[harmonix]

   
I don't know if it'll be a limited edition or not, but perhaps Rosmadi can clarify that.
 
As for price, expect it to be around €50,000, or around $55,000.

At 50k Euro don't think it matters if it is a limited edition - it will be limited period... in production volumes, demand and affordability - all very  limiting!!!

 

[analogsurviver]

In the Orpheus 2 system, only the headphones stir my interest, however assuming they could be made to be driven by any stats amp, my guess is they'll still be too expensive.
Now while I'm prepared to spend a lot on a DAC, I wouldn't for headphones, in fact the most I'd spend on them is the cost of 009's.

Sorry, fuggedaboutit.
 
Orpheus 2 headset is inherently incompatible with any device hitherto used for driving electrostatics; be it transformer or amplifier. The reason being that the final active element (transistor of one sort or another) has been removed from the amplifier into the ear cup itself. This removes the troublesome capacitance of the cable from amp to phones from the equation, effectively at least doubling the performance available. The "cable" from the amp to headset is in fact part of the circuit of the amplifier - it is not a simple "interconnect", and although certainly could be reverse engineered, you can be 100% sure no one outside Senn knows its requirements at the moment.
 
This innovation, a reverse use of capacitor principle microphone from the day one, is FAR more important and influential than perhaps ANY present or future DAC. 
 
Mark my word, headphones of this calibre will be ultimately judged by their performance from analog sources; just like the original Orpheus has been. The only trouble being the fact that the conditions are now reversed; back in the day, there were phono cartridges capable of 100 kHz bandwidth (and above...), but original Orpheus could not reproduce this bandwidth. Today, there are none of 100 kHz cartridges available ( reason : ecology, EPA ) (short of being extremely lucky to be online the minute one of those gems appears for sale ),  what is realistic from the cartridges of  today is bandwidth to approx 60 kHz.

 

[kawaivpc1]

Will we see this on Amazon???????? Is this a limited edition again?? I hope not...

 

[astrostar59]

Will we see this on Amazon???????? Is this a limited edition again?? I hope not...

You gotta be kidding right? Maybe I can buy myself a house on Amazon too Ha Ha.
 
No the Orpheus MK2 is a marketing ploy to raise the profile of the other 99.99% of the models they sell. A very expensive poster girl IMO.
 
Bit like a Ferrari Enzo, that you 'take out' for the day, then return to the factory garage. It is all stupid nonsense...
 
Yeah yeah, sounds amazing bla bla. If I have 5 million to built one, I could make it sound amazing too.
 
Now, if they made a real world price v price against the Stax 009, then I would wake up and take it seriously.

 

[analogsurviver]

Will we see this on Amazon???????? Is this a limited edition again?? I hope not...

There is a limit up to which the likes of Amazon can reach

.
 
No, it is reportedly limited to the production of 250 pcs/year. So, there may be thousands of them...

 

[scarfacegt]

http://www.lydogbilde.no/nyheter/slik-lyder-verdens-dyreste-hodetelefoner

 

[David1961]

@ analogsurviver,
 
That being the case, it's obvious [ IMO ] that Sennheiser when it comes to their new Orpheus, are only interested in pleasing a minority.
If Sennheiser did have any thoughts to the majority of us, then they'd [ again IMO ] do a more affordable stats headphone that could be used with any stats amp.

 

[Guss2]

How about naming couple of amps that are better than the HEV-90 at driving the HE90 beside the DIY T2 and Aristaeus? I am very curious to learn from your experience. Have u auditioned the original Orpheus system before making such a statement? I think you will respect the Hev-90 a whole lot more once you hear it.

Yep, those are the only 2 that I know of. Also Purk, weren't  there 2 or 3 different versions of the HEV90? 1 being superior to the others/for which the Aristaeus was based on?
I've heard a few Orpheus systems but 1 of them was clearly better than the others I've heard, very nice indeed. Would love to hear your DIY T2 some day, maybe at a meet or something. Take care, Gary

 

[StryGR]

Do you guys find it innovative to have two sources of hazardous (i.e. very high) voltage between your ears?

 

[theboch]

  Do you guys find it innovative to have two sources of hazardous (i.e. very high) voltage between your ears?

 
As far as I know high voltage alone is not very dangerous.

 

[fiascogarcia]

  Do you guys find it innovative to have two sources of hazardous (i.e. very high) voltage between your ears?

 
 

   
As far as I know high voltage alone is not very dangerous.

I believe the danger zone for shock is around 6 miliamps and 30 volts.  I'm no expert, but I think it is the combination of amperage and voltage in higher numbers that creates higher risk of shock and electrocution.

 

[purk]

 
Yep, those are the only 2 that I know of. Also Purk, weren't  there 2 or 3 different versions of the HEV90? 1 being superior to the others/for which the Aristaeus was based on?
I've heard a few Orpheus systems but 1 of them was clearly better than the others I've heard, very nice indeed. Would love to hear your DIY T2 some day, maybe at a meet or something. Take care, Gary

I think there could be several versions of the HEV90s.  However, I don't know what mine is.  Another amp that is superb at driving the original orpheus was/is the SP ES-1 but it is highly unstable.  It was insanely great with the HE90 but that amp was not working quite right so I didn't include that in the list.  I wish others get a chance to listen to the DIY T2 as well.  It is such a perfect amp.  

 

[tonykaz]

Mr. Music Alchemist,
 
Former Orpheus owners going back to the 650s,  was that because they went to the Poor House? 
 
or because they felt the intensity of the Orpheus Drug too addictive and had to join Audiophile Anonymous ( like me ).
 
I'm reading about guys not able to stop listening:  reports are now appearing here on Head-fi that the Schiit Bifrost-Multibit Dac is having that effect, people can't seem to stop listening to it which is considered a good thing.  
 
[size=x-small]I've personally heard nearly every headphone quality from the HD580 level up thru the Big Stax stuff.   The levels become ever more [/size]addictive but a person could live a happy life with the lowest of that range.  ( like me )
 
[size=x-small]All the Ferrari owners I've ever known will eventually sell their Italian and end up driving around in a Buick.[/size]
 
[size=x-small]Headphone excellence is so cheap that lots of people can chase it, it resells well on ebay so they can sell it with only a 20% loss, it's fun to do headphones and there is this wonderful site "Head-fi" to sit around with fellow travelers and talk out experiences.   [/size]
 
[size=x-small]So, of all the excesses we humans fall to, headphones may be the least harmful.   A person can loose a fortune chasing expensive Cars, I know folks that collect mechanical wrist watches and all the accessories that are available, Food causes health issues, rare Scotch can put a person's drivers ability in doubt as well as test a family's patience, jumping out of Airplanes is another thing I've see people suffer thru ( crushed bones & death ) not to mention chasing the fairer sex, phew.   [/size]
 
[size=x-small]Headphones seem an innocent distraction!, well, as long as a person isn't listening to the Head Bashing Noise stuff. [/size]
 
[size=x-small]Tony in Michigan[/size]

 

[Sal1950]

 
Mark my word, headphones of this calibre will be ultimately judged by their performance from analog sources; just like the original Orpheus has been. The only trouble being the fact that the conditions are now reversed; back in the day, there were phono cartridges capable of 100 kHz bandwidth (and above...), but original Orpheus could not reproduce this bandwidth. Today, there are none of 100 kHz cartridges available ( reason : ecology, EPA ) (short of being extremely lucky to be online the minute one of those gems appears for sale ),  what is realistic from the cartridges of  today is bandwidth to approx 60 kHz.

Yea right, using direct transcriptions of Edison Cylinder and Berliner Gramophone recordings, the only true analog source

 

[superlowfi]

  @ analogsurviver,
 
That being the case, it's obvious [ IMO ] that Sennheiser when it comes to their new Orpheus, are only interested in pleasing a minority.
If Sennheiser did have any thoughts to the majority of us, then they'd [ again IMO ] do a more affordable stats headphone that could be used with any stats amp.

 
There are a lot of people in this thread who assume that Sennheiser built this for a select few. That is wrong. Sennheiser built this for headphone lovers everywhere. 
 
We can debate and argue over their particular design decisions, but their goal was simply to develop the best headphone they could without budget constraints.
 
They built it for audio and headphone enthusiasts. 
 
Almost everyone on this forum will have an opportunity to hear this if they so choose. Sennheiser will be parading this system around as a source of company pride for decades to come, they still trot out the HE90/HEV90 which is now over twenty years old.
 
They didn't even really have to sell any consumer units. Imagine as a thought experiment they simply built the unit for touring around and didn't offer any for sale to customers. Would that somehow be "better"? If anything they are doing headphone enthusiasts a favour by offering it for sale for those select few that have the inclination to spend that much on a headphone system, but it's clear this wasn't really designed from the start to be a mass market product and that is kind of the point.