[HipHopScribe]

That's the most likely reason imo, but Massdrop's claiming that Sennheiser's suppliers increased their prices. Is that just a cover up excuse? We may never know. I'd like to give Massdrop the benefit of the doubt, but not sure about Senn.

It's possible that true, but I don't really buy it, they've been making these headphones forever so I would think supply chain is pretty steady

 

[MWSVette]

I would say the margins were to tight on the original sale especially after the wrong cable debacle. They needed a little more wiggle room in their profit margins.

That said definitely glad I got mine $50.00 ago...

 

[Undertones]

I would say the margins were to tight on the original sale especially after the wrong cable debacle. They needed a little more wiggle room in their profit margins.

That said definitely glad I got mine $50.00 ago...

I doubt the margins were even close to tight for Sennheiser. Dynamic headphones are very cheap to produce and the only thing that could significantly increase price would be narrow QC tolerances. Sennheiser has been making this headphone for 20 years at this point. They know how to make it consistent and cheap.

The HD650 is expensive not because it's expensive to produce but because price tiering. You have a selection of headphones at a selection of prices to get as much as money as possible out of the consumer. If someone walks into a store with $150 and the other $300 you want to make sure that both spend all their money.

 

[MWSVette]

I doubt the margins were even close to tight for Sennheiser. Dynamic headphones are very cheap to produce and the only thing that could significantly increase price would be narrow QC tolerances. Sennheiser has been making this headphone for 20 years at this point. They know how to make it consistent and cheap.

The HD650 is expensive not because it's expensive to produce but because price tiering. You have a selection of headphones at a selection of prices to get as much as money as possible out of the consumer. If someone walks into a store with $150 and the other $300 you want to make sure that both spend all their money.

The profit margins would not be tight for Sennheiser, but for Massdrop...

 

[Undertones]

Not for Sennheiser, but for Massdrop...

Massdrop should sell it at cost or even treat it as a loss leader. The value comes in getting new people into their store and using their site. Sennheiser probably set a minimum advertised price though as they do with their retailers.

 

[loki993]

This is how Massdrop works though and why they're even able to do this, because they can collect the money and put in a bulk order knowing exactly how many they need to fulfill. If Massdrop started buying everything from manufacturers in anticipation of drops they basically become a normal online retailer, taking on more risk and more overhead, raising prices. They do that for some drops, but it seems to only be things they know they're gonna have repeated drops for, which is not true of the HD6XX. If you want something right away, go to Amazon and order an HD650

I understand that but still 6 months is excessive and worth it for me to pursue other options. My time has got to be worth something....

 

[HipHopScribe]

I understand that but still 6 months is excessive and worth it for me to pursue other options. My time has got to be worth something....

True enough, it certainly changes the calculation with the price getting closer to retail,you have to consider how much it is worth to you to have that extra 6 months with the headphones

 

[rkw]

I have the ATH-AD700 which has a similar FR and soundstage without the need for an amp. Any idea if the difference will be that big between those two headphones? Don't need portability but looking for the best sound.

I haven't heard the ATH-AD700, but judging from reviews I think the HD6XX would be a little better in every area. It is no accident that in reviews of high end headphones, the HD 650 is often compared as a point of reference. However, whether it would be a "big difference" is very subjective. The caveat is that it needs a good amplifier to bring it out, and you have to factor the extra cost.

Regarding Audeze Sine, they are available to audition in many Apple stores. I liked its sound but didn't give it a serious listen because I found it uncomfortable and knew I wouldn't consider it (I don't get along well with on-ears).

 

[mbyrnes]

I would be willing to bet the price increase was demanded from Sennheiser. I am sure the retailers of the 650 were pissed that the 6XX sold 5,000 units just in time for Christmas, the largest shopping season by far. At $199, it truly was a stupid cheap deal that anyone would jump at, if they know anything about headphones. At $249, it is still a nice deal, with the caveat that you have to wait (a very long time with this particular drop). It wouldn't shock me if Sennheiser gets the order built and shipped earlier than the expected ship date.

I agree that the 6 month wait may not be worth it to others. For ~$50-70, you can order the HD650 now and enjoy it in a few days. For some this isn't a huge deal and that is what they will do. For others on a more strict budget, the $249 price is worth waiting for. IMO, this isn't really that spectacular a headphone, and there are other models in the $250-300 range that I would go with before the HD650/HD6XX. The Monoprice Monolith M1060 at $299, the Hifiman 400i ($249 on sale frequently). These 2 phones as an example, don't require a special amp to get the most out of them. Sure they will scale well with better source gear, as most headphones do. The HD650/6XX I have read time and time again, need a pretty good amp to get anything close to good sound out of. a decent OTL tube amp like the Bottlehead Crack (which you have to build yourself or pay extra to have them build it), is considered one of the better amps for the HD650. That is another $300 for the base model, and $414 if you want the Speedball upgrade (sometimes this amp goes on sale), which I have read is very much worth the additional money. So to get a great Headphone/amp combo, that is some serious coin.

I would read up on the HD650 here. You'll probably see a lot of suggestions saying that XXX amp isn't good enough and that to get the most out of the HD650, you need amp XXX. Yes the 650 is a classic and well known headphone (I would say it is THE headphone that most other headphones are compared to, really because most people are familiar with it). If you are interested in the 6XX/650, I would highly suggest researching it, and the threads here are a great place to do that.

 

[whaiyun]

$50 increase is a kick in the groin. That sucks.

 

[John Q Lin]

I know I won't be joining the drop. Greedy mofos

 

[keberwein]

The 650's pop up occasionally on Amazon Warehouse Deals for around $250 and you don't have to wait for six months to get'um! Best to just set a price alert on https://camelcamelcamel.com/

 

[Jaklap]

I've had a pair of Sennheiser HD555s for almost 7 years now as my go-to gaming headphone. I did the foam mod with them early on and they've treated me well. However, the band is cracked and I can tell they are on their last legs.

I got the Massdrop about the HD6XXs coming back and was psyched! These would make a great replacement. However, must of my gaming now is done on a PS4, and I typically just plug the HD555s right into the PS4 controller's headphone jack.

I've been doing some reading and most impressions and reviews of these are all about their sound through an amp. I'm curious about my use case, however.

Would these sound good (or at least as good as my 7 year old HD555s) just plugged straight into the 3.5mm port on the PS4's controller? I'm hoping the answer is a yes so I can pull the trigger.

EDIT: Oof, 6 month delivery estimate is brutal, though.

 

[PinkyPowers]

I'm glad they're doing another Drop. I love my HD6XX. Use them every day.

$250 isn't bad. I'd still buy it if I hadn't gotten in on the first Drop.

 

[EternalShadow]

I'm really sad about this price increase. I won't be participating when I know you can get a HD650 for maybe 10-20 dollars more on black friday sales