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1 / 9Among the high-end headphones, the Sennheiser HD 800 S makes a name for itself.
A 0.4 puts its noise isolation / ANC in the bottom 10% of over-ear headphones we've measured.
Measured on 86 of the 240 we've cataloged.
At 4, its audio quality beats 41% of over-ear headphones we've measured.
Measured on 44 of the 240 we've cataloged.
Wired-3.5mm is the most common — on 48% of the 215 over-ear headphones we've cataloged (of 240).
above average for over-ear headphones — based on 195 of 240 we've cataloged.
At the end of the day the Sennheiser HD 800 S is in the conversation for the best headphones on the market for consumers, so long as they stay at home near the computer. The cans offer stellar sound quality, comfort, and good maintenance options—so they're an easy recommendation if you have the cash and the need for the last headphones you'll buy for years.
Objective measurements from the SoundGuys test lab — overlay other models to see how this one compares.
Measured frequency response (dB) against the SoundGuys house target — the dashed curve. The closer the measured line tracks the target, the more neutral the tuning; peaks ride above the target, dips fall below it.
| Frequency (Hz) | Response (dB) |
|---|---|
| 20 | -7.5 |
| 25 | -6.1 |
| 32 | -4.8 |
| 40 | -4.0 |
| 50 | -3.6 |
| 63 | -2.1 |
| 80 | -1.1 |
| 100 | -0.5 |
| 125 | -0.2 |
| 160 | -0.1 |
| 200 | -0.1 |
| 250 | -0.2 |
| 315 | -0.4 |
| 400 | -0.5 |
| 500 | -0.6 |
| 630 | -0.3 |
| 800 | -0.1 |
| 1000 | 0.0 |
| 1250 | -0.4 |
| 1600 | 0.9 |
| 2000 | 3.2 |
| 2500 | 5.1 |
| 3150 | 5.8 |
| 4000 | 6.6 |
| 5000 | 5.5 |
| 6300 | 9.1 |
| 8000 | 7.8 |
| 10000 | 2.1 |
| 12500 | 3.2 |
| 16000 | -4.3 |
| 20000 | -15.9 |
Passive isolation (dB) with ANC off — how much ambient noise the fit blocks on its own. Higher on the chart means more attenuation.
| Frequency (Hz) | Attenuation (dB) |
|---|---|
| 21 | -2.8 |
| 26 | 2.7 |
| 33 | 0.0 |
| 41 | -0.1 |
| 52 | -0.1 |
| 65 | -0.0 |
| 82 | 0.1 |
| 103 | 0.2 |
| 130 | -0.3 |
| 163 | -0.2 |
| 205 | -0.2 |
| 259 | -0.2 |
| 325 | -0.3 |
| 410 | -0.2 |
| 516 | -0.3 |
| 613 | -0.6 |
| 772 | -0.9 |
| 972 | -0.3 |
| 1220 | 0.4 |
| 1540 | 2.5 |
| 1940 | 2.2 |
| 2440 | 5.6 |
| 3070 | 4.0 |
| 3870 | 4.2 |
| 4870 | 10.1 |
| 6130 | 3.6 |
| 7720 | 9.8 |
| 9720 | 5.2 |
| 12200 | 0.3 |
| 15400 | 1.1 |
| 19400 | 9.4 |
Multi-Dimensional Audio Quality Scores (1–5), modeled from the measured response. Higher is better across timbre, distortion, and immersiveness — add other models to see where this one lands.
Commentary and deep dives from the SoundGuys editorial team.











