Sennheiser HD 820

Weird.

 

Neat.

 

Over a year ago at an event I was giving a Sennheiser rep a hard time over them not pushing things forward nearly as much as they could be, and that with new competition like Focal on the scene they need to start moving their asses. Pride hurt the rep described these to me, date, glass backing, and all, having heard them them self. It sounded like the truth, my gut believed it to be true.

I was wary of sharing the info so I PM’d a staff member about whether I should, and if I did then could I even limit it’s spread in any way and not cause problems. I decided to stay pretty much schtum, but I got a little overexcited and explained my experience afterward, mentioning the glass back. Then almost immediately felt incredibly embarrassed for sounding like an overly effusive gullible dotard. Glass backing bah and poppycock! How ridiculous, and I bothered someone with that nonsense...

At least the gullible part wasn’t true, as for behaving on a semi-dotard level. Well, you live and you learn.

With any luck it’ll bring some slam to the HD800, and I expect be the most capable in resolution of any closed back by quite a margin.

 

What is different about the drivers? Anything?

 

If this really is close to a HD800S but closed with decent isolation it would be a giant leap forward in the closed market. What is the competition? ZMF Eikon, Sony Bra headphone, Mr Speakers Hot new biannual can? These are all priced around $1500 and are only used by those who absolutely need a closed can and are left with no other option. Lots of glaring unacceptable flaws in the closed market, you just have to find the one with the negatives you can live with.

Im still expecting to be disappointed for the price, but it wasn't so long ago that people thought that HD800 for $1500 MSRP was crazy high. Hopefully the better off enthusiasts gobble up a ton of these and have to resell on the used market for 30% off new, or the famous Sennheiser secret grey market bring them to a more reasonable ransom.

Anyone else think 820 looks cool as heck too?

 

Think the price is quite high, but it looks like its caused by the higher BOM is higher. Seeing that they have new pads, new glass design, new headband blah blah blah, the difference can perhaps be substantial? If it can keep the detailed performance, but add bass and have good soundstage without being artificially big like in the hd800, it might actually sound good. Who knows. Might be interested if the sound isn't has crispy and thin as the hd800. Just have to wait on impressions.

 

This headphone actually got a bit worse in time for me, but I think this one might be the only competition from a quality standpoint.

You mean the, "Shit, we were immediately outdone with the same kind of sound signature by the Atticus?!"

There's going to be a new MrSpeakers Closed?! Can't wait for the Ether C Laxative to come out!

I agree. Going with a closed can is such a compromise that, with one exception (the Atticus...where it doesn't actually try not being closed can and it does what it was set out to do,) that it almost seems like a terrible idea to pump money into that kind of headphone. Especially when there's IEMs like the Andromeda that do blow the closed-backed market out of the water. Hell, even Fostex had to cheat a bit with the D7000, TH-000 series, ect by that open ring that makes it isolate no better than an open back. I'm hoping they had the HD820 to Sennheiser's employee (with Boeing) discount site soon after it comes out, though I'm not holding my breath since the HD660s isn't on there yet.

This has got me thinking: Could the HD820, like the HD800S before it, bring to light some modding opportunities for the HD800? That's assuming the driver is of a similar line to the HD800 and they don't make a completely new one to tune it differently.

 

It doesn't have a HD700 driver, so it can't be that bad
Btw. looks fkn awesome

 

Anyone going to CES this week please try to have a listen and find out what the impedance is.

 

It says 300Ω on the side of every picture I've seen so far.

 

It says 300 ohm on the can itself in the pix.

 

Official page is up: https://en-us.sennheiser.com/high-end-headphones-audiophiles-hd-820

What's in the box?

• Headphones HD 820 (closed, dynamic headphones) connection cable
• ¼” (6.35 mm) stereo jack plug (connected ex works), unbalanced
• 4.4 mm Pentaconn stereo jack plug, balanced
• USB flash drive (SD-U16L version) with instruction manual (as PDF file) and individually diffuse-field frequency response curve
• instruction manual
• storage box, microfiber cloth
• XLR-4 connector, balanced

Technical Data

• Impedance
  300 Ohms
  
• Frequency response (Headphones)
  12 - 43800 Hz (-3 dB)
  6- 48000 Hz (-10 dB)
  
• Sound pressure level (SPL)
  103 dB at 1 kHz, 1V
  • Ear coupling
    around the ear
    
  • Jack plug
    6.3 mm / Pentaconn / (XLR4)
    
  • Cable length
    3m
    
  • Weight
    360 g without cable
    
  • Transducer principle (headphones)
    dynamic, closed
    
  • Noise cancellation
    up to 26 dB (passive)

For comparison:

HD800 official frequency response:

• Frequency response (Headphones)
• 14 – 44100 Hz (- 3 dB)
• Frequency response
• 6 – 51000 Hz (- 10 dB)

​

HD800S official frequency response:

• Frequency response
• 4 - 51,000 Hz (-10 dB)

 

I suspect that the cryptic legend on the cups claiming three hundred ohms is a clue

 

If they are using the same HD800 drivers with just different pads & a sealed back enclosure, I don't see the sound being anything revolutionary. Cupping your hands anywhere close to the back of the HD800 drivers & it really takes away a lot from the sound.

Some guy did mod his HD800 into a closed back design... I'll see if I can find his posts.

 

With the 820, it seems all about the interaction of the ring radiator, absorber materials, and that glass. Eagerly waiting for the FR of this phone. Please make some improvements over the 800/S in terms of sound signature.

 

Nice to see they’re still including a 4-pin XLR. 4.4mm is too new and isn’t available on most amps.

 

I have to imagine that Sennheiser, with all its resources & expertise, will have managed a sound signature better than “HD800 w/hands cupped around the outside” - would be pretty bad if they hadn’t.

 

That price puckers me up tighter than a snare drum.

 

lol I would hope.

The DIY closed back HD800 from this guy
https://www.head-fi.org/threads/3d-printed-closed-headphones-with-hd800-driver.752877/

I got the impressions that the sound didn't drastically change other than bass & isolation, but who knows how glass will change the sound vs wood/plastic.

 

Made something else pucker up when I saw the price.