[Don Wolfberg]

it's like comparing a virtual reality screen to a home theater - sure, one screen is bigger than the other one could ever be but what one provides the more immersive experience?
 
 . . To say "never" has yet to establish a credible precedent and history has time and time shown that human advancement can prove the impossible. Even the word "impossible" broke apart says 'I'm possible" 
 
Once upon a time indoor cultivated herbs could never match the quality of outdoor sun grown - but now we have hydroponic, aeroponic and fogoponic systems. We have LED lights with spectrums that can replicate the light of the sun. We have climate controlled rooms and even lights on fan-like devices that oscillate around the room providing constant light at all angles. 

 

[KewlMunky]

   
Yes, speakers have a few advantages, like impact and soundstage, but most of the sound quality advantages go to the best headphones like STAX. (Which you should listen to before claiming that headphones can't approach the sound quality of speakers, because in reality, they can exceed them, aside from the few aforementioned things.) Even if the best headphones couldn't be as good as the best speakers, some people (like me) simply prefer headphones over speakers regardless. I hope I don't need to repeat this again. If you're not a fan of headphones, I don't see what you're doing posting on a headphone forum.

 
Being you are saying they need to listen to STAX headphones before they can claim speakers can surpass them, and you are claiming STAX headphones can surpass speakers in some aspects, does that mean you have heard several top of the line speaker systems to verify this claim?

 

[ALRAINBOW]

I have two high end systems and a few flagship headphones
And own the stax009. As for me there are the most detailed and accurate I ever heard. But keep in mind for me they are sterile not breathing life into the music experience
Headphones do exceed the best of speakers in some ways
But speakers have a more your there in the audience sound where headphones make you feel your there at the studio hearing the recording as its neon made. Great headphones can show the mixing as its changed during the recording
Now what better for me there is none but one caviat is 5 grand buys you a pair of the woods best headphones like the stax. In speakers it buys you still points without speakers see my point. If I had 10 grand to buy a system it would be headphones. And if you really want to hear just how good headphones are find someone with a vinyl setup and hear them. N

 

[Don Wolfberg]

 

The story began six weeks ago, when one million people from all over this planet united to build the monument to sound. Monolithic boulders descended from the heavens and people like you made sound sculptures, revealing the boulders’ inner sound. Now, each of these sound sculptures rests in the foundations of the completed Orpheus – excellence has taken on a new form. Relive the story of its creation.

In what way did 1 million people contribute to this?

 

[wink]

They dreamt they owned one.
 
Then they woke up to the reality that they would NEVER own one.

 

[Surge74]

So, for what it's worth, coming from someone who has a SR-009/BHSE AND an all Kondo Japan 4 way field coil horn system (which alone cost about 50k Euros)... headphones simply don't come close to what a top end speaker system will do. 
 
So I would never buy the new Senn system. It's just not worth the price. 
 
The SR-009/BHSE system makes sense because for "only" $10K, you can audio quality that would cost at least 2X to get in a speaker system (plus room treatments, etc.).
 
But for 50k euros, I can buy a world class 2 channel audio system which will be far far more spatially realistic than any headphone system.
 
I think Senn is getting greedy here.  It's a neat system, but the price is bonkers, only because they think people will pay it. And I'm sure they'll sell a few hundred sets.

 

[Sal1950]

  it's like comparing a virtual reality screen to a home theater - sure, one screen is bigger than the other one could ever be but what one provides the more immersive experience?
 
 . . To say "never" has yet to establish a credible precedent and history has time and time shown that human advancement can prove the impossible. Even the word "impossible" broke apart says 'I'm possible" 
 
Once upon a time indoor cultivated herbs could never match the quality of outdoor sun grown - but now we have hydroponic, aeroponic and fogoponic systems. We have LED lights with spectrums that can replicate the light of the sun. We have climate controlled rooms and even lights on fan-like devices that oscillate around the room providing constant light at all angles. 

Got any samples available from that grow?  

 

[XOnSomeX]

Thanks for the info I'll do that ASAP.

 

[carl99]

I don't understand why people are up in arms about the 55k price tag. It is a statement product, not meant for 99.9896416% of the people on earth. Sennheiser is simply showing the world what it's capable of. The people who can afford the new Orpheus probably wouldn't blink an eye if it was double the price. In the world of two channel stereo listening, there are systems out there that may cost 3-$500,000 that probably couldn't do certain things that this headphone system can. If you really want to talk crazy, take a look at some of the exorbitant prices in the two channel world. In the grand scheme of things, 55k isn't all that much.

Amen
Well said

 

[james444]

Heard the new Orpheus today: precision, precision, precision. Didn't remind me all that much of the original.
 
If you're looking for a headphone equivalent to an IWC Schaffhausen watch, this is it.
 

 
Me, I'm more a Panerai kind of guy who'd take the old Orpheus over the new one in a heartbeat.

 
 
But I really liked the HD800S.

 

[Music Alchemist]

  Heard the new Orpheus today: precision, precision, precision. Didn't remind me all that much of the original.

 
Awesome. Any thoughts on how it compares to the SR-009? (If you've heard it.)

 

[james444]

  Awesome. Any thoughts on how it compares to the SR-009? (If you've heard it.)

 
I'd say it's voiced closer to the SR-009 than to the original Orpheus, but that's just from memory, so take it with a grain of salt.

 

[mulder01]

So what do you have at the moment XOnSomeX? Are you already well into your hea- fi or are you a 2 channel person at the moment looking to downsize?

I think the speaker vs headphone comparison is very much apples and oranges too, but fact of the matter is, sometimes it's just not possible to get a good speaker setup. Maybe someone with a dedicated room at home and 6 figures worth of system, has a holiday apartment somewhere else in the world where having a big speaker system is not possible or practical or necessary but they still want to be able to have that audiophile experience with their neighbours a 1ft thick wall away from them, then this would be the perfect solution for a situation like that.

 

[bmichels]

  Heard the new Orpheus today: precision, precision, precision. Didn't remind me all that much of the original.
 
If you're looking for a headphone equivalent to an IWC Schaffhausen watch, this is it.
 

 
Me, I'm more a Panerai kind of guy who'd take the old Orpheus over the new one in a heartbeat.

 
 
But I really liked the HD800S.
 

 
- During your listening cession of the new Orpheus, was it using it's internal DAC or was it connected to an external DAC ? Which one ? which source ? 
 
- You say "precision, precision, precision".  Was this without loosing some musicality or saoul ?  Some people find the 009 "boring" because more analytic than "musical" !
 
 
thanks

 

[bmichels]

  Yep, $8k will get you one of the finest speaker systems made, the new La Scala's. Plus $2k for a subwoofer system and you'll be in great shape.

 
Do you really need a Sub with the La Scala II ??