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With Sennheiser selling their consumer audio line, will Drop be losing this line of products?
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keyboard_arrow_downSuperFlyEDSguy
58
Sep 5, 2021
The deal Sennheiser made with Swiss-based Sonova Holding AG earlier this year did not include the pro-side of the business, and from my understanding was engineered to give Sennheiser more opportunities to focus on true wireless and audiophile-grade headphones. Keep in mind that the deal specifically included non-audiophile headphones, soundbars, and DACs. Regardless, it’s basically just a big licensing deal for those products that aren’t Sennheiser’s bread and butter. As it’s still pending approval by the EU, I would imagine that we will hear more finite details when this transpires. In the meantime, perhaps @Evshrug could provide more information.
Evshrug
3772
Community
Sep 6, 2021
The promised longer reply and advice!
Hey, I’m glad to hear the PC37X is working out for you! When I wrote my last pre-Sennheiser review on it at launch, I was surprised how much I liked it for music as well as gaming… I even preferred it’s tuning over its more expensive HD 599 stable mate because the PC37X had more highs and more clarity.
As far as helping you decide on your “next steps,” you have the benefit of choice depending on what preferences you’re going for. I wish my head wasn’t so full and I could remember our convo about IEMs and the PC37X better, but I’d recommend considering if you want a headphone because you want a higher-performance all-rounder, a more “reference” headphone for extra clarity/insight into a mixing studio sound (or push that even further for an analytical/competitive gaming sound), or go the opposite way with a fun sound that doesn’t shy away from adding coloration with phat/thicc bass and spicy treble.
Basically, the HD 6XX (or HD 660S) is one of the most well-known, well rounded headphones on the market (launched in . The Ireland hand-assembly, silk dampening, and careful L/R driver matching do manage to eek out a higher performing and smoother sound than the PC37X (and slightly larger diameter transducer… but that’s not a definitive indicator of quality). Don’t be too scared of the 300 Ω nominal impedance (and technically the impedance is higher in the bass ranges): while it may sound anemic from built-in headphone jacks on laptops or small music players, the higher impedance helps it not be a picky headphone, and most headphone amps and even home theater amps/receivers can drive it well (as long as there’s like 50% of headroom on the volume dial). It’s not technically a “reference” headphone because it eases off on the highs (higher than female vocals, think more like cymbals and 2nd order harmonics, sibilance), but it was designed that way specifically for mixing engineers that need something close enough that they can easily make mixing decisions but also comfortable and not fatiguing for listening to on an 8 hour work day. Though it’s not a purely “reference” tuning, it is a common experience as one of the most widely owned HiFi headphones ever (HD 650 + HD 6XX). For me, I think the HD 660S is an even better all-rounder, because it keeps the HD 650’s strengths, adds a little more sparkle to the highs, and feels even more lively and agile because the initial attack on each note is crisper. Doesn’t hurt that the 150 Ω impedance and decent sensitivity are both “sweet spots” to make the HD 660S easy to drive well with an even wider array of amps, making quality more important than power quantity.
If you wanted to try a more “reference” realistic tuning, my suggested next steps would be either the HD 560S or HD 600. The HD 600 is the HD 6XX/650’s older brother, with a very carefully crafted sound signature that was designed to closely-mimic the original Sennheiser Orpheus as much as possible, and to bring listeners an experience similar to the best near-field studio monitors and mastering studio rooms. So, this is the headphone that lets people hear what the recording/mastering engineer hears. Meanwhile, the HD 560S is what I consider the pinnacle of the HD 500 platform (which I would count the PC37X as part of, though it came from the gaming division), and while the driver’s production is automated and able to be mass produced on a larger scale than the HD 650 or HD 600, it is actually tuned very “reference” close to the HD 600, but with the most linear, least sub-bass roll off of any Sennheiser open-backed headphone. Despite the balanced and even handed, realistic tonality, most people aren’t used to hearing this much sub bass or bass this tight at this price point, so that brings its own pleasure. Part of this is the new driver used vs the HD 599 (and PC37X).
Lastly, the intentionally colored for extra fun side of things. The HD 58X Jubilee fits this category, and so does the (in-ear) IE 300 for that matter. Arguably, the chocolatey sounding HD 599 also fits here, but it’s coloration is as a warm headphone rather than an aggressive one. Sure, relative to the mids sensitivity, these headphones have more bass and often more treble (or less) than is strictly realistic… but if the mids are the heart and foundation of music, then the bass and treble are the fireworks! Since most people listen to music (and games) for the sake of entertainment, it’s easy to see how a little sonic fantasy could be appealing. It’s all art, right? Sometimes these extra punchy and rich signatures can be fatiguing for long term listening (just like listening loud), but for people who only get 30 minutes and want to maximize their free time, sometimes they want to get excited right away rather than wait to sink into something.
I can’t fairly speak about Chen’s (Chan’s?) EMU Teak, since I’m currently consulting for Sennheiser only (and not doing the DMS/Mad Lust Envy thing, maybe someday), but there are many reviews about it that discuss its tuning, isolation effectiveness, and comfort, and I think those factors may define what kind of scenario you could see yourself using it in (or not).
(Edited)
Evshrug
3772
Community
Sep 6, 2021
Finished editing my last reply, putting in 3 styles of listening. It’s a doozy of a write up… hopefully it’s still fun to read.
lowkey423
9
Jun 12, 2021
Nah I very much doubt it, the buyers made a point in saying they're going to keep most of the audio division as is
HIFI778
652
Dec 16, 2021
lowkey423They "only" raised the prices in here of 30% to make their shop more eye catching....
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