Sennheiser HD 820

Well, per your response to the same post earlier:

You're either consistent or everyone back at iFi really likes the vibe here, lol! That said, I appreciate the bump because it reminded me that I haven't gotten ears on this yet, and also that I somehow managed to write something vaguely amusing last year.

I'm sad that no one picked up on the "Foster" pun though, considering who makes the drivers for both the TH-900 and HP-3.

 

BTW, IMHO the frequency response graphs posted earlier do not to the 820 justice.

The 820 sounds way worse than those graphs would indicate.

 

There are many audio forums out there, but as iFi's representative I operate on just several such places I see as cool. So yeah, I like the SBAF vibe alright!

 

Hi all,
Just joined actually to provide some impressions of HD820 which I've had for a bit over 3 weeks since there seems to be limited impressions out there, an extremely interesting yet apparently divisive headphone.

First a little [lot of] background, been into high end audio around 25yr and most of that time i did not particularly care for headphones. The main reason being, I felt they were too "closed in" sounding and thus would always prefer to listen to speakers in nearly every scenario where reference level speaker volume was achievable. Therefore, my below impressions may not be reflective of the typical headphone listener.

Second, despite owning numerous sennheisers in the past in the hd2xx-hd6xx range (plus many of their portable/pro/gaming headsets) simply for functional purposes when reference level speaker volume was not possible, I will say that the headphone that started to switch me over from speakers to headphones for critical listening was the HD700, which I know was another divisive headphone - but I gave 'em a shot on a whim because they were $419 at the time. Main reason was they seemed to really bust that mold of "closed in" soundstage that I identified with every other headphone (both open and closed) I had previously heard; while the measured curve I know was not as flat as the HD600 which I also previously owned, the soundstage of the HD700 just made them sound more real (or more like speakers maybe) to me.

So after I heard the HD700, I demo'd the HD800 in a store. Despite owning $$$ in audio gear I never imagined spending more than $500 on a pair of headphones because of my experience with them in the past, but the HD700 really got me interested. The HD800 was really amazing in soundstage/detail and overall blew away the HD700 so I bought them.... but then the listening fatigue set in. With long term ownership of the HD800 I found I couldn't listen to them for more than 30min straight without getting fatigue and even a bit of pain over the course of a week. I tried multiple $1000+ HPA/DAC combos, EQ, etc, and I just couldnt get away from that treble edge no matter what I tried; on top of this with some of the music (electronic for instance) I listen to I had to turn them up too much to get the dynamic bass I wanted and this accentuated the treble issue. Note I also don't like too much bass as I find that annoying and also fatiguing, but I found the HD800 just had too little at normal listening levels. I know some people mod them but it seemed a lost cause for me and I didn't want to kill the resale value so I just sold them after a few months

I settled for the HD700 but I wasn't really happy after hearing the soundstage and detail of the HD800. I heard the HD800S at a Sennheiser store but it seemed relatively close to the HD800 that I thought I might have similar issues with the treble/bass. I passed on the HD800S as a result after the HD800 ordeal.

So when the HD820 came out it interested me because I thought the closed back might give a little boost to the low end + some isolation that would allow me to listen at lower volume levels, perhaps, maybe reduce the treble fatigue and still get the dynamics I wanted. Additionally, where my main listening station is the only time its totally free of ambient noise is late night, so the closed nature could help reduce some of that background interference polluting the sound. But $2400 seemed overpriced with the HD800S @ 1699 and the HD800 available under $1k. Recently though I was able to get the HD820 $500 under MSRP so I gave them a shot craving what I heard with the HD800 and hoping it would be a good long term match.

Have had for nearly a month now and so far the HD820 seems to be what I was looking for. HD820 does not have the soundstage of the HD800/HD800S but I found the soundstage to be notably superior to the HD700; HD820 does not have the detail of the HD800 but I found the detail to be notably superior to the HD700 - in both these regards the HD820 *is* HD800-ish, though. The bass overall, all things considered, is far superior on the whole compared to the HD700/HD800/HD800S IMO. The HD820 seems to me like if someone took the HD800 [non-s] and made everything about it maybe 20% less extreme and added 30% more bass.

In terms of pure sound signature, the HD820 seems to be somewhere in between an HD700 and HD800; I don't mean that in a negative way in that the HD700 is cheaper and the HD800 is more expensive, as I overall found the HD700 more long-term listenable than the HD800 - but rather that the HD820 brings a lot of the HD800 to the table while retaining some of the listenable traits of the HD700. The HD820 has detail and clarity in the league of the HD800, but not to the extreme of the HD800 where it hurts. The HD820 has bass that may not be exactly as precise as the HD800, but the HD820 bass is so much greater in quantity than the HD800 that I find it overall a notable win in that department if bass is at all important to the music you listen to. It has a soundstage that exceeds the HD700 but is maybe only 3/4 of the way to the HD800. It is definitely the most open sounding closed back headphone I have heard, considering I really only can say I was floored by the open soundstage of 4 headphones ever - HD700, HD820, HD800S, HD800 - in that order from more closed sounding to more open sounding.

So is this a HD800/HD800S with a closed back? Well technically yes, but soundwise no and I found for me that to be a good thing as the HD800 was just too harsh & lean to be a friendly long term listening pal despite its incredibly impressive soundstage, no matter what I did with it. If you want that same exact HD800 experience in a closed back this is not exactly that (and thats probably not possible anyway), but if you want a HD800-ISH experience, perhaps with less treble glare, more bass quantity, and a little bit of isolation, I don't see how you could possibly go wrong with the HD820. Its doesn't measure the flattest in the world but for me its the most impressive I have heard [excellent soundstage, good treble but not too much, good bass but not too much, intimate mids] that I can also be comfortable listening to for extended periods and it works on a very wide range of music - which I didn't find to be the case with the HD800 (another problem for the HD800 since I listen to almost every genre). HD820 is going to be a keeper for me. On the pricing, I think around $1900-$2000 is right for these, $2400 maybe a bit high but after owning them for a month TBH I probably would have paid $2400 since they were able to deliver the HD800-ish experience I was craving that worked for me without fatigue.

On a side note, I'm still keeping the HD700 as they remain a good choice for gear that can't power the HD820 and are much more portable.

 

Tomorrow will mark 5 weeks I will have the HD820.

Some more thoughts:

First, I forgot to mention my "main" gear setup I am using them with; the Musical Fidelity MX-HPA and MX-DAC. Yes, solid state which is often the kiss of death for the HD8xx series. But, the MF MX series while being neutral, is on the neutral-listenable side as opposed to the neutral-unlistenable side of the solid state fence where a large amount of "neutral" solid state gear falls. I also like the MF MX series because it takes up little footprint on my PC desk unlike a lot of other HPAs that are full size width

Second, while the HD820 is much more forgiving than the HD800 I will say it is still not forgiving enough for it to be your only headphone. As I mentioned above, it is about 20% less extreme than the HD800 on all fronts if I had to quantify, but given the extremeness of the HD800's treble its still going to be a bright headphone. So cringeworthy recordings will still sound cringe on it; maybe good enough to get through the song, but probably not good sounding. For those bad recordings right now I have an HD700 and recently acquired Grado Hemp (most forgiving of the three) I am using. Seems to be a decent trio to use.

I reviewed this thread and did see a lot of criticism of the frequency curve of the HD820; that being said, it still sounds the most neutral to me of the HD8xx series regardless of the measurement - namely because the increased bass response gives it some oomph that the HD800/HD800S are missing, so its not just a treble-fest. Given the tipped up treble of this line, to me the HD800 sounds less "flat" because the treble tips the scale so much. I did not get a chance to A/B the HD800/HD820 side by side in my own home (did get to A/B the HD800 & HD800S @ sennheiser store tho), but I did also own the MX-HPA/MX-DAC back when I owned the HD800 as well, and I was able to use some of the same songs that made me cringe on the HD800 without issue on the HD820. So using the same gear the HD820 is a much more manageable and pleasurable experience.

Isolation wise, there really isn't that much isolation on the HD820 considering all the effort they went through for a closed back. But it definitely helps, and is much appreciated. With the HD8xx series, being just a little too hot on the volume can result in unnecessary listening fatigue; I have found the closed nature has allowed me to listen at lower levels. To give an example when typing on my cherry MX blue keyboard I can still hear the clacking at moderate volume with the HD820 and no song playing - its definitely blunted a significant amount tho.

Some other notes - I've had zero issue with the seal on the HD820. But, from reading measurements elsewhere it seems this could be a significant driver of poor listening experience with the headphone. I believe someone measured between 2-6db variation on the low end with glasses opening up the seal a bit, depending on how thick they are. The HD820 pads like the HD800 are also huge, so I could see cases where face curvature + glasses = seal issues with HD820. The difference, likely, is that the HD800 is open anyway so an imperfect seal will likely impact the sound quite a bit less than the HD820. So perhaps for those who wear large glasses the HD820 is a less than ideal choice.

At some level I am still chasing that amazing HD800 soundstage that neither the HD800S or HD820 can fully reproduce. But, at least I can listen to the HD820 and enjoy myself and get a taste of that soundstage while also being able to listen to a wider collection of music and not get a headache. Right now I have FM-84 on and I'm really enjoying it - this is the type of recording that was just a bit too bass-light on previous HD8xx headphone iterations. Not that I want a sluggish bassy headphone, but right now the HD820 is doing it for me in delivering what has been the most listenable transparent-sounding experience with the current gear I have. That may not always be the most "musical" experience if the source sucks, but it is definitely a superb weapon to have in my arsenal. Also, I personally feel the HD820 is a better compromise from the HD800 than the HD800S was; while the HD800S did tame the treble somewhat it still didn't really deliver the bass goods needed to make it an approachable headphone and took away a significant amount of the HD800 soundstage "magic" IMO - the HD820 you do sacrifice even a little more of that soundstage than with the HD800S but I think you get a lot more in return than the HD800S offered - improved bass response, isolation, and even more refined treble.

 

SYNERGY ACHIEVED! =] my prior HPA breaking was a godsend, as it motivated me to try Liquid Platinum.

The combination of the Liquid Platinum + Musical Fidelity MX-DAC has really taken my HD820 to the next level. I can't believe the sound coming out of this thing. It's riding on the edge of ultimate micro-detail without being harsh, providing slamming bass and full bodied mids without being bloated, large enveloping soundstage, man this sounds *real* good to the extent where I am having trouble getting off the headphone station to do other things. I didn't mow my grass this weekend because I spent too long wired up to the HPA.

If anyone has this hardware combo (probably not since MX DAC had limited distribution), try to get your hands on an HD820. Virtually every genre sounds amazing with this combo. Very, very, very happy. This particular gear combo is hands down the best I've personally heard - including better than Sennheiser's own HPA/DAC.

Throwing on "METEOR - White Crows" I can't help be impressed with the liquidity of the synths (1:59 oh my god, the texture...), the bass presence and dynamics, the authoritative snares snapping away without any sharpness or fatigue. Following it up with "Hunter of Lost Souls" from the same album I get the electric guitar crunch and grooving bassline, amped up with sublime synth highlights... Then finish up with "DARK ALL DAY by GUNSHIP," the romance of the sax contrasted by the blaring sirens and ominous reverbed vocals; 1:03 the bass hits and boy does it hit hard... pace picks up at 1:46 and now we have a nice groove going. Layer upon layer, all artfully rendered and delineated by the HD820/LP/MX-DAC. No cringey highs, no bloated midcentric presentation, no lack of bass - this combo has got it all lined up and ready to go.

Good stuff! No one I know locally cares about any of this, so I figure I'd try to share my experience here

 

So now its been what, 9 months, ? with the HD820?

I still like 'em just as much as when I bought them.

I will concede that for most genres they are not quite as good as the HD800S, though the HD820 is better than the HD800S for electronic music specifically IMO. For almost all other stuff, the mids and soundstage of the HD800S pull out a victory - the HD820 is missing some of that HD800S mids magic. This is pretty much what I said when I first compared the two, so I guess my impression hasn't changed much.

When you need or want isolation, the HD820 are as close as you are gonna get to the HD800S if you like that sound. And , I think that was the point of the HD820 in the first place, to have a closed back that sounds like the HD800S. Anyways, since I live in a loud environment I end up using the HD820 more often than the HD800S to take the edge off the background noise. Sometimes even nice when I just want an utter black sonic background in silence. Remain very happy with the purchase for those on the fence!

 

Four posts in the row from the same poster. That's a warning sign of how much the HD820 sucks.

We get it dude, you like them. But why keep posting about them over and over?

Or maybe I am dumb and too mean nowadays, which I am guilty sometimes.

 

It was literally 6 months since I last posted in this thread and was giving a long term update, pretty simple.

Most people likely don't have these because the HD800S is better for most music if you have a quiet environment, and I assume most here have a quiet main listening environment rendering the hd820 pointless. That being said they still sound very similar to the hd800s, so if one really felt the hd820 sucked I don't see how that same person could like the hd800s because the sonic similarities are undeniable.

 

I'm one who thinks the 820 sucks but likes the 800 (and the 800S). I spent a couple hours comparing all 3 and ended up purchasing the 800 because they did the most right (and I could mod the peaky treble). The 820 sounded very off to me, tonality in classical music was especially egregious. I get that it also sounds similar to the 800 but it can be both similar and still mess up some important aspects. I think it sucks even worse when you factor in the price.

Not that I'm giving you a hard time for posting again, I don't care. I'm glad you enjoy them, I wanted them to be the variation I liked due to the flexibility of closed back.

 

IMO the main issue with the HD820 sound profile is that the mids just aren't there in force compared to the highs/lows, so this could cause some issues with a variety of music. Its not much a problem for music that doesnt focus as much on mids (like electronic music, which is more highs+lows, with mids being less important), but for some types of music where mids are critical it will sound notably worse than the HD800S (or HD800 modded).

I think the thing I am trying to get across, you don't buy the HD820 for the "best sounding HD800". Like in your case, if you are trying to compare all three and pick the best sounding one, the HD820 would not be the one to pick. That was never the purpose of the HD820 tho and even Sennheiser has stated this. You buy the HD820 if you want the closest thing you can possibly get to an HD800S sound in a closed-back headphone - it's more for fans of the HD800 who also want a closed back version of the HD800 for use at times when more isolation is needed.

If you look at other closed back options in production, most of them sound boomy or have small soundstage - which is the opposite of the HD800 family sound signature. I don't think the HD820 sounds bad (its too close to the HD800S to realistically call the HD800S amazing and HD820 bad) , I think it sounds excellent - just not as excellent as the HD800S. And I don't think you are going to find a different closed back that sounds as close to the HD800S as the HD820. There had to be some sacrifices to get that same feeling of open, precisely detailed & accurate sound the HD800S gives you in a closed back, and tonality is where the sacrifices had to made. So while if you only could pick one for a quiet environment the HD820 would not be it, for a noisy environment or as a supplement to the HD800 the HD820 is an excellent option if you want the HD800-family sound in a closed back.

Regarding price, I think thats just a BOM thing. The HD820 looks more expensive to make than the the HD800S, thus I assume they are probably more expensive to make. When looked at as a pure $/performance it seems bad vs hd800s, but if you want the isolation of a closed back and hd800-esque sound there really isn't anything close in the price range. If you are doing that HD800S value comparison in the first place the HD820 probably isn't the right headphone as you likely don't need the isolation which is HD820 main strength.

 

I don’t think I made my point clearly. For my taste, I would not recommend the 820 to someone needing a closed 800(S). I think it’s much worse than “ not as good”, more in the realm of “one way to f**k up 800(S) tuning”.

It works for you and not everyone’s ears, musical tastes, etc are the same. I was more disagreeing with the assertion that someone who likes the 800(S) would be fine with these when they need a closed back variation. Some will be fine with them (as you are) and some will think these are too messed up to bother with (me).

 

Has anyone figured a way to take the hd820 apart for internal wires upgrade yet ?

 

I myself want to remove the back so I can remove the glass!
PLEASE help!
Head-fi didn't help at all, bunch of opinionated tards...

I have myself removed the hinge and hinge holder so I could access the wires, there are videos on Youtube about doing so (maybe just HD 800 but it's kinda the same).

 

Thanks so much.

Yeah, I tried, but the screws are on the back of the driver, so, not quite like the HD800. I have no idea how to access that part. I would also like to mod that part of the driver like the HD 800 mods, but to me right now is like a super riddle on how to get there.

(if you look through the glass, you can see the head screws taunting you "hey, I dare you access this area and unscrew us!" ).

That's why I thought maybe the back has this unscrewable "ring", the one that has the legend "High Definition Driver 300 Ohms", and if it were, it is so fracking tight X)

https://headphone.shop/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/Sennheiser_HD_820.jp

 

I found out how! The ring holding the glass is just clipped into the cup, but have to remove the hinge nevertheless, remove carefully a small cover (with the Senn logo) from above (this cover is protecting the cable connection) so you can access better the ring and pop it out (ALL CAREFULLY).

Used a T9 to remove the hinge.

Highs don't sound annoying anymore, maybe a little tad tamed, and sounds wider I think.
Take this with a grain of salt, I am just testing it right now.

Liking it so far.

EDIT: Ok... nope... they don't sound better! Lol. Ok, I had to find out, now I know.

 

What's the female connector type called? (below the cups where you plug your actual cable to your headphones).
On the HD 800 is it called ConneX female receptacle?
Where can I buy the 820 version? Thanks.

 

Not sure which one the HD820 uses specifically though i asume it's the same as the HD800 series, they are from Lemo. As to which one it is i don't know: https://www.lemo.com/en

 

You're awesome, thanks. I will investigate (I guess I will have to contact them).