The Sennheiser HD 800 S is a brilliant piece of art. It looks to find that sweet spot between enjoyment and accuracy, entertaining both casuals and hardcore audiophiles. Everything an audiophile might need, the Sennheiser HD 800 S will provide while also delivering a sound that can be enjoyed by most people. These headphones may be way too pricey for some people, but they do deliver their promise.
Build quality
In ways, more than one, the Sennheiser HD 800 S improves on the build quality from the Sennheiser HD 800. One noticeable improvement from the original HD 800 to the Sennheiser HD 800 S, is how the paint is now better. The older model suffered from paint flaking problems. The cable you get with the Sennheiser HD 800 S is strong enough for any casual user and will not break easily. Moreover. It’s also removable, but it does take a little force to do that.
One problem that might appear in case the cable breaks is that Sennheiser HD 800 S uses proprietary connectors on the side. This can become difficult to build on your own, and replacements might end up taking a significant amount from your wallet.
Design
When you first look at the Sennheiser HD 800 S, you will see how they don’t look anything like your ordinary headphones. Their features are significantly the same as Skullcandy Headphones. They feature a unique design that makes them stand out from every other headphone out there. The design is not only there to fulfill aesthetic reasons; it is pretty functional too as those large ear cups you see are made in such a way, so the drivers stay at a distance from each other.
The ear cups are made from 3 different materials. There are metal parts, microfiber ear cushions, and quality plastic. All of these materials combine to give you a pretty luxurious experience. The Sennheiser HD 800 S doesn’t show any comfort issues either, more of that we will talk down below. The casing that comes with the Sennheiser HD 800 S is appealing, and each one of their units come hand-assembled from Germany.
Cable
The cable you get with the Sennheiser HD 800 S (Y-cable) has been protected with Kevlar that will make sure the cable stays in good shape for a significant amount of time. The cable measures 10-foot in length and are covered in cloth. Moreover, the copper wiring of the cable is silver-plated, increasing its durability. The cable has a 6.3-millimeter phono plug at its one end, and the other end finishes in a proprietary connector. If you want to use the headphones with a standard 3.5-millimeter headphone jack, then you will need to find an adapter.
Comfort
The earpads fit perfectly over your ears and are pretty comfortable. The design of the headband and the weight of the Sennheiser HD 800 S also adds to the comfort. The Sennheiser HD 800 S weighs 330g which is surprisingly light, seeing what these headphones pack and are used for.
These headphones are made to be used at home and not to be taken on walks. Regardless of all this, they don’t move a lot on your head and remain quite stable. The design they feature is also not way over the top. They keep it simple yet modern, presenting a design that will last years of rough use. Since the Sennheiser HD 800 S is to be used at home and has no mic, they feature very poor sound isolation. If used at someplace busy, you might hear the sounds of the outside world due to the sound leakage.
The open design might not have sound isolation, but it also helps to keep your ears cool, which is nice to have.
Audio Transparency
When the original HD 800 came out, they were praised for how transparent their audio was. Which means that they tried to keep the sound completely original, without altering the music in any way. This helps people who work on music to get a pretty accurate idea of what they are producing. Now the problem here is that accurate sound doesn’t always sound as good as processed sound. This unaltered sound might not be friendly or even pleasant to a casual listener.
Now the Sennheiser HD 800 S solves that issue by finding the perfect balance between accuracy and pleasant sound. They have been able to locate the sweet spot, and this makes the Sennheiser HD 800 S offer the best of both worlds. Audiophiles get their accurate sound, and casual listeners don’t get tired from the accuracy.
Conclusion
Many people out there will question the need for emptying their wallets on the Sennheiser HD 800 S, but the thing here is you get exactly what you paid for supreme sound quality, solid build quality, and exceptional comfort. If you have the cash and prioritize sound quality, then these are the right pair for you.
You might also want to read about the Dell SE2417HG review, this is the best gaming laptop that is both highly functional and creative in terms of the design.
