[Music Alchemist]

  The big question about the Orpheus2 is: Will it support DSD 512 or even more? I'm thinking for 50k it must come with it's own DSD rate.

 
lol XD
 
The amp wasn't explicitly mentioned because it doesn't need an amp, audio files, or even cables. All you have to do is think about music and voilà! You are instantly transported to the holy source of whatever your melodious heart desires.

 

[eugenius]

For me it's enough to have it's own DSD rate, I'll probably get a second one for my dog since he hears better than me and DSD helps him.

 

[Claritas]

I predict . . . a very long thread of near-total bulls***.

 

[Music Alchemist]

I predict . . . a very long thread of near-total bulls***.

 
hehe, sorry! I only replied with a joke because it was to a joke.
 
I would very much like to get to the bottom of this.

 

[Douglaster]

Orpheus 2.
 
Wallet melter.

 

[blueangel2323]

US$48,700. The HF community is about to lose some kidneys.

 

[new reformation]

  US$48,700. The HF community is about to lose some kidneys.

Sennheiser needs to pull and Apple and hype up the fact that these E-Stats will be crazy expensive then, at their demo-show, display "$48,700" on a large screen only to have a zero (Or TWO!) disappear leaving an actual price that is attainable by the masses.  It would be a marketing win for them with all the buzz it would create. 

 

[MichaelsGG]

  Orpheus 2.
 
Wallet melter.

Amen.

 

[IanG]

  Amen.

 

[arnaud]

Certainly an HD800mk2 at 1800USD would look cheap if it gets you 95% SQ of an 50kUSD Orpheus 2 system, even if it included dac and amp which it must at that insane price!
 
Personally, the most it would do to me is probably push me closer to a source upgrade as it would feel silly feeding a 50kUSD system with garbage !
 
Certainly exciting to have Sennheiser acknowledge again that stat is really when the ultimate lies at
 
arnaud

 

[pickyear7]

That will be too expensive for me

 

 

[IanG]

I'd guess Sennheiser will pitch the headphone at just under £5k and do likewise for the amplifier, if it is an unlimited run. This will create a decent premium above the 009 level creating some ownership exclusivity but also trade-in or sale possibilities for 009 owners.
 
That's if the economics stack up.
 
If that's not economic then I guess Sennheiser will pitch the prices at double these levels or more, predicated on (initially at least) a limited production run. Worldwide the market for exotic hifi is still healthy enough - at the Munich hifi show they were selling turntables at €100,000, or at least trying to!

 

[zachchen1996]

  I'd guess Sennheiser will pitch the headphone at just under £5k and do likewise for the amplifier, if it is an unlimited run. This will create a decent premium above the 009 level creating some ownership exclusivity but also trade-in or sale possibilities for 009 owners.
 
That's if the economics stack up.
 
If that's not economic then I guess Sennheiser will pitch the prices at double these levels or more, predicated on (initially at least) a limited production run. Worldwide the market for exotic hifi is still healthy enough - at the Munich hifi show they were selling turntables at €100,000, or at least trying to!

 
Yeah, if the Orpheus 2 has SQ better than that of the SR009 & Abyss, then at $5-6K it will almost certainly sell very very well.
At the preposterous, outrageous price of 50k? HELL no, unless it blows the living day lights out of the SR009 & Abyss, and truly transcends what kind of SQ has been possible with headphones so far.
 
If Sennheiser is smart about this (I really hope they will be), they will price the Orpheus 2 under 10k.

 

[Music Alchemist]

  I'd guess Sennheiser will pitch the headphone at just under £5k and do likewise for the amplifier, if it is an unlimited run. This will create a decent premium above the 009 level creating some ownership exclusivity but also trade-in or sale possibilities for 009 owners.
 
That's if the economics stack up.
 
If that's not economic then I guess Sennheiser will pitch the prices at double these levels or more, predicated on (initially at least) a limited production run. Worldwide the market for exotic hifi is still healthy enough - at the Munich hifi show they were selling turntables at €100,000, or at least trying to!

 
Man, if it's released at $5K instead of $50K, I'll buy it the second it comes out!
 
If it's anything like the original Orpheus, it will come as a system, with the amplifier.
 
...But if it's £5K, that's over $8K.

 

[IanG]

   
Man, if it's released at $5K instead of $50K, I'll buy it the second it comes out!
 
If it's anything like the original Orpheus, it will come as a system, with the amplifier.
 
...But if it's £5K, that's over $8K.

I don't see it being $5k per unit - I was suggesting £5k or $8k per unit (although our VAT at 20% does make a difference when compared with your sales tax at 5%). I'm just making the point that the economics might work at £5k per unit if they can sell lots but at £10k or £15k per unit if they can only sell a modest number. 
 
And I'm not sure I see it competing with both the 009 and the Abyss which are quite different units sound wise. Apart from on the usual grounds of exclusivity of ownership.
 
It would be interesting, before it is launched, for prospective owners, specifically those currently owning the 009 or the Abyss, to cite what are the deficiencies of their existing unit. There may not even be agreement on those issues!