CHANGSTAR: Audiophile Headphone Reviews and Early 90s Style BBS

Lobby => Headphone Measurements => Topic started by: stratocaster on August 01, 2014, 07:02:59 PM

Title: Vintage Sennheiser
Post by: stratocaster on August 01, 2014, 07:02:59 PM

I am going to share measurements of my vintage Sennheiser headphones.

Let's start with the HD 540 II. I really enjoy these, even more so after some modding. Very natural and clean sounding. Air, imaging and soundstage notably better than HD600. Very light and comfortable. Love them.


(http://www.ginrim.at/content/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/headphones1.jpg)

Stock:
(http://www.ginrim.at/content/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/stock1.jpg)

Modded (damped, foam in front of drivers, Brainwavz HM5 velour pads):

(http://www.ginrim.at/content/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/overlay1.jpg)

(http://www.ginrim.at/content/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/right_dist.jpg)

(http://www.ginrim.at/content/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/left_dist.jpg)

(http://www.ginrim.at/content/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/left_wf1.jpg)

(http://www.ginrim.at/content/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/right_wf1.jpg)

Title: Re: Vintage Sennheiser
Post by: lumos on August 01, 2014, 08:25:16 PM

Great results!!! how did you damp them?  popcorn

Title: Re: Vintage Sennheiser
Post by: stratocaster on August 02, 2014, 06:07:57 AM

As you can see in the image below, Sennheiser drivers have a foam disk behind the driver. With headphones that are older than 20 years, this foam has often disintegrated. So you have to replace it with newer material. And this is where you can experiment. But you have to be careful, if you use too thick a material, you will overdampen the driver.

(http://www.ginrim.at/content/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/senn_damping.jpg)

Title: Re: Vintage Sennheiser
Post by: Marvey on August 02, 2014, 07:11:37 AM

Holy crap. I think I actually owned the 540s back in the early 90s or what that late eighties? I miss those days where stores in university towns would carry this shit where you can just walk in and listen.

Title: Re: Vintage Sennheiser
Post by: Serious on August 02, 2014, 10:14:56 AM

I actually still have a pair of these lying around. Impressions and measurements match mine. I'm pretty sure there's some ringing at 9k, especially unmodded.
This actually makes me want to try these again.

Title: Re: Vintage Sennheiser
Post by: stratocaster on August 02, 2014, 11:18:32 AM

Quote from: Serious on August 02, 2014, 10:14:56 AM

I'm pretty sure there's some ringing at 9k, especially unmodded.

Here you go, unmodded ...

(http://www.ginrim.at/content/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/stock_wf1.jpg)

Title: Re: Vintage Sennheiser
Post by: Deep Funk on August 02, 2014, 10:04:38 PM

These headphones were pretty well designed. The shells that hold the driver and the headband are light and comfortable.

I had the HD250 II Linear. Sennheiser really knew what it was doing in terms of design.

Title: Re: Vintage Sennheiser
Post by: stratocaster on August 03, 2014, 06:59:24 PM

HD 560 Ovation I - Velour Pads - Foam disk in front of the drivers:

Channel Overlay:
(http://www.ginrim.at/content/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/overlay2.jpg)

Left Channel:
(http://www.ginrim.at/content/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/left1.jpg)

Left CSD:
(http://www.ginrim.at/content/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/left_csd1.jpg)

Right Channel:
(http://www.ginrim.at/content/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/right1.jpg)

Right CSD:
(http://www.ginrim.at/content/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/right_-csd1.jpg)