Sennheiser HD 800 S - Open Back Dynamic Headphone - Official Thread

I had no illusion that everyone would agree with me on the length :). I started using 4.4mm as intermediate connector with various adapters. Works reasonable well and I don’t need an adapter for mobile use.

1 Like

No, I know. I get the excitement of a good,usable cable. Trust me I felt the same way about these, actually I love the 800s in general. I only comment because it is so few and far between that I can even use a stock cable. The Focal Clear being the only other stock cable I’ve ever been able to use. …and like you said, Hifiman !!! Good lord, have you had the misfortune to get one of these catheter/tourniquet monstrosities??!!


Anyway, it is odd that so many hi end headphones typically come with such surprisingly poor cables. Rant over :grin:

6 Likes

Luckily I have so far managed to avoid those.

They are “Music Transfusion Tubes” :wink:

4 Likes

Speaking of cables, I’m with @notsoclear on needing a 1.5m cable. Can anyone recommend a reasonably-priced option?

I’m afraid I can’t but Hart Audio’s cables are highly regarded, and they do offer a cable for the HD 800 S that can be made to a custom length. They’re certainly reasonably priced.

You’ll find complimentary comments about Hart Audio on various threads here - summoning @PaisleyUnderground as he has had good experiences and has recommended their cables to me.

6 Likes

Second Hart audio cables. The modularity of them is fantastic use them on all my headphones except my verite open, where I maybe? get a benefit of silver cables.

3 Likes

Hart Audio Cables are the best value and function I have found for cables. I have them for several headphones and I have a Multi-kit 1 that lets me use them for any amp I come across. Made in China prices with made in USA quality. They do not however include any snakeoil, so if you need to spend $400 on cables to make yourself look better for the ladies or cryo frozen cables or single origin, diamond coating you will have to look elsewhere.

5 Likes

Sadly, I have the opposite problem - I can’t fend them off fast enough. Luckily, there’s the HiFiMan catheter cables, which have saved my bacon any number of times.

8 Likes

I purchased one from LQI. I like them, I personally wasn’t much of a fan for the hart cables. Kinda janky, stiff, not easily able to roll up and stay in place, etc.

3 Likes

I have had several LQI cables and they are very nice. However in regards to your comment on the Hart cables being ‘stiff’, they are not stiff at all. Super flexible opposite of stiff. Very pliable. Maybe you had some old ones? I have three sets and they are nearly as soft and flexible as the LQI cables, which are pretty luxurious to the touch.

2 Likes

Interesting. Yeah, I had some from probably over a year ago or more. They had a pretty firm shielding under the paracord and when you rolled them up, similar to the hd800s pic in my last comment, they’d slowly unroll. And they’d also lift off the desk of slightly twisted. Glad they fixed them and made them more flexible.

1 Like

I’ll do a third on Hart cables. I have them on my HD650’s, HD800’s and the HD 820’s

4 Likes

I just purchased a pair of lower SN HD800 (sn 3xxx) to see if there’s any difference between the ones below 12xxx and above. I don’t have a later version but so far I’ve been quite surprised at how much I’m enjoying it. Maybe last time I tried it, I was comparing against better or my chain did not synergize well with it but the HD800 is quite impressive even if I feel like I paid a little more than I should’ve for the lower SN.

A few things that I feel stand out is how tight and impactful the bass is. I was expecting decent but for songs that call for subwoofer-like bass, the HD800 will deliver. It’s not overly boosted in anyway but will slam as good as some of the best out there. Also, the treble is definitely there but overall the balance of the headphone is very nice. I’m not sure if I believe in the low SN meme yet but overall I’m enjoying the HD800 more than I did last time.

10 Likes

Reviving this thread. Convince me this isn’t the endgame for classical music.

2 Likes

Why would we ever do that? Check the What’s in the Box thread for the buying habits of those all around you.

“One of us, one of us, you will become one of us!”

4 Likes

“One of us” seems inevitable. Thought I would just splurge for a couple of really high-end good headphones and be done. Meanwhile, I am now shopping for my fourth of what I suppose one could call upper-tier.

Audio is quickly overtaking most hobbies. Likely already in second position.

2 Likes

I have no convincing argument. :smiley: In fact for me they are still my favorite listening experience (period) for anything other than heavily bass dependent tracks. I currently do not own a set because I need closed backs. I will own another set and not just because I find their soundstage irreplaceable by anything other than actual speakers (that are attached to a $15k+ system in a treated room). In fact the only headphones that I heard at CanJam Socal 2021 that I might buy with my money over them would be the LCD-5 or the CRBN. To me they are not FOTM they are all time great.

5 Likes

CRBN is alluring. I just don’t want ANOTHER amp haha.

2 Likes

Welp… HD 800s on their way!

4 Likes