The Sennheiser HD 820 ranks #139 out of 165 total Over-Ear Headphones for sound quality. See all Headphones rankings for every top pick.
Brand: Sennheiser
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#139 Sennheiser HD 820: $1,999.95 Amazon eBay
Pros: It is a closed back flagship, so it isolates and keeps sound in, unlike most headphones at this price. Bass sits 3 to 4 dB above the Harman target and holds down to 20 Hz, which suits warm and bassy taste profiles. It rates above the AKG K872 Pro and the Fostex TH900 at about the same price.
Cons: In oratory1990’s measurement presence and treble sit about 3 dB below target from 3 to 10 kHz with a 6.6 dB dip near 11.7 kHz, so cymbals and detail sound dull and veiled. The 300 ohm impedance needs a dedicated headphone amp to reach proper volume, and the Dan Clark Audio Voce and the Focal Stellia both rate higher.
| Released | 2018 (8 years ago) |
|---|---|
| Back | Closed |
| Built-in Microphone | No |
| Connection | Wired |
| Deviation From Target | 3.55 dB standard deviation |
| Driver Type | Dynamic |
| Drivers | 1 x 56mm dynamic |
| Form Factor | Over-ear |
| Frequency Response | 12Hz - 43.8kHz (Manufacturer specified) |
| Harman Preference Score | 52 (measured by oratory1990, via AutoEQ) |
| Impedance | 300 ohms |
| Sensitivity | 103 dB SPL/V |
| Sub-bass Extension | Within 6 dB of target down to 20 Hz (+4.0 dB at 30 Hz) |
| Tonal Tilt | -1.15 (negative is warmer, positive brighter) |
| Weight | 0.8 lbs (360 g) |
EQ preset to match the Harman target
Set a preamp of -6.2 dB, then add these filters in any parametric equalizer (Wavelet, Equalizer APO, Peace, or a player with parametric EQ). Calculated by AutoEQ from its measured frequency response.
| Filter | Frequency | Gain | Q |
|---|---|---|---|
| Low shelf | 105 Hz | -2.9 dB | 0.70 |
| Peak | 147 Hz | -8.6 dB | 1.79 |
| Peak | 294 Hz | +7.6 dB | 2.24 |
| Peak | 5,732 Hz | +1.8 dB | 0.18 |
| Peak | 965 Hz | -3.9 dB | 1.74 |
| High shelf | 10,000 Hz | -1.1 dB | 0.70 |
| Peak | 74 Hz | +6.7 dB | 2.74 |
| Peak | 69 Hz | -2.8 dB | 0.80 |
| Peak | 3,823 Hz | +3.6 dB | 5.33 |
| Peak | 5,091 Hz | -4.0 dB | 5.68 |
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