Fun with vintage headphones

Do the black versions have less bass punch than the silver screens?

 

I have a black silk version since yesterday, and it seems like it has less bass punch compared to my previous silver screen version..

Anyone else notice this?

 

They have a lot of unit variance, though to say why. Many theories on why.

 

I have a black paper 650 and I wouldn't call it extra dark or claustrophobic so it's likely that this variant has the same unit to unit variance that the rest of their lineup has.

 

I had 2 black silk versions, 1 last year and 1 right now, and when I compared the black silk last year to the 2012 silver screen version I had at the same time, same earpads swappes, I found the silver screen to have noticably better bass extension and a bit more impact (texture wise). Not only the bass, but the whole sound had bigger dynamic impact, which I didn’t like at the uppermids and highs compared to the black silk.

I don’t like this soft and rolled off bass of the black silk version, it’s even soft with the Custom Cans copper kit. But the mids and highs are beautiful.

 

Is there a closed vintage headphone that shares a sound with the HD540? I have a 300ohm pair that my 11 year olds share that they both like, but wanted to find a closed pair they can use while they study.

I assume the HD250 is probably what I'm looking for but wanted to ask if there was a different option.

Something vintage and cheap like the HD540 would be nice, say ~$200ish used.

 

https://www.usaudiomart.com/details/649935517-sennheiser-hd250-linear-1-early-production-600-ohm/

I don't know of a different pair that would suit the needs. This is also a 600ohm, which is more difficult to drive. Though my 540 and 250 are also 600ohm, they're great older headphones.

 

@Solderdude’s analysis of a vintage electret (Philips EM672).:
https://diyaudioheaven.wordpress.com/headphones/measurements/brands-philips/em6721/

—————

@GREQ’s measurement database which is full of vintage headphone measures, pics, and mods.:
https://itsgreq.gitbook.io/headphone-measurements/

 

My dad's original Sennheiser HD540 Reference II:

They've been in the family for 30 years now and have seen quite some use, especially by my brother who used them extensively on the piano.

I got new earpads since the original earpads were worn and unfortunately the headband was also broken in several places, so I made a leather strap. These are velours replacement pads which looked closest to original to me. I did not replace the foam disk, which typically makes the sound quite a bit more forward - not just more treble, but also less lower midrange, So keep that in mind.


Considering how they sound I think I picked the right pads. They sound impressively neutral, with only two smaller spots, one in the very upper midrange and one in the mid-treble. The upper treble is a bit hot, but I like the overall tonality a lot. They are deserving of the "Reference" moniker.

They also stage quite well, which was a bit surprising to me since they just didn't with the now-flat original pads. But with some room to breathe between the head and the driver the soundstage is impressively large. Larger than an HD600 with their original pads, I feel.
Unfortunately while they stage quite well they still don't sound very open. Considering their construction it makes sense - an HD600 sounds more open and also has a more open construction.

I think they also manage to sound quite fast, even if transients are a bit muted for my liking. I suppose the original first gen 600 Ohm HD540 Reference might fare better here. They just don't hit quite as hard. It's likely similar to a stock HD600, at least my 2012 version, but my modded version fares quite a bit better here (I removed all the damping for now). They're slightly less efficient than the HD600 and that's what I blame it on.

Bass also seems to be one of their strong suites. It's linear, without an upper bass bump and extends about as well as the other Sennheisers. And it manages to sound quite clean.

My main gripe with them is that they just don't seem to have quite as much plankton as the HD600. Don't get me wrong, they're not bad and they certainly benefit from better amps and will show differences in gear, cables, etc. The stock cable holds them back quite a bit and I mostly listened to them using my newly built HD600 cable. So overall I suppose they're still more resolving than Beyer's and AKG's.

The second issue is that they just have a "small driver" sound to them. Afaik the driver here is even a tad smaller than the HD600 driver and it shows. I was wondering if there was more midrange distortion, but while D2 appears to be higher than the HD600 (in the midrange), D3 is a bit lower. That usually makes it sound more natural, less artificial, I find. And there's some truth to that. The midrange is generally quite smooth. Maybe more so than the HD600.

I tried stratocaster's modded HD250 Linear II many years ago. Link
I think these are the better headphone by far. Overall still an enjoyable listen. My dad agrees and is quite happy with how they sound with the aftermarket pads.


Regarding the distortion measurements I attached, keep in mind two things:

• Currently the HD600 has more of a midbass bump than stock, so the distortion will also be higher here. So I think a stock HD600 should fare quite a bit better than the modded version. Maybe still a bit higher D2 than the HD540 II, but not as bad as it is now.
• The sharp rise in treble distortion is an artifact of the rig hitting SNR limits here.
  In hindsight I should've cut the sweep at 24kHz for the distortion measurements. Even so the HD600 seems to show less treble distortion.

 

How did you attach the leather strap to the plastic headband? I have HD560 Ovation 1, 32 years old exactly, and the headband is gone. The plastic headband is the same design.
I was a bit afraid to pop the plastic part that holds the strap, but it looks like it was exactly what you did.


My attitude to vintage headphones is very ambivalent. I bought AKG K240 DF and HD560 Ovation 1 in 1989. It is amazing how good they still sound. But they also remind me how much money I spent in the meantime to get not such a huge improvement. And I hate that feeling. I listen mostly to classical and if I could keep either HD800S or K240DF, and I had to decide,I would be in serious trouble.

 

Yes, exactly. Lift up one side and it just snaps off. Felt more durable than the mechanism they have for the HD600 now.

 

Hi. Any 2-way HD 230 owners out there?

 

Does anyone want a random vintage shell for experiments? It has a volume control knob on each cup. Sounds like a tin can from my recollection and I think the drivers are 8ohms. I picked it up from a garage sale for $2 purely because the name of the headphone is (Jana) BJ-2000 and that is hilarious to my puerile mind. Free to whoever wants it, just pay shipping.