Where they actually differ
The most decisive specs, ranked by how much they matter — before the full spec table.
| Spec | Audio-Technica - ATH-R70xa | Sennheiser - HD 800 S |
|---|---|---|
| Weight | 210 g | 330 g |
| Driver size | 45 mm | 56 mm |
Between the ATH-R70xa and HD 800 S, the ATH-R70xa comes out ahead in weight, while the HD 800 S wins on driver size. Overall, the ATH-R70xa scores 54.7 and the HD 800 S scores 55.3 on our Mars Score.
Which should you buy?
These two are nearly even on the Mars Score (54.7 vs 55.3). The decision is not about overall quality — both clear the bar — it is about which specific trade-offs fit your use.
Pick the ATH-R70xa if you carry the device everywhere and weight or thickness has been the deciding factor before. The biggest gaps in its favor are weight. The single most decisive one: Weight — 120.00 g less. 210 vs 330.
Pick the HD 800 S if you care most about driver size. Its strongest claims are driver size. The single most decisive one: Driver size — 24.44% more. 56 mm vs 45 mm.
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: there is no wrong answer here — match the spec advantages to how you actually use the product. The Mars Score parity says both are well-rounded; the differences are about trade-offs, not quality.
Which should you buy: Audio-Technica - ATH-R70xa or Sennheiser - HD 800 S?
Sennheiser - HD 800 S leads the current Mars Score by 0.6 points.The more useful decision is the trade-off behind that result: compare driver size, weight against the way you will actually use the product.
Choose Audio-Technica - ATH-R70xa if…
Audio-Technica - ATH-R70xa has the measurable edge on weight g.
Choose Sennheiser - HD 800 S if…
Sennheiser - HD 800 S has the measurable edge on driver size mm.
This is a structured comparison of the published catalog values. It is not a claim of identical real-world performance across every workload; use the linked spec drill-downs and methodology page to inspect the inputs.
Why Audio-Technica - ATH-R70xa wins
- ▲Weight — 120.00 g less. 210 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-R70xa | Sennheiser - HD 800 S |
|---|---|---|
| Type | over-ear | over-ear |
| Weight | 210 glead | 330 g |
| Water resistance | none | none |
Audio
| Spec | Audio-Technica - ATH-R70xa | Sennheiser - HD 800 S |
|---|---|---|
| Driver sizeⓘ | 45 mm | 56 mmlead |
| Impedanceⓘ | 470 Ωlead | 300 Ω |
| Sensitivityⓘ | 99 dB | 102 dBlead |
| Active noise cancellationⓘ | false | false |
| Transparency mode | false | false |
| Spatial audioⓘ | false | false |
Battery
| Spec | Audio-Technica - ATH-R70xa | Sennheiser - HD 800 S |
|---|---|---|
| Battery lifeⓘ | 0 h | 0 h |
| Fast chargeⓘ | false | false |
Connectivity
| Spec | Audio-Technica - ATH-R70xa | Sennheiser - HD 800 S |
|---|---|---|
| Bluetoothⓘ | 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-R70xa or HD 800 S?+
HD 800 S lasts 0 hours vs 0 hours.
Do ATH-R70xa or HD 800 S have active noise cancellation?+
Neither model has active noise cancellation.
Which supports LDAC, ATH-R70xa or HD 800 S?+
Neither supports LDAC.