Wow! Sennheiser HD 540 Reference are so good.

[jon parker]

I ordered the HD 540 a few hours ago. Also messaged the guy on Venus Audio.

Can't wait to listen to them when they arrive...

YES!

If you get through to the guy at Venus Audio could you ask him if he would do a deal for a 2 cables?
If I buy one as well they might be a bit cheaper. Might be worth while to ask?

Really looking forward to your experience with the 540's

 

[dakanao]

YES!

If you get through to the guy at Venus Audio could you ask him if he would do a deal for a 2 cables?
If I buy one as well they might be a bit cheaper. Might be worth while to ask?

Really looking forward to your experience with the 540's

I'll ask him when he responds.

The reference Gold ones were just bought by another buyer today unfortanetly, even though I asked him that I wanna buy them 2 days ago, so I ordered the one on ebay I showed you with the original pads in excellent condition.

 

[quimbo]

The only complaint I have with Venus Audio is the time to ship. Both times i ordered a cable it was at least 3 days before they were shipped. The cables are outstanding, on the fence about getting a 3rd one. I do have a massdrop 6xx coming so maybe i should get a cable since i shaved the ends on the 2 cables i currently have

 

[quimbo]

Just received the 430 pads mentioned here - https://www.head-fi.org/threads/wow...nce-are-so-good.670255/page-135#post-14202308 - and installed them in the 250s. Initial impressions are that they sound slightly fuller.

I'll try these later tonight in the 540 Ref I to see if they also work with those

 

[sennsay]

Thank you for that reply @sennsay. I don't do a lot of detailed analysis with audio, I just know what sounds better to me in terms of switching out tubes. cables, pads, etc. Glad there are folks like you that can articulate the details.

Yes, it's an interesting experience for me, Mr quimbo, I don't actually deliberately (in general) go looking for details. Like most other things in my life, I get this overall 3/4D picture as a whole and then articulate it (if I'm able to!) so that I have hopefully a greater understanding of the bigger picture - especially if I'm asked. Usually, the overall experience when I pop the Ref1s on my head is so holistic and communicative I get lost in it and articulating it goes out the window It's only when I use gear that isn't so complete in it's communication that I start waxing lyrical .. like .. as a comparative measure. For me, it's like a fractal of the whole picture of the way I look at the world, the solar system, the universe and everything.
Anyhoo, back to the Ref1 fractal .. as a whole - oops, heh heh - I listen the way you do, articulation comes second! Spend a bit of time last night looking over the Project Ember 2.1 again, might even consider a kit, I love building stuff

 

[sennsay]

I ordered the HD 540 a few hours ago. Also messaged the guy on Venus Audio.

Can't wait to listen to them when they arrive...

Which ones? The Ref1s or the Ref Golds? You'll have a great time with either, I'm sure.

 

[sennsay]

Just received the 430 pads mentioned here - https://www.head-fi.org/threads/wow...nce-are-so-good.670255/page-135#post-14202308 - and installed them in the 250s. Initial impressions are that they sound slightly fuller.

I'll try these later tonight in the 540 Ref I to see if they also work with those

Ok ... that ought to be interesting with the Ref1s. I've thought of it, but mine don't need anymore bass!

 

[sennsay]

I'll ask him when he responds.

The reference Gold ones were just bought by another buyer today unfortanetly, even though I asked him that I wanna buy them 2 days ago, so I ordered the one on ebay I showed you with the original pads in excellent condition.

Ok, I didn't get this reply before I answered previously asking which ones you went for The HD540s look in beautiful condition. My HD430s came from him - they won't arrive for quite a while yet - he seems to only sell gear in really nice condition.

 

[sennsay]

I too messaged Venus Audio, just to clarify what they are using there. It's pretty much as I thought, so here's the guts: Venus Audio use the Mogami 2534 quad core microphone cable as standard and only the finest quality connectors, no cheap Chinese stuff, it's all Cardas, Furutech, Eidolic or Neutrik, depending on what's needed. When a customer requires the smaller 2.5mm connectors - as in my HifiMAN HE400S for example - they use the slightly thinner 2893 cable, identical construction, just a touch thinner in width.
That's it. Wonderful cable with the best connectors, what more could you ask for

 

[sennsay]

I received my Brainwavz HM5 pads for the HD6xx today. Wow, disappointment, sonically and another wow for comfort. Maybe I need to adjust to them for a while, but the bass is extended and noticeably fuller and the top end seems restricted. They actually make my Ref1s seem bass light!! And that takes some doing, since they are significantly more extended and linear than the HD6xx with stock pads.In fact the Ref1s also seem far more balanced now and open than HD6xx with HM5s, top to bottom.
There is also a point about paying for what you get, the HM5s are not identically made and the backing fabric that covers the drivers is wrinkled on one and not the other. The difference between $20AU pads and the $80 Dekoni pads which are fully tested (each pad), balanced per pair and frequency response tested.
I will have to 'sit' with them for a while and decide then what I will do further. They don't look to be an easy retrofit to the Ref1s either, too oval and the round 100mm rings stretch the back of the pads too far to be viable. I wonder if Brainwavz make a round HM5? Hmm ... I also popped the stock cable into the HD6xx to see if that might balance things up. Nope. The Mogami cable showed it's superiority to a very obvious extent.

 

[jon parker]

So you want to know who [allegedly] messed up Sennheiser and took them from one the worlds best ever made reference headphones to the HD800?
This man


Basically he is saying the 540's or maybe he meant the Ovations? (still doesn't make any sense but anyway) were analytical and cold
What on earth was he listening with ??

Sorry but iot just annoys me, especially after seeing the head of Senn. in a video recently saying they were now designing headphones for mp3 listening phone users!
Well...as long as you make money...that's the main point isn't it?

Kind of ironic that Im listening to the video using the same headphones as that lovely witchy eyes girl o_o and no I am not missing / would rather have the HD600

 

[sennsay]

Haha, there's not a snowball's chance in hell I would call my HD540 Ref1s as they are now, cold and analytical Alive, extremely communicative, holistically organic and balanced, yes. My goto headphones, absolutely!
Oh, and speaking of cold and analytical ... snort ... my HD430s should be here today or tomorrow
I did enjoy the short history of Sennheiser, though. A fuller history of their work and development would be great, maybe there's a proper doco out there somewhere?

 

[jon parker]

Oh by the way - I ordered the official replacement pads for the HD430. I haven't tried them yet on the 430!
but I did try them on the following with the results...
HD 540 Gold = No
and the HD 250 = Hell No - The German ebay pads I now realize are very VERY good for the HD250
Worse case, I have some new plastic rings I can use...they fit really well

 

[Malfunkt]

@jon parker haven’t seen this before but it does confirm what we’ve been talking about. The 540 is essentially reference neutral. Sennheiser has yet to move back to this type of sound and the closest they’ve come is the 800.

I absolutely love the 800 for what it does, and I’ll forgive its slight unnaturalness for its unmatched diffuse-field curve which imo, relaxes the overall signature while still retaining detail. In total, the 800 to me is above the 540. But it’s incredible how well the 540 competes being 30 years old! I think I need to hear even some older headphones like the HD224X and Beyerdynamic DT48

The Focal Utopia is also excellent, possibly the best and it has an intoxicating mix of analytic detail, natural harmonic and crazy imaging ability - it sounds holographic with binaural. It is 20x the cost of a used 540 though

 

[sennsay]

Oh by the way - I ordered the official replacement pads for the HD430. I haven't tried them yet on the 430!
but I did try them on the following with the results...
HD 540 Gold = No
and the HD 250 = Hell No - The German ebay pads I now realize are very VERY good for the HD250
Worse case, I have some new plastic rings I can use...they fit really well

You got new plastic rings? Pray tell, where, who, please. I could do with some more .. another set or two or three. I may have to play around with the HD250s again, I couldn't get past the mid bass thump ... so far. And new HD430 pads, eh and genuine, you say?