The Sennheiser HD800S is a high-end headphone that comes with a hefty price tag where not many audiophiles are willing to spend or have the capability to afford such luxury. Those who are willing to invest in HD800S are in for a treat as the coveted headphone possesses exceptional sonic performance and high sound quality which is well worth every single penny spent on them.
If you are willing to invest so much in Sennheiser HD800S then you shouldn’t mind getting a DAC of equal caliber and pairing it with this headphone. To find a matching DAC is important but learning more of your own requirements will be equally as influential in deciding which D/A converter to go for. And so without further ado, let us start to learn more about the Sennheiser HD800S and your DAC requirements.
Table of Contents
Sound Characteristics of Sennheiser HD800S and Your DAC Requirements
It is a pair of premium open-back headphones, built with high-quality components giving us long-lasting durability and simply exuding class. Even though you might want to show the world that you are using the Sennheiser HD800S as your headphones, due to the open-back design, it might not be wise to do so. Sound will be leaking out of the HD800S and this may interrupt/disturb the people around you. Noise isolation is also not the HD800S cup of tea, and you will more than likely be hearing sounds from the environment thus disrupting your music listening experience.
You probably would be using the Sennheiser HD800S indoors and listening to your music privately, so the portability of the DAC may not be a necessity, and going with a desktop model can be a better option. Unless you are having space constraints, getting a portable digital-to-analog converter will be ideal as you can easily move it around and keep it once you are done using it since they are usually compact in size. A portable DAC will be great for listeners who need to move the Sennheiser HD800S often, from one place to another.
More Information at Amazon – Sennheiser HD 800 S Reference Headphone
When it comes to bass reproductions, an open-back headphone usually loses out to closed-back models. The Sennheiser HD800S on the other hand is a different beast, its low-end delivery has weight and can hit hard when it needs to, digging deep into the bass extension and pulling them out effortlessly. It may not be as powerful when compared to closed-back/planar headphones of the same price range but the articulation, bass textures, and details are certainly better. The HD800S is musically refined and this eases the punch a little.
You might not want to go for DACs which have overly warm or dark sonic traits as they may dull the music presentations when partnered with the Sennheiser HD800S. Still, if you prefer a relaxing and very smooth music delivery then by all means go for such D/A converters. The HD800S soundstage is wide and spacious along with its insight and transparency, the stage is filled with rich musical details. It doesn’t sound clinical which is great but there are times we prefer the HD800S to have a bit more energy in its music delivery.
You can always go for a DAC that is enthusiastic when it comes to music presentations so as to add more liveliness. The Sennheiser HD800S goes well with high-resolution sources and you might want to work out how high of a sample rate you will require currently or in the near future. Even though we said that you should go for a DAC with equal caliber as the Sennheiser HD800S, you should still work out a budget that you are comfortable with. The HD800S will require a headphone amplifier to drive them and you might want to get a DAC with a built-in amp so as to help you save some space and cut down costs. Do list out more DAC requirements on your own as the more thorough the checklist is the better and when you are done, please take a look at the best DACs to match with your Sennheiser HD800S.
Best DACs to match with Sennheiser HD800S
Chord Hugo 2 is an award-winning DAC and it is of equal caliber to the high-end Sennheiser HD800S. This premium DAC has amazing features such as Bluetooth aptX and it provides high-quality wireless music streaming for its users. Chord Hugo 2 is capable of supporting up to 32bit/768kHz sample rates and decodes up to DSD512. It easily digs out a massive amount of music details and has an incredible sense of timing which delivers an engaging and rich music presentation. If you like to add some enthusiasm then the Chord Hugo 2 DAC is certainly a fantastic choice to go for.
More Information at Amazon – Chord Hugo 2 Transportable DAC (Silver)
The RME ADI-2 DAC FS is an exceptional choice for your Sennheiser HD800S headphones. It has similar sonic characteristics and some of them complement the reference class headphone really well. RME ADI-2 DAC FS is capable of delivering plenty of music details including subtle nuances without adding any brightness. Its smooth music delivery allows a more refined overall sound reproduction and the spacious soundstage of the DAC will complement the Sennheiser HD800S. The bass performance is agile and tight as well.
More Details at Amazon – RME ADI-2 DAC FS DA Converter
Schiit Audio Yggdrasil is one of the best high-end DACs to match with the Sennheiser HD800S open-back headphones. This is an ideal D/A converter for headphone enthusiasts who want their HD800S to shine more. It is a very neutral-sounding DAC with a wide dynamic range. Musical details including subtleties are cleanly delivered and the overall sound reproduction has a sense of realism. This allows the Schiit Audio Yggdrasil to faithfully produce the music with as little colorations as possible and as close to what the artists have intended.
Chord Mojo is one of the best portable DACs to go for and will be an excellent match for Sennheiser HD800S. It is so small that you could easily carry it inside your pocket and/or keep it in a cabinet when you are done using it. The Chord Mojo is an enthusiastic performer, capable of providing an engaging music presentation without compromising the details. It also has remarkable stereo imaging and spacing which will work well with the sound staging of the Sennheiser HD800S.
More Information at Amazon – Chord Mojo DAC
If you require a high-quality DAC with MQA support then you might want to take a look at the Topping D90SE. This is a powerful DAC with a plethora of features that supports up to 32-bit/768kHz and could decode up to DSD512 (Native), not to mention, it could render MQA files too. The Bluetooth connectivity of the Topping D90SE supports APTX LL, APTX HD, LDAC, and more. The price point of the D90SE is closely matched with the Sennheiser HD800S headphones and its polished background will fit in nicely.
More Details at Amazon – Topping D90SE MQA Full Balanced DAC (Silver)
The Schiit Audio Bifrost 2 is an excellent DAC for listeners who don’t wish to invest too much but doesn’t want to compromise the sound quality. This is a True Multibit D/A converter with a unison USB and will match well with the Sennheiser HD800S open-back headphones. The modestly priced Schiit Audio Bifrost 2 is a musical DAC with a hint of warmth and has an astonishing level of clarity as well. It has superb sound staging and stereo imaging for the price, complementing the Sennheiser HD800S really well.
More Information at Amazon – Schiit Bifrost 2 True Multibit Autonomy DAC
To Conclude
We will suggest taking some time to audition the DACs first and slowly find the one which best matches your Sennheiser HD800S headphones. The D/A converters listed here are some of the finest on the market and definitely worth your time to check them out. You can use some of the DACs that you have auditioned, and use them as a reference when searching for other DAC brands/models.
