The Sennheiser HD800s vs. The Focal Clear. A premium headphone comparison! 

The magic of the HD800S, like its predecessor HD800, is that they easily trick you that some of the sounds are really coming from inside the room. It's that natural sounding. I don't care what the FR curves show. Sometimes when playing my digital piano with the HD800S late at night, I have to double check whether the headphones are plugged in, or I'm blasting loud piano sound in the middle of the night. LOL.

Really enjoyed this review. Good info and well explained, Good job!

Spot on comparison. I agree with everything you said having listened to both.

You are an awesome reviewer. I hope to see you review the HD 820. I have had HD 800s for years and need something that blocks out sound more that sounds and feels like the hd800

I got myself a hd800s with a tube amp and let me tell ya, it feels like the music is playing around you. Watching a live performance feels like you are there. Very happy with them

Thank you for your knowledge and input. Great comparison also....

A great comparison. Thank you so much.

Thanks bro getting the HD 800S tomorrow, loves the Focal ! I have the little spirit ones>

Great review , thanks

very good review!

thank you. decided to go with HD800S after your in-depth review

Good to see you doing headphone reviews. Love the pair I got from you. Awesome Audio 46 deal at the end. Thanks, man! I heard a base pair of Focals and really liked them. I would agree that I was expecting them to be bright and they ended up sounding very smooth. I will have to check the Sennheisers out. I have not heard any of their newer cans.

Tsuyoshi Yamamoto Trio - Midnight Sugar background! Super cool pick ;)

You are absolutely right!!! Agree with you 👍🏻

Awesome! Do more headphone videos.

I wonder if you'll be willing to take a look at this comparison again but with the Clear MG?

Nice and open review.In this highend headphones you can,,t talk anymore about wich is better.They are different of each other.

You’re the best reviewer man.

That's what's Up! I've purchased several headphones from Audio 46 on 46th St NYC with satisfaction. I'm looking into Audioquest Dragonfly Cobalt. Let's see what weight Zero Fidelity carries? Thx for the video also!

I will soon be upgradeding my headphones, and both of these will be top of my list, my last 2 pairs of cans have been Sennheisers over a 20 year period, and the reliability has been excellent, I can say that the 800s will be bomb proof, as for the Clear headphones there is a question mark against reliability, they just haven't been around long enough to know that yet, I will test them with the Hugo 2 to see whats what between both sets of cans.

Love my hd800s.

im not an audio guy but I tried the Focal Clears and they are the best sound I've ever heard out of headphones.

I want to try both :(

I was very impressed with the Focal Clear when the rep left them at the shop for evaluation. Overall I would have been very happy with them and they represented a better value over the Utopia's he also left. I'm not a fan of headphones so I haven't gone past HD800's for occasional home use but you can't go wrong with either one.

I have the 800S, they're quite nice. Estats outclass them, especially in the bass. However, I don't feel cautious about sweating into them during hot summers which is really nice.

you missed comparing the soundstage.......so i want to know how are the 800s/820 for movies ?

Good review - more applicable to the average listener.

Great job bro & can I put the Footprint01 with my tv or would that be to much? Thanks

Good video, got myself into headphones a little this week by getting a pair of HD600’s. Haven’t had any good headphone ever really besides some Vintage Stax cans. I’m getting pretty hyped about it even with the DragonFly I bought with it.

Which set did the stuffed sheep in the background prefer?

Hmm... I'm not in the market for any headphones right now, but if I ever find myself in the general aviation lounge at Teterboro waiting for my Dassault Falcon trijet to be refueled and stocked with champagne for the flight to San Tropez, I'll be sure to accessorize with the Focal Clear 'phones. They have that "I'm jetting off to San Tropez" look to them. So what's next? A SUBPAC review?

I can't tell exactly what "cream filling ... but then you notice it's there" means. Does HD800S have a bass boost or is it bass light?

Thanks @Doctaj54

These sounds good with my HD800s :)

Would you say the hd800s present movies and games better?

I have some 800S. Put on a recording of a 30hz sine wave. It will rattle you even at a moderate volume. If these were truly light (and not falsely perceived as) "bass light" , 30hz would be weak or nonexistant. Generally, they serve as my personal paradigm for accuracy and space, vs many "boutique" cans that roll off the treble and sound dark. Cymbals on dark cans sound like they are under a towel. (not necessarily focal- but Audeze and other fanboi favorites) The HD800S are my preference over focal as well.

My favorite focal floor speaker is there least expensive. The Choras. I use them with a Onkyo rz50 AVR for movies and music . I love them . I just ordered the Clears for $790 new . I may buy a second pair just to have as I’ve heard so much good about them. I will hook them up to my Topping DX9 and Eversolo DMP A8. I like those units for the AKMchips I lean towards.

I have both and prefer the the Focal. The HD800S when paired with the right electronics and high rez source material get very close to audio nirvana. I prefer the HD800S powered by the Fosgate Signature Tube Amp which has a bass boost circuit and the older but still formidable Berkley Audio Design DAC Series 2 with the Berkley Audio Design USB. However, I just purchased the Focal Arche a new Amp/DAC which best the HD800S in that it sounds more "Organic" or analog/vinyl like to my ears. But good review of two great cans.

hi sean, when is your next review on Parasound stuff or Speakers? Many people are having withdrawals from not having inputs on amps and speakers.

I have a regular HD 800 and was debating on getting the HD 800 S to replace it. Only because once you go black...

Are the Sound BlasterX G6 enough to power and decent to pair with these headphones?

If you are a headphone hobbyist / junkie you are probably going to own both . Had he gone over the specs of the Focal clear he would have mentioned they are 50 ohm 105 db headphones . Most amps perform extremely well at 50 ohms giving the Clear an advantage for most audiophiles . I owned the clear for about two weeks before I sent them back . Looking back I should have kept them . I just didn't have enough time to decide . To compare one model over another is foolish . is it fair to compare a 4 ohm speaker versus a 8 ohm speaker if you amp outputs 2X the power at 4 ohms ? For me the HD800 and HD800S sounded a lot better on my system . Every headphone made after 2009 is compared to the HD800 .

There is one huge difference between the two that no one has covered. Focal can not be driven to high volumes without the sound distorting and the drivers hitting their limits. Focal addressed this directly and they state the focals are made to listen to moderate levels where the music would sound its best. Best example is James Taylor - Gaia (4:09 mark when the drums kick in. The extended bass distorts the headphones). It's a great recording. Sennheiser can play louder with higher SPL. I'm looking to sell my Focal for this one reason alone. I can't listen to them at loud volumes otherwise a fantastic headphone for those who don't listen to music very loud

Just tested the focal one

I've got both. They are both very impressive headphones. The Focal Clear is an amazing value headphone, considering all the cables and the carry case you get with it. It has really nice balanced cables supplied. It looks really nice, distinctive. The HD800S is equally awesome, each with their slight distinguishing aspects in terms of sound. The Clear is a bit more of an all rounder in my opinion (more portable in my opinion), and they are tuned really beautifully for an immersive experience that is enveloping, but also slightly forgiving of the source. The HD800S is beautifully resolved with exceptional clarity and precision and spaciousness, but with a look that is so unique, some of you will be like I have to own these because they belong in a headphone museum so people in 100 years can marvel at the aesthetic design. Overall, I'm glad to own both, and the reason I own the Clear is because of an exceptional discount that I could not resist (around $1,400 off the RRP).

z1r vs focal clear in sound quality?

Where to get good recording

Sean, I watched the original HD800 go from hero to (near) zero with the head-fi cognoscenti in less than 2 years - a similar thing happened with the Audeze LCD-X and you can guess which two headphones were hanging on my wall when I began to read the naysayer reports. In the case of the Audeze, a lot of it was around driver inconsistency and varying build quality (allegedly) but I loved mine from day one. The HD800 is a slightly tougher sell, and I think a lot of it comes down to the incredible stranglehold the HD650 had on the hobby prior to the arrival of the HD800 : they're very different headphones and some folks just never got over that delta. It's interesting that many of the folks who recommend the Senn flagship come from a background like yours - more speaker listening than headphones - but they've definitely fallen out of the favor with those who cant get the warm, inviting sound the HD650 gave them. I love the soundstage on the 800 but others claim its artificially large - their choice - but the ultimate expression of how prima donna many in our hobby have become has to be the Clear. The people who snarkily post that 'it took Focal 3 $$$ headphones to get it right !', ask yourself this - how many *decades* has it taken Sennheiser to make the HD800S a reality, and how many more do you think it will be before its up to your impossibly high standards ? Be happy that you have so many choices and quit slamming engineers for being willing to go beyond the status quo that existed for at least a decade after the release of the HD580. Thanks for the video.

Does Michael Scott speaks in this video?

Another cool pretty honest review Sean. Keep up the good work kid. Not all that big on CANS. I do own a couple though. AKG 702 Beats Studio Pro. Night and day as you might guess. Beats exaggerated bass AKG a lot more natural and easy to listen to. My first set are the very good entry level KOSS Porta Pro

Wish I could walk into a Best Buy and pick me up one of these badboys.

Are the focal clear the best high end bass headphones?

Love your videos! I'm looking for a good recommendation on budget Subwoofers for music. I'm looking into the ELAC S8 sub, Pioneer SW-8mk2 which both are Andrew Jones designs. The Yamaha 8 sub looks pretty good too. Thoughts?

I want the Focals. I like thick and full bass

Did you by any chance pit the HD800s against the Beyerdynamic DT1990Pro ?

Agree with your review. I tried both (and a few other flagship headphones including hifiman he1000 v2), and HD800s is a clear win: yes, it sounds thinner, which might be the only downside to it. But it might just be a byproduct of it being quicker and have better instrument separation. The focal clear, by contrast, is a bit loose in its bass. Far more sluggish than the HD800S. Even against the much more expensive he1000v2, the HD800s still performs better in many ways. Sadly, many people assume more expensive = better. For me, I really appreciate sennheiser for making its flagship at this price. It really is a bargain (well, relatively)

I would go with the Focal Clear. The look, build and SQ is understated here. I can live with an 8 out of 10 rating.

I certainly wouldn't call the HD800S more transparent or accurate than the Clear. They have generally higher distortion across the board, and FR wierdness between 300-2000Hz, and are definitely elevated between 4kHz and 7kHz which throws off the midrange and adds some unnecessary edge to the treble. The bass on the 800S is also a step down from the original HD800, and is just a bit softer and "woolier" by comparison. Imaging and resolution on the 800S is still top-notch, but the Clears are, well, clearer and are much better, much more "correct" in terms of tone and timbre. They're much faster and more dynamic as well. Bass is fuller and much more authoritative without being bloated. 800S might be slightly more resolving in the bass, and maybe the treble, but its sonic advantages really end there (unless you're partial to its large headstage). I'd opt for the Clear over the HD800S in a heartbeat. They just play better with a wider variety of source gear and genres.

I find sennheisers always seem to mute the highs. Would rather listen on shure 440, akg 361, Samson 850 or superlux 668b.

How they compare to lets say HE-400i / 400 / 4XX or HD 598 ? HE 4XX slightly better than 598 in music, so i was wondering how these would sound? Would i be like "OMG, finally i understand how music sounds" and then zone out from real world while listening. Or i would be like "Hmm, thats better.. i think i can hear improvement..". ?

In 2021 you've just nudged me towards the HD8XX from Drop, thank you.

I own the Focal Clears and I couldn't be happier with them. They are astounding. The craftsmanship and quality of the product is only surpassed by the "clear" sound. Full Disclosure - I own Sennheiser HD 650's too and they are legends! Awesome sound for $400!

Please add the FInal Audio Sonorous IV/ SennHeiser HD600-650, Focal Elex to these two, for us with less money :) Thanks. Clear comes with 2 cables and a hard case, for $200 less, Just saying.

Well done. The 800’s really do act as a conduit for the electrical signal and integrity to what you hear in a recording. A lot of modern recordings sound terrible on the 800’s cause the compression usage is ridiculously overdone. The 800’s can educate one on how their music should truly sound. I recommend original sound recordings from Alan Parsons, early Killing Joke and of course dire straits to audition your gear with the 800’s. :)

I snagged the Clears brand new at 50% of the cost of the HD800S so really it was no competition!

Thanks for the interesting and well-done review. I own the HD800S and love them, but a couple of months ago my relationship was in danger, and I started flirting with an Utopia. Oh oh. But by now, this ship has sailed. I had several chances to test-listen to the Utopia and Clear, and in that testing environment, there was hardly any audible difference between these two focals. Comparing the Sennheiser and clear/focal, I very much agree to what you are saying - the focal sound very nice and have their merits, but I love the Sennheiser for what they are -- ultra analytical in instrument separation with a huge soundstage. And unlike many reviewers, I think the Sennheiser deliver a nice bass experience (I am using an ifi BL with Xbass on - works perfect). If I want to have a warmer and non-analytical headphone, I'd recommend to skip the focal and go right to the closed Sony Z1R. These would be the complete opposite, in a positive way. The focal, in my eyes, sit in between.

Does Sennheiser make a single pair of open headphones that don't suffer from bass roll-off? I haven't heard them all, but the FR graphs I've seen show bass roll-off and a lack of low and sub-bass on all Sennheiser open headphones. Comments??? And I'm also an Audio46 fan. They answer their emails, and are knowledgeable and helpful...

“The best fit for you” will depend not only on your music and sonic signature preferences but it’s also important to consider one’s system. I would NEVER consider pairing the 800S with a solid-state amp or use their stock cable. I own the 800S and a Cary 300SEI integrated amplifier with Synergistic Research Orange Fuses, Grayhill selector switch, two Bybee iQSEs, 1 NOS TUNG-SOL Made In USA 6sn7 (preamp tube), 2 NOS BRIMAR Made In England 6sn7 (driver tubes), and 2 Genalex Golden Lion 300B (power tubes). Stuart Jones (Chapman Audio) is going to upgrade it through the roof with silver bypass caps and other magic. I’m using a ToneKraft cable from Audio Envy that complements the 800S beautifully. I can’t even listen with a stock cable after being spoiled. And Captain, President of Audio Envy, is releasing V.3 of the ToneKraft in a couple months. He promised it will impart an even more analog character and golden halo to the sound without sounding artificial. I’ll be first in line. But while the 800S sounds great in my system, it can sound awful with components that don’t complement its sonic signature. I was over at a friend’s apartment last week listening to my 800S through his solid state McIntosh integrated amplifier. And it sounded clinical and lifeless.

HD800S HAVE EAR SCREAMING SHARP TREBLE, THEY ALSO LACK ENJOYABLE SUB BASE. THE CLEAR ARE LIKE A SUPER HD650.

"roughly $1,699". Precisely, rather. =p

HD800S is more of a studio monitor and is super flat. The Clear is not a monitor headphone, it’s designed for music. Having owned both I love the sound of my Clears and still own them, the HD800S went on eBay after a month.

The problem with headphone reviewers is that they do not like booring rather accurate natural headphones while those are the ones who should be on top of every list of a competent reviewer. And it looks like the 800s is such headphone. Look at how reviewers deal with this model will tell you where they stand on the competent scale....

Focal are better headphones. Incredible sound, precision, balance and built. But as anything in sound...is a matter of each person "taste" for music, type of music and sensitivity to certain frecuencies.

My hd700 sound spacious too.

Sean what's up kid, how's your weekend been ? Still haven't committed to speakers. But just saw two of your videos the comparison review of Sennheiser & Focal headphones and audio cable opinion. Based on your word picture of the two I'd go with the Focal Clear over the HD800 if l was shopping for cans of coarse you already know I own a couple of those with that said would you think I'd be better off with the Buchardt S300 Mk 2 or like you've already said before the S400 also l haven't decided if I'm going to be using my old Audio Research VT200 and an undetermined preamp or a new Intergrated such as Halo Hint 6 lastly using my Galaxy phone according to sound meter app I listen normally between 100-107dB and 88-90db at low level that's the reading right now watching Steelers game on my LG TV freaking Jets blew it again not that it even makes a difference at this point. As usual long winded post. Peace bro. Keep on Rockin you've rubbed off on Ron for the good.

The Focal Clear were so uncomfortable. They were hurting my ears after 10 minutes, the clamp was so strong that it hurt my head because they were pressing the glasses on to my head. The pressure build-up inside the ears was also unbearable. I'm one of these persons who gets incredible headache after wearing headphones for longer than 30 minutes. The HD800s on the other hand were the most comfortable headphones I ever tried. 0 pressure on to my glasses because the pressure is distributed over a bigger surface and because the clamping is very soft. I could listen to them for hours without feeling dizzy or getting headache or anything. They won't get hot and they won't make you sweat. The only complaint I also have is the top part, which starts to hurt after an hour or so. I have to move it little bit every so often so that it won't hurt anymore. Sound wise they were both absolutely great. I'd say the HD800s were noticeably clear sounding while the Focal definitely were far from clear but with a stronger personality so to speak. I loved listening to the Highs with the Clear but other than that everything else was sounding better with the HD800s. Also the soundstage was almost non-existant with the Focals, absolutely garbage compared to HD800s with the most amazing soundstage you'll ever hear. I don't know how or why they'd make them even open-back with such a bad soundstage. Don't get me wrong, the HD800s are way clearer and are closer to neutral sounding, but they are definitely not sounding boring or anything like that. I've listened to many Hi-Fi Headphones that sounded clear and neutral that were so boring to listen to that they'd take the enjoyment from listening to anything. The HD800s though are so much fun to listen to while still sounding clearer than most (or rather all) Headphones I've tried. I don't think that anyone will be disappointed from either choice. However for that price point I'd say that the HD800s deliver more. Also you should really try them on your head and listen to them for at least 30min - 1 hour each before choosing, not because of the sound, you'll like both of them in terms of sound... but because of the comfort.

reckful?

Bullshit. The hd 800s is not the truest to the source. It has a strong peak at 6 to 7 kHz and the focal clear is way better in terms of frequency response

I find Focal Clear has far better resolution than HD800s. HD800s is just harsh and sibilent and pretends to be resolving.

Focal Clear is my choice.

you will like the hifiman ananda then

I.have 3 Senns HDs but yeah Focals are waaaay better driver s build quality is another league.

You’re insane saying that the hd800s is faster than the clear. The drivers focal uses are the fastest I’ve heard in headphones. Sounds like good studio monitors.

Sennheiser looks like machinery while the focal looks like jewellery. I think my wife would be more comfortable with the french design but I'd feel rather embarrassed if seen wearing them I can almost smell the perfume just by looking at them. If a man was wearing them, he'd probably have at least one ear ring too. Sennheisers dont give the impression of being expensive by the looks. If you didn't know any better, you'd have no idea if they cost maybe 300 while they actually cost more like 1300. I wouldn't feel like I would be catching any eyes if I was to wear them with my computer anywhere. Oh... and I like big drivers.

I’m getting the 820 I like the tonal balance

The pads are called either 'Over ear' (HD800) or 'on ear' (Clear)

I just got me some Focal Clears after trialling both of these for a moment in-store. On looks, I dislike the Clear, the look like a cheap headphone. Build, they're tough, exact and weighty. On the head, they're very well fitting for my head - weight disappears. For the Senny, fit was OK but as I took them off they would pull hair out! Sound wise (via Mojo Chord, hi-res audio)... I like vocals (acoustic, folk, rock, gospel, blues) and have historically had Grados... I enjoyed both. The Senny felt more open and intimate - it made me think of sitting in a small cafe with live music. Neither favoured the vocals like my Grado SR80e / SR225e do, but they had nice qualities. In the end, I think price was the deciding factor, and I may be back to grab the others when I can.

If looks won 'best headphone' Focal would walk it,i have a pair and love 'em no offence to Sennheiser but the 800s looks cheap

I tried the HD800s, I really did not like the bass on it. It felt like a compensating bass. I like how the Hd800 series, is basically the only headphones that are true HEADphones. No pressure on the ears at all. For me the 800 series in general are good for modern movies, but suck at music. I had the original mk1 model, and it only took me a couple of days to mentally predict where the sound was going. And that ruined it for me. It just is emotionally dead and only into the structural part of music tracks. Same with the hd800s and the 820 model. I am really disapointed, because I tried the Focal Utopia, and it was only then and there that the sound began to blossom and open up and feel human like. Still the Utopia was a tiny bit predictable. The smalle model Focal Clear for me was a bit like the HD800, unnatural and locked in sound with of course a different sound signature, which is fine for lower level DSD or movie tracks, but not for music in the long run. It's almost impossible finding a headphone that is not predictable in sound, even the really expensive ones, there you still have to change the cable for it to sound true in the long run. For me the only really interesting gear is the top Abyss model, or LCD 3 audeze, Focal Utopia or Heedphone, all with an improved cable. (that is the only stuff I consider to give me a proper sound on par with a top speaker)

I just bought sennheiser hd58x from massdrop and they are insane for the money. In fact, I prefer them over hd600s and hd650s

The reason why bought the Clears was because I walk around the house a lot and I like to have headphones on all the time. I can't wait until my Clears arrive.

I own both of these phones. Out of the box, the Clear is the crowd pleaser. Punchy bass, great tonality, good with lots of music... But, if you venture into digital EQ and adjust the tonal balance of the Sennheiser, then venture into XLR amplification, cable mods, and minor cup mods... it's much better overall. It's a rabbit hole and not for those wanting an off the shelf solution

I thought Sennheiser moved to Ireland.

So.. did they send oreos?

Senns are „Divas“ it‘s a hatelove... Clear are doing the Job, good with mp3s top!

Yum...Double Stuffed Oreos. No review needed there. Somehow, someway, I wound up with a pair of Focal bookshelves. And ya know, you are RIGHT. They actually DO stand up and wave their arms and scream, look at me...look what I can do! Kinda sad too because they don't have to do that. They are works of art and one's eye is naturally drawn to them. I guess I should mention that they sound amazing. I hope I don't sound censorious (yes, that's a real word and I do use it from time to time so I'm not showing off) but those Sennheiser's are butt ugly. They look cheap too. And that little divot in the headband makes no sense. In my view, the Focal's are what a thousand dollar pair of headphones SHOULD look like. For me it's NOT all about the sound. That is to say, any audio product I buy has to not only sound good, it's has to be aesthetically pleasing as well. Those Sennheiser's look like a pair of Koss Porta Pro's that had a few too many Double Stuffed Oreos. However, I know that's a subjective thing, some people like that look. Kudos for another great review.

I'll send you a box of double stuffed oreo's if you put your hat back on!

Forget both of them . None as good as Stax headphones.

Had the elegia...Sound superb, but the Build quality, just as Bad als it get...Never again made in france... Zut alors!!!

If you didn’t listen to the 800S through a ToneKraft headphone cable from Audio Envy, you really didn’t HEAR the 800S! And with a SET amp, it’s a match made in heaven. I love my Cary 300SEI. I wouldn't even consider the 800S with a solid-state amp and preamp.