Grrr, paint peeling off my HD650
Sep 2, 2004 at 8:27 PM Thread Starter Post #1 of 95

Iron_Dreamer

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So today when I go to put the Senns on I notice the silvery paint starting to peel off from the front of the headband, at say 20 degrees between the spots, from the top to bottom meridian of the head. As I inspected further, I noticed it was also happening at the ends of the headband, where the metal extension comes out. I don't get it. I've had these phones only a month or so, and when I got them through a trade, they looked perfect, and had not even burned-in soundwise yet. I hang them on a thumbtack, such that the only part of them contacting anythng is the very low pad area directly at the top of the head. The only thing I noticed that is unusual about the peeling is that it seems to happen at the border of where the top and bottom halves of the headband fuse.

Anyway, I called their customer service, and they said they'd change out the headband for me, and it'd only take a week or so for me to get them back. How annoying that I'll be deprived of them for a while though, due to such a stupid problem. Oh well, the E5c isn't that much worse
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Sep 2, 2004 at 8:34 PM Post #2 of 95
Get the HD580s
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Awesome build quality that appears (from what I've heard in these forums) to be much better than that of the HD650s (I'm being serious).
 
Sep 2, 2004 at 8:39 PM Post #3 of 95
common problem / perfectly normal and it happens to all of them..... it's the lacquer peeling away from the sides of the headband. HD-600 , HD580 jubilee it happens to all of them and it's nothing to worry about...... if you get a new headband it will do the same thing, it will never lift on the broadest part of the headband so don't worry.

The reason this happens? They only lacquer the sides and top....... if they laqcuered the entire headband before fitting the foam this wouldn't happen as there would be an airtight seal. If you've got a sweaty head the salt / moisture will cause the lacquer to peel a lot faster.

Have a look at the sides of the headband, you'll notice that the lacquer appears matt / semi sheen in finish that's because they spray the tops with the lacquer to achieve a high gloss and the sides are just treated to overspray........ you won't get a headband that has been lacquered on all sides as their lacquering process doesn't work that way.

Some sides may be blessed with slightly more overspray but eventually the lacquer will lift from the sides of the headband....... this is normal and to be expected.

EDIT: after re-reading what you said then I fear you are experiencing more than a lacquer lift on the edges........ SEND THEM BACK.
 
Sep 2, 2004 at 8:41 PM Post #4 of 95
In other words, stop jogging with your HD650s!
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Sep 2, 2004 at 8:48 PM Post #5 of 95
It happens with mine too, and very noticeably so. I think it's from the extreme stretching I've applied to loosen it. Now I wish I hadn't overdone it -- not for cosmetical reasons, but for a tighter grip. It's just a tiny bit too loose now. But I can bend it back from time to time, so it's tighter for a few minutes. BTW, the sonic difference between tight and loose is very obvious. Headband break-in is part of the process.

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Sep 2, 2004 at 9:05 PM Post #7 of 95
Quote:

Originally Posted by Edwood
Man, time to crank that AC.


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What does this mean?

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Sep 2, 2004 at 9:13 PM Post #9 of 95
Quote:

Originally Posted by gsferrari
AC = Air Conditioner

Its an asian term - dunno where Ed picked it up
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LOL



shouldn't you be sprinting toward a concrete building now? Honestly GS I'd hate for anything bad to happen to you........ Run like f+ck and sod head-fi ..... these hurricanes hit fast mate.

Off topic but this will explain: http://www4.head-fi.org/forums/showt...9&page=1&pp=25
 
Sep 2, 2004 at 9:58 PM Post #10 of 95
Quote:

Originally Posted by PinkFloyd
shouldn't you be sprinting toward a concrete building now?


It's so weird... There in the States people build their houses like the 3 little pigs in little red riding hood story...
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When you look at the news after a hurricane/tornado you see all the houses torn to pieces.

Here in poor Costa Rica people build houses out of concrete blocks. Why don't you just do that in the States?

I suppose it's cheaper to make a house of wood, but not if you have to rebuild it every time a hurricane or tornado comes along...
 
Sep 2, 2004 at 10:00 PM Post #11 of 95
Quote:

Originally Posted by JaZZ
It happens with mine too, and very noticeably so. I think it's from the extreme stretching I've applied to loosen it. Now I wish I hadn't overdone it -- not for cosmetical reasons, but for a tighter grip. It's just a tiny bit too loose now. But I can bend it back from time to time, so it's tighter for a few minutes. BTW, the sonic difference between tight and loose is very obvious. Headband break-in is part of the process.

peacesign.gif



I guess I've been lucky so far. Had the first HD600 for over a year and the second pr. I bought used and had them another 6 months. I've had my HD650's for 7-8 months(since they came out) and no problem on any of them with average of about 5-7 hours a day use.
The problem now is thanks to this thread I will probably spend as much time inspecting them as listening to them.
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Sep 2, 2004 at 10:23 PM Post #12 of 95
I use two small fans blowing on me from each side of my small den where I listen to my phones, so I guess I dry the sweat off my head fast and my two pairs of 650's have shown no paint peel problems so far. I am wearing AKG 271 Studio's right now, though, and despite the dual fan action, my whole head is in a sweat. These suckers are WARM!
 
Sep 2, 2004 at 10:40 PM Post #13 of 95
Never had that kind of problem (peeling paint) with my HD-600 even after 5 years of use. I've always thought this paint was good. If you stretch the headband too much that gonna happen, sure
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Sep 2, 2004 at 11:25 PM Post #14 of 95
As warm as it usually is in my room (85F+) my head doesn't really sweat at all, unlike my good pal mr. hamster, who is like a human heat pump
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I am dismayed to learn this is just some stupid design flaw that bites everyone eventually. I am amazed that I had heard about this after over a year at head-fi.
 
Sep 3, 2004 at 12:15 AM Post #15 of 95
Dear Sennheiser,

I was sitting at home listening to my hi-fi with my trusty HD650s when a rather rude Hurricane came along. The sheer weight of my equipment at first anchored me down and thanks to the locking headphone jack I was floating in the air. Of course I did not realise what was happening and thought the burn-in factor of the 650s had hit a sweet spot and the flying feeling I was experiencing was headphile heaven.

I am writing this letter from my hospital bed to request you to send me a new cable for the 650s as the original broke - now will you guys fit better cables! Surely you could fit a Zu Mobius one for better all round weather protection and more secure anchorage!

Yours truly
Dorothy, Kansas.
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