Sennheiser HD 800 S EQ settings for Mac
Measured EQ correction for the Sennheiser HD 800 S, the specs that matter, and what changes when you use them with a Mac. Copy the settings and apply them in one click.
The short answer
- Lifts the sub-bass and bass from 31 to 62 Hz by about 3.5 to 6.4 dB.
- Adds about 2.5 dB around 2 kHz for presence.
- Dips 5.7 kHz by about 4.4 dB, taming the HD 800 S's known resonance peak.
- Rolls the top treble above 10 kHz down by about 4 dB.
HD 800 S at a glance
Open-back over-ear wired headphones, the flagship reference with a wide soundstage, released in 2016. Official specifications from Sennheiser:
- Connection
- Wired (6.35 mm and XLR-4 balanced cables included)
- Impedance
- 300 Ω
- Driver
- 56 mm ring radiator dynamic transducer
- Frequency response
- 4 Hz to 51 kHz (−10 dB)
- Sensitivity
- 102 dB SPL at 1 kHz / 1 V RMS
- Total harmonic distortion
- < 0.02% (1 kHz, 1 V RMS)
- Weight
- 330 g (without cable)
- Ear coupling
- Over-ear, open-back, circumaural, microfibre pads
Sources: Sennheiser: HD 800 S specifications.
Using the HD 800 S with a Mac
Codec: AAC. The HD 800 S support , and a Mac picks AAC, the better of the two. It carries the full 20 Hz to 20 kHz range at standard sample rates (44.1 or 48 kHz).
Calls sound worse than music. As soon as an app uses the headphones' microphone (Zoom, FaceTime, a dictation shortcut), Bluetooth switches to hands-free mode, which has much lower audio quality. Pick your Mac's built-in microphone as the input to keep the HD 800 S in stereo music mode.
High impedance. At 300 Ω, the HD 800 S need a dedicated headphone amp. A MacBook's headphone jack won't drive them properly; a quality USB DAC/amp is essential to hear what they can do.
Balanced cable included. The HD 800 S ship with both a 6.35 mm and an XLR-4 balanced cable. If your DAC/amp has a balanced output, the XLR cable can give a small improvement.
What the measurements show
This correction comes from AutoEQ, based on oratory1990's measurements of the HD 800 S. It shows how much to boost or cut at each frequency to bring the headphones closer to AutoEQ's neutral target:
- Lifts the sub-bass and bass from 31 to 62 Hz by about 3.5 to 6.4 dB.
- Adds about 2.5 dB around 2 kHz for presence.
- Dips 5.7 kHz by about 4.4 dB, taming the HD 800 S's known resonance peak.
- Rolls the top treble above 10 kHz down by about 4 dB.
Fit, ear pads and your own ears all change what you hear, and neutral isn't everyone's favourite sound. Use this as a starting point, then adjust by ear.
Apply it in TuningMac (parametric EQ)
TuningMac's Advanced EQ imports this format directly. Copy the settings, then:
- Open TuningMac ▸ Settings ▸ Advanced EQ with your HD 800 S connected.
- Turn on Use Advanced EQ for HD 800 S (or whatever you've named them on your Mac).
- Choose More ▸ Paste from Clipboard.
TuningMac saves it for your HD 800 S and loads it whenever they connect.
Preamp: -6.2 dB Filter 1: ON LSC Fc 105 Hz Gain 6.6 dB Q 0.70 Filter 2: ON PK Fc 142 Hz Gain -2.3 dB Q 0.30 Filter 3: ON PK Fc 1959 Hz Gain 2.5 dB Q 0.88 Filter 4: ON PK Fc 5679 Hz Gain -4.4 dB Q 4.36 Filter 5: ON PK Fc 212 Hz Gain -0.5 dB Q 2.36 Filter 6: ON HSC Fc 10000 Hz Gain -4.3 dB Q 0.70 Filter 7: ON PK Fc 1043 Hz Gain -1.0 dB Q 2.89 Filter 8: ON PK Fc 1445 Hz Gain 1.0 dB Q 3.43 Filter 9: ON PK Fc 2640 Hz Gain -0.9 dB Q 4.01 Filter 10: ON PK Fc 3421 Hz Gain 1.3 dB Q 5.47
| # | Type | Frequency | Gain | Q |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Low Shelf | 105 Hz | +6.6 dB | 0.70 |
| 2 | Bell | 142 Hz | −2.3 dB | 0.30 |
| 3 | Bell | 1.96 kHz | +2.5 dB | 0.88 |
| 4 | Bell | 5.68 kHz | −4.4 dB | 4.36 |
| 5 | Bell | 212 Hz | −0.5 dB | 2.36 |
| 6 | High Shelf | 10 kHz | −4.3 dB | 0.70 |
| 7 | Bell | 1.04 kHz | −1.0 dB | 2.89 |
| 8 | Bell | 1.45 kHz | +1.0 dB | 3.43 |
| 9 | Bell | 2.64 kHz | −0.9 dB | 4.01 |
| 10 | Bell | 3.42 kHz | +1.3 dB | 5.47 |
Preamp: −6.2 dB. It lowers the overall level so the boosts don't clip.
Prefer simple sliders? The 10-band version
No Advanced EQ needed: AutoEQ also gives values for a standard 10-band equalizer, the same bands as TuningMac's main EQ. In the menu bar popover choose Custom, set each slider, and set the preamp to about −7.0 dB.
Values in dB, at 31 Hz to 16 kHz. The parametric version above is more precise.
Questions
Which codec do the Sennheiser HD 800 S use on a Mac?+
AAC. The HD 800 S support , and a Mac picks AAC, the better of the two. It carries the full 20 Hz to 20 kHz range at standard sample rates.
What are the best EQ settings for the Sennheiser HD 800 S?+
AutoEQ's correction, based on oratory1990's measurements, lifts the sub-bass by about 6 dB, adds about 2.5 dB at 2 kHz, dips 5.7 kHz by about 4 dB, rolls the top treble down, with a preamp of -6.2 dB. The exact values are on this page, ready to copy. Treat it as a neutral starting point and adjust to taste.
Why do my Sennheiser HD 800 S sound bad on calls on a Mac?+
When an app uses the headphones' microphone, Bluetooth switches from stereo music mode to a hands-free call mode with much lower audio quality. To keep music quality during calls, choose your Mac's built-in microphone as the input instead. TuningMac's Input list does this in one click, and its Device Info shows which mode you're in.
Should I turn off the EQ in Sennheiser's app?+
For the most accurate result, yes. An equalizer set in Sennheiser's app is applied inside the headphones, so it also affects your Mac and would add to this correction. TuningMac's EQ only changes sound from your Mac, so it won't affect your phone.
Tune your HD 800 S on your Mac
Parametric and 10-band EQ, noise control and battery in the menu bar.
EQ data from AutoEQ by Jaakko Pasanen (MIT licence), measurement by oratory1990. Specifications from Sennheiser's published specifications. Sennheiser HD 800 S is a trademark of Sennheiser; TuningMac is not affiliated with Sennheiser.