Sennheiser HD 800

Product Overview

The HD 800s are the latest $1400 hype-machines to stir up the headphone industry.

Sides

The HD 800s have semi-open backs, which create an open soundstage. See the light grey part in between the black plastic bits? The one that’s catching the most light? That’s actually a soft, mesh-like material. Bet you didn’t know that (if you did, email us to claim your reward from this foolhardy bet).

The cups can also twist around very slightly.

Back

Band

The HD 800s’ band is made of metal and features a good deal of padding on its underside. The band is extendable.

Cable

The HD 800s feature a removable cable, which plugs into the undersides of the headphones.

The cable is about 11 feet long, and ends in a 1/4-inch jack that’s really a lot longer than it needs to be.

The HD 800s feature a removable cable, which plugs into the undersides of the headphones.

In the Box

There isn’t much in the HD 800s’ macabre sepulcher except for the headphones themselves and a strong sense of foreboding. We would’ve expected them to come with a 1/4-to-1/8-inch adapter or a Dracula, but they sadly come with neither.

Durability (9.03)

The HD 800s seem to be a sturdy set of headphones. Their cable and cup padding are removable, which is nice, since those are the two parts that break down the fastest. The semi-open backs might let some dust in, but it’s probably nothing a little canned air can’t fix.

Aesthetics (8.00)

Although we’re going to make fun of the HD 800s throughout this review for looking kind of faux-futuristic, we don’t necessarily think they look bad. They look like you spent $1400 on the latest, greatest headphones. They have a clean design and look incredibly cool just sitting by themselves. Once you put them on, they might make you look a bit silly to laypeople, but rest assured: even though your friends will think you look like a space marine, nobody who knows headphones will make the same mistake.