[jupitreas]

Hmm, perhaps jfunk can write a followup for us regarding the pads on these two headphones. I have tried using some different pads with my Amperior for aesthetic customization purposes, but I have found that they changed the sound so dramatically that it was not worth it. I used some Zomo aftermarket pads and they made the Amperior sound so bright and sibilant that it hurt my ears, while old HD25 pleather pads made the bass super-boomy and also not pleasant at all. The point I am trying to make is that pad-rolling makes a huge difference with the Amperior and I am really curious what using the Alu pads would sound like. I did not find the Amperior to lack in technicalities and the 'blurry' quality of sound that you describe seems to me like it could be caused by the velour, which indeed does oftentimes make things sound a bit 'blurry' in comparison to well-sealing pleather or leather. 
 
If the Alu really does sound better than the Amperior while being cheaper, I will have a bone to pick with Sennheiser I'd want them to replace my Amperior with an Alu for free!

 

[wrightanswer@ear]

  The one complaint I and few other people have with the Aluminiums is that they have a straight jack connector which is not great for some Pro audio jobs...

 
I much prefer a straight jack, so I for one am very pleased they've done this. 
 
By the way, while I was joking earlier about them delaying the US version while they re-print the box and headband as "Aluminum" instead of the European "Aluminium", I'm now starting to wonder if they will actually do that. I wouldn't be surprised. Either way, it'll be better than having that over-sized "Made in Ireland" printed twice on the headband as on the HD25-1 II.

 

[wrightanswer@ear]

B&H is now listing this on their site and taking pre-orders for an Oct.1st release date... at $329.95.
They won't be selling one to me at that price. With the standard version available from them at $199, I wouldn't pay over $250 for the new one.

 

[jfunk]

  Hmm, perhaps jfunk can write a followup for us regarding the pads on these two headphones. I have tried using some different pads with my Amperior for aesthetic customization purposes, but I have found that they changed the sound so dramatically that it was not worth it. I used some Zomo aftermarket pads and they made the Amperior sound so bright and sibilant that it hurt my ears, while old HD25 pleather pads made the bass super-boomy and also not pleasant at all. The point I am trying to make is that pad-rolling makes a huge difference with the Amperior and I am really curious what using the Alu pads would sound like. I did not find the Amperior to lack in technicalities and the 'blurry' quality of sound that you describe seems to me like it could be caused by the velour, which indeed does oftentimes make things sound a bit 'blurry' in comparison to well-sealing pleather or leather. 
 
If the Alu really does sound better than the Amperior while being cheaper, I will have a bone to pick with Sennheiser I'd want them to replace my Amperior with an Alu for free!

 
We are temporarily out of stock of the aluminium but we should get another batch at the end of the week. I will give a pair a burn in and try swapping the pads then.

 

[jupitreas]

   
We are temporarily out of stock of the aluminium but we should get another batch at the end of the week. I will give a pair a burn in and try swapping the pads then.

 
Thanks! I'm looking forward to your findings.

 

[wrightanswer@ear]

With the HD25 always boasting replaceable parts, I assume the aluminum ear cups and new ear pads will be made available. It will be interesting to see the cost of the new cups and pads, as upgrade items. Are Amperior replacement cups available? 

 

[scrypt]

  B&H is now listing this on their site and taking pre-orders for an Oct.1st release date... at $329.95.
They won't be selling one to me at that price. With the standard version available from them at $199, I wouldn't pay over $250 for the new one.

 
JFunk's company, Custom Cans, is selling them for £209 ($323)  -- and that's before shipping stateside.
 
It sounds as though that's the asking price everywhere unless you luck out and either find a deal or enjoy a special discount.  
 
Let's hope this "special edition" isn't very limited, and that we see a markdown eventually, as we did with the Adidas "Originals" years ago.

 

[RayMusicLover]

I've always loved & owned the HD25-1's, recently I acquired a set of Amperior's with the sole intention of selling them, they were new but the seals were not intact so I decided to check out the contents, everything was good. Curiosity however got the better of me so I had to try them out, I was immediately impressed by the bass, a definite improvement from my HD25-1's, and to think these had not been burnt in. I didn't spend much time with them but my first impression was that I loved them, I really hated the cable, the way it connected with the remote, I also felt the lower impedance was not what I required.
 
I've been holding out for the HD25 Aluminium. Finally found a brand new pair on eBay for £150 with free postage, took the plunge and expecting delivery very soon. I will try and write my first review on my feelings soon, possibly a comparison to the original HD25-1 II's

 

[scrypt]

  I've always loved & owned the HD25-1's, recently I acquired a set of Amperior's with the sole intention of selling them, they were new but the seals were not intact so I decided to check out the contents, everything was good. Curiosity however got the better of me so I had to try them out, I was immediately impressed by the bass, a definite improvement from my HD25-1's, and to think these had not been burnt in. I didn't spend much time with them but my first impression was that I loved them, I really hated the cable, the way it connected with the remote, I also felt the lower impedance was not what I required.
 
I've been holding out for the HD25 Aluminium. Finally found a brand new pair on eBay for £150 with free postage, took the plunge and expecting delivery very soon. I will try and write my first review on my feelings soon, possibly a comparison to the original HD25-1 II's

 
eBay, eh?  You're a wee Hank braver than I, Ray.  Let us know how you like them once they arrive.

 

[RayMusicLover]

   
eBay, eh?  You're a wee Hank braver than I, Ray.  Let us know how you like them once they arrive.

"A wee Hank braver than you" I like that.... Initial thoughts are good but need a few weeks with them, too early for impressions, "Gimme Just A Little More Time".
 
Initial feelings: very similar sound signature to the HD 25-1s, very posh packaging, swanky little case, That's all I'm saying for now...

 

[punit]

I recently bought the HD25 ALU from Custom Cans with an upgraded cable. I did a comparison between HD 25 Std, ALU & Beyer DT1350. Sources were Mac mini with Pure Music player > Audio GD NFB 7 > Schiit Lyr (with upgraded tubes) & also tried them direct from Fiio X3. The HD 25 Std & DT1350 both have over 300 hrs on them hence I burnt in the ALU's for over 200 hrs (10 days continuous play). I listen to Psy Trance, Ambient / Chillout, Rock  & some pop (mainly female vocals like Adele, Norah Jones, Jewel, Annie Lenox, The Coors etc,). All files are in Wav. It goes without saying that below mentioned comments are my personal opinion based on my personal preferences & YMMV.
 
First a comparison between the ALU HD25 & Std :
The bass on the ALU was much deeper & had more impact, Highs were crisper & had more air , Sound stage was broader, layer separation was better. The Alu's are definitely an upgrade over the Std's (dunno how much of the improvement is due to upgraded cable).
 
ALU HD25 & Beyer DT1350 :
 
The bass on ALU had more oomph, sounded more "3D", The highs on DT1350 are smoother, have more "class", The soundstage on ALU's is a bit wider. The ALU's are a more "exciting" headphone to listen to , The DT1350's are more "well behaved" but both have the same sound signature. I have to fidget around with the Beyers in order  to get a good seal but the ALU's seal quite well immediately. This might be a reason why the ALU's sound very slightly louder at the same volume level. The ALU's are more comfy for long listening.
 
I prefer the ALU's by a slight margin (see edit below) but then I have always been partial to "exciting" HP's ( I sold the HD650 within 3 months as it was the most boring HP I have heard). Think I'll upgrade the cables on the DT1350's & do a rematch

.
 
Edit :
I did some more listening & found that direct from Fiio X3 i prefer the Beyers , they sound more smooth but prefer the ALU's from the Schiit Lyr, the ALU's work better with the Tubes.

 

[scrypt]

Thanks for the detailed comparison, punit! 
 
One question: Did you receive the standard cable with the Aluminium HD-25 as well as the upgraded one?  If so, have you compared the sound between the two cables you received?  

 

[punit]

No, I don't have the original cable with me.

 

[coolcat37]

thanks punit for the comparison

 

[punit]

  First a comparison between the ALU HD25 & Std :
The bass on the ALU was much deeper & had more impact, Highs were crisper & had more air , Sound stage was broader, layer separation was better. The Alu's are definitely an upgrade over the Std's (dunno how much of the improvement is due to upgraded cable).
 

Just wanted to add that I have done comparisons between stock & upgraded cables in three cases : Denon D5000, Senn HD 650 & Shure 535 Ltd Ed & in all three the upgraded cables improved sound by 5% to 10% (IMHO). Cable upgrades do not affect the sound significantly just slight improvements. I assume same will be the case with HD 25 Alu's (as I did not get to do a comparison between stock & upgraded cables).