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
The 6xx is an excellent dynamic open, it has wonderfully curated mids (although I prefer the extension on the 600), and is rolled off and non fatiguing. It doesn't sound as accurate as the ESP, but it is wonderful to listen to and has more flexibility in its source compared to an electrostat.
You will be very pleased regardless of your choice, these are two of the best open headphone values around. I'd personally go for the ESP myself, but I have no regrets having bought both (650 and ESP950, not massdrop versions).
https://www.innerfidelity.com/images/KossESP950Sample2.pdf https://www.innerfidelity.com/images/EtymoticER4PT.pdf
The Koss do have a slightly more lush mid range than the ER4, but this is less pronounced than the (lovely) relentless mid focus of the Senn 6xx.
My first listen to the 950 I was honestly struck by the similarity to my then ER4PT, which is bizarre given the ESP are some of the biggest (area) headphones around and are airy fresh open. . .
Regarding source flexibility: part of the reason the Senn is so celebrated is because it benefits heavily from source pairing; it encourages the listener to experiment with different amps particularly. The resulting chain could be used to happily feed just about any other headphones you buy in the future, where as the Koss energizer is a one stop shop obviously.
It sounds like you are on a great track, and I do think you will be very happy either way :) They are both excellent headphones.
https://www.amazon.com/Q5-Bluetooth-DSD-Capable-Amplifier-Computers/dp/B077TRH39D/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1538172714&sr=8-1&keywords=fiio+q5
The reason I kind of like it is because it supports Bluetooth 5.0, and therefore I can still lie in my couch watching TV with it by wireless streaming. The shortened cable of HD6XX is just too short for TV watching. But of course, if it proves to be too "amateur" as a standalone DAC/AMP, I will not buy it simply for its Bluetooth support.
I'm afraid I have no experience with FiiO unfortunately, but something like that might be a bit lean on power. That said, I do find the power requirements of the senn 6xx series is a bit overstated generally (compared to say 600 ohm beyers that really NEED amplification). It's relatively easy to drive them to satisfying levels, provided you aren't exclusively interested in high dynamic range classical etc (high volume!). That said, if you did decide to experiment with different amps, or tubes in the future, the Senns will benefit - their midrange focus makes them a favorite for euphonic fans.
The DAC on that wireless unit looks quite capable, but it seems pricey to me. You could get some serious Schiit with that kind of coin if you're not entirely set on bluetooth. Alternatively, I know MD periodically have BT capable DAC amps, that I am sure the community could offer more insight into.
Something to consider for the ESPs, it's great the energizer has independent L/R channel volume, but they are very loose. Something like this or similar could also serve as a nice pre amp, to have a single 'master' volume adjust to feed into the energizer.
I bought some Bluetooth dongles about three years ago, one connected to my TV while the other to my headphone. As you said, it had big latency and basically made TV watching unbearable. Couple years later I bought a pair of Bose QC35 and it connects to my laptop through Bluetooth while the video is projected to my TV through HDMI. There is no perceivable latency at all. I believe it has something to do with Bluetooth 5.0 or at least 4.2, which supports AptX Low Latency etc. Electronics move fast and couple years make a big difference. Strictly speaking, the sound quality cannot compete with extension cables yet but for most cases, it is good enough especially considering the convenience of wireless.