Best Sennheiser?

[guzziguy]

Hmmm, that is interesting. I was going to send my pair in to Sennheiser when I get my HEV-70 back. I may have to come up with a plan B now.

As in Plan Birgir?

[Deadneddz]

Hmmm, that is interesting. I was going to send my pair in to Sennheiser when I get my HEV-70 back. I may have to come up with a plan B now.

Don't do it Jim. Perhaps others have had a good experience with Sennheiser USA, but not me. If you need replacement parts, just order them and have them send it to you. When Sennheiser replaced the o-rings in my pair, they stripped the 4 screws in each cup that keep the baffle together. Now I understand that these screws are bad in the first place, but charging me over two hundred dollars to pop some pads into place and unscrew some screws is just a mistake I won't make again. Parts alone was under sixty dollars, the rest was labor, tax and shipping. On the form it said ground shipping was included yet they still chraged me for it. They also somehow managed to slightly dent one of my grills, but luckily I talked to Alex from APS and he told me that he could probably fix the small dent and use better screws that I will provide him for sealing the baffle.

I'm not sure about the proper way to test drivers to see if they are in spec. but this scenario did not seem right to me. I first got a notice from Sennheiser saying that my drivers were not in spec. and that I needed to have them replaced for a just peachy 400+ dollars. But before I just said ok to getting new drivers I called Sennheiser myself and asked to speak with the person in charge with testing the drivers. I inquired as to how they test the drivers, and his response was as follows: "We just listen to your phones, and your phones have no low end dude." So I asked him if they replaced the suspect o-rings to make sure that the baffle was sealed before they listened to them, and he said "uhh, yeah I know what you're talking about..." but it really didn't seem like he knew exactly what I was talking about. I hung up and proceeded with the repairs minus the new drivers. The invoice that they gave me have a statement saying that the drivers were tested and that they are in spec. But I have a feeling that nothing really was ever tested. I have listened to my pair and to my ears they sound wonderful so i'm convinced that the drivers are still in perfect condition. This was a dissappointing experience to say the least and I should have realised this when Sennheiser told me that they did not even have an HEV70 to test my phones with.

At least the HEV70 came back in perfect condition, I was afraid they might have just left it there and not even shipped it back with my phones. Considering they are Jim's and not mine that would have been an extra fail for me.

[mypasswordis]

I inquired as to how they test the drivers, and his response was as follows: "We just listen to your phones, and your phones have no low end dude." So I asked him if they replaced the suspect o-rings to make sure that the baffle was sealed before they listened to them, and he said "uhh, yeah I know what you're talking about..." but it really didn't seem like he knew exactly what I was talking about.

Holy shit, if I didn't feel so bad for you right now I'd be laughing to blue in the face right now. "no low end dude"

And that's ridiculous about how they stripped the screws and pretty much fucked everything up. Yeah, I wouldn't send an HD600 to them for fixing, let alone an HE60. Seems the best course of action is to buy a set of o-rings and send everything to Birgir (or someone else who actually knows what the hell they're doing).

[jinp6301]

Spritzer aka Sennheiser Iceland Division

[morphsci]

Tragic tale of Sennheiser USA's utter FAIL.

Just Wow! I am sorry you had to go through that. Thanks for the heads-up. I think they may have just hired a new person to head their service division and their first name begins with Mikhail and their last name begins with Rotenberg.

[recstar24]

That is disappointing to hear about Sennheiser USA, I would have expected a higher quality, more informed and technical knowledge base. Sheesh, it appears I got better service and technical know how from an almost 90 year old italian with my HP1000's:palm:

[catscratch]

I can say I truly enjoy the HE90 even if it will put me in harms way of the Stax Mafia

Ditto. At the risk of necessary seppuku I have to admit that I really loved the HE90 when I heard it, colorations and all. It's just so wonderfully euphonic while still being really detailed and fast. The bass had some real weight too even if it was a bit one-note. It's a great headphone for just relaxing and immersing yourself in the music without over-analyzing it.

I haven't heard the HD800 or HE60, but in an optimal rig, it's HE90 >>> HD650 > HD600. However I do prefer the HD600 over the HD650 in most rigs; while the HD650 scales higher the HD600 is much better balanced. Still, I am a fan of the Senn sound and like all three quite a bit.

[Dusty Chalk]

There is to me two kinds of neutral...

No, not really (I am agreeing with the rest of your post here) -- there is only one kind of neutral, anything else is ...well, not neutral. I know what you meant, -- that there is this thing which people incorrectly hear as neutral, but...it's just not neutral. 'Suck' (as in certain frequency range suckouts) is probably a better word for what you're trying to describe, but after all the K701 talk (I remember liking them, but I also remember finding them not doing anything that any of my other headphones did), I'm not going to specifically ascribe those to the K701, since I obviously remember them differently.

[catscratch]

No, not really (I am agreeing with the rest of your post here) -- there is only one kind of neutral, anything else is ...well, not neutral. I know what you meant, -- that there is this thing which people incorrectly hear as neutral, but...it's just not neutral. 'Suck' (as in certain frequency range suckouts) is probably a better word for what you're trying to describe, but after all the K701 talk (I remember liking them, but I also remember finding them not doing anything that any of my other headphones did), I'm not going to specifically ascribe those to the K701, since I obviously remember them differently.

I'm with Dusty on this one; the kind of sucky neutral you're referring to isn't neutral in the slightest. It's a coloration that stems from desaturated tone color and insufficient dynamic range. It sucks the life and color out of music yet it is somehow considered accurate by a lot of folks. I think that live sound is the bar for true neutrality and accuracy, and live music has everything that these so-called neutral headphones don't: warmth, fluidity, dynamic range, punch, tonal richness, harmonic accuracy, texture, etc. A headphone that takes away the warmth and impact is every bit as inaccurate as a headphone that boosts the bass or puts in treble spikes in order to appear more detailed.

Accuracy is musicality. Emotion is present in the music, and a truly accurate system should not get in the way of that.

None of the serious professional rigs I've heard sounded analytical or boring in any way. But then again I only heard a few.

[spritzer]

Well I do not really consider myself part of the Stax mafia but the HE-90 is simply colored the wrong way for my tastes and the HE-60 is simply colored less. Both are clearly inferior to the Omega.

Hell yeah!!!

[bozebuttons]

HE90s on top for me,I liked the HE60s as well but owning the 90s made it a moot point keeping them,kept the OIIs MkI instead.

I prefer the 650s over the 600s(which I sold twice).

I had the 800s on loan for a few days,while I heard some great things from them, after giving them back I felt no need to pickup a pair.

[Dusty Chalk]

You didn't find them different? I found the HE60's more "rock and roll" than the HE90's, IIRC. They also amp quite differently -- what's better for one is not necessarily better for the other.

[bozebuttons]

You didn't find them different? I found the HE60's more "rock and roll" than the HE90's, IIRC. They also amp quite differently -- what's better for one is not necessarily better for the other.

I did find them differant,but they sat mostly unused hence the sale to Hirsch.

The He60s actually sounded best out of the HEV90,I used the,Blackgated KGSS & HEV70,ES1 ,Stax 007t amps as well.

[grawk]

The best sennheiser is no sennheiser

[luvdunhill]

I voted the HD800. I think I prefer it over the HE90, even given any conceivable (existing, or not-yet-existing) amplification.

[mypasswordis]

Sweet, HD800 has moved into top five headphones I really want to hear. Along with the HE60 again, since I know some prefer it to the O2. I wonder if milkpowder is still using his pair.

[spritzer]

I think he sold his set.

[mypasswordis]

And apparently all he has left is a HD650. :( I should get in touch with him again sometime.

[F1GTR]

I don't have enough experience with other Senns so I can't compare the HD800 to them. I prefer the HD800 over all my other headphones (K340, HP2, HF2). I think that Tyll described them well. They get out of the way of the music. They don't have wow factor, they just deliver the music as delivered from the source and amp. I can listen to it for hours with no fatigue and no discomfort.

To me it's what everybody says they want in music reproduction. I guess a lot don't really want it.

Couldn't have said it better myself. I also agree with Wayne when he said that compared to the HD600/650 it's as though the HD800 were produced by another company. Over the last few months I've seemed to notice a "hate on" the HD800 trend around these parts. Not sure why really. I don't notice any emotion missing from the music at all nor a sterility. Just pure simple music. Pleased to know I'm not hearing the way many others are here.

HD800>HE90>HE60>>>>>>>>>>>>>HD580/600/650

Edited January 1, 2010 by F1GTR
insert ranking

[mypasswordis]

Pleased to know I'm not hearing the way many others are here.

lolwut

Is there a backstory?

[John Willett]

I have heard all of these and own three of them.

I never liked the HE 60, but I only heard it with it's own amplifier and found it distorted too early for me.

My plan is to listen to the Orpheus and the HD 800 side by side with music I recorded myself and know intimately and see how they really compare. I suspect that the Orpheus will be better at higher frequencies and the HD 800 better in the lows.

Though, as yet, I have not had the time to do this.

[morphsci]

I have heard all of these and own three of them.

I never liked the HE 60, but I only heard it with it's own amplifier and found it distorted too early for me.

...

So you really have not heard the HE-60.

[Deadneddz]

^Well that gives me something to look forward to. Although terribly flawed, I absolutely loved the HE60 with the HEV70 in my system. Your HEV70 at that.

[Dusty Chalk]

Yeah, the HEV70 is definitely the weak link there.

But I still look forward to your Orpheus/HD800 comparison.

EDIT: Meant as a confirmation of morphsci's post, directed at John Willett, but apt towards Deadneddz as well. Yes, definitely look forward to ebun moar betr sound.

[John Willett]

So you really have not heard the HE-60.

^Well that gives me something to look forward to. Although terribly flawed, I absolutely loved the HE60 with the HEV70 in my system. Your HEV70 at that.

Remember I listened to the HE 60 *after* hearing the Orpheus and it didn't come close.

I just found that the overload LED on the HEV 70 flashed far too early for me, before I got any decent volume out of the headphones.

I suppose the Orpheus spoilt them for me.

So I bought the HD 580 instead (which were the top dynamic at the time).