No chance of trying them first?

Unfortunately nope. No stores in my area have them. The only way I could try them out is buy them on Amazon and return them, but even that is risky considering I might fall so in love with them that I end up going 1200 in debt 😂

It's worth. Huge difference. Save up bud

It's worth. Huge difference. Save up bud

I see. Well, it's impossible to judge if they are worth the money or not. To some folks it definitvely is to others it definitvely isn't.

I know this isn't the clear answer you were looking for but that's how it is. Hence the best thing you can do is trying them for yourself and make your own decision.

All I can add is that the HD800S are nice indeed. Extremly so but Sennheisers entry levels offer an absurd good sound for a relatively low price. So you probably will notice an improvement in many areas but, especially because 1k doesn't seem to be pocket change to you, it most likely won't be worth the money.

We are all idiots with our money here so no worries

I personally wouldn’t spend a major chunk of savings I couldn’t get back on a headphone I haven’t heard. Headphones are just too subjective. I’m not personally that fond of the HD800S and would rather own numerous other headphones in its price tier - though its also entirely possible that it’ll be your favorite headphone. There’s no can jams or local meets in your area?

Not worth it based on your criteria. I own a pair of the original hd800 and regularly swap between them and the 560s.

edit: typo

>is it a difference that is drastic enough to warrant the extra $1240?

Only you can aswer this.

IMO, if you listen to a lot of music, it's a big part of your life and you can appreciate the small differences in sound (that some can't even differentiate) then I'd say they're worth it.

I don't regret for a second spending thousands on audio-gear because music is just that important to me. I will probably be a part of this hobby for the rest of my life.

>To see whether or not spending that time saving is worth it!

No, it's not. It's better to learn EQing, you will get a lot more.

[removed]

I would say so. I would say you should take what you know about your 560s and then compare reviews to other high end headphones like the Hifiman Arya, Focal Clear, Audeze LCD-X, etc. watch reviews of the 560 so that you have a comparison point with a particular reviewer and then compare to the others. So much of what makes a high end headphone worth it is that it best matches your preferences. 800S has a massive soundstage and great detail but falls short in other areas particularly regarding bass, the Arya also has great detail and has a much taller though not as wide soundstage which has more of a concert hall feel but also has really well extended bass, the Clears have really good impact but small soundstage in comparison but still great imaging, the Audeze has a great slam as well but also really good detail and such a smooth sound and takes to EQ really well.

All that to say, it is worth taking some time to think about what you ebony about the 560 and how it might translate to which highend headphone that you buy.

I have a HD800S so I'll say that yes, it's worth it, but I'm biased.

First rule for any hobby : if you don't have that amount to spare or if you depend on it for living, don't spend it. These things come well after the rest.

And tbh if the rest of your chain isn't already good or great then the HD800S will feel like a wasted jewel among trash, it reveals all the flaws in your system

Not really worth it. They're great headphones, however one Sennheiser is more than enough even for the most demanding listener.

If you're looking for an alternative, check out Beyerdynamic, Audeze, or something else. There's a funny saying going around that "if you've heard one Sennheiser's, you've heard them all" and it doesn't stray that far away from the truth.

I've owned Beyerdynamic DT 1990 Pro, Sennheiser HD600, Focal Clear Pro, Sennheiser HD800 and Kennerton Vali. I've sold the Beyerdynamic's (they were neat) and returned the Focal's (warranty return due to faulty construction).
From the above, I can tell that the price difference between HD560, HD600, HD650 (the reasonable range) and HD800, HD800S does not justify the purchase. Once again, they're all great headphones on their own.

>to the point where you could never go back to the 560S' under any circumstance once you have listened to the 800S' for a while

I don't think you'd prefer the HD800S for literally everything. For example, HD800(S) is fantastic for orchestral music etc, but it's not that well suited for metal, rap etc. You could however EQ them and probably get a sound where you enjoy them for more genres.

At the same time, HD800 is the most comfortable pair of headphones I've tried and it's the only one that has made me go "wow, this is a different class of audio quality". Specifically the perceived detail and soundstage is amazing. The tonality is hit or miss though, that's why I mentioned EQ. Trying them out yourself is the best thing you could do.

holy shit

Buy a used HD 800 for 600-700 US

I would say go for it and buy used, in case you change your mind, you don't lose too much.

What do you consider "serious saving"? If this means eating ramen for months, or otherwise limiting even remotely important things then don't do it. You are enjoying your music and the heavens won't open when using the HD800(s) (I use a HD800, triangulating in regard to the HD560s based on my experience with other headphones that others rate about the same).

Having said that, if you can afford to save without it messing with your life, the HD800 (+ EQ) may well be worth it. There is lots of music where I'm absolutely fine with my work headphones (SHP 9600, because comfort), my out-and-about Galaxy Buds or the trying-out-the-current-low-end Moondrop Chu or Salnotes Zero. But for classical, especially symphonic, music I pretty much always use the best headphones/IEMs available to me and usable in the situation (so most of the time the HD800) because it helps my enjoyment. The technical improvements such as better instrument separation and placement make it easier to understand what is happening and to just get lost in the music.

Please don’t go into debt for headphones.

The HD800s is a whole other beast compared to the HD560s. Its really hard to compare but i think the HD800s is a bit brighter and cleaner but not in a bad way. They are colder and has less amount of bass but it has way more texture in the bass.

To do some kind of analogy i think the HD560s is like a really really good sounding studio.

The HD800s is like a top level concert hall.

To be honest i dont own the HD800s. I have the HD800 with SDR mod. Which i think sounds better than HD800s.

The HD800 you can, with some time an patience get quite "cheap" second hand and then just SDR mod it. I got my HD800 for 500€ second hand, but barley used. Lucky you might say and yes ofc but i also spent many many months looking and talking to ppl to find a great deal.

If you can get them at used prices... They're not worth it at the new price point.

Also my recommend for you for an upgrade will be a Custom built headphone that costs $700 from u/JohnFromNewYork-LI

Talk to him

u/Lapralapso

Dealers are usually more than happy to have their demo unit sent around their different shops. go in and ask.

Source- Hifi dealer

Thanks man I appreciate that and I have a policy if my customer isn’t thinking my hps are better sounding I can return them the way they like or change headbands anything to make them happy and if all that fails money back but I can tell you I never had that ever in the hundreds I’ve serviced - and I’m only getting better as I meet new customers

I just went from HD 660s (which do have quite a different sound profile so take it with a grain of salt) to the HD 800s and it was worth every penny. They are amazing and if you like the HD 560s you should definitely enjoy them.

I have the 8XX, which is the bastard half-brother of the 800S that the audiophile community keeps locked in a closet under the stairs, and while the 560S is a technically impressive headphone, the 8XX easily bests it in every category of technical performance (and I like the sound profile too, but that's controversial). I suspect the 800S will really impress you, especially since you're listening to classical music.

BUT the question of whether it's worth it is different than whether it's better. It's 10X more expensive. Headphones are a product of diminishing returns, and you will probably not think the 800S sounds 10X better than the 560S. But it might sound 2X or even 3X as good to you. What you could always do is save up the money, and buy a set from somewhere with a good return policy. If you're not blown away, send them back and be happy with your 560S.

I had the HD 560s but I got the HD 660s and haven’t touched the 560s since :-)

The 660s does everything the 560s did but with a little more oomph and the treble is well controlled. Also, I think the bass is tighter and more refined on the 660s even though it rolls off a little sooner.

To give you an idea: the 560s are a hit or miss with me. Some songs sounded great and some songs sounded plain bad on them. However, with the 660s, I haven’t found a song yet that sounds bad. They’re very musical and less analytical, yet you can still pick out each separate detail if you desire. They’re great all around headphones

I'll be honest, i own multiple headphones. Prices all over the spectrum, from highly priced to dirt cheap. And most of the time i do my listening on the HD560s. You have to ask yourself, does the price difference justifies the epsilon of sound quality difference ?

Can you buy them used? I regularly see HD800s go for $1050 on /r/AVexchange and Head-Fi

Hey not to get too macabre but I feel it my duty to tell my fellow crazy audio people to have a will and designate who the equipment goes to. I say this from a place of caring and experience with in-fighting over a lack of a will when someone in my family passed. Since audio means a lot to you, be sure it goes people who wold care enough about these things in the off-chance of something happening to you.

Happy listening!

More expensive is not more better.

Fuck it. You only live once go for it. They hold their value on the used market so if you don't like it you're 90% there to try another good set if you sell it. r/AvExchange is awsome.

I’d say I like EQ’ing. I’ve EQ’d my 560S’ with the oratory1990 presets and heavily enjoy that, so I have no issues with EQ’ing the 800’s. Though, I’m now considering the HD8XX since that’d save me $500 where I live (Canada). Not sure if $500 is worth the marginal change in sound quality though.

I’d definitely say it IS my life. When I was younger, I played in concert band. I’ve been in a jazz band. I’m the type to sit in my room until 2am (which I did last night) and get lost into music because it’s just so enjoyable.

I don’t think I’d ever regret spending thousands for audio considering I live and breathe it. I’m a “I’m here for one life, not gonna waste it” type of guy.

By the looks of what everyone has been saying - I should try to get my hands on a demo. Because I am more than willing to save (thankfully it won’t affect my quality of life if I were to save for these).

Fascinating. I’m curious as to in what circumstances you switch? I assume they are good headphones for different types of music?

try to get them used. hd800s goes for around 1000 and hd800 goes for around 800. i bought all my TOTL headphones used and havent had a ton of issues other than needing a pad change sometimes.

This is good advice, thank you. I was thinking the same. I should sit with my 560S for a while so I can really get to know this pair of cans inside and out. I think that’d make the upgrade that much more worth it.

I’m willing to EQ the 800S to fix the bass falloff (I did the same with the 560S and love the sound). Do you think EQ would fix this rolloff as it does with the 560S?

I have been eyeing the 8XX actually. If the sound compared to an 800S is only a LITTLE “worse”, to the point where the differences are very slight, then I don’t mind saving $500 and buying an 8XX instead. Have you EQ’ed the 8XX at all? I keep hearing that EQ is “mandatory” on these.

And honestly? If these sound even just twice as good for 10x the price, I am more than willing to pay.

I would not mind buying them used. I’ll check this subreddit out, thanks!

I don't recomment to buy them without trying them before.

I did that mistake, and ended selling them after a year(with pretty low usage during that time) that i really tried to get used to them, but i allways swapped back to my other cans i had at the same time.

I've heard some bad things about the HD8XX. You can try looking for used HD800.

But isn't the whole purpose of trying them out is to see if you "fall in love" with them? The risk would be in buying them without listening to them first.

I have no experience with 560s, but I went from 650s to 800S without trying them out. I absolutely love the 800S and don't want to listen to the 650s anymore. I went from a speaker set-up to headphones, and I never really enjoyed the music again until I tried the 800S.

Wait until you can better afford them and then try them out. You don't want the anxiety of affordability to get in the way of your listening.

senn 6xx with OTL tube amp ideally bottlehead crack no speedball better than 800s imo musically

Thank you, you’re right. I mostly used the debt analogy as a hyperbole, I would never actually take out a loan or go into $1200 cc debt for headphones, but yeah - I definitely don’t have the money to buy them yet considering the other things I gotta pay for.

I think I’ll save up for ‘em and buy them somewhere where I can easily return them, worst case scenario.

If you went from 650’s to 800S’ and never want to go back, then I may be the same.

I agree with what most other people here are saying, if it's that significant of saving for you to purchase an HD800S, don't, unless you can listen to them first.

I would recommend taking a look at the HD8XX, while being tuned pretty badly, it can easily be fixed with EQ or the sticker mod to sound basically identical to an HD800S for much cheaper, especially if bought used.

Have you actually listened to the 650s vs 800S. They absolutely do not sound the same. You might not like or appreciate the 800S, but they are different and definitely deserve a listen.

If money is your concern, buy used headphones. Worst case that you don't like it. Sell it back with a small loss + shipping. I have 10 headphones right now, 8 of them are used, never had any problems with them. r/AVexchange is wonderful for this. Just do your due research, look at seller's reputation, posts history, check sold prices of similar items in recent months, etc...

I bought my HD800s used with all original accessories minus the box. No issue at all.

Since I don't have HD560s, I am not qualified to compare them with HD800s. However, I do own HD600, and HD6XX, I think I can give general answer to your questions:

• Are the HD800s better than the HD5** and HD6**? YES
• Are they $700 - $800 better? NO
• Will you ever touch your HD560s again if you bought the HD800s? YES, you should.

- I would like to elaborate this further: in my limited experience, the deeper I am into this hobby, the more I appreciate the differences in my headphones, I like to change them according to mood or music genres. It's always fun to discover something new in a song when you go back and forth on different set of headphones. Maybe one day I will finally find a perfect headphones that make me sell the rest of my collection, but HD800s ain't it.

• Are the HD800s worth the money? Only you can answer this question.

Hope this helps, happy hunting.

Ah-hahahahahaaaaaa... ..hmmm.. *lookingatmyheadphonestash*

​

*cough*

I can’t tell you about this specific jump in quality/price, but about a similar experience.

I had an AKG K701, went into a store and tried a random headphone with a ludicrous price tag - 5500€.

This particular difference was so mindblowing that I stopped listening to music on headphones entirely for about 12 years, until I could afford my own hd800s, hoping it is „good enough“ compared to how I remembered this specific headphone. (Turned out to be a Stax, maybe SR 007 or 009)

The HD800S is worth it if you care about stage and natural timbre, it’s not as precise as some planars in its price range, but just smooth.

What do you think is a good upgrade to go from the 560s? I enjoy basically everything about this headphone, but I would like something with better resolution and punchier bass, with a bit less heat in the treble. I was thinking the edition XS, or maybe the audeze LCD-2C. Or does it make more sense to go for something higher end, like the Arya or the LCD-X or the Clears?

I'm a little sad I didn't get the 2C for 450 from the black Friday b stock sale, but I've already spent money on a computer and some racing stuff the past couple of months and I don't have a dedicated amp/DAC yet.

I recently bought a second hand HD800 for 500 bucks, and I regularly see them for 550-650. One of the best deals in audio ever, from that point on there's only different and not really meaningfully better.

So If 1600 bucks is a lot of money for you I urge you to check the second hand market!!

I have a HD800s, I like it, but for actual daily use, I wear my HD599 and HD650 much more than my HD800s.

I would say if you live alone or are often alone and absolutely love to listen to movies and music, go for it.

But if you mainly listen to YouTube/podcasts, live with others that don't want to hear your super sound leaking headphones, then you're spending a lot of money for something you might not use much compared to your current headphones that aren't picky about the source and leak sound way less. I think people underestimate diminishing returns and the daily usage practicality of headphones that leak sound as much as high end open back headphones do. But if you've got the funds, it's not a big deal if you aren't using them daily. Your mileage may vary.

I would say be prepared to lose $200. For example, ebay's charge for sellers is 13% I believe.

With eq the 8xx’s can get pretty much the same sound as 800s; or you can go risky and remove the stickers.

I went from 598’s to 820’s and never looked back.

The clarity was a no contest and I liked the comfort and tonality more. But I prefer my 598 over my 600, I disliked the 600 so much (comfort, sound, tonality) that I gave them straight to my wife.

Now I rotate between 8xx and 820, with a splash of sr80x

That's a sound decision. It is a major jump in price, but I think it was well worth it. Some people make small incremental upgrades and eventually spend much more to get to their "end game" 'phones.

Edit: FYI, I do use some EQ on these 'phones. I use a Schiit Lokius to tune them to my preferences. The sound stage, to me, is the main selling point.

So I’ve got an idea that may help with the cost. If you have a Best Buy nearby, and have some time to work there part time, get a job there for a few months. Once you’ve been there a month, you get access to employee pricing which is cost + 5%. (Last I knew anyway.) Headphones have some of the biggest markups, so it should knock that price down quite a bit, plus the extra paycheck can be your source to save up for them.

You can sell it on Reddit or another audiophile forum for no cut other than PayPal’s guarantee.

This is how I felt as well. Had the 560s, got the 660s, and then an 800s. I have a laptop and desktop PC, and was originally using the 560s on the laptop paired with a SoundBlasterX G6 and the 660s w/ a JDS Labs Element III. Once the 800s came into my life, the 560s got sold, the 660s moved to my laptop, and the 800s now live on my desktop :)

I also have 3 pair of their "gaming" headsets (EPOS/Drop ones): PC37X, Game One, and the GSP 370. I think I'm done spending money now...

Lol that’s the spirit

I went from the AKG K701 to the HD800. Let me start by saying there was a drastic difference, but not without any flaws. I quicky realized that the HD800 sounded flat and fatiguing. I sold me old amp and DAC and bought the Sennheiser HDVA 600 and RME ADI-2 as well as the XLR cable. I can tell you that the sound at times is magical but, I still I can't listen for longer periods of time because of ear pain even with EQ.

In my opinion it is a headphone that has stood the test of time and is still considered reference. It still holds its own against the very best headphones out today (at least in soundstage). I say go for it! Perhaps, you won't find them as fatiguing and for the price you won't find any other headphone that can compete especially at a used price. Good luck! 😊

IMO no it's not worth it, not even close.

Given that you've said it's not in your price range and you would have to save for a long time... there is a very high chance that you will be disappointed. I know this might be an unpopular opinion here but flagship headphones are not worth their price for the vast majority of people. You're so far into diminishing returns territory at that price level, you can get something marginally worse for a fraction of the price.

If you had money to burn and were just trying to find something to spend it on, then yea whatever. It's not worth saving up for when you already have a good pair of headphones. That's just my opinion.

I owned both the (original) HD800 and HD560S together for about 8 months. I EQed both but it was the HD800 that really needed EQ to be listenable. I also demoed the HD800S recently, and that too would still need EQ for my tastes (it's less bright than the original, but still too bright for me).

In terms of technicalities, there is a lot of exaggeration in this hobby. I'd say the HD560S gives you 90% of the technical performance of the HD800. I actually prefer the soundstage of the HD560S because it is less artificially large (but this is totally personal preference).

Imaging on the HD800(S) is a strong point but it is also very decent on the HD560S. Bass can be improved substantially with EQ on the HD800 but not quite to the level of punch you can get out of the HD560S with EQ.

Comfort is the real issue with the HD560S in my view while a lot of people really enjoy the HD800 for it's comfort (low clamp). I personally, still had comfort issues with the HD800 (I do with most headphones it seems).

My advice, if you really want to try an HD800, is to look for a used unit in good condition. That would be around $600-700 and it's a very good deal, especially if you can EQ. I've seen a lot of people recommend it with tube amps as well. If you don't like it, you can always resell it and not lose much (and there is still decent demand for the HD800).

Don't use Ebay, use AVExchange or Headfi forum.

I have the 560s & the sticker modded 8xx & was A/B’ing then yesterday trying to decide which one to keep.

Comfort wise, 8xx wins hands down. The bigger cups fit around my ears better & have much less clamp than 560s. Also the build feels more premium

Sound: the imaging & soundstage is just plain better on the 8xx. Not by a massive amount but it’s for sure noticeable right away to my ears. The low end on the 8xx is lacking compared to the 560s. I feel like the 560s takes bass EQ much better than the 8xx. Also to my ears the 560’s sounds brighter, not in a bad way at all just overall a tad brighter so up to your preference

I got my 8xx here on avexhcange for $675 so it wasn’t as bad as a new 800s. Also look up the sticker mod, it brings the sound of the 8xx right up to the 800s. There’s one posted on avexchange just this morning actually w a balanced cable even

I decided to keep the 8xx & return my 560s. I really enjoy them but the 8xx just feels like an upgraded version of the 560s, similar strengths just done better

I've downgraded from an arya stealth and ifi zen stack HFM signature to a 560s eith a zen dac air.

Honestly i'm not really missing the arya as much as i thought i would.

Sure the sound quality isn't anywhere near the same level but the 560s still is good enough to make me enjoy my music plenty enough (enjoy your music, not your gear)

When i first got my arya and put it on for the first time i was blown away by the sound quality but that feeling goes away too quick to justify the price.

Hearing all your favorite songs with that sound quality is fun when you put them on for the first time but then it becomes normal and not as much fun as the first time you put them on.

So basically no, it is not worth it IMO.

If you really want an upgrade there is also the hifiman sundara which to my ears can come pretty close to the arya.

I’d recommend getting yourself a amp/dac set up first. That way you have a decent baseline to try different headphones on afterwards. To me, the 8xx/800s is the upgrade to 560s; it’s more of the same signature basically just better. I also have the Edition XS & love them but they sound pretty different than 560s. To me, they slap way harder w a decent amp & just sound more fun w pretty good detail & soundstage as well. They sound great w pretty much any kind of music

I don’t know for sure but maybe someone with an 800S can comment. My guess would be that you could add a little bit but you may run in to the excursion limit of those dynamic drivers. They will definitely not have the slam of the Focals or Audeze but it will be better.

It is also worth noting that buying used is a great option. Typically speaking, a headphone loses a big chunk of initial value once it is purchased but after that the price stays pretty flat. So assuming you are patient and pay reasonable prices for the headphones you can easily use them for a few months and then sell them and buy another headphone in that range until you find what you like.

I was going to grab the topping dx3 pro+, but the fiio k7 is looking really good for a very similar price. What do you have powering the XS?

I haven't messed with EQ on my 8XX. I'd be glad to try it out sometime soon and report back if you're truly interested. I'm a bit of a purist for the most part, except for my DT990. I appreciate the differences in the way my headphones sound and I like to swap them out depending on my mood. I do kind of wish I'd spent a little more on the 800S just because of all of the talk about how much better it is, but I find the 8XX to be fun in its own way. There's a lot of criticism of the 4-5dB scoop in the upper mids, which can make vocals sound a little distant, but it doesn't bother me nearly as much as the peaky treble on the 560S that nobody else seems to be bothered about. I think people were hoping the 8XX would be more like the 6XX where there was actually very little change in the sound from the 650, and the disappointment really soured the 8XX.

Yeah this is the way. Find a decent deal that it would be easy to recoup your initial purchase price in case you don't like it.

Get a used pair on r/AVExchange when you’re ready and find out for yourself

It's worth remembering that "absolute sound quality" (whatever that is) isn't the sole criterion for what makes a headphone valuable. Comfort, isolation, durability, compatibility with your existing devices... these are all important concerns that might justify paying more.