[o0CosmoMemory0o]

I'm currently waiting for a Sennheiser Spares order to come through the post so that I can finish restoring some of my HD540s and HD560s. After I've added the cables and earpads to the units, I will do some more comparisons and report my findings to this thread. I might take some photographs as well, to make things clear.

 

[2leftears]

The above description does not match my original pads or the velour pads I now use.

I've used the following pads:
* Original fabric-sided (pleather against the head).
* HD-250 pleather.
* HD-540 (according to the tag on the bag) velour.
All are the same height, and all use the same plastic retaining ring (equally open). Possibly the original pads "carry" the earcaps a tiny bit further from the ear due to the rectangular section as opposed to the semi-rounded section on the others, but the extended/"unloaded" height is the same on all the above pads.

The HD-560 pads I've seen (pictured) have a "baffle ring" like you describe, but my original pads did not.

Best regards,
Patrik

 
Unloaded height is similar indeed, but loaded my original HD540 (I) pads kept the drivers further from my ears than the later velours pads.  With the old ones the foam did not press on my ears, with the velours ones it did (prior to modifying).  The velours ones seem to be softer (i.e. more spongey).
 
The original 540's pads may not have had a baffle ring, that could be my memory having an off-day! 

  Mine had a smaller opening facing the headphone though, which is what I tried to compensate for with the tweak.  This was all done about ten years ago or so, and I unfortunately no longer have the original square ones to check in detail...
 

My 1991 vintage (purchased new that year, don't know the manufacturing year) 300 Ohm model are clearly marked "300 Ohm" om the upper section of the earcups, behind the headband. The original 600 Ohm version might be unmarked?

What shape/profile is your headband? I've seen ridged (along the centerline) and smooth, and I suspect the ridged version might be older?

Best regards,
Patrik

Mine are 600 Ohm and indeed unmarked, and have a ridged headband.  I think I bought mine in 1990 or so.  Looks like they were redesigned with 300 Ohm drivers soon after I bought them.

 

[Hairspray]

Mine are 600 Ohm and indeed unmarked, and have a ridged headband.  I think I bought mine in 1990 or so.  Looks like they were redesigned with 300 Ohm drivers soon after I bought them.

 
I'm pretty sure mine are unmarked too.
I looked everywhere, even with a flashlight.

I bought them in 1987 or 1988 from an authorized Sennheiser retailer.
 
What do you mean exactly by "ridged headband"?
Did you check my pics on page 1?
http://www.head-fi.org/t/670255/wow-sennheiser-hd-540-reference-are-so-good

 

[Claritas]

From the HD540 flagship to the Sennheiser Orpheous to the Sennheiser HD 800 (didn't include the other flagships of senn.) I wish sennheiser would make the HD1000 in the 10 years, or try to make another electrostat. People can dream right?

Well, you might be in luck. There's some self-described nutter called nomax who keeps interrupting the K812 thread with rumors of a new Sennheiser flagship late this year.

 

[Hairspray]

  [...] I will do some more comparisons and report my findings to this thread. I might take some photographs as well[...]

 
Great!
 

  [...] to make things clear.

 
I doubt it...

 

 

 

[2leftears]

   
What do you mean exactly by "ridged headband"?
Did you check my pics on page 1?
http://www.head-fi.org/t/670255/wow-sennheiser-hd-540-reference-are-so-good

My headband looks like yours.  I assumed Operabuff was referring to this as "ridged"?

 

[Operabuff]

My headband looks like yours.  I assumed Operabuff was referring to this as "ridged"?

Nope.

This:
http://www.wikizic.org/Sennheiser-HD-540-reference/gallery-1.htm (the first picture)
Is what I mean by ridged.
My 300 Ohm version has the same headband as your pairs.
I think the ridged ones are older, since the profile we have on our headbands matches the profile on the Reference II models.

B.r.
Patrik

 

[2leftears]

Nope.

This:
http://www.wikizic.org/Sennheiser-HD-540-reference/gallery-1.htm (the first picture)
Is what I mean by ridged.
My 300 Ohm version has the same headband as your pairs.
I think the ridged ones are older, since the profile we have on our headbands matches the profile on the Reference II models.

B.r.
Patrik

Ah, I see, than mine is not ridged!
 
Never knew early HD540s came with that headband.  It looks exactly the same as the HD430 headband apart from the padding on the pleather part.
 
Looks like Sennheiser gadually upgraded the components that make up a HD540.
 
My HD540 originally came with the same cable that the HD430 had.  A stiff steel-reinforced cable with a headphone plug that came apart for use in DIN sockets.  That cable was a nightmare! The steel reinforcement transmitted any structure-borne noise through the entire cable.  Turned the whole caboodle into a stethoscope!  That was the first thing I replaced with a later model cable, which used Kevlar instead of steel.

 

[Operabuff]

My HD540 originally came with the same cable that the HD430 had.  A stiff steel-reinforced cable with a headphone plug that came apart for use in DIN sockets.  That cable was a nightmare! The steel reinforcement transmitted any structure-borne noise through the entire cable.  Turned the whole caboodle into a stethoscope!  That was the first thing I replaced with a later model cable, which used Kevlar instead of steel.

I still use the original steel cable. And it is indeed the most microphonic cable I've ever had the misfortune of using. Sounds fine to me, though.

Nitpicking perhaps, but I would not call it steel reinforced, as the cable actually is steel - no copper here... I remember the advertisements from the time when Sennheiset changed to oxygen-free copper reinforced with Kevlar. They claimed it was/is as stong as the previous steel cable, but that copper conducted current better, which it of course does. If the current through high impedance headphones ever is strong enough to be a problem with a steel cable is another question, I guess.

The two-piece plug is interesting. By removing the 6.3 mm section, you can link several headphones to one output, or use the headphones balanced.

B.r.
Patrik

 

[2leftears]

I still use the original steel cable. And it is indeed the most microphonic cable I've ever had the misfortune of using.

Sounds fine to me, though.
 

 
Do you ever have to "wiggle" the plugs that connect to the headphones themselves?  That was another problem I had with the original cable, the contacts seemed to oxidise and intermittently cause connectivity issues.
 
But as you say, other than that the sound was fine.  With 600 Ohm drivers and 3/4 of the voice coil overhanging the magnetic gap, a couple of Ohm resistance in the cable should not be audible.

 

[Operabuff]

Do you ever have to "wiggle" the plugs that connect to the headphones themselves?  That was another problem I had with the original cable, the contacts seemed to oxidise and intermittently cause connectivity issues.

No issues with that.

I had some HD-480's previously, and no contact issues with those either (same kind of plugs).

B.r.
Patrik

 

[pkshan]

  Oh god i didn't know this thread exist. I'm blessed i still got a chance to test this sublime headphones
   
  Out of the Centrance M8 it sounds good already but still lacking some power even high gain is used. Then i changed to Marantz 5004 CDP - Bakoon 7511mk2 and the sound was mesmerizing. Very neutral, very linear, AMAZING timbre, yet sounds so natural and so musical to the point it made me lost in the music. I don't know how the Sennheiser Engineers able to made this headphones, it's a bit sad nowadays Sennheiser are moving toward a different sound.
  HD540II, truly one of the most important headphones and yet so underrated, it may not displayed ultra detailed, showing ultra clean, ultra precise or ultra trebly sounds which failed to impress some of the people, only me and the owner ( there were 6 of us that time ) that can grasp the point of HD540II
   
  This thread is awesome!
   
   
  A little off topic : how do you know your HD580 was made in germany, by looking the "Made in .... " in headband? Does it sounds different than the Ireland made one? thanks

Yes,you can find the letters in hd580 headband
 
Germany hd580 sounds fuller,smoother,linear,more relax than the 1993-95(flat name plate) Ireland made 580.
 
it has a very very pure,neutral,natural,realistic,convincing mid-range(vocal is even better than the vintage Stax electrostatic headphones)
 
the vocal has meat and blood,like a real human,the hd800/sr507's etc sound like a lifeless robot in comparision.
(the hd6xx vocal are utter garbage)
 
Probably the best vocal in dynamic cans

 

[o0CosmoMemory0o]

Through a Graham Slee Solo Ultra-Linear Diamond Edition, the HD540II is clearly a better performer than the HD540I. The difference is not fractional; it is very noticable and I don't consider the difference to just be personal taste. HD540II is just more realistic, with more immediacy and impact.

 

[o0CosmoMemory0o]

My Sennheiser Spares were delivered today. HD560IIs now have new authentic cables and earpads. Upon listening, the HD560II is neutral like the HD540II but has a slightly higher bass response and does not project a stereo image as well as the HD540II.

 

[Bostonears]

I've been a long time fan of the HD540/560 series. I've owned five or six pairs of these over the years, with the HD540 II being my favorite.
 
I just wanted to comment that all the phones in this group are very sensitive to cable changes (unlike a lot of other phones I've owned). If you have the original HD540 (i.e. HD540 I) with the stock cable which uses steel wire, you should definitely try a cable change, even if it's just to one of Sennheiser's stock copper cables. The steel wire makes the original HD540's treble sound a bit harsh compared to using a copper cable.
 
And for those of you who aren't sure if your original HD540 is 300 ohm vs. 600 ohm, even if it's not marked on the outside of your housing, the impedance is stamped into the plastic on the inside of the driver assembly. To see it, remove the earpad and the thin foam layer.