[joshnor713]

I'll throw my name in the bucket as another who would totally buy a reachable-priced electrostat from Sennheiser. After my KSE1200, I'm all in on electrostat technology.

 

[Ronion]

Im a bit of a Sennhorder, but if Sennheiser builds the HD900 with the 600/650 midrange, 800 resolution, imaging, and soundstage with the ie900 bass and 598 comfort for $28.50, I’ll buy 3 of them. For $250, I‘ll buy 2. For $1,000, I’ll just get one. I have two 650 just in case something happens.

 

[warrenpchi]

There’s far more than one

The one that matters. You know which one I mean.

 

[Draygonn]

For me its the HD820. I ran the wonderful 800/650 combo for a few years. I loved those cans but they each had some faults. Last year I moved away from openbacks entirely and wanted a nice upgrade from modded T40RPs so I picked up a pair of 820s on the marketplace. These have been everything I wanted from the 800/650s without their drawbacks, all in a closed form. While it doesn't match all their strengths it plays in the ballpark for each. I've used them daily for 11 months and still smile every time I put them on.

 

[beardz]

Would something like that interest anyone here?

A closed-back mid-range can from Sennheiser would definitely pique my interest! Seeing that they released HD820, I'd say it's not entirely out of the question, either, both from engineering and production standpoints. After all, I don't really remember any closed-backs in Senn's range that would fill that ~1k niche.

 

[Yoostin]

Wow these cans look stunning!

 

[KESM]

My holy grail HP picks are driven by influence over my actual behavior:
Sennheiser HD1- Daily drivers; best in class for on-the-go audiophile sound quality. Adaptive lifestyle - I use these at work and home (running errands/domestic chores); I have the black and (now rare) ivory color set.
Audeze LCD-2 Classic - best overall value/bang for the buck (rugged design/immersive SQ). Habit kicking - I haven’t had the desire/urge to purchase another pair of HPs in over a year. So far so good.

Update: Honorable mention for ‘bass cans’ goes to my Fostex TR-X00 Ebony HPs (not pictured). I cannot imagine a pair of cans delivering more deep and controlled bass than these; these literally tickle my ear lobes and extract all sub bass with aplomb.

 

[SeEnCreaTive]

Basically what seems to me like the DCA Stealth (I haven't tried them yet of course)

Harmon Curve, Closed back, some actual bass extension instead of the dynamic driver hump

It's nice having a system more or less unreliant/independent from the space I'm in. However with each closed back there's always a "but". My Ether CXs, amazing imagining, amazing natural sound, BUT, not amazing sound stage and low bass.

T50RPs, crazy mids, decent sound stage. But highs are meh

So basically, a closed back, with 0 closed back down sides

 

[SoundBytes]

My signature says it all. I cannot put down any HD800... so amazing, never gets old

 

[Whitigir]

My signature says it all. I cannot put down any HD800... so amazing, never gets old

Emphasized “Never”!!! Also Anniversary is great, and I haven’t heard 8XX but I don’t look into it for a reason.

 

[AlwaysForward]

Basically what seems to me like the DCA Stealth (I haven't tried them yet of course)

Harmon Curve, Closed back, some actual bass extension instead of the dynamic driver hump

It's nice having a system more or less unreliant/independent from the space I'm in. However with each closed back there's always a "but". My Ether CXs, amazing imagining, amazing natural sound, BUT, not amazing sound stage and low bass.

T50RPs, crazy mids, decent sound stage. But highs are meh

So basically, a closed back, with 0 closed back down sides

Yeah I’m definitely paying attention to that release. So far, DCA’s offerings have been consistently weak in slam/impact/dynamics for my taste when I sampled the OG Aeon/Ether some years ago. I’ve not been able to try the new generation but it seems to be heading in the right direction from the reviews.

My current thinking is that I’ll probably either wind up with the stealth or the ie900 + eventual HD900/HD860S(whatever senn calls the new flagship) OR possibly the stealth to fill out the same purpose since it is fairly portable with the aeon like folding headband.

I’ll let time and my ears guide the eventual decision. Right now, I expect it to fall in sennheiser’s favor.

 

[Evshrug]

A closed-back mid-range can from Sennheiser would definitely pique my interest! Seeing that they released HD820, I'd say it's not entirely out of the question, either, both from engineering and production standpoints. After all, I don't really remember any closed-backs in Senn's range that would fill that ~1k niche.

Well, there’s the HD 630VB, which let you dial in “more” bass. It’s got a few hardcore fans, but it was never talked about much. I haven’t tried it myself. Neumann released a pro closed headphone, but it was targeted towards studio-linear.

After working from home while living in an apartment, and then everyone starting to work from home during the pandemic, I think about closed headphones more often. I’ve been really enjoying my IE 300 then later IE 900, but I can wear closed headphones for hours and hours, and it’s no big deal to take them off and back on again. The closed Sennheiser’s I have at home are the HD 280 Pro (technically a pro workhorse rather than a consumer product), Momentum 2 (like @KESM, mine was released during the time Sennheiser called them the HD 1, and mine are ivory), and the HD 820.

I feel the HD 820 deserves a second look. After I got my HD 800, I was pretty “done,” until later when I started to consult for Sennheiser, and Axel Grell invited me in to Sennheiser KG (headquarters) to listen to a prototype HD 820. First, I listened to two other closed headphones that Axel considered some of the best closed headphones in the business, and 100% honest… after one of them that had a lot of bass (which I will not name), the prototype felt anemic and the most bass light of the three, and I sadly told Axel as much… but I gave it another go, and for some reason I played with different cup placements, and WHAM! I found a sweet spot where the warmth lived, and this yellow-resin unpainted prototype held together with gaffers tape was producing sound that offered a nice bass middle ground between the other two (and more sub bass than the HD 800S), and the best mids of all three, plus a nice soundstage that would put quite a few open headphones to shame. When it finally was released two years later, it was even better.

The HD 820’s frequency response measurements are actually a fascinating education course on how to tune a closed headphone not to sound cuppy (yes, the FR was intentional!), but it always was going to have to face an uphill battle to get people to listen to why it was tuned the way it is, why it is priced higher, and why it’s a compliment to the HD 800S rather than a new flagship replacement. From resonance control to bass tubes to acoustic traps, there’s a lot of info to unpack… if people are willing to listen. To paraphrase @SeEnCreaTive, it’s nice to have an audio system that sounds great [and has a nice black background], independent from the environment you happen to be in.

It’s been nice to have during the pandemic. And I do think a closed-back HD 660S would be sweet, but it’s a tall order to convert and re-balance the tuning to make a closed headphone sound like an open headphone.

My signature says it all. I cannot put down any HD800... so amazing, never gets old

Other than my headband feeling old , there’s a reason I’ve held onto my HD 800 for five years! Headphones are completely unlike computer-based electronics, and I’m glad they are “durable goods.”

Emphasized “Never”!!! Also Anniversary is great, and I haven’t heard 8XX but I don’t look into it for a reason.

The retail tuning of the HD 8XX is going to be harder to ignore, but the Anniversary’s gold will always be special!

I’m sorry, but I can’t help talking about the HD 8XX, which has been living rent free in my head The HD 8XX is interesting because the warmer, smoother signature is going to be more fitting for more Millennials, and yet instead of charging $4000 for another dynamic driver and some unique marketing point, Sennheiser is charging $1100 (probably going up after the preorders) and giving it a warmer sound… which is just what a bunch of people have been asking for, for years.

 

[Tex Irie]

I'd be joyful with an Audeze LCD-4Z and LCD-i4. I'd eventually get around to owning an HD800s.. That was the first Headphone that made me respect Adele's vocal range. Other than that I'm pretty satisfied with what I own.

 

[Makiah S]

Well, there’s the HD 630VB, which let you dial in “more” bass. It’s got a few hardcore fans, but it was never talked about much. I haven’t tried it myself. Neumann released a pro closed headphone, but it was targeted towards studio-linear.

After working from home while living in an apartment, and then everyone starting to work from home during the pandemic, I think about closed headphones more often. I’ve been really enjoying my IE 300 then later IE 900, but I can wear closed headphones for hours and hours, and it’s no big deal to take them off and back on again. The closed Sennheiser’s I have at home are the HD 280 Pro (technically a pro workhorse rather than a consumer product), Momentum 2 (like @KESM, mine was released during the time Sennheiser called them the HD 1, and mine are ivory), and the HD 820.

I feel the HD 820 deserves a second look. After I got my HD 800, I was pretty “done,” until later when I started to consult for Sennheiser, and Axel Grell invited me in to Sennheiser KG (headquarters) to listen to a prototype HD 820. First, I listened to two other closed headphones that Axel considered some of the best closed headphones in the business, and 100% honest… after one of them that had a lot of bass (which I will not name), the prototype felt anemic and the most bass light of the three, and I sadly told Axel as much… but I gave it another go, and for some reason I played with different cup placements, and WHAM! I found a sweet spot where the warmth lived, and this yellow-resin unpainted prototype held together with gaffers tape was producing sound that offered a nice bass middle ground between the other two (and more sub bass than the HD 800S), and the best mids of all three, plus a nice soundstage that would put quite a few open headphones to shame. When it finally was released two years later, it was even better.

The HD 820’s frequency response measurements are actually a fascinating education course on how to tune a closed headphone not to sound cuppy (yes, the FR was intentional!), but it always was going to have to face an uphill battle to get people to listen to why it was tuned the way it is, why it is priced higher, and why it’s a compliment to the HD 800S rather than a new flagship replacement. From resonance control to bass tubes to acoustic traps, there’s a lot of info to unpack… if people are willing to listen. To paraphrase @SeEnCreaTive, it’s nice to have an audio system that sounds great [and has a nice black background], independent from the environment you happen to be in.

It’s been nice to have during the pandemic. And I do think a closed-back HD 660S would be sweet, but it’s a tall order to convert and re-balance the tuning to make a closed headphone sound like an open headphone.


Other than my headband feeling old , there’s a reason I’ve held onto my HD 800 for five years! Headphones are completely unlike computer-based electronics, and I’m glad they are “durable goods.”


The retail tuning of the HD 8XX is going to be harder to ignore, but the Anniversary’s gold will always be special!

I’m sorry, but I can’t help talking about the HD 8XX, which has been living rent free in my head The HD 8XX is interesting because the warmer, smoother signature is going to be more fitting for more Millennials, and yet instead of charging $4000 for another dynamic driver and some unique marketing point, Sennheiser is charging $1100 (probably going up after the preorders) and giving it a warmer sound… which is just what a bunch of people have been asking for, for years.

I'm gonna be honest I heard the 820 prototypes when they were floating around Axpona and I really enjoyed them but the retail ready product hasn't quite hit me with the magic yet

I also like Ether CX with no inserts from DCA. I find it's low bass extension, texture, detail and power to be outstanding on my Bricasti M3H , I'd only like a bit more openness from it. So I'm hoping Stealth, with the additional bass, still retains a lot of the strong points I enjoy on my CX but offers improvements to isolation, detail and overall clarity and definition

 

[IgorC]

but if Sennheiser builds the HD900 with the 600/650 midrange, 800 resolution, imaging, and soundstage ....

Exactly my thoughts.


I own and use

• HD600 - for rock and metal, meaty punchy dance, pop etc.
• HD650 - occasionally
• HD800 - jazz, classic, instrumental etc.

So I will describe my ideal headphone comparing to them.

I imagine HD9xx(?) series like this:

Type:

• circumaural, open-back.
• if there is still room for improvement comparing to HD800s/HD820 then I'll still prefer to see moving coil HD900 and avoid to buy electrostatic amplifier (which I don't have)

Signature:

• Neutral as HD600 but larger sub-bass and high frequency extension.
• Not warm as HD650.
• Not bright as HD800/800s

Low Distortion (Clarity/Resolution):

• Better than HD800s (at 2000$ ballpark).
• Somewhat better than or equal to Stax SR-009S (if these will be electrostatic headphones at 3000-4000$ ballpark)

Imaging:

• At least as good as HD800 or even better (is it possible?)

Design:

• As HD600/650/660s with larger transducers (maybe even a bit larger than HD800s).

Comfort:

• Comfortable and lightweight as HD6xx line with the same headband design.

Build Quality and durability:

• Sennheiser

Driveability:

• 300 ohms or similar

Models and Prices:

• HD900 - moving coil driver - reasonably better than HD800s/HD820 - ~1500-2000$
• HD920 - moving coil driver on par with Focal Utopia and Stax 009s (or at least close to the last one) - ~3000$
• HD950 - electrostatic driver - baby version of HE1 which will at least slightly outperform all other competitors in price range of ~4000$
• HD670s - upgraded version of HD660s with some refinements which can have HD800s/HD900 drivers which haven't made into as qualified during fabrication process.