HiFiMan Sundara vs Sennheiser HD 800 S
106 facts in comparison
Based on 4,614 Reddit opinions. Close race—800 SSennheiser HD 800 S edges ahead.
4.6K opinions
800 S leads by 4pts
VS
77%
B
Based on
3,450 Redditors
HiFiMan Sundara
~$179
1,748 opinions
tldr; Planar gateway drug. $300, sounds like $600. The value king that started many journeys.
Check pricesVS
Reddit's Pick
81%
B+
Based on
5,711 Redditors
Winner
Sennheiser HD 800 S
~$1,899
2,866 opinions
tldr; Soundstage monster. Legendary imaging, treble spike bothers some. Detail retrieval god.
Check prices🎵SOU
😌COM
💰VAL
🔧BUI
⚡FEA
61
Points
61
Points
Score by Category
Sound Quality
74%82%
Comfort
53%77%
Value
89%49%
Build Quality
43%69%
Features
46%58%
Why is HD 800 S better than HiFiMan Sundara?
- Higher Reddit score (81% vs 77%)
- Better comfort (77% vs 53%)
- Better sound quality (82% vs 74%)
- Better features (58% vs 46%)
- Better build quality (69% vs 43%)
- Legendary soundstage
- Precise imaging
- Treble spike
Based on 9,161 Reddit opinions
Too Close to Call
Reddit prefers the 800 SSennheiser HD 800 S
Winning by 4 points (81% vs 77%)
Better comfort
Better sound quality
Better features
High confidence (9,161 mentions)
💬Reddit Sentiment
Based on 9,161 Reddit mentionsOverall Rating
HiFiMan Sundara
7.7/10
3,450 mentions
800 S
8.1/10
5,711 mentions
COMFORT
HiFiMan Sundara5.3/10
800 S7.7/10
SOUND QUALITY
HiFiMan Sundara7.4/10
800 S8.2/10
BASS
HiFiMan Sundara6.2/10
800 S2.9/10
VALUE
HiFiMan Sundara8.9/10
800 S4.9/10
BUILD QUALITY
HiFiMan Sundara4.3/10
800 S6.9/10
FEATURES
HiFiMan Sundara4.6/10
800 S5.8/10
⚔️
Head to Head
| Topic | HiFiMan Sundara | 800 S |
|---|---|---|
Comfort | 53% | 77% |
Sound Quality | 74% | 82% |
Bass | 62% | 29% |
Value | 89% | 49% |
Build Quality | 43% | 69% |
Features | 46% | 58% |
Category Wins
HiFiMan Sundara: 2|800 S: 4
Head to Head
HiFiMan Sundara: 2|800 S: 4
Comfort800 S
HiFiMan Sundara53%
800 S77%
Sound Quality800 S
HiFiMan Sundara74%
800 S82%
BassHiFiMan Sundara
HiFiMan Sundara62%
800 S29%
ValueHiFiMan Sundara
HiFiMan Sundara89%
800 S49%
Build Quality800 S
HiFiMan Sundara43%
800 S69%
Features800 S
HiFiMan Sundara46%
800 S58%
HiFiMan Sundara
77%
81%
800 S
HiFiMan Sundara77%
800 S81%
Close race - 800 S edges ahead by 4 points
Key Specs
| Spec | HiFiMan Sundara | Sennheiser HD 800 S |
|---|---|---|
| Driver Type | Planar Magnetic | — |
| Impedance | 37 Ohms | 300 ohms |
| Sensitivity | 94dB | — |
| Frequency Response | 6Hz-75kHz | 4-51,000 Hz (-10 dB) |
| Earcup Style | Open-back over-ear | — |
Key Highlights
HiFiMan Sundara
💰 Insane value
🎵 Planar magic
⚠️ HFM QC lottery
👑 Budget benchmark
Sennheiser HD 800 SWinner
🌌 Legendary soundstage
🎯 Precise imaging
⚠️ Treble spike
💰 Used value now
Topic Battles
HiFiMan Sundara: 1|Tied: 0|800 S: 4
🎵Sound Quality
800 S winsHiFiMan Sundara
74%
800 S
82%
😌Comfort
800 S winsHiFiMan Sundara
53%
800 S
77%
💰Value
HiFiMan Sundara winsHiFiMan Sundara
89%
800 S
49%
🔧Build Quality
800 S winsHiFiMan Sundara
43%
800 S
69%
⚡Features
800 S winsHiFiMan Sundara
46%
800 S
58%
Based on Reddit sentiment across 5 categories
📈Where They Rank
💬What Redditors Actually Say
What Redditors Say
Best praise vs top criticism for Sennheiser HD 800 S
What Redditors Say
Best praise vs top criticism for HiFiMan Sundara
Best Praise
+190 pts“Wife asked me what I wanted for Xmas and I was looking at the closed back sundara as a possible replacement for my HD569 for use on the Sofa. So sent it over but she stated she’d already gotten me my big present. So figured I would try and pick them up in January. But then this arrived. Nice surprise, looking forward to trying them out!”
r/headphones
ViewTop Criticism
+85 pts“I ordered a brand new (supposedly) pair of Sundaras from HiFiMan's Amazon store, and upon opening the box I noticed white dusty stuff on the open back of the headphones, in the finer mesh material. I knew HiFiMan has a reputation for QC issues but I was not expecting *mold*. I contacted customer service about it and sent photos and microscope images. Here's hoping they have a good response. Definitely disappointed but I guess that's the risk you take.”
r/headphones
View3 more quotes available below
Sentiment Over Time
HiFiMan Sundara
Sennheiser HD 800 S
📈Historical Price Data
HiFiMan Sundara
Sennheiser HD 800 S
HiFiMan Sundara
All-time low: $159(2025-11)
Sennheiser HD 800 S
All-time low: $799(2020-07)
$171 below 90-day avg
Which is Better?
Sennheiser HD 800 S Wins
81%
S
vs
77%
Sundara
Close race, but Sennheiser HD 800 S edges ahead by 4 points based on 9,161 Reddit opinions.
Why 800 SWinner
- Better Features (58% vs 46%)
- More discussed (5,711 vs 3,450)
Why HiFiMan Sundara
- Better Value for Money (89% vs 49%)
❤️The Love/Hate Breakdown
Sentiment Breakdown
41%Positive
Positive
41%Neutral
50%Negative
9%Based on 5,711 Reddit opinions
Sentiment Breakdown
39%Positive
Positive
39%Neutral
50%Negative
11%Based on 3,450 Reddit opinions
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is better, Sennheiser HD 800 S or HiFiMan Sundara?
Based on 9,161 Reddit comments, Sennheiser HD 800 S has a slight edge with 81% positive sentiment vs HiFiMan Sundara's 77%. The difference is small, so both are solid choices.
Should I buy Sennheiser HD 800 S or HiFiMan Sundara?
Both have similar approval ratings (81% vs 77%), so focus on specific features, pricing, and what matters most to you.
What do Redditors love about Sennheiser HD 800 S?
Reddit users highlight: Legendary soundstage. Precise imaging. Treble spike. With 5,711 mentions and 81% approval, it's a well-regarded choice in the community.
What do Redditors say about HiFiMan Sundara?
Reddit users highlight: Insane value. Planar magic. HFM QC lottery. With 3,450 mentions and 77% approval, it remains a popular alternative.
How many Reddit reviews were analyzed?
This comparison analyzed 9,161 Reddit comments: 5,711 about Sennheiser HD 800 S and 3,450 about HiFiMan Sundara. Data was sourced from headphones community discussions.
How accurate are these ratings?
Our sentiment analysis is approximately 80-85% accurate compared to manual review. Well-discussed products with many mentions tend to have more reliable scores than niche items with fewer data points.
Why trust Reddit over professional reviews?
Reddit users bought products with their own money and have no incentive to mislead. You're seeing hundreds of real opinions across different use cases, not just one reviewer's take. This crowdsourced approach surfaces both common praise and recurring complaints.
4,614 Reddit opinions analyzed · Last updated 6/24/2026