Sennheiser
HD 800 S
around $1700

Sennheiser
around $1700
404 Pros
69%
34 reviews (6h 13m)
184 Cons
Experience music not as a recording, but as a live performance. The Sennheiser HD 800 S are legendary reference-class headphones designed for the discerning listener seeking unparalleled realism and clarity. At their heart are the largest dynamic drivers in any headphone—massive 56mm ring radiators, angled to direct sound naturally into your ears. ...
73%
253 vs 94
73%
46 vs 17
66%
38 vs 20
50%
26 vs 26
83%
25 vs 5
Across 34 YouTube reviews, the Sennheiser HD 800 S earns a Summa score of 3.7/5, ranking #32 among Wired Earbuds. Reviewers most often praise its sound quality, comfort, build quality, while the most common criticisms concern sound quality, value for money.
The Sennheiser HD 800 S is consistently praised for its spectacular sound quality, with reviewers (174 pro mentions) highlighting immense detail, an expansive, lifelike soundstage, excellent imaging and instrument separation, and a generally neutral-to-slightly-bright but very resolving signature. Many reviewers note it scales well with high-quality amplification and sources, revealing microdetails and offering a spacious, speaker-like presentation that suits classical, orchestral and critical listening. Comfort, lightweight design and luxurious ear pads are commonly mentioned (27 pro mentions) as enabling long listening sessions, and build/design details such as long removable cables and precise driver placement also receive positive notes (18–15 mentions). Overall consensus is that the HD 800 S is a top-tier, highly revealing headphone that rewards good amplification and source quality.
Criticisms focus on a bright, at times fatiguing treble and relatively weak bass extension or slam (71 con mentions), making the HD 800 S less versatile for bass-heavy genres and sensitive listeners without EQ or specific amplification. Many reviewers warn it is very equipment-dependent and requires good amps/DACs or tube pairings to avoid thin or harsh presentation, and the long proprietary cables, high impedance and excessive cable length/connectivity choices are frequent practical complaints. Some users also find the fit, thin pads or light clamp imperfect for every head and are underwhelmed by certain material and construction choices given the price (build/comfort/value complaints).
Analysis based on 34 YouTube reviews (6h 13m of video) with 404 pros and 184 cons extracted.
Based on 34 independent YouTube reviews, the Sennheiser HD 800 S scores 3.7/5 with 404 positive and 184 negative points mentioned by reviewers, placing it #32 in the Wired Earbuds category.
The most praised aspects are sound quality, comfort, build quality — Sound Quality (253 mentions), Comfort (46 mentions), Build Quality (38 mentions).
Reviewers most frequently criticize sound quality, value for money — Sound Quality (94 mentions), Value for Money (26 mentions).
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