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In the "old but still rockin' department", this weekend I found my first good quality headphones sitting in the back of a closet - the Sennheiser HD420, that I bought new in ~1980. They were a step-up model from the famous yellow foamies. Here's a pic I found on the web, mine look exactly like these:
Gallery Sennheiser HD 420 - Wikizic
Although they are all plastic, they have survived the last 29 years quite well. The gold cloth pad covers are dingy and worn, and the foam underneath is completely disintegrated. The flexible plastic head support is a bit bent, but it still works fine. I took very good care of these for the first 10 years or so, but I had no idea what happened to them for the last 19! I have no recollection of putting them in the box where I found them - but hey, I *did* have a misspent youth and I probably lost a few more brain cells than I could really afford...
So... The thing to remember about the HD420 is that they are 600 ohms, and they have only a 1/4" plug. Not exactly iPod friendly! I took a trip down to Fry's and grabbed a 1/4"->1/8" adapter and then tried them out on my iPOD Video. Yikes! Even at full volume, that just wasn't going to work - they were completely lifeless. Back in the day, I drove these off my home integrated amp - no DAPs back then! I didn't have a suitable amp at home, so I had to wait until I got back to my office.
Big difference with an amp! I have quite an odd assortment of portable amps, and I tried each one fed by a HotUSB1 DAC from my laptop. Just medium quality MP3s (192 Kbps and up) from Media Player 11. The amps all helped tremendously. My favorite pairing was little amp called a Mini Head Signature from Shellbrook Audio (now defunct I think). Very good for exactly what I originally bought these 'phones to do - rock with Ted, Zep, Aerosmith & AC/DC. The low end needed a bit of EQ boost, but the guitar riffs sizzled just like the old days.
I ordered some new pads, and I'm looking forward to another 29 years!
Gallery Sennheiser HD 420 - Wikizic
Although they are all plastic, they have survived the last 29 years quite well. The gold cloth pad covers are dingy and worn, and the foam underneath is completely disintegrated. The flexible plastic head support is a bit bent, but it still works fine. I took very good care of these for the first 10 years or so, but I had no idea what happened to them for the last 19! I have no recollection of putting them in the box where I found them - but hey, I *did* have a misspent youth and I probably lost a few more brain cells than I could really afford...
So... The thing to remember about the HD420 is that they are 600 ohms, and they have only a 1/4" plug. Not exactly iPod friendly! I took a trip down to Fry's and grabbed a 1/4"->1/8" adapter and then tried them out on my iPOD Video. Yikes! Even at full volume, that just wasn't going to work - they were completely lifeless. Back in the day, I drove these off my home integrated amp - no DAPs back then! I didn't have a suitable amp at home, so I had to wait until I got back to my office.
Big difference with an amp! I have quite an odd assortment of portable amps, and I tried each one fed by a HotUSB1 DAC from my laptop. Just medium quality MP3s (192 Kbps and up) from Media Player 11. The amps all helped tremendously. My favorite pairing was little amp called a Mini Head Signature from Shellbrook Audio (now defunct I think). Very good for exactly what I originally bought these 'phones to do - rock with Ted, Zep, Aerosmith & AC/DC. The low end needed a bit of EQ boost, but the guitar riffs sizzled just like the old days.
I ordered some new pads, and I'm looking forward to another 29 years!
