Sennheiser PC37X randomly goes bad after disconnecting the cable ?
Greetings, Yesterday I was using my headset like normal with my macbook, just listening to music and on a call with people like usual, and the headset was perfectly fine. The stock wire that came with the headset is extremely long and yesterday it annoyed me very much that it kept getting tangled with itself, so I decided to see if the cable is replaceable. I pulled out the cable from the headset and saw the adapter, and looked online for a replacement. Upon plugging it back in, the audio sounded extremely muffled and washed out. Im not sure what I did wrong to make it mess up like that as I've always taken good care of it, ive had it for about 2 years and its always just been chilling on my desk, but anywho I thought the cable just went bad and ordered a replacement. The replacement came, and the issue is still persistant, so I am not sure what the issue is I've tried multiple different headsets and the issue is not with the port, and I also tried it with my windows laptop and...
Apr 23, 2024
I can only afford one or the other, so what do you guys think is the better choice? I appreciate any input and advice you can share.
Thanks!
There is only 1 review of the HE4xx so far, and while it's encouraging (the tl;dr of the review over at superbestaudiofriends is - they're planars, they don't suck) - it's still only 1 review.
For my money if I could only buy 1 pair it'd be the AKGs right now - they're extremely comfortable, they can be powered by a phone pretty easily and they give a great soundstage.
Thank you aames for your advice and reply.
I would caution that you shouldn't be drawn in by the fact that the he4xx is planar either as it doesn't have the typical bass frequency response curve that something like the mrspeakers aeon has.
But if you're looking for something to spend $200 on then don't let my opinion stop you :)
As for balanced cables? Not unless you mod, the mini-xlr for the k7xx uses 3 pins, not 4.
So I would go with the HE4XX, plus they are planar and I saw two other reviews so far (other than the one your finding here) and they are a really great buy at $170. They will probably sound neutral like HD 600 and tweaked a little to sound like the HD 6xx.
And the HD650 you already own is the best choice.
Spend the money you have on a good dac/amp or dont spend it at all.
In any event, I'm a bit leery of the 4XX. I have the HiFiMan 400S and they're wonderful; I love them for classical music and they're super easy to drive straight out of a source without an amp. Natural sound that feels the closest to a live performance that I've been able to find. I also tried the HiFiMan/Massdrop HE350 last year for $99 and those were terrible headphones, with mushy sound plus they were very uncomfortable. Which way will the 4XX go? I have no idea. The low price point kind of worries me as to what they may be skimping on. But I'm very happy with the 400S so I'm not exactly a motivated buyer and YMMV. If it's a clone of the 400i, which seems to be the case, it may well be a great deal.
My primary chain is Tidal through JRiver/ROON wasapi USB > Schiit Eitr > Schiit Yggdrasil > Pathos Aurium/Zana Deux S/Black Widow/Mjolnir 2/Jotunheim (etc) into a bunch of different headphones, with the 6XX being the cheapest within my collection. There's plenty of deep rumbling bass, the highs are definitely not rolled off and there is barely any of the (in)famous "veil".
Is it the best pair of headphones out there? No. The best headphones I own? No. Are they amazing? Yes. Are they for everyone? No. They scale very well and with a 2 grand amp + an MB DAC you should be able to tell, if you can't then you know, shit happens, everyone has different ears on them and that's part of why this hobby is fun.
"despising" a pair of headphones seems a little too extreme, especially when they're as well regarded (and for good reason, as said) as the 650s.
When young people rave about them, it tells me they have little experience with good audio (most have no serious 2 channel system, and own very few headphones, most entry level stuff). They are good for certain music types, but I own far better choices for the music I enjoy. I am going to mod them, as they are useless to me in their current state.
I'd bet many would prefer this drop over the HD6XX. All I'm saying is HD650 is overhyped, and when people say they don't like them, it's always get better upstream gear. I've heard the HD650 with some of the best headphone amps in existence, including the fabled Bottlehead Crack with Speedball, Auralic Taurus MKII, MicroZOTL2 (which I own, tricked out with very good NOS tubes and LPS), most of the Schiit amps, DIY acclaimed designs, etc. DACs from the Yggy down to $100 ones. Believe me, I've tried everything to get the most out of them, they just bring nothing special, except for vocals and acoustic music. They have their place, they aren't terrible, but it's my worst purchase in audio in a very long time. I also prefer a more typical V or U shape frequency response, HD650 are the opposite of that preference.
I'll most likely be buying the Smyth Research A16 next month, and it was designed around the HD800. I'll obviously try all the headphones I currently own first, and the HEX V2 may be just fine. Really want to try some bass heavy cans like the TH-X00 Ebony or M1060s I already own. HEX actually has really good bass as well, with a huge soundstage. I'm very happy with my headphones at the moment, they are definitely on the end of the list for upgrades. Hopefully I'll be going to a meet in a month or so. One is smaller and much easier to deal with noise. The other is in December, far larger with over 35 tables setup, and every piece of gear you could imagine. No shortage of meets in Philly, and that doesn't include the home theater meets I also love to attend.
I also agree that their "flaws" or imperfections should not be chalked up to "get better gear" - some people don't like the 650s, some people like the 800s which I absolutely abhor (and own because they are a microscope and good for testing changes in the stream) and that's perfectly fine. They're a polarising pair of headphones and I'll actually also give you the fact that they're overhyped.
They definitely deserve praise in my book and I've stated before here and in many other places they're one of if not my favourite headphones (not favourite sounding). For desktop use I own LS50s which are fed by a competent amp and I have Devialet Phantoms in my living room, I'm absolutely not the best versed person when it comes to 2 channel gear on like Focal Grand Utopia level gear but to me speakers and headphones are two completely different things - if I want speaker sound, I listen to speakers, I don't need subwoofers on my head nor do I want HD800 soundstage when I have headphones on.
I disagree that they're only well regarded by younger people though, I have plenty of friends and acquaintances both online and otherwise who regard the 650s very highly and are 45+ years old. They're good headphones no matter how badly you think they sound or how boring they may be to some, with most genres of music despite shining with acoustic tracks and vocals as you stated.
They're relaxed and warm headphones and many see that as just straight up bad and inaccurate but as said, this hobby is so subjective that your ruling and preference does not apply to everybody. In this particular case you are in the vast minority and that cannot just be explained away by "no, you guys are incompetent millennials with no experience, they're bad for real". They don't even measure badly, of course they won't beat a grand + headphones produced nowadays especially considering they're like 20 years old now but still, comparisons like that are unfair and unrealistic in my opinion.
I will mod them very soon, as a very trusted person I know, sent me the mod he absolutely loves (we have very similar views on our sound preference). Just need the time.
I went from a huge house with a home theater, to a small apartment in Philadelphia. I've become addicted to headphones for movies and gaming. Music listening from time to time (usually 2 channel during the day with no neighbor issues). At night, I do at times want a speaker on my head sound, and amazingly you can get it. Details with headphones are far easier heard than any speaker system (95% aren't hardcore with sound like I am). My theater setup could play at 122-125 decibels without distortion. It was unreal, and guests would freak out how great it was. At normal listening levels, movies felt real. So most of my listening would suck with the HD650s. For music they can be alright, if I wasn't for other cans I own, they could get far more usage. Hopefully this mod really clears them up like I've read.
Just comes down to preference really, only reason I felt like I should offer a different point of view was because I think saying they're bad is just unfair regardless of whether or not one likes their sound signature - I don't think overhype and bandwagon behaviour can explain away the thousands on thousands of pages of praise in the 650 thread on every audio related forum board I frequent/know of. In my mind they are objectively good headphones despite their shortcomings 20 years post launch and when compared to other ones that cost x or y times as much.
You are the pro here with te most experience. So i will definitely buy them instantly. And AudioAlchemy also.
AKG K7XX is another choice at $200 that is an awesome gaming headphone. Decent bass, big soundstage, gentle sound. Easy listening.
The Beyerdynamic DT770 (closed), DT880 (semi open, most neutral of this line), or DT990. EQ can really help take the highs a tad. Great bass and mid bass. Great immersive gaming headphone. All of these are under $200 and are a solid choice. There are plenty more, these are just a few with different sound qualities that may meet your expectations well.
I was looking at the HE400i and the M1060 both back when I bought mine, so I'm interested in what may be, in some capacity at least, a cheaper 400i, to add to the collection. If my 1060s mod well, the HE4xx should be pretty much the same in terms of potential. Most open planars are pretty simplistic in their design. Even more reason to check these out if the mods are worthwhile.