Between the ATH-MSR7b and HD 800 S, the ATH-MSR7b comes out ahead in weight, while the HD 800 S wins on driver size. Overall, the ATH-MSR7b scores 66.2 and the HD 800 S scores 73.6 on our Mars Score.
Which should you buy?
The HD 800 S edges ahead on the Mars Score (66.2 vs 73.6), but the 7.4-point gap is small enough that the right pick comes down to which spec advantages matter to you.
Pick the ATH-MSR7b if you carry the device everywhere and weight or thickness has been the deciding factor before. The biggest gaps in its favor are weight.
Pick the HD 800 S if you care most about driver size. Its strongest claims are driver size.
Both ship with comparable battery life, active noise cancellation, spatial audio, so those specs do not separate the two — focus on the differences below.
Bottom line: the HD 800 S is the safer default. The other model is the right choice only when its specific advantages line up with your priorities.
Why Audio-Technica - ATH-MSR7b wins
- ▲Weight — 40.00 g less. 290 vs 330.
Why Sennheiser - HD 800 S wins
- ▲Driver size — 24.44% more. 56 mm vs 45 mm.
Spec comparison
Design
| Spec | Audio-Technica - ATH-MSR7b | Sennheiser - HD 800 S |
|---|---|---|
| Type | over-ear | over-ear |
| Weight | 290 glead | 330 g |
| Water resistance | none | none |
Audio
| Spec | Audio-Technica - ATH-MSR7b | Sennheiser - HD 800 S |
|---|---|---|
| Driver sizeⓘ | 45 mm | 56 mmlead |
| Impedanceⓘ | 36 Ω | 300 Ωlead |
| Sensitivityⓘ | 101 dB | 102 dBlead |
| Active noise cancellationⓘ | false | false |
| Transparency mode | false | false |
| Spatial audioⓘ | false | false |
Battery
| Spec | Audio-Technica - ATH-MSR7b | Sennheiser - HD 800 S |
|---|---|---|
| Battery life | 0 h | 0 h |
| Fast chargeⓘ | false | false |
Connectivity
| Spec | Audio-Technica - ATH-MSR7b | Sennheiser - HD 800 S |
|---|---|---|
| Bluetoothⓘ | 0.0 | 0 |
| Multipointⓘ | false | false |
| 3.5mm jack | true | true |
| LDACⓘ | false | false |
| aptX HDⓘ | false | false |
Frequently asked
Which has better battery life, ATH-MSR7b or HD 800 S?+
HD 800 S lasts 0 hours vs 0 hours.
Do ATH-MSR7b or HD 800 S have active noise cancellation?+
Neither model has active noise cancellation.
Which supports LDAC, ATH-MSR7b or HD 800 S?+
Neither supports LDAC.
Spec-level deep dives
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