[dpastern]

  I'm glad that I had the AKG K1000 to turn to. Since using the HD800 and HD540II alongside one another from the same DAC/amp, I missed the HD800's improved bass weight and purer resolution when I went back to the HD540II yet when I left the HD540II to return to the HD800, the rhythm/focus just wasn't the same and I missed the engaging neutrality that I was used to having. I wasn't fully satisfied with either but the K1000 is everything I could possibly want from drivers close to the ears. They don't quite have the distance you would get with nearfield/midfield monitor speakers but it certainly doesn't feel that music is confined inside the head. Really pleased with the progress I have made over the last couple of years.

 
I don't personally find the bass on the HD40 ref golds bad at all - it's not in the Audeze LCD2 style, but it's more accurate imho, and tighter.  I'm no bass freak!

 

[o0CosmoMemory0o]

I personally feel that the LCD-2 is even more of a hi-fi joke than the HD650 but that's just my opinion and others are free to ignore it.
 
The HD540 design is over 20 years old; it's amazing that they still keep up with (beat) modern headphones at all. This reflects just how well judged their calibration was and how well engineered they were. The bass response decays with natural linearity, exceptionally neutral roll-off. But I feel that the bass region is at a slightly lower response level than the rest of the frequencies, which means that the bass weight is ever so slightly lacking with some music and at very low volume. The HD800 neutral bass response makes this seem quite obvious; I really did like the HD800 sound at low volume; absolutely effortless reproduction with a realistically proportioned bass weighting. But to increase the bass weight of the HD540 requires a larger driver size than what the HD540 has; trying to EQ the HD540 bass region would simply unbalance the bass neutrality IMO. A bigger driver is required to increase the wavefront size and ear coverage factor (or however the engineer would describe it), to do what the HD800 does.
 
Just being honest about what I think, that's all. Doesn't change the fact that the HD540 is excellent within its physical constraints.

 

[2leftears]

IThe HD540 design is over 20 years old; it's amazing that they still keep up with (beat) modern headphones at all. This reflects just how well judged their calibration was and how well engineered they were.

Over 25 years old even. Which makes me think; could it be that 25 years of "burning in" (wrong term here really, I know) has had a beneficial impact on the sound? Speaker suspensions definitely change compliance with age, and hence after 25 years the speaker will sound different (ignoring filter cap ageing here). Headphone speaker membranes usually don't have a separate suspension, but they are held in place with adhesives. And the polymers the membrane is made of will be affected by 25 years of ageing & movement, however subtle. Maybe for the better in case of the HD540, I guess is what I am trying to say.

Just speculating / musing here, no evidence whatsoever...

 

[dweeper]

Does anyone knows in what year the  hd-540 reference II was discontinued?

 

[dpastern]

  I personally feel that the LCD-2 is even more of a hi-fi joke than the HD650 but that's just my opinion and others are free to ignore it.
 
The HD540 design is over 20 years old; it's amazing that they still keep up with (beat) modern headphones at all. This reflects just how well judged their calibration was and how well engineered they were. The bass response decays with natural linearity, exceptionally neutral roll-off. But I feel that the bass region is at a slightly lower response level than the rest of the frequencies, which means that the bass weight is ever so slightly lacking with some music and at very low volume. The HD800 neutral bass response makes this seem quite obvious; I really did like the HD800 sound at low volume; absolutely effortless reproduction with a realistically proportioned bass weighting. But to increase the bass weight of the HD540 requires a larger driver size than what the HD540 has; trying to EQ the HD540 bass region would simply unbalance the bass neutrality IMO. A bigger driver is required to increase the wavefront size and ear coverage factor (or however the engineer would describe it), to do what the HD800 does.
 
Just being honest about what I think, that's all. Doesn't change the fact that the HD540 is excellent within its physical constraints.

 
I find the HD540's bass just right.  But that's just me.  I'm kinda sensitive to bass.

 

[Aulait]

Over 25 years old even.

The first HD 540 was made in 1984, so they have more than 30 years.

 

[o0CosmoMemory0o]

30 years on and they're my top pick for a conventional headphone, suitable for both audio analysis and musical enjoyment. Any serious music enthusiast should have one. Really sets the standard of what should be expected of high fidelity headphones. Will also clearly distinguish transparent amplification equipment from mediocre, coloured amplification equipment.

 

[Bostonears]

Does anyone knows in what year the  hd-540 reference II was discontinued?

The HD-540 Ref. II was introduced in October 1991 and discontinued in 1995. And in case anybody is wondering, the Ref. I was introduced in September 1986 and discontinued in 1991 (presumably in preparation for the launch of the Ref. II).
 
These tidbits come from a Japanese language website documenting the history of Sennheiser headphones. An archive of it is at http://20cheaddatebase.web.fc2.com/sennheiser/sennheiserindex.html. HD-540 Ref. I page here. Ref II page here. Google translate can get you English.

 

[Aulait]

   And in case anybody is wondering, the Ref. ! was introduced in September 1986 and discontinued in 1991.
 
 

 

[GREQ]

 

LOL! vintage duckface! 

 

[Bostonears]

 

Interesting. That image has review quotes from December 1985, which predates the introduction dates listed on the Japanese website. Either the HD540 was introduced in Germany the year before it was introduced in Japan, or the German trade press was seeded with review units well in advance of production shipments.

 

[Aulait]

  Interesting. That image has review quotes from December 1985, which predates the introduction dates listed on the Japanese website. Either the HD540 was introduced in Germany the year before it was introduced in Japan, or the German trade press was seeded with review units well in advance of production shipments.

 I have a directory in which HD 540 is presented as a novelty. There are no Reference Gold which was done in 1985 and the HD 250 Linear 1986. But there are: HD 410 SL, 414 SL, 420 SL, 425, 430, 222, 230 and UNIPOLAR 2002 set.
So I think they are of 1984, probably at the end of 1984.

 

[o0CosmoMemory0o]

Been testing one of my 13 HD540IIs tonight and the sound is so good just out of my laptop. Jazz is amazing; the basslines are just sick! Starting to wonder whether it would be foolish to sell all of them... Might keep one or two for myself maybe, for holidays abroad or away where I can't have a K1000 setup. 

 Was going to get an ER-4S again for portable use if travelling but it's cheaper to keep a HD540II instead and the sound quality is better. Leakage isn't too bad as long as there is at least some background noise so I reckon it would be a good listening companion on long flights. So yeah, they don't image like speakers but the purity, neutrality and phase alignment are incredibly fantastic. Now I remember why I bought so many of them!
 
Although I am going to need customers for some of them. If you're happy with great cosmetic condition (not absolutely perfect though) but excellent sound, great earpads and clean/fresh components, my price area would be around £180.

 

[Storydog]

Would 90 - 95 € to expensive for a HD 540 Reference I, with earpads in very good condition(as I remember).
Seen in a shop for classic used Hifi.
I own a HD 530 II in my collection, yet(I paid ca. 45 € and buyed new pads for 20,50 €).

 

[moriez]

Good price in my opinion Storydog. If it's in good all-round condition.
 
Oh yeah, I'm reminded of a question that I asked in this thread months ago. Let me try again. Is there a currently manufactured headphone that strongly resembles the HD540's signature which is not the HD800? I really like the 540's but the fact that we have to do without spares is doing my head in.