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In a nutshell: For bass, punch and warmth, the Grado PS-1000 leads the four-square team of headphones I have assembled. For liquidity, midrange finesse and a dose of 'deep triode' magic, audio-technica's W5000 are the specialists. For a tight, taut and rhythmically astute sound, AKG's K-702—with ALO Audio harness—are impressive and in this bunch by far the cheapest though not as comfortable to wear. For the most spacious soundstaging, most greased dynamic reflexes and close-to-ideal balance of raw resolution and 'well-baked' musicality, the Sennheiser HD800 (with non-stock cable) has my personal vote.


For wear comfort, the HD800 and W5000 are a tie as they are for overall classiness of assembly. I do find the Japanese leatherette ear pads more luxurious and far easier to clean of hair and skin debris than Sennheiser's black velour which is a dirt magnet. The PS-1000s don't justify their very high price by running a cheesy plastic cord cover that feels and looks like a throwaway power cord; freely rotating ear pieces which can easily twist the Y tails; cosmetically cheap and quite ugly black foam covers; an insufficiently padded bridge; and very heavy ear pieces which create somewhat lop-sided overall weighting. On my noggin, the K-702s are a tad too short, pulling up against my ear lobes. On a non-sonic check list in my book, only the audio-technica and Sennheiser models make true reference status.

Tasting the nut: The HD800s stage more broadly than any non-crossfeed headphones this side of AKG's K-1000s that I've come across. It's as out-of-the-head an experience as an unprocessed standard stereo feed into conventional headphones is likely to get. Headstage worshippers will bow to the Sennheisers for that reason alone.


They also ace airiness (a kind of lightness of being) and impulsiveness by way of very fast rise times. Related to the latter are superb dynamics. By comparison, other phones sound slower and cozier, not as right out there on the very edge of actually touching things. This is high resolution presented properly. Rather than feeling assaulted or forced to concentrate, one can relax. Hearing everything becomes easy.

At higher levels—low distortion quickly let's those get out of hand—the greased impulse response can be found to take precedence. This translates as an undue focus on transients and related aspects of audible speed. This is more likely to be an issue with leaner transistor amps. The warmish but super-punchy battery-power Isabellina HPA by Red Wine Audio for example rather forestalls it. Should it still catch up, I'd wager a guess that SPLs have become unreasonable. The general combination of speed and expansive treble also conspires against perceived ultimate bass. The Grados move the center of tonal gravity downwards to sound warm and weighty. While the Sennheisers have proper extension down low, it doesn't present itself with the same kind of mass. Those looking for it will instinctively reach for the volume only to shift the subjective focus deeper into blister and farther away from slam. On these 'phones, they'd be best served by Vinnie Rossi's amp. Its innate voicing further aided by the built-in softish NOS DAC complements i.e. counteracts the tendencies of the HD800 truly well.


The earlier reference to a lightness of being ties to the sound's excellent overall aeration. Quick and lit up, it's like a properly handled Lowther with auxiliary bass systems like my Rethm Saadhana - vitally free of harshness and edge (with a proper cord on the HD800s), spatially slightly hallucinogenic and more keyed into the breath and spark rather than earthiness of life.

Going ape, not squirrelly: Like any other hifi device dialed for true resolution and reflexes, it's easier to trip up the HD800s than lower-fi options. The improper diet can turn them too wiry, blistery, lightweight. To hear them at their best requires trashing the stock wiring. Since the connectors unplug, that's easily done.


Source components which offer multiple upsampling options including bypass will sound more different in each mode than usual. They could well turn out to sound best 'straight' - non-upsampled. Cabling should stay away from the Mapleshade ribbon effect as the HD800s don't need an extra infusion of lightning.


Amplification should be highly transparent but provide a carefully administered dose of textural elegance. Think Trafomatic Audio Experience Head One, Woo Audio Model 5 or equivalent valve designs by Luxman and Leben.


With the right preparations made and proper break-in handled, Sennheiser's HD800 becomes a true reference. If Grado's PS-1000 is a Vandersteen, audio-technica's W5000 a Sonus Faber and AKG K-702 a Green Mountain Audio, the HD800 is a Wilson - a bit high-strung and fussy but capable of great things when preceded by the right stuff.

It's important to reiterate how despite their counter-predictive size, the Sennheisers are supremely comfortable on the head. Nothing kills headphone joy like bodily reminders of a misfit. The German engineers really went the extra mile on—not just—that count.


To my mind and despite many possible permutations one could read into these two letters, the HD in 800 stand for both high definition and heightened dynamics. In regular loudspeakers, the relevant core qualities fall under minimal group delay, phase coherence, avoidance of box talk and wave launch precision. Related liabilities include leanness and over-articulated leading edges. Counter measures include slightly warm beefy amplification with good tone and excellent bass drive. Premium valve designs could well be destiny's mates. My best—or more accurately favorite—amp on hand was indeed the mighty Woo with EAT 300Bs and EML 5U4G rectifiers. I did say demanding somewhere, did I not? With the cable replacement handled, I find the HD800s exceptionally well balanced and the Arabian race horse in my stable. It's not the headphone I go to for the greatest romance (that would be the Japanese Raffinato) or comfortable wallop (the Grados). No, the Sennheiser is for the twin vices of adrenaline and deep information. It's like reading a top-class newspaper with comprehensive global reportage accompanied by a premium Nespresso ristretto in the morning. Its modern appearance, immaculate finishing and general presentation add pride of ownership and the tacit knowledge that one deals here with a truly well-engineered product and uncompromising vision on what sonic excellence should be. One might disagree with Sennheiser's vision of course but I doubt anyone would accuse them of pursuing theirs with any laxness of purpose or taking it easy on any of the many small matters that make a product great.


Quality of packing: Very good.
Reusability of packing: Indefinitely.
Condition of component received: Flawless.
Completeness of delivery: Perfect.
Wear comfort:: 100%
Website comments: HD800 presentation video is quite slick.
Human interactions: None with the company except for my pair's response printout.
Pricing: Less costly than the Grado PS-1000 but offers more. For headphones, still very expensive but well worth it when you think what a speaker-based system would have to cost that could even begin to compete.
Final comments & suggestions: Stock cables aren't up to par. They must be replaced or any discussion on true performance is invalid. General sonics are dialed for speed and resolution. Depending on taste, this might need to be tempered with body and bass mass drafted from ancillary components. Break-in with this design is very real and initial treble brightness is quite pronounced. For heavy rockers expecting serious bass, this won't ever be the right choice.

Sennheiser website