Our Verdict:

The Sennheiser HD820 is a fantastic headphone and was brought in as a parallel flagship to the incredible HD800S.

The 800 was and still is, to this day, one of the best-sounding headphones on the planet. The HD820 took everything to another level in closed-back design when it was released, and in 2023, it remains not just one of the best Sennheiser headphones but one of the best audiophile headphones, period.

They are, in fact, so good that I finally bit the bullet last year and bought a set for my own private use. These are the headphones that I use as reference points for measuring other headphones.

The HD820 headphones are, as mentioned, closed-back headphones, even though many people will be fooled into thinking they are an open design due to the dynamic driver being visible through a viewing window on each ear cup.

In our full review, they are one of the most transparent-sounding headphones I have ever tested, and when paired with a good source, they produce a wonderful listening experience. With these headphones, it’s as true as the original recording.

The soundstage is massive, and honestly, these sound far closer to speakers than most of the other audiophile headphones I tested over the past year.

Styling-wise, the HD820 is amazing. A futuristic ear cup design swept with black and silver accents. They look good on the head and are equally comfortable with their spacious earcup design, allowing the air to circulate freely.

These are amazing headphones.

The only thing I would suggest is to get the most from the HD820. It would help if you had audiophile-grade source equipment.

You can see that the Sennheiser HD820 features highly on our current list of the best closed-back headphones.