The Sennheiser Orpheus 2? A First Look At The Sennheiser HE-1 (The New Orpheus)
Jun 21, 2017 at 9:14 AM Post #2,206 of 2,918
Mm..I ll post every now and then but don't expect a polished review. I do not consider myself an expert. Right off the bat, I can tell you that the sound quality difference between the HE 1 and the Stax 009 is not that wide a gulf as the price gap seems to suggest. I'd be lying if I told you otherwise. But, I have taken the price out of the equation since I own both. No pressure to justify. Price is no longer a consideration. It is just gear vs. gear. In one area, in particular the bass, the HE 1 beats the 009. It is just freakisly textured and unlike any other bass I have heard from any headphones. The experience is akin to an iMax theatre. Pretty damn close.
 
Jun 21, 2017 at 10:43 AM Post #2,207 of 2,918
Mm..finding the zone...

IMG_1585.JPG


P.S. Of course, it is ridiculously good. Sorry to pie-slap the critics. Lol!
 
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Jun 21, 2017 at 12:09 PM Post #2,208 of 2,918
Mm..I don't sell. Is the HE 1 better than my other headphones? Yes it is. But I'm aiming to refine my Stax 009 system with either the BHSE or the Stax T8000. I feel that it can hold its own against the HE 1. Maybe? Perhaps? Not a snowball's chance in hell? Have to scratch that itch one of these days.

Just an anecdote: when I auditioned the HE 1 during CanJam Singapore 2017, the first thing I wanted to see was the initialization phase. I figure it would be cool to watch it in person. The guy spoke a bunch of English words. Only word I understood was NO. Lol! Okay, cool. I figure he must have looked at my personal appearance. I admit that I dressed like a schmuck that day. But heck...I just spent many hours at the airport to catch the early flight to Changi from Manila international. I dropped my bags at this 3 star hotel and rushed to the Pan Pacific. I needed a shower and a shave. I must have smelled bad. I was 3 of the 7 dwarves: Grumpy, Smokey and Smelly. Lol!

Anyways, last night I turned on and off my HE 1 a dozen times...... I needed to get that out of my system.

Lol, than you have finish turned on and off your HE 1 :darthsmile: I like to know how the integrated DAC sound versus you DAVE.
 
Jun 21, 2017 at 1:22 PM Post #2,209 of 2,918
Mm..still comparing. Off my Surface Book via USB to HE 1 sounds great. No surprise there. Same as what I experienced during the CanJam SG audition (they were using an iMac to feed the demo HE1). The DAVE is connected via balanced XLR to the HE 1, an advantage (balanced is generally better). But if I had to male a spot judgment right niw, it is too close to call.
 
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Jun 21, 2017 at 2:16 PM Post #2,210 of 2,918
Holy crap man! congrats! I am so jelly right now.... Been dreaming that when (if/never) i win the lottery, that will be first purchase i will make.

Btw, what is that Sennheiser branded black-box on the left? And does Senn ship the cables or do you have buy your own? lol
 
Jun 21, 2017 at 2:37 PM Post #2,211 of 2,918
Mm..the black box contains two beautifully bound books, one is the operating manual while the other is a fluff piece detailing the history of the Orpheus. You are also given two pairs of black gloves to minimize scratching the glass and the painted metal enclosures while handling it. A USB stick is also provided to install the HE 1 PC drivers (and another software to enable firmware upgrade). The stock power cable is still in the shipping crate. Using mine (Audioquest).

About the delivery process (from Germany to Singapore to final destination), it is concierge-level, one from marketing and a Sennheiser technician. Before you can even touch your HE 1, they go through the unboxing process and proceed to video record every nook and cranny of your unit. It took them a good 15 minutes. Lol! I guess it is part of their policy to deliver a flawless unit. Very meticulous process. No complaints on my part.
 
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Jun 21, 2017 at 2:51 PM Post #2,212 of 2,918
Holy **** man! congrats! I am so jelly right now.... Been dreaming that when (if/never) i win the lottery, that will be first purchase i will make.

Btw, what is that Sennheiser branded black-box on the left? And does Senn ship the cables or do you have buy your own? lol

Oh yes, I also noticed that the cables are super high quality. Really thick and sturdy.

Mm..the black box contains two beautifully bound books, one is the operating manual while the other is a fluff piece detailing the history of the Orpheus. You are also given two pairs of black gloves to minimize scratching the glass and the painted metal enclosures while handling it. A USB stick is also provided to install the HE 1 PC drivers (and another software to enable firmware upgrade). The stock power cable is still in the shipping crate. Using mine (Audioquest).

About the delivery process (from Germany to Singapore to final destination), it is concierge-level, one from marketing and a Sennheiser technician. Before you can even touch your HE 1, they go through the unboxing process and proceed to video record every nook and cranny of your unit. It took them a good 15 minutes. Lol! I guess it is part of their policy to deliver a flawless unit. Very meticulous process. No complaints on my part.

Woah

Sennheiser does an awesome job when they sell those! I'm really happy to hear that! It would be interesting to write about the whole process, seems like this is much more like buying a car or a house rather than a pair of headphones!
 
Jun 21, 2017 at 2:59 PM Post #2,213 of 2,918
Mm...the cable is indeed thick and sturdy. The Sennheiser technician warned me though: if you break the detachable cable (amp side), you can't just order a fresh one or send back the headphone for cable repair. You need to return your HE 1....to Germany. Reason: it has to be calibrated. Needless to say that my jaw dropped after hearing that.
 
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Jun 21, 2017 at 3:08 PM Post #2,214 of 2,918
Mm...the cable is indeed thick and sturdy. The Sennheiser technician warned me though: if you break the detachable cable (amp side), you can't just order a fresh one or send back the headphone for cable repair. You need to return your HE 1....to Germany. Reason: it has to be calibrated. Needless to say that my jaw dropped after hearing that.

Woah... That is quite the thing.

Well... Let's hope that it is sturdy enough so you won'y ever need to worry about that!

I wonder how many pieces Sennheiser made? Like 50? 100? 500? 10?

Also, are you wearing the gloves while using them?

Anyways, I hope that you're having lots of fun in there!!
 
Jun 22, 2017 at 11:13 PM Post #2,216 of 2,918
Mm...last night, I spent 2 hours listening to a few Carpenters albums and some old sentimental favorites from the 70s (Aubrey etc.), FLACs:

Setup 1: Cocktail Audio X40 music server - coaxial digital cable - HE 1
Setup 2: Cocktail Audio X40 music server - AES/EBU cable - Chord DAVE (DAC mode activated) - balanced XLR - HE 1

Switching between the 2 setups was rapid via HE 1 remote control.

Aside from the louder output of balanced setup (which is to be expected), the audible differences in SQ were not that big. Setup 2 brought the midrange slightly forward and it is like sitting in the 2 row vs. 6th row seat. Also, the Dave made the HE1 slightly clearer, brighter and more resolving (a smidge).Also, Karen's voice was noticeably airier. Setup 1 was flatter, neutral but not boring.

My initial impression stands: DAC vs. DAC is too close to call.

I ll scour my music collection for bass tracks tonight. Will listen after watching the new Transformers.

P.S. I was a bit tired prior to listening. Had fun watching Wonder Woman (8.5/10). The headphones does get warm. It is like holding a candle a few inches from your ears. But with some adjustments in room temperature (yup, you need A/C), it becomes a non-issue.

P.S. 2. Had a brief power interruption last night. The unit remained open. Upon power up again, the unit automatically activates the shut down phase (lids close, tubes retracts and knobs retracts). My headphone was not packed so the cable was caught while the lid was closing. The lid stopped closing (a safety feature I guess) but the tubes and knobs retracted. So, lesson is to pack the headphones and cable upon power interuption.
 
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Jun 23, 2017 at 4:46 AM Post #2,217 of 2,918
congrats on your amazing acquisition. i honestly didn't expect to see someone who actually owns the he1 posting here.
 
Jun 23, 2017 at 6:14 AM Post #2,218 of 2,918
Mm..I ll post every now and then but don't expect a polished review. I do not consider myself an expert. Right off the bat, I can tell you that the sound quality difference between the HE 1 and the Stax 009 is not that wide a gulf as the price gap seems to suggest. I'd be lying if I told you otherwise. But, I have taken the price out of the equation since I own both. No pressure to justify. Price is no longer a consideration. It is just gear vs. gear. In one area, in particular the bass, the HE 1 beats the 009. It is just freakisly textured and unlike any other bass I have heard from any headphones. The experience is akin to an iMax theatre. Pretty damn close.

What amp do you drive 009 with ? Doesn't seem that your profile has any Kevin Gilmore amps. It would be extra nice if you could try it out of a BHSE
 
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Jun 23, 2017 at 6:45 AM Post #2,220 of 2,918
Stax t8000 wouldn't do what BHSE could do judging from specifications. But yeah, upgrading sounds awesome :), even better KG T2 would be the top of what 009 can do...even though it is hard to come by, but not as expensive as he-1 :)
 
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