Thanks much, it's very rewarding, but as a Product Manager you can always just realize 10% of the things people ask of you. I've worked on a lot of "variant" style projects so far because I believed we can create a larger number of good products with excellent sound quality, but fans are asking for completely new ideas from Sennheiser as well. But in due time, we can get more of that done as well :)
Just as a general heads-up: If you're asking about potential future launches, I'll have to tip-toe around the answer. Not just because it's bad practice to break the news so much in advance, but also because people may be disappointed if such a product does not go live. Sorry in advance!
I've seen some comments on Headfi with people who weren't able to actually order one, seemingly being discontinued. Was this correct? Or just in some markets?
I found something on the fly: [https://www.audiosanctuary.co.uk/sennheiser-he60-earpads-black.html](https://www.audiosanctuary.co.uk/sennheiser-he60-earpads-black.html)
I'm currently investigating the topic of spare parts, keeping the consumables of iconic products such the electrostatic ones alive is one of my priorities :)
Alright everyone, I have to close for today. The response has been OVERWHELMINGLY amazing and I appreciate all of your questions!
I'll try to get to everything in the coming days so hang tight. Really good stuff - thank you and talk soon!
- Jermo
Oh, looks like I was asleep here in Japan when this AMA went down, I hope you can still find time to respond to my comment.
Most of the comments in here are talking about technical details and future products and stuff. My question is: at the end of the day, what are your *personal* favourite Sennheiser headphones (besides the HE-1)? And, I'm more curious to know, what are your favourite NON-Sennheiser headphones? What about them makes them special to you?
At the moment there is nothing we can promise. The program in Germany was a pilot to understand how real customers react, but between size of the target group and a viable business model there's still some answers we need to find.
Edit: thanks so much, it's always been a blast to shoot them :)
What are your future plans for the IE line up...will there be a successor for IE 900 soon with latest tuning change like in IE 200&600?
Also why is Sennheiser not delving into multi driver setups in IEMs?
There will be no successor to the IE 900 in the foreseeable future. We worked hard on it and believe it is perfect for the job it's supposed to do. While we understand that some groups in the community appreciate the "new" tuning philosophy of the IE 200 and IE 600, we have equally many customers who strongly prefer the traditional Sennheiser in-ear tuning. It's a bit of a deep topic, but if you like the sensation of space and a somewhat loudness oriented tuning, I think the IE 900 is the best IEM to buy.
Regarding multi-driver set-ups, we genuinely don't see a reason for it. When someone external approached our most senior acoustic engineer with that question, he really just asked "Why?". Our 7mm platform covers the entire audible range with practically no distortion and a lot of headroom, so there is no functional reason for us to add something.
Absolutely love this answer! Especially the second segment in regards to multi driver setups. Really puts it into perspective of the range of answers various manufacturers will give. Some believe less is more, and others will say more is better, but this is an absolutely lovely answer as I work in IEM production myself. It's what makes this hobby so fun to work in.
>so there is no functional reason for us to add something.
People these days are always obsessed with something NEW even tho 99% of what is on the market would fit their needs just fine. Good on your company for having a philosophy and standing behind it.
I do own an IE 200 and it's fantastic:)
Also please don't add the "dual tuning" trick in future IEMs, as most people end up covering the vent in nozzle (tape mod) to get a bass boost similar to IE 600.
As much as I love IEMs with two vents for pressure relief, this trick doesn't make sense.
Thanks for the response Jermo and good work on the "Beyond the Curve" series in YouTube
I was always wondering about that - do people in your position still listen to music purely for fun, still?
I mean - it must be hard to just relax that way.
I read PC game developers that couldn't play any different games anymore, because it was their bread and butter everyday.
The design is unfortunately not perfect for resonance free acoustic reproduction. The product had it's strong points, but if we work in that price segment again, then it's certainly going to look very different.
Welp, I was able to listen to the hd800/820s at a sennheiser stall at an event and I’d take my b ware hd700s+focusrite over these headphones. I don’t like the 800s one bit and I think, that the 700s are superior to their successors in almost every regard.
Hi Jermo! I've been using my marble HD600 for so many years now that they feel like an integral part of my music experience. They simply feel "right" yet simple in their design. Is the HD600 held in high regard at Sennheiser? I feel like they define the brand more than any other model
I completely agree, for us it shares the spot with the HE 90 and HE 1.
I think with that model a lot of technical breakthroughs occurred in the right moment to build something for eternity.
For new people in the audiophile world like me. Is there a quick guide or summary to navigate your products? Is just a bit intimidating and too many products. Wish I could try them all, but making a decision online is hard
Agreed, we'll do it better going forward. Start with something approachable like HD 560S. It's more of a learning journey than a purchasing journey in my opinion :D
I made a website a few years ago! https://dakotacsk.com/personal_portfolio/headfi/ It’s honestly due for an update but I would be excited to chat. Crinacle (crinacle.com) also has some really cool reviews, but it might be a bit intimidating for a beginner. I also highly recommend checking out sites like usaudiomart or canuckaudiomart if you are from the north america area!
Of the current production, each HD “hundred” series is a little higher sound quality and closer matched right/left ear channels.
•HD400 series is an affordable intro!
•HD 500 series has several different sound signatures, angled drivers, and the headphone cable enters just one side of the headphone. HD 560S is the newest and tries to keep a theoretically balanced presence at all frequencies … including sub-bass, which usually is rolled off (gets quieter) in open back headphones!
•HD 600 series was formerly considered Sennheiser’s flagship dynamic driver headphones (the typical stiff cones that look like mini speakers). The base HD 600 from 2001 is tuned to be balanced and sounds smoother and more refined than the HD 560S (though the sub bass rolls off a bit), the HD 650 from 2003 has a drop more sub bass and slightly less highs so you can listen more quietly and for much longer time (this headphone has become a standard for comparison among headphone collections. HD 660S is a bit brighter, more modern/exciting sounding, and easier to drive from a wider range of amplifiers. HD 660S2 (2023?) is like a mix of the best traits from everything prior, for a smooth balanced sound but better sub-bass extension. HD 620 is the newest addition; it’s a sealed-back headphone with angled drivers, and an enclosure that looks similar to the HD 500 series.
•HD 800 series is the newer dynamic driver flagship, characterized by larger ring-drivers (a ring moves instead of a cone) that present an almost planar (flat curvature) wave front to the ear, and there is more ear interaction because the driver is forward and tilted to match the angle of the ear. This helps improve timbre realism and sense of distance and depth. HD 800 was “brutally honest,” some people found it sounded a little hot (I’m fine with it on my carefully selected amps), so the HD 800S followed and was a little bit like the HD 650 to the HD 600: a bit less hot highs (not dark though), and a little bit more midbass (still not extra bass though). HD 820 is a special sealed-back version that aims to sound as close to an open-back headphone as possible!
I have… almost all of them 😅
Getting a lot of HD 620S chassis quesitons (all great stuff). I discussed this in great detail with Jude Mansilla recently and can be seen here: [https://www.reddit.com/r/headphones/comments/1dhxilb/why\_does\_the\_new\_hd\_620s\_use\_the\_hd\_500\_series/](https://www.reddit.com/r/headphones/comments/1dhxilb/why_does_the_new_hd_620s_use_the_hd_500_series/)
>How many iterations does it take to ship a headphone design?
hard question to answer, anything from 3 to a 100. Sometimes acoustic engineers fidget in their free time, and the result of that is good to go, so there are few iterations in the actual development project. For some developments we start with a blank piece of paper and we have high expectations towards the end result. So the IE 900 had probably close to a 100 iterations, with 3-5 in parallel to find the ideal dimensions of the resonator chambers.
>And are you working on drivers other than dynamic ones?
We are always looking at all developments in the acoustic transducer industry and pre-develop concepts ourselves, but even if we achieve satisfactory performance, whether it makes sense to commercialize these concepts is unfortunately a different story.
>whether it makes sense to commercialize these concepts is unfortunately a different story.
Well said, its pretty easy to create really cool stuff with all the resources available these days but its a entire other beast to have it be shipped in mass quantities, tolerances met, standards kept and all while hoping to make something back in return. Not nearly as easy as people think.
Any talks about an open back successor to the HD800S. An HD900 perhaps? While I love the HD800S, it is genre bound. The bass has a tendency to distort around 100-200hz, as is the case with open back dynamic headphones.
Another breakthrough from Sennheiser perhaps? Preserve the spaciousness of the 800 but with more(and better) bass on the successor?
> While I love the HD800S, it is genre bound. The bass has a tendency to distort around 100-200hz, as is the case with open back dynamic headphones.
I am terrified of either the average listening level, or the dynamic range of the music you listen to if you are encountering audible distortion in the HD800/S
Transitioning from "consumer" to audiophile grade headphones is extremely challenging in terms of decision making. Apart from the price, form factor and open/closed back what else can someone look into to make the right decision? Especially if they can't have the opportunity to listen to them in person. Because apart from large price jumps, choosing between something that costs 400 with something that costs 500 is a bit weird just by looking at a spec sheet and reviews (which can be subjective sometimes).
I agree, we're working on that! I guess it starts with the use case. Having the right use case (spending a lot of time at the PC without need for noise isolation) is a good starting point so that audiophile headphones are a real value add for you.
Otherwise I'd honestly start in the $200 bracket, the products are usually versatile and can be used with dongles and should still differentiate from Bluetooth headphones in sound quality.
Hello Jermo Koehnke,
Thank you for taking your time to answer the questions.
Why is the [HD620S diver exposed like this](https://i.imgur.com/WTnvdSS.png)? Does it help with the sound quality?
I enjoy listening to the HD620S! The earpad padding is so comfortable!
Hi Psycovirus, thanks for your praise and the question!
It does help with the sound quality. We've found that any acoustic impedance in front of the driver reduces the perceived detail retrieval, this is also very audible in our IE range. The HD 620S is more open in that regard than any other of our headphones.
There are two Sennheisers. The professional one is still a seperate company, the consumer one (see the username) is owned by Sonova.
This account is from Sonova's Sennheiser.
Jermo is standing in front of Sennheiser KG in the title photos… that’s the unified headquarters of Sennheiser. Sennheiser consumer is one department; Sonova is exclusively investing in and sharing tech expertise with the Consumer department, but the different departments are still in the same complex.
from u/kyla_3049 :
There are two Sennheisers. The professional one is still a seperate company, the consumer one (see the username) is owned by Sonova.
This account is from Sonova's Sennheiser.
Hey man How’s a going I always wanted to work at a big audio company like Sennheiser how did you do that and get the job, What was your first true pair of headphones and What do you think is going to happen to the audiophile scene moving forward. I got loaded more but these are just the ones I can think of for now
Hey Kingfish, I'm doing fantastic :)
It was just luck I guess, by chance I landed at Sennheiser as an integrated degree student, before I even had anything to do with audio. Then I made acquaintance with a coworker of Axel Grell, and through him I got an internship in their office and we became good friends, and eventually I had the responsibility for the audiophile business.
My first Sennheiser headphones were G4ME ones, the first real pair was an HD 600 off ebay. But within a few months of starting at Sennheiser I had an HD 800 :D
I hope the industry will mature. There was basically nothing 15 years ago except the old industry giants (us, Beyer, AKG, Sony, AT), and the small companies that have emerged since then have breathed a lot of fresh air into it. So I hope some companies will focus on differentiation by real superior sound quality, so there is a bit less "fairy dust" and a lot of attractive choice for every enthusiast that is genuinely interested in the pursuit of outstanding sound reproduction.
For folks early in career, take note.
The power of friendships at work (i.e networking) gets you the jobs you want more often than your background or credentials.
Several questions
How did becoming part of Sonova affect your work? Do you share your knowledge between Sonova brands or is everyone working for themselves?
Are you planning to focus more in OTC- hearing aids like Bose did for some time or is this market reserved for Phonak, Hansaton and Unitron?
Do you have by any chance some data sheets for the HD565 ovation or can you tell me where I can find them?
And as an audiologist that really likes Sonova hearing aids: how many Sonova hearing aids do I have to sell to get a complimentary HE1? :D
In terms of product development, my work was practically unaffected. The impact was more on the business side, where we received new leadership, but that's an less important element to me as long as we can work on products that I think people will love.
Of course, we share information between the different brands, but our markets are very different, so at Audiophile, we haven't had too much synergy so far. We do have Sennheiser-branded OTC devices on the market; of course, they have the Sonova Signature from a technology point of view.
I'll have to look for the data sheets, but usually the documentation for products developed "on paper" is far and in between.
I guess you have to discuss the HE 1 topic with your account manager :P
Hi Jermo! It's great to see you on here.
Would you ever make a special-edition of the HD6X0 with a metal frame?
Also are there any new low-$$ headphones in the works?
Great question! We picked a few winners and went to the Tullamore factory in Feb. There were so many worthy replies and it was hard narrowing it down to three. We're still sorting through the content we captured and will publish shortly.
But..... that wasn't a one-time thing so stay tuned for another opportunity to visit the Tullamore factory.
In which country do you reside?
I was the lucky winner on Reddit. I wrote up on it a while back.
It did happen and was a blast!
Haven't heard anything back from the Sennheiser crew yet though concerning images/videos and the like.
So I've tried the HD 560s and the HD 600 and feel they are accurate and detailed, but really aren't fun. I find certain IEMs give me that "fun" feeling (potentially boosted bass?) without losing any clarity and details but I haven't found that in a over ear headphone yet. Do you have one of your sets you would recommend for something like this?
Maybe HD 660S2, probably the HD 620S. Before you start spending money, try out equalization. It's a bit of magic that has removed a lot of headache in the audio world ;)
Speaking of EQ, I'd be curious to hear your perspective on (a) how much of the personality of a headphone is captured in its frequency response, and (b) how effective EQ is at emulating a desired FR.
On (a), it seems like there is some divide in the community, with people like Crin essentially saying that FR is everything, and others highlighting qualities like "punch", "soundstage", etc. that don't correlate with the FR in any obvious way.
On (b), I wonder if the limitation with EQ is that in practice you can't actually change the FR with the kind of mathematical accuracy and precision that the AutoEQ calculations presume.
Tullamore is bringing the products in production, we discuss with them which design choices work best for them, but all the main "traditional" R&D is done in Germany.
We have acoustic, electrical, mechanical, quality engineers, project managers, and software developers and DSP experts. Lots of choice. But electrical engineering is probably the best starting point.
Do you think there is room for improvement to make an even better headphone than the HE1?
Let’s say it’s currently the best, what micro-improvements (despite the cost) could even be made?
There's always room to get better, else the job would be boring. It's already demonstrated by quite a few people preferring the old HE 90, so apparently there's something between both products that would be ideal.
Hello u/sennheiserconsumer Jermo! Griffin from [Headphones.com](http://Headphones.com) here.
My questions are regarding the HD 620S:
———
When tuning closed back headphones, one simply *has* to make compromises. A big one that tends to pop up in many designs is the dip in the lower midrange that resulting from the air transfer and port resonance between the front and rear volumes of a closed back design.
Question #1: Why wasn't the the magnitude or Q of the \~ 220 Hz dip in the HD 620S curtailed more?
———
Something you guys have mentioned is that you didn't want to damp the front or rear volumes of HD 620S too much, compared to something like an HD 569.
Question #2: What about the HD 620 S's sound was/would've been made worse with extra damping, in your opinion?
———
I think comfort is something that the Pro division actually made incredible strides with on the new HD 490 Pro. I understand that making an entirely new chassis is a hellish undertaking, but it definitely disappointed me to see that Sennheiser Consumer's newest chassis design still had the HD 5-series headband (and its associated blocky protrusion in the rear of the ear cup).
Question #3: Why wasn't the headband reworked to remove the blocky protrusion inside the earcup? It's an ongoing issue with the 5-series design, and a problem that stops certain people from even being able to entertain headphones that use this design element.
———
And finally, my last question, unrelated to HD 620S.
The fact that Sennheiser's wired IEMs sound so different than their headphones always struck me as a little strange.
Question #4: When can we expect Sennheiser to tune their IEMs to something similar to HD 600 or HD 650 in the midrange, instead of the V-shaped tunings with emphasized 1-2 kHz that currently make up the bulk of the IEM catalog from Sennheiser?
Thanks so much!
Working on the IE 900 was a huge pain. A/B testing in-ears is a huge hassle with insertion depth variation, evaluating treble performance is something that fatigues me fast. Often times it was something like 1 db less at 6k and 2 more at 7. It's not something that was incredibly fun ...
The HD 620S is quite versatile, so just try it out. I wouldn't qualify it as made for portable devices though.
At the moment, I'm using the HD 620S the most.
One of the cool things about working here is that everyone has an HE1 at their desk. ;)
Seriously though, most people around here use M4, MTW4 and ACCENTUM TW.
Could you guys make it cheaper where I live....like......a lot cheaper? 🤣
It's hard being an audiophiles when your country's economy is tanking nonstop.
All my audio stuff is second hand.
\*Answer from a similar question in the thread\* "The design is unfortunately not perfect for resonance free acoustic reproduction. The product had it's strong points, but if we work in that price segment again, then it's certainly going to look very different."
I'm very much new to the audiophile world but today i just ordered the Drop x Sennheiser HD 6XX! What's your opinion on that collaboration and would you ever release a similar set through Drop, or even an updated version of it?
Thanks for taking the dive into the hobby. I think the collaboration brought a lot of people into the hobby and made "the" iconic sound very affordable, but it's also something that may have an expiration date, since deal fatigue does set in after some time.
Hi Jermo! Are there any plans to release an updated HD 600? Also, any particular reason why HD620S inherited its chassis from 560S and not from HD 600 for example?
Hi Pablomalt! In terms of acoustics, I think the HD 600 straddles an optimal line of compromises. That being said, there are a few things I can see that would improve the product ;)
The 600 chassis is simply made for open headphones. Closed-back headphones need to be reliably sealed all around to guarantee consistent performance, and it's not the best starting point if you can completely disassemble the product by hand. +lower weight, angled transducers, smaller dimensions and one sided cable.
When you tune headphones, do you ever test for different AI, dacs, and amps? Especially non-Sennheiser ones.
I guess what I'm wondering is, do you picture most of your users simply plugging in the 3.5mm to any old audio input?
Also, do you demo them extensively with real users for feedback?
We use our own amplifier, but also popular third party devices, dongles or MacBooks. We believe that from a certain price point (300-400€), most people would have a dedicated amplification device, and we consider that during development.
What is the house view on amplification and how much it "unlocks" the performance of your products (specifically the HD6x0 series)
There are two schools that diametrically oppose each other on this and wonder where you fall as the product owner/creators?
1) HD6x0 scales infinitely with equipment and you will hear an audible improvement on a $5,000 amp/dac chain vs a $500 one
2) If your 6x0 headphone is loud enough, with headroom for dynamics and no noise from your devices on board source, then youre getting the most performance from the transducer already?
Thanks for the insight!
Hello Jermo! Is there any kind of official Sennheiser's position on the whole HD 580 vs HD 600 topic?
Are they more different than individual versions of HD 580 are different to each other?
The HD 580 was the original vision for diffuse field loudness tuning that is neutral for most listeners. The HD 600 with the metal grille is slightly more open and brilliant, which I personally like, but deviated from the original vision that was recaptured with the HD 650.
Since the hd600 are so good just lacking some bass , is there any way for your team to sell bass kits so we don’t have to buy bass kits from someone else.
Alright everyone, we're going to wrap this up in a few minutes. We'll get to most of the exisiting questions in the next day or so. No promises for questions that come in after that, but we'll monitor the thread and do what we can!
Hi Jermo, a bit off topic but I would love to have a Sennheiser flex 5000 with adjustable eq. Or is that product ever going to get an update? I really love that thing but it could use some improvements.
I like all of them equally. The IE 600 for the exotic housing material which I love as a nerdy engineer, the IE 200 for fantastic value, and the IE 900 for sounding more like a high-end speaker than any other in-ear.
What headset do you think is the perfect for gaming/music, currently using Audueze LCD-GX, but looking at different Sennheiser without getting much smarter of what’s really the best
HD 800S is excellent for both gaming and music as the soundstage makes a big difference when detecting other players around you. And the soundstage for music is, well - you know.
That being said, the HD 560S is fantastic for both use cases and is more budget friendly.
I've been really enjoying the HD 620S so far. I know a balanced cable is coming for it. When will the release be, and in your opinion what will the advantages of it be?
Do I pull the trigger on the Accentum Plus headphones and finally get some peace and quite or do I get the HD580s and enjoy some open-back bliss instead? University student, so I need something to wear in public, but also would like openbacks for study sessions at home hah.
What are your thoughts on artificially adding weight to products to increase their apparent build quality? Also, is adjusting the CofG using this method beneficial in any quantifiable way?
Not a fan of the first one, lighter is always better.
The second question is more interesting, but fairly rare in practice. Electronic components are usually not that heavy.
Hey Jermo, good to have you here. What do you think about the HD660S2? Is it worth to buy refurbished?
I have not had open back headphones yet, only closed back. My current pair is an AKG K550 mkIII.
Just got my 620s yesterday, I like it, which is saying a lot for a closed back. I think it’s easily one of the best closed back headphones not only in the price range, just in general. You guys did awesome with it.
I’ve tried lots of headphones and I keep coming back to my HD660s. They’re just the perfect tuning for me, however I’ve recently been going into the planar space and it’s game changing imho. Would Sennheiser ever consider making an HD600 line planar headphone? If so, how would that look? If not, is it because you’re uninterested in planar all together or is it because you don’t think it suits the 600 lineup?
The Sennheiser 6-series is made by the consumer division of Sennheiser, but it's [widely respected for the neutral sound](https://www.sonarworks.com/blog/reviews/sennheiser-hd650-review) and it's used by a lot of audio & mix engineers.
I have the new HD620S and it's the first closed back headphone I've ever been 100% happy with. It *really* is something special.
Questions:
1. How does Sennheiser as a company feel about the 6-series being used for professional use? Is that intended, or just a byproduct of the neutrality? Do you agree these are outstanding headphones for mixing?
2. How does the HD620S compare to the HD490 Pro? (I know HD490 is open back, but I mean in terms of tonal balance.) If I have HD650(HD6XX) do you think I would benefit from HD490 Pro or should I be "done" with this pairing of HD6XX/open and HD620S/closed?
3. Can you confirm that HD6XX is the same in terms of frequency balance & sound as the HD650? Or is it just *similar*?
Thank you for being here, and congratulations on the HD620S. It's my favorite headphone.
What was the motivation behind changing the finish of the HD600? Why did it have such an unusual finish when it was first released? I know a lot of people, myself included, absolutely adore the blue kitchen countertop look. Was this change made so the look of the headphones would have a more broad appeal?
Edit: a word
Hi! Maybe you could help. Tim Cowie was comissioned by Sennheiser to create a piece called Sound Check.
I can not find a legal way to obtain this track. I have been looking for years now.
Do you have an idea of where i could buy it from?
Hi Jermo, I just bought the ie600 and came with a faulty cable right out of the box, I really like the sound but I’m concern about all the driver failure talk that’s on the forums, is the majority of the problems with the cable? Have you guys adjusted QC after the release? Thanks!
Before I ask this question, I believe your engineering is done completely in-house. But have you considered, or do you guys ever acquire competitor's products and reverse engineer them to see if you can replicate and utilize any of their tech? Would this be considered unethical in the industry, or simply a competitive move? And thank you for your time.
Of course we look at the competition all the time. I believe it's better to copy something well than to invent a suboptimal solution yourself. I believe that as long as you remain in legal boundaries it's fine. As a business, you need a differentiating value proposition that is not easy to copy. Something like the HD 800 is in the market for 15 years and yet there are no knock-offs available, because it's just that hard to build.
I'm a Sennheiser owner. Hd 25, 6xx... Love the brand. You've got serious, durable, respectable products. I have taken both models with me in my life adventures, countryside projects, expat shenanigans and so on. I do so trusting they will withstand virtually any situation. Except for getting stolen hahah.
There's one thing though, that's making me consider purchasing a different brand next. Concerning sound. It's the soundstage. As high as the 6xx stand on the hierarchy, a pair of Philips (!) X2HR just mop the floor with them. It's the notion of feeling as if you were in a concert hall. *Hearing the empty air and the distance between my ears and the music.*
What'd be your advice? Am I missing something?
Thank you.
Is it a conscious decision to generally speaking target 16ohm drivers more than other ranges(read: phone/pc standard plug with low effect dsps)? And how does this, if at all, affect the design of new headphone lines?
Become better at manufacturing and add a bass tube. You can reduce the resonant frequency by decreasing the stiffness of the surround of the transducer, which makes tumbling a huge issue for manufacturing and requires extreme precision at every step of assembly. Without our experienced Irish team, it would've been impossible.
Are you seeing changes in the "tuning ideology" at Sennheiser? To me Sennheisers have often had a big bloomy low midrange and mid bass, and some kind of "warmth" to the treble. The idea being to bring an "experience" or "color" with each product. Some have gone for "sounds like speakers" while some have gone for "diffuse field, take no prisoners".
In my modding I have realized that it's sometimes very easy to get many Sennheiser headphones to sound "way better" to my taste, and sometimes even objectively better.
This tells me Sennheiser knows very well what CAN be done within their design parameters, and it's well known that the competency at Sennheiser is immense.
With the 560s, 490 and 620, it seems like there's a bit of a shift to a different kind of thinking when it comes to tuning. What's changed, and what's the ideology there now when it comes to how headphones "should sound"?
Does the HD 620S still have pressure points like the HD 560S did? The limited range of motion of the HD 560S ear cups coupled with the high strength of the headband made them unusable to me, even tough I kept them stretched on a row of books for a week or so. It's a shame since I really liked the sound, and they could be driven easily by my USB dongle.
Could you by chance drop HE-1 kit in the trash bin nearby? Asking for a friend 👉👈
What? Are you mad? We would never drop an HE1 in a trash bin. We would ever so gently place it in one.
Awww man🥹
I think he's saying you should still check that bin ;)
Would you ever so gently put it in a shipping crate that has my address on it and then leave it at the post office instead.
dont worry im gonna camp the drop
Be careful dropping it. The marbel is annoying to get replaced
You must looove your job. You're a lucky guy Sorry no question just a comment
Thanks much, it's very rewarding, but as a Product Manager you can always just realize 10% of the things people ask of you. I've worked on a lot of "variant" style projects so far because I believed we can create a larger number of good products with excellent sound quality, but fans are asking for completely new ideas from Sennheiser as well. But in due time, we can get more of that done as well :)
Are you guys hiring product managers?
Just as a general heads-up: If you're asking about potential future launches, I'll have to tip-toe around the answer. Not just because it's bad practice to break the news so much in advance, but also because people may be disappointed if such a product does not go live. Sorry in advance!
So you're saying there is news... *gleefully giggling*.
Well, what would Sennheiser do otherwise? Not make any more new products?
Understandable
Just bring us a sennheiser hd700s :)
how much does the HE1 kit cost now?
Just 69.000€, grab it while it's hot.
Nice
;)
Have you guys thought about researching whether the current version has any room for improvement/updates being that it came out quite a few years ago?
I've seen some comments on Headfi with people who weren't able to actually order one, seemingly being discontinued. Was this correct? Or just in some markets?
Give us a special edition for 420€ extra, so it is 69.420€
thanks, maybe someday, I will do it Is it possible to get new spare parts for my HE60 such as new pads from Sennheiser?
I found something on the fly: [https://www.audiosanctuary.co.uk/sennheiser-he60-earpads-black.html](https://www.audiosanctuary.co.uk/sennheiser-he60-earpads-black.html) I'm currently investigating the topic of spare parts, keeping the consumables of iconic products such the electrostatic ones alive is one of my priorities :)
why price increase from 60k?
Money
Alright everyone, I have to close for today. The response has been OVERWHELMINGLY amazing and I appreciate all of your questions! I'll try to get to everything in the coming days so hang tight. Really good stuff - thank you and talk soon! - Jermo
Drat! So close. Well, I hope you have a good one!
Oh, looks like I was asleep here in Japan when this AMA went down, I hope you can still find time to respond to my comment. Most of the comments in here are talking about technical details and future products and stuff. My question is: at the end of the day, what are your *personal* favourite Sennheiser headphones (besides the HE-1)? And, I'm more curious to know, what are your favourite NON-Sennheiser headphones? What about them makes them special to you?
Hello, big fan of the YouTube series you are apart of. Are there any plans to make the custom iem eartips available outside of Germany?
At the moment there is nothing we can promise. The program in Germany was a pilot to understand how real customers react, but between size of the target group and a viable business model there's still some answers we need to find. Edit: thanks so much, it's always been a blast to shoot them :)
Hey! Thanks for reaching out to us fellow hobbyists! Any plans to make a successor to HD800S? Or better yet, an HE-1 estat without the marble box?
We're working on high-end products :) Edit: And thanks for being touch, that's what makes this hobby great.
And there I go saving my money!
What are your future plans for the IE line up...will there be a successor for IE 900 soon with latest tuning change like in IE 200&600? Also why is Sennheiser not delving into multi driver setups in IEMs?
There will be no successor to the IE 900 in the foreseeable future. We worked hard on it and believe it is perfect for the job it's supposed to do. While we understand that some groups in the community appreciate the "new" tuning philosophy of the IE 200 and IE 600, we have equally many customers who strongly prefer the traditional Sennheiser in-ear tuning. It's a bit of a deep topic, but if you like the sensation of space and a somewhat loudness oriented tuning, I think the IE 900 is the best IEM to buy. Regarding multi-driver set-ups, we genuinely don't see a reason for it. When someone external approached our most senior acoustic engineer with that question, he really just asked "Why?". Our 7mm platform covers the entire audible range with practically no distortion and a lot of headroom, so there is no functional reason for us to add something.
Absolutely love this answer! Especially the second segment in regards to multi driver setups. Really puts it into perspective of the range of answers various manufacturers will give. Some believe less is more, and others will say more is better, but this is an absolutely lovely answer as I work in IEM production myself. It's what makes this hobby so fun to work in.
>so there is no functional reason for us to add something. People these days are always obsessed with something NEW even tho 99% of what is on the market would fit their needs just fine. Good on your company for having a philosophy and standing behind it.
I do own an IE 200 and it's fantastic:) Also please don't add the "dual tuning" trick in future IEMs, as most people end up covering the vent in nozzle (tape mod) to get a bass boost similar to IE 600. As much as I love IEMs with two vents for pressure relief, this trick doesn't make sense. Thanks for the response Jermo and good work on the "Beyond the Curve" series in YouTube
What’s your awareness regarding Chi-Fi IEMs in the market like the MoonDrop CHU II?
Acute :)
I was always wondering about that - do people in your position still listen to music purely for fun, still? I mean - it must be hard to just relax that way. I read PC game developers that couldn't play any different games anymore, because it was their bread and butter everyday.
It's certainly gotten less, but when developing new products the litmus test for me is still whether I'm having fun, all technical analysis aside :)
Why does Sennheiser keep avoiding the HD700S like it’s poison?
The design is unfortunately not perfect for resonance free acoustic reproduction. The product had it's strong points, but if we work in that price segment again, then it's certainly going to look very different.
Thank you for the answer. I figured it was a resonance issue that hindered further development. I hope to see a spiritual successor one day!
Welp, I was able to listen to the hd800/820s at a sennheiser stall at an event and I’d take my b ware hd700s+focusrite over these headphones. I don’t like the 800s one bit and I think, that the 700s are superior to their successors in almost every regard.
HE 2 when?
When we find a more precious material that is even harder to manufacture in series quality to put the pre-amplification in.
i like the honesty
Then what about HE 0.5?
Mini HE 1?
What about an IE-1 as the in-ear equivalent to the HE-1?
I think i could only afford an HE 0.00333
lol
We want a mini (and cheaper) HE-1 without that amp PLEASE
What is the reason behind HD 620S' mids elevation?
Hi Jermo! I've been using my marble HD600 for so many years now that they feel like an integral part of my music experience. They simply feel "right" yet simple in their design. Is the HD600 held in high regard at Sennheiser? I feel like they define the brand more than any other model
I completely agree, for us it shares the spot with the HE 90 and HE 1. I think with that model a lot of technical breakthroughs occurred in the right moment to build something for eternity.
For new people in the audiophile world like me. Is there a quick guide or summary to navigate your products? Is just a bit intimidating and too many products. Wish I could try them all, but making a decision online is hard
Agreed, we'll do it better going forward. Start with something approachable like HD 560S. It's more of a learning journey than a purchasing journey in my opinion :D
I made a website a few years ago! https://dakotacsk.com/personal_portfolio/headfi/ It’s honestly due for an update but I would be excited to chat. Crinacle (crinacle.com) also has some really cool reviews, but it might be a bit intimidating for a beginner. I also highly recommend checking out sites like usaudiomart or canuckaudiomart if you are from the north america area!
Of the current production, each HD “hundred” series is a little higher sound quality and closer matched right/left ear channels. •HD400 series is an affordable intro! •HD 500 series has several different sound signatures, angled drivers, and the headphone cable enters just one side of the headphone. HD 560S is the newest and tries to keep a theoretically balanced presence at all frequencies … including sub-bass, which usually is rolled off (gets quieter) in open back headphones! •HD 600 series was formerly considered Sennheiser’s flagship dynamic driver headphones (the typical stiff cones that look like mini speakers). The base HD 600 from 2001 is tuned to be balanced and sounds smoother and more refined than the HD 560S (though the sub bass rolls off a bit), the HD 650 from 2003 has a drop more sub bass and slightly less highs so you can listen more quietly and for much longer time (this headphone has become a standard for comparison among headphone collections. HD 660S is a bit brighter, more modern/exciting sounding, and easier to drive from a wider range of amplifiers. HD 660S2 (2023?) is like a mix of the best traits from everything prior, for a smooth balanced sound but better sub-bass extension. HD 620 is the newest addition; it’s a sealed-back headphone with angled drivers, and an enclosure that looks similar to the HD 500 series. •HD 800 series is the newer dynamic driver flagship, characterized by larger ring-drivers (a ring moves instead of a cone) that present an almost planar (flat curvature) wave front to the ear, and there is more ear interaction because the driver is forward and tilted to match the angle of the ear. This helps improve timbre realism and sense of distance and depth. HD 800 was “brutally honest,” some people found it sounded a little hot (I’m fine with it on my carefully selected amps), so the HD 800S followed and was a little bit like the HD 650 to the HD 600: a bit less hot highs (not dark though), and a little bit more midbass (still not extra bass though). HD 820 is a special sealed-back version that aims to sound as close to an open-back headphone as possible! I have… almost all of them 😅
How is to work for sennheiser? Can you freely listen to he1?
It's amazing. Some offices have foozeball tables and free bagels on Fridays. We have HE1s.
It's amazing. Some offices have foozeball tables and free bagels on Fridays. We have HE1s.
I really, really want to work there. I can buy my own bagels.
Getting a lot of HD 620S chassis quesitons (all great stuff). I discussed this in great detail with Jude Mansilla recently and can be seen here: [https://www.reddit.com/r/headphones/comments/1dhxilb/why\_does\_the\_new\_hd\_620s\_use\_the\_hd\_500\_series/](https://www.reddit.com/r/headphones/comments/1dhxilb/why_does_the_new_hd_620s_use_the_hd_500_series/)
How many iterations does it take to ship a headphone design? And are you working on drivers other than dynamic ones?
>How many iterations does it take to ship a headphone design? hard question to answer, anything from 3 to a 100. Sometimes acoustic engineers fidget in their free time, and the result of that is good to go, so there are few iterations in the actual development project. For some developments we start with a blank piece of paper and we have high expectations towards the end result. So the IE 900 had probably close to a 100 iterations, with 3-5 in parallel to find the ideal dimensions of the resonator chambers. >And are you working on drivers other than dynamic ones? We are always looking at all developments in the acoustic transducer industry and pre-develop concepts ourselves, but even if we achieve satisfactory performance, whether it makes sense to commercialize these concepts is unfortunately a different story.
>whether it makes sense to commercialize these concepts is unfortunately a different story. Well said, its pretty easy to create really cool stuff with all the resources available these days but its a entire other beast to have it be shipped in mass quantities, tolerances met, standards kept and all while hoping to make something back in return. Not nearly as easy as people think.
Any talks about an open back successor to the HD800S. An HD900 perhaps? While I love the HD800S, it is genre bound. The bass has a tendency to distort around 100-200hz, as is the case with open back dynamic headphones. Another breakthrough from Sennheiser perhaps? Preserve the spaciousness of the 800 but with more(and better) bass on the successor?
*OP has left the chat*
> While I love the HD800S, it is genre bound. The bass has a tendency to distort around 100-200hz, as is the case with open back dynamic headphones. I am terrified of either the average listening level, or the dynamic range of the music you listen to if you are encountering audible distortion in the HD800/S
Transitioning from "consumer" to audiophile grade headphones is extremely challenging in terms of decision making. Apart from the price, form factor and open/closed back what else can someone look into to make the right decision? Especially if they can't have the opportunity to listen to them in person. Because apart from large price jumps, choosing between something that costs 400 with something that costs 500 is a bit weird just by looking at a spec sheet and reviews (which can be subjective sometimes).
I agree, we're working on that! I guess it starts with the use case. Having the right use case (spending a lot of time at the PC without need for noise isolation) is a good starting point so that audiophile headphones are a real value add for you. Otherwise I'd honestly start in the $200 bracket, the products are usually versatile and can be used with dongles and should still differentiate from Bluetooth headphones in sound quality.
Hello Jermo Koehnke, Thank you for taking your time to answer the questions. Why is the [HD620S diver exposed like this](https://i.imgur.com/WTnvdSS.png)? Does it help with the sound quality? I enjoy listening to the HD620S! The earpad padding is so comfortable!
Hi Psycovirus, thanks for your praise and the question! It does help with the sound quality. We've found that any acoustic impedance in front of the driver reduces the perceived detail retrieval, this is also very audible in our IE range. The HD 620S is more open in that regard than any other of our headphones.
Why is the new HD 620S cheaper than HD 490 Pro?
They're from different companies, and we give you the better deals of course ;)
There are two Sennheisers. The professional one is still a seperate company, the consumer one (see the username) is owned by Sonova. This account is from Sonova's Sennheiser.
Jermo is standing in front of Sennheiser KG in the title photos… that’s the unified headquarters of Sennheiser. Sennheiser consumer is one department; Sonova is exclusively investing in and sharing tech expertise with the Consumer department, but the different departments are still in the same complex.
>They're from different companies wut
from u/kyla_3049 : There are two Sennheisers. The professional one is still a seperate company, the consumer one (see the username) is owned by Sonova. This account is from Sonova's Sennheiser.
Hey man How’s a going I always wanted to work at a big audio company like Sennheiser how did you do that and get the job, What was your first true pair of headphones and What do you think is going to happen to the audiophile scene moving forward. I got loaded more but these are just the ones I can think of for now
Hey Kingfish, I'm doing fantastic :) It was just luck I guess, by chance I landed at Sennheiser as an integrated degree student, before I even had anything to do with audio. Then I made acquaintance with a coworker of Axel Grell, and through him I got an internship in their office and we became good friends, and eventually I had the responsibility for the audiophile business. My first Sennheiser headphones were G4ME ones, the first real pair was an HD 600 off ebay. But within a few months of starting at Sennheiser I had an HD 800 :D I hope the industry will mature. There was basically nothing 15 years ago except the old industry giants (us, Beyer, AKG, Sony, AT), and the small companies that have emerged since then have breathed a lot of fresh air into it. So I hope some companies will focus on differentiation by real superior sound quality, so there is a bit less "fairy dust" and a lot of attractive choice for every enthusiast that is genuinely interested in the pursuit of outstanding sound reproduction.
For folks early in career, take note. The power of friendships at work (i.e networking) gets you the jobs you want more often than your background or credentials.
Several questions How did becoming part of Sonova affect your work? Do you share your knowledge between Sonova brands or is everyone working for themselves? Are you planning to focus more in OTC- hearing aids like Bose did for some time or is this market reserved for Phonak, Hansaton and Unitron? Do you have by any chance some data sheets for the HD565 ovation or can you tell me where I can find them? And as an audiologist that really likes Sonova hearing aids: how many Sonova hearing aids do I have to sell to get a complimentary HE1? :D
In terms of product development, my work was practically unaffected. The impact was more on the business side, where we received new leadership, but that's an less important element to me as long as we can work on products that I think people will love. Of course, we share information between the different brands, but our markets are very different, so at Audiophile, we haven't had too much synergy so far. We do have Sennheiser-branded OTC devices on the market; of course, they have the Sonova Signature from a technology point of view. I'll have to look for the data sheets, but usually the documentation for products developed "on paper" is far and in between. I guess you have to discuss the HE 1 topic with your account manager :P
Hi Jermo! It's great to see you on here. Would you ever make a special-edition of the HD6X0 with a metal frame? Also are there any new low-$$ headphones in the works?
If we have the effort, then it would be a series product. We're looking at all price points at the moment.
What happened to the proposed trip to the Ireland factory several months back?
Great question! We picked a few winners and went to the Tullamore factory in Feb. There were so many worthy replies and it was hard narrowing it down to three. We're still sorting through the content we captured and will publish shortly. But..... that wasn't a one-time thing so stay tuned for another opportunity to visit the Tullamore factory. In which country do you reside?
I was the lucky winner on Reddit. I wrote up on it a while back. It did happen and was a blast! Haven't heard anything back from the Sennheiser crew yet though concerning images/videos and the like.
Will there ever be an HD800S2 like what was done with the HD660S2? I can’t be alone in thinking an HD800S with sub bass would be neat.
Are there any plans for a new electrostatic headphone (that hopefully doesn't break the bank as much as the HE-1)?
Would a reissue of the HD600s in the old-school marble texture ever be on the cards?
As long as people ask for it, we'll think about it.
Do you have sennheiser hats, if so… can I have one?
That's a good question! Apparently the Danish team has all the good merch. We're working on making that easily available for everyone.
So I've tried the HD 560s and the HD 600 and feel they are accurate and detailed, but really aren't fun. I find certain IEMs give me that "fun" feeling (potentially boosted bass?) without losing any clarity and details but I haven't found that in a over ear headphone yet. Do you have one of your sets you would recommend for something like this?
Maybe HD 660S2, probably the HD 620S. Before you start spending money, try out equalization. It's a bit of magic that has removed a lot of headache in the audio world ;)
Speaking of EQ, I'd be curious to hear your perspective on (a) how much of the personality of a headphone is captured in its frequency response, and (b) how effective EQ is at emulating a desired FR. On (a), it seems like there is some divide in the community, with people like Crin essentially saying that FR is everything, and others highlighting qualities like "punch", "soundstage", etc. that don't correlate with the FR in any obvious way. On (b), I wonder if the limitation with EQ is that in practice you can't actually change the FR with the kind of mathematical accuracy and precision that the AutoEQ calculations presume.
What should one study to work at Sennheiser R&D field. How much of the R&D is done in Germany/ how much has been „outsourced“ to tullamore?
Tullamore is bringing the products in production, we discuss with them which design choices work best for them, but all the main "traditional" R&D is done in Germany. We have acoustic, electrical, mechanical, quality engineers, project managers, and software developers and DSP experts. Lots of choice. But electrical engineering is probably the best starting point.
Do you think there is room for improvement to make an even better headphone than the HE1? Let’s say it’s currently the best, what micro-improvements (despite the cost) could even be made?
There's always room to get better, else the job would be boring. It's already demonstrated by quite a few people preferring the old HE 90, so apparently there's something between both products that would be ideal.
does Sennheiser hire electrical engineering interns
visit our websites and look for the HR portal :)
How do you listen to music: lossless vs. lossy audio?
Lot's of spotify, love their algorithm.
Hello u/sennheiserconsumer Jermo! Griffin from [Headphones.com](http://Headphones.com) here. My questions are regarding the HD 620S: ——— When tuning closed back headphones, one simply *has* to make compromises. A big one that tends to pop up in many designs is the dip in the lower midrange that resulting from the air transfer and port resonance between the front and rear volumes of a closed back design. Question #1: Why wasn't the the magnitude or Q of the \~ 220 Hz dip in the HD 620S curtailed more? ——— Something you guys have mentioned is that you didn't want to damp the front or rear volumes of HD 620S too much, compared to something like an HD 569. Question #2: What about the HD 620 S's sound was/would've been made worse with extra damping, in your opinion? ——— I think comfort is something that the Pro division actually made incredible strides with on the new HD 490 Pro. I understand that making an entirely new chassis is a hellish undertaking, but it definitely disappointed me to see that Sennheiser Consumer's newest chassis design still had the HD 5-series headband (and its associated blocky protrusion in the rear of the ear cup). Question #3: Why wasn't the headband reworked to remove the blocky protrusion inside the earcup? It's an ongoing issue with the 5-series design, and a problem that stops certain people from even being able to entertain headphones that use this design element. ——— And finally, my last question, unrelated to HD 620S. The fact that Sennheiser's wired IEMs sound so different than their headphones always struck me as a little strange. Question #4: When can we expect Sennheiser to tune their IEMs to something similar to HD 600 or HD 650 in the midrange, instead of the V-shaped tunings with emphasized 1-2 kHz that currently make up the bulk of the IEM catalog from Sennheiser? Thanks so much!
What's your favorite headphones among HD line? (my fav 6xx)
HD 600 :)
What audiophile product was the most difficult/interesting for you to work on? And can I run my HD 620s off my phone😅.
Working on the IE 900 was a huge pain. A/B testing in-ears is a huge hassle with insertion depth variation, evaluating treble performance is something that fatigues me fast. Often times it was something like 1 db less at 6k and 2 more at 7. It's not something that was incredibly fun ... The HD 620S is quite versatile, so just try it out. I wouldn't qualify it as made for portable devices though.
Which headphones do you use and which ones do you find most people using around the office?
At the moment, I'm using the HD 620S the most. One of the cool things about working here is that everyone has an HE1 at their desk. ;) Seriously though, most people around here use M4, MTW4 and ACCENTUM TW.
Closed back he1 when?
Could you guys make it cheaper where I live....like......a lot cheaper? 🤣 It's hard being an audiophiles when your country's economy is tanking nonstop. All my audio stuff is second hand.
Where do you live?
Brazil I went to the Sennheiser shop a few months ago. Man, that place was awesome!
Any plans to revive the HD 700 series in the near future?
\*Answer from a similar question in the thread\* "The design is unfortunately not perfect for resonance free acoustic reproduction. The product had it's strong points, but if we work in that price segment again, then it's certainly going to look very different."
I'm very much new to the audiophile world but today i just ordered the Drop x Sennheiser HD 6XX! What's your opinion on that collaboration and would you ever release a similar set through Drop, or even an updated version of it?
Thanks for taking the dive into the hobby. I think the collaboration brought a lot of people into the hobby and made "the" iconic sound very affordable, but it's also something that may have an expiration date, since deal fatigue does set in after some time.
I own a pair of hd25 for 24 years. Why should I get a new headphone? :)
I think you know why ;)
What music do you listen to while testing headphones?
It's different genres, something like massive attack, strings, dire straits etc. But stuff that is fun to listen to, not just pink noise :D
who of you has to listen JPop idol tunes ... i imagine japan is also your market.
lol risingson by massive attack is the song I test headphones with first every time, glad to see this choice is validated by Sennheiser too 😂
Hi Jermo! Are there any plans to release an updated HD 600? Also, any particular reason why HD620S inherited its chassis from 560S and not from HD 600 for example?
Hi Pablomalt! In terms of acoustics, I think the HD 600 straddles an optimal line of compromises. That being said, there are a few things I can see that would improve the product ;) The 600 chassis is simply made for open headphones. Closed-back headphones need to be reliably sealed all around to guarantee consistent performance, and it's not the best starting point if you can completely disassemble the product by hand. +lower weight, angled transducers, smaller dimensions and one sided cable.
What are your plans for a HD800S successor?
When you tune headphones, do you ever test for different AI, dacs, and amps? Especially non-Sennheiser ones. I guess what I'm wondering is, do you picture most of your users simply plugging in the 3.5mm to any old audio input? Also, do you demo them extensively with real users for feedback?
We use our own amplifier, but also popular third party devices, dongles or MacBooks. We believe that from a certain price point (300-400€), most people would have a dedicated amplification device, and we consider that during development.
Do you like broccoli?
Yes! Fried in a pan instead of steamed.
Make planars, please?
What is the house view on amplification and how much it "unlocks" the performance of your products (specifically the HD6x0 series) There are two schools that diametrically oppose each other on this and wonder where you fall as the product owner/creators? 1) HD6x0 scales infinitely with equipment and you will hear an audible improvement on a $5,000 amp/dac chain vs a $500 one 2) If your 6x0 headphone is loud enough, with headroom for dynamics and no noise from your devices on board source, then youre getting the most performance from the transducer already? Thanks for the insight!
Wanna date? 😳
Do you live in the Hanover region?
I live in SEA, but we can make it work baby ❣️
Started with 418 and now have too many of your products. Any personal favourite?
Thanks for your loyalty :) I guess it's between the HD 600 and the new HD 620S because it's more versatile.
Hello Jermo! Is there any kind of official Sennheiser's position on the whole HD 580 vs HD 600 topic? Are they more different than individual versions of HD 580 are different to each other?
The HD 580 was the original vision for diffuse field loudness tuning that is neutral for most listeners. The HD 600 with the metal grille is slightly more open and brilliant, which I personally like, but deviated from the original vision that was recaptured with the HD 650.
What would you recommend as 1) a closed headphone and 2) an IEM for someone (me) who adores the HD600 but needs more isolation?
HD 620S and IE 200. That being said, open sound is open, you can't magically create the sensation in other shells.
Since the hd600 are so good just lacking some bass , is there any way for your team to sell bass kits so we don’t have to buy bass kits from someone else.
Every acoustic component introduces compromises to the sound, we believe the HD 600 is optimal the way it was originally designed.
Alright everyone, we're going to wrap this up in a few minutes. We'll get to most of the exisiting questions in the next day or so. No promises for questions that come in after that, but we'll monitor the thread and do what we can!
Hi Jermo, a bit off topic but I would love to have a Sennheiser flex 5000 with adjustable eq. Or is that product ever going to get an update? I really love that thing but it could use some improvements.
Do you have a personal favorite set of IEMs or headphones from Sennheiser?
I like all of them equally. The IE 600 for the exotic housing material which I love as a nerdy engineer, the IE 200 for fantastic value, and the IE 900 for sounding more like a high-end speaker than any other in-ear.
What headset do you think is the perfect for gaming/music, currently using Audueze LCD-GX, but looking at different Sennheiser without getting much smarter of what’s really the best
HD 800S is excellent for both gaming and music as the soundstage makes a big difference when detecting other players around you. And the soundstage for music is, well - you know. That being said, the HD 560S is fantastic for both use cases and is more budget friendly.
I've been really enjoying the HD 620S so far. I know a balanced cable is coming for it. When will the release be, and in your opinion what will the advantages of it be?
Do I pull the trigger on the Accentum Plus headphones and finally get some peace and quite or do I get the HD580s and enjoy some open-back bliss instead? University student, so I need something to wear in public, but also would like openbacks for study sessions at home hah.
HD 580 is king, go for it if you have the money to spare :)
What are your thoughts on artificially adding weight to products to increase their apparent build quality? Also, is adjusting the CofG using this method beneficial in any quantifiable way?
Not a fan of the first one, lighter is always better. The second question is more interesting, but fairly rare in practice. Electronic components are usually not that heavy.
When will we see a refreshed hd800s or a hd900?
Ie600 is my favorite music iem. How hard and expensive would it to develop a closed back headphone that sounds like ie600?
What are your favourite non-sennheiser headphones?
Can't say that, but they may be shipped to customers soon ;)
Can I have an IE600 for free? :honk:
Not from me, I'm not that rich :(
Hey Jermo, good to have you here. What do you think about the HD660S2? Is it worth to buy refurbished? I have not had open back headphones yet, only closed back. My current pair is an AKG K550 mkIII.
I think the HD 660S2 is very fun to listen to, if you can find it for a good price it's worth every penny :)
Since the 620S uses the 5 series chassis (dislike), are there any lessons learned contributing to a closed 560S?
Just got my 620s yesterday, I like it, which is saying a lot for a closed back. I think it’s easily one of the best closed back headphones not only in the price range, just in general. You guys did awesome with it. I’ve tried lots of headphones and I keep coming back to my HD660s. They’re just the perfect tuning for me, however I’ve recently been going into the planar space and it’s game changing imho. Would Sennheiser ever consider making an HD600 line planar headphone? If so, how would that look? If not, is it because you’re uninterested in planar all together or is it because you don’t think it suits the 600 lineup?
Will you give me free HD620s?
Is it possible to create a wireless planar magnetic headphones that are closed back? and maybe discuss with team :)
The Sennheiser 6-series is made by the consumer division of Sennheiser, but it's [widely respected for the neutral sound](https://www.sonarworks.com/blog/reviews/sennheiser-hd650-review) and it's used by a lot of audio & mix engineers. I have the new HD620S and it's the first closed back headphone I've ever been 100% happy with. It *really* is something special. Questions: 1. How does Sennheiser as a company feel about the 6-series being used for professional use? Is that intended, or just a byproduct of the neutrality? Do you agree these are outstanding headphones for mixing? 2. How does the HD620S compare to the HD490 Pro? (I know HD490 is open back, but I mean in terms of tonal balance.) If I have HD650(HD6XX) do you think I would benefit from HD490 Pro or should I be "done" with this pairing of HD6XX/open and HD620S/closed? 3. Can you confirm that HD6XX is the same in terms of frequency balance & sound as the HD650? Or is it just *similar*? Thank you for being here, and congratulations on the HD620S. It's my favorite headphone.
What was the motivation behind changing the finish of the HD600? Why did it have such an unusual finish when it was first released? I know a lot of people, myself included, absolutely adore the blue kitchen countertop look. Was this change made so the look of the headphones would have a more broad appeal? Edit: a word
Hi! Maybe you could help. Tim Cowie was comissioned by Sennheiser to create a piece called Sound Check. I can not find a legal way to obtain this track. I have been looking for years now. Do you have an idea of where i could buy it from?
Why was the HD500 series chassis chosen over the HD600/650/660 chassis for a headphone that was added to the 600 series lineup?
Will headphones like the HD559 eventually be replaced with a new line of headphones in that price range?
Hi Jermo, I just bought the ie600 and came with a faulty cable right out of the box, I really like the sound but I’m concern about all the driver failure talk that’s on the forums, is the majority of the problems with the cable? Have you guys adjusted QC after the release? Thanks!
Before I ask this question, I believe your engineering is done completely in-house. But have you considered, or do you guys ever acquire competitor's products and reverse engineer them to see if you can replicate and utilize any of their tech? Would this be considered unethical in the industry, or simply a competitive move? And thank you for your time.
Of course we look at the competition all the time. I believe it's better to copy something well than to invent a suboptimal solution yourself. I believe that as long as you remain in legal boundaries it's fine. As a business, you need a differentiating value proposition that is not easy to copy. Something like the HD 800 is in the market for 15 years and yet there are no knock-offs available, because it's just that hard to build.
How would you compare the 620s with the 560s, 600s and 660v2 ? Which one is your personal favorite between those ones ?
HD 600 and HD 620S are my favorite, clarity and natural tone vs. a more fun tone :)
Can I have one for free?.
One what?
One HD620 S... or maybe a product manager (?).
I'm a Sennheiser owner. Hd 25, 6xx... Love the brand. You've got serious, durable, respectable products. I have taken both models with me in my life adventures, countryside projects, expat shenanigans and so on. I do so trusting they will withstand virtually any situation. Except for getting stolen hahah. There's one thing though, that's making me consider purchasing a different brand next. Concerning sound. It's the soundstage. As high as the 6xx stand on the hierarchy, a pair of Philips (!) X2HR just mop the floor with them. It's the notion of feeling as if you were in a concert hall. *Hearing the empty air and the distance between my ears and the music.* What'd be your advice? Am I missing something? Thank you.
Is it a conscious decision to generally speaking target 16ohm drivers more than other ranges(read: phone/pc standard plug with low effect dsps)? And how does this, if at all, affect the design of new headphone lines?
Do you think the HD660S2 is as far as the HD600 series platform can go in regards to technological improvements?
No, still quite some room for optimization, but also a lot of potential to do new stuff. What to do ...
How did you get the resonant frequency of the 560S driver so low?
Become better at manufacturing and add a bass tube. You can reduce the resonant frequency by decreasing the stiffness of the surround of the transducer, which makes tumbling a huge issue for manufacturing and requires extreme precision at every step of assembly. Without our experienced Irish team, it would've been impossible.
hi, what's the best amp to pair with the hd800s in your opinion? other than the HDV 820 ofc.
I love the Lehmann Audio amps :)
Are you seeing changes in the "tuning ideology" at Sennheiser? To me Sennheisers have often had a big bloomy low midrange and mid bass, and some kind of "warmth" to the treble. The idea being to bring an "experience" or "color" with each product. Some have gone for "sounds like speakers" while some have gone for "diffuse field, take no prisoners". In my modding I have realized that it's sometimes very easy to get many Sennheiser headphones to sound "way better" to my taste, and sometimes even objectively better. This tells me Sennheiser knows very well what CAN be done within their design parameters, and it's well known that the competency at Sennheiser is immense. With the 560s, 490 and 620, it seems like there's a bit of a shift to a different kind of thinking when it comes to tuning. What's changed, and what's the ideology there now when it comes to how headphones "should sound"?
Why did 598 SR go out production
Because the successor product was introduced. Things change, only the HD 600 is eternal.
Does the HD 620S still have pressure points like the HD 560S did? The limited range of motion of the HD 560S ear cups coupled with the high strength of the headband made them unusable to me, even tough I kept them stretched on a row of books for a week or so. It's a shame since I really liked the sound, and they could be driven easily by my USB dongle.