing the resonant properties of the housing.
Sennheiser’s team, lead by Jermo Koehnke, reached the bass solution pretty quickly, but our goals for the midrange proved demanding... bordering impossible. After significant research, Sennheiser reached a solution; altered acoustic impedance in the transducer's dampening material to smooth the FR from 2.5k to 8k.
This means the transducer in the HD 8XX is unique, it’s a new ring driver.
Launch pricing for the HD 8XX is $1100 and you’ll receive $200 worth of drop points (20,000 points) with purchase.
For future units, HD 8XX pricing will increase to $1200+.
This is a pre-order, so you can cancel any time between now and shipping, and this product qualifies for Drop Studio 30 day satisfaction returns, so if you don’t like the sound in November, you can send it back for a full refund.
Note: Replies to this post are for product questions, not VAT and logistics.
Evshrug
3775
Community
May 17, 2021
JessseVoilá! Took me awhile to collect my notes (and my thoughts) to write my impressions vs the HD 800, but hopefully it’s interesting to read and at least introduces you to some music you end up liking!
https://drop.com/talk/82618/hd-8-xx-first-impressions-from-an-hd-800-owner?utm_source=appshare&referer=Z2JXCA
(Edited)
Will
8470
Chief Product Officer
Jul 20, 2021
Hey Friends,
When we collaborate with brands, we often use X’s to replace some digits in the model number. This started with the Massdrop x AKG K7XX, and it’s meant to say this headphone is the logical conclusion of that product line.
In February, we hit our goals from a measurements perspective, but our subjective evaluation, and those in our community validation process aligned to the same conclusion: the 8XX didn’t sound like a logical conclusion for the HD 8 series, it sounded like something between the 800 and 800S. We achieved a 2.5db bass increase from the 800S, but because of the cavernous earcups and resonant characteristics of the housing, subjective impressions were too close to the original. Cup volume doesn’t have the same diffuse effect on mids and highs, but beyond the light bass, we were still wrestling with the 5-6k resonance, unable to eliminate it.
Given all of that, we returned to Sennheiser and continued to iterate on tunings with Jermo and his team. After several rounds, we arrived at the final 8XX tuning, pictured below.
(Edited)
nitepone
23
Sep 15, 2021
WillThis is a real pain for me, but I have to cancel my pre-order.
I was really excited for the HD8XX. But there are quite a few negative reviews out now. Many of them complaining about the HD8XX's tuning. And there is no response from the Drop team.
ciber
231
Keyboard Club Member
Sep 16, 2021
Drop has the updates now, basically all HD8XX orders will be shipped next week.
(Edited)
Kevin
5434
Outreach
Sep 16, 2021
Hey everyone,
Just wanted to let you all know that the bulk shipment of HD8XX's are scheduled to arrive at our warehouse tomorrow, Friday Sept 17th. Upon arrival our team will work quickly to receive, repack, and ship all individual units as quickly as possible. We're hoping to get all pre-orders shipped out by early next week, and in-stock sales will start shortly after that.
We have heard the comments and concerns revolving around a couple recent reviews of the HD8XX, but our internal and community tuning team is happy with the state of the headphone and the way it sounds. We know impressions are important to the community when making purchasing decisions and actively encourage youtubers, bloggers, etc. to write honest opinions about how our products sound to their own ears. Preferences are subjective and we expect to get a range of opinions. We look forward to hearing your own in the coming days.
And lastly, just a quick final reminder that all HD8XX purchases are covered by our 30-day hassle free return policy. If you're unhappy for whatever reason then you can return your headphones within 30 days of receiving it for a refund so long as there isn't any physical damage to the headphones.
Update: it's 4:30PM EST on Friday the 17th and our the Sennheiser delivery has not arrived at our warehouse yet. It's looking unlikely that it'll come today, and they're probably going to reschedule for Monday. I will provide more updates as we get them. We're very disappointed since we had extra warehouse staff booked to come in on the weekend to get these turned around.
Update 2 : it's 9:00PM on Monday the 20th and we just sent the warehouse staff home about an hour ago, with no inbound delivery. We've been trying to get a hold of Senn and the trucking company to find out why they've missed two delivery appointments. Sennheiser makes deliveries to us at least once a month (HD6xx, 58x, PC38x, etc.) so this is very unusual for them. We're working hard to get to the bottom of it. In the meantime we've upgraded all US based shipments to UPS ground (from smartpost), so that'll save 2-6 days of shipping time to you as soon as we get these packed and into the system. Check for more updates tomorrow.
Update 3: It's Noon on Tuesday the 21st and the truck arrived and they're unloading the pallets now. Everything has to be unloaded, unpacked, counted, and then they'll start shipping. Hoping that at least some of the units get out this afternoon, but can't make any promises yet. Will post another update in a couple hours assuming I get new info.
Update 4: It's 4PM EST on Tuesday the 21st, they're still unpacking and counting everything. Unclear if anything will get packed and shipped today but tracking numbers will definitely start going out tomorrow at the latest.
Update 5: It's 6PM EST on Tuesday the 21st, about 100 units have shipped, and they're still working at it. We'll see how much can get done tonight before everyone goes home.
Update 6: Its 9PM, looks like 300 orders are done. The rest should be complete tomorrow.
Update 7: It's 8AM, we're at 450 shipped now.
(Edited for clarity)
(Edited)
raansire7
1507
Sep 25, 2021
KevinI was supposed to receive mine yesterday, but they got delayed. I did receive them today. Man, you guys did a beautiful job with the tuning. I'll never know how the first iteration sounded, but this one is proper for my personal likes. I don't hear none of the phasey, comb filtered-sounding aberrations I heard on the audio demos some reviewers posted.
They are right on the money with my other pricey headphones in terms of tonality. If the HD 800 and 800 S are more trebley than these, I wouldn't have liked them at all. The treble on these is bordering on too much already on some tracks, as it happens with my other high-end headphones. Other than that, smoothness and tightness everywhere. I would've light a smidge more bass slam, but that's personal preference. I think the bass is just fine on these. Less would've been too little for me and I would've returned them for sure.
I'm very, very happy that you guys decided on a "last minute" retune if this is more than just the slight tweak of the first version. I want you to know I'm grateful of what the team achieved.
Evshrug
3775
Community
Sep 28, 2021
raansire7I’m glad you didn’t miss out and get turned away from an experience you enjoy, because of someone else’s opinion.
“I don't hear none of the phasey, comb filtered-sounding aberrations I heard on the audio demos some reviewers posted.” I’m curious, has this experience caused you to re-estimate the value of audio demo recordings? Some people protest that they’re helpful for “comparison,” but I make no secret that I think such recordings are misleading because they add so many artifacts and filters to the sound.
Since my demo time ended long ago and I had to send the HD 8xx along almost a month ago now, I’m very curious what music you are listening to! I love discovering music. If you find something that really seems to catch your attention, could you share it? Or, if you have a free Spotify account, you’re welcome to add it to my collaborative playlist:
https://open.spotify.com/playlist/6pRJAUj0vgioHvAhWkudCP?si=zzunadDSTGOzHamPtV0JHg&dl_branch=1
I have similar playlists on Tidal and Apple Music, but I haven’t found the same collaborative feature yet.
Kevin
5434
Outreach
Feb 18, 2021
Great to see all of the excitement going on for this. We've got a few people spamming troll images/posts and similar content. Aside from playing whack-a-mole banning accounts, we'll be deleting any obvious zero-content posts for the next little while.
RayF
22220
Mar 12, 2021
kiwifocus40
Ever notice how the guys who constantly type "lol" aren't really?
Kevin
5434
Outreach
Sep 22, 2021
Stickied
Hey Everyone,
We're excited to say that we shipped over 500 pairs of HD8XX, so let the obsessive tracking-refreshing begin! For those who don't have a tracking number yet, hang in there for just another day or so, our warehouse staff are working as safely and quickly as they can.
Making the HD8XX project a reality is the result of over five years of negotiation, countless tweaks and adjustments, and finally we're at the finish line. We're so excited to get these headphones into your hands and hear your impressions.
We've been doing this long enough to know that nearly every audiophile product launch has its fair share of discussion and debate. From the infamous "HD58x is really just the HD650S with foam removed" videos, to the accusations that the "THX 789 AAA measurements claimed are physically impossible". What we've learned from these experiences is that the community has many shared and contrary beliefs about a product and the best way to settle them is to simply ship the product and let people's ears decide.
For over 9 years we've worked tirelessly to make great audiophile products. Our track-record has shown that these efforts have caused dramatic changes in the audiophile industry. From the HD6XX making audiophile quality headphones accessible to the masses, to our THX amps changing the standard of low-noise amplification, and the countless-other category defining products we've released, our team and process has been able to consistently provide exceptional value and choice to the community.
We're confident that the Drop + Sennheiser HD 8XX headphones will continue this tradition. Thanks for your support and helping make this product a reality.
mmik
0
Apr 14, 2022
KevinAsking for the second time. Any more codes coming or are you just going to leave a bad impression of Drop forever for all those folks who didn't get to use the code even though they were supposed to. The excuse of sorry high demand does not really fly when you were excited about a purchase but had to get the funds in order BEFORE THE CUTOFF DATE.
Jeanlbb
56
Feb 25, 2021
I mean it is indeed a baseless mentality. Its driven by emotion, not logic. The logic is that EQ is important even for $1000+ headphones and if you want the best headphone experience it costs money and likely involves EQ. You're right that if you're not always at your computer setup its a problem, but imo one that can still fairly simply be worked around.
Sundara is definitely example of a very good headphone, not overly expensive that responds great to EQ.
Zeos
648
Mar 11, 2021
So I got my 48+ hours with the 8xx Tuning Mule. I will only comment on the sound as the looks will change when drop is done with them.
Best sounding version of the 800/800s I've heard. A friend brought back his SDR modded HD800 which was previously my favorite pair. That pair is warm and soft which is exactly the opposite of the standard tuning.
Well the 8xx manages to surpass the display of treble accuracy and tone over the previous units I have used. This seems to come at the expense of the low end. These are not basshead cans, I wouldn't even call them neutral in the bass department. They are bass-lite. You get a sense that there is low end happening it just wont shake your head in any meaningful way. So to make up for it the midrange and treble are the stars like they always have been. Just far more depthy and accurate. Never-a-once did I wince in agony at a sharp violin or harmonica solo. Everything was riding right in the lines between too much and too little. In a word they are the perfect set of HD800s.
I had wished drop would be able to convince Sennheiser to drop the basically proprietary wire connectors for standard 3.5mm but alas we are stuck with stock. I can't wait to get a production set back to see how they handle Dekoni pads, previously not the greatest pairing.
I have made a short rambling, incoherent, chewbacca filled first impressions video which I will link here. Enjoy and I will be back when I have a production unit in hand.
https://youtu.be/AoQZ3m-xbdE
jm090
281
Jul 13, 2021
if it is any consolation, i run hd800sdr's and argons for my primary headsets and equally love both of them. Argons are fast af bass canons with a huge stage.
JoshuaValour
75
Mar 10, 2021
*Disclaimer, Drop loaned me a preproduction model of the 8XX for a few days. No cash or payment of any kind was exchanged. The unit I have, from what I am told, has the final version of the sound, though cosmetically, is identical to the HD800S.*
This is my first -written- review of any product, so bear with me here… Many questions to cover! How does it sound? Is it worth the price? Does it compete with HD800S? Did drop butcher your favorite headphone? I cannot tackle everything, so I will try to get to the heavy hitters.
Overall impressions: Positive! 8XX is a breath of fresh air, similar to its predecessors. It prioritizes clarity, sparkle, and positioning above most else.
Details - Well, still, after all the headphones I have reviewed, this headphone can still impress me. Sometimes presence and tangibility of something is just on the next level. Song: For those that follow - Annihilation Soundtrack. The subtle binaural mouth noises and humming make me shudder with what feels like a warm tickle on my ear. Honestly it feels gross, but I cannot deny it’s impressive haha. For a more technical showcase though, I might suggest “Fluid” by Yosi Horikawa.
Treble - Well, oddly, this is probably the area that most detractors of the 800 series had issues with. I think sennheiser and drop had a big opportunity to address this area to soak up some of the cynics and give everyone a version of the 800 series to enjoy. Sadly, this is one area of this headphone they seemingly left largely unchanged. Similar peaks and dips as laid out by head-fi’s graphs. Listening impressions align, but it feels very much like the same picture.
Tonality - Still has that ever so slightly metallic tonality up top. A little unnatural for some instruments, but also perfect for others! Strings can be some of the most enjoyable you’ve heard with the right recording - The Lion King Orchestra Suite (LIVE) - The World of Hans Zimmer, Long after you're gone - Chris Jones (I know, this one deserves an eye roll for being the most overused audiophile song of all time, but it does sound fantastic on this)
Midrange - This is perhaps the most interesting area of this new design. A fresh take on a richer midrange in the 800 saga.
- Tonality, better actually. I feel this is a bit more natural through most male vocalists with less heat applied. A phenomenal song for testing here is “Devotional” by Sivert Hoyem. This song has layers and layers of tones, textures and nuances that few male recordings have. Giving me hard Chris Jones flashbacks. Female voices are also benefited, but not as much and can still sometimes feel a little far away, but also a bit shouty from time to time.
- On a side note, If you are into vocals above any other aspect in music, I would recommend a 6XX instead of this.
SquirrelPorridge
150
Jul 2, 2021
GL1TCH3DNot really. There’s speaker setting, which assumes flat, front facing drivers, and headphones setting, which assumes the drivers are to the sides. The tuning and position of the 800 drivers on the head alter the characteristics of the sound from the beginning, which is why they sound like they have a “wide” soundstage even though that information is not encoded into music normally.
postwarscars
1367
Feb 17, 2021
I've really worked hard on figuring this mystery out. I've done tremendous comparison and visual analysis. I believe I've cracked the code. Initially my advanced algorithms yielded me this piece of the puzzle:
Daniel_Lagoe
23
Apr 12, 2021
Everyone has their own opinions on who the best reviewers are and so forth, but from these reviews and from the measurements it does seem like the HD 8XX will most likely EQ in the low end better with less distortion than the HD 800S.
I remember watching a few reviews from modders that modded and measured the HD 800S and HD 800 that would actually suggest a modded HD 800 over the HD 800S as it seemed some of what was happening to the bass response on the S was distortion to make it sound louder. Between modding the bass characteristics and adding in a mod to reduce the treble they concluded the HD 800 was a better headphone post mod and with EQ.
I haven't tried any of the range, but from the measurements I'm very interested in this headphone as it's a lot cheaper and from these reviews it seems like the strong points of the HD 8** range are still there (imaging and soundstage).
I'm sure I will get comments saying I'm stupid for whatever reasons for what I'm about to say, but...
MASSDROP PLEASE send one of these to Amir at audiosciencereview to measure and do a review on, he already has a very nice review on the HD800S!!!
(Edited)
Evshrug
3775
Community
Sep 5, 2021
Daniel_LagoeI got as far as “I will do more work in the future to sensitivity but for now I am just reporting what the drive voltage is to achieve the 94 dBSPL reference. As I note later, 94 dBSPL is rather quiet so don't get confused thinking 0.26 volts is all you need to drive this headphone. But as a reference it should do to make comparison against other headphones.”
For comparison’s sake:
Showing 492 of 1488
Recent Activity
Related Products
Drop Refurbished
Like-new products you can trustDrop Rewards
Get $5 for every 500 points you earn! Learn more
Drop Keyboard Club
Become a member and expand your keycap collectionCollaborate With Us
For Brands & DesignersFollow Drop