Sennheiser HDV 820 Headphone Amplifier

Sennheiser HDV 820 Overview

Sennheiser’s HDV 820 is the next generation of its acclaimed digital headphones amplifier, designed to complete the Sennheiser audio experience and perfectly complement its high-end audiophile headphone range for the ultimate acoustic performance.

The perfect partner for reference-class headphones.

There are two things that mark a quest for perfection: It is never completed, and it has the potential to bring out the most extraordinary things with the power to shape the future within its field. Enter the HDV 820, which will surely change the way you listen to and experience your music. That is, if you are lucky enough to possess headphones capable of turning the extremely high-quality audio signal delivered by the HDV 820 into an aural quality just as supreme.

The mission: Better the best

When you have engineered audio components that represent the state of the art, going one better is the most rewarding task we at Sennheiser can think of. It was the task we set out on when we designed the HDV 820. Pioneering into new technological territory, we found still more sonic truth to bring to our most demanding clientele.

The sound: Making great headphones show all their class

Virtually everything. That is what the HDV 820 will give to your headphones. So, it will be up to them to make it heard. The different timbres of two otherwise identical instruments. The distance between the musicians of an orchestra, the tension before a singer delivers the first note. It is all there, for you to discover.

The technology: Only the unsurpassed

The higher the tech, the higher the emotion. The heart of the new HDV 820 is a formidable ESS SABRE32 DAC (digital-to-analog converter) that surpasses the previous generation with an even higher resolution of 32 bits and a sampling rate of up to 384 kHz. The amplifier is also capable of playing DSD256 files of up to 12.3 MHz.

The design: Giving the eyes a taste of how it sounds

Fittingly for an audio component that delivers such an incredibly pure sonic experience, the HDV 820 has also been created to delight visually. It features a new anodized black finish with white LED lights that has been designed to perfectly complement the latest version of our flagship high-end headphone, the HD 800 S – by the way, an ideal partnership for the ultimate audiophile listening experience.

The compatibility: Outstanding sound will find a way

With a breadth of audio outputs that include XLR3, XLR4, 6.3 mm- and a 4.4 mm Pentaconn socket, it is easy to find the optimal way to connect your headphones with the HDV 820. It performs brilliantly with digital sources, whether optically, coaxially, or via USB, and features balanced (XLR) and unbalanced (RCA) analogue inputs. The HDV 820 also comes supplied with a dedicated, country-specific power cable.

What’s in the box?

• HDV 820 Headphone Amplifier
• Power supply cable (depending on region; EU, UK, US, CN, KR)
• Quick guide
• Safety guide
• Microfiber cloth
• USB flash drive (SD-U16L version) with instruction manual (as PDF file) and driver software for Microsoft Windows operating systems

Technical Data

• Dimensions Approx. 224 x 44 x 306 mm
• Frequency response < 10 Hz to > 100 kHz
• THD, total harmonic distortion < 0.001 %
• Weight Approx. 2.25 kg
• Power consumption Nominal 12 W (2 x 300 Ω headphones connected to the 4.4 mm outputs)
• Power supply 100 – 240 V ~, 50 – 60 Hz
• Gain UNBAL input/XLR-4 output: Adjustable 14 dB, 22 dB, 30 dB, 38 dB, 46 dB, BAL input/XLR-4 output: 16 dB
• Dynamic range > 115 dB @ 600 Ω load (A-weighted)
• Voltage 100 – 240 V ~, 50 – 60 Hz
• Crosstalk Min. 93 dB @ 1 kHz