These are two of the most important high-end headphones since launch they both landed in 2016. The HD800S is a 300 ohm dynamic driver, the HE1000v2 is a 35 ohm/90dB planar dynamic. This makes them very different in terms of amplification, but there are plenty of amps that can drive them both well.
The HD800S was introduced in 2016, as mentioned the same year as the HE1000v2. However, the HD800S’ construction dates back to 2009 when the nearly identical HD800 was released. The primary distinction lies in the black colour and the addition of dampening material in the ring driver’s centre, addressing the notorious treble peak issue.
The original HE1000 came out in 2015, but was replaced by the HE1000v2 only a year later. I’ve covered the differences in a post here. They sound close to identical.
The v2 has deeper pads, a more flexible cable and thinner cups. Two years after that came the HE1000SE (2018). It does not sound identical to the HE1000v2. Luckily, the HE1000SE didn’t replace the v2, which was not discontinued but it saw a price reduction. Recently the HE1000v2 got the “stealth magnet” treatment and changes were made to the driver to increase sensitivity. This new version is called the HE1000 Stealth.
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SPECIFICATIONS SENNHEISER HD800S
- Over-ear, open-back design
- Transducer type: Dynamic driver
- 56mm Ring Radiator dynamic transducer system
- Sensitivity: 102 dB (SPL @ 1 V)
- Impedance: 300 Ω
- Frequency response: 4 Hz – 51,000 Hz
- Total harmonic distortion (THD): < 0.02 % (1 kHz 1 Vrms)
- Magnetic field: 10.5 mT
- Cable connector on headphones: Proprietary connectors.
- Cables: 1×3 m cable with 6.35 mm jack plug and 1 x 3m cable with balanced 4.4mm Pentaconn jack plug
- Weight 330 g
- Made in Germany.
SPECIFICATIONS HE1000v2
- Type: Open-Back
- Driver type: Planar magnetic
- Fit: Over-Ear
- Cable connector on headphones: 3.5 mm new version, 2.5 mm older version
- Cables: 3m/4-pin XLR; 3m/6.5mm TRS; 1.5m/3.5mm TRS right-angle
- Weight: 420g
- Impedance: 35 ohm
- Efficiency: 90 dB/mW
AMPLIFICATION
I am a long-time owner of both the HE1000v2, the HD800 and HD800S. I have tried more than my share of amplifiers for these headphones and it is clear to me that they are quite picky.
I’ve written a rather lengthy piece about amplification of the HD800/S here. With the wrong amplifier, the HD800S sound thin and clinical, the HE1000V2 sounds flat and boring. In this review I use amplifiers that I regard as good matches for both based on previous experience.
COMPARISONS
I’ll do two rounds; solid-state and tube amps. I will focus the most on the solid-state comparison because it’s more relatable to many, but I will later come back to tube amplifier options and how they sound.
SOLID STATE
Amplifiers used are the Auralic Taurus and the Bryston BHA-1. The differences remained the same across amps. The source is my RME ADI-2 DAC FS.
Bent Into Shape by Todd Sickafoose
Improv jazz. The standing bass is really great on the HE1000v2. It’s so effortless, digs deep and sounds alive. The clarinet sounds like a clarinet, the percussion is snappy, the soundstage is very large, and the imaging is precise.
Switching to the HD800S, there’s some apparent bass roll-off which really doesn’t sound good. The bass is sometimes almost gone when it goes too deep. The clarinet sounds quite similar to how it sounded on the HE1000v2, the sound-stage is similarly big.
Flush by Todd Sickafoose
The HE1000v2 sounds warmer because it has more bass presence. They are equally spacious. The piano has a more piercing character to it than the HD800S. Here too, the HD800S struggles to render the bass in a linear way when it goes deep. I tried 3 different solid-state amps with the same result, so it’s not an amp issue.
Minnesota, WI by Bon Iver
All the ambient sounds in the intro are wonderful on both headphones. The vocals are a bit fuller sounding with the HE1000v2. The headphones are quite similar sounding really, until the drums enter: They have more punch with the HE1000v2.
Muggen Fallskjerm by Jøkleba
The HE1000v2 is a great headphone and this track sounds absolutely fabulous. The bass is full, tight and deep. The percussion is snappy, the soundstage is huge. In direct comparison, the HD800S has a disappointing quantity of bass. It’s skinny-sounding. Snappy and spacious, but thin and a bit clinical.
Compare Manuel by Vicente Amigo
They are both very detailed and spacious sounding. The mid-range is more present with the HE1000v2, but not really a lot more, it feels very neutral. The bass is also very linear with no roll-off as opposed to the HD800S, which doesn’t fit so deep.
Intimate Letters / Martinu 313-1 by Emerson String Quartet
This gem of a string quartet piece is equally enjoyable with both headphones. The strings have lots of energy, texture and detail with both. The two headphones are not identical sounding: The HE1000v2 is warmer sounding with more mid-range presence, and the strings have more body and weight. The HD800S is brighter. Both have a very open soundstage.
Enslaved By Raidho
Again, the bass is obviously a bit lacking with the HD800S. You don’t hear it when it’s not there but comparing it to the HE1000v2, it’s obvious that it rolls off. The HE1000v2’s bass isn’t bloated, it isn’t even a little bit bloomy. It’s just there. It’s deliciously tight and textured.
Now, you can of course EQ the bass up with the HD800S and that sounds a lot better. But without EQ, this track falls apart in comparison to the HE1000v2.
To summarise: Both headphones are good – I acknowledge that. However, with the solid-state amps, the HD800S sounds too clinical for my taste. The polite mid-range, bass roll-off and the intense treble are to blame. It’s a good headphone, but I’d take the HE1000v2 over it any day in these setups.
TUBES
Now, the HD800/S is notorious for being picky on the amps, and many can’t stand it if it’s not powered by a tube amp. I give it some time with three Sparkos Gemini and the WA22 and compare it to the HE1000v2 yet again.
First out is the Sparkos Gemini. It is a new hybrid tube amplifier that I just got in for review.
THE SPARKOS GEMINI
The Gemini is a hybrid tube/solid-state amplifier. The tube, a single 6922, inside the Gemini is in the front end and the first thing that the incoming audio meets after the volume control. Then the signal is extracted using current mirrors (rather than coupling capacitors) before the signal goes to some SS2590 discrete op amps that drive the headphone and RCA outputs. The amount of tube harmonics imparted into the sound will depend on how hard the tube is driven, i.e. the input signal strength. The gain button on the front lets you adjust this.
HD800S WITH SPARKOS GEMINI
I keep the HE1000v2 hooked up to the Bryston BHA-1 for reference, I thus compare two different amp/can combos. My main interest is to see how this amp affects the HD800S. The difference between WRT the HE1000v2 and these amps are way smaller.
Intimate Letters / Martinu 313-1 by Emerson String Quartet
With the Gemini, the HD800S shines. The mid-range comes to life. There’s not much of a shift in the frequency response curve, but there is a small shift in something which makes a huge difference. The HD800S sounds more organic and more natural. The highs are less strident, the mids are way more likeable. Remember, I kept the HE1000v2 booked up to the Bryston for reference and comparing them now, I find them sounding a lot closer.
Enslaved By Raidho
This also track sounds better with the HD800S connected to the Gemini. The treble sounds much smoother, and the midrange is more natural sounding.
Compare Manuel by Vicente Amigo
The guitar is still more pronounced with the HE1000v2, but the HD800S also sounds better here than with the solid-state amplifiers.
Muggen Fallskjerm by Jøkleba
Even though the Gemini does a lot of good, it cannot change the HD800S completely. The bass is still rolled off and it really is audible, especially with this track. However, as said, the Gemini makes the HD800S better sounding. The treble is smoother, and the mids are more organic. Actually, everything is now more organic, richer and less clinical sounding.
As Before by Olga Konkova
The Gemini does wonders. However, the main tonal balance is retained and the vocals are still more pronounced with the HE1000v2. Again, the Gemini makes the HD800S organic sounding. Much preferable to the solid-state amps.
Ting and Lorena by IPA
The HD800S sounds a lot more liquid and organic also here. The Gemini is apparently a great match for the HD800S. The bass still rolled off, but it’s not really bothersome on these tracks.
The HD800S and HE1000v2 sound more alike than not now with the Gemini/HD800S combo, actually.
In conclusion, there is no doubt that the HD800S sounds better with the Sparkos Gemini hybrid tube amp than with the solid-state amps. I still prefer the HE1000v2 powered by the Bryston BHA-1, but the gap narrows considerably. Most of all, as I have repeatedly stated, the Gemini makes the HD800S sound more organic, and natural and less bright and clinical.
HE1000V2 WITH SPARKOS GEMINI
After some listening and going back and forth, I think the Gemini does very well with the HE1000v2 too. The difference between the Gemini and BBC the BHA-1 with the HE1000v2 isn’t really that big, and won’t alter my comparisons above.
THE WOO WA22
The Woo Audio WA22 is a balanced, transformer-coupled all-tube amplifier. It’s been around since 2009 with a slight update in 2018. It still holds up.
HD800S WITH WA22
The Woo WA22 is a great amplifier for both the HD800 and the HD800S. It brings to the table even more of the organic feeling that I get from the Gemini. There is even more body and richness, while still retaining detail, separation and soundstage.
Some will find the slightly thicker sound to be at the cost of tightness and separation. , I find the WA22 really great because it completes the clinical presentation the HD800S has with all solid-state – although to a different extent. Some, or I’d think rather many, will find the Gemini to be a perfect middle way.
HE1000v2 WITH WA22
The HE1000v2/WA22 combo is something special. But there’s a trade off. The presentation overall is very organic and enjoyable, but the WA22 struggles to keep the same control in the lower regions as the BHA-1 and Gemini. Thus, comparing the HD800S and the HE1000v2 on the WA22 makes the two headphones more similar than with the other setups. It makes the HD800S better, but as said, there’s some loss of tightness with the HE1000v2. I must hasten to say that despite less control in the lower regions, I still think the HE1000v2/WA22 is one of the better pairings out there.
HD800S WITH SPARKOS GEMINI VS HE1000V2 WITH WOO AUDIO WA22
The HD800S isn’t alone in shining a bit more with a nice matching tube amp. One of my favourite setups is the HE1000v2 with the Woo WA22. I can’t compare all combinations but I’m curious how the HE1000v2/WA22 compares to the HD800S/Gemini. Here are some examples.
My Friends by Red Hot Chili Peppers
Sounds really good with the HD800S. The bass is well balanced and the sound has some warmth. The soundstage is big, but even bigger with the WA22.
Mossabacken by IPA
The Gemini is such a gem with the HD800S. This jazz track sounds so alive and playful. Switching to the HE1000v2/WA22 setup, it becomes even more alive.
Night Walker by Trentemøller
I think the HD800S did a good job with the bass. Not as good as the HE1000v2, but close enough. Both are very spacious, the HE1000v2 even more open-sounding than the HD800S. The tonality is relatively close. The mids are more up front with the HE1000v2 but not really that much.
WRAPPING IT UP
Both these cans need a good amp match to shine. The HE1000v2 needs quality power to wake up and become the dynamic beast it can be. The HD800S needs something a little different. To me, the HD800S is almost two different headphones with the solid state amps vs the tone amps used in this review. In a fast a/b, it might not sound very different, but the difference is in the small things that add up and change the experience.
Treble
This is the most problematic part of the HD800S. It’s less piercing than the original HD800 but the HD800S is still a quite bright headphone. It really helps with a tube amp or a hybrid like the Sparkos Gemini, though. The treble is then more rounded and less fatiguing. However, the treble is also giving you lots of detail and a huge sense of air and space.
The HE1000v2 also has treble energy, but I find it more natural and non-fatiguing. It’s apparently got more energy in the lower treble, the HD800S in the higher treble.
Thus, the HE1000v2 is not smooth or laid back, just less intense in the highest frequencies. The treble of the HE1000v2 has maybe even more weight than the HD800S, but it feels less bright. They’re both very detailed.
Midrange
They both have a very revealing mid-range. The HE1000v2 has a more energetic presentation with more weight and body because of more upper mids/lower treble energy.
They aren’t miles apart but I generally find the HE1000v2 having a more natural timbre. With the tube amps, the HD800S got more organic and natural sounding which helps a lot.
Bass
There is really no contest here, the HE1000v2 has better bass quantity and quality, timbre and detail. That being said, the HD800S has a very good quality bass performance. It’s quite flat before it starts rolling off slightly and gradually. It can even be punchy but rolls off sooner than the typical high-quality planar magnetic headphones. The roll-off feels, however, quite gentle, and with most tracks, it’s not an issue. None of these are bass cannons, but I feel the HE1000v2 has nailed the bass presentation for my personal preferences – except for the HE-6 – of course.
Soundstage, sound signature and timbre
It might be surprising to many, but I do find that the HE1000v2 doesn’t have a smaller soundstage than the HD800S at all. Properly driven, the HE1000v2 is just as spacious, and sometimes even more so, than the HD800S. In other words, they are both top-of-the-line in this regard. Imaging is good on both, they create a good holographic listening experience. The HE1000v2 might be wider, the HD800S deeper. It depends on the track and what frequencies are dominant.
In terms of sound signature, these often aren’t too far apart. I think it is quite track-dependent because they have variations in the frequency response that are not big enough to say that they are constantly very different.
When it comes to timbre I think it will be to no one’s surprise that I prefer the HE1000v2. I’m generally a fan of the Hifiman tuning. However, I often find them surprisingly similar.
CONCLUSION
In conclusion, both the HE1000v2 and HD800S are exceptional high-end headphones, each with its unique characteristics. The choice between them depends on personal preferences and the amplification used. In solid-state setups, the HE1000v2 excels with its slightly warm, detailed sound, while the HD800S may sound clinical to some. When paired with a (hybrid) tube amp like the Sparkos Gemini, the HD800S becomes more organic, narrowing the gap to the HE1000v2. However, the HE1000v2 retains its edge in bass quantity and quality. Both headphones offer expansive soundstages and revealing midranges, making them top contenders in the high-end audio landscape. Ultimately, the decision hinges on individual taste and the desired sonic characteristics.
You can check out the HE1000 v2 on Amazon here and the Sennheiser HD800S here.
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