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 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-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.
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 don't 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-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 ANC.
Which supports LDAC, ATH-R70xa or HD 800 S?+
Neither supports LDAC.
Spec-level deep dives
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