[rhapsodyinblue]

Thats surprising consider the cost of these puppies.
 

 

[ac500]

If they made that out of metal it would be like wearing a heavy brick on your head. No thanks.
 
Others will be able to more accurately comment before I receive mine, but when I briefly tried an HD800 I was rather impressed with the build quality. I especially liked how the headband smoothly slides/clicks into place (although I guess that's not technically build quality).

 

[LCfiner]

yeah, having worn some heavy-ish headphones (PS1000, LCD2) I am totally fine with the use of lighter plastics as long as the final product sounds as good as the HD800. the comfort factor is huge for me. poor weight distribution and tight clamping are some reasons why I sold those two other headphones.

 

[Saintly]

Quote:

Thats surprising consider the cost of these puppies.
 

Keep in mind that plastic doesn't necessarily cost less than metal.  It depends on the type.

 

[DVDRey]

 
Quote:

Keep in mind that plastic doesn't necessarily cost less than metal.  It depends on the type.

 
Yes, some good and modern plastic are much more expensive than aluminum.

 

[Radio_head]

Quote:

Do you have any links to measurements or anecdotal evidence of such changes?  I've heard people say Meier claimed the change took place with 10xxx but my pair with S/N 05xxx feels ample in bass quantity and comparable to the T1 I had.  Maybe my reference for bass-shy, being based on the K702, is a bit extreme but I honestly don't want there to be any more bass on my pair of HD800.  I'm curious whether or not the later S/N actually have more bass than the pair I have.

The anecdotal evidence would be me owning a pair about a month after release and selling it quickly due to FR issues.  Then bought a new pair about a month ago.  I have seen it reported elsewhere, (I'm pretty sure with measurements) but couldn't find it with a cursory search.  So I just called Sennheiser, and talked to a rep who assured me that it was in fact changed officially, with roughly the same differences that have been reported.  He didn't know a) what the S/Ns were where the change was made and b) he didn't have the comparative graphs.  He said the head of the headphone department (who knows both those things I was assured) will be in tomorrow and he'll shoot me the info. 
 
 

 

[MacedonianHero]

Quote:

that’s plastic

 


Quote:

That's plastic.
 
Edit: beat me to it

 


Quote:

Thats surprising consider the cost of these puppies.
 

These aren't the 1970s for crying out loud. Highly engineered polymers are ideal for many applications...including aerospace.
 
 

 

[Shahrose]

The only models where the posted Sennheiser graphs were considerably different (bass shy) were those below serial number 1500-1600 or so, the very early batches.
 
All graphs of serial numbers over around 1600 have been roughly the same. Go check out the posted graphs on the HD800 certificate thread here: http://www.head-fi.org/t/433059/sennheiser-hd800-certificate-for-frequency-response-arrived
 
I'm not sure where this idea of over 10,000 having more bass came from...
 
Just to add some data points, I owned #3406 and now own #9311 and they sounded identical.

 

[Gwarmi]

 
 
Never understood the big beef over the HD800's 'supposed' flaky construction - it's a far cry
from the HD600 / HD650 - also not the same price though 

 

[Gabrielisc]

I've got a pair, and for anyone who is concerned, they are far from flaky... very solid.
Just a general note though, I find pushing the top of the earphone once its in the correct positions assists in placing the headphones parallel rather than angled on your head.

 

[Saintly]

Quote:

These aren't the 1970s for crying out loud. Highly engineered polymers are ideal for many applications...including aerospace.
 
 

If you read the later posts, I never dismissed the HD800s for their use of plastic and actually acknowledged that some plastics cost more than metal.
 

 

[MacedonianHero]

Quote:

If you read the later posts, I never dismissed the HD800s for their use of plastic and actually acknowledged that some plastics cost more than metal.
 

I wasn't pointing you out specifically FWIW.  But polymers are very highly engineered materials that readily out perform other material choices.

 

[Anaxilus]

Quote:

Thats surprising consider the cost of these puppies.

 
Senn is very specific about 'why' the choice of plastic and it is not the same plastic you find in the HD555-HD700 (700>5xx series) line either.  Your welcome to the added weight and resonances of metal.  Grab Beyer.
 
 

 

[John Willett]

Quote:

No, not the mesh. I posted a image to help illustrate my questions:
 
 

This is an aerospace grade polymer called "Leona".  It's certainly not metal.  Metal is quite horrible for headphones as it resonates and changes the sound.
 
 

 

[Gabrielisc]

http://www.asahikaseiplastics.com/products/leona.html
 
"They have good appearance retention, high modulus (over 16 GPa), isotropic shrinkage (maintaining dimensional accuracy and low post-mold warpage), outstanding weatherability and superior vibration dampening characteristics."