Audio Video News

Sennheiser has announced a higher-resolution, fully balanced version of the HDVD 800 headphone amplifier it introduced in 2013.

Slated for release in July, the HDV 820 ($2,400) features the ESS SABRE32 digital-to-analog converter in a balanced topology said to deliver “unmatched audio clarity.” It performs at a PCM resolution of 32 bits with a sampling rate of up to 384 kHz and up to 12.3 MHz in DSD mode.

The analog section and power amplifier are “carefully improved” versions of components used in the HDVD 800. Multiple connections are provided, including an unbalanced output through an XLR3/6.3mm combined Neutrik connector, one balanced XLR4, and two balanced 4.4mm Pentaconn sockets in addition to standard RCA and balanced XLR inputs.

With the Pentaconn Connector, the Japan Electronics and Information Technology Industries Association (JEITA) has set a standard for balanced headphone connections, Sennheiser said in a press release, noting that the “unmodulated, very low contact resistance of the Pentaconn Connection leads to a distortion-free signal transmission.”

Created to complement audiophile headphones such as Sennheiser’s HD 800 S, the HDV 820 has an anodized black finish with white LED lights and includes a dedicated, country-specific power cable.

Sennheiser also unveiled the CH 800 P balanced headphone cable featuring a gold-plated Pentaconn connector in a black housing on the amplifier side and two (L/R) medical grade ODU connectors on the headphone side, which enables its high-end HD 800 and HD 800 S headphones to connect to devices with Pentaconn outputs.

For more information, visit en-us.sennheiser.com.