The Sennheiser HD 820 are premium audiophile over-ears with a closed-back design for critical listening. They are very similar to the open-back version HD 800 S but perform slightly worse. They have a bit more bass but a worse sound overall, which is a bit disappointing considering their very high price tag (almost twice the price of the HD 800 S). Their bass is also very inconsistent. Not only do glasses break the fit, but different head shapes or sizes can have a significant impact on sound quality in lower frequencies. On the upside, their build is still excellent, sturdy and very comfortable for long listening sessions. They are also a bit more versatile thanks to their closed-back design which allows less sound to seep into your audio and less leakage. The HD 820 also have a better soundstage than most closed-backs headphones.
Pros
+ Good audio reproduction
+ Sturdy, durable build quality
+ Comfortable design
Cons
- Bass delivery varies significantly across users
- Disappointing value to sound quality ratio
- Bulky and heavy
Design
The design of the HD 820 is very similar to the HD 800 S, with slight differences. The main one being that the HD 820 are closed-back with gorilla glass backplates to close the cups, but lets you see the drivers inside. They are very bulky and not portable, which is normal since they were designed to be used sitting next to an amp. They also have very well-padded and spacious ear cups that you can wear for hours without too much fatigue. Unfortunately, the cups are so big that some people may feel slight gaps behind their ears due to the oversized fit. On the upside, their build quality is amazing thanks to the metal and dense plastic that give the headphones a sturdy and premium feel.
Sound
The HD 820 are good sounding critical listening headphones, but their performance is disappointing when compared to the HD 800 S especially since they are considerably more expensive. They have a deep, well-balanced bass, their mid-range is a bit uneven but sufficiently forward with instruments and vocals, and the treble range is fairly neutral although not quite as clear and detailed as the HD 800 S. Unfortunately, the bass is prone to inconsistencies, and it is not only due to glasses breaking the fit. Different head shapes or sizes will have different listening experiences, especially with bass. Vocals and lead instruments also sound slightly thin because of the dip in the low-mid range but on the upside, the HD 820 have better soundstage and are more open sounding than most closed-back headphones we’ve tested so far.
Isolation
Being closed-back over-ear headphones, the HD 820 block more ambient noise than the open-back HD 800 S by design. However, even if they block a decent amount of noise, their big cups might not create an air-tight fit around everyone’s ears, and some noise might seep into your audio if you have the ear cup gaps. Also, even if they are closed-backs, the HD 820 leak quite a lot at higher volumes, so you shouldn’t blast your music in quieter environments like an office. They are definitely better isolation-wise than the HD 800 S, but you’re still going to get the best out of them in a quiet room especially since they are not meant for commuting or outdoors use.
Connectivity
The Sennheiser HD 820 are simple, wired headphones and don’t have any type of wireless connectivity. On the upside, there are 3 options of cable that come in the box with the headphones. You have an XLR 4 connector cable (balanced), a ¼” TRS cable (unbalanced) and a 4.4mm Pentaconn stereo jack plug (balanced). Even if you don’t have the freedom of wireless headphones, you still get decent range with their 10-feet long cables.
Who should buy them?
If you consider yourself a critical listener or an audiophile and always wondered what the HD 800S would sound like with a closed-back design, then the HD 820 were made for you. They’re very comfortable over-ears that you can wear for hours and they deliver a decently well-balanced sound with a bit more bass than the HD 800 S. They also isolate better and leak a little less, making them a bit more versatile. They have a great design and come with quite a few high-end accessories, however, for their price they may not be the best value. They are almost twice as expensive as the HD 800 S and do not benefit that much from a closed-back design, in terms of isolation or versatility, to justify the asking price. If you have the budget, then the HD 820 are a great collector’s item and a feat of engineering you can display on your shelf along with the rest of your headphones. However, if you only care about sound quality the HD 800S will be a better value.
To see all our measurements and our test results of the Sennheiser HD 820, please go here.
