Sennheiser HD 800 Headphones Review
Musical bliss.
Here you can have a look at the specifications of the Sennheiser HD 800 headphones.
| Cable length | 9.8 ft. (3 m) |
| Contact pressure | 3.4 N (± 0.3 N) approx. |
| Ear coupling | Around-the-ear |
| Frequency response (headphones) | 6 – 51,000 Hz (- 10 dB), 14 – 44,100 Hz (- 3 dB) |
| Jack plug | ¼” (6.3 mm) stereo jack |
| Nominal impedance | 300 Ω |
| Sound pressure level (SPL) | 102 dB (1kHz/1Vrms) |
| Total harmonic distortion (THD) | ≤0.02% (1kHz/1Vrms) |
| Transducer principle | Dynamic, open |
| Weight w/o cable | 9.2 oz. (260 g) |
The first thing that should catch your eye is the wide range of transmission, from 6 Hz to 51 kHz. Insane as it may seem, the human ear obviously cannot hear at such frequencies (unless you’re a superhero), meaning that the actual range of 16 Hz to 20 kHz has a serene presence at all ranges.
Of course, much of this magic comes from new, patent-pending, “ring shaped” transducer. The aluminum coil wound around the transducer helps it float between the precision magnet on which the transducer rests. The whole idea behind the ring-shaped design of the transducer, as opposed to traditional dome-shaped transducers, is to help control high and low frequency oscillations without being disruptive in the least. This is also helped by the fact that the transducer in the HD 800 is huge, measuring a cool 56mm.
Last, but not least, the impedance of 300 Ω. This is where the Schiit Valhalla amplifier comes into play as the high impedance not only provides a more controlled sound (for every note and pitch) but also eats up equally high voltage. You have to be careful with the HD 800 as it is very easy to just keep on increasing the volume and continue listening to the music without the slightest hint of distortion, in part thanks to the Schiit Valhalla amp. Turning the volume knob all the way to the end is very easy since it continues to remain an incredibly involving experience; just don’t do it for long!
