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Sennheiser HD540 II vs the world

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miT View Drop Down
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    Posted: 24 Jul 2015 at 10:08am
Hey guys,

I'm going to CanJam next month in search of high end headphones. I know I demo'd loads of them before but this time each competitor will be battling directly with my HD540 IIs, so I thought a new thread may be a good idea. And by all means, please submit your headphone comparisons too.

If you're interested, please stay tuned...
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote RichW Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 24 Jul 2015 at 11:17am
Tim, It'll be very interesting how the two decade old design HD540 IIs compare against
the new contenders - very well I suspect.

Majestic/Enigma, Accession MM & MC.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote miT Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 24 Jul 2015 at 11:28am
AKG K812
As of yesterday I finally got to try these. Due to being "Pro" equipment they are impossible to track down so AKG kindly sent their review pair to a dealer for me. The sales staff used his Apple laptop into a pre-amp/headphone amp and set it up in a soundproof recording booth for me. While nowhere near GSP stuff it at least allowed me to do an A - B comparison between them, and i listened to the HD540s second as a reality check.

I loved my K701s for the years I used them so I had high hopes for these. I used four very well known test tracks, but there will be a few additions for CanJam.

Hans Zimmer - Like a Dog Chasing Cars (The Dark Knight OST)
This track is one of the most challenging and complex I have ever heard. On most equipment, the instruments clip and the mid - lower frequencies sound muddled and distract from the emotional rollercoaster that this song is (for me). The K812s just sound cold/analytical. I know people say that about the K701s but I don't remember finding myself as detached from this song with them. Trying to stay on topic with the HD540s , the sound was slightly muddy on the K812s. They sound less open, almost claustrophobic but pulled in weird external sounds. e.g. A little AC unit in the corner suddenly felt like it was next to my ear and made things feel cramped. In comparison, the HD540s don't even have the slightest hint of muddiness. They are so open that the imaging feels more spacious, and even that fan issue wasn't the same. It felt like the music was being played on top of the fan, rather than fighting for space with it. In their defence, I will say that at least there was no clipping with the K812s. But that would only be worth more if the HD540 didn't already do the same thing, with a more natural feel for about £1000 less!

Marco Beltrami - Bible Study (3:10 to Yuma OST)
The song is short but crescendos mid-way like the one above. A very tense, emotionally searching moment in the film and this should come through in the song. The K812s again weren't as involving so it was clear sound/noise rather than musical. Also, there is a little reverb on the skin of a percussion instrument at one point (a drum of sorts) but I only heard it clearly with the HD540s. After swapping back to the K812s and straining a tiny bit, I heard it.

Monty Alexander - Hajji Baba
The cymbals all through this have a great texture and as the style changes, there are subtle differences; not so with the K812s! It sounded like rain rather than the brushes stroking the cymbal. No sparkle, not enough seperation, almost a muted, "my ears are blocked" moment, and the change didn't really sound any different. On the HD540s though, the highs sound just right. The texture sounds realistic, like there is a drummer with you. It feels like you can hear each of the brushes caressing the cymbal. The bass more refined, leaving the whole presentation sounding clean and airy rather than muddy.

Rebecca Pidgeon - Texas Rangers
I didn't even make it all the way through this one. Somehow, the K812s introduced harsh sibilance that wasn't there before. Considering the song is Rebecca, minimal acoustic instruments and sounds natural, the headphones were the only explanation. In contrast the HD540s clearly display the extended highs in her voice, but it never gets anywhere near harsh. Again, it just sounds natural. I didn't even need to listen to the whole song for this one.

First test complete and the HD540s didn't even break a sweat. In fact, I ended up listening to some £1500 PSI active monitors (terrible by the way) and only the gob-smacking sound stage was able to beat them (don't worry, I'm not interested in active monitors)!

Watch this space for test two...
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miT View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote miT Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 24 Jul 2015 at 11:32am
Originally posted by RichW RichW wrote:

Tim, It'll be very interesting how the two decade old design HD540 IIs compare against
the new contenders - very well I suspect.

I agree. I think the expensive whippersnappers will struggle though... And I hope they do because if I can't find a flawless replacement, I want more speaker soundstage!!
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote miT Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 12 Sep 2015 at 1:29pm
Isn't it funny how time changes things? CanJam was ok but I didn't take my HD540IIs to compare as I'm now looking for cheap Bitzie-fed speakers instead. Why would I give up on the dream system? We are now 11 weeks pregnant so priorities have shifted. Bye bye carefree days.

Returning to the topic at hand the best headphones I got to listen to were the Fostex TH-900s ("closed" units that sound really open and clean), AKG Q702s (I'd say the closest sounding new competition) and HiFiman HE-1000 planars. The latter sounded unbelievable, smooth and crisp, a clear different level to the 540s but there were two negatives:
1. HiFiman magically didn't have any HE-6s to compare with (although the HE-1ks sounded better from memory), and
2. £2,500 was expensive when I was single, yet alone married and expanding (on my wages)!

I guess that ends my HD540II education campaign but I definitely don't feel like I'm left with a poor second; I remain happy in the knowledge that I'd need ludicrous money to beat them, and thank Ash for opening my eyes to them in the first place.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote mitch65 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 12 Sep 2015 at 1:41pm
Originally posted by miT miT wrote:


I guess that ends my HD540II education campaign but I definitely don't feel like I'm left with a poor second; I remain happy in the knowledge that I'd need ludicrous money to beat them

Too true, they're the best headphones I've had. I'm not that bothered about trying more expensive ones to be honest as the idea of spending 4 figure sums does not really appeal and would probably consign me to the 'naughty step' if I ever did! LOL

Greg

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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote miT Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 12 Sep 2015 at 2:34pm
Would you even be allowed back in the house?
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