Notice: Your browser is not supported or outdated so some features of the site might not be available.
- Table of Contents
- Top
- Main Differences
- Design
- Sound
- Isolation
- Microphone
- Active Features
- Connectivity
- Comments
Sennheiser HD 820 vs Focal Elegia
Side-by-Side Comparison
Products
Sennheiser HD 820
Focal Elegia
Tested using Methodology v1.3.1
Updated Sep 26, 2023 01:56 PM
SEE PRICE
Amazon.comTested using Methodology v1.3.1
Updated Jan 24, 2024 08:01 PM
SEE PRICE
Amazon.com
TypeOver-ear
EnclosureClosed-Back
Noise CancellingNo
WirelessNo
TransducerDynamic
MicNo
TypeOver-ear
EnclosureClosed-Back
Noise CancellingNo
WirelessNo
TransducerDynamic
MicNo
Variants
- HD 820
- Elegia (Black/Silver)
Our Verdict
Sennheiser HD 820
Focal Elegia
Because of the disappointing performance of the Sennheiser HD 820 for their price, the Focal Elegia might be a better choice for most people. They are better-built than the Sennheisers and are as comfortable. On the other hand, the Sennheisers have better sound quality and perform closer to our target curve than the Focal, but at their extremely high price point, you could probably find something similar in performance, but at a cheaper price, like the Focal.
Check Price
Standard
HD 820
SEE PRICE
Amazon.comBlack/Silver
Elegia
SEE PRICE
Amazon.comMain Differences forMixed Usage
Mixed Usage
Threshold
Mixed Usage
6.0
5.9
Soundstage
6.9
3.9
Full Comparison
Design
Style
Design Picture 2
Type
Over-ear
Over-ear
Enclosure
Closed-Back
Closed-Back
Wireless
No
No
Transducer
Dynamic
Dynamic
Comfort
8.0
8.0
Comfort Picture
Weight
0.8 lbs
1 lbs
Clamping Force
0.7 lbs
1 lbs
Controls
0.0
0.0
Controls Picture
OS Compatibility
Not OS specific
Not OS specific
Ease Of Use
N/A
N/A
Feedback
N/A
N/A
Call/Music Control
No
No
Volume Control
No
No
Microphone Control
N/A
N/A
Channel Mixing
N/A
N/A
Noise Cancelling Control
N/A
N/A
Talk-Through
N/A
N/A
Additional Buttons
N/A
N/A
Breathability
6.8
5.0
Breathability After Picture
Avg.Temp.Difference
4.8 °C
8.9 °C
Portability
5.2
5.2
Portability Picture
L
7.6"
8.5"
W
7.6"
7.5"
H
4.4"
4.1"
Volume
260 in³
261 in³
Transmitter Required
N/A
N/A
Case
0.0
8.0
Case Picture
Type
No case
Hard case
L
N/A
8.5"
W
N/A
9.5"
H
N/A
4.7"
Volume
N/A
380 in³
Build Quality
8.5
9.0
Build Quality Picture
Stability
6.5
6.0
Stability Picture
Headshots 1
Angled Picture
Side Picture
Headshots 2
Front Picture
Rear Picture
Top
Top Picture
In The Box
In the box Picture
Sound
Sound Profile
Frequency Response
Bass Amount
-2.06 dB
-1.79 dB
Treble Amount
-2.38 dB
-3.4 dB
Frequency Response Consistency
5.5
6.9
Consistency L
Consistency R
Avg. Std. Deviation
1.22 dB
0.65 dB
Raw Frequency Response
Bass Accuracy
8.9
9.5
Std. Err.
1.58 dB
0.64 dB
Low-Frequency Extension
10 Hz
10 Hz
Low-Bass
-0.52 dB
0.12 dB
Mid-Bass
0.71 dB
-0.02 dB
High-Bass
1.89 dB
0.57 dB
Mid Accuracy
7.3
7.8
Std. Err.
3.64 dB
2.95 dB
Low-Mid
-2.29 dB
3.3 dB
Mid-Mid
3.81 dB
2.66 dB
High-Mid
3.09 dB
2.65 dB
Treble Accuracy
7.5
6.8
Std. Err.
3.94 dB
4.51 dB
Low-Treble
-1.7 dB
-3.77 dB
Mid-Treble
0.2 dB
-2.27 dB
High-Treble
-4.39 dB
-2.07 dB
Peaks/Dips
6.9
7.7
Peaks/Dips Graph
Peaks
1.74 dB
1.26 dB
Dips
2.29 dB
1.85 dB
Imaging
8.3
8.3
Phase Response
Weighted Group Delay
0.52
0.19
Weighted Amplitude Mismatch
0.93
0.27
Weighted Frequency Mismatch
1.45
1.68
Weighted Phase Mismatch
5.1
15.79
Soundstage
6.9
3.9
PRTF Accuracy (Std. Dev.)
3.21 dB
4.34 dB
PRTF Size (Avg.)
3.33 dB
2.05 dB
PRTF Distance
24.23 dB
3.3 dB
Openness
4.0
4.3
Acoustic Space Excitation
5.6
4.4
Weighted Harmonic Distortion
8.0
7.9
Weighted Harmonic Distortion
WHD @ 90
0.245
0.298
WHD @ 100
0.094
0.099
Isolation
Noise Isolation
5.8
5.5
Noise Isolation
Isolation Audio
Overall Attenuation
-14.94 dB
-13.22 dB
Noise Cancelling
No
No
Bass
0.59 dB
-0.38 dB
Mid
-14.45 dB
-13.11 dB
Treble
-32.42 dB
-27.41 dB
Leakage
5.5
6.5
Leakage Audio
Overall Leakage @ 1ft
47.56 dB
42.63 dB
Microphone
Microphone Style
Integrated
N/A
N/A
In-line
N/A
N/A
Boom
N/A
N/A
Detachable Boom
N/A
N/A
Mic
No
No
Recording Quality
0.0
0.0
Microphone Frequency Response
Recorded Speech
N/A
N/A
LFE
N/A
N/A
FR Std. Dev.
N/A
N/A
HFE
N/A
N/A
Weighted THD
N/A
N/A
Gain
N/A
N/A
Noise Handling
0.0
0.0
SpNR
Speech + Pink Noise
N/A
N/A
Speech + Subway Noise
N/A
N/A
SpNR
N/A
N/A
Active Features
Battery
0.0
0.0
Battery Type
N/A
N/A
Continuous Battery Life
N/A
N/A
Additional Charges
N/A
N/A
Total Battery Life
N/A
N/A
Charge Time
N/A
N/A
Power Saving Feature
N/A
N/A
Audio While Charging
N/A
N/A
Passive Playback
N/A
N/A
Charging Port
N/A
N/A
App Support
0.0
0.0
App Picture
App Name
N/A
N/A
iOS
N/A
N/A
Android
N/A
N/A
macOS
N/A
N/A
Windows
N/A
N/A
Equalizer
N/A
N/A
ANC Control
N/A
N/A
Mic Control
N/A
N/A
Room effects
N/A
N/A
Playback Control
N/A
N/A
Button Mapping
N/A
N/A
Surround Sound
N/A
N/A
Connectivity
Bluetooth
0.0
0.0
Bluetooth Version
N/A
N/A
Multi-Device Pairing
N/A
N/A
NFC Pairing
N/A
N/A
Line of Sight Range
N/A
N/A
Default Latency
N/A
N/A
aptX Latency
N/A
N/A
aptX(LL) Latency
N/A
N/A
Non-Bluetooth Wireless
0.0
0.0
Non-BT Line of Sight Range
N/A
N/A
Non-BT Latency
N/A
N/A
Wired
9.5
9.5
Cable Picture
Analog Audio
Yes
Yes
USB Audio
No
No
Detachable
Yes
Yes
Length
10 ft
4 ft
Connection
1/4" TRS
1/8" TRS
Wired Latency
0 ms
0 ms
PC / PS4 Compatibility
PC / PS4 Analog
Audio Only
Audio Only
PC / PS4 Wired USB
No
No
PC / PS4 Non-BT Wireless
No
No
Xbox One Compatibility
Xbox One Analog
Audio Only
Audio Only
Xbox One Wired USB
No
No
Xbox One Wireless
No
No
Base/Dock
0.0
0.0
Type
N/A
N/A
USB Input
N/A
N/A
Line In
N/A
N/A
Line Out
N/A
N/A
Optical Input
N/A
N/A
RCA Input
N/A
N/A
Dock Charging
N/A
N/A
Power Supply
N/A
N/A
Check Price
Standard
HD 820
SEE PRICE
Amazon.comBlack/Silver
Elegia
SEE PRICE
Amazon.com
Sennheiser HD 820
Focal Elegia
Comments
Sennheiser HD 820 vs Focal Elegia: Main Discussion
What do you think of these products? Let us know below.
Looking for a personalized buying advice from the RTINGS.com experts? Insiders have direct access to buying advice on our insider forum.