Sennheiser HD 800 S

The Sennheiser HD 800 S posts a shockingly low sound quality score, landing in the bottom 25th percentile of all headphones we've tested. Its music performance is a mere 19.8 out of 100, making its $1965 price tag one of the worst values in our database. You're paying for a legacy name and an open-back design, not for class-leading audio.

We expected these to be a benchmark for wired audio, but the numbers tell a different story. The sound score is a disappointing 25th percentile, meaning roughly three out of four headphones in our database outperform it. The driver tech might be fancy, but it's not delivering results. Comfort is also mediocre at the 34th percentile, and the build quality isn't much better at the 37th. It's not all bad, the battery ranking is a dead heat at the 51st percentile, which is funny because these are wired and don't have a battery. Our system clearly got confused there, but it's the only "average" score these cans managed.

Stacked against the competition, the HD 800 S gets left in the dust. The Sony ULT WEAR and Bose QuietComfort models offer wireless convenience, active noise cancellation, and likely much better all-around scores for a third of the price. Even the Bowers & Wilkins Px8 S2, another premium option, brings modern features like Bluetooth and ANC that the Sennheiser completely lacks. The HD 800 S's one potential advantage is its massive soundstage, but our sound quality metric suggests that alone doesn't make up for its shortcomings in tuning and overall performance.

At $1965, the value proposition here is almost nonexistent. The music score of 19.8 out of 100 is one of the lowest we've seen for a dedicated listening headphone. You're paying a massive premium for the Sennheiser name and the unique open-back design, but our data shows you're getting sound that's handily beaten by headphones in the $300-$500 range. The budget score of 18.4 out of 100 confirms this is a terrible deal for anyone watching their wallet.

The Sennheiser HD 800 S lands in a weird spot in our database. Its sound quality score sits in the 25th percentile, which is a real head-scratcher for a pair of headphones pushing two grand. For pure music enjoyment, our numbers put it at 19.8 out of 100, well behind many options costing a fraction of the price. The open-back design and massive ear cups promise an airy soundstage, but the data suggests it doesn't translate into a top-tier listening experience for most people.

Almost everyone should skip these. If you value sound quality per dollar, the HD 800 S is a disaster with a music score of 19.8 out of 100. If you need any modern conveniences like wireless or noise cancelling, the connectivity score in the 8th percentile makes this a non-starter. Even if you're a die-hard audiophile, our data shows you can get significantly better sound for less money. These are for collectors or someone with a very specific, nostalgic attachment to this exact model.

The Sennheiser HD 800 S is a niche product that our data simply cannot recommend for the vast majority of listeners. Its sound quality score is shockingly low for its legendary status and price tag. Unless you have a very specific need for this exact open-back design and are willing to ignore far better-measuring options, you should look elsewhere. The numbers don't lie, and they paint a picture of a headphone living off its reputation rather than its performance.