Calling the new HD 800 "the first serious headphone of the 21st Century" is a bold claim. But Sennheiser are the inventors of the modern headphone. They have a reputation to uphold.

"We allowed ourselves a lot of time to perfect the HD 800," explains Maurice Quarré, Product Manager at Sennheiser. "Not only to develop the technical intricacies but also to select the finest materials."

To prove the point, the HD 800 is hand-made in Germany, using stainless steel, aerospace grade plastics and Japanese Alcantara ear pads.

New 56mm Ring Driver

But the key component of the HD 800 is a new 56 mm high-definition 'Ring Driver'. This transducer is currently the largest that can be found in a dynamic headphone.

In layman's terms, the vibrating part of the diaphragm isn't a traditional circular surface area but a ring. Sennheiser says that this ring is able to set the entire air volume over the transducer into motion.

This results in a total harmonic distortion of less than 0.02 percent, which apparently gives the HD 800 brilliant treble, precise bass, astounding clarity and a frequency response of 6 to 51,000 Hz.

Sennheiser is also keen to point out the angled design of the HD 800's ear cups. "With its large, inclined transducers, the HD 800 generates a sound field that corresponds to the listening experience with loudspeakers, but far exceeds loudspeakers in the purity of the sound reproduction."

Excited? The Sennheiser HD 800 will cost £999.99 and goes on-sale in February.