Sennheiser HD 250 Linear II - soundalike wanted
Jan 24, 2014 at 4:14 PM Thread Starter Post #1 of 22
soulman82

soulman82

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Hello
 
I'm new here. I've enjoyed reading a lot of the reviews on here for a while. Now I need some advice.
 
I've had a Sennheiser HD 250 Linear II since 2006, shortly before it got permanently discontinued I guess. Now it's ruined* and I'd like to replace it with something that sounds similar, because I really loved the sound of them. Really crisp and airy with a great deep bass. I assume (perhaps wrongly) that any possible options would have to be diffuse-field equalized like the 250..... Any ideas?
 
 
 
*I say ruined because I've given up on fixing them. They've developed a rattle at certain low frequencies (mostly noticeable in electronic music) and I can't seem to get rid of it. Any ideas on that maybe? I hate having to say goodbye to my trusty Sennheisers :frowning2:
 
Jan 28, 2014 at 9:36 PM Post #3 of 22
The closest cans I have auditioned is the AT ath-w1000x, as the extensions, presentation, and fit hover dangerously close to the hd 250 linear II cans. The ath-w1000x does have wood coloring and more digital body to it, but do indeed look a lot better too.
 
Jan 30, 2014 at 5:20 PM Post #4 of 22
Well, there are only two full-size headphones that I've tried so far that conserve the sound signature of the fantastic HD250. These are:
 
-Sennheiser HD540 Reference II
-Sennheiser HD560 Ovation II
 
Both of these headphones greatly resemble the HD250II, especially the HD540II. These two are open-back headphones however and do not isolate sound like the HD250 does. Both however improve on the HD250 performance. The bass from these open-backs is more controlled (is never overpowering) and they do not dip in the lower midrange like the HD250 does. Apart from these two things, they pretty much sound exactly the same as the HD250. These three headphones have the accuracy of monitor speakers.
 
Jan 30, 2014 at 8:48 PM Post #5 of 22
o0cosmomemory0o said:
  Well, there are only two full-size headphones that I've tried so far that conserve the sound signature of the fantastic HD250. These are:
 
-Sennheiser HD540 Reference II
-Sennheiser HD560 Ovation II
 
Both of these headphones greatly resemble the HD250II, especially the HD540II. These two are open-back headphones however and do not isolate sound like the HD250 does. Both however improve on the HD250 performance. The bass from these open-backs is more controlled (is never overpowering) and they do not dip in the lower midrange like the HD250 does. Apart from these two things, they pretty much sound exactly the same as the HD250. These three headphones have the accuracy of monitor speakers.
Click to expand...

Thank you, that is very useful information. I was kind of hoping for something currently in production, though... Is anything from Beyerdynamic even remotely similar? DT 770/880/990?
 
Jan 31, 2014 at 5:43 AM Post #6 of 22
Hi, I haven't used any Beyerdynamic headphones so I cannot comment, although I have read that the DT880 is very good (I don't know). I have used the Sennheiser HD600 but this has upper bass emphasis (drums and beats REALLY thump) and overall does not beat the HD250, in my opinion. My former HD600 did have an excellent neutral midrange though. My former AKG K550 also had great neutrality but lacked real, immersive sound dynamics, from what I remember hearing. If you're not listening to vinyl (i.e you listen to digital audio), I been given reason to believe that the Sennheiser HD800 performs very close to the HD250II. The HD800 is very expensive however and even though I'm quite confident that the HD800 would produce a superior stereo image to the HD250II, it may not actually be as musically enjoyable. I don't know as I haven't used the HD800...
 
 
There is only one device left that I've used that I like more than the HD250. It's still in production fortunately; Etymotic ER-4S, an In-Ear Monitor. This device offers very transparent, realistic sound. So far, there is nothing else in production that I've tried that I like more than the ER-4S.
 
Feb 7, 2014 at 5:32 PM Post #7 of 22
The rattle in your Linears could be from hairs touching the membrane. I fixed 2 by just removing hairs with a tweezer. You ofcourse need to open the headphones to get to that membrane
 
Mar 2, 2014 at 10:33 AM Post #11 of 22
I have a NIB one for sale, and it's a headset (for all who might be interested):
http://www.head-fi.org/t/621210/custom-nib-sennheiser-hd250-linear-ii-headset
 
I also have a slightly modded one (slightly better damping, a bit thicker foam pad) - but that's not for sale, it's my reference.
 
May 28, 2014 at 3:47 AM Post #12 of 22
I own the hd250 linear ii an must agree it is the best most open but controlled at the same time closed headphone I've heard. Something close that's in production....that's tuff. Possibly the mad dog pro? Or alpha dog if you wallet stretches a bit further. If your looking for a closed back that sounds open and is articulate id defiantly try these..https://mrspeakers.com/mrspeakers-mad-dog-headphones/
 
Jul 10, 2014 at 7:43 PM Post #13 of 22
Maybe the new NAD m50 that's all the rage right now will compare. It's not the same type of sound but people say it sounds open for a closed headphone too.
 
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