Sennheiser Owners & Discussion Thread

[Neo]

It's headphone section is just as good, also you can use the whole thing without power i.e. Batteries so no dirty power, no need for filter so lower noise floor etc

[Neo]

Bugger I'm talking myself into it

[F18]

I believe it is, what's special ?

 

The one I heard had EL803 Telefunken tubes in place and it sounded very nice. I don't know the difference with the different variations of it. Planning to buy one and build one.

[Guest]

Something that allows the HD800 to display its vast soundstage width and depth, pinpoint imaging and just real coherence (thanks Peter for explaining to me what it means) music.

All this without loosing on detail retrieval.

 

And what is your budget?

[Qwertyqaz]

And what is your budget?

It's not about the money, it's about the rush.

[Guest]

It's not about the money, it's about the rush.

 

Yes, well good luck with that.

[Jensway]

Some images from my upcoming HD800s review:

 

 

 

[Jsgraha]

How about this one?

http://www.dnaudio.com/DNA-Stellaris-2A3-headphone-amplifier.html

Hearing how my Stratus sound, I can only imagine how Stellaris will sound.

And kindly please let me hear it after you bought one.

[Qwertyqaz]

How about this one?

http://www.dnaudio.com/DNA-Stellaris-2A3-headphone-amplifier.html

Hearing how my Stratus sound, I can only imagine how Stellaris will sound.

And kindly please let me hear it after you bought one.

Definitely interesting , would love if there was an Australian distributor.

Need to try before buy.

[TLL]

You cannot go wrong with DNA, sell factory direct only

[F18]

Long wait times from what I've gathered (year +).

[Qwertyqaz]

Long wait times from what I've gathered (year +).

No patience to wait that long. It's ridiculous

[MusicOne]

I still haven't made a decision on new headphones. I came across this review of the HD600s (my present phones), so I thought I'd post it here:

 

 

 

This guy seems to know what he's talking about and he rates the HD600s neutrality, very highly. I'm still seriously considering the HD700s, but in the reviews I've read and seen and when I heard it, I think the slightly coloured sound of the 700s would get to me, over time. 

 

So maybe after all, I should go out and buy a new pair of HD600s. Is there a more neutral sounding headphone out there?

Edited March 19, 2016 by MusicOne

[mwhouston]

I bought the 700s because I read where they approach the 800s in audio quality but are easier to drive. But I find myself using my Beyerdynamic 770s more then my other two quality phones. The closed back feature works well on a plane, train or even at home.

[MusicOne]

@@mwhouston I think some people prefer a closed phone, where others prefer an open phone....I fall into the later category. Open phones are no good at all if you want to use them when traveling.

[mwhouston]

When the wife is out and I'm on phones, yes the open backs are the way to go. I also have two pairs of Audio Technica AD 700s which I like a lot.

[alucart1985]

I have been on a similar journey to find the "perfect" amplifier for the HD800, at least until I caved and bought a HE-1000 from Galactic Soap here on stereonet.

 

Having said that, I still own the HD800s and am on the waiting list for the DNA Stratus (my poor wallet cannot afford the Solaris right now) and in the meanwhile will take ownership of a custom made 300B tube amplifier from Eric Chan in Burwood NSW (check out his eBay store - my amplifier is the one with the extra headphone output).

 

Some other options I have come across that haven't been scoped out here:

 

- Ray Samuels Audio Neo Classic 300B pre-amplifier - very well received on Head Fi and here, available locally from Krispy Audio, can feed your power amplifier or high efficiency speakers too!

- Schiit Ragnarok - what I own and use for the HE-1000s now, smooth and resolving, but can sound a tad dry. Can drive alot of speakers (100W into 4 ohms)

- Torpedo III - parafeed tube amplifier based on the legendary ECP L-2 amplifier, available DIY or pre-made from beezar.com, its the favour of the month with the guys at SBAF - get the one with Cinemag transformers (750 USD DIY or 1100 USD premade)

- Eddie Current Zana Deux S - turnaround time is 6-8 weeks from USA, much quicker than DNA Stratus, OTL amplifier so plays nice with the HD800s and other high impedence dynamics and maybe even efficient orthos, but look elsewhere with you have the HE-6 or other hard to drive orthos,

- EAR HP4 - tube amplifier from UK, nearest retailer is in NZ, apparently very musical and resolving, but very expensive compared to the ones described above, customs and shipping will be painful >_<

- Earle's Time Machine pre-amplifier (http://www.westonacoustics.com/page1005.html) - uses 2A3 or 45 tubes, locally made in Victoria

[Ccollins]

Definitely interesting , would love if there was an Australian distributor.

Need to try before buy.

  

It's not about the money, it's about the rush.

  

Yes, well good luck with that.

Absolutely

[Qwertyqaz]

I have been on a similar journey to find the "perfect" amplifier for the HD800, at least until I caved and bought a HE-1000 from Galactic Soap here on stereonet.

 

Having said that, I still own the HD800s and am on the waiting list for the DNA Stratus (my poor wallet cannot afford the Solaris right now) and in the meanwhile will take ownership of a custom made 300B tube amplifier from Eric Chan in Burwood NSW (check out his eBay store - my amplifier is the one with the extra headphone output).

 

Some other options I have come across that haven't been scoped out here:

 

- Ray Samuels Audio Neo Classic 300B pre-amplifier - very well received on Head Fi and here, available locally from Krispy Audio, can feed your power amplifier or high efficiency speakers too!

- Schiit Ragnarok - what I own and use for the HE-1000s now, smooth and resolving, but can sound a tad dry. Can drive alot of speakers (100W into 4 ohms)

- Torpedo III - parafeed tube amplifier based on the legendary ECP L-2 amplifier, available DIY or pre-made from beezar.com, its the favour of the month with the guys at SBAF - get the one with Cinemag transformers (750 USD DIY or 1100 USD premade)

- Eddie Current Zana Deux S - turnaround time is 6-8 weeks from USA, much quicker than DNA Stratus, OTL amplifier so plays nice with the HD800s and other high impedence dynamics and maybe even efficient orthos, but look elsewhere with you have the HE-6 or other hard to drive orthos,

- EAR HP4 - tube amplifier from UK, nearest retailer is in NZ, apparently very musical and resolving, but very expensive compared to the ones described above, customs and shipping will be painful >_<

- Earle's Time Machine pre-amplifier (http://www.westonacoustics.com/page1005.html) - uses 2A3 or 45 tubes, locally made in Victoria

Tried the Zana Deux today, astonished at the performance. Everyone that owns the HD800 needs to atleast try it .

The soundstage was very 3D, instruments just floated in air .

[Jsgraha]

Yup, Zana Deux is a great amp for hd800. It's the amp that made me buy hd800 about 4 years ago. Though not side by side, I prefer ZD to any of woo amp for hd800

[MusicOne]

I've just ordered (from A2A) a replacement cable for my HD600s. Apparently, the cable is for the HD650s but works with the 600s as well. Anyone using the HD650 cable with the 600s?

Edited March 21, 2016 by MusicOne

[fgimian]

I've just ordered a replacement cable for my HD600s. Apparently, the cable is for the HD650s but works with the 600s as well. Anyone using the HD650 cable with the 600s?

 

I haven't personally, but I have read of many people who buy the HD650 cable for use on the HD600 and it should be perfectly fine.

 

Re the upgrade, I personally feel that Sennheiser took a huge step backwards with the HD700 (and HD800 ... even the S model).  They may have a wider soundstage but their frequency balance is nowhere near as musical as the HD600 and HD650.  Personally, I would stick with the HD600 and look at moving into the Audeze camp later on or upgrading your amp.

 

I found that the HD650 are very fast and articulate on the right amp, almost as fast as the LCD-2Fs were when I A/Bed them.  They are a little warmer and wider than the HD600, but the HD600 is more neutral.

 

Ultimately you did the right thing by going in for a listen.  George from A2A is a great guy and will do everything he needs to help you out, so maybe give it another try after talking with him.  As a backup measure, perhaps take a portable hard disk with a few albums ripped to FLAC for your next visit too, I don't believe I've seen any CD players out the front in the Melbourne store either.  I usually take my MacBook Pro into the store with me personally when I pop in.

 

Good luck and hope you find something you love!

Fots

[MusicOne]

I haven't personally, but I have read of many people who buy the HD650 cable for use on the HD600 and it should be perfectly fine.

 

Re the upgrade, I personally feel that Sennheiser took a huge step backwards with the HD700 (and HD800 ... even the S model).  They may have a wider soundstage but their frequency balance is nowhere near as musical as the HD600 and HD650.  Personally, I would stick with the HD600 and look at moving into the Audeze camp later on or upgrading your amp.

 

I found that the HD650 are very fast and articulate on the right amp, almost as fast as the LCD-2Fs were when I A/Bed them.  They are a little warmer and wider than the HD600, but the HD600 is more neutral.

 

Ultimately you did the right thing by going in for a listen.  George from A2A is a great guy and will do everything he needs to help you out, so maybe give it another try after talking with him.  As a backup measure, perhaps take a portable hard disk with a few albums ripped to FLAC for your next visit too, I don't believe I've seen any CD players out the front in the Melbourne store either.  I usually take my MacBook Pro into the store with me personally when I pop in.

 

Good luck and hope you find something you love!

Fots

 

Hi Fots. Many thanks for that detailed post....very interesting. When I auditioned the 650s, I found that they were too closed in for my liking. Not closed in perhaps, but too dark and therefore sounding closed in. I do like the neutral sound of the HD600s, but I'm willing to try another brand, so maybe I'll audition the Audeze and I take onboard your suggestion regarding upgrading my headphone amp. Looks like another visit to A2A coming up.   Cheers...John.

[fgimian]

Hi Fots. Many thanks for that detailed post....very interesting. When I auditioned the 650s, I found that they were too closed in for my liking. Not closed in perhaps, but too dark and therefore sounding closed in. I do like the neutral sound of the HD600s, but I'm willing to try another brand, so maybe I'll audition the Audeze and I take onboard your suggestion regarding upgrading my headphone amp. Looks like another visit to A2A coming up.   Cheers...John.

 

Hey John, no worries mate.

 

The HD-650s are definitely darker than the HD-700s and HD-800s, but quoting my favourite mastering engineer Bob Katz "brighter doesn't necessarily mean better".  Classical music does tend to be more forgiving than most due to the lack of strong high frequency content (e.g. cymbals, hihats, synths .etc).  Just to give you a point of reference, your HD-600s are considered neutral, they are probably the most neutral headphones in existence today except for the LCD-X.  Anything brighter than the HD-600 should be considered "bright".  The HD-650s are a little darker, so I consider them a bit south of neutral but certainly still a very natural sounding headphone without any crazy peaks or valleys in their frequency response.  The Audeze range tends to sound similar to the HD-600 / HD-650 and many do "upgrade" to Audeze from the HD-600 / HD-650 because they are the logical next step.  But honestly, the HD-650 is a very VERY impressive headphone that holds up extremely well against models costing thousands imho.

 

I suggest listening to a few tracks of multiple genres with your HD-600 and taking those in with you to check against the rest too.  Try some rock, some pop, some EDM and some country for instance.  Although you may not listen to these genres frequently, they tend to exaggerate different weaknesses of headphones.

 

Some songs I personally use for reference:

 

* Rascal Flatts - What Hurts the Most: Really great country song, some low bass at the start are good to hear bass response.  Vocals are clean and present here so you would expect them to sound clean.  The hihats and cymbals during the chorus should be crystal clear and sharp and drums are very punchy in this song.

* Rascall Flats - Forever: Transient response can be heard nicely with this, there are some guitar plucks at the start which should be very fast and the drums in particular (at 1:02) should be very punchy and you can determine the dynamics resolution when they kick in.  On good headphones, I always turn it up at that part

* Jewel - Hands: Where to begin, this song is recorded really well.  I especially look for treble response and intimacy of vocals on this.  The recording is run through some tape saturation (you'll hear it in the chorus) so see if you can hear that, it's a subtle distortion especially noticeable in the drums.

* Hanz Zimmer - Time: Massive orchestral piece for the movie Inception, lots of low end to begin with and gets brighter and more busy as it progresses.  A great test of soundstage too.  The end also has some amazing low end.

* First State - My Sanctuary (Extended): A really great atmospheric trance tune, great to demonstrate overall balance (low end), has a really wide soundstage and punchy drums.

- Dr Chesky's Ultimate Headphone Demonstration CD: A binaural demo disc with some sample recordings.  Really helps with getting a feel of  how well the headphones translate sound signature and real room acoustics.  Do you feel like you're in the room with the musicians?  I must admit that I only found this recently and haven't tested it with anything other than my Audeze open EL-8 headphones.  I can't really get a sense of "in front of you" and "behind you" but the rest of the imaging seems pretty solid.  I will try this with the HD-800s next time to see if it improves imaging as much as everyone says.

 

Also be aware that the Audeze have a few disadvantages over the HD-600/650, namely price and comfort.  They are so heavy.  This is why i went with the open Audeze EL-8s, I feel that they are 90% the sound of the rest, but much cheaper and much lighter and more comfortable.  I'm wearing them now

 

I think the biggest drawbacks with the HD-600 were soundstage, bass response (it rolls off quite a lot) and speed (which improves when driving them on a good amp).

 

For many people, the HD-600/650 are end-game headphones, they are no slouch whatsoever and have been tried and tested for a long time.  They are still heavily used in critical listening, mastering and tasks such as amp tuning, because they are so neutral in comparison to other offerings.

 

In comparison, the HD-800 has already been called "unlistenable in its stock form" (which it really is) and they have only been out a few years

 

Good luck, and ultimately go with your ears

Edited March 21, 2016 by fgimian

[MusicOne]

@@fgimian Wow mate....thank you so much for that post.   I'm afraid to say that I'm almost entirely a classical music listener....with some jazz, vocal and world music, thrown in. Those tracks you mentioned above......I wouldn't know where to get them. I do have a Chesky demo CD, but it's not for headphones, exclusively, however I'll give it a go. When I return to A2A for my next audition, I'll try the HD650s again....perhaps this time I'll take my own head amp with me....at least I know how it sounds. Why I prefer a neutral sounding phone, is largely because I'd rather hear the music without anything added or subtracted....just what's on the disc. These things are a matter of taste, I guess. Some people prefer a bit of added warmth, or some extra sparkle....but not for me....I sparkle enough...don't need any extra

 

Thanks again for your input...much appreciated.

Edited March 21, 2016 by MusicOne