The Sennheiser Orpheus 2? A First Look At The Sennheiser HE-1 (The New Orpheus)

[seanwee]

? why not ? 

 
I dont know what he uses so ............ 
 
(not meaning to offend anyone or start war or anything )

 

[up late]

you must be new to the thread

 

[danram62]

thanks for the caution but if folks happen to be exuberant about the orpheus 2 then why shouldn't they express it?

IMHO to perform an objective test on Orpheus 2 one should be not conditioned by its presence and all the other set-up components should have the best possible audio performances. In other words, the listener should not know what are the system components, in order to avoid any conditioning. Finally, he should just listen to its well known recordings.

 

[seanwee]

you must be new to the thread

Im afraid so.............

 

[icebear]

  IMHO to perform an objective test on Orpheus 2 one should be not conditioned by its presence ....

 
Have you read post#1700 and linked comments on the "conditioning" that is going on

.
 
Obviously this is not a regular headphone that you can borrow, take home and do an in-home audition in your familiar environment.
Not that your are completely off with your opinion, it's just entirely unrealistic that it will ever happen.
The Orpheus 2 "wake up sequence" will condition any (ok any male

) listener.

 

[up late]

x2

 

[kaiserh]

Sennheiser put a huge amount of effort into the whole user experience (UX) for the Orpheus II, even more so than the original ones.
 
From the carefully choreographed power-on sequence with everything opening up and coming to life, to the fit, finish and materials used. It's all very carefully calculated to whisper "high-end" "really ******* expensive" and, above all else, "quality with no compromise on anything" in your ears as you listen.
 
And, taking a step back and looking objectively at what they have created, the price point and target market and the lack of compromise, they have excelled in both the technical aspects of the product (ultra-low distortion even at high SPLs, hybrid amplification, exotic materials) as well as the aesthetic aspects (leather, clear quartz crystal, metals, marble etc) - and both of these aspects work with each other.
 
Ultimately, if you're paying this kind of money for these headphones, who cares what the graphs say, it all comes down to how they make you feel - do you enjoy the listening experience?
 
Yes, Sennheiser are marketing them as the ultimate in low distortion audio reproduction, but first and foremost they are an ultra-luxury good. There would be no point in making something that excels technically in specs, but is shoddily made, feels weak and flimsy or is ugly - the look and feel, the UX is all a part of the cachet of such goods.
 
To turn to a car analogy, it's like comparing a McLaren with a Nissan GT-R. They both might be able to deliver over 500 HP, but only one of those cars would also be acceptable to arrive at the opera in.

 

[davidhunternyc]

Of course they contain plastic, how do you think electrostatic headphones work? Like the original Orpheus and Stax electrostatic headphones the diaphragms that produce the sound are plastic with metal coatings.

I expect that most of the insulation on the wiring is also plastic. I doubt very much if there is any headphone manufactured that does not include some plastic. This is a good thing as for many purposes specialist plastics provide the best combination of electrical and mechanical properties.

Touche! Well said. Of course, it is not what I meant but I did not make myself clear. My bad. Yes, there is a role for plastic, like you said, in insulation for wiring and for the diaphragms. What I meant was I would be clearly disappointed when that little black box opened up and, for $55,000, my hands touched lukewarm polymer plastic that looked and felt cheap. Recently, I got a pair of Master & Dynamic MH40's. I do not yet have an opinion of the sound quality but they are gorgeous! They do not cut any corners as far as design is concerned. They feel very reassuring, solid, and luxurious in the hand.

 

[Sal1950]

Plastic or Cheese LOL
FDA Says ‘Parmesan’ CheeseMight Actually Be Cheddar or Wood Pulp
 
Add Parmesan to the list of foods that come with more than you bargained for: The FDA warns Parmesan fraud has become a serious problem for American consumers. Tests show products described as "100 percent Parmesan" routinely have cut-rate substitutes — like wood pulp, and cheaper cheeses such as cheddar, Swiss, and mozzarella.
As part of its new leaf, the agency has stepped up prosecuting industry offenders, and right now it's in the middle of a criminal case against Castle Cheese, once a top supplier to the big grocery chains, for selling "Parmesan" products that would give old-world cheese-makers in Parma a coronary. Per the FDA, Castle made shoddy cheeses for almost 30 years, and supplied the Market Pantry brand at Target and two others for Associated Wholesale, the nation's second-largest retail wholesaler, all of which contained "no Parmesan cheese" despite claiming on their labels to be 100 percent.

 

[kaiserh]

Rest assured there's minimal use of plastic in the headphones.
The frame around the ear cups is CNC'd from billet aluminium, there is steel mesh protecting the transducers. The ultra-thin diaphragm (1/40th as thick as a piece of paper) is coated with platinum. The head band is steel and leather. The ear pads are leather. They feel solid, but not overly heavy (and this is a good thing) - they look heavier than they are. Believe me though, when you pick them up, there's nothing on them that looks or feels cheap.

 

[Music Alchemist]

Just stopping by to announce that the product name has been changed to Sennheiser HE 1.
 
http://en-us.sennheiser.com/sennheiser-he-1
 
It is unclear whether the headphones and amplifier will have separate names or share the same name as a system. I for one hope "Orpheus" remains somewhere in the name.
 
*quickly disappears into the ether*

 

[mulder01]

 
Rest assured there's minimal use of plastic in the headphones.
The frame around the ear cups is CNC'd from billet aluminium, there is steel mesh protecting the transducers. The ultra-thin diaphragm (1/40th as thick as a piece of paper) is coated with platinum. The head band is steel and leather. The ear pads are leather. They feel solid, but not overly heavy (and this is a good thing) - they look heavier than they are. Believe me though, when you pick them up, there's nothing on them that looks or feels cheap.

 
So... When do you get your pair? 

 

 

[paradoxper]

  Just stopping by to announce that the product name has been changed to Sennheiser HE 1.
 
http://en-us.sennheiser.com/sennheiser-he-1
 
It is unclear whether the headphones and amplifier will have separate names or share the same name as a system. I for one hope "Orpheus" remains somewhere in the name.
 
*quickly disappears into the ether*
 

 
 
 
 
I, for one, don't understand the name change. 

 

[ALRAINBOW]

I do. First off this a new type of headphone something way beyond the first redid nation or the second the he60. Also hold on to your hats there is a ore affordable version of the he1 coming atleast it's my gues. Perhaps a he1B

 

[wink]

So, the HE1 is only 1/60th as good as my HE60.......