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Sennheiser HD 820 vs Sennheiser HD 800S

Side-by-side comparison — scores, specs and which one fits your setup.

Sennheiser HD 820
8.7
/ 10
Over-earReference
HIGHER SCORE
Sennheiser HD 800S
9.5
/ 10
Over-earReference

Specs comparison

8.7/10
SCORE
9.5/10
75Ω
IMPEDANCE
300Ω
96dB
SENSITIVITY
102dB
No
NEEDS AMP
Yes

Analysis

The Sennheiser HD 820 scores 8.7/10 with 75Ω impedance and 96dB sensitivity. At 75Ω, it drives well from most phones without an external amp.

The Sennheiser HD 800S scores 9.5/10 with 300Ω impedance and 102dB sensitivity. At 300Ω, it also benefits from amplification to perform at its best.

Based on our scoring, the Sennheiser HD 800S scores higher overall. However, the right choice depends on your full audio chain — use our analyzer to see which fits your actual setup.

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A high headphone score doesn't mean your audio sounds great. Your DAC, amp or source might be the real bottleneck.

Analyze my setup →HD 820 details →HD 800S details →

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