[Jaawa]

@Yatsuman
 
Hey man, a slight static eh? A good way to troubleshoot it would be to first try changing your volume levels.
 
Are you using the EQ on foobar? If you are, then have you zeroed it? Meaning, having it only lower the levels on some frequency ranges and having the highest frequency range at +0dB. In addition to that, check if the volume of any part in the chain is at the maximum level, if so, lower it/them all, set foobar to -5dB. This is all just to make sure the static doesn't come from any excessive software/hardware amplification.
 
Another thing is interference, sometimes especially laptop setups can take electronic interference from various things in your room that are connected to the same electricity grid, do you hear the static when your laptop's power cord isn't plugged? I had problems with static with one of my desk lamps, when it was plugged to the same extension cord as my laptop, I heard an annoying static from all my audio sources.
 
The last thing is the PC350 volume dial gadget, that can easily produce all kinds of unwanted sounds over time, because it gathers tiny dust particles inside the dial mechanism. Blow air into it and roll the dial around, do this for a minute and see if this affects the static. Has happened to me a few times during all these years I've owned the headset, it needs a bit of a cleaning if stuff gets into it.
 
Other than these things, I'm not sure what it could be. I've never had anything else causing static problems on any of my headsets or headphones.

 

[Yatsuman]

Hi Jaawa,

First of all, thanks for keeping the topic alive!
 
Secondly, EQ isn't enabled anywhere foobar/WMP/Dolby Home Theate v4, but even if I enable it and boost up mids/highs it will also amplify the problem I'm talking about.
 
Last, but not least, you totally got me wrong there - meant the sound is like the static noise, a pitch somewhere around human "s" sound. And I only hear it on high tones. If there's no sound stream it's dead space silen even on ALL MAX. I get crystal clear bass on test as well. That's why I was asking for some good tunes to confirm, if it's rather a hardware issue or my eardrums are extremely sensitive to that specific white-pink-ish static-like tonal area.
 
Thanks again,
Yatsu

 

[Jaawa]

  Hi Jaawa,

First of all, thanks for keeping the topic alive!
 
Secondly, EQ isn't enabled anywhere foobar/WMP/Dolby Home Theate v4, but even if I enable it and boost up mids/highs it will also amplify the problem I'm talking about.
 
Last, but not least, you totally got me wrong there - meant the sound is like the static noise, a pitch somewhere around human "s" sound. And I only hear it on high tones. If there's no sound stream it's dead space silen even on ALL MAX. I get crystal clear bass on test as well. That's why I was asking for some good tunes to confirm, if it's rather a hardware issue or my eardrums are extremely sensitive to that specific white-pink-ish static-like tonal area.
 
Thanks again,
Yatsu

Ah okay, got it. I'm not sure if we can actually test this. I mean, I've got all those pieces of music you mentioned, in FLAC, and I don't hear anything out of the question. But if you really do hear such sounds, maybe that is just you, or maybe it is the hardware. Plus, I don't exactly know the sound you are experiencing, and I will never know it. So, we can't have any real results, because we would actually have to listen to eachother's hardware, that is the only way I see we could actually find out which is it.
 
I'm thinking we do have a clue though, you said when you use the z5500, you get a lesser annoying tone of the same kind, this leads me to believe that the lower fidelity of the z5500 is what causes this, it is not a hardware thing then, because if it was, you would experience pretty much the exact same annoying tone. I'm not saying I know how it is, I'm just willing to bet that it is your ears.
 
And if you hear the exact same sound at really low levels, then I'd conversely bet that it's your hardware, because at least for me, I don't hear the kind of annoying clipping static in high notes, until volumes at or over the "loudest I will go when normally listening to my favorite music" -volume.
 
All so very subjective. Or, well, you could always measure the frequency responses, see if you could get an objective insight into this that way. I'm afraid I can't really help you further :\

 

[Swylen]

I've had two sets of these headsets. First one the left side went out under warranty so they sent me a new set. The left side went after 31 days and the replacement warranty is 30 days. I'm tempted to tear these things apart and look for a loose connection. All these mod videos makes me think I can do it. I never really had any base issues with these but I have a powerful headphone amp hooked up to my PC. They REALLY need to be driven. I'm pretty sure the disconnect is in the ear cup. Does anyone think this might be an easy fix for my month old $350 headset? Thanks

 

[Hezer]

  I've had two sets of these headsets. First one the left side went out under warranty so they sent me a new set. The left side went after 31 days and the replacement warranty is 30 days. I'm tempted to tear these things apart and look for a loose connection. All these mod videos makes me think I can do it. I never really had any base issues with these but I have a powerful headphone amp hooked up to my PC. They REALLY need to be driven. I'm pretty sure the disconnect is in the ear cup. Does anyone think this might be an easy fix for my month old $350 headset? Thanks

I'm really surprised that you got two sets that broke in a month. But you should still have warranty from Sennheiser that gives the headphones warranty of 2 years, so I would suggest contacting them first.
 
If you really want to go at it and try to fix it yourself, you can do it, unless the faulty connection is inside the driver casing. Driver casing is really hard to open without breaking the whole thing.

 

[Swylen]

The original setup was a computer through an SoundBlaster X-Fi external sound card. The first set lasted about a year and a half then the left side went out. I sent them in under warranty and got a new replacement set which lasted just over 1 month. To my shock the replacement warranty was only 30 days. I did call them and ask them how a $350 set of headphones could go out after a month and they suggested that I pay over $100 to have them fix it. I then wrote them an email nasty gram swearing never to purchase one of their products again. I sent them into an online headphone repair shop and they could find nothing wrong with them. I got them back and still could hear nothing from the left side.
 
Now a year + later these things are collecting dust in a box in my computer parts room. I just built an insanely powerful gaming computer and my cheapo headset died so I thought I'd try and fix these. Now the odd part. I plugged them in to my onboard audio in the new pc and wow they worked again. This lasted maybe half an hour and the left side went out again. Then I hooked up my X-Fi external sound card and plugged them into that and they worked again but only for about 5 minutes. I then hooked in my FiiO headphone amp and still nothing from the left side. What the heck is going on?

 

[Hezer]

Ok, if that's the case I don't think there is too much to lose by opening and checking them up. Though I can't think what problem could cause that kind of behavior.
 
Just a guess, but maybe the cable is broken at some point and moving it causes it to occasionally connect. When they are put down and picked up again it moves enough to disconnect. Also I'm quite sure you've tried turning the volume knob.

 

[Swylen]

I don't think it's the cord. I've moved it all over trying to get a peep out of the left side. The right side works so yes the volume is up plenty.

 

[badbod]

Hi,
 If you read back you will see that I mentioned this. Using good equipment with higher power outputs will toast your volume control. Drivers are high power, volume  control is not. They are for PC gaming expecting 10-20mw max input.
 
You may need to bypass the volume control. Fiddle with it up and down and if your audio appears-disappears then you have found it.
 
The MOD is about getting more bass, most likely for music or other non game related stuff. Some cheap card/built in audio do put more than 20mw out to cope with headphones. Not quite what these headsets were designed for, given their efficiency. Once you put more than ~25 mw through you will toast the volume control.  I regular put 80mw (hence I am almost deaf now they are LOUD when driven)  and had to bypass the volume control from a very early stage.
 
 
Another point to mention.. Make sure your source is not too loud. Your amps (if good quality) will allow to be over-driven. Any good amp will let this happen (user choice). The distortion may be in the source *or* over volume of the source into the next stage amplifier(s). Sources vary.
 
Lower source volume, up the amp volume, now see.

 

[Swylen]

wow, an extremely expensive set of headphones marketed as "Gaming Headphones" are too sensitive to be hooked up to basic computer onboard audio? I had the first pair working for about a year and half on an external X-Fi audio card before the left side stopped working. I did turn down the levels on the HD Audio onboard and did get sound out of the left side but it again lasted about an hour then went out again. I really give up on these headphones.

 

[Hezer]

 
Ok, this seems like bad karma or something. The right side went silent on my pair.

 
Stripped the headphones, and checked all the cables and connections. Everything seemed to be fine, and connecting the left driver to the right contacts produced sound fine. (right driver was silent, no matter what)
At this point I was quite sure problem was inside the driver enclosure and went ahead with breaking it apart. By pushing the really thin wires connecting to the driver, I could temporarily get sound working, but after testing that for a while, even that stopped working. A guess the right side is completely dead now.
 
On the bright side, now I got reason to stop drooling at HD600/HD650 and actually get a pair. Also need to be on a lookout for broken pair of PC350 for replacement driver.

 

[Jaawa]

  wow, an extremely expensive set of headphones marketed as "Gaming Headphones" are too sensitive to be hooked up to basic computer onboard audio? I had the first pair working for about a year and half on an external X-Fi audio card before the left side stopped working. I did turn down the levels on the HD Audio onboard and did get sound out of the left side but it again lasted about an hour then went out again. I really give up on these headphones.

I feel sorry for you, because to me, it looks like bad luck. Me and my friend both got the PC 350 early on, I got them right at release, he got his a year later or so. We've driven our headsets with all kinds of amps, they see daily use, heavy use, all kinds of too-high-driven use with monstrous sources and amps, and neither of us have had any problems with our headsets. Mine are Hero's modded, his are not. And neither of us never had the need to bypass the volume control or anything :\

 

[m00ndancer]

  I feel sorry for you, because to me, it looks like bad luck. Me and my friend both got the PC 350 early on, I got them right at release, he got his a year later or so. We've driven our headsets with all kinds of amps, they see daily use, heavy use, all kinds of too-high-driven use with monstrous sources and amps, and neither of us have had any problems with our headsets. Mine are Hero's modded, his are not. And neither of us never had the need to bypass the volume control or anything :\

I have a similar experience with my modded PC 350. Got them 3.5 years ago and I'm using them daily with music and gaming. Got me a cheap Asus Xonar DGX to get some oomph out of them (had a creative 3500 headphone amp before). They have been thru a lot, dropped multiple times, ran over the cables several time with my chair, cable yanked from the head/PC. The only thing that's broken is on the rear right, where the silver plastic cover is missing (from a massive crash to the floor). Got me a pair of original PCX450 pads as a replacements for the torn original pads. Now I have even better sound with better isolation. So you might suffer from really bad luck Swylen

 

[badbod]

I am guessing that over-driving cheap amplifiers leads to the usual square wave output that causes arcing across all higher resistance paths.
 
The volume control burnout I experienced early on, I assume this would persist with higher powered clean sources as it was the first point of failure on low powered amps.
 
I replaced the volume control once (not original) and got slightly more life from it.
 
This may not be true for your setup. 
 
I regular whack 4X as much from my head amp without any distortion from the headset. It is so loud I will never try to see what more than 7 on the dial will do. My headamp may square wave when overdriven, and I guess cause damage to the drivers,
 
The real problem is small amps square wave at low currents causing arcing, and then failure. in your least hardy component path.
 
Better to have enough volume that you never max the amp?

 

[LordWormwood]

Sorry if this has been covered in the thirty odd pages before this but ....

I use my old PC350 as a work headset - shift my phone through the computer so I have only one unit on my desk. They work great for this as I get the isolation I crave on a office floor. Over the past 12 months the plastic over the foam on the ears and the headband have perished. Can I replace the foam? Below is a shot of the condition.

Cheers,
Wormwood