[radug1]

Hi,

First of all, I'm new here, so I hope I'm posting this in the right subforum

I ordered a pair of Senns online, and just got them today. After a few hours of listening, they're kind of a disappointment. Coming from mostly (cheaper) IEMs, they sound pretty tinny, and I'm not referring to the bass quantity. Most songs I've listened to sounded like they were an oversized pair of iPod earbuds - vocals sound sharp, and just about everything else lacks clarity. I've noticed a fair amount of distortion with Ghosts I-IV as well. Frankly, the quality is abysmal, compared to what I was expecting or to what I've read in reviews, and these should theoretically be the highest-quality headphones I've ever owned

So my question is: should I expect them to improve after burn-in? I have iTunes on right now, playing pink noise at slightly above listening level.

It's probably worth mentioning, I'm on an old iBook right now, so maybe the soundcard isn't all that good; and most of my music is at at least 320 kbps.

On an unrelated note, I noticed that they were unsealed when I got them just a few hours ago, and judging by the way they were inside the box (had dust, small hairs and what looked like a breadcrumb or something), and how the cable was tied up, I'm not sure they were completely unused.

So my second question would be, was the box they came in supposed to be sealed in a plastic/cellophane wrapper? All I had to do to get to the headphones was to pull that special tag thing that the Sennheiser box design has, open the box, and take them out. Anyone could have done this, used them, and just put them right back in, and shipped them to me. I may be worrying too much, but I think that since I paid the full price for them, it should be reasonable to expect them to be shipped new.


Thanks in advance for any help

 

[Ilovebeef]

Where did you buy them from?

 

[radug1]

A local (romanian) online store that's supposedly run by an authorized Sennheiser dealer.

 

[Ilovebeef]

Sennheiser USA Dealer Locator - Authorized Online Headphones/Headsets Dealers

The website lies, it seems.
They're probably fake.

 

[paaj]

There should not be any hairs/crumbs inside the box. Don't recall how they did come packed but I'm sure you'd recognize it being new.
Of course, if you go for the cheapest online stores, chances are you get a returned one. Mostly because of return policies, they repack them and resell. Send them an email and find out.

Your description of the sound is not how I remember it, this could very well be due to burn-in. It often takes a few days to get settled. It is a somewhat laid-back sounding headphone so the clarity is not so strange but distortion/shrill voices should not be there. Give them some time but keep the return date in mind in case you don't get to like them.



^those are only US websites, he bought in Romania (?)

 

[radug1]

Thanks paaj

I agree that there should have been signs that they were new, some kind of seal somewhere. So you're probably right that I got a returned product. All the evidence points in that direction.

Thing is, I don't know how I could return them myself, they don't cite a return policy on their website. It's kind of weird what you said about cheap websites selling used products, is that what I should have expected in the first place? I thought that in this day and age, they should at least clearly state this kind of thing somewhere.

With the sound quality, I'll burn them in for two more days, and if I still don't like the sound, I'll try to return them. But if that goes the same way as sending in some overpriced Apple In-Ears for repairs 3 years ago, where another "authorized dealer" flat-out denied me warranty for no reason, then I'm in for a bumpy ride.

EDIT: Re-converted currency, it does seem like they were cheap, even for Germany

EDIT2: Once I return these, I've decided I'll still buy another pair of HD 555s, new this time. I know a relative who lives in Germany, and who will be able to buy them from there, so I'd still like to ask about the packaging of these headphones, if they're sealed and how, like a plastic wrapper covering the box. Thanks

 

[paaj]

It will not necessarily always be a returned product, certainly not something you should count on. Send them an email to see if it is possible that you got a used product and what their policy is.

A new box should be sealed with a plastic sticker, at least that's how these things normally work. Headphone strapped with wraps and cable neatly folded. Mostly, if it looks new it is new. I don't think it is in extra plastic wrappers, don't remember any.

 

[radug1]

I will contact them, and I'm hoping it will be possible for me to return the headphones. There's also the issue of the very tinny sound that I've noticed, and I'm really not so sure burn-in will help much.

Thanks for describing the way these are typically sealed, this info should come in handy in the future as well.