[FeetAsleep]

   
Yes, the new Orpheus is scheduled to go on display in the Ultimate Sound Room at the Flagship Store at Sennheiser’s headquarters in Wedemark in February 2016. One can schedule an appointment for a private listening by emailing Orpheus@Sennheiser.com.

 
Rosmadi can you say anything about longevity testing?
 
This is just my opinion and please don't take it as a slight against Sennheiser. After I heard rumors that the original HE90 could no longer be serviced (including the Jan Meier designated sets) after what was less than 10 years of its new sale date that is what got me worried led to selling my pair.
 
If the new Orpheus can in fact be serviced for at least a couple of decades my interest would be reinvigorated. To this date I have never heard a headphone that can accurately reproduce the timbre of solo violin like the HE90 did.
 
Best
-FA

 

[Dobrescu George]

  http://www.hollywood.com/general/gregory-porter-s-trademark-cap-preserves-privacy-59866603/

That dude is so...
 
[This is a joke, please take it as such] :
 
He is not thankfull for being able to hear orpheus 2. He wears that thing over the orpheus 2. He is not worthy of what orpheus 2 is! 

 
 
 
 
[Back]
 
I think that it really distorts the sound hearing it through a layer of material, and someone who hears something between a headphone and ears, is not able to talk about the quality of a headphone. And this is objective thinking, as that person does not literally hear how the headphones sound like. . .
 
Considering that the target market for orpheus 2 are filthy rich crazy audiophiles, I really doubt that they will care what a person wearing a cap says about orpheus 2... so... 
 
[I do not know who Gregory Porter is nor do I listen to his music, so this is why I am not all over these news]

 

[snejk]

The new Orpheus is covered over at engadget, sort of
http://www.engadget.com/2015/11/06/sennheiser-orpheus-hands-on-but-no-ears/

 

[superlowfi]

The new Orpheus is covered over at engadget, sort of
http://www.engadget.com/2015/11/06/sennheiser-orpheus-hands-on-but-no-ears/

 
A bit worrying that the hand made press prototype stopped working. Honestly that's one of my biggest worries with the new unit, so many engineering points of failure. What happens if one of the motorized components breaks which isn't even related to the sound? The buttons don't pop out, the tubes don't pop up, the box doesn't pop open? 
 
The part that failed in the article is the part that I would think would never fail. The amp didn't detect the headphones were even plugged in. How is that possible when the headphones aren't even detachable?
 
Leave it to the Germans to over-engineer something, but notably, none of these things were a problem with the original Orpheus.

 

[kkk123kkk123kkk]

 
What makes the sennheiser and people who buy the HE1060 evil, greedy, snobs,etc. is that it drives up the prices for headphones, speakers, turntables, etc. Price it between $15-20k like the old Orpheus and the rest of the totl (minus uber source) setups and I think you will see allot less complaining. As big as Sennheiser is there is no reason they can not do this, especially looking at the dac.
 
What happened to $40k? Is it seriously $60k? That's absolutely ridiculous. Speakers at $30k as the 009 maxes out at about a $20k source. 

 


I found the whole "this will drive the price up" analogy quite hilarious. The top of the line speaker can cost $300,000 or more, and company like Goldmund are selling similar priced turntable. Do you really think a $55,000 headphone + amp combo can drive the price up for those product? and people who want to buy high end speaker system don't really care about the fact that there are quite a few $200,000~$300,000+ speakers on the market since it also doesn't change the fact that they can get an amazing high end speakers at $30,000~$75,000. (depend on which brands they prefer). Same goes for headphone.

 

[superlowfi]

There's only a handful of companies involved in headphones which could even do something like what Sennheiser is doing here. Bose, Shure, Sony, who all seem to have no interest in playing in this wheel house. Even companies like AKG and Beyer have a fraction of the employees of a company like Senn.
 
I have been ragging on the new Orpheus in this thread, but I am certainly glad it exists, and hopefully it will inspire other companies to take the gloves off and think outside the box. More options are always a good thing in this market.

 

[mark_h]

Look like they belong in a hotel bathroom! Marble? Tacky, like a posh soap dish! I'm sure they sound sublime!

 

[HugoFreire]

http://www.engadget.com/2015/11/06/sennheiser-orpheus-hands-on-but-no-ears/

 

[edstrelow]

http://www.engadget.com/2015/11/06/sennheiser-orpheus-hands-on-but-no-ears/

I am surprised that given the total cost of the system they would demonstrate it with a comparatively modest £1900 player.

 

[Mentis]

   
A bit worrying that the hand made press prototype stopped working. Honestly that's one of my biggest worries with the new unit, so many engineering points of failure. What happens if one of the motorized components breaks which isn't even related to the sound? The buttons don't pop out, the tubes don't pop up, the box doesn't pop open? 
 
The part that failed in the article is the part that I would think would never fail. The amp didn't detect the headphones were even plugged in. How is that possible when the headphones aren't even detachable?
 
Leave it to the Germans to over-engineer something, but notably, none of these things were a problem with the original Orpheus.

Yep that was exactly what I predicted, and it's already happening.  I wish Sennheiser have only the headphone for sale without the over motorized super prone to break dac/amp... I'm sure ppl don't want to spend over 50k on stuff that has a high chance to break, especially after warranty expires... the longevity of the new dac/amp is questionable...

 

[ejong7]

ITS IN LONDON!? HOLY SHEEP SOMEBODY GET ME INTO THAT BASEMENT ROOM

 

[o0CosmoMemory0o]

50,000 Euros for a device that still won't stereo image like a high resolution speaker system.
 
Doesn't matter how well engineered the electrostatic transducer is, it is still enclosed by earpads with a finite volume of air contained within each earcup. Each ear only hears one channel; no opportunity for interaural crosstalk. In terms of a natural listening experience, a fully swivveled out AKG K1000 (one that has been cared for well and not altered since manufacture) from a well engineered signal chain will sound significantly better overall, in my opinion. 
 
The tympanic membrane of each ear is not an electrostatic transducer so would not have the sensitivity or mechanical efficiency of an electrostatic microphone. So a person listening to a live performance would not be able to perceive microdetail that is under their own hearing threshold whilst this additional low level resolution could be conveyed by a sensitive microphone setup when the recording is made. So if you were to listen to the recording with a well-engineered electrostatic headphone, you would hear a lot of low level nuances that would otherwise have not been heard if you were listening live. It is heard even more clearly because of the close proximity of the headphone transducer to the ear drum as well so are audiophiles striving to hear more than their ears will naturally convey?? Microdetail resolution prioritized over natural stereo imaging and musical rhythm/phasing is pointless for enjoyment purposes IMO and serves only for scientific analysis.

 

[Music Alchemist]

One would assume that's what the 'Headphone 2' port at the back of the unit is for, in other words to run a second HE1060 headphone on the system. Nothing to do with systems from other manufacturers, as rightly mentioned by Rosmadi

Please correct me if I'm mistaken, Rosmadi

 
I asked about this earlier, but did not get an answer. What's odd is that the "headphone 2" port (with eight holes instead of five like the HE 90 and STAX PRO bias outputs) is in the digital input section on the back of the amp/DAC, whereas headphone ports are analog outputs.
 

I do think however Ill be going Stax 009 rather than this. Even at the same price, if I pay my child's university money for a HP (and im single) Id rather get something that is not "warm, euphoric, etc" but something that is more closer to reality, like the HD800 with slighly equed down highs.

 
Who said the new Orpheus sounds warm and euphoric? That's what some people have said about the old Orpheus, but this is a different headphone. Impressions have been published in the first posts of this thread, on Sennheiser's websites, and on YouTube, if you want to learn more. To me, the HD 800 sounds artificial, whereas electrostats sound much closer to reality.
 

Careful reading of Rosmadi's statement on the availability of the HE 1060 as a separate purchase seems to indicate that the HE 1060 WILL NOT be available as a separate purchase, but ONLY as a SUPPLEMENT when you purchase the HE 1060 system.

 
Oh god, I hope not!

 
I wish Sennheiser would stop being so ambiguous about these things...
 

  50,000 Euros for a device that still won't stereo image like a high resolution speaker system.
 
Doesn't matter how well engineered the electrostatic transducer is, it is still enclosed by earpads with a finite volume of air contained within each earcup. Each ear only hears one channel; no opportunity for interaural crosstalk. In terms of a natural listening experience, a fully swivveled out AKG K1000 (one that has been cared for well and not altered since manufacture) from a well engineered signal chain will sound significantly better overall, in my opinion. 
 
The tympanic membrane of each ear is not an electrostatic transducer so would not have the sensitivity or mechanical efficiency of an electrostatic microphone. So a person listening to a live performance would not be able to perceive microdetail that is under their own hearing threshold whilst this additional low level resolution could be conveyed by a sensitive microphone setup when the recording is made. So if you were to listen to the recording with a well-engineered electrostatic headphone, you would hear a lot of low level nuances that would otherwise have not been heard if you were listening live. It is heard even more clearly because of the close proximity of the headphone transducer to the ear drum as well so are audiophiles striving to hear more than their ears will naturally convey?? Microdetail resolution prioritized over natural stereo imaging and musical rhythm/phasing is pointless for enjoyment purposes IMO and serves only for scientific analysis.

 
About the exclusive benefits of speakers, that is a valid point...but I personally prefer headphones much more than speakers. Speakers sound big and impressive, but I don't connect with the music at all with them. With headphones, I feel at one with the music. Many of us want to hear everything that is on the recording, even if it's not the same type of experience as a live performance. All you can say definitively is that for you, such things are pointless and not enjoyable. For many others, "microdetail resolution" is highly enjoyable.

 

[TimSchirmer]

To do: befriend a Saudi prince who will buy the Orpheus, get bored with it, then give it to me. 

 

[RCBinTN]

   
Yes, the new Orpheus is scheduled to go on display in the Ultimate Sound Room at the Flagship Store at Sennheiser’s headquarters in Wedemark in February 2016. One can schedule an appointment for a private listening by emailing Orpheus@Sennheiser.com.

 
Thank you.  That kills the December idea, although the Hannover Weihnachtsmarkt is a nice day-trip.