Sennheiser’s aurally awesome HD800 S cans are coming to Malaysia

When Sennheiser debuted their HD800 headphones back in 2009, audiophiles were floored by its phenomenal sound quality and beautiful sound staging that made you feel like you were right in the middle of the action. More discerning audiophiles did however note that the HD800’s sound signature was a bit on the bright side with occasional peaking which made listening to it for extended periods a somewhat tiring experience. Sennheiser hasn’t rested on their laurels though and have upped the ante with an updated version of HD800: enter the HD 800S.

The HD 800 S (right) right next to its older sibling the HD 800

Better in Black
“Try this, you’ll love it,” urged the Sennheiser exec as he moved the huge pair of cans over the table. The headphones are almost imposingly large, beautifully hewn from matte metal and plastic and when held, the Teutonic engineering prevalent in its design and construction was immediately apparent.

Foreground: The HD 800 S is Teutonic audio engineering at its finest

While you’d expect it to weight the equivalent of a helmet you’d see in a football match (the Yank version, not the poncy one where you don’t tackle people), it’s surprisingly light while offering a delightful heft indicative of its solid build. Aerospace grade aluminium features heavily in its construction to offer lightness without compromising on weight.

Externally, the HD800 S looks similar to the HD800, albeit rendered in a matte black finish. The same open earcups are used along with the same massive 56mm transducers, the gold-plated contacts on the connectors and decadently padded open earcups that nestle over your ears. Where it differs is the inclusion of new absorber tech; essentially a dampening material first used on their IE800 headphones, custom brewed by Sennheiser’s own boffins to absorb unwanted peaks to create a mellower, darker and warmer sound signature that’s a departure from the HD800’s brightness. Theory crafting aside, the proof is in the pudding.

We donned it with the reverence of a knight wearing a warhelm. The open ear cups offered extended comfort without clamping over your ears, necessary for long hours of listening though the trade-off is that it’s not meant for outdoor use; understandable seeing the intention of the HD800 S’s audiophile oriented aspirations. Firing up a FLAC of Pink Floyd’s ‘Time’ allowed for an appreciation of the beautiful sound staging on the HD 800 S that offered precision positioning of the various instruments in the first few seconds of the track. Vocals were vivid, almost lifelike and Wagner’s Ride of the Valkyries was delivered with suitable gusto. Unfortunately, that was as much as we could enjoy before he had to – with some reluctance – hand the HD 800 S back to the nice reps.

If cash is no object and you want to experience some seriously phenomenal sound, you’ll appreciate the fact that they’ll be bringing in the HD 800 S for RM8,690 by the end of the month starting first at the Sennheiser Concept Store at Bangsar Shopping Centre and later on to all authorised Sennheiser retailers. For more details, swing by Sennheiser’s Facebook site here and their official website here.