OFFICIAL: Massdrop Sennheiser HD6XX

Discussion in 'Headphones' started by purr1n, Nov 1, 2016.

  1. WNovizar

    WNovizar Facebook Friend

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    Well, in their mind, HE-1 is the best headphone they can produce as of today. They can argue that soon personal audio will arrive at an unobtainium premium ultra high speaker-equivalent price point, so they might as well arrive first, HFM Shangri-la next.

    But, who cares about HD800S or "HD850" right?
     
  2. TwoEars

    TwoEars Friend

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    I'm hoping you're right. Right now we have the HE1, a bunch of $200-300 headphones and the HD800S. It's a weird line-up. I'm sure they realize it too. But Senn needs to pick up the pace. The competition is about to eclipse them through sheer trial-and-error.
     
  3. Merrick

    Merrick A lidless ear

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    The HE-1 may be the best thing they can produce right now, but that's a statement piece that will be lucky to sell 10 in a year. Companies don't make the bulk of their money off of those products. Those exist to entice people to spend money on their more reasonably priced items because it's from the same brand as the $30K headphone.
     
  4. Warrior

    Warrior RIP 2021

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    All I know is the 650s are damn good. I can't believe the price of these. I'm not even driving them properly yet, mojo and vorzuge duo. Sounds very good. Get my Valhalla 2 tomorrow, that should be a nice jump. Not sure how much they could have done to improve the sound, maybe an extra 20db of sub bass. ;) At $200, has to be one of the best buys in audio.
     
  5. Case

    Case Anxious Head (Formerly Wilson)

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    Just glanced at Sennheiser's 2015 annual report, this is far from their focus, which involves a lot of wireless stuff and professional equipment. This could be driven by Brexit and the phones being produced in Ireland. Moving dead stock. Look at the drop in retail prices.
     
  6. purr1n

    purr1n Desire for betterer is endless.

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    For a while in the 90s to early 00s, Sennheiser seemed to move fast, HD540, HD560, HD580, HD600, HD650, etc. They probably hit a point where it became difficult to make their headphones any better. The HD800 was a totally different sound for them. Then there was the HD700 at $1000, where there was a failed attempt by Jude to make it into the next big thing, which didn't happen because it was so poorly received by the HF "yes men", I mean focus group hand-picked by Jude; and also because I bought one, measured it, and showed how it sucked. The HD700 is $400 now, so I probably would not slam it as much now as I did then. People forget that the HD700 was priced at $1000.

    The HE-1 was stupid and a waste of their resources. Hopefully there will be some trickle down, but I doubt it because stats needs their own amps. On the other hand, if they sell a few, that probably paid for the R&D.

    The HD800S was reactive rather than visionary or even incremental. It mitigated the hardness and glare of the HD800, but also added warmer more distorted bass, which made it sound even more uneven because it made the midrange recess and bright treble more obvious. Several members have already sold off their HD800S in favor of the original HD800 with SDR mods.
     
    Last edited: Nov 3, 2016
  7. The Life

    The Life Facebook Friend

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    Maybe mid-fi where the money is :D
     
  8. New Reformation

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    I think we should be grateful they are not pulling an Apple and releasing questionably designed hardware at inflated prices (I use a Mac and like it, but the new MBP line up is madness). The Massdrop edition is fine, as long as that is not all they are planning for the future.

    $500, which is the HD650 MSRP, is a hard market because it can be argued that if someone is going to spend over about $300 they are much more likely to spend a lot more and get the HD800S. When the HD650 was launched it was their highest priced non-statement headphone. From a purely business minded perspective, I cannot see them investing a whole of money into RND'ing a new item for the $500 price range when the HD650 is still an amazing headphone with a loyal following, AND it serves them best to sell a ton of HD800S'.
     
    Last edited: Nov 3, 2016
  9. purr1n

    purr1n Desire for betterer is endless.

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    Sennheiser has been resting on their laurels for a while, but the fact is, where is their real competition? I find it hard to say that these 263 variants of orthos priced between $800-$2000 released in the past five years are better. Different maybe, some things better, some things worse, but not better overall. I know some people here "downgraded" their expensive orthos to HD650, focused their attention to better upstream gear, and got way better results.
     
  10. Case

    Case Anxious Head (Formerly Wilson)

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    Good to know history behind the HD700, this shit involving Jude continuously sinks below my already cynical expectations. With that kind of fiasco, why wasn't the HD800 a grandslam?
     
  11. purr1n

    purr1n Desire for betterer is endless.

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    The HD800 already is a grandslam. Sennheiser has sold thousands and thousands of them.
     
  12. Malabargold

    Malabargold Flipper

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    Take the fight to Audeze and Hifiman...Maybe if they rose the HD800S price to $4289?
     
  13. Case

    Case Anxious Head (Formerly Wilson)

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    I was thinking sonically. So it's their version of a Grado sound? Bright sells.
    EDIT This was true when I worked at The Good Guys selling speakers. Nobody bought Celestions.
     
  14. Merrick

    Merrick A lidless ear

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    I have no doubt that moving tons of low priced mid-fi headphones pays dividends over selling a moderate amount of hi-fi headphones, especially given that their current stable of hi-fi headphones still do good business (except the 700, and even then it probably does well enough for them at $400 that they're fine with it).
     
  15. purr1n

    purr1n Desire for betterer is endless.

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    Bright sells to a certain audience. But it's the soundstage and resolution that makes the HD800 special. It's basically Sennheiser's take on the AKG K1000, but in a far more practical form factor.

    I just hope Sennheiser next release isn't another bright headphone. A frequency response similar to HD580 / 600 / 650 would be rather nice. No recessed mids, no treble peaks.
     
  16. GTABeancounter

    GTABeancounter Friend

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    Somehow, typing "super best audio friends.com" doesn't get you in trouble. It could be the .com for all I know but I don't want to try ".org" because I got an email for including "SBAF" in one of my posts just one week ago. Maybe next week :)
     
  17. purr1n

    purr1n Desire for betterer is endless.

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  18. Case

    Case Anxious Head (Formerly Wilson)

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    I need to hear an HD800. So much to learn.
     
  19. TwoEars

    TwoEars Friend

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    HD800 soundstage, HD650 tonal signature with tighter deeper bass. It's what everybody wants. I'm sure it's possible.

    Not really - what you actually need is to hear a modded HD800 with tubes. SD-mod + sbaf mod + copper cable + tube amp is the way to go if you ask me. Stock HD800 with SS amp can be a pretty painful once you get tired of the soundstage and detail.
     
  20. Merrick

    Merrick A lidless ear

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    That's the holy grail.
     

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