With Sennheiser selling their consumer audio line, will Drop be losing this line of products?

Sep 5, 2021

SuperFlyEDSguyYeah, Drop’s contracts with Sennheiser haven’t changed. Sennheiser has continued forward with plans to release the IE 300 and IE 900 since the acquisition was decided and announced, and now look how the HD 8XX’s first production batch is shipping this month instead of in November. Sennheiser’s Ireland production facility is getting some more funding too, it looks like, and the production from Romania is moving back to Ireland as well. If you think about it, it’s kind of wild that Drop was able to negotiate a deal to sell the HD 6XX and now HD 8XX at current prices, when the respective HD 650 and HD 800S headphones had been holding steady and selling well for years (or decades!). I kept thinking the HD 6XX would be a limited run, but Drop has kept a good relationship with Sennheiser, and it seems like everyone is happy (mostly ;).

(Edited)

Sep 5, 2021

SuperFlyEDSguy

Sep 5, 2021

EvshrugThanks! I figured as much, but as you’re privy to the low down with Sennheiser, I thought you’d be just the just right person to defer to for such confirmation. I could be wrong, but something tells me the competitive pricing arrangements are largely volume-based, but not in the traditional sense. With the Drop-exclusive models that you mentioned, Sennheiser knows that there is a large and growing demand for such niche products by the audiophile community. It’s not even that Sennheiser would be doing the volume for direct profit per se, but rather as an offering to dedicated fans via a dedicated channel. Being such a premium brand, they know other models will continue to sell well and at pretty good margins, so if anything it won’t devalue the brand reputation, but have quite the opposite effect by getting the product into the most hands that will unbiasedly promote it. You just can’t beat viral marketing and I’m hoping this is the case here, and if it is then more premium brands should be doing the same! I’d think “decades” is more like it as I believe that Sennheiser is pushing right around 75-years in the business and still going strong! While on the subject, you probably remember that I am primarily an ‘IEM guy,’ but ended up enjoying the sound of my PC37X so much, that I plug the green-end into my O2 amp and at times listen for hours! My current headphone rotation is pretty much this or my Koss KPH30i (which packs a very nice airy punch itself!) I’ve been considering adding either an HD 58X Jubilee or HD 6XX to my rotation, but we touched on the likes of the drivers in previous conversations. Do you think either would be an appropriate or sensible add-on considering I am happy with the sound of my PC37X as an ‘all-rounder?’ 🤔💭 I am most likely going to go for the E-MU Walnut as my next pair as they’re closed-back and would be my first pair of wood enclosed cans. I’ve been enjoying the open-back sound for a while now and want to get something a bit different for my next pair. As the Sennheiser’s I just mentioned are open-back, I’ll leave it to you how different they will sound from the PC37X sound signature. Thanks! ✌️

Sep 5, 2021

Sep 6, 2021

SuperFlyEDSguyThanks for the reply! I’ll write a longer one later, but it’s very affirming that people are starting to know me (someone @ me in their HD 58X Jubilee review an hour ago)! The thing I want to touch on first, is that it’s quite possible Drop helped to CREATE the niche and demand around the HD 6XX. I believe all parties would like to generate that kind of buzz again, and personally I think the $600 off (plus store credit, not counting temporary sales) HD 8XX is also exciting because it will be able to get in more people’s hands, and with the new tuning will be more widely agreeable. It’s not as analytical as the HD 800S or HD 800 + SDR mods, and warmer and smoother than the HD 6XX from the bass through the upper mids, though the treble sparkles more. Sennheiser will probably have a hard time building enough to keep them in stock. However, temper expectations… $1100 is still a lot of money for people, and many people are still going to like “classic” editions more (like my HD 800).

Sep 6, 2021

Sep 6, 2021

SuperFlyEDSguyThe 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)

Sep 6, 2021

Sep 6, 2021

SuperFlyEDSguyFinished 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.

Sep 6, 2021

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