Why Sennheiser headphones are simply the best

@?,*???&? · Post by **@?,*???&?** » Tue May 10, 2011 7:24 am

I've had a pair of HD580 headphones since 1996. Since then I've replaced the cable twice and am about to do it for the third time. I'm also about to replace ear pads for the first time.

http://www.sennheiserusa.com/serviceand ... art-finder

This kind of nominal price, self-repair is awesome. Most other manufacturers would rather have you throw away the headphones and replace them.

Thanks Sennheiser for doing this and making it so easy!

As well, I've had 4 pair of HD280 headphones at the studio that have never needed repair.

williamsongs · Post by **williamsongs** » Tue May 10, 2011 3:38 pm

I had a puppy eat my 580s and I was equally cheered up by finding the Sennheiser company, in CT, USA. I got new earcups and a head band lickety-split. No problem. And if you need new drivers, they have them too. You can repair your own, and oh man I realized how dependent I am on those headphones for various tasks. Love when you can roll your own.

http://messageboard.tapeop.com/viewtopi ... highlight=

Nobody suggested it when I was looking, but I discovered what you found too. Awesome! And not very expensive either, all things considered.

digitaldrummer · Post by **digitaldrummer** » Tue May 10, 2011 6:37 pm

I appreciate companies that do that kind of stuff - I don't like the throw-away product mentality... I don't currently have any Sennheiser phones, but may have to consider them in the future.

Other companies I've been pretty happy with in this same regard:-

Vic Firth - I have some of the iso headphone. one side went out and I called them - they said send the broken pair back and they would replace them - they sent a brand new pair. cool.

DBX - I needed a couple parts, called their parts dept and had the parts within a week.

Mackie - same here. I couldn't find any info on their website and almost gave up, but finally just called them and had the parts in no time.

Mike

Marc Alan Goodman · Post by **Marc Alan Goodman** » Tue May 10, 2011 7:04 pm

Yep, Sennheiser (neumann) has a great service department.

Personally I've gone through 3 pairs of HD280's in the last 5 years due to the latch in the headband snapping off. I'm pretty rough with the things though.

kslight · Post by **kslight** » Wed May 11, 2011 5:56 am

The only problem I had with them was the sound... too flattered not very accurate.

cgarges · Post by **cgarges** » Wed May 11, 2011 6:50 am

I love the way the 280s sound and feel, but I've probably been through eight sets of those things in the last six years when one side of them goes out. To me, that's just too unreliable for day-to-day studio use by a bunch of different people. I'm currently on a search for something else.

Chris Garges
Charlotte, NC

@?,*???&? · Post by **@?,*???&?** » Wed May 11, 2011 7:56 am

cgarges wrote:I love the way the 280s sound and feel, but I've probably been through eight sets of those things in the last six years when one side of them goes out. To me, that's just too unreliable for day-to-day studio use by a bunch of different people. I'm currently on a search for something else.

Chris Garges
Charlotte, NC

What's your Distribution amp situation that let's you blow one driver?

What kind of headphone system are you running?

Wide-open 400 watt amp with headphones in daisy-chain fashion??

cgarges · Post by **cgarges** » Wed May 11, 2011 8:13 am

It's the Furman HDS6 system. Have had no problems with Beyer, Sony, or AKG cans blowing with this same system. I've heard of other studios having similar reliability problems with the 280s, as well. I'd love to believe it was somehting more easily-fixable than buying several new sets of headphones every year.

Chris Garges
Charlotte, NC

Jim Williams · Post by **Jim Williams** » Wed May 11, 2011 8:35 am

kslight wrote:The only problem I had with them was the sound... too flattered not very accurate.

I also checked out 600's back in the mid 90's when they became the rage of the month. What I found was a non-linear frequency response, a bloom at 200~800 hz that you can see on their plots plus that -6 db roll-off at 20k hz, not acceptable for critical monitoring unless you want "suprises" later.

Given their fragility, better solutions are available from several manufacturers. As to the best sonics, nothing beats those Stax electrostatic headphones but those tend to be too revealing for most folks. Modern rock music would be painfull using those, like a thousand digital daggers stabbing your ear drums.

cgarges · Post by **cgarges** » Wed May 11, 2011 8:52 am

I would never outfit an entire studio with Stax headphones. Those things sound absurdly good, but I don't buy for a second that they could withstand day-to-day use under normal conditions. At what they cost, that just doesn't make good sense. They are amazing headphones, though.

Chris Garges
Charlotte, NC

cjogo · Post by **cjogo** » Wed May 11, 2011 9:10 am

cgarges wrote:I would never outfit an entire studio with Stax headphones. Those things sound absurdly good, but I don't buy for a second that they could withstand day-to-day use under normal conditions. At what they cost, that just doesn't make good sense. They are amazing headphones, though.

Chris Garges
Charlotte, NC

At one of the studios I engineer ..the Stax are the main phones.. The producer will use nothing else ~!

jhharvest · Post by **jhharvest** » Wed May 11, 2011 10:14 am

I use the mini Stax for referencing my mixes sometimes. Pretty good for telling what's happening in the mix. Wouldn't really use them for tracking. Thomann sells Beyerdynamic clones under the Superlux brand for 40?. Cheap and pretty sturdy.

@?,*???&? · Post by **@?,*???&?** » Wed May 11, 2011 10:39 am

cgarges wrote:It's the Furman HDS6 system. Have had no problems with Beyer, Sony, or AKG cans blowing with this same system. I've heard of other studios having similar reliability problems with the 280s, as well. I'd love to believe it was somehting more easily-fixable than buying several new sets of headphones every year.

Chris Garges
Charlotte, NC

Honestly man, I think you've got a different problem. In 6 years, I've been running with the same 4 pair of HD280s.

Bro Shark · Post by **Bro Shark** » Wed May 11, 2011 12:44 pm

I think you guys are talking about two things here. Reference/accurate headphones for checking mixes, and reliable headphones for artists during tracking. Totally different beast.

I know every time I've tracked as an artist at a studio, I can appreciate a few things: volume, isolation, and enough definition & clarity to hear the details I need to hear in my own and everyone else's performance. I care neither how "pleasing" nor "accurate" the cans sound -- just that they help me get a great take.

vivalastblues · Post by **vivalastblues** » Wed May 11, 2011 2:51 pm

Anyone here used the MoreMe phones?

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Why Sennheiser headphones are simply the best

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